Here is a quick primer for Iowa’s game against Wisconsin, which kicks off at 11 a.m. Saturday.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH

Dynamic duos

Both Wisconsin and Iowa have a pair of capable running backs who see regular action. While the combo of Shonn Greene and Jewel Hampton gives the Hawkeyes a thunder and lightning change of pace, the Badgers bring more of an earthquake with P.J. Hill and John Clay, both of whom weigh in at close to 240 pounds.

New QB

Word is Wisconsin junior Dustin Sherer will get his first career start for the Badgers. Allan Evridge has been painfully average through six games and was pulled at halftime of the Badgers’ 48-7 loss to Penn State. Sherer doesn’t have a lot of experience, but two years ago, a first-time UW starter, Tyler Donovan, claimed a 24-21 win at Iowa.

Battle in the trenches

Iowa and Wisconsin are two of only three teams in the Big Ten, the other being Michigan State, that still run traditional “quarterback under center” offenses. So, both teams need to win the line of scrimmage in order to win games. The Badgers O-line is huge: 6-6, 320 pounds per man. They’ll outweigh Iowa’s D-line by 50 pounds a player.

Special twist

Five of the nine Wisconsin-Iowa games in which Kirk Ferentz has been a head coach have been decided by six points or less, including the past to years, when the Badgers won by three and four, respectively. This will be another close one, so special teams will be big. A field goal or a big return could decide it.

Chess match

Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema played at Iowa and was an assistant under Hayden Fry and Kirk Ferentz. These two coaching staffs know each other well, another reason the games have been so closely contested over the years. Bielema has never lost to his alma mater, but he’ll have his hands full with his team riding a three-game slide.

WHO HAS THE EDGE

When the Hawkeyes have the ball

The Badgers will stack the line of scrimmage and send their speedy linebackers on blitzes to try to stuff Shonn Greene in the running game and force Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi into making mistakes. Stanzi has been prone to mistakes through the first half of the season. Advantage: Wisconsin

When the Badgers have the ball

Wisconsin’s offense has been one-dimensional. Teams that have shut down the run have beaten the Badgers, and Iowa ranks second in the Big Ten and 18th in the nation, allowing only 98 yards a game on the ground. Wisconsin will have to win this game through the air with a first-time starter at QB. Advantage: Iowa

Special teams

Awfully close here. Phillip Welch and Trent Mossbrucker, both true freshmen, are two of the more accurate kickers in the Big Ten. Iowa has an edge with Ryan Donahue at punter, but both teams have dangerous return men: Iowa with Andy Brodell and Wisconsin with David Gilreath. Advantage: Iowa

Prediction

Both teams are going to try to run the ball, and both defenses have been good against the run. That means this game likely will be won through the air and on special teams, and the Hawkeyes have the advantage there. Look for Ricky Stanzi to have a statement game. Iowa 27, Wisconsin 13  

John Clay waited until the last minute to make up his mind on where to go to college.

Wisconsin … Iowa … Wisconsin … Iowa …

He wavered right up until the end.

Coming out of Racine (Wis.) Park High School, Clay was rated a 5-star prospect and one of the top running backs in the nation. The Iowa coaching staff courted him as hard as anyone, but, weeks before signing day in the spring of 2006, Clay chose to stay home and play for the Badgers.

After redshirting last season, the 6-foot-2, 237-pounder has arrived, showing why he was so highly regarded coming out of high school. He leads the Badgers, who invade Kinnick Stadium at 11 a.m. Saturday, with a 6.2-yards-per-carry average. He has run for 303 yards and four touchdowns while playing a limited, but increasing, role in the Wisconsin offense behind All-Big Ten back P.J. Hill.

He has become exactly what Kirk Ferentz thought he would be.

“Maybe more,” Ferentz said Tuesday. “He really looks good. We thought he was an excellent player. He was a delightful guy. We were very impressed with him and his family, and we really would have liked to have had him in our program. We thought he was going to be an excellent football player. It sure looks like he’s off to a great start.”

