By Brian Heinemann
For the Herald
IOWA CITY ––– With the way the Iowa Hawkeyes have been turning “what ifs” into “what is” this season, it’s fitting that a BCS dream that looked nearly dead in the water a week ago is still very much in the realm of reality.
The “what if” game doesn’t particularly appeal to the Hawkeyes or their coach, Kirk Ferentz, though. They don’t like talking about what might have been or even what could be.
All that separated the Hawkeyes from a perfect season and a trip to Pasedena – for the Rose Bowl or National Championship game – was 10 points and two close losses.
What if?
Iowa lost key starters throughout the season to injuries, ranging from a slew of running backs – Jewel Hampton, Adam Robinson, Brandon Wegher – to a potential All American tight end in Tony Moeaki, a starting safety in Brett Greenwood and an emotional leader in their quarterback Ricky Stanzi.
What if?
The Hawkeyes finished their regular season 10-2 (6-2 Big Ten), taking down Minnesota 12-0 Saturday in a defensive struggle that featured season lows in a multitude of offensive categories for Iowa, keeping their names firmly entrenched in the BCS discussion.
So, what now?
Now, Iowa plays the waiting game. The National Championship game and the Rose Bowl are out of the question, yet the Hawkeyes can end up anywhere from the Fiesta Bowl, to the Orange Bowl, to the Outback Bowl.
“Right now, we can’t worry about that because we’ve done all that we can,” said senior linebacker A.J. Edds, who finished with eight tackles and an interception in his final game at Kinnick Stadium. “We just kind of have to sit back and let the rest of the country shake out and see what happens. But I think at the same time we’ve done enough to get into that conversation.
“Look at our body of work, especially on the road. But it’s not our decision to make. We’re 10-2 and we’ve played pretty well, so let everything kind of figure itself out from here and go from there.”
It’s hard to get the Hawkeyes to talk about the whole BCS thing and the possibilities that await. That attitude starts from the top and makes its way downward, as Ferentz will be the first to admit that he doesn’t pay much attention to the BCS and isn’t overly concerned with where his team heads this bowl season.
He’s just “absolutely amazed” his team won 10 games with all the adversity and incredible situations they encountered and endured this season. Two blocked field goals to survive a scare from UNI, a tight win against Arkansas State, the last-second heroics in East Lansing, the huge comeback to best Indiana – the Hawkeyes have come through so much that Ferentz is just happy to enjoy only the fourth double-digit win season of his Iowa career.
“I’m happy with where we are at,” said Ferentz. “If we don’t go (to a BCS game), we don’t go. That’s the way it goes. I’m just happy we got 10 wins.”
Most of the players chose to let the BCS system and bowl committees handle the situation rather than give their own opinions, with only a few Hawkeyes straying from the general “we did all we can do, it’s out of our hands” philosophy that was prominently displayed Saturday.
And with everything they’ve faced this year – and the fact that Ferentz believes they played their best game of the year on the road in the overtime loss to Ohio State last weekend – the Hawkeyes feel that they can compete with anybody the bowl process pits them against.
“We don’t back down from any challenge,” said wide receiver Marvin McNutt, who had one catch for 28 yards against the Golden Gophers. “We feel like we can play with anybody in the nation.”
They’ll get the chance to likely play one of the best the nation has to offer sometime in the first week of January. And while the destination and opponent remain unclear, the important thing is that the Hawkeyes have their foot in the door and their name in the conversation.
“It’s a very special team with very special players,” Larry Gautier, an Orange Bowl representative who likened this years Iowa team to the “team of destiny” from 2002, said of the Hawkeyes.
“Iowa is clearly in the mix, there’s no question about it.”
Showing posts with label college football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label college football. Show all posts
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Hawkeyes still control destiny despite loss
By Brian Heinemann
For The Herald
IOWA CITY –––– The dream for the Iowa Hawkeyes isn’t completely over yet.
They’ve just gotten much closer to awakening from it.
Sure, Saturday’s 17-10 heartbreaking loss to Northwestern knocked them out of the national championship picture, plummeting them to the tail end of the top ten in the newest BCS standings.
But they still control their own destiny, as a win this weekend would give the Hawkeyes the Big Ten title and a trip to the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.
That they have to travel to Columbus, Ohio, to take on an Ohio State team that is tied with Iowa for the Big Ten lead, would be tough enough. Doing so without starting quarterback and emotional leader Ricky Stanzi stands to make things much more challenging for the Hawkeyes.
