When Ohio State has the ball -
They are led by one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the nation in Terrelle Pryor. Last season, Iowa was able to stymie Pryor, only allowing him to gain 29 yards rushing and 93 passing yards. However it was Ohio State's running backs that hurt Iowa last year, gaining 200 yards combined on the ground. This season the Buckeys come to Iowa City with six different players that have carried the ball at least 20 times on the season. Daniel "Boom" Herron is their primary ball carrier and he is very good and gets many of the carries inside the red zone. Both Herron and Brandon Saine catch the ball out of the backfield a lot, tallying 13 and 18 catches respectively. Aside from the running backs, Pryor's favorite targets are Dane Sanzenbacher and DeVier Posey, both with 43 catches on the season. Outside of these two wide receivers, no other wide receiver has ten catches. The offense that Iowa will face on Saturday is one very similar to their own. A lot of "I" formation with a TE and two wide. This week a lot of fans are doom and gloom thinking that after what Persa did to us, Pryor will have a field day, but they are not the same quarterback and the offenses are so different. Pryor will sit in the pocket more than Persa did last week and when he does scramble he looks to pass more than Persa did. The play that has me worried is the zone read play, if Pryor makes a good read and pulls the ball he is dangerous when he gets going north and south. To neutralize him, the Iowa defenders will have to force him to move laterally and wait for the cavalry to bring him down. The Buckeye offensive line is big, not Wisconsin big, but probably the second best unit that the Iowa defense has played so far this season. They do however have trouble keeping Pryor upright, allowing on average 2 sacks per game.
When Iowa has the ball -
Ohio State boasts easily the best defense that Iowa has faced this season. They are littered with NFL talent from the defensive line to the safeties. While their front four is very solid, much like Iowa's this season, they haven't put up the best of stat lines, being tied for 86th in sacks and 81st in tackles for loss. Their weak spot from what I could tell was when the opposing quarterback rolls out. They are very talented in the linebacker corps and will use these players in a variety of ways from blitzing to coverage. They had some trouble last week against Penn State when they ran the stretch play on cut backs, so look for Iowa to exploit that on Saturday.
What will happen -
Iowa has performed really well in games coming off of their previous two losses this season outscoring their opponents 86-7. It's senior day for 26 seniors that if they win out will tie the Iowa record for wins in a three year stretch. Dan Gable is the honorary captain this week and you figure that the team will come out motivated if he gives the pre-game speech. Look for Iowa to feed off of all of these things and get out to an early lead, a problem that Ohio State has had against conference opponents this season. The stadium will be loud and the players can help keep it that way by getting an early lead. Once that initial emotional boost wears off is what concerns me. Ohio State has been in this position several times already this season and if Iowa gets a lead and then has Ohio State come back, the "not again" thoughts start to creep into the players minds. Look for the seniors on this squad to finally take the reigns of the team and lead them to a victory.
Predictions-
Iowa - 20
OSU - 17
Predictions -
Stanzi plays solid - 200+ yards 1 TD 1 INT
Robinson continues - 90+ yards 1 TD
For only the 4th time in 24 games, Iowa allows a 100 yard rusher
The Iowa defense records 4 sacks
Iowa blocks a kick
Clayborn gets a sack to seal the victory
Friday, November 19, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Northwestern - Pregame
Looks like no Sandeman today, not only will Iowa miss him as a receiver, but he has proven to be a sure handed punt returner. Look for Paul Chaney to take over his punt return duties and get his reps as a receiver, but it should be noted that Chaney has as many catches this season as I do, which is zero. Sandeman has proven to be a security blanket for Stanzi on third down, hopefully this doesn't hurt the Hawkeyes today.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Northwestern - Predictions
When Northwestern has the ball - They will line up with receivers all over the field. Iowa will probably line up in their base defense for most of the game, which means linebackers in the open. Northwestern, much like Indiana will dink and dunk their way down the field. Their type of offense was basically built to play against Iowa's zone defense. Persa is a good quarterback that makes good decisions most of the time, much like Ben Chappell last week. He is a runner however, actually, he leads Northwestern in rushing. He will run out of zone read plays and also quarterback draws. Northwestern will also run z sweeps to try and get their receivers on the edge. They will not go down field much with their passing attack and when they are in the red zone they look for Jeremy Ebert, who has hauled in 7 of the team's 13 touchdown receptions.
When Iowa has the ball - Northwestern's defense isn't great at anything, but they also aren't awful at anything. They are a very average defense, but their pass defense is 100th in the nation, giving up almost 250 yards per game. Iowa should be able to do whatever they want to do both running and passing.
Predictions:
Iowa 31
Northwestern 17
Ricky Stanzi bounces back with 275+ and 2 TD's
Robinson has 100+ and a TD
Iowa holds NW to less than 50 yards rushing
Demos misses 2 FG's
Iowa gets a big special team return TD
Mike Daniels has 2 TFL's and a sack
Sash gets another INT
Northwestern - 10 things to watch
Iowa makes the short trip to Evanston, IL to battle the Northwestern Wildcats. Of late, the Wildcats have had a ton of success against the Hawkeyes, winning 4 of the last 5 games. This week a freshman running back at Northwestern was asked about Iowa and he said that he didn't know much, other than that Coach Fitz, hates them. He is the new Dan McCarney, he may not get much out of his team, but gets them up for Iowa. Here are ten things to watch on Saturday:
- Iowa has to avoid turnovers - The last two years, Iowa has turned the ball over 9 times against Northwestern. Iowa has to avoid the turnover problem that has plagued them the last few years.
- Star players must finish the game - Last year, Iowa was up 10 when Ricky Stanzi went down and Iowa proceeded to lose the game. Two years ago, Shonn Greene went down with a concussion and Iowa wasn't the same team after he left the game. If Iowa loses Stanzi or another star this season it could point to the same outcome as the last two years.
- Iowa defensive line - Northwestern isn't a running team, but when they do run, they run with their quarterback, Dan Persa. Their passing attack is a quick one and if the linebackers are worried about the run, it keeps them from getting to their drop zones that Northwestern will exploit. If the front four can contain Persa's running ability, it really helps the linebackers focus on the mass of receivers that Northwestern will throw at them.
- Kicker - Neither kicker has been great with PAT's, with Meyer missing 2 and Stefan Demos missing 3. The main difference is Meyer is a freshman and Demos is a Senior, missing PAT's is something a freshman does, not a senior.
- Adam Robinson - After missing last week's narrow escape at Indiana, the sophomore running back will be back in the backfield for the Hawks. Now, Robinson's backup, Marcus Coker, had a great game, but was curiously absent in the red zone and the second half. There was a direct correlation between that and Kirk Ferentz not being comfortable with Coker's inexperience. This week, look for Iowa to spell Robinson with Coker to help reduce the wear on an already beaten up body.
- Mother nature - Looks like the game time weather will be cold and wet. If it is raining, it helps Iowa a lot, the are the more physical team on both sides of the ball and it isn't even close. If there is a wet ball, it hampers Northwestern's game plan of short quick passes more than it hurts Iowa's pound the ball style. If Iowa can get an early lead, they will be able to take the air out of the ball and start to beat up on the Northwestern lines. If they can do this, the Wildcats could begin to physically wear down.
- Senior leaders - Iowa's senior class is 1-3 against the Wildcats in their first four years on campus, this team has too many great senior leaders to allow this team to not be ready to play. The leadership has to know that next week's game doesn't mean anything unless they take care of business on Saturday.
- Norm - It could just be a coincidence, but Iowa played arguably its best defense of the season against Michigan State, the first game back for defensive coordinator in six weeks. He missed last week but is making the trip to Evanston this weekend. No, he has not been that involved in the game plan, but there is no denying his emotional boost to the defense, not to mention that he makes some of the best adjustments on the fly of any defensive coordinator in the nation.
- Offensive Line - Northwestern loves to blitz, something that Iowa has not had too much trouble with since the Arizona game. However, the offensive line seemed to take a step back last week, allowing two sacks. The line is more talented than the Wildcat defense, but talent doesn't always win.
- James Morris - Morris has stepped into a starting role and even though he is a true freshman, he hasn't even blinked. He is solid against the run and is great against the pass. This will be a great test for him as Persa is a running quarterback and Morris might be assigned to him as a spy. With Northwestern lining up with an empty backfield often, it leaves Persa 1 on 1 with Morris on quarterback draws. If Morris can hold his own, Iowa will win the game.
Northwestern - Notes
- Iowa has played 5 ranked teams this season, NW has played 1
- One team has fewer turnovers than Iowa this season
- 3 of 100 opponent possessions have began in Iowa territory, NW started 4 possessions in Iowa territory last season
- Northwestern has won 4 of the last five
- Iowa has won 9 of their last 11 games away from Kinnick Stadium
- Points off turnovers this season Iowa-88 Opponents-7
- NW is 6-2 in November games since 2008, Iowa is 5-3
- NW coach Pat Fitzgerald is 18-7 in games decided by 7 points or less
Indiana - Projections Recap
Predictions:
Iowa - 45 (18)
Indiana - 20 (13)
Stanzi has a 300+ yard game and 4 TD's (290 yards 1 TD)
Chappel throws 4 interceptions (1)
Coker runs for more than 150 and 1 TD (129 0 TD)
Iowa creates 6 turnovers (1)
Coker busts a run of more than 50 yards (20)
DJK gets the receptions record and has 2 TD's (record, 0 TD)
Meyer extends his FG streak to 6 straight (Yes)
Indiana is held to negative yards rushing (91)
Friday, November 5, 2010
Indiana - Projections
When Indiana has the ball:
Get ready for the "Pistol" offense, Ben Chappell runs it to perfection. He has weapons on the outside in Damarlo Belcher, Tandon Doss, and Terrance Turner. These three receivers are very talented and each of them have the ability to take the ball to the house on each catch. The Hoosier offense will run a lot of receiver screens and stop patterns forcing the defensive backs to make one on one tackles. Inside the red zone, Chappell loves to go to his tight end Ted Bolser, who has caught 5 touchdowns this season. While the passing game is very good, the running game is on the opposite end of the spectrum. They are not good on the ground, averaging under a hundred yards per game as a team. The offensive line isn't very good, but they are helped greatly by Chappell making quick decisions and short routes.
When Iowa has the ball:
Iowa will roll into Bloomington with their backup running back looking to get his first collegiate start for the second straight time. In 2008 Jewel Hampton got his first start and answered with a 114 yards 3 touchdown performance. Look for Iowa to run the ball with Coker and bring in Brad Rodgers or Brett Morse on known passing situations for pass protection. The passing attack for Iowa should find plenty of room to operate as Indiana's defense is not good.
What will happen:
Iowa will come out and move the ball at will against the Indiana offense. Indiana will have a big play early to give their fans hope of an upset. Look for Iowa to be up 14+ at halftime. Indiana's offense has some big numbers, but against their toughest defenses they have faced this season they have struggled, throwing 7 interceptions against Illinois and Ohio State. In the second half, Indiana will find the yardage tough to come by and when they are down, Iowa's defensive will be able to sit on the pass and cause turnover problems.
Predictions:
Iowa - 45
Indiana - 20
Stanzi has a 300+ yard game and 4 TD's
Chappel throws 4 interceptions
Coker runs for more than 150 and 1 TD
Iowa creates 6 turnovers
Coker busts a run of more than 50 yards
DJK gets the receptions record and has 2 TD's
Meyer extends his FG streak to 6 straight
Indiana is held to negative yards rushing
Get ready for the "Pistol" offense, Ben Chappell runs it to perfection. He has weapons on the outside in Damarlo Belcher, Tandon Doss, and Terrance Turner. These three receivers are very talented and each of them have the ability to take the ball to the house on each catch. The Hoosier offense will run a lot of receiver screens and stop patterns forcing the defensive backs to make one on one tackles. Inside the red zone, Chappell loves to go to his tight end Ted Bolser, who has caught 5 touchdowns this season. While the passing game is very good, the running game is on the opposite end of the spectrum. They are not good on the ground, averaging under a hundred yards per game as a team. The offensive line isn't very good, but they are helped greatly by Chappell making quick decisions and short routes.
When Iowa has the ball:
Iowa will roll into Bloomington with their backup running back looking to get his first collegiate start for the second straight time. In 2008 Jewel Hampton got his first start and answered with a 114 yards 3 touchdown performance. Look for Iowa to run the ball with Coker and bring in Brad Rodgers or Brett Morse on known passing situations for pass protection. The passing attack for Iowa should find plenty of room to operate as Indiana's defense is not good.
What will happen:
Iowa will come out and move the ball at will against the Indiana offense. Indiana will have a big play early to give their fans hope of an upset. Look for Iowa to be up 14+ at halftime. Indiana's offense has some big numbers, but against their toughest defenses they have faced this season they have struggled, throwing 7 interceptions against Illinois and Ohio State. In the second half, Indiana will find the yardage tough to come by and when they are down, Iowa's defensive will be able to sit on the pass and cause turnover problems.