The Badgers have needed Clay, because Hill, the conference’s fifth-leading ball-carrier, has been struggling in Big Ten play. Clay, who has deceptive speed for such a big back, has provided a change of pace. Against Ohio State, he carried 10 times for 69 yards, the bulk of which came on a fourth-quarter touchdown drive that put the Badgers in front with six minutes to play.

“It’s been fun,” UW offensive coordinator Paul Chryst told the Wisconsin State Journal. “In front of our eyes, we’re seeing John grow. It has been pretty good.”

Brandon Wegher is closing in on 2,000 yards for the season and making an assault on the state record books in the process. Here’s that, and other updates on the high school football players who have committed to Iowa:

Brandon Wegher — Running back, Sioux City Bishop Heelan

Wegher ran for 194 yards and two touchdowns as Heelan, Iowa’s top-ranked Class 3A team, improved to 7-0 on the season. He had scoring runs of 39 and 47 yards, passing former Davenport Assumption star Willie Argo for fourth place on the state’s all-time touchdown list. Wegher now has 85 touchdowns in his career.

From the Sioux City Journal:

Wegher paced the Crusaders’ attack with 194 yards on the ground, giving him 1,580 yards this season. He also topped the 5,000-yard mark for his career and now stands at 5,167 yards.

Brad Rogers — Running back, Toledo (Ohio) Central Catholic

Central Catholic defeated St. Francis DeSalles 31-6, improving to 8-0 on the season. I didn’t get any stats on Rogers, but I’ve got an email out to the guy at the Toledo Blade, who usually is pretty good about letting me know. So, I’ll keep you posted.

Keenan Davis — Wide receiver, Cedar Rapids Washington

Washington, the No. 6 team in Iowa’s Class 4A, improved to 6-1 with a 41-20 win over Cedar Rapids Jefferson, but Davis didn’t see much action. Davis had missed three straight games with a leg injury and played sparingly on defense.

From the Cedar Rapids Gazette:

Standout wide receiver Keenan Davis was in uniform but played just briefly on defense in the first half and did so with a noticeable limp.

Davis has 17 receptions for 233 yards and two touchdowns on the season.

Jordan Cotton — Running back, Mount Pleasant

Cotton carried 14 times for 136 yards and a touchdown in Mount Pleasant’s 37-21 win over previously unbeaten Williamsburg. He also had two receptions for 28 yards and returned a second-half kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. Mount Pleasant is ranked No. 5 in Iowa’s Class 3A.

Drew Clark — Offensive lineman, Marion

Clark’s Marion team improved to 6-1 with a 43-23 win over Union Community.

Brett Van Sloten — Offensive lineman, Decorah

Decorah moved to 7-0 with a 42-6 stomping of Independence.

Scott Covert — Defensive lineman, Lake Forest (Ill.)

Lake Forest lost 48-17 to Lake Zurich, falling to 4-3 on the season.

James Morris — Running back, Solon

Morris, a junior, carried eight times for 94 yards and three touchdowns in a 56-0 rout of Camanche. Solon improved to 7-0.

IOWA CITY — Coming off a 45-9 win at Indiana, Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz met with the state media Tuesday. Here are some notes from his news conference:

-Tight end Brandon Myers and defensive end Adrian Clayborn are listed as starters for this weekend’s game against Wisconsin despite suffering injuries in last weekend’s game at Indiana. Myers suffered a slight knee injury, while Clayborn had a leg injury of some sort.

-Tight end Tony Moeaki is not listed in the two-deeps.

-No other changes to the depth chart.

-Linebacker Troy Johnson likely will miss Saturday’s game because of a muscle strain.