The reigns – and the hopes of the Hawkeyes – are now in the hands of redshirt freshman James Vandenberg, after a game- and season-changing play left Stanzi crumpled up in his own end zone with a severe high ankle sprain.
“Ready or not, here he comes,” said wide receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos. “He has no choice now. We lost our captain, our leader. That’s unfortunate and that hurts a lot, and the loss hurts a lot.”
The Hawkeyes had jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead and had the ball again before Stanzi went down, fumbling the ball into his own end zone. Northwestern recovered for a touchdown, and the Iowa offense effectively hit a wall, leading to their first loss in over a calender year.
“You know, it’s hard when you lose your leader like that,” said wide receiver Marvin McNutt. “But at the same time, we know Vandenberg can produce and we know what he can do. We don’t have any excuses.”
For his part, Vandenberg did admit to being too amped up and having happy feet in the pocket, leading to some overthrows. He finished 9-of-27 for 82 yards and one interception – which came on his first throw – in a performance that can’t be repeated if the Hawkeyes hope to upend the Buckeyes Saturday.
Iowa still believes, both in themselves and their new quarterback. But what they need now is a bit of memory loss and the 19-year-old Vandenberg to transition to team leader as seamlessly as possible.
“I have a lot of confidence and I know these guys have confidence in me,” said Vandenberg. “They helped me out so much that I’m ready to step into this role and lead this team, because that’s what we need. I mean, we can’t settle into a lull because of this loss. We still have to go, because we know there’s a lot at stake.”
This season has been rife with comebacks and resiliency, but the Hawkeyes now face their two toughest tests yet – moving on without their leader and coming off a devastating loss.
As they’ve done most of the season, though, the Hawkeyes are keeping their heads up and expecting success. Vandenberg said there was no crying or pouting in the locker room after the loss. The attitude was clear.
No more second chances.
“We know there’s a lot out there. There’s a Big Ten championship still out there,” said Vandenberg. “It’s not like all hopes lost, so there’s no reason to dwell on this. We’ve got to move on and get back to work.”
“It’s not the end of the world,” added free safety Joe Conklin, who started in place of still-injured Brett Greenwood. “We have to move on and get ready for Ohio State next week.”
Ohio State will be ready, and they’ll certainly know that the Hawkeyes have an inexperienced young quarterback under center. Johnson-Koulianos expects the Buckeyes to do whatever they can to confuse the youngster, which he knows will make things tougher for the offense.
Until Northwestern came to town, Iowa had passed every test thrown its way. Even as the minutes slowly ticked away against the Wildcats, they firmly believed they would make something happen to pull out another improbable win.
But it didn’t happen, and now comes the true test – can the Hawkeyes, who have believed in the impossible all season, maintain that belief after the rug was pulled out from under them?
“If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be,” said Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz. “We’re going to try to get back on our feet and see if we can’t win next weekend. That’s going to be a tough task. We know that already.”
For The Herald
IOWA CITY –––– The dream for the Iowa Hawkeyes isn’t completely over yet.
They’ve just gotten much closer to awakening from it.
Sure, Saturday’s 17-10 heartbreaking loss to Northwestern knocked them out of the national championship picture, plummeting them to the tail end of the top ten in the newest BCS standings.
But they still control their own destiny, as a win this weekend would give the Hawkeyes the Big Ten title and a trip to the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.
That they have to travel to Columbus, Ohio, to take on an Ohio State team that is tied with Iowa for the Big Ten lead, would be tough enough. Doing so without starting quarterback and emotional leader Ricky Stanzi stands to make things much more challenging for the Hawkeyes.
The reigns – and the hopes of the Hawkeyes – are now in the hands of redshirt freshman James Vandenberg, after a game- and season-changing play left Stanzi crumpled up in his own end zone with a severe high ankle sprain.
“Ready or not, here he comes,” said wide receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos. “He has no choice now. We lost our captain, our leader. That’s unfortunate and that hurts a lot, and the loss hurts a lot.”
The Hawkeyes had jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead and had the ball again before Stanzi went down, fumbling the ball into his own end zone. Northwestern recovered for a touchdown, and the Iowa offense effectively hit a wall, leading to their first loss in over a calender year.
“You know, it’s hard when you lose your leader like that,” said wide receiver Marvin McNutt. “But at the same time, we know Vandenberg can produce and we know what he can do. We don’t have any excuses.”
For his part, Vandenberg did admit to being too amped up and having happy feet in the pocket, leading to some overthrows. He finished 9-of-27 for 82 yards and one interception – which came on his first throw – in a performance that can’t be repeated if the Hawkeyes hope to upend the Buckeyes Saturday.
