GAME NOTES: The seventh-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes remain undefeated, and they are set for a Big Ten Conference road clash with the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday evening. Iowa holds a 20-18-2 edge in the all-time series between the teams, but the Spartans won last season's meeting by a 16-13 final.

Some fans and analysts thought that the Hawkeyes might suffer their first loss against Wisconsin on the road last weekend, but the result of that tilt was a 20-10 victory. Iowa is now 7-0 overall, and the team beat Penn State on the road a few weeks ago as well. If it can run the table, which would include a victory over Ohio State in Columbus on November 14th, it would be awfully difficult to keep the Hawkeyes out of the national title game.

Iowa can't look past this weekend's game, however, as Michigan State enters with a three-game win streak that has enabled the team to improve to 4-3 overall. The Spartans knocked off Northwestern last Saturday by a 24-14 final, and two of the three losses suffered by the club this season have come by a total of five points. Even the most lopsided loss came by only eight points at Wisconsin, so Michigan State is a formidable opponent for sure.

Iowa trailed 10-0 to Wisconsin last weekend, and the score was 10-3 at intermission. Fortunately, the Hawkeyes played extremely well on both sides of the ball in the second half. Not only did they blank the Badgers over the final 30 minutes, they managed a pair of touchdowns as well. First, Ricky Stanzi threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Tony Moeaki. Then, tailback Adam Robinson capped a 79-yard scoring drive with a 10-yard touchdown run.

"They really controlled play and dominated in the first half and then we were able to get a grip on things and play a little better in the second half," said Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz after the contest. "It was two teams playing very hard out there and we're thrilled to get the victory."

For the game, Iowa finished with only 283 yards, but the team held Wisconsin to 230 yards and came up with three huge interceptions. Iowa won the time of possession battle by seven-and-a-half minutes and posted four sacks.

"Rick played an exceptional football game," Ferentz said of his junior quarterback, who completed 11-of-13 passes in the second half. "He's done a heck of a job leading our football team."

Overall this season, Iowa is averaging 24.9 ppg and 351.6 total ypg. Stanzi has been solid, completing 59.2 percent of his passes for 1,577 yards and 11 touchdowns with eight interceptions. Tony Moeaki has four receiving scores to his credit, and Stanzi has done a tremendous job of spreading the ball around. As for Robinson, a redshirt freshman, he has rushed for 520 yards and five scores in seven outings.

While the Iowa offense has been solid, it is the team's defense that is the strength of the team. The Hawkeyes are only yielding 15.0 ppg and 294.6 total ypg, impressive numbers by any standards. They have allowed fewer than half of the passes that they have faced to be completed and have a staggering total of 15 interceptions against only five touchdown passes allowed. Tyler Sash has five interceptions to lead the team, and Pat Angerer has a club-high 68 tackles.

Michigan State is scoring 29.3 ppg this season while gaining 416.9 total ypg, better numbers than undefeated Iowa. Both Keith Nichol and Kirk Cousins have seen significant time under center for the Spartans this season, and with Nichol sidelined with an elbow injury, it was Cousins who took all the snaps against Northwestern last week. Cousins completed 21-of-31 passes for 281 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, numbers that would make any coach proud. Blair White was clearly the most dangerous of the MSU receivers, as he hauled in 12 balls for 186 yards and two scores.

"He is clutch in tough situations, and I think after doing that all last year too he has become an extremely confident young man, and it's not something that he went into the season with last year, but rather something he grew into," says head coach Mark Dantonio of White.

"He started playing with poise back there and started throwing the ball on the money and ended up having a pretty big game," said Dantonio of Cousins, adding that Nichol could have played but that the team has confidence in both signal callers.

The passing game accounts for more than half of Michigan State's yardage this season, as the team is throwing the ball for 280.4 ypg. Cousins has thrown nine touchdowns against four interceptions, and he has completed 63.5 percent of his passes for 1,283 yards. As for Nichol, he has connected on 52 percent of his throws for 650 yards and five scores with three picks. White has 45 grabs for 635 yards and six touchdowns, while Larry Caper paces the ground attack with 338 yards and six scores.

Defensively, the Spartans are permitting 334.9 total ypg and 21.6 ppg. They have been strong against the run, limiting foes to 99.0 rushing ypg at an average of 3.0 ypc. The pass defense has struggled, however, as opposing quarterbacks have 15 touchdown passes against MSU with only four interceptions. On a positive note, the Spartans have registered 20 sacks, including five by leading tackler Greg Jones, who has posted 85 total stops, 36 more than his closest teammate.

Michigan State has the ability to knock off Iowa this weekend, but give a narrow edge to the Hawkeyes. They have proven capable of beating quality opponents on the road, so add another win to the record.