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IOWA CITY, Iowa – These days it seems as though almost everyone on the Iowa football team is growing a beard.

As the Hawkeyes players showed up for their weekly interview sessions Tuesday, pretty much everyone had at least a little fuzz on the chin. They said it’s not any sort of unity thing. It’s not some organized campaign where everyone disdains the use of a razor until the Hawkeyes suffer their first loss.

“It’s just cold,” guard Julian Vandervelde said. “When winter rolls around, I like to grow it out a little bit.”

Offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga said he’s just too lazy to shave right now.

“We’re all just really ugly so we have to cover up our faces,” linebacker Pat Angerer explained.

One thing the Hawkeyes agree upon: Their most recent performance was pretty ugly and they need to improve before facing once-beaten Michigan in a special ABC night game Saturday at Kinnick Stadium.

The offense, defense and special teams all had some fairly hairy moments in a 24-21 victory over Arkansas State that has a few people worried despite a 5-0 record and No. 12 national ranking.

“You could be a little worried, I guess,” said Bulaga, who returned to action in that game after sitting out three weeks with a thyroid condition. “I wouldn’t be. Obviously, we didn’t play as well in the last game, but we’ll make the corrections and try to improve on that.”

Bulaga said the mistakes were all mental and technical.

“I think that’s what we lacked on Saturday,” he added. “I don’t think it was effort.’’

Head coach Kirk Ferentz used the word “regress’’ in discussing the Arkansas State game and none of his players were inclined to disagree.

“We certainly didn’t move forward. We know that,” Vandervelde said. “That’s something we put so much focus on every week is improving, improving, improving and never taking a step back.

“For us now there’s really going to be a sense of urgency as an offensive line to not just move forward but to make up that ground we may have lost on Saturday. We need to push forward with a little extra intensity this week so this coming weekend we’re not having that same kind of performance.”

Ferentz said the offensive sputtering is due at least in part to the fact that so many key players have been in and out of the lineup for medical reasons. Bulaga was out for three games. Tight end Tony Moeaki has missed three games although he’s expected back Saturday. Receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos has been relegated to part-time duty. Several other players have been hobbled or sick. Or both.

Ferentz said that it has been “chaos’’ at times.

“We’re a couple weeks behind on offense in my opinion …’’ he said.

“But we did some good things Saturday, too. There were a couple of throws and catches I hadn’t seen in a decade. If we tie things together, we might have an offensive team here before November.”

MOEAKI RETURNS: Oft-injured tight end Tony Moeaki, who has missed the past three games because of an ankle injury, practiced on Tuesday and is expected to play Saturday against Michigan.

“Our plan is to play him unless something blows up on us,’’ Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said.

The Hawkeyes employ a wide array of sets that require two or three tight ends and although backup Allen Reisner has performed very well, Moeaki’s absence has cramped their style. Backup tackle Andy Kuempel has been pressed into service as a tight end on a few plays.

“It’s limited some of our flexibility in things we like to do,’’ Ferentz said.

NO THUMBS NEEDED: Senior linebacker Pat Angerer tore ligaments in his right thumb early in the Arkansas State game, but he said it won’t affect his status for this week or beyond.

“You don’t need thumbs,” he said. “My best friend is my brother’s dog. He doesn’t have any thumbs and he’s doing fine.”

FORGETTING WYNONNA: Iowa officials announced that Jamia, a 13-year-old musical prodigy, will sing the Star-Spangled Banner prior to Saturday’s game. They said she will be only the second person ever to perform the national anthem at an Iowa home football game, joining international opera star Simon Estes, an Iowa alumnus.

They apparently forgot that country star Wynnona Judd sang the anthem prior to a 1993 game with Purdue.

UNHEARD OF: Michigan coach Rich Rodriquez said on the weekly Big Ten coaches teleconference that he’s never heard of another team having a streak like Iowa’s current run of 33 straight quarters without allowing a rushing touchdown.

“It’s astounding,’’ he said. “You’d normally think someone would at least get a quarterback sneak in there or something. It’s really quite remarkable.’’

HE’S NO. 2: Iowa safety Tyler Sash ranks second in the nation in interceptions with five in five games. The only guy ahead of him is UCLA sophomore Rahim Moore, who has five in only four games.

COMING HOME?: Ferentz said he wouldn’t be surprised if some former Iowa players whose NFL teams are on bye weeks might show up at Saturday’s game. He specifically mentioned that the Green Bay Packers and San Diego Chargers are idle this weekend, which could lead to an Aaron Kampman or Nate Kaeding sighting.