Can you feel it in the brisk Iowa air this week? It's a sense of dread, a sense that something is going to go terribly wrong this weekend. A sense that, despite all common sense and logic, somebody is going to do something incredibly stupid.
I know I feel it. I've felt it for weeks, and the feeling just keeps getting stronger. The Penn State Nittany Lions are in full "beg-and-whine" mode, the P.R. machine spinning it's over-sized wheels at a ridiculous rate.
And what that boils down to is simple – Iowa is going to get left out of the BCS come Sunday.
Even if Iowa is doing it's part – and it doesn't appear to be pushing very hard for a bid – previous history of the Hawkeyes' P.R. attempts this season don't exactly inspire confidence. The e-mail sent to the national media after Iowa improved to 9-0 was a sorely misguided attempt to sway national opinion on the Hawkeyes, and that kind of "let me tell you why you are wrong" attitude isn't going to work on bowl reps.
This shouldn't even be an option if the Fiesta, Orange or Sugar Bowl wants a Big Ten team for an at-large spot. Penn State shouldn't even be in the conversation, yet it looks like they've taken it over and now have a leg up on the Hawkeyes.
The fact is, Iowa beat Penn State on JoePa's home turf. Iowa went into Beaver Stadium and for the second straight year knocked off an "elite" Penn State team, yet seemingly everybody outside of Iowa has forgotten that fact.
A head-to-head victory isn't the only determining factor. If Iowa was 8-4 and Penn State was 10-2, Penn State would logically get the bid despite losing to Iowa. But the teams played to a tie in both overall and conference play.
That is a perfect example of when head-to-head should matter most. Everything ended up equal (although Iowa's strength of schedule was tougher), and Iowa beat Penn State.
It seems so easy, but it's just not the way college football works. After all, Penn State is ahead of Iowa in all the human polls.
This is about greed. Whatever bowl has to choose between Iowa and Penn State will see a legendary coach in perhaps his last shot at a BCS game, a team that delivers fantastic TV ratings and a team that is more nationally prominent and relevant.
And no, I'm not talking about Iowa.
Sure, Iowa travels well. The bowls love that. As Iowa's Phil Haddy said this week, they could probably sell out the Fiesta Bowl without sending any fans that currently reside in Iowa, because there are so many transplanted Iowans living in Arizona.
But they play, and win, ugly. Very ugly. Yes, it's exciting for fans, but it's not exactly a big selling point in the eyes of these major bowls. Penn State has blown away teams that Iowa barely could scrape by. They are more explosive and, depending on your viewpoint, more fun to watch.
There's still a chance the Fiesta or Orange Bowl does the right thing and picks Iowa, but it's looking less likely even after potential at-larger's Oklahoma State and Pittsburgh lost last weekend.
I know I don't want to be there Sunday, hearing that I need to pack my bags and head to Orlando come January.
Florida's nice and all, but I'd rather be in Miami. Or Tempe.
Showing posts with label Hawkeyes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hawkeyes. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
A fitting way to end for Iowa
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.”
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.”
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
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
The Iowa Hawkeyes press box experience
This was written the night of the UNI/Iowa game that started this college football season. I will be updating with more thoughts after the Indiana game Saturday, touching on what it was like to be at the Blackout against Michigan and what it's like to be covering a Top 5 team.
ARTICLE: http://www.clintonherald.c
Well, today was the big day. The pinnacle of my early career.
I'll be honest –it's almost ridiculous some of the opportunities I've been given. I'm still not even done with college, and I've done all sorts of amazing stuff. I really want to thank the people who are responsible for that, first of all. The Quad-City Times gave me my start (and sent me off to AHL hockey and Minor League Baseball), the Gazette (they've sent me all over, to MiLB games, to interview Nate Kaeding) and, of course, the Clinton Herald for sending me to Kinnick Stadium today.
That out of the way, let's get on with the story.
Walking up to Kinnick Stadium after getting off the train was cool, but I've done it before as a fan, so it wasn't that big of a deal. Walking around the stadium while wearing a press pass (pictures), however, was quite awesome. I walked up to Gate I, where media are told to go, and got my pass scanned. I was directed to the elevators that lead to the press box, and worked my way around the concourse to get there. I took the elevator up to the Fourth floor, and my jaw about dropped when I opened the door.
