Same format as usual. Would like to wish Arizona well. The more they win the better Iowa looks. I feel that was a very good team the Hawks beat. They have some questions at QB, and I am sure they could have used Gronkowski, but Iowa wasn't exactly the picture of health entering that game. Very impressed with the Wildcat's secondary and both TBs. Delashaun Dean looks like he could be a Sunday player. Both Interior D-lineman were fairly impressive also. Now onto last weeks Negatives, Positves, and Coaching observations.
Negatives
Iowa's first half passing game: It would be easy to put all of Iowa's issue's squarely on back of Ricky Stanzi but I am not sure that is the case. I think he has been inconsistent both mentally and physically, and he has made some decisions that would have cost against better teams. However he still flashes moments of brilliance. When he is getting his whole body into throws and his first option is open he is fantastic. Unfortunately he seemingly isn't reading the whole field. It seems like he is deciding where to throw the ball before he takes the snap. I could be wrong, but if I am not that is going to lead to DBs and LBs sitting on routes for specific formations all season. I also feel like KOK should get a little of the blame. I think the coaching staff is so worried about getting Ricky off to a hot start they are trying to get him nice easy safe passes on the edge and are afraid to attack the middle of the field early in the game. I also think the slot receiver is being ignored by both our offense and opposing defenses. If no one is within 5 yards of Chaney maybe we need an audible to just throw him the ball and let him work? Call me crazy but if we like his ability to retun punts we must like him in space and that is a lot of space to work with. We are getting plays late again. When that is coupled with a blitz and Stanzi has no time to look over a defense that is going to lead to sacks or turnovers. This needs to be corrected. You have 40 seconds to call a play and signal it in. Delay of game and time outs are not acceptable when you are in your 11th year on the job. The huddle should be broken and the team should be lined up with at least 12 seconds on the play clock. I would also like to give Arizona's secondary some credit for the first half perfomance Saturday. They were extremely aggressive and fast. They even defended double moves. Our receivers are also still relatively young, especially with Moeaki and DJK out. They might not always be in the right place making Stanzi look bad. I think Ferentz addressed that in his Tuesday Presser. There is certainly room for improvement but I don't think the passing game is broken by any means when you see the way Stanzi plays the 2nd half of games. I just would like to see that for four quarters.
Kickoff Coverage and Return Units: Although the Hawks have forced a couple of fumbles on the KO cover team they generally haven't looked very aggressive and nearly gave up a return for a TD in the Arizona game. I would prefer that Murray not make any more tackles this season. I feel Iowa really misses Jayme Murphy. They need someone to replace his passion on this unit and play with that kind of reckless abandon. Of course the flipside of that is career- ending injuries. The Kick Return Unit has also looked out of sorts. It doesn't seem to matter who we put back there. Chaney and Spievey haven't broken anything and haven't even looked like they have had a seam. The blocking needs to improve. This could really spark something special. Our success early this decade was often lead by the special teams.
Koeppel as the third TE in Goalline: This might seem really nitpicky. But I am going to expand this to nitpick some other things formationally. Iowa has some young TEs that need to gain some experience. One, J.D. Griggs, is roughly the same size as Koeppel. I feel like putting a lineman in there just sends the signal- here comes the run, no threat of P/A passing here. If they did run play-action and he dropped the pass I would go ballistic on KOK. I also hate it when the Hawks run an unbalanced formation (cover up one of the tight ends with a wide out) I have yet to a pass run out of this formation and it would be easy to get a penalty called if it were successful. I do like the "tight" ( receivers in tight, not split out wide like normal) formations but I thought they were overused and could be detrimental to the running game overall as Iowa doesn't generally attack the outside. I did like some of the route combinations out of these formations.
Postives
Ryan Donahue: I don't have BGHP's affinity for nicknames and I wish I could come up with one for him right now besides MVP. I probably haven't given him enough notice on this site but he is having an outstanding season. Punters don't usually leave early for the NFL but it might be time to get nervous. He is truly a weapon. Even when he gets a touchback his net is longer than most punters average.
The Defensive Line: Adrian Clayborn played an incredible game and rightly has gotten a lot of recognition this week but the whole unit well last week. Binns was a constant presence in Matt Scott's face, and both Ballard and Klug were shedding O-lineman like they were fat ladies with candy wrappers. They also played their lanes for the most part. The only time Grigsby got loose was on the 58 yard draw on 3rd and 6th where Clayborn took an outside path to the QB. I thought it was a nice playcall, nothing the d-line did wrong. Arizona got 85% of their rushing total on 3 plays. That is a dominant performance. That isn't even addressing the hurt and frustration they put on Matt Scott. Arizona's offensive line sure didn't enjoy the film review this week.
The Offensive Line: This unit is really starting to come together. The pass protection has really improved from the UNI game and they don't fall for the same blitz twice. They are doing a nice job in the run game and doing it most of the time against 8 or 9 man fronts. Again Riley Reiff should get special mention as he mane just his second start and basically shut out an All Pac Ten Player. Adam Gettis has also done a nice job stepping in for Vandervelde when he needs a blow.
Sash and Greenwood: These guys are playing so well that Norm is actually calling blitzes on first and second downs. The Vulture got another pick and was so pissed he dropped a second one I thought he was going to go fight the Arizona sideline. Both are solid to spectacular tacklers. They also don't miss assignments and are becoming more and more confident in their abilities.
Coaching: KOK has dialed up some pretty decent gameplans so far this season but he needs to improve his clock management. This isn't a new problem for him but so far it is really the only thing to complain about and that is a pretty good thing. Norm on the other hand has done everything right so far this season. He has been more aggresive with the players and really showing confidence in them by letting them blitz or spying with Angerer or Sash. He is showcasing Spievey by letting him blitz and press. They obviously have confidence in the younger players on the secondary as they are playing as much Nickel and Dime as I have ever seen. This may be the best defense that Norm has ever coached but it certainly is the most aggressively he has ever coached at Iowa.
Again I would like to complement Coach Ferentz. I think he could care less that Iowa isn't ranked. No one realizes that Moeaki, Bulaga, and DJK are hurt outside of the state of Iowa and The Hawks just continue to roll. His press conferences my be full of dry wit and no information but I read them anyway. I just like the way he conducts himself, even if I disagree with a gameday decision I am glad he is Iowa's coach.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Quick Thoughts
I haven't had time to review the film yet as I am way into my fantasy team and it was my sister's birthday. Tammy you are getting really old. Anyway moving on to football related matters I would again like to complement the Hawkeye Coaches on an outstanding gameplan. Big week ahead as we head into Happy Valley. College Gameday will be in town- don't get arrested or beat up Gabe.
Arizona's secondary was outstanding. I don't think we will see a faster or more aggressive set of corners or safeties the rest of the season. However they were sitting on a lot of our short routes and I think the middle of the field was exploitable all day. I will get to that in the later post. I think Wade, Nelson, and Golden all have futures on Sundays if they can avoid injuries.
Iowa's D-line is better than last seasons' unit. I love Mitch King and Matt Kroul ( in fact Kroul helped me get the ideas to launch this site) but Ballard moving inside and getting Binns on the field has made that unit as fast as any Dline Iowa has ever fielded. Plus we have depth and are actually using it. Clayborn could be the team MVP. We could return this entire unit next season. Arizona got all of their rushing yards on basically 3 plays. We dominated their line in both facets of the game.
Tyler Sash could be an All-American candidate if he didn't play for Iowa. This is a tough year when you have Taylor Mays at USC and Eric Berry at Tennesse already holding those spots. He isn't just "The Vulture" (thanks BHGP) but he is very physical and understands his role on the defense very well for a second year starter. He hasn't gone completely unnoticed see http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Scouts-notebook-defensive-review-5954.html
Iowa should be ranked.We are technically ranked 31 in the latest AP poll. I really shouldn't care but I do. Houston, Nebraska (the n is for nowledge), Washington, Missouri, and Gene Chizik's Auburn squad's are more highly regarded than Iowa's. Seriously I said Washington and Gene Chizik. Beating this year's USC will come to mean less than usual as I suspect even they can't reload that well. But Washington beat them because they stole half of their coaching staff and USC played a first time starting qb who was tutored by UW's head coach. Seriously this poll is done by sportswriters. Did they understand that we beat UNI? I understand we should have won that game more handily but they are the people who put a team in the top 20 based off of one game who will finish with a less than .500 record, and lose several games by two to three TDs. Houston beat everybody's pre-season darlings Okie State (their men- T. Boone Pickens' paid for 'em) but I wouldn't be suprised to see them finish 4-4 in the Big 12. And Auburn. The same people that killed Auburn for the hire now have that team ranked on the cusp of the top 25. You suck at your jobs. You are making the Coaches poll credible and that is seriously stupid. I think if I asked Ferentz he might let me fill it out. All right, that is out of my system, if we TCB in Happy Valley they can't keep us out. WE ARE COMINGGGG TO PENN STATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wonder who had the job of changing JoPa's diaper after my favorite commercial of all time.
Arizona's secondary was outstanding. I don't think we will see a faster or more aggressive set of corners or safeties the rest of the season. However they were sitting on a lot of our short routes and I think the middle of the field was exploitable all day. I will get to that in the later post. I think Wade, Nelson, and Golden all have futures on Sundays if they can avoid injuries.
Iowa's D-line is better than last seasons' unit. I love Mitch King and Matt Kroul ( in fact Kroul helped me get the ideas to launch this site) but Ballard moving inside and getting Binns on the field has made that unit as fast as any Dline Iowa has ever fielded. Plus we have depth and are actually using it. Clayborn could be the team MVP. We could return this entire unit next season. Arizona got all of their rushing yards on basically 3 plays. We dominated their line in both facets of the game.
