Hawkeyes quick hits, pregame week 1

Today was Iowa's pre-game press conference prior to the Eastern Illinois game, and Kirk Ferentz and a handful of players were available to the media.

I'll have a full-blown article for Friday morning's edition of the Herald, but for now, here are some of the quick hits you need to know about.

Koeppel injured in moped-meets-truck accident
One of the two in competition for the starting center position, Josh Koeppel, was injured Monday while riding his moped. Koeppel was not wearing a helmet and was struck by a truck in an intersection. He was taken to the emergency room, and Ferentz said he is lucky he walked away from it and that it could have been a lot worse.

Koeppel is banged up with scrapes and bruises and is sore, but all tests came back fine. Don't expect him to play Saturday, though. Looks like James Ferentz will be the starting center, whether he won the job in camp or not.

Tarpinian limited, but back in practice
Linebacker Jeff Tarpinian broke his hand in practice two weeks ago, but returned over the weekend with a splint and padding. He's limited, according to Ferentz, and may or may not play.

Bruce Davis, another linebacker, hinted that he would be getting plenty of playing time this weekend and has been practicing with the ones, so expect to not see much of Tarpinian.

Running back depth chart has some surprises
With Jewel Hampton's suspension and Brandon Wegher's disappearance, we all knew Adam Robinson would be Iowa's starting running back Saturday. Paki O'Meara is now the backup, for better or worse, but the third back on the depth chart may surprise some.

Sophomore Jason White is third on the Hawkeyes depth chart, over Marcus Coker, who hasn't recovered fully from injury but may be available as early as the Iowa State game, and De'Andre Johnson, who sounds like is getting a redshirt.

Prater iffy for Saturday
Projected starting corner Shaun Prater is "working his way back," Ferentz said Tuesday. He has a hamstring issue, and is iffy, at best, for Saturday.

"I don't know if he will make it by showtime or not," said Ferentz. "We will see. Those things are tricky and tough to predict."

Four freshmen expected to contribute immediately
Per Ferentz, four freshmen are expected to see time Saturday, with a handful of others in line to potentially play this season.

For now, expect to see linebackers James Morris and Christian Kirksey, along with tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz and kicker Mike Meyers to play this weekend.

Meyers, a freshman walk-on, is expected to be the kickoff specialist, although he has an outside shot at field goals, Ferentz said.


Special teams set...sort of
We know Meyers will be kicking off and Ryan Donahue will be punting, but between Daniel Murray and Trent Mossbrucker, the kicking competition is still wide open. Ferentz expects to make a decision by Friday, allowing the team to know who stands where before kickoff.

In return news, your kick returners are Derrell Johnson-Koulianos and Keenan Davis. Punt returns will be handled by Colin Sandeman, with Marvin McNutt surprisingly in as his backup.

Binns' absence opens door for Daniels
With Broderick Binns missing the opener due to a one-game suspension, the door has opened for junior Mike Daniels. Ferentz said that Christian Ballard will probably play both tackle and end Saturday, but start on the outside, allowing Daniels to start on the inside.

Expect to see fellow junior Lebron Daniel get plenty of time in the rotation as well.

Captains named
Iowa's captains for the opener against Eastern Illinois are - quarterback Ricky Stanzi, defensive end Adrian Clayborn, defensive tackle Karl Klug, and offensive guard Julian Vandervelde.