There were people everywhere. Absolutely everywhere. I wish my phone wasn't broken and preventing me from taking pictures, because I would have taken some to give you an idea what the inside of that place is like. There are three rows or press chairs, about 35 in each row, with the first being lowest, the second being about 5 feet up (so, sort of stadium seating), and the third being even higher. I'm not sure which gives the best view, but I was in the second row, seat 30, directly above the 10 yard line. I've watched a lot of football in my day (and even been in the press box at Lambeau Field once) but I've never seen a game like this before.
I had an hour to kill before the game, so I scoped out my surroundings. The press passes are scannable for one free meal, so I ate some press box food. Funny story–there were hot dogs or BBQ chicken. Everybody in front of me took one hot dog, and, despite being fat and hungry, I only took one so I wouldn't look so huge. Of course, the tiny girl behind me took two hot dogs, chips, a few cookies, etc., and made me look skinny by comparison. Oh well, the food was good, and with how riled up my stomach was, it's probably good I didn't pig out.
Surprisingly, the press box isn't too far off from being soundproof. The bands were playing, and I couldn't even tell. The crowd cheering made a little noise, but still, pretty incredible how quiet the box is. The lead-up to the game itself was boring, as I just read through some media materials that were provided, so let's skip to just before the game.
The press box has it's own PA announcer, and anything the referees on the field say into their mic comes through, incredibly loud, in there. The PA announcer asked us to stand for the National Anthem, and I was stunned that, for the next two minutes or so, I was surrounded by dead silence. We couldn't hear the anthem at all, and not one loud-mouthed sports writer said a word. Incredible.
Right before the kickoff, the PA guy came on and told us that "This is a working press box, so there is no cheering allowed. If you are caught once, we'll ask you to stop. If you are caught again, you will be removed from the press box." I mean, I thought it was just frowned upon to cheer in the press box –I didn't know it was outlawed. Just an interesting fact.
Not much happened during the game. I watched, from the greatest vantage point ever, as the Iowa Hawkeyes played a pathetic game and almost lost to an FCS opponent. One funny moment was after one of Ricky Stanzi's many pathetic attempts at a pass in the first half, some guy in the box yelled "Somebody should Twitter 'Where's Jake?'", referring to former Iowa "QB" (I use that term loosely, because he sucked worse than Rex Grossman) Jake Christensen. The entire press box cracked up at that one.
At halftime, I ran into some familiar faces. Craig DeVrieze, of the Quad-City Times, was there. I basically started writing for newspaper thanks to him, because he needed a backup for covering the Quad-City Mallards (and later, Flames), and I loved hockey. I talked to him for a few, and Mike Hlas, from the Gazette, came over. I actually hadn't met Mike to that point, so that was nice to meet and talk a bit. Near the end of the game I ran into Don Doxie, the Sports Editor at the Q-C Times who was my boss when I was there. It was nice to catch up and say hello and see how they are doing at the Times.
I'm not going to describe the end of the game here, because if you care about sports you already know what happened, but it was literally the weirdest thing I've ever seen at a sporting event. Not one person in the entire press box had ever heard of the rule that gave UNI a second chance at winning. We were seriously stunned, and couldn't for the life of us understand. Yes, there were a few of us there who hadn't covered college football before, but a lot of these guys had been doing this for a LONG time. The ending was a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, and I can safely say I was witness to one of the greatest games in Iowa football history. Not a bad first game.
Now, to the fun part. Right when the game finally ended, the 100 or so of us in the press box all bolted for the elevator. I got on in the first group (with Don and Craig and many others I don't know) and we went down to the concourse. Here is where things get stupid –there is no easy way for the media to get to the press rooms. We literally walked through the concourse that was packed with people, then entered the field through the corner of one of the end zones. I actually got to walk on the field, because we had to cross the ENTIRE thing to get to the two locker room areas. Seriously, there's no better way they could have designed this? I will say that it was an awesome feeling to be on that field with a press pass while the stands were still relatively packed...
We all stood outside of the media area, because security doesn't let us in until all the players and coaches have left the field. Since ESPN/TV stations like to grab them on field right as the game ends, we waited for about ten minutes. Finally, after one of the players walked by (I can't remember who), we were all allowed to follow.
The setup is like this –to the left is the vistor's media room. To the right are two separate rooms – the Iowa player's media room, and Ferentz's press conference room. We were told by "veteran" writers that Ferentz was notorious for taking up to an hour to start his press conference, so I waited in the UNI room since I needed to talk to both teams.
