Iowa football’s game against Illinois on Saturday will be the last time Hawkeye sixth-year seniors compete at Kinnick Stadium, a home turf they have come to know and love over the years.
For players such as defensive end Joe Evans and receiver Nico Ragaini, this backdrop coincides with Iowa’s first-place standing in the Big Ten West. If the Hawkeyes defeat the Fighting Illini on Saturday, they will clinch the division title and a spot in the Big Ten Championship in Indianapolis.
Yet even with these two external factors hovering over this week’s contest, the pair of players still remain committed to simply getting a win and going 1-0 on the week.
For Evans, any added feelings toward his last home game won’t be present on the field, as the game isn’t a guaranteed win. On last year’s Senior Day, Iowa suffered a 24-17 loss to division-rival Nebraska.
“The game, obviously that’s my main focus,” Evans told reporters on Tuesday. “I told my parents, ‘I don’t want this to sound harsh or anything, but I’m going to save me getting emotional for after the game.’”
As for the onus on himself as a senior, the former walk-on preferred all appreciation be deflected to his parents, who he said helped support him financially his first two seasons.
Hailing from Connecticut, Ragaini has spent a majority of his college years thousands of miles from home, but the receiver said he still doesn’t want his time in Iowa City to end.
“To be honest, I’m not really looking forward to it,” he said of Senior Day. “I don’t really want it to happen. I’m not thinking about it. I’m just going to enjoy the moment and get it done.”
“It hasn’t really hit me, so hopefully it doesn’t really hit me at all,” Ragaini continued. “I stay locked in. I’m sure my family will be crying, so I’ll try not to look at them and just play the game. Have fun out there for the last time.”
While he still has a year of eligibility left, Iowa punter Tory Taylor said he will not be returning to the Hawkeyes next season. The 26-year-old from Melbourne, Australia, is eligible for the NFL Draft and has said in the past that going to the pro level is a likely option for him.
Taylor said Tuesday there was a “90-95 percent” chance he would leave after the end of last season but changed his mind after talking it over with people close to him. Calling the choice to return this season “the best decision I’ve ever made,” the punter said his final home game will be an emotional experience, with his dad making the 20-hour flight to be in attendance.
As for his four years in Iowa City, Taylor said he has been surrounded by “great people” who made the transition to a new country and a new sport (he did not play American football in high school) a much easier process.
“It’s really hard to put into words. I might have to write a book or something to get it all out there,” he said with a smile.
Other Iowa players participating in Senior Day festivities are defensive back Sebastian Castro, safety Quinn Schulte, linebacker Jay Higgins, and defensive tackle Logan Lee. All have an extra year of eligibility left but said they will wait until the end of the season to make a decision.
As for the division title implications involved in Saturday’s matchup, Taylor maintained that while it’s “obvious” of what the Hawkeyes have to do to secure a spot at the Big Ten Championship, those stakes haven’t been discussed.
“To be completely honest, it hasn’t been mentioned once at all,” he said. “And I think that really goes back to what actually matters, because a lot of that stuff is just a byproduct of on-field performance … All we’re focused on is winning this football game and whatever happens after that happens.”
Scouting report
For the Hawkeyes, toppling the Illini will require shutting down an offense that scored its highest point total of the season last week against Indiana, racking up 48 points in a three-point overtime victory. Holding a 5-5 overall record, Illinois has won three of its last four contests, averaging just over 30 points per game over that span.
For Lee, whose hometown of Orion, Illinois, is divided between Iowa and Illinois fans, the game will be quite the reunion. The defensive tackle said approximately 120 people will be at his parents’ tailgate on Saturday. As for what he will see on the field, Lee said the Illini have added some variability to their offense, especially after the “explosion” they had against the Hoosiers, where quarterback John Paddock tossed for 507 yards.
In addition to Paddock, the Illini also have Ole Miss transfer Luke Altmyer, who started the previous nine games for Illinois before being sidelined with a concussion in the final minutes against Minnesota. After not playing against Indiana, there is a possibility Altmyer could get some snaps this week. Higgins said the Hawkeyes are “preparing for everything, and that’s the fun part.”
On the defensive side, Illinois is commanded by the ‘The Law Firm’ of defensive tackles Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton and Keith Randolph Jr. While Newton leads the Big Ten at his position with 39 QB pressures, Randolph ranks third in the Power Five in tackles per game at the position.
In the secondary, the Illini lost star corner Devon Witherspoon to the NFL Draft, and such an absence is noticeable, as Illinois ranks 12th in the Big Ten in opponent passing yards per game. According to Ragaini, new Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry prefers to run man coverage or a two high-safety look.
“Man [coverage], they think they can guard our guys,” Ragaini said of Illinois’ defensive scheme. “Obviously as a receiver, you have to take offense to that a little bit and prove them wrong.”
Following a game in which Iowa scored its most points since Sept. 30 against Michigan State, Ragaini is determined to keep pushing forward and make what was an anomaly into a habit.
“We’ve just got to keep the rhythm going,” he said of the Hawkeyes’ recent offensive output. “But it can’t be a one-time thing. ‘OK, we scored, we put up points, everyone was happy. Let’s take our foot off the gas.’ It’s got to be, ‘Foot on your throat, let’s keep going.’”
Injury report
After leaving Iowa’s Week 10 game against Northwestern, center Logan Jones started last week’s game against Rutgers, but lasted just the opening drive. Jones is not on the depth chart this week, and Hawkeye head coach Kirk Ferentz did not provide an update on the center’s status for Saturday.
Filling in for Jones against the Scarlet Knights was backup Tyler Elsbury, who is now listed as the starter at the position. Ferentz has said previously that Elsbury can play the tackle, guard, and center spots.
Iowa quarterback Deacon Hill said he has been working with Elsbury at center for the past couple weeks, adding that the pair have even played golf together.
“I feel really comfortable with him there,” Hill said of Elsbury at the center position. “He snaps the ball really well. We have a good connection there … He’s very smart.”
As for backup guard Beau Stephens, who missed last week’s game, Ferentz said the offensive lineman would not be available on Saturday.
Ferentz also said tight end Steven Stilianos is back at practice and should be good to go for Saturday. The tight end is listed as the second-string behind Addison Ostrenga. Wide receiver Diante Vines is also “very unlikely” to play against Illinois after not seeing action last week.
Replacing Vines as the starter is Kaleb Brown, who scored his first collegiate touchdown against Rutgers. Against the Scarlet Knights, Iowa’s three running backs Kaleb Johnson, Jaziun Patterson, and Lehson Williams all received at least 10 reps and 50 yards rushing, but this week, Johnson moved down to the third-string behind Patterson.