Here is the player vs player match up section.
94 Adrian Clayborn RDE 6'4 285 SR and 91 Broderick Binns LDE 6'2 291 JR \/ Christian Ballard LDE 6'5 297 SR vs. 72 Kelechi Osemele LT 6'5 335 JR and 79 Brayden Burris RT 6'6 290 SO : Osemele is a big, big guy. He plays with some fire. He isn't real agile in the run game, he is looking to lean on players and either push them down-field or seal them from the play. In pass protection he sets up fairly quickly and has a very good punch, he has pretty good feet for his size and his very wide so he can be tough to get around. He is tough to bull because of his quick set and his anchor. Burris is a new starter. He struggled a bit versus NIU and was beaten to the outside a couple of times giving up a sack on a bullrush. He has a tendency to set his feet in pass protection relying on his hands instead. He is a fairly agile run blocker and physical- he can move the pile and is adept at sealing his guy away from the play. Much has been made of the struggles that Iowa's defensive line had against ISU last season but both Binns and Ballard should be a difficult match up for Burris in this game. Watching Clayborn and Osemele go at it may be more fun than the game itself.
Spud's Spin: Edge Iowa- Clayborn didn't begin to emerge as a force until after this game when he ran down Arizona's Grigsby in his own backfield. Arnaud may get rid of the ball to fast to take a sack this week but he will surely feel some heat from both ends. Burris will have all he can handle regardless of who is lined up across from him.
46 Christian Ballard 6'5 297 SR/ Mike Daniels 6'1 275 JR and 95 Karl Klug 6'4 270 SR DTs vs 77 Alex Alvarez LG 6'2 305 SR, 63 Ben Lamaak C 6'4 320, and 75 Hayworth Hicks RG 6'3 330: The Cyclones interior played pretty well last week, especially in pass protection. They showed great communication and seamlessly passed defenders on stunts. Alvarez and Lamaak were very mobile on both runs and screen plays. Alvarez is probably smaller than his listed size and can be overwhelmed at times by a power rush, but protected Arnaud well. He showed very good initial quickness and good lateral movement when pulling and getting to the second level. Lamaak really finished blocks well. He did a good job on their zone scheme and calling their blocking schemes. He looks to have made the transition from guard to center pretty easily. Hicks is another very big guy. He isn't real mobile but he is hard to run around. He doesn't get to the second level often but he isn't asked to often in this scheme. If he gets set up and gets his arms on someone they are done. Daniels didn't look like a guy making his first start last week. He got off of blocks very well and found the ball quickly. Klug played his quietly spectacular game reading the lineman and backs and finding the ball almost all the time. He rarely stayed blocked. Hicks will be making a big jump in competition this week also especially when Ballard is lined up across from him.
Spud's Spin: Edge Iowa- this is the kind of offense where people will see how good Klug and Ballard really are. Klug, Ballard and Daniels are going to have to bottle up the interior zone run that ISU bases their offense on. Rarely have I seen DTs find the ball or understand what an offense is trying to accomplish as well as Klug or Ballard. If Iowa is going to control ISU's offense these three for Iowa must do the controlling and I think they will.