-Captains: Rob Bruggeman, Shonn Greene, Mitch King and Matt Kroul

-Ferentz opened his news conference by re-emphasizing his policy that his assistants are off-limits to the media. Not sure where this came from … apparently another paper in the state ran a column criticizing Ferentz’s policy. Ferentz said coaches work very hard and don’t have a lot of time to spend with their families, so 15 minutes with the media each week is too much to ask of the assistants. 

-Ferentz on Wisconsin: “Don’t let what happened the past couple weeks fool you. They’ve got a very talented football team.”

-Mike Daniels, who collapsed on the field at the end of the IU game, is fine, Ferentz said. He has come more tests this morning. Everything looks good. “It was strange, because he’s been through camp and played in hotter games. … Maybe he was all excited because we won. I don’t know.”

-Running back Paki O’Meara is good to go for Saturday coming off a knee injury. He could have played this past week, but the coaching staff wanted to hold him out to be sure.

-Ferentz said stopping Wisconsin’s passing game starts with tight end Travis Beckum. That’s true, because the Badgers do not have a definitive starting QB named for this weekend. It’s between Allan Evridge and Dustin Sherer. Evridge has started the first six games for Wisconsin, which has lost three straight. Sherer played the second half of last week’s 48-7 loss to Penn State after Evridge went 2-for-10 for 50 yards with a fumble and a pick in the first half. 

It’s a sad day for the Big Ten when nine of my top 12 teams are from the Big 12 and SEC. I’ve got five Big 12 teams in the top 10, starting with Texas at No. 1.

New to my ballot this week is Minnesota, coming in at No. 21. The Gophers are 6-1 and have a very manageable schedule the rest of the way. It’s scary to say it, but Tim Brewster could conceivably finish 11-1, 10-2 or 9-3 a year after going 1-11. Imagine how he’ll be able to sell that to recruits, along with a new, on-campus stadium up in Minneapolis.

Here’s my ballot:

1. Texas (6-0, 2-0 Big 12): The Longhorns made a strong statement outlasting Oklahoma in a classic Red River Shootout that really was a shootout. Next up: Saturday vs. Missouri

2. Penn State (7-0, 3-0 Big Ten):The Nittany Lions handed Wisconsin its worst loss since the pre-Barry Alvarez era. PSU is looking like a team that can run the table. Next up: Saturday vs. Michigan

3. Alabama (6-0, 3-0 SEC): The Crimson Tide were idle this week but gained ground in the polls with Oklahoma, Missouri and LSU all losing. Next up: Saturday vs. Mississippi

4. Oklahoma (5-1, 1-1 Big 12): Couldn’t drop the Sooners below Florida or USC. Texas is just a little bit better than Ole Miss and Oregon State. Next up: Saturday vs. Kansas

5. Florida (5-1, 3-1 SEC):Tim Tebow and the Gators really got things clicking, routing LSU 51-21. I just wonder if they can play that well consistently. Next up: Oct. 25 vs. Kentucky

6. USC (4-1, 2-1 Pac-10): The Trojans further proved Arizona State was overrated in the preseason. With so many teams losing, USC is right back in the title race. Next up: Saturday at Washington State

7. Oklahoma State (6-0, 2-0 Big 12):Mike Gundy is a man! He’s 40! The Cowboys coach also has a pretty good football team this year. Impressive win at Missouri. Next up: Saturday vs. Baylor

8. BYU (6-0, 2-0 Mountain West): The Cougars had a rather ordinary win over New Mexico. You wonder how high they can rise in the polls playing the Mountain West. Next up: Thursday at TCU

9. Texas Tech (6-0, 2-0 Big 12): The Raiders better win this weekend. Games at Kansas, vs. Texas, vs. Oklahoma State and at Oklahoma are on deck. Next up: Saturday at Texas A&M

10. Missouri (5-1, 1-1 Big 12): Tough loss for the Tigers Saturday against Oklahoma State. Chase Daniel was a little out of whack. A chance for redemption Saturday. Next up: Saturday at Texas