Predictions:
Iowa - 45
Indiana - 20
Stanzi has a 300+ yard game and 4 TD's
Chappel throws 4 interceptions
Coker runs for more than 150 and 1 TD
Iowa creates 6 turnovers
Coker busts a run of more than 50 yards
DJK gets the receptions record and has 2 TD's
Meyer extends his FG streak to 6 straight
Indiana is held to negative yards rushing
Indiana - Things to watch
The Iowa Hawkeyes will hit the road for only the third time this season, traveling to Bloomington, Indiana. While the Hoosiers are still win less within the conference, their record is deceiving. They have played very well at home and besides a blowout loss to Ohio State, they have been in every game. Here are eight things to watch for on Saturday:
- Marcus Coker - News broke today that Adam Robinson is going to miss the game on Saturday after suffering a concussion last week. Marcus Coker figures to start the game at running back since he was listed as the backup on this week's depth chart. Coker has seen action in two games, rushing for 100 total yards. What is unknown is how he will perform when the game is still in question. We haven't really seen how he does in pass protection, so you could see Brett Morse or Brad Rodgers get some playing time as well.
- Linebacker - Iowa will be without Tyler Nielsen for the remainder of the season for sure and might be without the services of Jermiah Hunter and Jeff Tarpanian. That leaves some holes to fill and Iowa is facing a team this week that is more of a spread team than last week when the young Iowa linebackers played so well. How they match up against all the receivers Indiana will put on the field will be a major question.
- 3-4 - As mentioned, Iowa has some injured linebackers and when the opponent gets into a sure passing situation, the coaches like to bring in a 3-4 defense. When you are down so many linebackers that becomes a little bit tougher to do. What we might see is Iowa bringing in more defensive backs at the linebacker position.
- Offensive line - Iowa's offensive line has performed great the last five weeks, only allowing three sacks in that time. On top of keeping Stanzi upright, they will be opening up holes for a true freshman running back. Indiana's defense isn't very good, but when you have nothing to lose, you see teams pulling out all the stops and when you have a true freshman running backs, look for some blitzing. The offensive line has probably known about A-Rob's injury all week and realizes they need to step their game up this week.
- Defense - Iowa's defense finally put together a game last week that fans had been waiting for all season. They dominated the Spartans offense and were really able to do about anything they wanted to. This week, they are easily more talented than the Indiana offense, but Indiana has some great receivers and a solid quarterback. Don't look for the 110th ranked rushing attack to have much success against Iowa, but their passing attack is 8th nationally. The Indiana offense will put a lot of pressure on the Iowa secondary, who performed really good last week.
- The century mark - Either Kirk Ferentz or Bill Lynch will end Saturday with their 100th career victory. Both coaches enter the game with 99 career victories and their teams will be playing hard to get their coach to the century mark.
- Ben Chappell's foot - Chappell is one of the better passers in the Big Ten, but this week he was spotted with a walking boot on his foot to help his foot/ankle heal. That isn't a good sign when you have one of the best defensive lines in the nation coming to town. Iowa figures to be able to stop the run and force Chappell to the air, where the talented front can take aim on a injured Chappell.
- Stanzi - The season that Ricky is having is starting to garner some interest nationally in terms of Heisman buzz. In five of the eight games this season he has thrown three or more touchdowns and on Saturday he will be facing a defense that is 105th nationally in pass efficiency defense. With Adam Robinson being down look for Iowa to rely even more on the right arm or Stanzi to carry the offense. Indiana's starting corners are not good, one was a receiver last year, the other one got his first career start last week.
Indiana - Notes
- Iowa is second in the nation with only 5 turnovers
- DJK had 0 catches last week
- Kirk Ferentz has 99 career coaching wins
- Iowa defense is 12th nationally in total defense
- Iowa has won 5 of the last 7 against the Hoosiers
- DJK's 8 touchdowns this season are tied for 4th best in Iowa history
- Iowa is second nationally with a +1.5/game turnover margin
- Stanzi and Ben Chappel are both semifinalists for the Davey O'Brien award
- Iowa has won 8 of their last 10 games away from Kinnick Stadium
- Points off turnover this season Iowa-85 Opp-7
Michigan St. - What we learned
Kinnick stadium was rocking and the football team responded with its most complete football game of the season to date. Here are five things that we learned on Saturday:
- The offensive line - Since the Arizona game where they gave up 6 sacks, the offensive line has given up three sacks in five games. Not only that, but Ricky Stanzi hasn't really been bothered in the pocket, he has had plenty of time to find open receivers. They have also been able to open holes for Adam Robinson to be able to average over 100 yards per game. After the Arizona game, many fans were thinking that the offensive line was a liability, but they have come together to be a very solid unit.
- Ricky Stanzi - Iowa fans should sit back and enjoy this guy. Not only is he an elite collegiate quarterback, he is genuinely a good guy. The numerous bracelets that he wears have been written about several times, he collects the bracelets from children that he visits at the hospital. Now outside of the hospital, not many people know how often Stanzi is at the hospital, but know that he spends a lot of free time there. On top of being a great human being, Rick is also putting together one of the greatest single seasons by a Hawkeye quarterback that we have ever seen.
- A new Kirk Ferentz - In the past we have all witnessed the conservatism Kirk displays, but on Saturday he burned timeouts with seconds to go in the first half forcing Michigan State to punt, ran a reverse pass when he was up big, and was still playing starters late into the game. Nobody knows if there is a reason for his agressive moves, but don't dismiss the fact that Michigan State played Chris L. Rucker just days after he was released from prison.
- Youth movement - Going into the season linebacker was one of the more experienced positions on the field, last Saturday Iowa relyed a great deal on two freshman, one true and one redshirt. James Morris and Shane DiBona both performed great and have helped ease the fact that Iowa will be losing two starters from this unit as seniors.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Michigan St. - Predictions Recap
Predictions:
Iowa - 31 37
MSU - 24 6
Stanzi gets his second ever 300 yard game with 3 TD's (190 yards 3 TD)
Robinson totes the ball 25+ times for 100+ and a TD (69 yards 1 TD)
DJK sets the receptions record and gets closer to the TD record with 2 (0 catches 0 TD)
Iowa nets 5 sacks (1)
MSU scores on special teams (no)
Cousins throws three INT's (3)
Iowa holds MSU under 175 yard rushing (31)
Friday, October 29, 2010
Michigan St. - Predictions
Iowa's season has left many fans wondering what has happened. The fact of the matter is, Iowa just needs to win to share of the Big Ten title. That task begins this weekend as Michigan State will place their #5 BCS ranking on the line when they roll into Iowa City. Last season, Iowa went into East Lansing with a #6 BCS ranking and escaped with a 15-13 win.
When Michigan State has the ball:
The Michigan State offense is like Iowa looking into a mirror. Their run game is almost exclusively zone plays, whether it is inside or outside the run the zone. Don't look for them to run much downhill, Iso or Power type runs like Wisconsin ran last week. They have very good running backs that are patient and allow the blocks to develop. The offensive line isn't near as good as Wisconsin's, but they are probably more athletic and get to the second level to block linebackers much better than Wisconsin. When they go to the air, the Spartans have a very talented receiver corps. Like Iowa, they will use their tight end in various positions and create mismatches. Cousins usually makes good decisions, but does have some gun slinger in him. He has a tendency to hold the ball a little longer than he should and opens himself up to sacks.
When Iowa has the ball:
Iowa will do what Iowa does, they will run the ball and setup the defense for the play action pass. Michigan State poses a solid front 7, they will blitz and have possibly the best set of linebackers that Iowa will face all season. The Spartan defense is susceptible to the run as they allowed Wisconsin to run for a little under 200 yards when they played. Iowa has a distinct advantage with its receivers over the Spartans defensive backs, look for Stanzi to exploit this early and often.
Predictions:
Iowa - 31
MSU - 24
Stanzi gets his second ever 300 yard game with 3 TD's
Robinson totes the ball 25+ times for 100+ and a TD
DJK sets the receptions record and gets closer to the TD record with 2
Iowa nets 5 sacks
MSU scores on special teams
Cousins throws three INT's
Iowa holds MSU under 175 yard rushing
When Michigan State has the ball:
The Michigan State offense is like Iowa looking into a mirror. Their run game is almost exclusively zone plays, whether it is inside or outside the run the zone. Don't look for them to run much downhill, Iso or Power type runs like Wisconsin ran last week. They have very good running backs that are patient and allow the blocks to develop. The offensive line isn't near as good as Wisconsin's, but they are probably more athletic and get to the second level to block linebackers much better than Wisconsin. When they go to the air, the Spartans have a very talented receiver corps. Like Iowa, they will use their tight end in various positions and create mismatches. Cousins usually makes good decisions, but does have some gun slinger in him. He has a tendency to hold the ball a little longer than he should and opens himself up to sacks.
When Iowa has the ball:
Iowa will do what Iowa does, they will run the ball and setup the defense for the play action pass. Michigan State poses a solid front 7, they will blitz and have possibly the best set of linebackers that Iowa will face all season. The Spartan defense is susceptible to the run as they allowed Wisconsin to run for a little under 200 yards when they played. Iowa has a distinct advantage with its receivers over the Spartans defensive backs, look for Stanzi to exploit this early and often.
Predictions:
Iowa - 31
MSU - 24
Stanzi gets his second ever 300 yard game with 3 TD's
Robinson totes the ball 25+ times for 100+ and a TD
DJK sets the receptions record and gets closer to the TD record with 2
Iowa nets 5 sacks
MSU scores on special teams
Cousins throws three INT's
Iowa holds MSU under 175 yard rushing
Michigan St. - 10 Things to watch
- Iowa's run defense needs to step up big time. With the assumption that Jeff Tarpanian and Jerimiah Hunter are both not playing, Iowa will probably have a true freshman playing the middle linebacker position. Against a team that runs the ball as well as Michigan State, the defensive line is going to have to have a great game to give Iowa a shot at winning. The Spartans' primary backs, Baker and Bell, both average over six yards a carry.
- Iowa's offensive line improving. The last four games, the line has given up a total of three sacks and two of those came on plays where Stanzi left the pocket. Besides keeping Ricky upright, they have been doing a very good job at opening up holes for Adam Robinson to run for just short of 117 yards per game the last four games. After the Arizona game, there was a lot of talk about the line not being that good, but they have proven over the last four weeks that they are more than adequate.
- Turnovers Both teams are solid in the turnover game, both are positive over a turnover a game. It has been since the first quarter of the Penn State game that Iowa has turned the ball over, a streak that has covered 11 quarters. Michigan State has fumbled the ball 10 times this season, losing 7 of them. Whichever team wins the turnover margin has a good shot at winning the game.
- Norm will be in the house. He has not been into the office, so he will probably not be making calls and wasn't involved with the game plan, but he is one of the best if not the best at making adjustments. That is something that he will be able to do on the fly from the press box. Along with making adjustments, don't underestimate the emotional boost his presence will give the defense.
- Michigan State 2010 = Iowa 2009 Michigan State was a team that was thought to be able to challenge for the Big Ten title this year, but very few people would have predicted them being 8-0. The way that they have gotten there is even more unorthodox, they had to have a furious rally last week against Northwestern and used a fake field goal in overtime to beat Notre Dame. The other thing to watch is how Michigan State reacts to having the target on their back as opposed to usually being the underdog.
- Iowa has to start winning the close ones. Over the last three seasons, Iowa has lost a total of 8 games, each and every one of them were by 7 points or less. The last three years, the Michigan State versus Iowa game has been decided by a total of 12 points. Odds are in favor of this also being a close game.
- Field Goal kickers. Michigan State has one of the better kickers in the game in Dan Conroy who is 13 of 14 on the season. Iowa has a young kicker in Mike Meyer, who has made his last four field goal attempts. If this game comes down to a field goal, look for either kicker to make the kick.
- Chris L. Rucker Rucker was part of the brew ha ha at the end of last season at a residence hall. After being reinstated from that incident, head coach Mark D'Antonio stated that he would have "zero tolerance," in regards to Rucker. While he was on probation, Rucker got pinched for driving under the influence. He was sentenced to eight days in jail and was reinstated to the program the same day that he was released from jail. Make no doubt about it, D'Antonio didn't reinstate him to not play him this weekend and Rucker is probably MSU's best defensive back. What kind of shape he will be in will be interesting, not being involved with the program for 8 days is a lot of time.
- Pressure on the Defensive backs. Iowa's defensive backs have had a solid season to date, but they haven't faced a passing attack like the one they will face this weekend. Kirk Cousins is a poor man's Ricky Stanzi, makes good decisions and has weapons on the outside. Mark Dell and BJ Cunningham are the first two receivers and each have over 30 catches on the season and are the primary targets in the red zone. Keshawn Martin and Keith Nichol operate out of the slot when MSU goes three wide. Martin is their speedster that they will use on fly sweeps. Iowa has to be able to make open field tackles as MSU loves the slot screen and "smoke" routes putting their wide outs one on one with defensive backs. If Iowa's front seven cannot stop the run and the safeties have to step into the box to help, the Spartan receivers are good enough to burn Iowa deep on play action.
- Special Teams. Obviously if you have watched Iowa at all this season, you know that special teams have been anything but special. It isn't just one team either, the kickoff and field goal teams have been awful this season. Michigan State on the other hand used a fake punt last week to win and a fake field goal against Notre Dame to win.