Three players came in the UNI room and sat up at a table with a mic, and all the reporters put their recorders on the table in front of them and then went and sat down. I kept quiet and just listened and took notes as three extremely depressed UNI players (standout WR Jarred Herring, defensive lineman Ben Boothby and quarterback Pat Grace) were grilled for about five to ten minutes each.
I decided to head to Iowa's player room, as Ferentz was still nowhere to be found (although he had given his "first call," so he was coming sometime in the near future) where most of the freshman were brought in. Apparently, they bring in the Iowa players in order of class, and they trickle in every few minutes. I was there for interviews with new (likely starting) running back Adam Robinson, defensive lineman Broderick Binns and wide receiver Marvin McNutt – he was the only one I actually asked a question of, because, with so many people around and me being in awe, I just let others do the talking except for with him.
The interview process is interesting. The visiting team gets to have their players sit at a table, while reporters sit a decent distance away. The players are elevated, too, so it's not awkward at all.
The Iowa players, however, got a full-on dose of awkwardness. When I first walked into that room, Robinson was literally being smothered up against a wall by about 20 reporters holding mics/digital recorders up to his face. Of course, I joined that throng, but it's really weird to witness in person. I was only one of about 5 people talking to McNutt, but it was odd because he basically just looked down at all our tape recorders while he talked.
I checked to see if Ferentz was there – nope – and headed back to the UNI room. That was good timing, because Coach Farley was in the middle of his press conference. He was the best of the group, because he was quite outspoken, very passionate, got pissed off on a few occasions, and was just a good speaker. I sat at the back of the room with the recorder on my lap, but still managed to get 11 minutes of decent audio out of it.
I walked back to Ferentz's conference room, only to see the camera guys dismantling their gear. Apparently, he came out during Farley's press conference and I missed him. I was mainly upset for selfish reasons –it would be cool to say I was in the room with him and interviewing him –but I knew I could find his press conference online or on TV if I needed, so it wasn't a horrible situation. I went back into the players room to go join the mob harassing one more player –senior linebacker A.J. Edds, who is an awesome player, by the way – before calling it a day. Edds had some great, great quotes (including one about how he jumped on Pat Angerer on the last play, after Angerer recovered the blocked kick, so 'Pat wouldn't do something stupid and kick the ball into the end zone') but I wasn't able to use them for my story.
I realized I didn't talk to Paki O'Meara, Ricky Stanzi or Tony Moeaki, but that's OK. I was there for both teams, so I had to pick my spots. I also had no clue what I was doing heading in, so next time (if there is one) I'll be able to better pick who to interview.
Anyway, that's about it. I got lost trying to find the train station but made it onto the last train in time to get home, so everything worked out. I'm happy with my article (I'm not sure I should post it yet, since it won't run until Monday... Still, who's gonna see it?), and the experience was just incredible.
The best part of all? I didn't feel out of place at all. I belonged in that press box. I wasn't very outgoing so I didn't talk to many people around me (because I was lost in my own thoughts at the start of the day), but next time I'll feel more comfortable and have even more fun with it.
What a day. I can't even accurately describe it with words. I wish I had pictures of the press box, my view, the conference rooms, the interview scene, etc, but you'll just have to deal with this.
One last thing – as my status says right now, it is completely and utterly surreal to have been writing an article about Kirk Ferentz, Ricky Stanzi, Mark Farley, etc. It felt so weird typing it, and I actually re-wrote the entire thing after finishing it and turned it into a different angle. I needed to make sure this was right and I did everybody involved justice, so hopefully I did that.
Thanks for reading!
ARTICLE: http://www.clintonherald.c
Well, today was the big day. The pinnacle of my early career.
I'll be honest –it's almost ridiculous some of the opportunities I've been given. I'm still not even done with college, and I've done all sorts of amazing stuff. I really want to thank the people who are responsible for that, first of all. The Quad-City Times gave me my start (and sent me off to AHL hockey and Minor League Baseball), the Gazette (they've sent me all over, to MiLB games, to interview Nate Kaeding) and, of course, the Clinton Herald for sending me to Kinnick Stadium today.
That out of the way, let's get on with the story.