11. LSU (4-1, 2-1 SEC): The defending champs were dominated by Florida. This is a good team, though, that’s going to make noise in the SEC. Next up: Saturday at South Carolina

12. Georgia (5-1, 2-1 SEC): Georgia’s ho-hum win at Tennessee might say more about how bad the Vols are this season. Phil Fulmer’s days have got to be numbered. Next up: Saturday vs. Vanderbilt

13. Ohio State (6-1, 3-0 Big Ten): The Buckeyes got by lowly Purdue without scoring and offensive touchdown. There is a gap between Penn State and the Big Ten’s No. 2. Next up: Saturday at Michigan State

14. Boise State (5-0, 1-0 WAC): The Broncos went on the road and won at Southern Miss. They very quietly are setting themselves up to crash the BCS. Next up: Friday vs. Hawaii

15. Utah (7-0, 3-0 Mountain West): With BYU, Utah and TCU, the Mountain West is looking pretty tough. The Utes might just be the best of the bunch. Next up: Saturday vs. Colorado State

16. Michigan State (6-1, 3-0 Big Ten): Impressive win for the Spartans at Northwestern. They’re not flashy, but they get it done. The big test comes this weekend. Next up: Saturday vs. Ohio State

17. North Carolina (5-1, 1-1 ACC):The ’Heels got past an improving Notre Dame team and, right now, look like the class of the ACC. Next up: Saturday at Virginia

18. Pittsburgh (4-1, 2-0 Big East): Pitt was on a bye week after taking control of the Big East race with a win at South Florida last week. Navy will be a test. Next up: Saturday at Navy

19. South Florida (5-1, 0-1 Big East): After a bye week this past weekend, the Bulls get a virtual bye when the Orange come to town. Next up: Saturday vs. Syracuse

20. Ball State (7-0, 3-0 MAC): The Cardinals might be the most likely non-BCS team to go unbeaten. Western Michigan looks like the only MAC team that can contend. Next up: Oct. 25 vs. Eastern Michigan

21. Minnesota (6-1, 2-1 Big Ten): Check out the Gophers’ remaining schedule: At Purdue, vs. Northwestern, vs. Michigan, at Wisconsin, vs. Iowa. Do I smell roses? Next up: Oct. 25 at Purdue

22. Kansas (5-1, 2-0 Big 12): Have the Jayhawks been getting lucky, or are they that resilient. We’re going to find out this weekend. Next up: Saturday at Oklahoma

23. Vanderbilt (5-1, 3-1 SEC): The Commodores had to fall off their brains at some point. Doing it against Mississippi State hurt. The Bulldogs are 2-4. Next up: Saturday at Georgia

24. Virginia Tech (5-1, 2-0 ACC):Someone has got to win the ACC, right? Why not the Hokies, who were on a bye this past week. Next up: Saturday at Boston College

25. Tulsa (6-0, 3-0 C-USA): Tulsa leads the nation in total offense (597.0) and scoring (53.2). Quarterback David Johnson is the FBS’ most efficient passer. Next up: Saturday vs. UTEP

Dropped out: No. 16 Illinois, No. 20 Auburn, No. 23 Northwestern, No. 24 Wisconsin

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Iowa showed up big time in a game that was an absolute must-win in order to keep bowl hopes alive, beating Indiana 45-9. All of a sudden things are looking up. Not much bad to say about this one.

Offense (A)

It was a scary moment early in the first quarter when Shonn Greene limped to the sidelines, but Jewel Hampton came on and Iowa’s offense didn’t miss a beat. Greene fought threw an ankle injury and ran for 115 yards, and Hampton was just as impressive. They are proving to a potent tandem at running back.

Once Ricky Stanzi shook off his early jitters, he was razor sharp. He completed his first six passes of the third quarter as Iowa broke open the game.

The offensive line was as good as it has been all year.

Bottom line: No one has really stopped the Iowa offense this year. No, that is, except the Hawkeyes. 