Michigan St. - Notes
- Iowa is 6-4 in the last 10 against MSU
- DJK is tied for the career receptions record at Iowa
- Iowa is converting 52% of third down conversions
- Opponents are 64% on fourth down this season
- Opponents have scored 38% of their points in the fourth quarter
- Iowa has only allowed 7 points off of turnovers
- Rick Stanzi has the best winning percentage of any quarterback in Iowa history
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wisconsin - Predictions Recap
Predictions:
Iowa - 27 (30)
Wisconsin - 13 (31)
Adam Robinson eclipses the century mark with 100+ yards and 2 TD's (114 yards 1 TD)
Rick Stanzi has a quiet game with 200+ yards passing 1 TD (258 yards 3 TD)
DJK comes up short of the record with 4 catches for 60 yards (5 catches 93 yards)
Iowa defense holds Clay to only 80 yards or less (91 yards)
Iowa turns Wisconsin over four times (1)
Sash has two interceptions (0)
Sash has two interceptions (0)
Friday, October 22, 2010
Iowa vs Wisconsin - Predictions
When Wisconsin has the ball-
Wisconsin's offense starts and ends with the run. Both John Clay and James White will carry the ball for the Badgers and they are averaging 113 and 80 yards per game respectively. Clay has yet to catch a ball out of the backfield, so don't look for him on passing downs to leave the backfield. Last year, the Badgers were able to gouge the Hawkeye defense with the counter run, but in the second half, Iowa made some changes and were able to stymie the Badger offense. The senior signal caller for Wisconsin, Scott Tolzien, is more of a game manager than a game controller. He has only had one game so far this season with more than one touchdown and that came in a 70-3 route. Look for Iowa to load the box and force Wisconsin to pass the ball. When they do pass the ball, Tolzien looks for his tight end Lance Kendricks and wide receiver Nick Toon. Toon missed three games with injury, but is still second on the team in receptions. Almost every pass attempt that Wisconsin makes is off the play-action. There is a huge advantage for Iowa as Wisconsin runs about the same type of offense that Iowa runs and the defense has played against that kind of offense since fall camp opened.
When Iowa has the ball-
The Wisconsin defense is solid, but not spectacular. They have yet to really be tested, last week they jumped out to an early lead against Ohio State and forced the Buckeyes to be one dimensional. They are solid in the line and linebackers, but their secondary is the weak point of the defense. Iowa should be able to move the ball, but must avoid turnovers to win the game.
What will happen-
This game will take fans back to yesteryear in the Big Ten. It will be like two prize fighters in the middle of the ring trading body blows with both teams needing to run to set up the pass. Look for Iowa to get ahead early with a play action pass to McNutt. The halftime score will be close something like 10-7 or 13-10 with Iowa holding the lead. The second half will like most Iowa games be dominated by the Hawkeyes. The Iowa defense will contain the running backs and force Tolzien into passing situations. Iowa will take the air out of the ball with the run game and short passes to keep the clock moving.
Predictions:
Iowa - 27
Wisconsin - 13
Adam Robinson eclipses the century mark with 100+ yards and 2 TD's
Rick Stanzi has a quiet game with 200+ yards passing 1 TD
DJK comes up short of the record with 4 catches for 60 yards
Iowa defense holds Clay to only 80 yards or less
Iowa turns Wisconsin over four times
Sash has two interceptions
Wisconsin's offense starts and ends with the run. Both John Clay and James White will carry the ball for the Badgers and they are averaging 113 and 80 yards per game respectively. Clay has yet to catch a ball out of the backfield, so don't look for him on passing downs to leave the backfield. Last year, the Badgers were able to gouge the Hawkeye defense with the counter run, but in the second half, Iowa made some changes and were able to stymie the Badger offense. The senior signal caller for Wisconsin, Scott Tolzien, is more of a game manager than a game controller. He has only had one game so far this season with more than one touchdown and that came in a 70-3 route. Look for Iowa to load the box and force Wisconsin to pass the ball. When they do pass the ball, Tolzien looks for his tight end Lance Kendricks and wide receiver Nick Toon. Toon missed three games with injury, but is still second on the team in receptions. Almost every pass attempt that Wisconsin makes is off the play-action. There is a huge advantage for Iowa as Wisconsin runs about the same type of offense that Iowa runs and the defense has played against that kind of offense since fall camp opened.
When Iowa has the ball-
The Wisconsin defense is solid, but not spectacular. They have yet to really be tested, last week they jumped out to an early lead against Ohio State and forced the Buckeyes to be one dimensional. They are solid in the line and linebackers, but their secondary is the weak point of the defense. Iowa should be able to move the ball, but must avoid turnovers to win the game.
What will happen-
This game will take fans back to yesteryear in the Big Ten. It will be like two prize fighters in the middle of the ring trading body blows with both teams needing to run to set up the pass. Look for Iowa to get ahead early with a play action pass to McNutt. The halftime score will be close something like 10-7 or 13-10 with Iowa holding the lead. The second half will like most Iowa games be dominated by the Hawkeyes. The Iowa defense will contain the running backs and force Tolzien into passing situations. Iowa will take the air out of the ball with the run game and short passes to keep the clock moving.
Predictions:
Iowa - 27
Wisconsin - 13
Adam Robinson eclipses the century mark with 100+ yards and 2 TD's
Rick Stanzi has a quiet game with 200+ yards passing 1 TD
DJK comes up short of the record with 4 catches for 60 yards
Iowa defense holds Clay to only 80 yards or less
Iowa turns Wisconsin over four times
Sash has two interceptions
Wisconsin - Ten things to watch
The 86th meeting of the Wisconsin Badgers and the Iowa Hawkeyes will be a barn burner, much like recent history. The two teams are linked by several factors, Wisconsin's head coach and athletic director are former Hawkeye coaches. Both teams are more "old school" in their approach to football, you won't see spread formations or wildcat formations on Saturday. What you will see is two teams that rely heavily on their offensive and defensive lines and quarterbacks that don't make mistakes. Here are ten things that will help determine the outcome of the game.
- Iowa's defensive line vs Wisconsin's offensive line. You could bill this one as the clash of the titans. Wisconsin's offensive line and Iowa's defensive line were both touted by many pundits as one of the best in their respective units. Both lines have several future NFL players and have not disappointed yet this season. Iowa's defensive line has helped Iowa's defense to remain one of the toughest defenses in the nation. Wisconsin's offensive line has paved the way for two running backs that both average over 80 yards per game and are the most productive running back duos in the nation. The unit that wins this battle will go a long way to determine the outcome of the game.
- Scott Tolzien vs. Rick Stanzi Both teams bring in fifth year seniors at quarterback. Both Tolzien and Stanzi win ball games, bottom line. In last years game, Tolzien threw three interceptions and Stanzi threw none, that was the major difference in the game. Whichever starting quarterback gives his team the best chance to win will determine the winner of this game.
- Lance Kendricks vs Tyler Nielsen. Lance Kendricks, Wisconsin's leading receiver, is their tight end and will be on the field most of the game. Kendricks isn't your typical tight end however, he is a much better pass catcher than he is a blocker. Wisconsin will move him around in formations and will even split him out often. He will be matched up against Iowa's sam linebacker, Tyler Nielsen, most of the game. So far this season, Nielsen has proven that he is great in pass coverage. Kendricks is Tolzien's favorite target in the red zone, catching three of his seven touchdown passes.
- Wisconsin lacks a deep threat. So far on the season, Wisconsin's longest pass reception is 45 yards. They don't have a lot of deep routes either, they run a lot of intermediate and quick routes. The routes that they run are the exact routes that you have to run to have success against the Iowa defense. Also don't look for much in the screen department, it is just not a play that Wisconsin likes to run.
- Rain, rain go away. Forecast is for rain and a lot of it. In the morning the showers are supposed to begin and possible thunderstorms in the afternoon. There is no real advantage for either team more than the other team. A wet field will help Wisconsin, because they want to run the ball, it will help Iowa because Iowa will go with play-action passes and when a receiver knows where and when he will cut, he has an advantage on a defensive back who might slip with quick movements.
- The "Norm" chant. Iowa fans started the idea of chanting "Norm" on third down to honor the defensive coordinator, who had his foot amputated due to diabetes a few weeks ago. Then the University got behind the idea and started to promote it. If the fans in the stadium come through, it will be a great tribute to one of Iowa's greatest coordinators ever.
- JJ Watt vs Riley Reiff and Markus Zusevics Watt is the heart and soul of the Wisconsin defense, in the last three games, he has had four sacks and 7 tackles for loss. Iowa's tackles will have to be ready for Watt as he is a fierce pass rusher and is also tough to run against. If Iowa can contain Watt, they will be able to move the ball with both the run and pass.
- Wisconsin letdown. Last week Wisconsin played the #1 team in the nation at home and won, will they be able to come out and give the same kind of effort a week later. Many teams fear the hangover of winning a big game. You will know right away if Wisconsin has a hangover or not, if Iowa gets up early it could mean game over for Wisconsin as they are a running team that passes to set up the pass.
- The Red Zone Wisconsin has turned their last 23 red zone trips into touchdowns while Iowa has only allowed 9 scores in 17 trips by their opponents. If Wisconsin completes their drives with touchdowns, Iowa will struggle to win. If Iowa keeps the Badgers to field goal attempts, a victory for Iowa is in sight.
- Iowa's wide receivers If Rick Stanzi is given time, Iowa's receivers will find a lot of open space in the Badger secondary. The Badger secondary isn't the best and can't match Iowa's talent at the receiver position. Like every week, if Iowa can establish the run, it will setup the play-action pass. Look for Stanzi to take a few shots deep and be successful on a couple of those attempts.
Wisconsin - Notes
- Wisconsin has allowed 3 rushing TD's this season, Iowa has allowed 2
- Iowa has won their last ten games where a trophy was at stake
- Iowa is 4-2 in their last six against Wisconsin
- DJK needs 5 catches and 7 Touchdowns to tie the all-time records at Iowa
- Iowa has only allowed 9 scores on 17 opponent red zone opportunities this season
- Iowa has scored 69 points off of turnovers this season, their opponents have scored 14
- Iowa is yet to give up any points in the third quarter
- Wisconsin has scored on 5 of 7 first possessions this year, Iowa given up 2 of 6
- Wisconsin is converting 52% of third downs, Iowa defense is holding teams to 31%
- Wisconsin averaging 3.29 penalties per game, Iowa averaging 5 per game
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Michigan - What we learned
Iowa went in to the new "Big House" and came away with a solid road victory. Here are some things that we learned about Iowa this week.
- Adam Robinson is a stud. A lot of Iowa fans are concerned about Robinson being able to be a full-time Big Ten running back, but so far this season he is proving them wrong. Not only is he a good runner, but he is probably the best pass receiving running back at Iowa since Albert Young. You could go as far as to say that Adam Robinson is exactly what head coach Kirk Ferentz wants as a running back. He runs hard, never seems to go down with first contact, never fumbles, blocks, and catches the ball out of the backfield. Currently Robinson is 4th in the Big Ten in rushing yards and third in all-purpose yards.
- Brad Rodgers is versatile. Brad Rodgers came to Iowa as a running back and played there in his true freshman year on the scout team. This season he was buried on the depth chart early, so he moved to fullback and is listed as the backup. Last weekend when Brett Morse couldn't play due to injury, he got his first ever start and quietly had a really nice game. Earlier this season, he played running back in mop up duty and did a nice job. The rest of this season and the next three years, Rodgers brings an element to Iowa's offense that we haven't seen in several years, a full back that can carry the ball.
- Ricky Stanzi a 2010 version of Brad Banks? Are the same style of quarterback? No, but the parallels of their senior season's is too much to ignore. Through 6 games, Banks was completing 60% of his passes for 1231 yards with 12 TD's and 2 interceptions. Stanzi is completing 68% of his passes for 1474 yards with 13 TD's and 2 interceptions. Both teams were 5-1 through six games and Iowa was the better team in the losses. If the 2010 Hawkeyes can run the table like the 2002 Hawks, look for Stanzi to be in New York come December.
- The road to the Rose Bowl travels through Iowa City. The four teams considered to be the front runners are Iowa, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Wisconsin, all three of these teams have to come to Kinnick stadium to play the Hawks. If Iowa can take care of business at home, Pasadena in January sounds very nice.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Michigan - Predictions Recap
Score prediction:
Iowa - 38 38
Michigan - 21 28
Other predictions:
Stanzi throws for 300+ yards and 3 touchdowns (248 yards 3 TD's)
Robinson rushes for 100+ yards and a TD (143 yards 2 TD's)
McNutt has 100+ yards receiving and a TD (78 yards 0 TD)
DJK sets the receiving record with 75+ yards and a TD (70 yards 3 TD)
Reisner is a main target with 6 catches and a TD (2 rec 0 TD)
Iowa turns the ball over twice (0)
Michigan turns the ball over five times (4)
Denard Robinson runs the ball for 100+ yards with a TD, but fumbles once and throws 3 INT's (106 yards 0 TD)
Michigan's kicker misses 2 field goals (1 miss)
Iowa records 8 tackles for loss (5)
Friday, October 15, 2010
Iowa vs Michigan Predictions
When Michigan has the ball-
Michigan wants to run the ball, there is no secret about it, they averaging almost 300 yards per game on the ground. They want to establish the run and then safeties start to creep up to support the run, they love to go play-action for a big play, they have six receivers who have made catches of more than 43 yards this season. Denard Robinson is the signal caller for the Wolverines and he is a very dangerous runner and his passing abilities have come a long way since he last played Iowa. He does a great job of the read option and quarterback follow. He seldomly takes a big hit and rarely goes down on initial contact. His passing is helped out a lot by his rushing, Michigan runs an option pass that is tough to stop. The running game is almost exclusively Robinson, Vincent Smith and Michael Shaw have combined to carry the ball 108 times to Robinson's 119. The two main running backs have amassed 560 yards to Robinson's 991, and 106 yards of those yards are on two carries, so 454 yards on 106 carries. The passing attack of the Wolverines is more of an extension of the run, a lot of screens and bubble routes, with short passes and the opportunity for getting the receivers into the open. When they do pass, Roy Roundtree is the primary target, catching 31 passes on the season, the second leading receiver is Darryl Stonum with 15. The offensive line is a smaller more athletic line than what we are accustomed to seeing out of Michigan. They move well and can get the edge on most defenses, however, they haven't played a defense of Iowa's caliber yet. Iowa's front four should be able to handle the Michigan offensive line, what Michigan will try to do is spread out the Iowa linebackers to create running lanes.