Tyler Sash could be an All-American candidate if he didn't play for Iowa. This is a tough year when you have Taylor Mays at USC and Eric Berry at Tennesse already holding those spots. He isn't just "The Vulture" (thanks BHGP) but he is very physical and understands his role on the defense very well for a second year starter. He hasn't gone completely unnoticed see http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Scouts-notebook-defensive-review-5954.html
Iowa should be ranked.We are technically ranked 31 in the latest AP poll. I really shouldn't care but I do. Houston, Nebraska (the n is for nowledge), Washington, Missouri, and Gene Chizik's Auburn squad's are more highly regarded than Iowa's. Seriously I said Washington and Gene Chizik. Beating this year's USC will come to mean less than usual as I suspect even they can't reload that well. But Washington beat them because they stole half of their coaching staff and USC played a first time starting qb who was tutored by UW's head coach. Seriously this poll is done by sportswriters. Did they understand that we beat UNI? I understand we should have won that game more handily but they are the people who put a team in the top 20 based off of one game who will finish with a less than .500 record, and lose several games by two to three TDs. Houston beat everybody's pre-season darlings Okie State (their men- T. Boone Pickens' paid for 'em) but I wouldn't be suprised to see them finish 4-4 in the Big 12. And Auburn. The same people that killed Auburn for the hire now have that team ranked on the cusp of the top 25. You suck at your jobs. You are making the Coaches poll credible and that is seriously stupid. I think if I asked Ferentz he might let me fill it out. All right, that is out of my system, if we TCB in Happy Valley they can't keep us out. WE ARE COMINGGGG TO PENN STATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wonder who had the job of changing JoPa's diaper after my favorite commercial of all time.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
ISU Wrap Up
Going to go with pretty much the same format every week for these unless something drastic happens in one of these games. Would like to come out right away and complement KOK for a very well thought out gameplan on offense and also kudos to Norm. I am tired of hearing how Arnaud handed us the game. Sash and Greenwood made plays off of his terrible decisions, and Iowa took advantage offensively of the turnovers. Good teams take advantage of the other teams mistakes. What was Iowa supposed to give ISU the ball back because they are more talented? Get over it Clone fans and commentators. Iowa didn't play that well and could have put a Fry era whipping on them. On to the Negatives, Positives and coaching comments. Really nitpicking this week.
Negatives
Stanzi's Acurracy: I don't know if this comes out to nerves or a phantom clock in his head after the first interception but Stanzi really had a first half to forget. He completed 12 of 24 passes; of the incompletions- two of those were dropped (one each by Stross and McNutt and they were decent not perfect throws), three more were just physical mistakes ( I mean good reads, bad throws- I can live with that, they were difficult throws) two were interceptions one due to being hit, one was an overthrow, and I would estimate five were due to throwing into coverage. I will give him one thing he can squeeze the ball into tight spots. Even some of his completions were lasers that he probably shouldn't have thrown. He is a little of guilty of locking onto his first read but most of the time his first read this season has been open. That is going to change as the season progresses. I have a lot of confidence in him to turn this around. Arizona will be a tough test and a good measuring stick to see if he has made any progress.
Tackling: Really nitpicking here, as I don't have a lot of negatives to fill the space this week. I thought the angles of Edds and Angerer really improved and the whole teams' physicality really stepped up a notch. This needs to progress week to week. Big complents to Brett Greenwood who I thought played his most physical game as a Hawk. He is exempt from this Negative this week.
Positives:
The Running Backs: Brandon Wegher broke the century mark and saw action on the third series of the game. I thought he showed unreal athleticism (the one-handed catch anyone?), patience, and an incredible burst when the hole opened. If the line solidifies (from what I understand Bulaga is no sure thing this week) he could soon be the #1 option. I also thought that Adam Robinson took another step forward. I felt he too was more patient in letting the line push and reading the holes. He is very physical for his size and really finishes his runs well. Brett Morse is a revelation. I knew he could block but he has obviously been underutilized in the passing game. If Moeaki is out I could see him playing Reisner's role as the H in two tight end sets. He is very athletic for his size. I would like to see more out of Jeff Brinson but I am sure he will get his chance.
The Safties: Sash and Greenwood combined for 5 picks and laid some lumber. They played games with Arnauds head by constantly shifting their positioning on the field. Both are fearless in run support but are beginning to trust their speed, Greenwood especially seems faster, this season. If they are willing to trust that then they can play pass first and run second and get burned less on play-action their only weakness so far this season.
Riley Reiff: Filling the giant shoes of Bulaga had to be tough especially in a highly charged rivalry game but Reiff did a very good job. He was called for two penalties but neither really impacted the game significantly. He also showed very well in the run game for a guy Ferentz called "lean at 280 or 285" on the radio pre-game show. I thought it was smart to keep Moeaki in to block early in the game to help him gain confidence on third downs. Late in the first half they quit giving him help and he handled himself very well in the passing game as well.
Willie Lowe: Lowe played outstanding. He was even allowed to press a little in the second half. In fact the whole secondary was great but I thought Lowe deserved special mention for making his first start against a spread team on the road. ISU didn't really test him often but he blanketed Hamilton or Douglas on a go route early in the game. Otherwise I don't really find him in my game notes which is outstanding for a first time starter. He is listed again as the starter this week as long as he holds off Prater this week in practice. It will be nice to have 3 solid corners now in Nickel as Hyde got burned pretty badly once by Hamilton.
Julian Vandervelde: For a guy whom Ferentz said was "fat and out of shape" I thought Vandervelde dominated. He really improved the co-hesion of the line plus I love hearing him talk after the games. Glad to have him back. Richardson also played well at left guard. It looks liek Koeppel may get more time at center as Eubanks didn't completely win his battle with air in my opinion.
Coaching: The sexy thing to be doing right now in the Hawkeye blogoshere is to be kissing KOK's ass. I am not going to do that. I will complement him on a very good gameplan and no clock penalties yet. I also don't think we have burned any Time-outs either, which would be great to have in our pocket in tight games. I do like the multiple looks we have shown so far and hope we continue to show those looks on offense. I also love the idea of throwing the ball to both Robinson and especially Wegher. I would like to see Stanzi try to read the whole field instead of just one side and I think that people forget KOK is our QB coach, also.
Norm executed a great gameplan as well. I thought that Iowa was willing to show multiple fronts on D and concede the run which probably goes against every bone in Norm's body. I am not a fan of the 3-4 but Tarpinian is too talented to keep off of the field, I would just like to see Iowa do something besides play Cover 2 or Quarters with that. Edds and Hunter off the edge would be so shocking the qb might sack himself. Iowa also played a mix of young d-lineman and I loved the zone blitzing. I am looking forward to the matchup of Norm v. Sonny Dykes
Lastly my complements to the Captain. I think so far he has handled the adversity of the UNI game well and the loss of Bulaga great. I don't think Stoops holds a candle to Coach Ferentz, but that is why they play the games.
Negatives
Stanzi's Acurracy: I don't know if this comes out to nerves or a phantom clock in his head after the first interception but Stanzi really had a first half to forget. He completed 12 of 24 passes; of the incompletions- two of those were dropped (one each by Stross and McNutt and they were decent not perfect throws), three more were just physical mistakes ( I mean good reads, bad throws- I can live with that, they were difficult throws) two were interceptions one due to being hit, one was an overthrow, and I would estimate five were due to throwing into coverage. I will give him one thing he can squeeze the ball into tight spots. Even some of his completions were lasers that he probably shouldn't have thrown. He is a little of guilty of locking onto his first read but most of the time his first read this season has been open. That is going to change as the season progresses. I have a lot of confidence in him to turn this around. Arizona will be a tough test and a good measuring stick to see if he has made any progress.
Tackling: Really nitpicking here, as I don't have a lot of negatives to fill the space this week. I thought the angles of Edds and Angerer really improved and the whole teams' physicality really stepped up a notch. This needs to progress week to week. Big complents to Brett Greenwood who I thought played his most physical game as a Hawk. He is exempt from this Negative this week.
Positives:
The Running Backs: Brandon Wegher broke the century mark and saw action on the third series of the game. I thought he showed unreal athleticism (the one-handed catch anyone?), patience, and an incredible burst when the hole opened. If the line solidifies (from what I understand Bulaga is no sure thing this week) he could soon be the #1 option. I also thought that Adam Robinson took another step forward. I felt he too was more patient in letting the line push and reading the holes. He is very physical for his size and really finishes his runs well. Brett Morse is a revelation. I knew he could block but he has obviously been underutilized in the passing game. If Moeaki is out I could see him playing Reisner's role as the H in two tight end sets. He is very athletic for his size. I would like to see more out of Jeff Brinson but I am sure he will get his chance.
The Safties: Sash and Greenwood combined for 5 picks and laid some lumber. They played games with Arnauds head by constantly shifting their positioning on the field. Both are fearless in run support but are beginning to trust their speed, Greenwood especially seems faster, this season. If they are willing to trust that then they can play pass first and run second and get burned less on play-action their only weakness so far this season.
Riley Reiff: Filling the giant shoes of Bulaga had to be tough especially in a highly charged rivalry game but Reiff did a very good job. He was called for two penalties but neither really impacted the game significantly. He also showed very well in the run game for a guy Ferentz called "lean at 280 or 285" on the radio pre-game show. I thought it was smart to keep Moeaki in to block early in the game to help him gain confidence on third downs. Late in the first half they quit giving him help and he handled himself very well in the passing game as well.
