George Kittle says he’s "good to go" on Friday against Nebraska
By Pat Harty
IOWA CITY, Iowa – Iowa senior tight end George Kittle made a promise on Tuesday that is sure to please Hawkeye fans.
“I’m good to go,” Kittle said. “If I had to play in a boot, I’d play in a boot. I’ll be out there on Friday.”
Kittle isn’t about to let a nagging foot injury keep him from playing against Nebraska in the regular-season finale on Friday at Kinnick Stadium.
Kittle injured his foot against Purdue on Oct. 15 and hasn’t been the same since. He played sparingly in the next two games before missing the last two games against Michigan and Illinois.
Iowa has relied on walk-ons Peter Pekar and Nate Wieting and true freshman Noah Fant to fill the void at tight end. Fant caught a team-high three passes in the 28-0 victory at Illinois this past Saturday.
“It’s difficult to not play," said Kittle, who has 19 catches for 289 yards and two touchdowns this season. “So I have just taken it upon myself to be as good a leader as I possibly could. We’ve got a lot of young guys playing.
“I’ve just been doing whatever I can to make sure those guys are ready for every situation. And I think they’ve done a really good job in my absence.”
Kittle was asked on Tuesday if he was in the ear of the younger players giving advice.
“Oh yeah, probably more than they want me to be,” he said. “But I tell them every time I’m on the field with you and I believe in them and they’ve stepped up.”
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz expects Kittle to play on Friday, but Ferentz isn't sure how effective his star tight end will be.
"That's the real issue right now," Ferentz said. "Can he drive off? Can he be effective? In the run game, you've got to drive off and strain a little bit with resistance and passing game, can you make a decisive break or cut and that type of thing.
"He's out there practicing. He's been climbing the ladder with the trainers. But it's a little different when you have a nationally ranked team playing against you. That's a little different challenge."
Matt VandeBerg update: For Iowa receiver Matt VandeBerg, the decision to apply for a fifth-year was a no-brainer.
He was asked on Tuesday when he decided to go the medical hardship route.
“As soon as I figured out I was done for the year,” VandeBerg said. “This organization is fantastic. I don’t know why anybody would want to leave it early.”
VandeBerg said he's looked at the requirements for a medical hardship and feels confident that he will be allowed to return.
The rule says a student-athlete cannot participate in more than 30 percent of the games to qualify for a medical hardship. VandeBerg played in slightly more than 30 percent of Iowa's games this season, but he hasn't played in the second half of the season.
“As far as I know I meet all the requirements,” VandeBerg said. “Obviously, it’s ultimately up to the Big Ten and the NCAA. But as far as I know, I meet all the requirements. So I’m looking forward to coming back.”
VandeBerg sustained his injury in practice on Sept. 26, which was the Monday after Iowa’s 14-7 victory at Rutgers in the Big Ten opener. The South Dakota native played in the first four games and was Iowa’s leading receiver with 19 catches for 284 yards and three touchdowns when the injuruy occurred.
VandeBerg is so confident about returning next season that he will not participate in the Senior Day ceremony before the Nebraska game. Iowa will honor its 14 seniors before the 2:30 p.m. kickoff on Saturday.