When Iowa has the ball-
Michigan has for the lack of a better word, a terrible defense. Since Rich Rodriguez got there they have had arguably the worst three defenses ever at Michigan. They run a 3-3-5 defense and really aren't able to stop either the run or the pass. Their defensive lineman are good, but with a three man front, you want them to eat up blockers, not make plays. Iowa should be able to move the ball both on the ground and through the air. Like most games, Iowa will come out running the ball and short passes, setting the defense up for the play-action pass.
What will happen-
Iowa will start the game of offense and move the ball well, but ultimately punt on their first drive. Look for Michigan to sputter on offense and go three and out on their first drive. At the end of the first quarter Iowa will lead 7-0. The second quarter is where a lot of the scoring will take place and going into halftime it will be Iowa 17-14. The second half has been owned by Iowa the last season and a half, outscoring their opponents 249-95 in the last 18 games, that is an average of just over five points a game given up in the second half. Iowa will continue that trend and pull away in the second half.
Score prediction:
Iowa - 38
Michigan - 21
Other predictions:
Stanzi throws for 300+ yards and 3 touchdowns
Robinson rushes for 100+ yards and a TD
McNutt has 100+ yards receiving and a TD
DJK sets the receiving record with 75+ yards and a TD
Reisner is a main target with 6 catches and a TD
Iowa turns the ball over twice
Michigan turns the ball over five times
Denard Robinson runs the ball for 100+ yards with a TD, but fumbles once and throws 3 INT's
Michigan's kicker misses 2 field goals
Iowa records 8 tackles for loss
Michigan wants to run the ball, there is no secret about it, they averaging almost 300 yards per game on the ground. They want to establish the run and then safeties start to creep up to support the run, they love to go play-action for a big play, they have six receivers who have made catches of more than 43 yards this season. Denard Robinson is the signal caller for the Wolverines and he is a very dangerous runner and his passing abilities have come a long way since he last played Iowa. He does a great job of the read option and quarterback follow. He seldomly takes a big hit and rarely goes down on initial contact. His passing is helped out a lot by his rushing, Michigan runs an option pass that is tough to stop. The running game is almost exclusively Robinson, Vincent Smith and Michael Shaw have combined to carry the ball 108 times to Robinson's 119. The two main running backs have amassed 560 yards to Robinson's 991, and 106 yards of those yards are on two carries, so 454 yards on 106 carries. The passing attack of the Wolverines is more of an extension of the run, a lot of screens and bubble routes, with short passes and the opportunity for getting the receivers into the open. When they do pass, Roy Roundtree is the primary target, catching 31 passes on the season, the second leading receiver is Darryl Stonum with 15. The offensive line is a smaller more athletic line than what we are accustomed to seeing out of Michigan. They move well and can get the edge on most defenses, however, they haven't played a defense of Iowa's caliber yet. Iowa's front four should be able to handle the Michigan offensive line, what Michigan will try to do is spread out the Iowa linebackers to create running lanes.
When Iowa has the ball-
Michigan has for the lack of a better word, a terrible defense. Since Rich Rodriguez got there they have had arguably the worst three defenses ever at Michigan. They run a 3-3-5 defense and really aren't able to stop either the run or the pass. Their defensive lineman are good, but with a three man front, you want them to eat up blockers, not make plays. Iowa should be able to move the ball both on the ground and through the air. Like most games, Iowa will come out running the ball and short passes, setting the defense up for the play-action pass.
What will happen-
Iowa will start the game of offense and move the ball well, but ultimately punt on their first drive. Look for Michigan to sputter on offense and go three and out on their first drive. At the end of the first quarter Iowa will lead 7-0. The second quarter is where a lot of the scoring will take place and going into halftime it will be Iowa 17-14. The second half has been owned by Iowa the last season and a half, outscoring their opponents 249-95 in the last 18 games, that is an average of just over five points a game given up in the second half. Iowa will continue that trend and pull away in the second half.
Score prediction:
Iowa - 38
Michigan - 21
Other predictions:
Stanzi throws for 300+ yards and 3 touchdowns
Robinson rushes for 100+ yards and a TD
McNutt has 100+ yards receiving and a TD
DJK sets the receiving record with 75+ yards and a TD
Reisner is a main target with 6 catches and a TD
Iowa turns the ball over twice
Michigan turns the ball over five times
Denard Robinson runs the ball for 100+ yards with a TD, but fumbles once and throws 3 INT's
Michigan's kicker misses 2 field goals
Iowa records 8 tackles for loss
Michigan - Ten things to watch
Iowa makes its first trip to the newly renovated "Big House" on Saturday where they will play in front of the largest ever crowd to witness an Iowa football game, here are ten things to watch for:
- Can the Iowa front 7 contain Denard Robinson? If you are a college football fan, you have heard about Denard Robinson this season and rightfully so, he has been impressive so far this season. Last week he was "contained," and he still accounted for 301 total yards. Last year when he was in Iowa City, he was one dimensional, this year he has become a better passer, not allowing opposing defenses to load the box. For Iowa to win on Saturday, they need to be able to stop the run with the front 7, if they rely on the safeties to make plays against the run, Robinson will beat them with the play-action.
- Michigan's front six. So far this season, the Michigan front has provided very little in resistance to the rush or pass. For Michigan to have a chance, the front six, yes they play a 3-3-5 defense, will have to be able to slow down the run and put pressure on Ricky Stanzi. If they can't do that, a secondary that ranks 119 out of 120 division one teams against the pass, will have a long game.
- Strength vs strength. Michigan's strength is their run game, 6th nationally, and Iowa's defensive strength is stopping the run, 2nd nationally. For Michigan's offense to run the way head coach Rich Rodriguez want it to, they need to be able to run the ball and use play action pass. For Iowa's defense to be successful, they need to be able to stop the run with their front seven and rely on their defensive backs to stop the pass.
- Different formations. Every fan of Iowa knows that the defense wants to stay in base formation, sometimes they do this at a detriment to the defensive players ability. Michigan will spread out the Hawkeye defense trying to create mis-matches for Denard Robinson and their wide receivers. Robinson's favorite target, Roy Roundtree operates primarily out of the slot and Iowa will match up with a linebacker over him. If they can exploit Roundtree's speed advantage, it could force Iowa to bring in a nickel package and open itself up to the run.
- Stanzi against one of the worst. Right now the Michigan defense is 119 out of 120 teams in pass defense, Ricky Stanzi is one of the best passers in the Big Ten. That is a recipe for disaster if you are a Michigan fan, you might think, blitz Stanzi, but this season Ricky is completing 78.8% of his passes against the blitz. If Iowa can establish the run on Saturday, you could see several deep play action passes succeed.
- Iowa needs an early lead. You can almost guarantee it that Iowa will start out of offense, this season they have taken the ball first in all five games and scored in three of the games. When Iowa can get the lead in games, they can impose their strength on the opponents, which is the offensive and defensive lines. On the road an early lead can really take the crowd out of the game, Michigan is not the loudest of stadiums anyways, and if Iowa can jump out to an early lead, it will really take the home field advantage away.
- Two weeks of rest vs. playing a heated rivalry game. Iowa will come into this game off of their bye week, which gave them time to heal some of their injured starters. Michigan comes into this game having played their instate rival last week in what was a very hard fought game. We have seen in the past that when Iowa's coaches are given time to game plan against a team, they can shut them down. Michigan has been a one trick pony so far this season, it is a pretty safe bet that Iowa's defensive game plan is to shut down Robinson.
- Turnovers. Last year, Michigan turned the ball over five times to Iowa's one. For Michigan to have a chance, they will have to win the turnover battle. Iowa is too good of a team to lose the turnover battle and expect to win.
- Can anyone make a kick? Michigan's two kickers on the season are a combined 2 for 7 with a long of 34 yards, Iowa's kickers are 2-3 with a long of 25. If the outcome of the game comes down to a field goal, I don't think that either coach feels comfortable. In a fourth and short situation, look for both coaches go for it rather than attempt a long field goal.
- Iowa defensive backs tackling. Michigan boasts the best receiver corps that Iowa has faced all season. The Wolverines love to run wide receiver screens and several plays to get their receivers with the ball in space. This season the Iowa defensive backs have done an okay job of tackling, but on several occasions they have not wrapped up. If the receivers are not taken down with first contact, they can cause havoc for the Iowa defense. Helping the receivers for Michigan will be the fact that the Iowa safeties will be concerned with stopping the running of Denard Robinson.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Michigan Stat Comparison and Notes
- The Iowa Hawkeyes are the only Division 1 football team to not give up a rushing touchdown this season
- Iowa is 5-3 when visiting Michigan for homecoming
- Iowa's only overtime loss ever was against Michigan in 2005
- The series is lopsided all time (40-11-4) in favor of Michigan, but the last six have been split
- Iowa opponents are only 6 -12 in the red zone this year, giving up 4 touchdowns and 2 field goals
- DJK needs 66 yards to become the all time leader in receiving yards at Iowa
- He also needs 9 catches to have the reception record at Iowa
- Iowa is 7-2 in their last nine games away from Iowa City
- Last player to rush for over 200 yards against Iowa was TJ Duckett in 2000 (Robinson has gone over 200 three times this season)
- Iowa has 10 offensive plays over 30 yards this season, their opponents have had 5
- The Iowa defense has caused a 3 and out 40% of their opponents drives this season
- Iowa is converting 46% of third downs this season, their opponents have converted 28%
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
What we know and don't know about Iowa
Iowa had the bye week last week, which was good timing for Iowa as they had injuries in key positions and the extra week of practice gave the injuries and extra week to heal and the young reserves key practice reps. Now that the bye week is over, the Hawkeyes will begin their quest for a Big Ten title, here are some things we learned in the first five games.
What we know:
The defense is as good as was expected. Through the first six weeks of the college season the Iowa defense is first in scoring defense, second in rushing defense, and fourth in total defense. They haven't played any offenses yet that are that great, but you don't get those stat rankings unless you have a solid defense. The fact that Iowa has done this despite every unit having key players miss substantial time. The defensive line has been dominant, to a casual observer the stats haven't been great, but ask any offensive coordinator that has played Iowa and they will speak highly about the defensive line's disruption. The coaches have done a great job of rotating the lineman as well, which will help keep the lineman fresh as the season progresses. The linebacker core has probably been the most effected by injury. Starting middle linebacker Jeff Tarpinian has been hampered by stingers the last several games and his backup Bruce Davis has been lost for the season with a knee injury. Against Penn State, true freshman James Morris manned the middle and did a great job, easing the coaching staff's concern about a backup to Tarpinian. Jerimiah Hunter has not missed a beat on the weak side and Tyler Nielsen has looked like a clone of his mentor, A.J. Edds. The defensive backfield has like usual been reliable, they won't play bump and run coverage or man coverage for that matter, but when an opposing quarterback makes a mistake, the defensive backs are ready and waiting.
"It" has finally clicked for Ricky Stanzi. Last year he showed flashes of greatness followed by throws that make you wonder what he was thinking. This year he has played like a fifth year senior and has been rewarded by having the number 3 passing efficiency in the nation. Ricky has made great decisions with the ball this season and takes what the defense has been giving him. Unlike his predecessors at quarterback, he doesn't seem to have a favorite target or force the ball into a certain receiver. What has stood out to me the most this season is that Stanzi has put his team in position to win with great audibles.
The receivers are a talented group. Every single receiver has a role with this team. You have Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, who will graduate from Iowa as the all time leader in receptions and yards. DJK as he is known, is a sure handed receiver that seems to run a lot of Iowa's intermediate to deep routes. Iowa's second leading receiver this season is Marvin McNutt, Marvin is Iowa's deep threat, he has mastered the crossing route in his one plus year as a receiver. McNutt's greatest strength might be in the red zone, where his size and leaping ability make him a prime target. Tight end Allan Reisner is the latest in the long line of great tight ends. His progression from primarily a blocker to a sure handed pass catcher over the last four years has been remarkable. Although the previous three are the main targets of Stanzi, Colin Sandeman is a solid possession receiver, Keenan Davis is a great reserve that can fill in for both McNutt and DJK. One element of the passing attach that hasn't been seen for several years is the running back. Adam Robinson has hauled in seven catches on the season and averaged over 20 yards per catch.
What we don't know:
The offensive line. Going into the season, this is the one position that people could point to as a possible problem position for the Hawks. Through the first five games, this unit has done nothing to make you feel any different. In the Eastern Illinois, Iowa State, and Ball State games, the offensive line has looked very good, but they were playing inferior talent. In the Penn State game, they looked great in the first half and then very average in the second half. Most of that had to do with Iowa abandoning the pass and Penn State stacking the box with eight or nine defenders. The one game that gave this unit the most fits was the Arizona game. Arizona's strategy was to live and die by the blitz and that strategy was helped by the early lead that Arizona built up. Iowa was forced to abandon the run and allowed the Arizona defenders get into their track stance and rush the quarterback. If Iowa can keep a balanced attack, the offensive line will be fine, but when the defense knows what the offense has to do, this offensive line isn't good enough to dominate.
