Brian Heinemann, who covers Iowa football for the Herald, previews this week's game.
IOWA CITY ––––– Iowa got dominated last year by Iowa State.
Not on the scoreboard, of course. Iowa won 35-3, in large part thanks to six Iowa State turnovers. But up front? The Cyclones offensive line embarrassed and humbled the Hawkeyes vaunted defensive line, opening gaping holes en route to 190 yards rushing as a team.
That didn’t go unnoticed last season, as the Iowa coaching staff tore into the defense and quickly turned things around. It hasn’t gone unnoticed this week, either.
“The one thing I do know, they had a lot of success running the football,” Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said. “We couldn’t stop the run last year, and it’s going to be tough to win if we give up 190 yards on the ground. That’s going to make it a little tough.
“You don’t stumble into 190 yards rushing.”
No, you certainly don’t. Iowa State got their yards last year by blowing the Iowa defensive line off the ball, effectively running their zone read scheme at will. It’s not a game tape the Hawkeyes have particularly enjoyed watching again – after all, this is the same front four.
Ever since that 32-point win last year, the unit has gone on a mostly uninterrupted tear through opposing offensive lines, running backs and quarterbacks.
But the talk from the Iowa defense this week has been rife with negative comments in describing their performance last year – “I felt like we played like crap,” defensive end Adrian Clayborn said – so the motivation is there to make a statement against their instate rivals.
For their part, the Cyclones aren’t underestimating the Hawkeyes or letting last year’s success running the ball get to their heads.They know the talent Iowa has up front.
“The thing that stands out with Iowa’s defensive line is they shed blocks extremely well, they play with their hands, and they make plays, just like the rest of their defense,” Iowa State running back Alexander Robinson said. “Obviously their front four is going to create some problems, but we’re going to get out there, give it our best shot, and see what we can do.”
Last year it was the back end of the Hawkeyes defense that paved the way to the win, with safety Tyler Sash recording three of the defense’s five interceptions.
This year, that unit looks to be a possible weakness, at least after the opener.
“I know that I made a couple of mistakes, and the secondary made a couple of mistakes,” cornerback Micah Hyde, who gave up the lone touchdown last week, said. “We’ve got to go in and watch film and improve on some things.”
The front four getting some payback for last year would go a long way toward helping the secondary, who will likely be without Shaun Prater again, this week. Another four-interception day from Cyclones quarterback Austen Arnaud isn’t likely, so stopping the ground game will be even more important.
“Knowing that solely it was my fault we lost the game with four interceptions and turnovers in key times, that hurts,” Arnaud said. “But like we talk about, it’s a new year, it’s a new game, it’s a new season.”
The offense should be able to move the ball and score points against the Iowa State defense. After a strong debut from the new offensive line, hard running from Adam Robinson and a rare interception-free game from Ricky Stanzi, there is plenty of reason for optimism.
And that’s not to mention the return of Jewel Hampton, finally back after missing all of last season to injury and last Saturday’s opener to suspension.
But this is a rivalry game. Anything can happen, and the Hawkeyes know it.
“I know they’re a good ball club,” Stanzi said. “They’re fired up. It’s a rivalry. We need to be ready to go.”
IOWA CITY –––– Who: Iowa State (1-0) at No. 9 Iowa (1-0)
When: 2:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City
The series: Iowa holds a 38-19 lead and a 22-12 edge at Kinnick
Last meeting: Iowa won 35-3 in Ames in 2009
This week's challenge: Keeping the level of play elevated to where it was in the opening quarter of the Eastern Illinois game. Many Iowa players suggested the team got complacent after jumping on the Panthers early. With the level of competition ramping up from here on out, they can’t afford to do so again, especially not against a rival.
To pull off an upset: Iowa State needs a repeat of last year’s punishing rush attack against the Hawkeyes, Austen Arnaud needs to stay turnover free, and Ricky Stanzi would have to have a similar outing to Arnaud’s four-pick performance last year.
Players to watch: Keep an eye on the match up between Adrian Clayborn and all-Big 12 left tackle Kelechi Osemele of Iowa State. Iowa State linebacker A.J. Klein also bears watching after a 15-tackle outing last week. For Iowa, Jewel Hampton’s return will be the focal point.
Gettin' down with Brian (four keys for Saturday):
First down — Rush defense. Iowa struggled mightily last year in stopping ISU’s running offense. Iowa State has the task of stopping both Adam Robinson and the biggest question mark of the game, Hampton.
Second down — Offensive line play. The Hawkeyes offensive line looked impressive last week, but Robinson had to make far too many blocks, meaning people were getting through more than they should. You don’t want your running back being your main protection for Stanzi, so the line needs to play better.
Third down — Avoiding miscues. Last year, Arnaud threw his team right out of the game. Both quarterbacks are capable of doing so this year.
Fourth down — Containment. Arnaud can run, and while the Hawkeyes showed good lateral movement and pursuit last week, discipline and outside speed will be key to keeping Arnaud contained and forcing him to throw.
Trivial tidbit: Iowa State hasn’t scored a touchdown against the Hawkeyes since 2006, as the Iowa defense has kept the Cyclones out of the endzone for 14 straight quarters.
Did you hear?: Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads jokingly sent Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz a text message after the announcement of Ferentz’s contract extension asking for spending money. Ferentz said that the text should have gone to his wife, because he has a $20 a week budget.
Bottom line: Don’t expect to see a score quite as lopsided as last year’s 35-3 game, or a game reminiscent to the 2010 opener for either team. Iowa has the talent edge over Iowa State at nearly every position, and both sides of the ball have the ability to impose their will on the Cyclones. Look for the defense to rebound from a poor showing against the rush in 2009 and force Arnaud to beat them with his arm – something he probably isn’t going to do – leading the way to another comfortable Iowa win.
Final score: Iowa 27, Iowa State 10
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