Walking up to Kinnick Stadium after getting off the train was cool, but I've done it before as a fan, so it wasn't that big of a deal. Walking around the stadium while wearing a press pass (pictures), however, was quite awesome. I walked up to Gate I, where media are told to go, and got my pass scanned. I was directed to the elevators that lead to the press box, and worked my way around the concourse to get there. I took the elevator up to the Fourth floor, and my jaw about dropped when I opened the door.
There were people everywhere. Absolutely everywhere. I wish my phone wasn't broken and preventing me from taking pictures, because I would have taken some to give you an idea what the inside of that place is like. There are three rows or press chairs, about 35 in each row, with the first being lowest, the second being about 5 feet up (so, sort of stadium seating), and the third being even higher. I'm not sure which gives the best view, but I was in the second row, seat 30, directly above the 10 yard line. I've watched a lot of football in my day (and even been in the press box at Lambeau Field once) but I've never seen a game like this before.
I had an hour to kill before the game, so I scoped out my surroundings. The press passes are scannable for one free meal, so I ate some press box food. Funny story–there were hot dogs or BBQ chicken. Everybody in front of me took one hot dog, and, despite being fat and hungry, I only took one so I wouldn't look so huge. Of course, the tiny girl behind me took two hot dogs, chips, a few cookies, etc., and made me look skinny by comparison. Oh well, the food was good, and with how riled up my stomach was, it's probably good I didn't pig out.
Surprisingly, the press box isn't too far off from being soundproof. The bands were playing, and I couldn't even tell. The crowd cheering made a little noise, but still, pretty incredible how quiet the box is. The lead-up to the game itself was boring, as I just read through some media materials that were provided, so let's skip to just before the game.
The press box has it's own PA announcer, and anything the referees on the field say into their mic comes through, incredibly loud, in there. The PA announcer asked us to stand for the National Anthem, and I was stunned that, for the next two minutes or so, I was surrounded by dead silence. We couldn't hear the anthem at all, and not one loud-mouthed sports writer said a word. Incredible.
Right before the kickoff, the PA guy came on and told us that "This is a working press box, so there is no cheering allowed. If you are caught once, we'll ask you to stop. If you are caught again, you will be removed from the press box." I mean, I thought it was just frowned upon to cheer in the press box –I didn't know it was outlawed. Just an interesting fact.
Not much happened during the game. I watched, from the greatest vantage point ever, as the Iowa Hawkeyes played a pathetic game and almost lost to an FCS opponent. One funny moment was after one of Ricky Stanzi's many pathetic attempts at a pass in the first half, some guy in the box yelled "Somebody should Twitter 'Where's Jake?'", referring to former Iowa "QB" (I use that term loosely, because he sucked worse than Rex Grossman) Jake Christensen. The entire press box cracked up at that one.
At halftime, I ran into some familiar faces. Craig DeVrieze, of the Quad-City Times, was there. I basically started writing for newspaper thanks to him, because he needed a backup for covering the Quad-City Mallards (and later, Flames), and I loved hockey. I talked to him for a few, and Mike Hlas, from the Gazette, came over. I actually hadn't met Mike to that point, so that was nice to meet and talk a bit. Near the end of the game I ran into Don Doxie, the Sports Editor at the Q-C Times who was my boss when I was there. It was nice to catch up and say hello and see how they are doing at the Times.
I'm not going to describe the end of the game here, because if you care about sports you already know what happened, but it was literally the weirdest thing I've ever seen at a sporting event. Not one person in the entire press box had ever heard of the rule that gave UNI a second chance at winning. We were seriously stunned, and couldn't for the life of us understand. Yes, there were a few of us there who hadn't covered college football before, but a lot of these guys had been doing this for a LONG time. The ending was a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, and I can safely say I was witness to one of the greatest games in Iowa football history. Not a bad first game.
Now, to the fun part. Right when the game finally ended, the 100 or so of us in the press box all bolted for the elevator. I got on in the first group (with Don and Craig and many others I don't know) and we went down to the concourse. Here is where things get stupid –there is no easy way for the media to get to the press rooms. We literally walked through the concourse that was packed with people, then entered the field through the corner of one of the end zones. I actually got to walk on the field, because we had to cross the ENTIRE thing to get to the two locker room areas. Seriously, there's no better way they could have designed this? I will say that it was an awesome feeling to be on that field with a press pass while the stands were still relatively packed...