A backup running back. Coming into the season, Iowa had too many backs and not enough carries. After five games they have plenty of carries and need more backs to carry them. Adam Robinson is a top 30 nationally running back through five games and can carry the ball, but he has no proven backup. Both Marcus Coker and Brad Rodgers got carries in the blow out victory against Ball State, but Kirk Ferentz showed his hand a little bit in the Penn State game when the game was in hand and he didn't bring in the backups. One thing that all running backs have to do at Iowa to see the field is block and that could be a problem that both Coker and Rodgers have, relying on one of these two against the blitz to protect Ricky Stanzi is not something Ferentz wants to do. If Iowa is going to turn this season into a Big Ten Championship year, they will have to find a backup running back that can give Robinson a break a couple series a game.
Who is the kicker. As Iowa fans, we were spoiled for a six or seven year span when we had Kaeding and Schlicher, both very good kickers. This year Daniel Murray has been hurt and not seen the field, Trent Mossbrucker is not right between the ears, and Iowa is relying on true freshman walk-on Michael Meyer. When the pressure is on how will Meyer respond? We have seen that he has the distance to make any kick, but is only 1 of 2 on the year. When Murray is healthy, does he get the job back? At some point this season, Iowa will trot their kicker out to attempt a meaningful kick and that thought worries me with the current state of the kickers.
What we know:
The defense is as good as was expected. Through the first six weeks of the college season the Iowa defense is first in scoring defense, second in rushing defense, and fourth in total defense. They haven't played any offenses yet that are that great, but you don't get those stat rankings unless you have a solid defense. The fact that Iowa has done this despite every unit having key players miss substantial time. The defensive line has been dominant, to a casual observer the stats haven't been great, but ask any offensive coordinator that has played Iowa and they will speak highly about the defensive line's disruption. The coaches have done a great job of rotating the lineman as well, which will help keep the lineman fresh as the season progresses. The linebacker core has probably been the most effected by injury. Starting middle linebacker Jeff Tarpinian has been hampered by stingers the last several games and his backup Bruce Davis has been lost for the season with a knee injury. Against Penn State, true freshman James Morris manned the middle and did a great job, easing the coaching staff's concern about a backup to Tarpinian. Jerimiah Hunter has not missed a beat on the weak side and Tyler Nielsen has looked like a clone of his mentor, A.J. Edds. The defensive backfield has like usual been reliable, they won't play bump and run coverage or man coverage for that matter, but when an opposing quarterback makes a mistake, the defensive backs are ready and waiting.
"It" has finally clicked for Ricky Stanzi. Last year he showed flashes of greatness followed by throws that make you wonder what he was thinking. This year he has played like a fifth year senior and has been rewarded by having the number 3 passing efficiency in the nation. Ricky has made great decisions with the ball this season and takes what the defense has been giving him. Unlike his predecessors at quarterback, he doesn't seem to have a favorite target or force the ball into a certain receiver. What has stood out to me the most this season is that Stanzi has put his team in position to win with great audibles.
The receivers are a talented group. Every single receiver has a role with this team. You have Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, who will graduate from Iowa as the all time leader in receptions and yards. DJK as he is known, is a sure handed receiver that seems to run a lot of Iowa's intermediate to deep routes. Iowa's second leading receiver this season is Marvin McNutt, Marvin is Iowa's deep threat, he has mastered the crossing route in his one plus year as a receiver. McNutt's greatest strength might be in the red zone, where his size and leaping ability make him a prime target. Tight end Allan Reisner is the latest in the long line of great tight ends. His progression from primarily a blocker to a sure handed pass catcher over the last four years has been remarkable. Although the previous three are the main targets of Stanzi, Colin Sandeman is a solid possession receiver, Keenan Davis is a great reserve that can fill in for both McNutt and DJK. One element of the passing attach that hasn't been seen for several years is the running back. Adam Robinson has hauled in seven catches on the season and averaged over 20 yards per catch.
What we don't know:
The offensive line. Going into the season, this is the one position that people could point to as a possible problem position for the Hawks. Through the first five games, this unit has done nothing to make you feel any different. In the Eastern Illinois, Iowa State, and Ball State games, the offensive line has looked very good, but they were playing inferior talent. In the Penn State game, they looked great in the first half and then very average in the second half. Most of that had to do with Iowa abandoning the pass and Penn State stacking the box with eight or nine defenders. The one game that gave this unit the most fits was the Arizona game. Arizona's strategy was to live and die by the blitz and that strategy was helped by the early lead that Arizona built up. Iowa was forced to abandon the run and allowed the Arizona defenders get into their track stance and rush the quarterback. If Iowa can keep a balanced attack, the offensive line will be fine, but when the defense knows what the offense has to do, this offensive line isn't good enough to dominate.
A backup running back. Coming into the season, Iowa had too many backs and not enough carries. After five games they have plenty of carries and need more backs to carry them. Adam Robinson is a top 30 nationally running back through five games and can carry the ball, but he has no proven backup. Both Marcus Coker and Brad Rodgers got carries in the blow out victory against Ball State, but Kirk Ferentz showed his hand a little bit in the Penn State game when the game was in hand and he didn't bring in the backups. One thing that all running backs have to do at Iowa to see the field is block and that could be a problem that both Coker and Rodgers have, relying on one of these two against the blitz to protect Ricky Stanzi is not something Ferentz wants to do. If Iowa is going to turn this season into a Big Ten Championship year, they will have to find a backup running back that can give Robinson a break a couple series a game.
Who is the kicker. As Iowa fans, we were spoiled for a six or seven year span when we had Kaeding and Schlicher, both very good kickers. This year Daniel Murray has been hurt and not seen the field, Trent Mossbrucker is not right between the ears, and Iowa is relying on true freshman walk-on Michael Meyer. When the pressure is on how will Meyer respond? We have seen that he has the distance to make any kick, but is only 1 of 2 on the year. When Murray is healthy, does he get the job back? At some point this season, Iowa will trot their kicker out to attempt a meaningful kick and that thought worries me with the current state of the kickers.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Penn State Predictions Recap
Predictions:
Iowa - 31 (24)
Penn State - 17 (3)
Stanzi will pick apart the Nittany Lion defense to the tune of 300+ yards and 3 TD's (227 yards 1 TD)
Robinson will find running tough, but still gain 70+ yards and a TD (95 yards 0 TD)
DJK will set the career receiving yardage mark with 130+ yards and a TD (64 yards 1 TD)
McNutt comes back after missing most of last week with 75+ yards and a TD (93 yards 0 TD)
Reisner has 6 catches and a TD (3 catches 0 TD)
The Nittany Lions will tally 3+ sacks (1)
Iowa will control the line of scrimmage, limiting Penn State to less than 80 yards on the ground (54 yards)
Iowa will force four turnovers (1)
Iowa gets a pick 6 (Yes)
Penn State returns a kick for a TD (No)
Iowa - 31 (24)
Penn State - 17 (3)
Stanzi will pick apart the Nittany Lion defense to the tune of 300+ yards and 3 TD's (227 yards 1 TD)
Robinson will find running tough, but still gain 70+ yards and a TD (95 yards 0 TD)
DJK will set the career receiving yardage mark with 130+ yards and a TD (64 yards 1 TD)
McNutt comes back after missing most of last week with 75+ yards and a TD (93 yards 0 TD)
Reisner has 6 catches and a TD (3 catches 0 TD)
The Nittany Lions will tally 3+ sacks (1)
Iowa will control the line of scrimmage, limiting Penn State to less than 80 yards on the ground (54 yards)
Iowa will force four turnovers (1)
Iowa gets a pick 6 (Yes)
Penn State returns a kick for a TD (No)
Friday, October 1, 2010
Iowa vs Penn State Predictions
When Penn State has the ball:
The offense that Penn State runs this season isn't all that different from Iowa's. They run a lot of isolation and zone run plays and they seldom have four or five receivers. Their quarterback is young, but talented. He will sit in the pocket and take a lot of hits, but his ability to run and a quick release keep him from getting sacked. The offensive line isn't great and took a big hit last week when their starting right tackle, Lou Eliades, was lost due to injury. Their two tackles have a combined four collegiate starts and will be facing one of the best defensive lines in the nation, not a good combination for Penn State fans. Penn State knows that running between the tackles is a tough task against Iowa, look for them to try and gain the edge with option and stretch plays. When Stephfon Green (#21) comes into the game, his speed could give Iowa problems and the Nittany Lions like to get him on the edge to use that speed. The Penn State receivers are all talented, however, there isn't a single one that is featured more, they spread the ball around. When he is pressed, Bolden will look to #83 Brett Brackett, who is tied for the team lead with 15 catches. Penn State is very dangerous on the punt return, Green is the returner and gets up to top speed very quickly, Donahue will have to do a good job of hanging his punts up to give his coverage team time to get down the field.
When Iowa has the ball:
Penn State runs a base 4-3 defense and will stay in this defense almost the entire game, just like Iowa would do. Their defense is very fast flowing, meaning that they go with the flow of the offensive line hard, leaving them susceptible to play action and boots. Penn State will bring the blitz from both their linebackers and corners, but they show this very early and Temple had great success checking to new plays. The other thing that opens up with fast flow defenses is the cutback, Iowa's zone running could mean huge cutback lanes for Robinson. The defense's weak point is against the run, they are giving up 117 yards per game on the ground and Alabama was able to rack up 180 yards on the ground. Look for Iowa to balance the run and pass well, starting with the run and short passes and then moving more to the play action pass once the defensive backs have started coming up in run support.
What will happen:
The atmosphere will be amazing and look for Iowa to feed off of that and score on their first drive. You will see Adam Robinson, but the pass will be Ken O'Keefe's choice, utilizing the short passing game down the field. The Iowa defense will come out and dominate the line of scrimmage like all fans have come accustomed to them doing this season. Royster will find the holes few and far between and Penn State will be forced to look for yardage elsewhere. The first half will be very back and forth with Iowa holding a 14-10 lead at halftime. Halftime is the place where the Iowa coaches have earned their salaries the last two seasons as Iowa has outscored those 17 opponents 242-95 in the second half, keeping 13 of the 17 opponents to 7 points or less in the second half. Look for Iowa to impose its will in the second half both on offense and defense, cruising to a comfortable win.
Predictions:
Iowa - 31
Penn State - 17
Stanzi will pick apart the Nittany Lion defense to the tune of 300+ yards and 3 TD's
Robinson will find running tough, but still gain 70+ yards and a TD
DJK will set the career receiving yardage mark with 130+ yards and a TD
McNutt comes back after missing most of last week with 75+ yards and a TD
Reisner has 6 catches and a TD
The Nittany Lions will tally 3+ sacks
Iowa will control the line of scrimmage, limiting Penn State to less than 80 yards on the ground
Iowa will force four turnovers
Iowa gets a pick 6
Penn State returns a kick for a TD
The offense that Penn State runs this season isn't all that different from Iowa's. They run a lot of isolation and zone run plays and they seldom have four or five receivers. Their quarterback is young, but talented. He will sit in the pocket and take a lot of hits, but his ability to run and a quick release keep him from getting sacked. The offensive line isn't great and took a big hit last week when their starting right tackle, Lou Eliades, was lost due to injury. Their two tackles have a combined four collegiate starts and will be facing one of the best defensive lines in the nation, not a good combination for Penn State fans. Penn State knows that running between the tackles is a tough task against Iowa, look for them to try and gain the edge with option and stretch plays. When Stephfon Green (#21) comes into the game, his speed could give Iowa problems and the Nittany Lions like to get him on the edge to use that speed. The Penn State receivers are all talented, however, there isn't a single one that is featured more, they spread the ball around. When he is pressed, Bolden will look to #83 Brett Brackett, who is tied for the team lead with 15 catches. Penn State is very dangerous on the punt return, Green is the returner and gets up to top speed very quickly, Donahue will have to do a good job of hanging his punts up to give his coverage team time to get down the field.
When Iowa has the ball:
Penn State runs a base 4-3 defense and will stay in this defense almost the entire game, just like Iowa would do. Their defense is very fast flowing, meaning that they go with the flow of the offensive line hard, leaving them susceptible to play action and boots. Penn State will bring the blitz from both their linebackers and corners, but they show this very early and Temple had great success checking to new plays. The other thing that opens up with fast flow defenses is the cutback, Iowa's zone running could mean huge cutback lanes for Robinson. The defense's weak point is against the run, they are giving up 117 yards per game on the ground and Alabama was able to rack up 180 yards on the ground. Look for Iowa to balance the run and pass well, starting with the run and short passes and then moving more to the play action pass once the defensive backs have started coming up in run support.
What will happen:
The atmosphere will be amazing and look for Iowa to feed off of that and score on their first drive. You will see Adam Robinson, but the pass will be Ken O'Keefe's choice, utilizing the short passing game down the field. The Iowa defense will come out and dominate the line of scrimmage like all fans have come accustomed to them doing this season. Royster will find the holes few and far between and Penn State will be forced to look for yardage elsewhere. The first half will be very back and forth with Iowa holding a 14-10 lead at halftime. Halftime is the place where the Iowa coaches have earned their salaries the last two seasons as Iowa has outscored those 17 opponents 242-95 in the second half, keeping 13 of the 17 opponents to 7 points or less in the second half. Look for Iowa to impose its will in the second half both on offense and defense, cruising to a comfortable win.