45 Tyler Nielsen LEO 6'4 235 JR and 28 Shaun Prater 5'11 180 JR, 18 Micah Hyde 6'1 185 SO, 2 Greg Castillo 5'11 180 SO, 10 Willie Lowe JR CBs vs. 2 Sedrick Johnson 6'3 209 JR, 83 Jake Williams 6'2 203 SR, 6 Darius Darks 6'1 189 JR, 7 Darius Reynolds 6'2 205 JR, 19 Josh Lenz 6'0 188 SO WRs: One thing to note here ISU's main formation is a 3x1 with Franklin on the same side as two wide outs. They generally have 2 Sed Johnson as the Split or single, 88 Franklin close to the formation, slot 6 Darks and Flank 83 Jake Williams on the field. Lenz and Reynolds see some time in all three of the receiver positions but are mostly split time with Darks and Williams. Johnson seems to be the standout of this group. He is very athletic. He can adjust to a poorly thrown ball, can go up and get it, high pointed a ball on a designed back shoulder throw, they are looking to isolate him, very thickly built. Williams runs clean routes, catches the ball away from his frame and secures the ball before trying to make a play. Doesn't look to have great run after the catch ability but scrapes up some yards with effort. Darks finds soft spots in zones, runs good routes, really cuts well, catches the ball well, has some shake after the catch. Reynolds runs sloppy routes, gives away where he is going, had a really dumb penalty last week. Lenz had a nice run after the catch last week but isn't a primary option. More of a returner at this time. Hyde struggled last week on one drive. He got burned on a double move. The TD he gave up he got got peeking in and lost track of his man but that was along time to cover anyone. I am sure he will play better this week. I thought he was pretty physical in the run game. Nielsen was pretty impressive in his debut setting the edge well, shedding blocks and showing great acceleration. Castillo also was much more physical this season compared to a year ago. Still I would feel much more comfortable with Prater in at corner. ISU is going to attack the edges. Prater is a known quantity.
Spud's Spin: Edge Iowa State- this isn't by too much but ISU has an experience edge here even if Prater is back. I doubt that Hyde gets burned deep again, but there is that chance that he is matched up against Sed Johnson one on one. He needs to win that match up. Tyler Nielsen is also going to make a big leap in competition this week. He is capable but the speed of the game is going to increase greatly for him and ISU is going to have to attack the edges. If Castillo or Lowe are forced into action I am confident they are capable but they must tackle well against both the run and the pass.
42 Jeremiha Hunter WILL 6'2 235 SR vs. 88 Collin Franklin TE 6'5 252 SR: Franklin was the star of the Clones passing game last week and I thought he shined as a blocker as well. He secures the ball well away from his frame and can adjust to a poorly thrown ball. He can do something with the ball in his hands and is pretty athletic for his size. He sets up his routes well and cuts very well for his size. He is a better blocker on the move than from a traditional "y" on the line TE position. He is very good at hitting a moving linebacker or defensive back but struggles with defensive lineman. Hunter looks more flexible. He did a good job in his zone drops and was lined up on the slot receiver more often than I have seen the last two seasons. He has always been a very good chase and tackle defender and takes good angles to plays. Hunter won't always be lined up over Franklin, many times this will be either Tarp/Davis or Nielsen's match up.
Spud's Spin: Edge Iowa State- Franklin is a very good tight end. I wasn't sure how much a TE would be utilized in this offense but I think that he will be exploited early and often on Saturday. Iowa must make sure he doesn't rack up a lot of yards after the catch and be content to let him have his three or four yard gains.
33 Jeff Tarpinian 6'3 238 SR/ 57 Bruce Davis 6'0 232 JR MIKE vs. 33 Alexander Robinson 5'9 191 SR and 25 Shontrelle Johnson 5'9 182 FR TBs: Robinson is really what makes this offense go. He is a very shifty runner and can make a lot out of a very little hole. He is a very good receiver and a pretty good pass blocker to boot. He runs very low, rarely take a clean shot, almost always falls forward, very good initial burst and good lateral quickness, very good vision, he is a patient runner. He has good hands, and gets his head around quickly making himself available quickly as an outlet. Although he gets up to speed quickly once he is there that is about all that there is, he doesn't have elite speed, he isn't going to outrun too many dbs or even elite linebackers. He plays hurt. Johnson is still pretty unknown, he returns kicks and made a nice run after a catch last week making a couple of moves on defenders. He probably won't play much unless Robinson is injured. Tarp had a great game versus ISU playing in Iowa's 3-4. I am guessing he will get the start as the Mike LB in this game. I think Iowa will focus more on stopping the run in this game and he is going to have to be a big part of that. If the D-line can tie up ISU's O-line he has to clean up Robinson on the interior runs. He is fast enough to take a false step or two and still make his drop into coverage. If Davis stopping the run is specialty so he may need to be more concerned with reading his pass keys.
Spud's Spin: Edge Iowa State- Robinson will probably get loose once. The key for Iowa is that they limit it to an eight or ten yard gain and the linebackers play well enough that they can keep the safeties deep and not involved in run support consistently. Both of these guys are capable but Robinson will be amongst the top runners they will face all season.