Defense (A)

Iowa held Indiana to 286 yards, 136 below the Hoosiers’ season average.

Linebacker A.J. Edds explains:

“I don’t know if we broke their will, but we did a good job of doing all we could to take them out of their game and make it a one-sided affair. I don’t know if there was one play or one series, but the whole middle to late third quarter is where we broke through.

“This is about as good a spread as you’re going to see. They didn’t do a whole lot against us, but it’s not like this defense has arrived.”

Sorry, A.J., but I disagree. The Hawkeyes defense is among the best in the Big Ten. 
 
Special teams (A)

Indiana native Trent Mossbrucker hit on a 26-yard field goal and six PATs. Punter Ryan Donahue averaged 44 yards a boot. He had a long of 56 and landed three inside the 20.

“Both our kickers did a great job,” coach Kirk Ferentz said. “Ryan has that potential to be a guy who can really work for us.”

Daniel Murray came up with a touchdown-saving tackle on a kickoff early in the third quarter. That was a game-changing play, because a score would have put Indiana right back in it. As it was, the Hoosiers went three-and-out.

Coaching (A)

Like it has the past three weeks, Iowa’s game plan worked. The defense held an opponent under 300 yards for the second straight week, and the offense scored more points than an Iowa team had in a Big Ten game in almost two years.

Asked what could have gone better, all Ferentz could say was, “We wasted two plays in the first half where we looked like a bad junior high team. And I say that with all due respect to junior high teams.”

Here is a quick primer for Iowa’s game at Indiana, which kicks off at 11 a.m. Saturday.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH

In the red zone

Iowa’s offense has been failing to deliver inside the opponents’ 20-yard line. On the year, the Hawkeyes have converted red-zone chances at a Big Ten-low 73.1 percent, scoring only 12 touchdowns in 26 trips. Last week at Michigan State, Iowa had two turnovers inside the Spartans’ 20, which cost them the game.

Sack count

Indiana piled up nine sacks in last year’s 38-20 win at Iowa City. This year, the defensive line is just as good, led by ends Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton. Middleton, who led the nation in sacks a year ago, is off to a slow start, but Kirlew ranks fifth in the nation with five QB takedowns. This will be the best defensive line Iowa has faced.

Big plays

Big plays have killed Iowa in this series the past two seasons. Last year, the Hoosiers had scoring plays of 39 and 71 yards. This season, Marcus Thigpen has a run and receptions of longer than 75 yards, and QB Kellen Lewis has a run and a pass of longer than 75 yards. The Hawkeyes must make IU sustain drives.

Playing two

Indiana will play two quarterbacks — starter Kellen Lewis and Ben Chappell. Lewis is a dual-threat athlete, while Chappell is a more traditional drop-back passer. When Chappell is in the game, Lewis likely will line up at receiver, where he has two receptions for 17 yards this season. Both have shown they can thrown the ball. 

Turnovers

Iowa has a minus-6 turnover margin in two Big Ten games. That’s last in the conference. The Hawkeyes committed five turnovers in a 22-17 loss to Northwestern and three last week in a 16-13 loss to Michigan State. It’s safe to say the turnovers cost Iowa those two games. The offense is playing well, if it could just hang onto the ball.

WHO HAS THE EDGE

When the Hawkeyes have the ball

Indiana ranks sixth in the Big Ten against the run, and Iowa is going to run, run, run with Shonn Greene. The Hoosiers defensive line is much better against the pass than it is against the run, and the Hawkeyes O-line should be able to control things up front. And the run will set up the pass. Advantage: Iowa

When the Hoosiers have the ball

Until the Hawkeyes successfully defend against Kellen Lewis, the Indiana offense has the edge in this matchup. Iowa’s defense has played very well against traditional offenses with traditional QBs, but against the spread with mobile QBs who can pass, it’s a whole different story. Advantage: Indiana