Willie Lowe: Lowe played outstanding. He was even allowed to press a little in the second half. In fact the whole secondary was great but I thought Lowe deserved special mention for making his first start against a spread team on the road. ISU didn't really test him often but he blanketed Hamilton or Douglas on a go route early in the game. Otherwise I don't really find him in my game notes which is outstanding for a first time starter. He is listed again as the starter this week as long as he holds off Prater this week in practice. It will be nice to have 3 solid corners now in Nickel as Hyde got burned pretty badly once by Hamilton.
Julian Vandervelde: For a guy whom Ferentz said was "fat and out of shape" I thought Vandervelde dominated. He really improved the co-hesion of the line plus I love hearing him talk after the games. Glad to have him back. Richardson also played well at left guard. It looks liek Koeppel may get more time at center as Eubanks didn't completely win his battle with air in my opinion.
Coaching: The sexy thing to be doing right now in the Hawkeye blogoshere is to be kissing KOK's ass. I am not going to do that. I will complement him on a very good gameplan and no clock penalties yet. I also don't think we have burned any Time-outs either, which would be great to have in our pocket in tight games. I do like the multiple looks we have shown so far and hope we continue to show those looks on offense. I also love the idea of throwing the ball to both Robinson and especially Wegher. I would like to see Stanzi try to read the whole field instead of just one side and I think that people forget KOK is our QB coach, also.
Norm executed a great gameplan as well. I thought that Iowa was willing to show multiple fronts on D and concede the run which probably goes against every bone in Norm's body. I am not a fan of the 3-4 but Tarpinian is too talented to keep off of the field, I would just like to see Iowa do something besides play Cover 2 or Quarters with that. Edds and Hunter off the edge would be so shocking the qb might sack himself. Iowa also played a mix of young d-lineman and I loved the zone blitzing. I am looking forward to the matchup of Norm v. Sonny Dykes
Lastly my complements to the Captain. I think so far he has handled the adversity of the UNI game well and the loss of Bulaga great. I don't think Stoops holds a candle to Coach Ferentz, but that is why they play the games.
Friday, September 11, 2009
The Match Ups
All right I know it is a little late, but better late than never. Here is my take on the match up for tomorrow's game. These are strictly opinions and most of them are based on one game's worth of watching ISU and some research of ISU's current coaching staff.
Tom Herman (ISU OC) V. Norm Parker (IOWA DC) Although some would paint this as a chess master vs. a checkers player I have come around to Norm's way of thinking. You certainly can't argue with the results. Herman has run some pretty high flying offenses and put up very guady #s at his last stop for the Rice Owls. ISU played things pretty close to the vest v. NDSU showing very little formationally and running only one trick play. Norm tends to run pretty basic defenses whether its Cover 2 or Cover 3, the only thing that tends to vary is if he stunts with the defensive line. The key to this match up in my opinion is for Iowa to be able to stop the run early without bringing a safety into the box. They must tackle extremely well and play fundamental and intelligent assignment based with the front seven and Greenwood and Sash cannot get sucked in on play- action early. I expect ISU to test Castillo the RCB early and often and the spread is designed to nullify the advantage Iowa's Dline would seem to possess over ISU's Oline. Norm has also been more flexible with his schemes the last two seasons playing more nickel and dime and this would be a good week to break that out. There is no rule that you can't use an extra defensive back on the first two downs.
Spud's Spin I am going to give the edge to Norm here. Iowa has been fairly succesful against spread team's recently. As long as the offense doesn't put the D in terrible spots I think the Td streak extends at least until the second half.
Wally Burnham (ISU DC) Vs. KOK (there should be no O in it) You know who KOK is. My all time favorite coach. The most prepared, best clock manager, time out conserver, game planner, and all around user of talent to ever grace the sidelines (and not the coaching box like a good O- coodinator). This probably isn't even close. Burnham helped former Hawk Jim Leavitt turn the University of South Florida from a Division IAA school into a power in the Big Least. He wants to run an attacking style 4-3 style of defense but I am not sure he has the horses yet. However I am pretty sure he will have a pretty good gameplan in place for Iowa. Chizik and company outcoached 'Keefe in 2007 the last time we visited Ames and McCarney had left them very little talent to work with.
Spud's Spin Uh Burnham you think?
Tony Moeaki Vs. ISU's LBs, Safeties, and Iowa's training staff. ISU has no shot at stopping Moeaki in the passing game. They can't cover him man to man and it is tough to keep track of a tight end in zone coverage. He is probably bigger and stronger than both of ISU D-ends also so he could be a huge factor in the running game if we attack the edges like I expect us too. However Iowa's training staff owns Moeaki with victories over him every season except his true freshman season.
Spud's Spin After Iowa lost Bulaga earlier this week this is one player they absolutely cannot afford to lose. If the training staff wins so does ISU.
A.J. Edds and Jeremiha Hunter Vs. ISU's Slot receivers Edd's and Hunter are going to see a lot of 5 wide on Saturday. They need to try to get their hands on them and disrupt their routes to throw off the timing and give the D-line a chance to pressure Arnaud. They also need to tackle everything in front of them. No missed tackles.
Spud's Spin This is a no win situation for Hunter. Edds is used to doing this and is athletic enough to cover many wide outs. Hunter isn't as good in space and could be exposed.
Rafael Eubanks Vs. Air. I would like to see Eubanks make contact with somebody at least 70% of the time this week. I don't know the exact percentage of times Eubanks didn't touch anyone against UNI but it was close to 40% lets aim for a 10% increase in productivity this week against an inferior defense.
Spud's Spin I know I am being hard on Eubanks but I think he has a ton of potential. I would love to see him live up to it. Hit somebody.
Jeff Brinson and Brandon Wegher Vs. Lester Erb. Apparently Erb isn't a good coach or these guys are really dumb. But it is kind of funny how our reciever play has drastically improved since we moved Erb to running backs coach. Start giving the most talented guys a chance. If they don't see the field you'll never know. Experience is always the best teacher. If you can't teach them how to block in KOK's offense you are in the wrong level of coaching.
Spud's Spin I am hoping that Saturday is the debut of Brinson whom Ferentz has repeatedly raved about. Robinson can't do it all by himself. The line wasn't as bad as I thought it was initially the backs needed to make a guy miss or show better vision. They left a lot of yards out there especially in the first half.
Iowa Vs. ISU I see this game going one of two ways. It could be a punt fest as both offenses struggle to establish a rhythm. It will then be decided by the team that is more composed and executes its gameplan better and avoids the big mistake. Unfortunately for Iowa that is not them on the road. In that scenario I would pick ISU with a score of 17- 13. But that isn't how I see things happening.
Spud's spin The team that scores the first touchdown is going to win this game. ISU hasn't scored a touchdown against Iowa for 10 quarters. I think that streak will extend for four more. I see Iowa's run game getting on track even with the loss of Bulaga. If Iowa was ever going to come into Ames pissed off and ready to play now would be the time. Spread Offenses don't scare me like they used to. There is no Regis Benn or James Hardy on ISU's roster, no Tyrell Sutton in ISU's backfield and as much respect as I have for Rhoad's it is his second game as head coach. He will make some mistakes. Ferentz and company will take advantage of them. I think Iowa will show a lot of 3 receiver formation tomorrow and run out of it negating some of ISU's pressure game. Iowa executed a very nice 3 step drop passing game early and late against UNI, and I think we will see a lot of that tomorrow also. Final score Iowa 31 ISU 9. I know I am a homer. EAT IT CLONES
Tom Herman (ISU OC) V. Norm Parker (IOWA DC) Although some would paint this as a chess master vs. a checkers player I have come around to Norm's way of thinking. You certainly can't argue with the results. Herman has run some pretty high flying offenses and put up very guady #s at his last stop for the Rice Owls. ISU played things pretty close to the vest v. NDSU showing very little formationally and running only one trick play. Norm tends to run pretty basic defenses whether its Cover 2 or Cover 3, the only thing that tends to vary is if he stunts with the defensive line. The key to this match up in my opinion is for Iowa to be able to stop the run early without bringing a safety into the box. They must tackle extremely well and play fundamental and intelligent assignment based with the front seven and Greenwood and Sash cannot get sucked in on play- action early. I expect ISU to test Castillo the RCB early and often and the spread is designed to nullify the advantage Iowa's Dline would seem to possess over ISU's Oline. Norm has also been more flexible with his schemes the last two seasons playing more nickel and dime and this would be a good week to break that out. There is no rule that you can't use an extra defensive back on the first two downs.
Spud's Spin I am going to give the edge to Norm here. Iowa has been fairly succesful against spread team's recently. As long as the offense doesn't put the D in terrible spots I think the Td streak extends at least until the second half.
Wally Burnham (ISU DC) Vs. KOK (there should be no O in it) You know who KOK is. My all time favorite coach. The most prepared, best clock manager, time out conserver, game planner, and all around user of talent to ever grace the sidelines (and not the coaching box like a good O- coodinator). This probably isn't even close. Burnham helped former Hawk Jim Leavitt turn the University of South Florida from a Division IAA school into a power in the Big Least. He wants to run an attacking style 4-3 style of defense but I am not sure he has the horses yet. However I am pretty sure he will have a pretty good gameplan in place for Iowa. Chizik and company outcoached 'Keefe in 2007 the last time we visited Ames and McCarney had left them very little talent to work with.
Spud's Spin Uh Burnham you think?
Tony Moeaki Vs. ISU's LBs, Safeties, and Iowa's training staff. ISU has no shot at stopping Moeaki in the passing game. They can't cover him man to man and it is tough to keep track of a tight end in zone coverage. He is probably bigger and stronger than both of ISU D-ends also so he could be a huge factor in the running game if we attack the edges like I expect us too. However Iowa's training staff owns Moeaki with victories over him every season except his true freshman season.
