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After having more trouble than expected in the season opener against Miami University, Iowas defense redeemed itself with a dominating performance against in-state rival Iowa State last week.The 13th-ranked Hawkeyes moved to 2-0 behind a defense that limited the Cyclones to 126 yards on the ground, 291 total yards and three points. The offense also contributed its share in the 42-3 victory that snapped a two-game home losing streak in the annual series.The win over Iowa State certainly was convincing, but strange as it sounds, the Cyclones probably arent at the level of the Hawkeyes FCS opponent this week. Five-time defending national champion North Dakota State visits Iowa City on Saturday (noon, ESPN2) for what promises to be Iowas sternest test on the non-conference schedule.Theyre the best team weve faced thus far, Iowa running back LeShun Daniels said Tuesday.North Dakota State (2-0) has won its last five games against FBS opponents and has an 8-3 record against schools at the top level of college football. The Bison, coached by Iowa native Chris Klieman, have defeated two FCS opponents in overtime to start this season, putting up 50 points against Eastern Washington last week.When we talk about North Dakota State, they take a backseat to no one, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. Theyre accustomed to winning. They know what it takes and theyve got good players who are well coached.Ill go out on a limb and predict this will be a really strong team, a really tough opponent for us.Iowa enters its final non-conference matchup with a 14-game regular-season winning streak and a nine-game home win streak. The Hawkeyes last home loss was at the end of the 2014 season.Quarterback C.J. Beathard has won all nine of his starts in Kinnick Stadium, but Beathard and the Hawkeyes know better than to underestimate the invading Bison. North Dakota State has an astounding 20-0 record in the playoffs the past five years and is expected to bring at least 10,000 fans to 70,585-seat Kinnick.Their fans are going to be pumped, Iowa cornerback Desmond King said. Theyre playing against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Our fans vs. their fans. Thats what its going to be.Klieman grew up a Hawkeyes fan in Waterloo, Iowa, and was Northern Iowas defensive coordinator in 2009 when the Panthers nearly pulled off an upset in Iowa City. Hes now in his third season as North Dakota States head coach after three years as an assistant.The Bison, who sent quarterback Carson Wentz to the Philadelphia Eagles this year as the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft, are prepared for more of a physical challenge than they face in FCS.In the time Ive been here, this is the most complete team the Bison will have faced, Klieman said. They come at you like, We are going to line up and we are going to run right at you and we are going to knock you off the football. Can you hold up? The first two opponents theyve played havent held up.Iowa played well against Iowa State after giving up 424 yards to Miami University in a 45-21 opening win.Beathard passed for 235 yards and three touchdowns against the Cyclones last week and has yet to throw an interception this year. Iowas top two running backs, Daniels and Akrum Wadley, are splitting carries and have combined for 365 of the teams 410 yards and six rushing touchdowns in the first two games.The defensive difference-maker from Week 1 to Week 2 could well have been Josey Jewell. The middle linebacker was ejected early in the first quarter of the opener because of a targeting penalty but came back to lead the team with nine tackles and was all over the field.When hes in there, we play a lot better, Ferentz said. He adds a lot to our tempo, helps us be a little more active out there.The defensive line was missing injured end Parker Hesse, whos expected back this week, but defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson played a key role in the trenches. He had one of his better games with seven tackles and a sack, but he wasnt satisfied because the defensive gave up three points.I prefer it to be none, he said. But you wont ever play a perfect game.Jewell compared North Dakota State to a Big Ten opponent. The Bisons offense, with sophomore Easton Stick taking over at quarterback for Wentz, has displayed balanced in the first two games, rushing for a 255-yard average and passing for 225.5.Were going to have to be ready for smash-mouth football, Jewell said. Heath Hembree Jersey . -- Adam Snyder returned to the San Francisco 49ers this season because the offensive lineman thought it was his best opportunity to win a championship. Tim Wakefield Jersey .C. Lions has come to an end. Banks told TSN on Jan 2 that he had no interest in playing out the option year of his contract with the Lions in 2014, and he again made that clear in a conversation with Lions GM Wally Buono last week. https://www.cheapredsox.com/1951z-ryan-brasier-jersey-red-sox.html . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. Allen Craig Red Sox Jersey . -- The boos poured down on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots at the end of a horrible first half. David Ortiz Jersey . Third-seeded Murray had the easiest path to victory on New Years Eve, barely breaking a sweat during his 6-0, 6-0 win over 2,129th-ranked Qatari wildcard recipient Mousa Shanan Zayed. NEW YORK -- Cynical about the Olympics? You must not be from Fiji.The Pacific Island nation won its first Olympic medal ever, and it was gold, by routing Great Britain in the rugby final. It was a joy to see on NBCSN, and a great example of the benefits to searching beyond NBCs prime-time to see all that is being offered.Its hard to put into words how big icons these players will be, said NBC announcer Bill Seward on Thursday. Being gold medalists, they will be heroes in their country forevermore.The win produced an outpouring of celebrations in the stands and by players after the match. The sport is huge in Fiji, and the nations prime minister traveled to Brazil for the games.RATINGS: NBC reached 26.4 million people with its Wednesday prime-time telecast, dominated by swimming and beach volleyball. Add in streaming and the 1.9 million people who watched the U.S.-Australia basketball game on NBCSN, and there was a total of 28.6 million consuming Olympic content. During the corresponding night in London, NBC had 30.8 million vieewers.ddddddddddddLEDECKYS STROKE: During an 800-meter freestyle preliminary race Thursday afternoon, NBC swimming analyst Rowdy Gaines dissected gold medalist Katie Ledeckys swimming style in illuminating fashion, explaining what put her ahead of her rivals. This is the only time I get to talk about her stroke, Gaines said. Shes so fast in the 400.FORE: NBC has clearly not been happy with the golfers who chose to stay away from Rio de Janeiro, making the Olympics first golf competition a little less star-studded than expected. Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson cited concerns about the Zika virus; some critics have suggested concerns about a lack of prize money were in the mix, too. NBC host Mike Tirico said Thursday they were missing the chance to increase their sports popularity worldwide. Im a believer that golf needs the Olympics more than the Olympics need golf, he said. ' ' '