Predictions:
Iowa - 31
Penn State - 17
Stanzi will pick apart the Nittany Lion defense to the tune of 300+ yards and 3 TD's
Robinson will find running tough, but still gain 70+ yards and a TD
DJK will set the career receiving yardage mark with 130+ yards and a TD
McNutt comes back after missing most of last week with 75+ yards and a TD
Reisner has 6 catches and a TD
The Nittany Lions will tally 3+ sacks
Iowa will control the line of scrimmage, limiting Penn State to less than 80 yards on the ground
Iowa will force four turnovers
Iowa gets a pick 6
Penn State returns a kick for a TD
Penn State - 10 things to watch
Iowa kicks off the Big Ten Schedule by hosting Penn State in historic Kinnick Stadium. Below are ten things to look for Saturday night:
1. What is the halftime score? This season, Iowa has only allowed 14 second half points in 8 quarters and 7 of those were by Iowa State against Iowa's third string. If Iowa can hold the lead at halftime, the chances of Penn State coming back are slim. Iowa is a team that is built to play with the lead, they use their size to lean on teams offensively and wear them down and on defense when a team becomes one dimensional, the Iowa coaches can take that away.
2. Who will be able to run? Penn State has found the ground game hard to come by so far this season. Last week against Temple they were able to amass, 216 yards on 46 carries. They need to be able to run, because Evan Royster is their best offensive player and if he isn't producing, it makes for long days for Penn State. They will be matched up against a defense that suffocates the run, only allowing 65 yards per game. If Iowa can stop the Nittany Lions on the ground, it will put the pressure on true freshman quarterback Robert Bolden, I like Iowa's chances if that happens. On the other side, Iowa's whole offense is predicated on being able to run the ball. Penn State's entire defense is a fast flow defense that is very susceptible to the play action and waggle plays that Iowa loves to run. If Iowa can have some success on the ground, it opens up the play-action pass that Ricky Stanzi has thrived on this season. If Penn State forces Iowa in to known passing situations, their defense is good enough to get to Stanzi, especially when the Hawkeyes are giving up over 2 sacks a game on average this season.
3. Iowa's defensive line needs to control the line of scrimmage. Last year, the Penn State game was the coming out party for Iowa's defensive front, they totaled 3 tackles for loss and 2 sacks. Those numbers don't look dominating, but ask Daryll Clark how many times he got hit last year. That was against a pretty good offensive line, this year going into the season Penn State's assistant coach Joe Paterno called the offensive line play "very, very average." That was before they lost their starting right tackle to injury, which means that their two starting tackles have a combined total of 4 collegiate starts. The Nittany Lion offensive line doesn't give up many sacks, but that has more to do with Bolden's legs and quick release than it does them. If Iowa can get pressure with just their front four, Iowa's back 7 will have a field day with the true freshman quarterback.
4. Kicking is a concern. Kickers are a concern for both teams, but on opposite ends of the spectrum. Iowa has only attempted 2 field goals on the season, both last week, while Penn State has already attempted 12 kicks. Michael Meyer has taken over for the Hawkeyes and is the only one with attempts this season, going 1-2. Collin Wagner is the kicker for Penn State and has been very good, only missing two all season. Iowa is concerned with a lack of experience, while Penn State is concerned with too much experience. Penn State fans remember all to well what happened last time they played in Iowa City, the offense struggled in the Red Zone and had to kick 3 field goals, while Iowa finished their drives with touchdowns and knocked off the highly ranked Nittany Lions. If this game comes down to field goals, the advantage is in the Penn State corner.
5. How will Robinson fare in the Big Ten? The Big Ten conference is stereotyped as big, slow, running teams, while part of that is absurd, the fact that it is a punishing conference isn't. Adam Robinson was able to make it through the non-conference without getting nicked up, however now that his backups are unproven, his health could be the determining factor of a Big Ten Championship and middle of the pack finish. Last year the league schedule took its toll on Adam and he was really beat up by the end of the regular season, this year, that can't happen.
6. Blitz pickup. No doubt that Penn State watched the Arizona game film and saw how they reeked havoc on the Iowa offensive line with blitzes. Penn State can blitz and has very athletic linebackers and will also bring the pressure from the corner position. The problem they had with this in the Temple game is that they were telegraphing it and the Temple quarterback did a great job of audibling to a play to counter the blitz. Iowa is not a team that usually gets to the line with a lot of time to go on the play clock and could get burnt by this. Against Arizona, Stanzi just missed on a couple long passes against the blitz, if against Penn State he can convert these, it will go a long way to slowing down their defense.
7. Home field advantage. Iowa has one of the better home win percentages over the last five years in the entire nation and the team will need the fans as much as ever Saturday night. The stadium will look very cool if the fans all follow the instructions and wear the color they are supposed to, if you are unsure, go to http://www.hawkeyesports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/092610aak.html. The last true night game that Iowa had against a ranked opponent was in 2006 against Ohio State, the atmosphere was electric that night and the fans need to have a night like that again to help this team to a victory. Other than the game, Iowa has a ton of recruits coming in for this weekend and a great atmosphere is huge in a seventeen or eighteen year old's decision on where he wants to attend.
8. Avoid the "big play." Last year the first play from scrimmage for Penn State was a long touchdown pass. This year one of the first plays against Arizona was a blocked punt. Iowa cannot afford to get in a hole against teams of Penn State's caliber, because we all saw what happened when Iowa got behind against Arizona. Iowa has only allowed 3 opponents out of the last 30 score on their opening drive and need to continue that streak. Iowa's defense has proven that it is not easy to go the length of the field on them, you can dink and dunk your way down the field, but at some point you will make a mistake and Iowa is opportunistic. Two times has the first team defense given up drives this year, against Eastern Illinois a fake punt helped the drive and Arizona had a deep pass help theirs. If Iowa can force the true freshman quarterback to make short passes, at some point he will get greedy and that is where Sash and Greenwood show up.
9. Turnovers will be a key component. On the season, Iowa is +1 with turnovers, Penn State is -.5. In their only other game against a quality opponent, Penn State had three fumbles and three interceptions against Alabama. They only lost one of those fumbles, but Royster also put the ball on the turf twice last week. With Iowa's swarming defense, look for Royster to fumble again. Bolden throws a nice ball and usually takes the short pass as opposed to the long one, but he gets hit and knocked down a lot. Once you get hit that many times, your passes are affected.
10. Can Ricky keep it up? So far we have seen a different Ricky Stanzi this season. He has made good decisions and kept his team out of trouble. This weekend will be a tough defense and they will bring the pressure on him. If he can get time, their defensive backs are not the most skilled. The key to how Ricky will do will be if Iowa can get the running game going, if they can run the ball it opens up play action and waggle plays the are Iowa's bread and butter. Another thing to look for are double moves, Iowa is well known for their outs early in the game, look for an out and up early in the game to loosen up the safeties.
1. What is the halftime score? This season, Iowa has only allowed 14 second half points in 8 quarters and 7 of those were by Iowa State against Iowa's third string. If Iowa can hold the lead at halftime, the chances of Penn State coming back are slim. Iowa is a team that is built to play with the lead, they use their size to lean on teams offensively and wear them down and on defense when a team becomes one dimensional, the Iowa coaches can take that away.
2. Who will be able to run? Penn State has found the ground game hard to come by so far this season. Last week against Temple they were able to amass, 216 yards on 46 carries. They need to be able to run, because Evan Royster is their best offensive player and if he isn't producing, it makes for long days for Penn State. They will be matched up against a defense that suffocates the run, only allowing 65 yards per game. If Iowa can stop the Nittany Lions on the ground, it will put the pressure on true freshman quarterback Robert Bolden, I like Iowa's chances if that happens. On the other side, Iowa's whole offense is predicated on being able to run the ball. Penn State's entire defense is a fast flow defense that is very susceptible to the play action and waggle plays that Iowa loves to run. If Iowa can have some success on the ground, it opens up the play-action pass that Ricky Stanzi has thrived on this season. If Penn State forces Iowa in to known passing situations, their defense is good enough to get to Stanzi, especially when the Hawkeyes are giving up over 2 sacks a game on average this season.
3. Iowa's defensive line needs to control the line of scrimmage. Last year, the Penn State game was the coming out party for Iowa's defensive front, they totaled 3 tackles for loss and 2 sacks. Those numbers don't look dominating, but ask Daryll Clark how many times he got hit last year. That was against a pretty good offensive line, this year going into the season Penn State's assistant coach Joe Paterno called the offensive line play "very, very average." That was before they lost their starting right tackle to injury, which means that their two starting tackles have a combined total of 4 collegiate starts. The Nittany Lion offensive line doesn't give up many sacks, but that has more to do with Bolden's legs and quick release than it does them. If Iowa can get pressure with just their front four, Iowa's back 7 will have a field day with the true freshman quarterback.
4. Kicking is a concern. Kickers are a concern for both teams, but on opposite ends of the spectrum. Iowa has only attempted 2 field goals on the season, both last week, while Penn State has already attempted 12 kicks. Michael Meyer has taken over for the Hawkeyes and is the only one with attempts this season, going 1-2. Collin Wagner is the kicker for Penn State and has been very good, only missing two all season. Iowa is concerned with a lack of experience, while Penn State is concerned with too much experience. Penn State fans remember all to well what happened last time they played in Iowa City, the offense struggled in the Red Zone and had to kick 3 field goals, while Iowa finished their drives with touchdowns and knocked off the highly ranked Nittany Lions. If this game comes down to field goals, the advantage is in the Penn State corner.
5. How will Robinson fare in the Big Ten? The Big Ten conference is stereotyped as big, slow, running teams, while part of that is absurd, the fact that it is a punishing conference isn't. Adam Robinson was able to make it through the non-conference without getting nicked up, however now that his backups are unproven, his health could be the determining factor of a Big Ten Championship and middle of the pack finish. Last year the league schedule took its toll on Adam and he was really beat up by the end of the regular season, this year, that can't happen.
6. Blitz pickup. No doubt that Penn State watched the Arizona game film and saw how they reeked havoc on the Iowa offensive line with blitzes. Penn State can blitz and has very athletic linebackers and will also bring the pressure from the corner position. The problem they had with this in the Temple game is that they were telegraphing it and the Temple quarterback did a great job of audibling to a play to counter the blitz. Iowa is not a team that usually gets to the line with a lot of time to go on the play clock and could get burnt by this. Against Arizona, Stanzi just missed on a couple long passes against the blitz, if against Penn State he can convert these, it will go a long way to slowing down their defense.
7. Home field advantage. Iowa has one of the better home win percentages over the last five years in the entire nation and the team will need the fans as much as ever Saturday night. The stadium will look very cool if the fans all follow the instructions and wear the color they are supposed to, if you are unsure, go to http://www.hawkeyesports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/092610aak.html. The last true night game that Iowa had against a ranked opponent was in 2006 against Ohio State, the atmosphere was electric that night and the fans need to have a night like that again to help this team to a victory. Other than the game, Iowa has a ton of recruits coming in for this weekend and a great atmosphere is huge in a seventeen or eighteen year old's decision on where he wants to attend.
8. Avoid the "big play." Last year the first play from scrimmage for Penn State was a long touchdown pass. This year one of the first plays against Arizona was a blocked punt. Iowa cannot afford to get in a hole against teams of Penn State's caliber, because we all saw what happened when Iowa got behind against Arizona. Iowa has only allowed 3 opponents out of the last 30 score on their opening drive and need to continue that streak. Iowa's defense has proven that it is not easy to go the length of the field on them, you can dink and dunk your way down the field, but at some point you will make a mistake and Iowa is opportunistic. Two times has the first team defense given up drives this year, against Eastern Illinois a fake punt helped the drive and Arizona had a deep pass help theirs. If Iowa can force the true freshman quarterback to make short passes, at some point he will get greedy and that is where Sash and Greenwood show up.
9. Turnovers will be a key component. On the season, Iowa is +1 with turnovers, Penn State is -.5. In their only other game against a quality opponent, Penn State had three fumbles and three interceptions against Alabama. They only lost one of those fumbles, but Royster also put the ball on the turf twice last week. With Iowa's swarming defense, look for Royster to fumble again. Bolden throws a nice ball and usually takes the short pass as opposed to the long one, but he gets hit and knocked down a lot. Once you get hit that many times, your passes are affected.