Spud's Spin After Iowa lost Bulaga earlier this week this is one player they absolutely cannot afford to lose. If the training staff wins so does ISU.
A.J. Edds and Jeremiha Hunter Vs. ISU's Slot receivers Edd's and Hunter are going to see a lot of 5 wide on Saturday. They need to try to get their hands on them and disrupt their routes to throw off the timing and give the D-line a chance to pressure Arnaud. They also need to tackle everything in front of them. No missed tackles.
Spud's Spin This is a no win situation for Hunter. Edds is used to doing this and is athletic enough to cover many wide outs. Hunter isn't as good in space and could be exposed.
Rafael Eubanks Vs. Air. I would like to see Eubanks make contact with somebody at least 70% of the time this week. I don't know the exact percentage of times Eubanks didn't touch anyone against UNI but it was close to 40% lets aim for a 10% increase in productivity this week against an inferior defense.
Spud's Spin I know I am being hard on Eubanks but I think he has a ton of potential. I would love to see him live up to it. Hit somebody.
Jeff Brinson and Brandon Wegher Vs. Lester Erb. Apparently Erb isn't a good coach or these guys are really dumb. But it is kind of funny how our reciever play has drastically improved since we moved Erb to running backs coach. Start giving the most talented guys a chance. If they don't see the field you'll never know. Experience is always the best teacher. If you can't teach them how to block in KOK's offense you are in the wrong level of coaching.
Spud's Spin I am hoping that Saturday is the debut of Brinson whom Ferentz has repeatedly raved about. Robinson can't do it all by himself. The line wasn't as bad as I thought it was initially the backs needed to make a guy miss or show better vision. They left a lot of yards out there especially in the first half.
Iowa Vs. ISU I see this game going one of two ways. It could be a punt fest as both offenses struggle to establish a rhythm. It will then be decided by the team that is more composed and executes its gameplan better and avoids the big mistake. Unfortunately for Iowa that is not them on the road. In that scenario I would pick ISU with a score of 17- 13. But that isn't how I see things happening.
Spud's spin The team that scores the first touchdown is going to win this game. ISU hasn't scored a touchdown against Iowa for 10 quarters. I think that streak will extend for four more. I see Iowa's run game getting on track even with the loss of Bulaga. If Iowa was ever going to come into Ames pissed off and ready to play now would be the time. Spread Offenses don't scare me like they used to. There is no Regis Benn or James Hardy on ISU's roster, no Tyrell Sutton in ISU's backfield and as much respect as I have for Rhoad's it is his second game as head coach. He will make some mistakes. Ferentz and company will take advantage of them. I think Iowa will show a lot of 3 receiver formation tomorrow and run out of it negating some of ISU's pressure game. Iowa executed a very nice 3 step drop passing game early and late against UNI, and I think we will see a lot of that tomorrow also. Final score Iowa 31 ISU 9. I know I am a homer. EAT IT CLONES
Thursday, September 10, 2009
UNI Wrap Up
Okay following film review of the UNI game some of my initial impressions have been softened. Unfortunately some of them have been reinforced. That was a sloppy game from an Iowa perspective and certainly not the way the Hawks wanted to open the season. Some things I am certain of are that Mark Farley and his staff did a great job of preparing their team and UNI is better than many FBS schools. UNI may be a more physical team than our opponent this weak. And Pat Grace is a hell of a football player. We couldn't have played a better opponent to prepare for this weeks game. However, Iowa did not play a very good football game. That is unfortunately the truth. I want to break down the game into three phases Positives, Negatives and Coaching. First we will look at the Negatives.
Negatives
Interior Offensive Line: Rafael Eubanks, Adam Gettis and Dan Doering, to a lesser degree, did not have an outstanding performances in the opener. The run game didn't get off the ground and all of the sacks in the first half came up the middle. Gettis was also the lineman responsible for the holding penalty that nullified Paul Chaney's long td pass. This looked like more than lack of communication as several times all three players were physically dominated. I would guess that Doering is the only one of the three that has a chance to start all of the games and even that is tenuous at best. Fortunately Vandervelde and Calloway return this week allowing Richardson to get into the mix as he also looked like a potential weakness on the edge. The two deeps listed Richardson as a starter at one of the guard spots depending on how much Vandervelde can go so Doering may have already lost his job.
Iowa's Scheme: Normally I would be blasting KOK for playcalling and for lack of creativity. However what I mean by this is that Iowa's injuries and struggles above will dictate what they can do with their scheme. I think to successfully run the ball Iowa is going to have to have FB Brett Morse in the game. I didn't see him miss a single block or read in the run game and he also had a nice catch in the flat early in the game. He may have to line up as the third down back to pick up blitzes as he seems to be the most sure fire blocking back in Iowa's fold. I have a lot of respect for both Paul Rhodes and Wally Burnham and I am pretty sure they will be able to make adjustments to Iowa formationally.
Tackling: I understand that this was the first game but I thought that all of Iowa's back 7 were sloppy tackling and took poor angles to the ball, especially in the first half. Pat Angerer and A.J. Edds both missed key tackles on the long td drive that gave UNI momentum and chewed clock. The only player who consistently tackled well was Amari Speivey. This must be cleaned up. ISU will complete short passes they cannot break tackles for YAC.
Castillo: I know it was his first game going against a relatively experienced recieving unit and a well- oiled offense but again visions of Adam Shada keep appearing in my head. Too much cushion and very little physicality. He needs to step it up against receivers who will be bigger and faster than him this week and don't think the first 3 or 4 passes won't be coming his way.
The Business Like Approach: I am tired of hearing about how Iowa doesn't get too high or too low. Football is an emotional game. We need a little Matt Roth or Drew Tate fire in somebody on this team. I want to somebody pissed off when things aren't going well. The only time Ferentz gets pissed is at refs. Chew on some players when they aren't executing. Seniors get in somebodies face on the sidelines. Jaw with the opponent. The leadership question is still very much unanswered on this team and the coaches obviously leave the emotion up to the players. Someone needs to step up and lead.
Positives
Receiving Corps: This looks to be the deepest receiving corps of the Ferentz era. McNutt seems to be real as does Chaney. Trey Stross isn't listed on the medical report yet. DJK is supposed to be hurt but made a huge statement on the field and a stupid one off of it. Keenan Davis saw limited action and flashes huge potential. Colin Sandeman is still highly regarded by the coaching staff. That doesn't even include the tight ends. Moeaki looked like the player that killed Syracuse all by himself and Reisner quietly had a nice game blocking very well.
Moeaki: I know I already mentioned him but he deserves more mention. Moeaki's only mistake was trying to hurdle a guy early in the game. He blocked very well, ran very good routes and is obviously Stanzi's security blanket. At least twice it looked like he wasn't even running a route and floated out to catch a pass from a scrambling Stanzi. That would look great all season if he can stay healthy.
Stanzi: I understand that many Hawkeye fans weren't impressed with Stanzi but I was. I feel he has progressed greatly from last season to this season although I still think he has a long way to go. He seems much more confident in his reads, and much more accurate. He is still very streaky but when he is on he can really fit the ball into tight spots. He throws the long ball very, very well. The first sack and fumble I do put on him. He had time to make two reads and then he needed to go down hopefully he will learn from that mistake. His pocket presence is much improved from last season in my opinion.
The D-line: The move of Christian Ballard to DT seems to be a very smart move in my opinion. I thought that Iowa had to play less games in order to pressure Grace, I just think he is a good and fairly mobile qb. Klug played well but I think that Daniels should rotate in more to keep Ballard and Klug fresh. Clayborn and Binns looked very good to me and Hundertmark looked very natural at LDE. I think that UNI has a very good O-line and that Iowa did a very nice job of shutting down the run after the first two series of the game with out doing anything out of character.
Amari Speivey: I knew he was good, but I didn't realize how physical he was. I don't think he missed a tackle. I don't know why teams throw at him but I hope they continue to do so. I also think he looked outstanding in the return game. Drink plenty of water this week.
Coaching
I think that Iowa got outcoached in this game plain and simple. But they should have. Iowa needed to use this game as a tune up and Ferentz and company shouldn't have had to give a Knute Rockne type speech to get his players motivated to take care of business against UNI. When it comes to the execution vs. scheme camp you can put me solidly in the scheme camp but talent wins 90% of the time anyway so I think alot of the time that debate is a waste of time. I think that it is a coaches job to get his players in postion prepare and win games. I don't think that Ferentz and company necessarily failed to do that this week. Obviously they won the game. What I would like to see is Iowa be a little more flexible with its roster. Play less experienced, more talented players i.e. no more Paki O'Meara carrying the ball, please. I think that Paki is a great kid, wonderful Hawkeye just not a great running back. I understand the concept of no practice- no play but I also like watching winning football and relaxing in the fourth quarter of games we should be dominating. Iowa is so conservative Steve King turned an endorsement from their coaching staff. I guess what I am trying to say is open up the playbook defensively and play your most talented players offensively, please.
Negatives
Interior Offensive Line: Rafael Eubanks, Adam Gettis and Dan Doering, to a lesser degree, did not have an outstanding performances in the opener. The run game didn't get off the ground and all of the sacks in the first half came up the middle. Gettis was also the lineman responsible for the holding penalty that nullified Paul Chaney's long td pass. This looked like more than lack of communication as several times all three players were physically dominated. I would guess that Doering is the only one of the three that has a chance to start all of the games and even that is tenuous at best. Fortunately Vandervelde and Calloway return this week allowing Richardson to get into the mix as he also looked like a potential weakness on the edge. The two deeps listed Richardson as a starter at one of the guard spots depending on how much Vandervelde can go so Doering may have already lost his job.