Special teams

Austin Starr has only six field-goal attempts, but last season he was one of the most reliable kickers in the nation. Freshman Chris Hagerup averages 43.5 yards a punt, compared to 41.9 for Iowa’s Ryan Donahue. Marcus Thigpen is a very dangerous return man. Advantage: Indiana

Prediction

The Hoosiers aren’t as good as they’ve been the past two seasons. Losing receiver James Hardy, who killed the Hawkeyes for three seasons, left a significant hole in the offense that has not been filled. Expect Iowa to get control of its turnover issues and win the game. Iowa 24, Indiana 20

IOWA CITY — It was bound to happen sooner or later. We’re six games into the season, and Shonn Greene is on pace to rush for more than 1,600 yards. The question is starting to circulate among Iowa fans in Iowa City and beyond.

Will he? Or won’t he?

The answer is Greene, the Hawkeyes 235-pound, punishing running back, probably will enter the NFL Draft after this, his junior season. The real question is: Why wouldn’t he?

For starters, take a look at NFL rosters — 235-pounders who can move like Greene don’t grow on trees. He’s a junior, but he’s already 23 years old, which makes him older than most NFL rookies. Yet, at 23, he has logged limited mileage, having sat out last season because of academic struggles and playing a limited role in 2005 and 2006. Greene is a bruising runner. You’ve got to figure he’s got only so many carries in his tank before all of the vicious hits both he and defenders initiate start to take their toll.

On top of that, we know college hasn’t been easy for him, as evidenced by his academic struggles in the past. Why stay and have to go to class when, on the heels of such a strong season, he likely would be a first-day NFL Draft pick?

Why stay and risk injury when his draft stock probably won’t get much higher?

“I think (the NFL is) in his future, certainly,” coach Kirk Ferentz said Tuesday. “We have a lot of water to cover before we get there. Right now, I’m focused on the six games he’s got scheduled left.

“The most impressive thing I think he’s done — it’s just consistent performance. He hasn’t had 200 yards in one game and 42 in another. … He’s playing well. He is really playing well.”

Greene has carried 129 times for 822 yards and five touchdowns. His 137-yards-a-game average ranks second in the Big Ten and sixth in the nation. His 6.4-yards-per-carry average is ridiculous when you consider his between-the-tackles running style.

He’s definitely on the radar of NFL scouts.

Ferentz was asked Tuesday if he thought Greene’s age would factor in a decision to turn pro.

“I’m not worried about that. He’s not on social security yet,” Ferentz cracked. “Right now, he just needs to worry about each game. That’s the best thing he can do, and we’ll cross that bridge whenever we get to it. We’ve been down that road before with a couple guys. I hope he plays well enough where he has a choice. That would be great.”

Dallas Clark is the only Iowa player to leave school early during Ferentz’s 10-year tenure. The tight end was taken by the Indianapolis Colts with the 24th overall pick in 2003.

IOWA CITY — Kirk Ferentz met with the state media Tuesday. Here are some notes from the news conference. This time, posted from the lobby of the U of I hospital across the street from Kinnick — better signal than the Super 8 on 1st Avenue.

-No changes to the depth chart since Monday. Tony Moeaki is not listed, and Tyler Sash and Harold Dalton are co-No. 1s at strong safety.

-Ferentz started out the news conference by setting a policy that requests for interviews with assistants must go through him. Offensive coordinator Ken O’Keefe was asked for an interview Saturday, and he declined. Ferentz said doing interviews isn’t in the coordinators’ job descriptions. 

-Moeaki (hamstring) won’t play Saturday at Indiana. Paki O’Meara (knee) likely won’t be back. Bruce Davis also is nursing an injury and might not play.

-Captains: Matt Kroul, Mitch King, Shonn Greene and Rob Bruggeman.

-Ferentz drew comparisons between Indiana now and Indiana when he started at Iowa in 1999. Back then, it was a QB named Randle El. Now, it’s Kellen Lewis.

