Since Coach Ferentz has taken over the Iowa progam the Hawkeyes have reached new heights of success. Iowa finished ranked 8th three consecutive seasons from 2002 through 2004 and played in four consecutive January Bowl games. This season is looking rosy already and Iowa still has four games left to play with only one really tough stumbling block left on the schedule- Ohio State in Columbus. Ferentz and his staff have followed the same blueprint in almost all of those seasons' a balanced offensive attack featuring a smashmouth running attack and a stifling defense that plays fundamentally sound and basic coverages. There has only been one abberation offensively- the 2004 season when Iowa was down to 5th string running back walk on Sam Brownlee and turned Drew Tate loose on the Big Ten. Iowa basically changed offenses mid-stream during that season and went pretty much 70% to a 3 wide shotgun look that relied on Tate's ability to read defenses and extend plays with his mobility and playmaking ability. That was the last time that Iowa won a Big Ten Title. Iowa just has to hang on and win three of the next four to at least win a share of the title this season.
Ricky Stanzi isn't Drew Tate. At least he isn't yet. He doesn't have Tate's ability to process information and ability to extend plays and see receivers break open downfield consistently. He isn't as accurate as Tate was (a healthy Drew Tate for people who only remember his senior year). Stanzi has some things going for him that Tate didn't. He isn't as high strung and seems impervious to pressure. He seems to be genuinely like by all of his teammates and that didn't always seem to be the case for Drew at the end of his career, although looking at the attrition around the program and some of the comments from some of his teammates of that era, that might not have been a bad thing. He is tall enough to be invited to the NFL scouting combine if he continues to improve. He also has a group of receivers at his disposal that Tate could only dream about. But Tate also seemed to have something that Stanzi doesn't yet have. The absolute trust to go out and win the game.
Stanzi is a winner, there is no doubt about that as he has started 19 games and won 16 of them. But a case could be made that Iowa has won some of those games in spite of Stanzi or that the defense won them. I don't want to make that case. In fact I want to make the case to let him do more. I feel like he turned the corner in the Arkansas State game even with the pick 6 he threw in that game. I actually think he was underutilized in that game and that we went away from the long pass for no reason at all in that game. Iowa scored early on two long passing plays and my game notes show Arkansas State was still playing 8 in the box and daring Iowa to throw the ball- playing single coverage on the outside. Stanzi could have thrown for 4 TDs in the first half and McNutt might have caught three TDs in the first half if the Hawks had kept attacking. Arky State didn't adjust or do anything to take it away, Iowa just stopped trying for that play. On the second play of first possession of the 2nd half Iowa runs the Go Route for McNutt and, cue Gary Dolphin, "Touchdown Iowa". Ricky threw 2 interceptions in that game but both were within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. It was the long ball that was working all day. And that is the strength of Stanzi's game.
Quarterbacks who are percieved to win games are asked to do it at the end of games or in clutch situations. Iowa doesn't ask Stanzi to do that or they don't put him in postion to do it. I don't know if it is a matter of not trusting him or a ridiculous amount of faith in the defense. Until last Saturday the defense had been up to the task all season and they still allowed only 13 points, normally plenty enough to win you a game. Here are the reasons a couple of the reasons I don't think the "training wheels" have been taken off of Stanzi yet.
Until "The Drive" versus Michigan State, Iowa had not successfully completed a "2 minute drill"this season. At the end of the first half versus Arizona - Iowa stopped a field goal fake and took over with 2:49 left in the first half, a nice momentum swing. Brandon Wegher promptly popped off a 15 yard gain giving Iowa decent field position (their own 35) and plenty of time left to try to extend their 14- 10 lead. Stanzi competed a 7 yard pass to Wegher and then Iowa sat on the ball punting it away. Against Michigan Iowa was seemingly content to run out the clock when a Michigan time out spurred them into passing mode so they could try to run out the clock some more. They then ran three passing plays in a row, getting into field goal range on a beautifully executed flare to Brett Morse. They inexplicably picked up a delay penalty knocking Murray out of his comfort zone with Time Outs in their pocket. Murray missed the field goal.
And finally I think the Coaching Staff takes the ball out of Stanzi's hands content to let the defense win close games. This philosophy has won us 7 close games so far this season. But Iowa could have chance to put a couple games away earlier, including last Saturday's game with more aggressive playcalling. In fairness they tried to give him a chance to salt away the UNI game and Stanzi and the offense came up short, calling four pass plays out of a six play drive (including the punt and scrambles). I also found no flaws with the Arkansas State playcalling, giving them a 80+ yard field with less than 20 seconds.
But the Michigan game drove me crazy. At the time no one knew Forcier was hurt. Iowa had a 3rd and 4 from their own 39. If they had converted it Michigan was out of time outs and the game was over. Michigan was only down two and only needed a field goal to win. Iowa ran Power I zone Lead with a Fullback to Bulaga's side into a blitzing 9 man front. No numbers advantage and a run for a loss. Thank you Denard Robinson.
Against Wisconsin, Iowa had a relatively comfortable 10 point lead with 3:30 remaining. Iowa goes for it on 4th and 5. Iowa runs play action and has Allen Reisner completely alone. There is a hilarious thread on the Scout site about interpreting Kirk's smirk. Stanzi wasn't throwing the ball. If he was throwing the ball he would have stopped rolling out and just thrown the ball. Touchdown, 27 - 10 nightmares of crazy plays and onside kicks abate and you relax. Instead thank you Scott Tolzien.
Finally the Michigan State game. Iowa passes the ball on a perfectly thrown fade to DJK. They then run a Power I with 2 TEs to the short side of the field to Adam Robinson. Good play, well blocked, Greg Jones is a stud, saves a TD. Iowa then has to burn a Time Out getting the play in. That is the KOK I know and love. Next play is the same formation except Iowa motions Reisner to the wide side of the field, same zone lead 2 yard gain, holding called on Bulaga, debatable call, oh well. Now it is 2 and Goal from the 13. This is probably a passing down. Iowa comes out with 3 wide outs( a slot to the wide side of the field) and Robinson in the backfield, Tony Moeaki as the Tight End on the short side of the field. MSU is still in their base defense. The line up exactly like Iowa does here. Iowa has a run called to the short side of the field. They can't block everyone. It is 5 to 6.
ggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg
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That is my bad attempt at play art to explain what I mean about a numbers mismatch. I am not including the other side of the line #1 because that took 10 minutes and #2, the DE came back around Moeaki to make the tackle for a three yard gain. So Iowa now has Third and Goal from Ten yard line.Pass right? No they run basically the same play out of shotgun only Moeaki is on the other side and Iowa has a better front to block. Three down lineman, three linebackers and five defensive backs. I have three problems with this playcall. One it didn't suprise me. Two if you are worried about a turnover that means you trust a true freshman runningback more than your offensive line and your quarterback. And finally three, if you don't make it it leaves Murray a terrible angle for the field goal and he was already looking shaky on the first two. Fortunately it didn't matter.
Stanzi has now dropped back 101 times without throwing a pick since the interception return for a TD versus Michigan although he does have a fumble lost in there. He is making better decisions and getting out of bad plays when he is given time to do so. As the games progress he continues to get better becoming more and more comfortable with what he is seeing and more confident as the game goes on. He has as much natural ability as any quarterback to play for Iowa. He certainly has the poise and leadership skills to lead Iowa to a special season. This team can only go as far as he can take them. He has earned the right to do more than be a caretaker. He now also has one other thing in common with Drew Tate- a signature win that Hawk fans will never forget.
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