A familiar face returns to Iowa City among the story lines for area colleges in this weekend’s football action.
Kirk Ferentz and Dan McCarney spent nine years working together and eight years coaching on opposite sides of the bitter Iowa-Iowa State rivalry.
McCarney will return to Iowa on Saturday in a strange new role. He’ll be bringing with him North Texas (0-2), the team Ferentz and the Hawkeyes (3-0) plan on using as a tune-up for Big Ten play.
McCarney, who was born in Iowa City, played at Iowa and worked alongside Ferentz under legendary Hawkeyes coach Hayden Fry, will make his first appearance in Kinnick Stadium since 2006 — his last season in charge of the Cyclones.
Southern Mississippi would seem the perfect tonic for a Nebraska team coming off another close loss.
Saturday’s game is at home and the Golden Eagles have lost 33 of their last 39, including six in a row against opponents from the Power Five conferences.
The Cornhuskers (1-2) are in no position to look past any opponent, though, not after losing to BYU at home on a Hail Mary and then in overtime at Miami last week.
Minnesota welcomes unbeaten Ohio University to the Twin Cities while Iowa State and South Dakota have open dates.