-Ferentz on place-kicker Trent Mossbrucker’s range: “In our mind, in normal conditions, ball inside the 25. But we’ll extend that.” He also said Mossbrucker “doesn’t have training wheels on his bike.” As you’ll recall, Ferentz passed on a 42-yard field goal and a 38-yard field goal in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s win at Michigan State.

-Ferentz on close games: “Losing is frustrating regardless. Losing close games is better than getting blown out, I suppose. It gets down to detail things. Turnovers are prominent. Special teams are prominent. We’ve obviously had problems with turnovers, and our special teams have been erratic.”

-Ferentz said the team’s attitude has been great, practicing well, etc. “That’s why I feel pretty good sitting here even though we’ve lost three straight.”

-Third-string QB Marvin McNutt is working more at receiver now than he is at quarterback. Ferentz said he thinks he has a lot to offer at that position.

-Dan Doering still is working his way back from a wrist/hand injury. He’s got a big cast on there right now that is making it hard, but Ferentz said he has been cleared to play. Ferentz said the rest of the line is playing pretty well, which is making it hard for Doering to break in to the rotation.

-Ferentz talked about Shonn Greene’s potential as a pro … I’ll have more on that in a blog post later tonight.

-IU had nine sacks against Iowa last year. That was Dace Richardson’s last game, as you’ll recall. “It’s going to be a challenge,” Ferentz said of facing the Hoosiers’ defensive front.    

Interesting note … the eight players committed to Iowa — seven in the class of ‘09 and one from ‘10 — are on teams with a combined record of 45-4. It looks like the Hawkeyes’ class will be well-represented at the UNI-Dome next month.

Here’s a look at how Iowa’s recruits did this past weekend:

Brad Rogers — Running back, Toledo (Ohio) Central Catholic

No stats on Rogers this week, but his team won 17-0 over, get this, Rogers High School. There was an interesting story behind this one. A brawl broke out on the field late in the third quarter, and the referees and school officials called the game. According to the Toledo Blade, the Rogers bench cleared, and that team has been suspended for this week, forfeiting its next game. Central Catholic is 7-0 this season.

Keenan Davis — Wide receiver, Cedar Rapids Washington

Davis missed his third straight game with a lower leg injury, but his Washington team beat Iowa City West, 28-7, to improve to 5-1 on the season. On the year, Davis has 17 receptions for 233 yards and two scores. He also has two interceptions as a defensive back.

Brandon Wegher — Running back, Sioux City Heelan

Wegher ran for 188 yards and five touchdowns in a 52-13 win over Spencer. Heelan, the top-ranked team in Iowa’s Class 3A, improved to 6-0, and Wegher brought his season totals to 1,370 yards and 23 touchdowns.

Jordan Cotton — Running back, Mount Pleasant

Cotton ran 14 times for 144 yards and three touchdowns as Mount Pleasant beat Washington 50-19 to improve to 6-0. Cotton also had three receptions for 63 yards, including a 59-yard scoring catch.

Drew Clark — Offensive lineman, Marion

Marion beat Anamosa, 42-7, improving to 5-1 on the year. 

Brett Van Sloten — Offensive lineman, Decorah

Decorah improved to 6-0 with a 35-12 win over Oelwein. Van Sloten, a tight end in high school, is his team’s leading receiver. His coach, Bill Post, has this to say about him:

“He’s a leader among leaders. It’s like having another coach out there. He’ll come up to the line there and he’ll tell all the guys where they’re supposed to block and helps make the blocking calls. He’s been a key cog for us.”

Scott Covert — Defensive lineman, Lake Forest (Ill.)

Lake Forest is 4-2 this season after beating Wauconda, 65-52, on Friday. Nice defensive struggle. 

James Morris — Running back, Solon (class of 2010)

Solon beat Center Point-Urbana 50-19 to improve to 6-0. Morris, a junior, carried 18 times for 196 yards and three scores.