Iowa's Scheme: Normally I would be blasting KOK for playcalling and for lack of creativity. However what I mean by this is that Iowa's injuries and struggles above will dictate what they can do with their scheme. I think to successfully run the ball Iowa is going to have to have FB Brett Morse in the game. I didn't see him miss a single block or read in the run game and he also had a nice catch in the flat early in the game. He may have to line up as the third down back to pick up blitzes as he seems to be the most sure fire blocking back in Iowa's fold. I have a lot of respect for both Paul Rhodes and Wally Burnham and I am pretty sure they will be able to make adjustments to Iowa formationally.
Tackling: I understand that this was the first game but I thought that all of Iowa's back 7 were sloppy tackling and took poor angles to the ball, especially in the first half. Pat Angerer and A.J. Edds both missed key tackles on the long td drive that gave UNI momentum and chewed clock. The only player who consistently tackled well was Amari Speivey. This must be cleaned up. ISU will complete short passes they cannot break tackles for YAC.
Castillo: I know it was his first game going against a relatively experienced recieving unit and a well- oiled offense but again visions of Adam Shada keep appearing in my head. Too much cushion and very little physicality. He needs to step it up against receivers who will be bigger and faster than him this week and don't think the first 3 or 4 passes won't be coming his way.
The Business Like Approach: I am tired of hearing about how Iowa doesn't get too high or too low. Football is an emotional game. We need a little Matt Roth or Drew Tate fire in somebody on this team. I want to somebody pissed off when things aren't going well. The only time Ferentz gets pissed is at refs. Chew on some players when they aren't executing. Seniors get in somebodies face on the sidelines. Jaw with the opponent. The leadership question is still very much unanswered on this team and the coaches obviously leave the emotion up to the players. Someone needs to step up and lead.
Positives
Receiving Corps: This looks to be the deepest receiving corps of the Ferentz era. McNutt seems to be real as does Chaney. Trey Stross isn't listed on the medical report yet. DJK is supposed to be hurt but made a huge statement on the field and a stupid one off of it. Keenan Davis saw limited action and flashes huge potential. Colin Sandeman is still highly regarded by the coaching staff. That doesn't even include the tight ends. Moeaki looked like the player that killed Syracuse all by himself and Reisner quietly had a nice game blocking very well.
Moeaki: I know I already mentioned him but he deserves more mention. Moeaki's only mistake was trying to hurdle a guy early in the game. He blocked very well, ran very good routes and is obviously Stanzi's security blanket. At least twice it looked like he wasn't even running a route and floated out to catch a pass from a scrambling Stanzi. That would look great all season if he can stay healthy.
Stanzi: I understand that many Hawkeye fans weren't impressed with Stanzi but I was. I feel he has progressed greatly from last season to this season although I still think he has a long way to go. He seems much more confident in his reads, and much more accurate. He is still very streaky but when he is on he can really fit the ball into tight spots. He throws the long ball very, very well. The first sack and fumble I do put on him. He had time to make two reads and then he needed to go down hopefully he will learn from that mistake. His pocket presence is much improved from last season in my opinion.
The D-line: The move of Christian Ballard to DT seems to be a very smart move in my opinion. I thought that Iowa had to play less games in order to pressure Grace, I just think he is a good and fairly mobile qb. Klug played well but I think that Daniels should rotate in more to keep Ballard and Klug fresh. Clayborn and Binns looked very good to me and Hundertmark looked very natural at LDE. I think that UNI has a very good O-line and that Iowa did a very nice job of shutting down the run after the first two series of the game with out doing anything out of character.
Amari Speivey: I knew he was good, but I didn't realize how physical he was. I don't think he missed a tackle. I don't know why teams throw at him but I hope they continue to do so. I also think he looked outstanding in the return game. Drink plenty of water this week.
Coaching
I think that Iowa got outcoached in this game plain and simple. But they should have. Iowa needed to use this game as a tune up and Ferentz and company shouldn't have had to give a Knute Rockne type speech to get his players motivated to take care of business against UNI. When it comes to the execution vs. scheme camp you can put me solidly in the scheme camp but talent wins 90% of the time anyway so I think alot of the time that debate is a waste of time. I think that it is a coaches job to get his players in postion prepare and win games. I don't think that Ferentz and company necessarily failed to do that this week. Obviously they won the game. What I would like to see is Iowa be a little more flexible with its roster. Play less experienced, more talented players i.e. no more Paki O'Meara carrying the ball, please. I think that Paki is a great kid, wonderful Hawkeye just not a great running back. I understand the concept of no practice- no play but I also like watching winning football and relaxing in the fourth quarter of games we should be dominating. Iowa is so conservative Steve King turned an endorsement from their coaching staff. I guess what I am trying to say is open up the playbook defensively and play your most talented players offensively, please.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Defensive Position Battles
Most of the Defense is settled. The defense loses only Mitch King, Matt Kroul, and Bradley Fletcher. Of course in King and Kroul that is 97 career starts. Four seasons worth of starts. So the only real battles are at Dt and Rcb. Back up Mlb is up for grabs with the transfer of Jacody Coleman, but he was slated to red shirt anyway. I will go over the Dt and Rcb candidates and attempt another Phil Steele style 3-deep. I don't know how to run this site very well yet and my last attempt didn't work great so this one might not either.
Defense Tackles at Iowa are meant to control a specific gap. Kroul generally played Nose and King generally played the 3 technique. The idea is to occupy and disrupt the offensive line and make a play if you can otherwise let the Linebacker behind you come in and clean up. Kroul and King were amazingly effective playing together. Replacing that chemistry will be tough. It looks like it will be done by committee. Here are the guys looking to do the job.
Candidates- Karl Klug 6'4" 258 lbs Jr. Klug is the closest thing to King that Iowa has left. He won a Big Ten Player of the Week Award in the blow out win vs. Florida International by amassing tons of tackles for losses in garbage time. But he was the 3rd tackle in the rotation and played in goalline and short yardaged situations and made a key play in the win over Penn State. He basically is the size he is going to be. Putting weight on Klug has been a topic on message boards for as long as he has been at Iowa and it seems like he has topped out. He will do fine in that regard and is as close to a proven player that Iowa has at the position.
Mike Daniels 6'1" 267 So. Daniels is probably heavier than what I have him listed and is the leader so far to replace Kroul at nose. Has a reputation as a weight room warrior. If he can translate that strength into some of Kroul's technique good things will follow for Iowa. He just needs to occupy blockers and hold the point at the line of scrimmage. Saw the field some last season.
Travis Meade 6'0 285 Sr. Meade left a crowded interior line to get a shot at seeing the field more. Rumored to be seeing the field alot so far in fall camp. Could have a unique perspective on playing nose after having played center and guard the last two seasons. Will definately be in the mix early in the season.
Cody Hundertmark 6'4" 280 So. I see him listed as a Junior in a lot of magazines but it was my understanding that he took his red shirt last season. Played alot as a true freshman, and may have the best size of any of the candidates. Has struggled with injuries so far in the spring and this camp.
Steve Bigach 6'3" 270 R. Fr. He was reportedly "Doyelized" over his red shirt season. Getting alot of reps so far in fall camp and was complemented in the spring. More likely to play the 3 technique than the nose. Played De in high school.
Corner- Iowa runs basically three coverages: Cover 2, Cover 3 and Quarters. In Cover 2 the corner is in charge of 5 yards in front of the line of scrimmage and the flats( I know there are times when they are supposed to drop this isn't going to be that in depth). In cover 3 the field is divided into thirds and he can't let anyone get behind him. Quarters is the same principle as cover 3 only the field is divided into quarters instead of thirds. Much of the time Iowa runs a Cover 2. This is one of the reasons it is so tough to run against Iowa. Everyone is already looking in and keying on the run and letting the Safties worry about the pass. Corners at Iowa must tackle well. Corners must support against the run. It is better to give up the 5 yard pass completion than to try to make a play on the ball and give up a 50 yard Td.
Candidates- This just got a whole lot more interesting. I felt that this was Jordan Bernstine's job. He broke an ankle and is taking his red shirt. Five players will be competing for this spot now.
Shaun Prater 5'11" 175 So. I was suprised when he avoided a red shirt last season. Then he played a ton and outplayed Bernstine in many peoples' eyes. He might have beat out Bernstine this season but he was behind the eight ball because a bartender "kept putting alcohol in his coke". He is suspended for the first two games. He could win the job and start by the Arizona game and beyond. He is much better in coverage than run support. He needs to become more physical.
Willie Lowe 5'10" 170 Will try to capitalize on Prater's suspension and hold onto the starting spot after he returns. Very fast, another whose cover skills outstrip his tackling ability. He played some in nickel and dime packages last season but mostly on special teams. Made the two deeps after spring.
Greg Castillo 5'11" 180 Son of former Ferentz colleague Jaun(of the Eagles), he is a heady non- athlete that makes me think of Shada and not in a good way. He is in the running for the starting spot and will at least play special teams. Could be more athletic than I am giving credit for. Probalby won't make mental mistakes.
Micah Hyde 6'1" 170 True Fr. Great athlete and very good size for the position. Dazzled at Big 33 all star game. See quote about Keenan Davis in previous post. Cb has been a position where True Freshman have come in and contributed right away. Will probably play special teams and could be a return guy.
Chris Rowell 6'0" 195 Sr. Last go around, he could be like Razor Ramon and emerge out of relative obscurity. Played pretty well on special teams last season but I never saw him on the field defensively. Really grasping at straws here losing Bernstine really hurts.
Ok here is an attempt at a 3 deep I won't use the bullet thing this time
Returning Starters in Bold
Rcb Willie Lowe 5'10 170 So. Shaun Prater 5'11 175 So. Micah Hyde 6'1 170 Tr. Fr.