9 Tyler Sash SS 6'1 210 JR and 30 Brett Greenwood FS 6'0 200 SR vs. 4 Austen Arnaud 6'3 230 QB SR: Arnaud had a nightmare game last season in Ames. He is a much better player than he showed last season but there are still some issues with his game he needs to iron out. He has a very good release, strong arm when he has space to deliver, excellent footwork in the pocket, good awareness while being rushed keeps his eyes down-field, fairly accurate on the perimeter from 15 yards and in. Very good with ball fakes on both play-action and on the read option, very patient with his zone read, nimble feet as a runner, physical and comfortable in traffic as a runner not afraid of contact. Arnaud struggles throwing over the middle, especially putting the ball over a defender. He is great if he can throw on a line, but if he needs to put touch on the ball he, or anticipate a throw he really struggles. He can't seem to work the deep middle of the field. Greenwood and Sash are a very good tandem and really seem to work well together. They read keys well and really support the run well. They get great depth on their zone drops and are fast enough to still make an impact on the run game. They both rarely miss a tackle and Sash was really physical last week. Greenwood has started all but two games in his career and Sash is entering his third year as a starter.
Spud's Spin: Edge Iowa- this will be a huge edge for the Hawks if the front seven is able to control the running game without their help. If they are able to sit back again and read Arnaud and provide help over the top for the young corners this will make this a much more difficult game for Arnaud. Arnaud hasn't yet shown that he can be patient for an entire game and take what the defense gives him or sail a ball at the wrong time. If he makes a poor decision or two or is pressured into a mistake Sash and Greenwood will be waiting with open arms.
77 Riley Reiff LT 6'6 300sO and Markus Zusevics RT 6'5 295 JR vs. 29 Rashawn Parker RDE 6'0 250 SR and 91 Patrick Neal LDE 6'1 235 SR: Parker may be most famous to Iowa fans for the hit that Marshall Yanda laid on him on the reverse in the 2006 game. He played last season but suffered a season ending injury and received a medical red shirt and is back for his 5th Cy-Hawk game. He will stand up and drop occasionally and looks comfortable doing it. Very active and good in pursuit, very patient on twists, shows a good first step, looking to beat a lineman with speed, doesn't show a lot of moves- constantly trying to run around a defender, can run himself out of plays. Neal is pretty undersized and can be pushed around at times, sheds TEs at times, good first step, will play his gap just doesn't always look for the ball, anther hustle player- ran several plays down from behind. Reiff played well last week and looks natural as a tackle. He may have to be ready for some exotic blitzes this week and be ready to pick up a variety of stunts. He should be able to handle anyone lined up in front of him in the run game. Zusevics looked pretty comfortable last week showing good feet and solid quickness in the run game. He should be able to handle Neal but what I am concerned with is his ability to recognize and pick up the blitz. Jake Knott really flashed and he could be a handful for any of Iowa's lineman to handle if he were to attack on the edge or come on a delayed blitz. The physical part of the game should come easy for Zusevics but for a guy making only his second start ISU's defense could present some difficulty.
Spud's Spin: Edge Iowa- physically this is an edge for Iowa. I think they will be prepared for what is going to be thrown at them and I think the game-plan will not put too much on the young offensive lineman too soon. I think if Iowa can have some success early that it will snowball and eventually they can just wear down a young defense and dominate them physically with the run.