We all stood outside of the media area, because security doesn't let us in until all the players and coaches have left the field. Since ESPN/TV stations like to grab them on field right as the game ends, we waited for about ten minutes. Finally, after one of the players walked by (I can't remember who), we were all allowed to follow.
The setup is like this –to the left is the vistor's media room. To the right are two separate rooms – the Iowa player's media room, and Ferentz's press conference room. We were told by "veteran" writers that Ferentz was notorious for taking up to an hour to start his press conference, so I waited in the UNI room since I needed to talk to both teams.
Three players came in the UNI room and sat up at a table with a mic, and all the reporters put their recorders on the table in front of them and then went and sat down. I kept quiet and just listened and took notes as three extremely depressed UNI players (standout WR Jarred Herring, defensive lineman Ben Boothby and quarterback Pat Grace) were grilled for about five to ten minutes each.
I decided to head to Iowa's player room, as Ferentz was still nowhere to be found (although he had given his "first call," so he was coming sometime in the near future) where most of the freshman were brought in. Apparently, they bring in the Iowa players in order of class, and they trickle in every few minutes. I was there for interviews with new (likely starting) running back Adam Robinson, defensive lineman Broderick Binns and wide receiver Marvin McNutt – he was the only one I actually asked a question of, because, with so many people around and me being in awe, I just let others do the talking except for with him.
The interview process is interesting. The visiting team gets to have their players sit at a table, while reporters sit a decent distance away. The players are elevated, too, so it's not awkward at all.
The Iowa players, however, got a full-on dose of awkwardness. When I first walked into that room, Robinson was literally being smothered up against a wall by about 20 reporters holding mics/digital recorders up to his face. Of course, I joined that throng, but it's really weird to witness in person. I was only one of about 5 people talking to McNutt, but it was odd because he basically just looked down at all our tape recorders while he talked.
I checked to see if Ferentz was there – nope – and headed back to the UNI room. That was good timing, because Coach Farley was in the middle of his press conference. He was the best of the group, because he was quite outspoken, very passionate, got pissed off on a few occasions, and was just a good speaker. I sat at the back of the room with the recorder on my lap, but still managed to get 11 minutes of decent audio out of it.
I walked back to Ferentz's conference room, only to see the camera guys dismantling their gear. Apparently, he came out during Farley's press conference and I missed him. I was mainly upset for selfish reasons –it would be cool to say I was in the room with him and interviewing him –but I knew I could find his press conference online or on TV if I needed, so it wasn't a horrible situation. I went back into the players room to go join the mob harassing one more player –senior linebacker A.J. Edds, who is an awesome player, by the way – before calling it a day. Edds had some great, great quotes (including one about how he jumped on Pat Angerer on the last play, after Angerer recovered the blocked kick, so 'Pat wouldn't do something stupid and kick the ball into the end zone') but I wasn't able to use them for my story.
I realized I didn't talk to Paki O'Meara, Ricky Stanzi or Tony Moeaki, but that's OK. I was there for both teams, so I had to pick my spots. I also had no clue what I was doing heading in, so next time (if there is one) I'll be able to better pick who to interview.
Anyway, that's about it. I got lost trying to find the train station but made it onto the last train in time to get home, so everything worked out. I'm happy with my article (I'm not sure I should post it yet, since it won't run until Monday... Still, who's gonna see it?), and the experience was just incredible.
The best part of all? I didn't feel out of place at all. I belonged in that press box. I wasn't very outgoing so I didn't talk to many people around me (because I was lost in my own thoughts at the start of the day), but next time I'll feel more comfortable and have even more fun with it.
What a day. I can't even accurately describe it with words. I wish I had pictures of the press box, my view, the conference rooms, the interview scene, etc, but you'll just have to deal with this.
One last thing – as my status says right now, it is completely and utterly surreal to have been writing an article about Kirk Ferentz, Ricky Stanzi, Mark Farley, etc. It felt so weird typing it, and I actually re-wrote the entire thing after finishing it and turned it into a different angle. I needed to make sure this was right and I did everybody involved justice, so hopefully I did that.
Thanks for reading!
Iowa gets boost from Moeaki, beats Michigan
Here is my article from the Iowa/Michigan game a few weeks back. I'll be back in the press box this Saturday for the Indiana game, so check for my article on here sometime Sunday!
http://www.clintonherald.com/archivesearch/local_story_285061258.html
http://www.clintonherald.com/archivesearch/local_story_285061258.html
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