Will Jeremiha Hunter 6'2" 235 Jr. Jeff Tarpinian 6'3" 233 Jr.
Rde Adrian Clayborn 6'3" 282 Jr. LeBron Daniel 6'2 250 So. Joe Gaglione 6'5" 242 R.Fr.
Fs. Brett Greenwood 6'0" 200 Jr. Jack Swanson 5'11" 195 R.Fr. Nick Nielsen
Ng Mike Daniels 6'1" 267 So. Cody Hundertmark 6'4" 280 So./ Travis Meade 6'0" 285 Sr.
Mlb Pat Angerer 6'1 235 Sr. Troy Johnson 6'2" 235 Jr. Bruce Davis 6'0 232 So.
Dt Karl Klug 6'4" 258 Jr. Steve Bigach 6'3" 270 R.Fr.
Leo A.J. Edds 6'4" 245 Sr. Tyler Nielsen 6'4" 232
Lde Christian Ballard 6'5" 285 Jr. Broderick Binns 6'2" 255
SS Tyler Sash 6'1" 210 So. David Cato 5'11" 205
Lcb Amari Spievey 6'0" 190 Jr. Greg Castillo 5'11" 180 Chris Rowell 6'0" 195
* Chad Geary will back up both D- end positions and be in the mix for Dt time if he comes back from his ACL tear.
** I expect some fierce competition to back up Angerer. Johnson, Davis, Tarpinian, Reisen and even Tom Donatell could all play Mlb.
*** Karl Klug is the only sure thing at Dt. It would be nice to see more of a rotation this season. even perhaps defined roles. Iwould like to see Clayborn and Ballard slide inside on passing situations to get Binns on the field for a D-line of Clayborn, Klug, Ballard and Binns- sick, sick, sick.
**** Whoever loses the kicking job probably transfers after or even during the season. I think it makes the most sense to keep Mossbrucker but it looks like Murray is the leader in the clubhouse so far.
Defense Tackles at Iowa are meant to control a specific gap. Kroul generally played Nose and King generally played the 3 technique. The idea is to occupy and disrupt the offensive line and make a play if you can otherwise let the Linebacker behind you come in and clean up. Kroul and King were amazingly effective playing together. Replacing that chemistry will be tough. It looks like it will be done by committee. Here are the guys looking to do the job.
Candidates- Karl Klug 6'4" 258 lbs Jr. Klug is the closest thing to King that Iowa has left. He won a Big Ten Player of the Week Award in the blow out win vs. Florida International by amassing tons of tackles for losses in garbage time. But he was the 3rd tackle in the rotation and played in goalline and short yardaged situations and made a key play in the win over Penn State. He basically is the size he is going to be. Putting weight on Klug has been a topic on message boards for as long as he has been at Iowa and it seems like he has topped out. He will do fine in that regard and is as close to a proven player that Iowa has at the position.
Mike Daniels 6'1" 267 So. Daniels is probably heavier than what I have him listed and is the leader so far to replace Kroul at nose. Has a reputation as a weight room warrior. If he can translate that strength into some of Kroul's technique good things will follow for Iowa. He just needs to occupy blockers and hold the point at the line of scrimmage. Saw the field some last season.
Travis Meade 6'0 285 Sr. Meade left a crowded interior line to get a shot at seeing the field more. Rumored to be seeing the field alot so far in fall camp. Could have a unique perspective on playing nose after having played center and guard the last two seasons. Will definately be in the mix early in the season.
Cody Hundertmark 6'4" 280 So. I see him listed as a Junior in a lot of magazines but it was my understanding that he took his red shirt last season. Played alot as a true freshman, and may have the best size of any of the candidates. Has struggled with injuries so far in the spring and this camp.
Steve Bigach 6'3" 270 R. Fr. He was reportedly "Doyelized" over his red shirt season. Getting alot of reps so far in fall camp and was complemented in the spring. More likely to play the 3 technique than the nose. Played De in high school.
Corner- Iowa runs basically three coverages: Cover 2, Cover 3 and Quarters. In Cover 2 the corner is in charge of 5 yards in front of the line of scrimmage and the flats( I know there are times when they are supposed to drop this isn't going to be that in depth). In cover 3 the field is divided into thirds and he can't let anyone get behind him. Quarters is the same principle as cover 3 only the field is divided into quarters instead of thirds. Much of the time Iowa runs a Cover 2. This is one of the reasons it is so tough to run against Iowa. Everyone is already looking in and keying on the run and letting the Safties worry about the pass. Corners at Iowa must tackle well. Corners must support against the run. It is better to give up the 5 yard pass completion than to try to make a play on the ball and give up a 50 yard Td.
Candidates- This just got a whole lot more interesting. I felt that this was Jordan Bernstine's job. He broke an ankle and is taking his red shirt. Five players will be competing for this spot now.
Shaun Prater 5'11" 175 So. I was suprised when he avoided a red shirt last season. Then he played a ton and outplayed Bernstine in many peoples' eyes. He might have beat out Bernstine this season but he was behind the eight ball because a bartender "kept putting alcohol in his coke". He is suspended for the first two games. He could win the job and start by the Arizona game and beyond. He is much better in coverage than run support. He needs to become more physical.
Willie Lowe 5'10" 170 Will try to capitalize on Prater's suspension and hold onto the starting spot after he returns. Very fast, another whose cover skills outstrip his tackling ability. He played some in nickel and dime packages last season but mostly on special teams. Made the two deeps after spring.
Greg Castillo 5'11" 180 Son of former Ferentz colleague Jaun(of the Eagles), he is a heady non- athlete that makes me think of Shada and not in a good way. He is in the running for the starting spot and will at least play special teams. Could be more athletic than I am giving credit for. Probalby won't make mental mistakes.
Micah Hyde 6'1" 170 True Fr. Great athlete and very good size for the position. Dazzled at Big 33 all star game. See quote about Keenan Davis in previous post. Cb has been a position where True Freshman have come in and contributed right away. Will probably play special teams and could be a return guy.
Chris Rowell 6'0" 195 Sr. Last go around, he could be like Razor Ramon and emerge out of relative obscurity. Played pretty well on special teams last season but I never saw him on the field defensively. Really grasping at straws here losing Bernstine really hurts.
Ok here is an attempt at a 3 deep I won't use the bullet thing this time
Returning Starters in Bold
Rcb Willie Lowe 5'10 170 So. Shaun Prater 5'11 175 So. Micah Hyde 6'1 170 Tr. Fr.
Will Jeremiha Hunter 6'2" 235 Jr. Jeff Tarpinian 6'3" 233 Jr.
Rde Adrian Clayborn 6'3" 282 Jr. LeBron Daniel 6'2 250 So. Joe Gaglione 6'5" 242 R.Fr.
Fs. Brett Greenwood 6'0" 200 Jr. Jack Swanson 5'11" 195 R.Fr. Nick Nielsen
Ng Mike Daniels 6'1" 267 So. Cody Hundertmark 6'4" 280 So./ Travis Meade 6'0" 285 Sr.
Mlb Pat Angerer 6'1 235 Sr. Troy Johnson 6'2" 235 Jr. Bruce Davis 6'0 232 So.
Dt Karl Klug 6'4" 258 Jr. Steve Bigach 6'3" 270 R.Fr.
Leo A.J. Edds 6'4" 245 Sr. Tyler Nielsen 6'4" 232
Lde Christian Ballard 6'5" 285 Jr. Broderick Binns 6'2" 255
SS Tyler Sash 6'1" 210 So. David Cato 5'11" 205
Lcb Amari Spievey 6'0" 190 Jr. Greg Castillo 5'11" 180 Chris Rowell 6'0" 195
* Chad Geary will back up both D- end positions and be in the mix for Dt time if he comes back from his ACL tear.
** I expect some fierce competition to back up Angerer. Johnson, Davis, Tarpinian, Reisen and even Tom Donatell could all play Mlb.
*** Karl Klug is the only sure thing at Dt. It would be nice to see more of a rotation this season. even perhaps defined roles. Iwould like to see Clayborn and Ballard slide inside on passing situations to get Binns on the field for a D-line of Clayborn, Klug, Ballard and Binns- sick, sick, sick.
**** Whoever loses the kicking job probably transfers after or even during the season. I think it makes the most sense to keep Mossbrucker but it looks like Murray is the leader in the clubhouse so far.
Skill Position Battles
There should be some spirited competition at the Fall camp for offensive skill positions. Several Red-shirt and True Freshman have a chance to make an impact this season. We will start with Back-up Qb and address every position.
Back-up Qb- The battle to be the most popular player on Iowa's roster would seem to be between R.S Frosh James Vandenberg and John Wienke. There are rumors that incoming freshman Josh Brown will be given his first shot at Qb and that even special packages are being designed to take advantage of his athleticism. Those rumors must forget that KOK is our Offensive Coordinator.
Candidates- James Vandenberg 6'3" 205 lbs The leader after spring, said to throw a very catchable ball and have very good command of the offense. Iowa's High School Career Passing Leader in almost every category will still have to perfom well in the fall to hold onto the job. According to Marc Morehouse's excellent blog following the open scrimmage it is clear that he is the #2 as the reps between Vandenberg and Wienke are not being given out evenly.
John Wienke 6'5" 225 lbs The more highly touted recriut of the class of '08, Wienke jilted RichRod and Michigan feeling their version of the spread offense was a bad fit for his skills. Another product of the "Texas Tech" style of spread offense (shotgun style, horizontal passing game) he too put up huge numbers in high school. Winke purportedly has the biggest arm on the team. Both he and Vandenberg are making huge leaps in competition so they both could use some seasoning.