63 Julian Vandervelde LG 6'3 300 SR, 53 James Ferentz C 6'2 275 SO, and 73 Adam Gettis RG 6'4 280 JR/ 76 Nolan MacMillan RG 6'6 295 R.FR vs. 97 Stephen Ruempolhamer 6'3 280 JR, 85 Bailey Johnson 6'2 285 SR, and Jake McDonough 6'5 288 SO DTs: Ruempolhamer looks to be the standout of this group. Has a good get off- good first step and sees the play well. Flows down the line well and avoids traffic well for his size, if he doesn't generate a pass rush is aware enough to get his hands in the air- tipped a couple of NIU passes, he was the one ISU D-lineman to consistently find the ball at the LOS. Another hustler constantly in on plays way down-field. Johnson was the other starter. He fought a lot of double teams and got pushed around a few times. He found himself sideways a lot and was easily sealed away from several runs. Didn't seem to be too involved in the pass rush. McDonough got a consistent push when he was in, another hustler, high energy took himself out of some plays with aggressiveness. Johnson usually lined up over the center and was forced to take on the doubles versus NIU freeing Ruempolhamer to get a one on one match up. They switched sides depending on how NIU lined up. Vandervelde played very well last week in both phases. If he can remain healthy I look forward to a strong senior campaign from him. Ferentz was pushed around at times early in this game but EIU actually had a bigger DT than ISU. For the most part he did the pushing. He did a good job in pass protection and with his line calls. He was excellent on the second level. MacMillan was also very consistent in pass protection and at times excellent in the run game. He showed a very good short are burst and good lateral movement. Gettis played more than people realize last season. He started versus UNI but saw action in five other games and not just mop up time either. Gettis has been consistently singled out for praise by the coaching staff so if he is good to go I think he will start. The last player to receive this kind of praise was Reiff.
Spud's Spin: Edge Iowa- the Hawks need to own this match up and these guys need to consistently hit their targets at the second level to make the play-action game viable. Stanzi and Ferentz need to communicate and read the blitz and if they do this should be a very good day for the Hawks.
15 Derrell Johnson- Koulianos 6'1 200 SR, 7 Marvin McNutt 6'4 215 JR, 22 Colin Sandeman 6'1 200 SR, 6 Keenan Davis 6'3 215 SO, and 26 Paul Chaney 5'9 170 SR WRs vs. 23 Leonard Johnson 5'10 195 JR, 5 Jeremy Reeves 5'7 168 SO, 4 Anthony Young 5'8 172 JR CBs: Ter'Ran Benton lost his grandmother this week and I would like to send my condolences to he and his family. He would normally be the starter opposite of Leonard Johnson and slides to cover the slot receiver when they play Nickel. Both Reeves and Young saw quite a bit of time last week against NIU and both should have been burned often. Johnson is a very steady corner. I don't think ISU knows what they have in the secondary yet as NIU couldn't complete a pass beyond fifteen yards last week. DJK, McNutt, and Sandeman all looked pretty sharp last week. Davis looked very good last year in this game and then didn't really garner much consistent PT after that game. I haven't seen enough of Chaney to determine if he has regained all of his speed and his cutting ability from his ACL injury.
Spud's Spin: Edge Iowa- this is the biggest mismatch of the game. Iowa should figure out if Johnson and Sims are on the same side and just attack the other corner over and over to see how they hold up. It doesn't matter who is at receiver and whether it is Reeves or Young. I expect ISU to blitz a ton to try to take pressure off of the secondary but if the Hawks can pick it up they should be able to exploit this match up for very big gains. Here is a fun stat ISU's starting receiver's total 10 TDs for their career. McNutt had 8 last season.
82 Allen Reisner 6'3 248 SR and 39 Brad Herman 6'5 247 JR TEs and 36 Brett Morse FB 6'3 238 SR vs. 47 A.J. Klein SAM 6'1 240 SO and 20 Jake Knott WILL 6'2 240: Klein and Knott played very well last week, especially Knott who was all over the field. Knott had two picks and seemed to be involved in every tackle. He has great speed for his position, diagnoses plays well, sifts through traffic well, gets great depth on his zone drops, and rarely misses a tackle- really squares himself up well. Klein isn't quite as fast or agile but he is a tick more physical, he doesn't shed blocks quite as well but still tends to find his way to the ball, can break down in space and make a tackle, takes pretty good angles, and finds his landmarks in obvious passing downs. These two are the Nickel linebackers. Reisner is a very underrated blocker. He can be physical but he just does whatever it takes to get the job done. Herman may have had a coming out party last weekend. He blocked very well. Morse is another steady player who does his job without needing to be noticed. He was involved in the passing game early last season, too, I hope that is a trend that continues.
