hawkeyesports.com begins its video countdown to the 2006 Alamo Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 30, against the Texas Longhorns inside San Antonio's Alamodome.

Drew Tate, Iowa's senior quarterback and one of a handful of native Texans anxious for the opportunity to play the game of football again in the Lone Star State, says he likens the Longhorn defensive unit to the one the Hawkeyes faced in Ann Arbor, Mich., in late October.

"They have great size and strength in the box and great speed on the outside," Iowa's veteran field general said of the defending national champions. "It's going to be tough, but we'll just have to excecute and do what we do best."

"They have great size and strength in the box and great speed on the outside." Drew Tate on the defense of the Texas Longhorns

Tate also talks about his time as an Iowa Hawkeye - "I've met some great people and created relationships that will last a lifetime." - playing in the 2006 Alamo Bowl, his accomplishments as a student-athlete at the University of Iowa, the chance to play Texas in Texas, and more in today's feature.

To watch, visit the hawkeyesports.com's Alamo Bowl Bowl Central page by clicking HERE and click on the "Alamo Bowl Countdown - Drew Tate" in the upper right hand corner.

The video is free, but all visitors to Hawkeye All-Access, the multi-media pages of hawkeyesports.com do need to register.

Alamo Bowl Countdown
Sunday, Dec. 17 - Quarterback Drew Tate