Tailback- This could get interesting depending on the status of Jewel Hampton. The early reports of Hampton being seriously injured were supposedly overblown but he didn't dress for Saturday's scrimmage after supposedly tweaking the same knee. If he is hurt or reinjures the knee this could be the biggest story of camp. Iowa's tailback's have to do more than just run the ball. Hampton won the backup job in large part last season for his ability to block. They need to be an outlet in the passing game, too. Replacing Shonn Greene will be tough, lets hope it won't get tougher.
Candidates- Jewel Hampton 5'9" 210 So. (463 yds 5.1 ypc 7 tds) Hampton did a great job last season spelling Greene. He rolled up impressive numbers and did it in more than garbage time. People tend to forget the Greene tended to get banged up during games last season and Hampton played meaningful snaps in almost every Big XI game. It has been reported (John Miller broke the story) that Jewel injured his knee and had an MRI, in my experience they don't schedule those for precautionary measures even if you are the stud tailback at Iowa. Jewel has a red shirt to burn lets hope he doesn't have to burn it. If he is just a little hurt he will be the unquestioned starter.
Jeff Brinson 5'11" 215 R.Fr The more highly routed recruit of the class of '08 he took his red shirt after reportedly battling allergies or asthma and leg injuries. Ferentz has spoken glowingly of him after both the bowl practices and spring drills. Brinson is less shifty than Hampton, but more powerful. How patient will he be? The most underrated aspect of Greene's game was his vision- he found the correct hole and then he hit it hard. Brinson has some of Greene's tools, hopefully he has that one in his toolbox.
Paki O'Meara 5'11" 211 Jr. Paki will probably be elevated in the mix becasue he has proven he can catch and block. Physically, he isn't as gifted as the rest of the guys on this list. Mentally he might be a step ahead of everyone else. That counts for a lot with this coaching staff. He will also still be a standout on special teams. He was the starter on the Kids' Day Scrimmage.
Brandon Wegher 5'11' 206 True Fr. No player has come to Iowa with expectations like this since Tim Dwight. If Hampton is hurt, he has a chance to elevate into the back up role immediately. At the very least I expect him to have a shot to return kicks and punts. Weghers biggest challenges will be learning protections and adjusting to the speed of the college game. Given his athleticism I don't think his adjustment to the speed will be that tough.
Adam Robinson 5'9"205 R.Fr. The Des Moines Lincoln product is another player who was singled out for praise after spring drills. Thought to be a candidate to change positions I would guess now he will stay at Tb. Could have the most straight line speed at the position and also thought to have the most natural hands. It will be interesting to see if Bernstine's injury re-ignites position switch talk for him.
Brad Rogers 5'10" 225 True Fr. The Ohio native is almost a Fb/Tb hybrid perfect for smashing into the line in Iowa's two Td sets. Last season's first commit, he could be Iowa's short yardage and goalline back. Observations from the scrimmage say he could be larger than his listed size and that he blew up Travis Meade on one play.
Iowa is well stacked at fullback with Brett Morse (6'3 240 Jr.) who is a great blocker and Wade Leppart (6'0 245 So.) who did an okay job filling in for Morse while he was injured( I am not convinced the MSU play was Leppart's fault, I always blame KOK). '09 recruit Shane Di Bona (6'2" 220) may land at the position as well.
Wide Reciever- this is potentially Iowa's weakest position. Iowa hasn't had a dominating player at this position since I can remeber. Even Tim Dwight is remembered more for his special teams greatness than his recieving numbers. The one thing you can say about this group is there are a lot of them. Hopefully a year and a half of Coach Campbell will show up this season.
Candidates- Derrell Johnson-Koulianos 6'1" 200 lbs Jr DJK is no doubt Iowa's most gifted reciever. He is on pace to break both career receptions and yardage marks. But something still seems to be missing. He is now entering his fourth year of playing the position full time, he really needs to be the "guy". DJK has all the tools to be a dominant college player. He just can't seem to stay out of the coaches' doghouse. Coming out of the spring he was on the second string. I like Marvin McNutt's upside as much as anyone else but come on the coaches were obviously sending a message with that one. It has been rumored he has been consistently late to meetings which isn't going to sit well with either the coaches or the players. Hopefully he can get it together because listening him talk to the media he seems to have some leadership potential.
Trey Stross 6'4" 200 lbs Sr. Stross enters his Senior campaign possibly the best example of the recruiting class of 2005- one last shot to show unfullfilled potential. Stross has shown flashes of brilliance between injururies. At the very least he is a proven Red Zone target. A full season of health could see him considered for post season honors and a shot at a NFL training camp.
Colin Sandeman 6'1" 200 lbs Jr. He seemed to take a step back as a pass catcher last season but does all the little things well. Could have been a victim of sub par Qb play early. Is an extremely good blocker. Another player to earn praise from coaches after spring drills. Possibly the leading candidate to return punts. Very sure handed and a better athlete than people think.
Marvin McNutt 6'4" 215 So. Making the permanent switch from Qb to Wide Out. Listed as first string after spring drills, but that might have more to do with DJK than exceptional play by McNutt. Could be a devastating Red Zone target with his basketball backround and overall athleticism. Was a running Qb in high school and can do something with the ball in his hands.
Paul Chaney Jr. 5'9" 167 Jr. Another player who had been in the coaches' doghouse, he was one of the revelations of spring. Chaney is probably the fastest player on the team. He is a decent track runner and his track speed actually translates to the football field. if he could have held onto the ball at the end of the Wisconsin game in 2007 alot of things might be different. Chaney had trouble making the travel squad last season so counting on him to be in the mix all season might be a stretch, but he might have turned the corner. He could be the guy who stretches the field for the Hawk's this season.
Keenan Davis 6'3" 200 lbs True Fr. Ferentz always says the further away from the ball you play the easier it is to come in and make an impact. Iowa may need Davis to lead the receiving corps from day one. Another tall athletic target with a basketball backround, Davis can do something with the ball once he gathers it in. Davis is the kind of Wr recruit Iowa has struggled to bring in in recent recruiting classes. He could be a starter before the Big XI season.
Players to Watch
Jordan Cotton 6'1" 170 True Fr. recruited as an athlete could end up at another position
Ben Evans 6'0" 178 Jr. walk on played early last season.
James Hurt 6'1" 180 R.Fr. Vandenberg's high school teammate transfered in to walk on
Don Nordmann 6'6" 211 Jr. He is 6'6" throw him a fade see what happens
Seven Staggs 6'3" 195 R.Fr. Walk on was on track to earn a scholly before injury in H.S. very fast.
Tight Ends- Another position where Iowa has plenty of bodies to throw at you. I don't think we will see the 3 tight end set as often as we did last year since the Battering Ram is gone, but even with Anthony Schiavone quitting we have 9 on the roster. If Moeaki is healthy he is the man and if he isn't I still feel pretty good about Reisner. It looks like Herman is going to stick too so here is a look at the top four and the rest of the list.
Candidates- Tony Moeaki 6'4 250 Sr. This is Tony's last chance to show the injuries he has suffered were just fluky. When he is on the field he is a difference maker. Tony can be a traditional in line tight end, he can flex- out, and he can line up in the back field. He is a great blocker, has soft hands, can catch on the run, and run with the ball. He just has to stay healthy. If he does that, there is enough film to bault him into the top 5 at his position for next season's NFL draft.
Allen Reisner 6'3" 235 Jr. Reisner reminds me alot of Brandon Myers. He was the last scholarship offer of his class. He was pressed into duty after injuries, and never got the benefit of a red shirt season. He is consistently underestimated athletically. He just gets open and makes the best of his opportunities. He blocks the guy in front of him and then looks for someone else to hit. Last season he averaged 18.3 yards per catch. I could see him doing that again while doubling his catch total this season.
Brad Herman 6'5" 242 So. I was suprised to see Herman play tight end last season. I saw him as a natural fit at either Olb position and the heir to Nielson at the Leo position. He looked great as a receiver though early in the season. I haven't seen enough of him to know how good of a blocker he is, but I can't imagine he would have ascended the depth chart so quickly on the strength of his pass catching alone. He saw action in 6 games for Iowa last season and could see more time on special teams this season, too.
J.D. Griggs 6'5" 255 R.Fr. Griggs has the size you dream of when you create a tight end on a video game. We will see this season if his size and athleticism translate to playing time and production. I expect to see him vs. UNI and if he does well throughout the rest of the season. He reportedly had a very good Kids' Day Scrimmage.
Players to Watch
Zach Furlong 6'5" 235 So. Didn't get invited to Fall camp last season. Has something to prove I imagine.
Jonathon Gimm 6'3" 235 R.Fr. Suposedly has the frame to grow into a lineman. I wouldn't be suprised to hear about a position change for him. Nothing so far though.
Dakota Getz 6'4" 210 True Fr. Needs to red shirt to gain some weight and strength to play Big XI football. Good speed for this position.
Ross Peterson 6'3" 236 Jr. saw time last season in the 3 TE sets as a blocker. I don't recall him catching a pass.
Kyle Spading 6'5" 250 Sr. See Ross Peterson. Could switch to Dt to see the field more.
Back-up Qb- The battle to be the most popular player on Iowa's roster would seem to be between R.S Frosh James Vandenberg and John Wienke. There are rumors that incoming freshman Josh Brown will be given his first shot at Qb and that even special packages are being designed to take advantage of his athleticism. Those rumors must forget that KOK is our Offensive Coordinator.
Candidates- James Vandenberg 6'3" 205 lbs The leader after spring, said to throw a very catchable ball and have very good command of the offense. Iowa's High School Career Passing Leader in almost every category will still have to perfom well in the fall to hold onto the job. According to Marc Morehouse's excellent blog following the open scrimmage it is clear that he is the #2 as the reps between Vandenberg and Wienke are not being given out evenly.