Spud's Spin: Edge Iowa- experience, experience, experience. The Hawks have it and the Clones don't. Physically this might be a push but I think the Hawks will find either the tight ends behind these aggressive young linebackers in pass coverage on play-action or they will just seal them off during running plays as they run themselves out of plays with over-aggressiveness.
32 Adam Robinson 5'9 205 SO and 27 Jewel Hampton 5'9 210 SO TBs vs. 45 Matt Tau' fo' ou MIKE 5'11 239 JR: Matt (sorry) is a thickly built Mike is aggressive filling his lane. He has good lateral quickness, decent straight-line speed and sheds blockers pretty well, however he didn't get involved in a lot of plays last week. He also seem to struggle to get a proper drop after taking a false step on play-action. He got lost often in traffic on edge runs but he hustled and made plays in pursuit. Robinson played very well last week and gets lost in the shuffle with the expected return of Hampton. Robinson is a very good blocker, catches the ball well, and runs between the tackles very, very well. He is rarely taken down by first contact and his vision continues to improve. Hampton is still somewhat of an unknown quantity but the coaches and media are very high on him. In '08 he improved every game. He runs angry. He has a very similar style to Robinson only he may be a homerun hitter. He looked very good catching passes in the spring and in the Big Ten Practice Show.
Spud's Spin: Edge Iowa- lost in the shuffle last season was that Iowa had a pretty successful day on the ground last year too. Although it was Wegher that did most of the damage, on of these two is bound to find a few creases and wear down this young defense especially in the second half.
12 Ricky Stanzi QB 6'4 230 SR vs. 1 David Sims SS 5'9 204 SR and 37 Michael O'Connell FS 5'11 208 SR: Sims is a very good safety. He had two picks in this game last season. I have heard he is a cross between Ed Reed and some other famous guy. He plays incredibly fast and diagnoses very well. He doesn't get out of position often or miss too many tackles. O'Connell is really aggressive, he sometimes takes some poor angles, he diagnoses plays pretty quickly and is looking to be a factor on run support. He can struggle a bit in man coverage against a quick player, he missed a few tackles but he is playing hurt. He is another hustler involved in almost every play. Stanzi was playing an almost flawless game before he went down with the injury. He still had incredible numbers. He made great decisions all day but my favorite might have been a scramble for no gain on the second TD drive. If he is as accurate versus ISU as he was versus EIU and has that kind of time to throw this game will be over in the early second quarter. Last year in this game he was shaky in the first half. He missed open receivers and threw two picks in the first half.
Spud's Spin: Edge Iowa- I truly think that we are going to see a different Stanzi this season. He is going to make mistakes. But they will more likely be physical ones, I think mental ones will be rare. This is a defense that can be exploited and I think he will exploit it early and often.
Five terrible predictions
1. James Morris totals 3 tackles and FF on kick offs
2. One of Iowa's Defensive Lineman returns an interception for a TD in this game I vote Binns.
3. Alexander Robinson ends the touchdown streak in the third quarter.
4. Jeff Tarpinian leads the team with 11 tackles and a fumble recovery and a pick
5. Stanzi throws 3 TD passes in the first quarter Sandeman catches two.
This could be a tough game if Iowa starts slowly. ISU will come into this game and they will probably throw the kitchen sink at Iowa. Iowa's offensive line is far from proven. ISU's defensive front seven is more athletic than they were last season. There secondary is not, however, and they are much less experienced. This is a much different and more confident Iowa defense also. ISU has a right to come into this game confident. They are a solid, well coached team. This game can always be an emotional toss up type of game.
Spud's Spin: The Clones are just too thin at too many spots and too inexperienced on defense to win this game outright. Even if they keep it close and make Iowa one dimensional, eventually Iowa is bound to take advantage of that one dimension in a big way. Iowa's defense is well suited to defend this type of offense. The d-line can control this style of option. The safeties are experienced and fast enough to erase any mistakes the young corners might make. And the linebackers are fast enough to defend the type of edge runs, screens, and quick hitting pass play this offense is designed to thrive on. Final Score Iowa 38 ISU 13
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