hawkeyesports.com continues its video countdown to the 2006 Alamo Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 30, against the Texas Longhorns inside San Antonio's Alamodome today with a visit with UI Head Coach Kirk Ferentz.

Ferentz is - as always - straightforward in assessing the Hawkeyes' invitation to their sixth straight bowl game: "It's clearly a challenge," he said. "Texas is another Ohio State or Michigan. You know they have great talent up and down the roster."

"It's a challenging draw but that's OK. We simply need to use the weeks leading up to the game to work hard and improve with the goal being that we play our best on game day. If we do, it should be a heck of a ball game." Kirk Ferentz

"They are outstanding. They beat a very good Oklahoma team earlier in the season and had a few bumps at the end," Ferentz said.

"It's a challenging draw but that's OK. We simply need to use the weeks leading up to the game to work hard and improve with the goal being that we play our best on game day. If we do, it should be a heck of a ball game."

Ferentz also touches briefly on the Hawkeyes' 2006 season, its MVPs and more in his appearance in hawkeyesports.com's "Countdown" series.

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

Monday, Dec. 18 - Head Coach Kirk Ferentz