10. Can Ricky keep it up? So far we have seen a different Ricky Stanzi this season. He has made good decisions and kept his team out of trouble. This weekend will be a tough defense and they will bring the pressure on him. If he can get time, their defensive backs are not the most skilled. The key to how Ricky will do will be if Iowa can get the running game going, if they can run the ball it opens up play action and waggle plays the are Iowa's bread and butter. Another thing to look for are double moves, Iowa is well known for their outs early in the game, look for an out and up early in the game to loosen up the safeties.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Penn State Stat Comparison and Notes
- Iowa has won 7 of 8 against Penn State
- 6 of the last 10 matchups between PSU and Iowa have been decided by a touchdown or less
- Paterno is the longest tenured Big Ten coach at 45 years, Ferentz is second with 12
- Iowa has only allowed 3 teams score on their opening drive out of the last 30
- DJK needs 130 yards receiving and 13 catches to become the career leader in each category
- Iowa's roster includes 36 players that achieved at least a 3.0 GPA last semester
- Iowa is 1 of 11 teams nationally to have the same full time coaching staff for the last three seasons
- Iowa has outscored their opponents 60-14 in the second half this season
- Iowa is averaging 7.7 yards on 1st down this season
- Iowa's heaviest player is 310 pounds
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Hawks in the NFL
Here are some stats of the former Hawkeyes that are in the NFL:
Pat Angerer - LB - Indianapolis- 2 tackles
Jonathon Babineaux - DT - Atlanta - 2 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 FF
Matt Roth - DE - Cleveland - 9 tackles
Dallas Clark - TE - Indianapolis - 21 catches 207 yards 2 TD
Mitch King - DL - Indianapolis - 1 tackle
Tony Moeaki- TE - Kansas City - 12 catches 123 yards 2 TD
Brandon Myers - TE - Oakland - 2 catches 9 yards
Bradley Fletcher - CB - St. Louis - 11 tackles 1 INT
Chad Greenway - LB - Minnesota - 22 tackles
Albert Young - RB - Minnesota - 3 carries 2 yards
Shonn Greene - RB - New York Jets - 30 carries 106 yards
Matt Kroul - DL - New York Jets - 1 Tackle
Kenny Iwebema - DL - Arizona - 2 Tackles
Nate Kaeding - K - San Diego - 2/2 long 41
Colin Cole - DL - Seattle - 10 Tackles
Jason Baker - P - Carolina - 15 punts 43 yard average
Charles Godfrey - S - Carolina - 15 tackles, 3 INT
Aaron Kampman - DE - Jacksonville - 5 Tackles 1.5 Sacks
Sean Consodine - S - Jacksonville - 19 Tackles 1 Sack
Offensive Lineman:
Robert Gallery - Oakland
Marshal Yanda - Baltimore
Eric Steinbech - Cincinnati
Bryan Bulaga - Green Bay
Casey Weigman - Kansas City
Rob Bruggeman - Atlanta
Seth Olsen - Minnesota
On team with no stats:
Derrek Robinson - DE - Cleveland
Treye Stross - WR - Houston
Bob Sanders - S - Indianapolis
Jared Devries - DL - Detroit
Amari Spievey - DB - Detroit
A.J. Edds - LB - Miami
Ladell Betts - RB - New Orleans
Pat Angerer - LB - Indianapolis- 2 tackles
Jonathon Babineaux - DT - Atlanta - 2 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 FF
Matt Roth - DE - Cleveland - 9 tackles
Dallas Clark - TE - Indianapolis - 21 catches 207 yards 2 TD
Mitch King - DL - Indianapolis - 1 tackle
Tony Moeaki- TE - Kansas City - 12 catches 123 yards 2 TD
Brandon Myers - TE - Oakland - 2 catches 9 yards
Bradley Fletcher - CB - St. Louis - 11 tackles 1 INT
Chad Greenway - LB - Minnesota - 22 tackles
Albert Young - RB - Minnesota - 3 carries 2 yards
Shonn Greene - RB - New York Jets - 30 carries 106 yards
Matt Kroul - DL - New York Jets - 1 Tackle
Kenny Iwebema - DL - Arizona - 2 Tackles
Nate Kaeding - K - San Diego - 2/2 long 41
Colin Cole - DL - Seattle - 10 Tackles
Jason Baker - P - Carolina - 15 punts 43 yard average
Charles Godfrey - S - Carolina - 15 tackles, 3 INT
Aaron Kampman - DE - Jacksonville - 5 Tackles 1.5 Sacks
Sean Consodine - S - Jacksonville - 19 Tackles 1 Sack
Offensive Lineman:
Robert Gallery - Oakland
Marshal Yanda - Baltimore
Eric Steinbech - Cincinnati
Bryan Bulaga - Green Bay
Casey Weigman - Kansas City
Rob Bruggeman - Atlanta
Seth Olsen - Minnesota
On team with no stats:
Derrek Robinson - DE - Cleveland
Treye Stross - WR - Houston
Bob Sanders - S - Indianapolis
Jared Devries - DL - Detroit
Amari Spievey - DB - Detroit
A.J. Edds - LB - Miami
Ladell Betts - RB - New Orleans
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Ball State - What we learned
Ball State was the perfect medicine for a battered Iowa team before they start the daunting Big Ten schedule. While the competition wasn't good enough to find out a lot about the Hawkeyes, here are some things we learned:
1. Ricky Stanzi has matured into a great quarterback. Last season he forced a lot of passes into coverage and tried too often for the home run ball. On Saturday there were several times where Iowa had receivers that might have been open deep, instead Ricky opted for the shorter wide open pass. Of his six incompletions on Saturday at least three were blatant drops by the receivers. Through five games, Stanzi is fifth in the nation in passer efficiency. Last season he had 5 touchdowns and 5 interceptions through four games, this year it is 9 TD's and 1 INT, and even that interception was a well thrown ball.
2. The Iowa coaches have taken notice to opposing teams keying on Adrian Clayborn. Several times on Saturday, you saw Clayborn line up as a tackle and Karl Klug line up as end. It has been obvious through four games that opposing offenses are scheming to slow down Adrian, so the Iowa coaches have begun to move him around to throw off the blocking schemes. Though it seems that the defensive line isn't filling the stat sheets, they are causing fewer receivers in routes, which helps the defensive backs. Couple their helping the defensive backs along with their contributions to the run stopping and the defensive line anchors what is statistically the #1 defense in the nation through four weeks.
3. Practices at Iowa matter. All we have seen of Trent Mossbrucker this season is PAT attempts, of which he missed/had one blocked, however he has been demoted. Michael Meyer had the kickoff duties and has now gained the field goal kicking duties. Beings that we have not seen much of either kicker, one would have to assume that Meyer has to have been practicing better than Mossbrucker. Meyer winning this spot during practice will make all the backups on the team work harder and make practices more competitive.
4. The field turf will pay for itself. In past years a rain like last Saturday would have created a disaster of a mess for the immediate future. Now with the field turf down, the field will remain intact for the entire season.
5. Iowa appears to be alright at the running back position. Adam Robinson showed that the Arizona game was an ab oration and he really does have a burst. He even did something that few running backs at Iowa have done, which is catch the ball out of the backfield. Backups, Marcus Coker and Brad Rodgers showed that they can bring the punishment on a worn down defense. They can handle 10-20 carries a game between them to relieve Adam Robinson.
1. Ricky Stanzi has matured into a great quarterback. Last season he forced a lot of passes into coverage and tried too often for the home run ball. On Saturday there were several times where Iowa had receivers that might have been open deep, instead Ricky opted for the shorter wide open pass. Of his six incompletions on Saturday at least three were blatant drops by the receivers. Through five games, Stanzi is fifth in the nation in passer efficiency. Last season he had 5 touchdowns and 5 interceptions through four games, this year it is 9 TD's and 1 INT, and even that interception was a well thrown ball.
2. The Iowa coaches have taken notice to opposing teams keying on Adrian Clayborn. Several times on Saturday, you saw Clayborn line up as a tackle and Karl Klug line up as end. It has been obvious through four games that opposing offenses are scheming to slow down Adrian, so the Iowa coaches have begun to move him around to throw off the blocking schemes. Though it seems that the defensive line isn't filling the stat sheets, they are causing fewer receivers in routes, which helps the defensive backs. Couple their helping the defensive backs along with their contributions to the run stopping and the defensive line anchors what is statistically the #1 defense in the nation through four weeks.
3. Practices at Iowa matter. All we have seen of Trent Mossbrucker this season is PAT attempts, of which he missed/had one blocked, however he has been demoted. Michael Meyer had the kickoff duties and has now gained the field goal kicking duties. Beings that we have not seen much of either kicker, one would have to assume that Meyer has to have been practicing better than Mossbrucker. Meyer winning this spot during practice will make all the backups on the team work harder and make practices more competitive.
4. The field turf will pay for itself. In past years a rain like last Saturday would have created a disaster of a mess for the immediate future. Now with the field turf down, the field will remain intact for the entire season.
5. Iowa appears to be alright at the running back position. Adam Robinson showed that the Arizona game was an ab oration and he really does have a burst. He even did something that few running backs at Iowa have done, which is catch the ball out of the backfield. Backups, Marcus Coker and Brad Rodgers showed that they can bring the punishment on a worn down defense. They can handle 10-20 carries a game between them to relieve Adam Robinson.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Ball State Predictions Review
Decent week of predictions.
Predictions:
Iowa - 49 45
Ball St. - 10 0
Stanzi will throw for 275+ with three TD's (288 yards 3 TD)
Robinson will find running room to the tune of 100+ and TD (115 yards 2 TD)
Coker will get 70+ and TD (60 yards 0 TD)
DJK will again have 100+ receiving and a TD (87 yards 2 TD)
McNutt will get another catch of 40+ yards (Long of 15)
Mossbrucker will miss a FG (Iowa missed a FG, but not Mossbrucker)
Iowa will NOT allow a kick return of 30+ yards (19 Yards)
The defense gets four turnovers (2)
4+ sacks for the defense (1)
Clayborn will get his first sack of the season (0)
Sash will get his first interception of the year (0)
Prater will get a pick 6 (0)
Friday, September 24, 2010
Iowa vs Ball State - Predictions
When Ball State has the ball-
This is a team the will be similar style wise to Arizona. They will deploy several different formations ranging from five wide to double tights. They rely heavily on their ground game and try to gain the edge quite a bit. Don't expect this team to come out and run power runs at Iowa, look for zone plays and counters. Their offensive line isn't great, but isn't awful either, they did a pretty good job of containing Kerrigan, the talented end from Purdue last week. The front is allowing 2 sacks per game on the early season. The Cardinals will play two different quarterbacks, who are completely different styles. Kelly Page, #5, is their dual threat quarterback, when he is in the game, look for shotgun zone read plays where he likes to pull the ball and run. The other quarterback, Keith Wenning #10, is their passer, he can make all the passes and will stand in the pocket almost to a fault. When he is in, they are more of a passing team and when they pass, they look for Daniel Ifft, who leads the team with 8 catches. Look for a lot of screens and pick routes run by their wideouts, none of which have blazing speed to beat Iowa downfield. The longest two pass plays on the season have been for 24 and 25 yards both to tight ends. When the Cardinals run the ball they have a three headed monster in the backfield, Eric Williams (#6), MiQuale Lewis (#33), and Cory Sykes (#7) all have over 25 carries on the season. Lewis has found the yards hard to come by this year only averaging 2.8 yards per carry, however he does have good hands with 5 catches out of the backfield. Williams and Sykes both average over 5 yards a carry and are talented runners. On top of these three, when #21 David Brown is on the field, the Cardinals are looking to get him the ball in space, usually end arounds coming after he motions in from the slot. Both Clayborn and Binns will have to be disciplined to stop this play as he is averaging over 9 yards per carry. Ball security is a problem for the Cardinals as they have 6 fumbles on the season, but have only lost 2 of them. The key for Iowa will be to stop the run, if they can neutralize the run and force the Cardinals to the air, Iowa will get interceptions and sacks. When Iowa forces punts, don't expect much in the return game as they are only allowing 1.8 yards per return on the season.
When Iowa has the ball-
Ball State's defense is not good, they are 62nd nationally allowing 345 yards per game. They do a decent job on first and second down, but last week allowed Purdue to convert 10 of 17 third downs. They aren't a big blitzing team, which bodes well for Iowa as we all saw what happened last week against a blitzing team. They are very susceptible to the play action pass, so it is vital for Iowa to be successful with some runs to start the game and get the safeties to suck up in run support. Last week Ball State would have given up a lot more passing yards to Purdue if Marve would have hit his open receivers. Their defensive front is anchored by end Robert Eddins (#91), he will keep either Reiff or Zusevics busy on pass plays. Look for Iowa to run and pass away from Eddins as much as possible as the other end is a significant drop in talent. Their linebackers are the strength of the defense and will be stout against the run, but aren't the best in pass coverage, look for Iowa to deploy crossers to get open. The defensive backfield is where Iowa has a distinct advantage, the secondary jumps routes a lot and will get beat deep on double moves.
What will happen-
Iowa will have a point to make on Saturday and come out early to make that point. They will dominate the first drive, going deep early on a play action pass. Stanzi will parlay that into a big day throwing the ball downfield. Ball State will learn quickly that they cannot run against the stout front seven from Iowa and go to the pass, where they won't have much luck either. Look for Iowa to be up 14 at the end of the first quarter, much like the Iowa Sate game and up 28 at half. In true Ferentz style, he will take the foot off the gas peddle and coast in the second half with Marcus Coker getting his first reps as a Hawkeye.
