SATURDAy, OCTOBER 3 | Iowa vs. WISCONSIN | CAMP RANDALL STADIUM
The Daily Iowan
PREGAME
KOEHN’S MOMENT Inside: A punch-for-punch contest
22 -- The 2, 2015 The Daily Daily Iowan Iowan -- PREGAME PREGAME -- Iowa Iowa City, City, Iowa Iowa -- Friday, Friday, October September 19, 2014
GUIDE
STAFF Publisher: 335-5788 William Casey Editor: 335-6030 Stacey Murray Pregame Editor: 335-5848 Danny Payne Sports Editor : 335-5848 Ian Murphy Jordan Hansen Copy Chief: 335-5855 Beau Elliot Design Editor: 335-5855 Pat LyneLyne, Taylor Laufersweiler Patrick Photo Editor: 335-5852 Joshua Housing Josh Housing
REMEMBER When WHEN ... Remember Iowa tight end Jake Duzey scores on a 9-yard reception in Kinnick Stadium on Nov. 22, 2014. Duzey had 4 receptions for 72 yards, but the Badgers defeated the Hawkeyes, 26-24. (The Daily Iowan/File Photo)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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A 57-yard field goal against Pittsburgh jolted Marshall Koehn into the spotlight, something new for him.
Inside Feature Wisconsin is perhaps the most physical team Iowa will face this season. What are the Hawkeyes doing to prepare?
By The Numbers Iowa-Wisconsin couldn’t get more Big Ten if it tried. A look at key statistics show why.
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Table of Contents Cover Story
Web Editor : 335-5829 Tony Phan Business Manager: 335-5786 Debra Plath : 335-5784 Juli Krause Circulation Manager: 335-5794 Juli Krause Advertising Manager: 335-5193 Renee Manders
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Full rosters for both the Hawkeyes and Badgers. Plus, a totally tubular poster!
Around the Big Ten Our weekly conference power rankings, plus some players and this week’s big game to watch.
On The Line Our weekly college football picks.
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Pittsburgh wide receiver Tyler Boyd watches a 57-yard Marshall Koehn field goal cross the uprights in the closing seconds of the game against the Hawkeyes on Sept. 19 in Kinnick. The Hawkeyes defeated the Panthers, 27-24. (The Daily Iowan/Sergio Flores)
Koehn, Kaeding, and kicking
Marshall Koehn’s 57-yard field goal was the most recent example of what’s becoming a remarkable career. By Jordan Hansen jordan-hansen@uiowa.edu
Until a 57-yard field goal sailed through the uprights in Kinnick against Pittsburgh on September 19, Marshall Koehn wasn’t often in the spotlight. Outside of missing three of his
first five college field goals and being a touchback machine, Koehn wasn’t mentioned very often. Things are different now. He’s a star. And that’s a long, long ways from where he started. Koehn, a native of Solon, was part of a high-school class that won
four-consecutive football state championships from 2007-10. The first three were in 2A, the final in 3A. He played numerous positions on those teams, with kicking coming secondary to his other duties. “I didn’t have a lot of time to practice kicking, honestly,” Koehn said. “Before practice and after practice,
I’d try to get a few reps, but a lot of the time was spent focusing on other stuff.” Koehn still managed to put up impressive kicking numbers — 17-of-24 on field goals and 161-of-181 on PATs — and he had the attention of severSee COVER, 14
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Hawks to face punch-for-punch contest Wisconsin is one of the most physical teams Iowa will face this season. By Ryan Rodriguez ryan-rodriguez@uiowa.edu
One could call the first four weeks of Iowa’s schedule a pre-test meant to prepare it to take a run at the Big Ten West title. At 4-0, the Hawks have passed with flying colors. Now it’s time for the real thing. Arguably the Hawkeyes’ biggest game of the year, Iowa’s clash with Wisconsin on Saturday could be their most punishing, physical contest of the season. Because of this, the Hawks’ ability to take a punch and bounce back will be a major factor if they want to win the Big Ten West. “When you get to Big Ten play, it’s guys we’re more familiar with that are more familiar with us, so they’re always tough, hard-fought, physical games,” running back Jordan Canzeri said. “We’re expecting nothing less.” Many see the Heartland Trophy game as the quintessential Big Ten contest, one filled with tons of hard hits and aggression shared