John Wienke 6'5" 225 lbs The more highly touted recriut of the class of '08, Wienke jilted RichRod and Michigan feeling their version of the spread offense was a bad fit for his skills. Another product of the "Texas Tech" style of spread offense (shotgun style, horizontal passing game) he too put up huge numbers in high school. Winke purportedly has the biggest arm on the team. Both he and Vandenberg are making huge leaps in competition so they both could use some seasoning.
Tailback- This could get interesting depending on the status of Jewel Hampton. The early reports of Hampton being seriously injured were supposedly overblown but he didn't dress for Saturday's scrimmage after supposedly tweaking the same knee. If he is hurt or reinjures the knee this could be the biggest story of camp. Iowa's tailback's have to do more than just run the ball. Hampton won the backup job in large part last season for his ability to block. They need to be an outlet in the passing game, too. Replacing Shonn Greene will be tough, lets hope it won't get tougher.
Candidates- Jewel Hampton 5'9" 210 So. (463 yds 5.1 ypc 7 tds) Hampton did a great job last season spelling Greene. He rolled up impressive numbers and did it in more than garbage time. People tend to forget the Greene tended to get banged up during games last season and Hampton played meaningful snaps in almost every Big XI game. It has been reported (John Miller broke the story) that Jewel injured his knee and had an MRI, in my experience they don't schedule those for precautionary measures even if you are the stud tailback at Iowa. Jewel has a red shirt to burn lets hope he doesn't have to burn it. If he is just a little hurt he will be the unquestioned starter.
Jeff Brinson 5'11" 215 R.Fr The more highly routed recruit of the class of '08 he took his red shirt after reportedly battling allergies or asthma and leg injuries. Ferentz has spoken glowingly of him after both the bowl practices and spring drills. Brinson is less shifty than Hampton, but more powerful. How patient will he be? The most underrated aspect of Greene's game was his vision- he found the correct hole and then he hit it hard. Brinson has some of Greene's tools, hopefully he has that one in his toolbox.
Paki O'Meara 5'11" 211 Jr. Paki will probably be elevated in the mix becasue he has proven he can catch and block. Physically, he isn't as gifted as the rest of the guys on this list. Mentally he might be a step ahead of everyone else. That counts for a lot with this coaching staff. He will also still be a standout on special teams. He was the starter on the Kids' Day Scrimmage.
Brandon Wegher 5'11' 206 True Fr. No player has come to Iowa with expectations like this since Tim Dwight. If Hampton is hurt, he has a chance to elevate into the back up role immediately. At the very least I expect him to have a shot to return kicks and punts. Weghers biggest challenges will be learning protections and adjusting to the speed of the college game. Given his athleticism I don't think his adjustment to the speed will be that tough.
Adam Robinson 5'9"205 R.Fr. The Des Moines Lincoln product is another player who was singled out for praise after spring drills. Thought to be a candidate to change positions I would guess now he will stay at Tb. Could have the most straight line speed at the position and also thought to have the most natural hands. It will be interesting to see if Bernstine's injury re-ignites position switch talk for him.
Brad Rogers 5'10" 225 True Fr. The Ohio native is almost a Fb/Tb hybrid perfect for smashing into the line in Iowa's two Td sets. Last season's first commit, he could be Iowa's short yardage and goalline back. Observations from the scrimmage say he could be larger than his listed size and that he blew up Travis Meade on one play.
Iowa is well stacked at fullback with Brett Morse (6'3 240 Jr.) who is a great blocker and Wade Leppart (6'0 245 So.) who did an okay job filling in for Morse while he was injured( I am not convinced the MSU play was Leppart's fault, I always blame KOK). '09 recruit Shane Di Bona (6'2" 220) may land at the position as well.
Wide Reciever- this is potentially Iowa's weakest position. Iowa hasn't had a dominating player at this position since I can remeber. Even Tim Dwight is remembered more for his special teams greatness than his recieving numbers. The one thing you can say about this group is there are a lot of them. Hopefully a year and a half of Coach Campbell will show up this season.
Candidates- Derrell Johnson-Koulianos 6'1" 200 lbs Jr DJK is no doubt Iowa's most gifted reciever. He is on pace to break both career receptions and yardage marks. But something still seems to be missing. He is now entering his fourth year of playing the position full time, he really needs to be the "guy". DJK has all the tools to be a dominant college player. He just can't seem to stay out of the coaches' doghouse. Coming out of the spring he was on the second string. I like Marvin McNutt's upside as much as anyone else but come on the coaches were obviously sending a message with that one. It has been rumored he has been consistently late to meetings which isn't going to sit well with either the coaches or the players. Hopefully he can get it together because listening him talk to the media he seems to have some leadership potential.
Trey Stross 6'4" 200 lbs Sr. Stross enters his Senior campaign possibly the best example of the recruiting class of 2005- one last shot to show unfullfilled potential. Stross has shown flashes of brilliance between injururies. At the very least he is a proven Red Zone target. A full season of health could see him considered for post season honors and a shot at a NFL training camp.
Colin Sandeman 6'1" 200 lbs Jr. He seemed to take a step back as a pass catcher last season but does all the little things well. Could have been a victim of sub par Qb play early. Is an extremely good blocker. Another player to earn praise from coaches after spring drills. Possibly the leading candidate to return punts. Very sure handed and a better athlete than people think.
Marvin McNutt 6'4" 215 So. Making the permanent switch from Qb to Wide Out. Listed as first string after spring drills, but that might have more to do with DJK than exceptional play by McNutt. Could be a devastating Red Zone target with his basketball backround and overall athleticism. Was a running Qb in high school and can do something with the ball in his hands.
Paul Chaney Jr. 5'9" 167 Jr. Another player who had been in the coaches' doghouse, he was one of the revelations of spring. Chaney is probably the fastest player on the team. He is a decent track runner and his track speed actually translates to the football field. if he could have held onto the ball at the end of the Wisconsin game in 2007 alot of things might be different. Chaney had trouble making the travel squad last season so counting on him to be in the mix all season might be a stretch, but he might have turned the corner. He could be the guy who stretches the field for the Hawk's this season.
Keenan Davis 6'3" 200 lbs True Fr. Ferentz always says the further away from the ball you play the easier it is to come in and make an impact. Iowa may need Davis to lead the receiving corps from day one. Another tall athletic target with a basketball backround, Davis can do something with the ball once he gathers it in. Davis is the kind of Wr recruit Iowa has struggled to bring in in recent recruiting classes. He could be a starter before the Big XI season.
Players to Watch
Jordan Cotton 6'1" 170 True Fr. recruited as an athlete could end up at another position
Ben Evans 6'0" 178 Jr. walk on played early last season.
James Hurt 6'1" 180 R.Fr. Vandenberg's high school teammate transfered in to walk on
Don Nordmann 6'6" 211 Jr. He is 6'6" throw him a fade see what happens
Seven Staggs 6'3" 195 R.Fr. Walk on was on track to earn a scholly before injury in H.S. very fast.
Tight Ends- Another position where Iowa has plenty of bodies to throw at you. I don't think we will see the 3 tight end set as often as we did last year since the Battering Ram is gone, but even with Anthony Schiavone quitting we have 9 on the roster. If Moeaki is healthy he is the man and if he isn't I still feel pretty good about Reisner. It looks like Herman is going to stick too so here is a look at the top four and the rest of the list.
Candidates- Tony Moeaki 6'4 250 Sr. This is Tony's last chance to show the injuries he has suffered were just fluky. When he is on the field he is a difference maker. Tony can be a traditional in line tight end, he can flex- out, and he can line up in the back field. He is a great blocker, has soft hands, can catch on the run, and run with the ball. He just has to stay healthy. If he does that, there is enough film to bault him into the top 5 at his position for next season's NFL draft.
Allen Reisner 6'3" 235 Jr. Reisner reminds me alot of Brandon Myers. He was the last scholarship offer of his class. He was pressed into duty after injuries, and never got the benefit of a red shirt season. He is consistently underestimated athletically. He just gets open and makes the best of his opportunities. He blocks the guy in front of him and then looks for someone else to hit. Last season he averaged 18.3 yards per catch. I could see him doing that again while doubling his catch total this season.
Brad Herman 6'5" 242 So. I was suprised to see Herman play tight end last season. I saw him as a natural fit at either Olb position and the heir to Nielson at the Leo position. He looked great as a receiver though early in the season. I haven't seen enough of him to know how good of a blocker he is, but I can't imagine he would have ascended the depth chart so quickly on the strength of his pass catching alone. He saw action in 6 games for Iowa last season and could see more time on special teams this season, too.
J.D. Griggs 6'5" 255 R.Fr. Griggs has the size you dream of when you create a tight end on a video game. We will see this season if his size and athleticism translate to playing time and production. I expect to see him vs. UNI and if he does well throughout the rest of the season. He reportedly had a very good Kids' Day Scrimmage.
Players to Watch
Zach Furlong 6'5" 235 So. Didn't get invited to Fall camp last season. Has something to prove I imagine.
Jonathon Gimm 6'3" 235 R.Fr. Suposedly has the frame to grow into a lineman. I wouldn't be suprised to hear about a position change for him. Nothing so far though.
Dakota Getz 6'4" 210 True Fr. Needs to red shirt to gain some weight and strength to play Big XI football. Good speed for this position.
Ross Peterson 6'3" 236 Jr. saw time last season in the 3 TE sets as a blocker. I don't recall him catching a pass.
Kyle Spading 6'5" 250 Sr. See Ross Peterson. Could switch to Dt to see the field more.
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