Predictions:
Iowa - 49
Ball St. - 10
Stanzi will throw for 275+ with three TD's
Robinson will find running room to the tune of 100+ and TD
Coker will get 70+ and TD
DJK will again have 100+ receiving and a TD
McNutt will get another catch of 40+ yards
Mossbrucker will miss a FG
Iowa will NOT allow a kick return of 30+ yards
The defense gets four turnovers
4+ sacks for the defense
Clayborn will get his first sack of the season
Sash will get his first interception of the year
Prater will get a pick 6
This is a team the will be similar style wise to Arizona. They will deploy several different formations ranging from five wide to double tights. They rely heavily on their ground game and try to gain the edge quite a bit. Don't expect this team to come out and run power runs at Iowa, look for zone plays and counters. Their offensive line isn't great, but isn't awful either, they did a pretty good job of containing Kerrigan, the talented end from Purdue last week. The front is allowing 2 sacks per game on the early season. The Cardinals will play two different quarterbacks, who are completely different styles. Kelly Page, #5, is their dual threat quarterback, when he is in the game, look for shotgun zone read plays where he likes to pull the ball and run. The other quarterback, Keith Wenning #10, is their passer, he can make all the passes and will stand in the pocket almost to a fault. When he is in, they are more of a passing team and when they pass, they look for Daniel Ifft, who leads the team with 8 catches. Look for a lot of screens and pick routes run by their wideouts, none of which have blazing speed to beat Iowa downfield. The longest two pass plays on the season have been for 24 and 25 yards both to tight ends. When the Cardinals run the ball they have a three headed monster in the backfield, Eric Williams (#6), MiQuale Lewis (#33), and Cory Sykes (#7) all have over 25 carries on the season. Lewis has found the yards hard to come by this year only averaging 2.8 yards per carry, however he does have good hands with 5 catches out of the backfield. Williams and Sykes both average over 5 yards a carry and are talented runners. On top of these three, when #21 David Brown is on the field, the Cardinals are looking to get him the ball in space, usually end arounds coming after he motions in from the slot. Both Clayborn and Binns will have to be disciplined to stop this play as he is averaging over 9 yards per carry. Ball security is a problem for the Cardinals as they have 6 fumbles on the season, but have only lost 2 of them. The key for Iowa will be to stop the run, if they can neutralize the run and force the Cardinals to the air, Iowa will get interceptions and sacks. When Iowa forces punts, don't expect much in the return game as they are only allowing 1.8 yards per return on the season.
When Iowa has the ball-
Ball State's defense is not good, they are 62nd nationally allowing 345 yards per game. They do a decent job on first and second down, but last week allowed Purdue to convert 10 of 17 third downs. They aren't a big blitzing team, which bodes well for Iowa as we all saw what happened last week against a blitzing team. They are very susceptible to the play action pass, so it is vital for Iowa to be successful with some runs to start the game and get the safeties to suck up in run support. Last week Ball State would have given up a lot more passing yards to Purdue if Marve would have hit his open receivers. Their defensive front is anchored by end Robert Eddins (#91), he will keep either Reiff or Zusevics busy on pass plays. Look for Iowa to run and pass away from Eddins as much as possible as the other end is a significant drop in talent. Their linebackers are the strength of the defense and will be stout against the run, but aren't the best in pass coverage, look for Iowa to deploy crossers to get open. The defensive backfield is where Iowa has a distinct advantage, the secondary jumps routes a lot and will get beat deep on double moves.
What will happen-
Iowa will have a point to make on Saturday and come out early to make that point. They will dominate the first drive, going deep early on a play action pass. Stanzi will parlay that into a big day throwing the ball downfield. Ball State will learn quickly that they cannot run against the stout front seven from Iowa and go to the pass, where they won't have much luck either. Look for Iowa to be up 14 at the end of the first quarter, much like the Iowa Sate game and up 28 at half. In true Ferentz style, he will take the foot off the gas peddle and coast in the second half with Marcus Coker getting his first reps as a Hawkeye.
Predictions:
Iowa - 49
Ball St. - 10
Stanzi will throw for 275+ with three TD's
Robinson will find running room to the tune of 100+ and TD
Coker will get 70+ and TD
DJK will again have 100+ receiving and a TD
McNutt will get another catch of 40+ yards
Mossbrucker will miss a FG
Iowa will NOT allow a kick return of 30+ yards
The defense gets four turnovers
4+ sacks for the defense
Clayborn will get his first sack of the season
Sash will get his first interception of the year
Prater will get a pick 6
10 things to watch for - Ball State
Hopefully all Iowa fans have stepped away from the ledge after last Saturday's loss. Ball State is coming to town and they should be the best medicine for an Iowa team that is bruised and battered. Ten things to look for tomorrow:
1. Who plays running back. Obviously with the news coming out the week the Jewel Hampton will be lost for the season, the number one thing to look for this week will be who plays. Jewel was suspended for the opener this year and Adam Robinson took the bulk of the carries, with Paki O'Meara and Jason White also getting carries in mop up duty. This week both O'Meara and White are inactive due to injuries. That leaves Iowa with one true running back with game experience. Look for true freshman Marcus Coker and De'Andre Johnson to be the leading candidates to get carries. Neither one has played yet this season, so playing would mean losing their redshirt year for the season. Another player to look for is Brad Rodgers, he played running back last season and this year has been the #2 fullback, however, he knows the plays and could easily step in and give some carries. We found out this week that true freshman Anthony Hitchens has moved from defensive back to running back, but my feeling is that this is merely to give warm bodies at running back and he won't get any playing time, unless in an emergency situation.
2. The kickoff team. We all saw the return last week for a touchdown and the two long returns the week before against Iowa State. This is a unit that as a whole needs to right the ship, I am sure that this week in practice they got plenty of reps and will be disciplined in their lane responsibilities. From the opening game, Iowa has lost at least three players that were on this squad to injury, Bruce Davis, O'Mears, and White. Whether the coaches go to an extreme and put some starters out there to shore it up or pull redshirts off freshman remains to be seen. Whatever they do, I am sure that the fact that Ball State is #7 nationally at 31 yards per return will be a point of emphasis this week in practice. Hopefully Michael Meyer can keep kicking it out of the endzone to ensure no big plays.
3. How will Iowa bounce back? Last season this team didn't have to deal with losses much, so it will remains to be seen how the react after one. One of two things will happen, this squad will get that chip back on their shoulder and take care of business in the first quarter like they did against Eastern Illinois or they could come out flat and leave a team in the game, like Western Michigan a few years ago. With the leadership on this team I see the former happening, but watch out for the later.
4. Will the OL regain their swagger? After the Iowa State game, all doubts had basically been cast out the window about the play of the offensive line. After the Arizona game, all of a sudden fans see a glaring weakness. Last Saturday it was a collective fail across the offensive line, not just one guy had a poor game, they all did. Look for Ball State to blitz as much as possible, once they start the game tape from last week they would be foolish not to. The front five have got to open up some holes for Robinson to run the ball and give Ricky time to complete the play action passes that this defense is susceptible to.
5. After three games we still don't know who the kicker is. Iowa has attempted exactly 0 field goals so far this season, so it remains to be seen how Mossbrucker will do. Last week he had an extra point blocked, never a good thing when you aren't getting enough air under your PAT's that it gets blocked. If he struggles and Murray isn't available look for Michael Meyer, the kickoff specialist now, to get a shot at the field goals.
6. Special team as a whole. Last week the were an unmitigated disaster, this week they are without at least three regular special teamers in David, O'Meara, and White. Look for Iowa to replenish these teams with a sprinkling of starters that have excelled in the past. Tyler Nielsen, Micah Hyde, and Tyler Sash to name a few.
7. How will Stanzi rebound after the beating he took. Everyone remembers Jake Christiansen and how his footwork went to pot once he took a few sacks. Last week Stanzi seemed like a pinata he was hit so much. Watch on the first drive to see how his footwork is in the pocket, if he is calm and comfortable back in the pocket, he has the opportunity to have a huge game against a shaky defense. If he has the Christiansen "happy feet" in the pocket he will begin to miss his target and Iowa fans could be in for a long day.
8. Keeping Adam Robinson healthy. Last year Robinson was dinged up most of the season, this year that luxury has gone out the window with Hampton's injury. If Iowa wants any shot at making a BCS bowl again this year they had better keep Robinson relatively healthy and on the field. If he goes down for any length of time, Iowa has no proven backup on the team and the road to the BCS would become a lot rougher.
9. Will mother nature show herself on Saturday. Forecast is for a 60% chance of rain, some place say the game will be wet others say it will wait until after the game to really rain. If the game gets wet, it actually helps Ball State, their pass defense is suspect and a slippery field and wet ball may neutralize Iowa's aerial attack. Ball State on the other hand would rather run the ball and rain doesn't effect them as much.
10. Will the real Adrian Clayborn please step up? A lot has been said about Adrian's dip in numbers through the early part of the season. Looking back at last year however, through three games he had 13 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 1 sack. This season he has 10 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 0 sacks. So he has 3 less tackles and 1 less sack through three games, hardly falling off the face of the earth totals. Also if you look at the teams that Iowa has played this year, they are quick pass teams that don't give up many sacks and their whole game plan is to get the ball out of the quarterback's hands quickly. Watching the first three games for Iowa, you can see a concentrated effort by opposing coaches to double and chip block Adrian almost every pass play, that in turn has opened things up for the other defensive lineman who have responded well.
1. Who plays running back. Obviously with the news coming out the week the Jewel Hampton will be lost for the season, the number one thing to look for this week will be who plays. Jewel was suspended for the opener this year and Adam Robinson took the bulk of the carries, with Paki O'Meara and Jason White also getting carries in mop up duty. This week both O'Meara and White are inactive due to injuries. That leaves Iowa with one true running back with game experience. Look for true freshman Marcus Coker and De'Andre Johnson to be the leading candidates to get carries. Neither one has played yet this season, so playing would mean losing their redshirt year for the season. Another player to look for is Brad Rodgers, he played running back last season and this year has been the #2 fullback, however, he knows the plays and could easily step in and give some carries. We found out this week that true freshman Anthony Hitchens has moved from defensive back to running back, but my feeling is that this is merely to give warm bodies at running back and he won't get any playing time, unless in an emergency situation.
2. The kickoff team. We all saw the return last week for a touchdown and the two long returns the week before against Iowa State. This is a unit that as a whole needs to right the ship, I am sure that this week in practice they got plenty of reps and will be disciplined in their lane responsibilities. From the opening game, Iowa has lost at least three players that were on this squad to injury, Bruce Davis, O'Mears, and White. Whether the coaches go to an extreme and put some starters out there to shore it up or pull redshirts off freshman remains to be seen. Whatever they do, I am sure that the fact that Ball State is #7 nationally at 31 yards per return will be a point of emphasis this week in practice. Hopefully Michael Meyer can keep kicking it out of the endzone to ensure no big plays.
3. How will Iowa bounce back? Last season this team didn't have to deal with losses much, so it will remains to be seen how the react after one. One of two things will happen, this squad will get that chip back on their shoulder and take care of business in the first quarter like they did against Eastern Illinois or they could come out flat and leave a team in the game, like Western Michigan a few years ago. With the leadership on this team I see the former happening, but watch out for the later.
4. Will the OL regain their swagger? After the Iowa State game, all doubts had basically been cast out the window about the play of the offensive line. After the Arizona game, all of a sudden fans see a glaring weakness. Last Saturday it was a collective fail across the offensive line, not just one guy had a poor game, they all did. Look for Ball State to blitz as much as possible, once they start the game tape from last week they would be foolish not to. The front five have got to open up some holes for Robinson to run the ball and give Ricky time to complete the play action passes that this defense is susceptible to.
5. After three games we still don't know who the kicker is. Iowa has attempted exactly 0 field goals so far this season, so it remains to be seen how Mossbrucker will do. Last week he had an extra point blocked, never a good thing when you aren't getting enough air under your PAT's that it gets blocked. If he struggles and Murray isn't available look for Michael Meyer, the kickoff specialist now, to get a shot at the field goals.
6. Special team as a whole. Last week the were an unmitigated disaster, this week they are without at least three regular special teamers in David, O'Meara, and White. Look for Iowa to replenish these teams with a sprinkling of starters that have excelled in the past. Tyler Nielsen, Micah Hyde, and Tyler Sash to name a few.
7. How will Stanzi rebound after the beating he took. Everyone remembers Jake Christiansen and how his footwork went to pot once he took a few sacks. Last week Stanzi seemed like a pinata he was hit so much. Watch on the first drive to see how his footwork is in the pocket, if he is calm and comfortable back in the pocket, he has the opportunity to have a huge game against a shaky defense. If he has the Christiansen "happy feet" in the pocket he will begin to miss his target and Iowa fans could be in for a long day.
8. Keeping Adam Robinson healthy. Last year Robinson was dinged up most of the season, this year that luxury has gone out the window with Hampton's injury. If Iowa wants any shot at making a BCS bowl again this year they had better keep Robinson relatively healthy and on the field. If he goes down for any length of time, Iowa has no proven backup on the team and the road to the BCS would become a lot rougher.
9. Will mother nature show herself on Saturday. Forecast is for a 60% chance of rain, some place say the game will be wet others say it will wait until after the game to really rain. If the game gets wet, it actually helps Ball State, their pass defense is suspect and a slippery field and wet ball may neutralize Iowa's aerial attack. Ball State on the other hand would rather run the ball and rain doesn't effect them as much.
10. Will the real Adrian Clayborn please step up? A lot has been said about Adrian's dip in numbers through the early part of the season. Looking back at last year however, through three games he had 13 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 1 sack. This season he has 10 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 0 sacks. So he has 3 less tackles and 1 less sack through three games, hardly falling off the face of the earth totals. Also if you look at the teams that Iowa has played this year, they are quick pass teams that don't give up many sacks and their whole game plan is to get the ball out of the quarterback's hands quickly. Watching the first three games for Iowa, you can see a concentrated effort by opposing coaches to double and chip block Adrian almost every pass play, that in turn has opened things up for the other defensive lineman who have responded well.
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