Iowa still believes, both in themselves and their new quarterback. But what they need now is a bit of memory loss and the 19-year-old Vandenberg to transition to team leader as seamlessly as possible.
“I have a lot of confidence and I know these guys have confidence in me,” said Vandenberg. “They helped me out so much that I’m ready to step into this role and lead this team, because that’s what we need. I mean, we can’t settle into a lull because of this loss. We still have to go, because we know there’s a lot at stake.”
This season has been rife with comebacks and resiliency, but the Hawkeyes now face their two toughest tests yet – moving on without their leader and coming off a devastating loss.
As they’ve done most of the season, though, the Hawkeyes are keeping their heads up and expecting success. Vandenberg said there was no crying or pouting in the locker room after the loss. The attitude was clear.
No more second chances.
“We know there’s a lot out there. There’s a Big Ten championship still out there,” said Vandenberg. “It’s not like all hopes lost, so there’s no reason to dwell on this. We’ve got to move on and get back to work.”
“It’s not the end of the world,” added free safety Joe Conklin, who started in place of still-injured Brett Greenwood. “We have to move on and get ready for Ohio State next week.”
Ohio State will be ready, and they’ll certainly know that the Hawkeyes have an inexperienced young quarterback under center. Johnson-Koulianos expects the Buckeyes to do whatever they can to confuse the youngster, which he knows will make things tougher for the offense.
Until Northwestern came to town, Iowa had passed every test thrown its way. Even as the minutes slowly ticked away against the Wildcats, they firmly believed they would make something happen to pull out another improbable win.
But it didn’t happen, and now comes the true test – can the Hawkeyes, who have believed in the impossible all season, maintain that belief after the rug was pulled out from under them?
“If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be,” said Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz. “We’re going to try to get back on our feet and see if we can’t win next weekend. That’s going to be a tough task. We know that already.”
Friday, October 30, 2009
The Hawk's Eye on Iowa vs. Indiana
When Iowa has the ball
We all know that the offense has been the question since day one of the 2009 season. Well now, things get even more questionable. With the loss of starting running back Adam Robinson and mid-season All American Dace Richardson on the O-line, the burden falls squarely on the shoulders of Ricky Stanzi this week.
While Brandon Wegher has shown flashes of brilliance over the course of the season, he's been miserable the last few weeks, rushing for under two yards per carry over the last three games. Behind Wegher is Paki O'Meara, who has barely seen the field since an early season fumble, and two true freshmen. The problem? Those freshmen are currently red-shirted. Ferentz hasn't ruled out using one of them if needed this week, but that would be a tough pill to swallow after sitting them for eight games already.
What it all translates to is more pressure on Stanzi to deliver. He avoided the big mistakes in the nail-biter over Michigan State, but his days of inconsistency aren't far enough in the rear-view mirror yet to forget about them. Stanzi needs to forget about the out-route to the right sideline – or at least stop staring it down – as that's where all his pick-sixes have come from.
The Indiana defense has the potential to make Stanzi's life miserable or fantastic tomorrow. They are banged up – and already weak – in the secondary, which means Stanzi should be able to have a big game. Two of Indiana's safeties – Jerimy Finch and Jarrell Drane – are both listed as doubtful for the game, and the Hoosiers haven't exactly had a light's out pass defense this season to begin with, ranking dead last in the Big Ten in the category. The fly route to either DJK or Marvin McNutt should make several appearances, as Stanzi will likely test Indiana deep to take advantage of the lack of depth at safety.
Where Indiana can hurt Stanzi is up front. Defensive ends Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton have combined for 8.5 sacks and 21 tackles for a loss, and in these teams' last meeting at Kinnick, in 2007, the two terrorized Iowa in racking up six sacks. Kirlew could be especially problematic, as he has forced a Big Ten-best five fumbles this season, and Iowa's Mr. Dependable in that department, Robinson (with zero) is out. Kirlew will be most dangerous to Iowa if either of the Hawkeyes red-shirt freshmen make an appearance.
Having an experienced replacement for Richardson in Julian Vandervelde will help Iowa in trying to contain IU's ends and open holes for the run game, but Iowa's offensive line has been suspect all season and looks to be over-matched up front this week.
Advantage – Iowa
When Indiana has the ball
The last time Iowa faced an offense similar to that of the Hoosiers was in the Michigan game, where Iowa struggled badly on defense. This Indiana team runs a dangerous spread/pistol/Wildcat offense that uses a lot of trickery and deception, and will likely give the Hawkeyes fits at points. Still, Iowa's defense is strong and should be able to keep the Hoosiers in check – at least better than they did against Michigan.
Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell is having a very Ricky Stanzi-like season to this point. He's been inconsistent, completing 63 percent of his passes and throwing for 1,827 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions. His biggest target is sophomore receiver Tandon Doss, who through eight games has 54 catches for 716 yards and two touchdowns.
As a team, Indiana has rushed for 1,019 yards and a 4.0 average. They are led by red-shirt freshman Darius Willis, whose 405 yards have come at a 5.3 clip. Behind him, both Mitchell Evans and Demetrius McCray are averaging 4.9 yards per.
The strength of the Indiana offense is the offensive line, which has allowed a league-low nine sacks in eight games. Keeping Chappell upright is a paramount importance for IU, as Iowa's defensive line has been improving as the season goes on and, although only recording 17 sacks, has been getting to the quarterback more consistently.
Defensively, Iowa is intact this week despite the beating they took, physically, at Michigan State. Brett Greenwood is back after a scary hit, and everyone else is good to go. The rush defense has rebounded nicely since allowing Michigan to run all over them, and the defensive line is coming off a four-sack game in the 15-13 win last week.
Keep an eye out this week for Tyler Sash. He's been a ball magnet so far in his two years at Iowa, but has been relatively quiet the last few weeks and is due for another big play. If the front seven can contain the run and get to Chappell effectively, Sash could have another big game.
Advantage – Iowa
Special Teams
With Colin Sandeman likely out this week, Iowa has some questions in the return game. They should be OK with Sash, Spievey or even Keenan Davis back returning punts, but the fact remains that they lost their most consistent returner.
Iowa has the advantage of Indiana at both kicker and punter with Daniel Murray and Ryan Donahue, but the Hoosiers kickoff return team makes Iowa's look pitiful by comparison. Indiana leads the Big Ten in kickoff returns, averaging 25.9 yards per return, and has two touchdowns this season. The teams are relatively even in returning punts, but the field position battle could go IU's way thanks to their strong kick return squad.
Advantage - EVEN
Intangibles
Iowa has the distinct coaching advantage not only in Ferentz, but with Ken O'Keefe and Norm Parker as well. They have the 8-0 record and the No. 4 BCS ranking, and they are strong at home. Indiana is 4-4, but several of the losses were close. Still, they lost to Michigan, Ohio State and Northwestern in the Big Ten, and were embarrassed by Virginia 47-7. Both teams are hit pretty equally with injuries right now.
IU is coming off a devastating collapse against Northwestern, and they claim they are ready for the challenge of the Hawkeyes. Last time they were here they manhandled Iowa, but those were two very different teams in 2007. The Hawkeyes are coming off an emotionally draining, incredibly physical win, so both teams have mental challenges ahead of them tomorrow.
Advantage - Iowa
Prediction
If the offense is ever going to have another big day for the Hawkeyes, it will come tomorrow. Stanzi stands to have one of the best games of his collegiate career, but the run game could very well hold him and the Hawkeyes back a bit. Indiana may have a complex offense, but Iowa has faced much better and emerged victorious so far this year.
This isn't the game Iowa loses this season – that's next week, against Northwestern, but that's a story for next week.
Iowa 30, Indiana 13
We all know that the offense has been the question since day one of the 2009 season. Well now, things get even more questionable. With the loss of starting running back Adam Robinson and mid-season All American Dace Richardson on the O-line, the burden falls squarely on the shoulders of Ricky Stanzi this week.
While Brandon Wegher has shown flashes of brilliance over the course of the season, he's been miserable the last few weeks, rushing for under two yards per carry over the last three games. Behind Wegher is Paki O'Meara, who has barely seen the field since an early season fumble, and two true freshmen. The problem? Those freshmen are currently red-shirted. Ferentz hasn't ruled out using one of them if needed this week, but that would be a tough pill to swallow after sitting them for eight games already.
What it all translates to is more pressure on Stanzi to deliver. He avoided the big mistakes in the nail-biter over Michigan State, but his days of inconsistency aren't far enough in the rear-view mirror yet to forget about them. Stanzi needs to forget about the out-route to the right sideline – or at least stop staring it down – as that's where all his pick-sixes have come from.
The Indiana defense has the potential to make Stanzi's life miserable or fantastic tomorrow. They are banged up – and already weak – in the secondary, which means Stanzi should be able to have a big game. Two of Indiana's safeties – Jerimy Finch and Jarrell Drane – are both listed as doubtful for the game, and the Hoosiers haven't exactly had a light's out pass defense this season to begin with, ranking dead last in the Big Ten in the category. The fly route to either DJK or Marvin McNutt should make several appearances, as Stanzi will likely test Indiana deep to take advantage of the lack of depth at safety.
Where Indiana can hurt Stanzi is up front. Defensive ends Jammie Kirlew and Greg Middleton have combined for 8.5 sacks and 21 tackles for a loss, and in these teams' last meeting at Kinnick, in 2007, the two terrorized Iowa in racking up six sacks. Kirlew could be especially problematic, as he has forced a Big Ten-best five fumbles this season, and Iowa's Mr. Dependable in that department, Robinson (with zero) is out. Kirlew will be most dangerous to Iowa if either of the Hawkeyes red-shirt freshmen make an appearance.
Having an experienced replacement for Richardson in Julian Vandervelde will help Iowa in trying to contain IU's ends and open holes for the run game, but Iowa's offensive line has been suspect all season and looks to be over-matched up front this week.
Advantage – Iowa
When Indiana has the ball
The last time Iowa faced an offense similar to that of the Hoosiers was in the Michigan game, where Iowa struggled badly on defense. This Indiana team runs a dangerous spread/pistol/Wildcat offense that uses a lot of trickery and deception, and will likely give the Hawkeyes fits at points. Still, Iowa's defense is strong and should be able to keep the Hoosiers in check – at least better than they did against Michigan.
Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell is having a very Ricky Stanzi-like season to this point. He's been inconsistent, completing 63 percent of his passes and throwing for 1,827 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions. His biggest target is sophomore receiver Tandon Doss, who through eight games has 54 catches for 716 yards and two touchdowns.
As a team, Indiana has rushed for 1,019 yards and a 4.0 average. They are led by red-shirt freshman Darius Willis, whose 405 yards have come at a 5.3 clip. Behind him, both Mitchell Evans and Demetrius McCray are averaging 4.9 yards per.
The strength of the Indiana offense is the offensive line, which has allowed a league-low nine sacks in eight games. Keeping Chappell upright is a paramount importance for IU, as Iowa's defensive line has been improving as the season goes on and, although only recording 17 sacks, has been getting to the quarterback more consistently.
Defensively, Iowa is intact this week despite the beating they took, physically, at Michigan State. Brett Greenwood is back after a scary hit, and everyone else is good to go. The rush defense has rebounded nicely since allowing Michigan to run all over them, and the defensive line is coming off a four-sack game in the 15-13 win last week.
Keep an eye out this week for Tyler Sash. He's been a ball magnet so far in his two years at Iowa, but has been relatively quiet the last few weeks and is due for another big play. If the front seven can contain the run and get to Chappell effectively, Sash could have another big game.
Advantage – Iowa
Special Teams
With Colin Sandeman likely out this week, Iowa has some questions in the return game. They should be OK with Sash, Spievey or even Keenan Davis back returning punts, but the fact remains that they lost their most consistent returner.
Iowa has the advantage of Indiana at both kicker and punter with Daniel Murray and Ryan Donahue, but the Hoosiers kickoff return team makes Iowa's look pitiful by comparison. Indiana leads the Big Ten in kickoff returns, averaging 25.9 yards per return, and has two touchdowns this season. The teams are relatively even in returning punts, but the field position battle could go IU's way thanks to their strong kick return squad.
Advantage - EVEN
Intangibles
Iowa has the distinct coaching advantage not only in Ferentz, but with Ken O'Keefe and Norm Parker as well. They have the 8-0 record and the No. 4 BCS ranking, and they are strong at home. Indiana is 4-4, but several of the losses were close. Still, they lost to Michigan, Ohio State and Northwestern in the Big Ten, and were embarrassed by Virginia 47-7. Both teams are hit pretty equally with injuries right now.
IU is coming off a devastating collapse against Northwestern, and they claim they are ready for the challenge of the Hawkeyes. Last time they were here they manhandled Iowa, but those were two very different teams in 2007. The Hawkeyes are coming off an emotionally draining, incredibly physical win, so both teams have mental challenges ahead of them tomorrow.
Advantage - Iowa
Prediction
If the offense is ever going to have another big day for the Hawkeyes, it will come tomorrow. Stanzi stands to have one of the best games of his collegiate career, but the run game could very well hold him and the Hawkeyes back a bit. Indiana may have a complex offense, but Iowa has faced much better and emerged victorious so far this year.
This isn't the game Iowa loses this season – that's next week, against Northwestern, but that's a story for next week.
Iowa 30, Indiana 13
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