by two historic teams. But this year, led by a dynamic quarterback and speedy scat-back, Iowa’s offense has veered away from the traditional, power run game. For Macon Plewa, playing the Badgers is a perfect opportunity to get back to the hard-nosed style of play he and fellow fullback Adam Cox have relished since joining the Hawkeyes. “It’s probably a fullback’s dream game,” Plewa joked. “Just a physical-hard-hitting game. Definitely, two teams that pride themselves on running the ball hard, so it’s definitely a dream game for a fullback.” In seasons past, Mark Weisman was the featured back against the Badgers, getting the bulk of Iowa’s carries and shouldering a heavy load of blocking. With bruiser LeShun Daniels Jr. nursing an ankle injury, the speedier, smaller Jordan Canzeri figures to get the bulk of Iowa’s carries. Regardless of how much of a factor Iowa’s fullbacks are against the Badgers, one thing is for certain: The Hawkeyes will have to be willing to take a beating if they want to win Saturday. “Opening up the Big Ten is a new kind of physicality for us,” Plewa said. “We always want to start fast, and
Iowa fullback Macon Plewa (42) and running back Jordan Canzeri (33) celebrate in Kinnick Stadium on Sept. 19. The Hawkeyes beat the Panthers, 27-24. (The Daily Iowan/Joshua Housing) set the tone early, and let them know we’re coming to hit you.” Plewa’s and Cox’s overall importance to the offense is as vital as ever. “They’re both tough guys, so it makes you as a running back more comfortable when you run behind guys like them,” Canzeri said. “Everybody thinks it’s always the running back when he makes a big play that
creates a spark for the offense, but when our fullbacks are running at full speed and get a good hit in, that creates a spark, too.” The Badgers have won their last three matchups against the Hawks, including two by 3 points or less. As that statistic illustrates, it’s not always about landing the biggest punch.
Teams built for Big Ten success need to take a blow and fight back twice as hard. Through four games, Iowa has shown a ton of fight. “I think going into those hostile environments just gives us even more juice, honestly,” quarterback C.J. Beathard said. “It’s us against everybody else; we just have to go out there and bring it to them.”
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By the Numbers: Iowa vs. Wisconsin By Danny Payne daniel-payne-1@uiowa.edu
Iowa/Wisconsin is about as Big Ten of a game as a Big Ten game gets. Two of the better rushing defenses in the NCAA, two run-oriented offenses, and two head coaches with Big Ten roots — can’t say much more than that.
Rushing Defense — Iowa: 84 yards per game, Wisconsin: 82 yards per game Naturally, we’ll start with a look at each rushing defense, which will play a major role in Saturday’s contest in Madison. Before the Hawkeyes allowed 183 yards on the ground to North Texas last weekend, they were tops in the Big Ten with an average of 51 yards allowed. The stout version of Iowa’s defense, rather than the one that showed up last weekend, will have to appear Saturday to give the Hawks a chance to win — the Badgers average 188.25 rushing yards per contest. As far as the Wisconsin defense goes, it has been nothing short of phenomenal since allowing 238 yards in the opening week against Alabama. Granted, the Badgers have played three cupcake games, giving up only 90 yards in those contests. Iowa’s rushing attack isn’t as good as Alabama’s. The Hawkeyes average 196.25 yards per contest to the Crimson Tide’s 202.5, but that doesn’t mean Wisconsin is in for a stroll in the park.
Third-down conversions — Iowa: 52 percent, Wisconsin opponents: 32.14 percent Iowa’s early success on third down shouldn’t be much of a surprise for the Hawkeye faithful. After all, Iowa finished third in the Big Ten in this category last season, converting at a 44.78 percent clip, behind only Ohio State and Michigan State. In 2015, this metric is good for the top spot in the Big Ten, but it was boosted by a 6-of-9 showing against North Texas. Obviously, the Hawkeyes would love to be in as few third-down situations as possible, but they should take solace in knowing they’ve been successful this year — even if Wis-
Iowa defensive back Desmond King tackles Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon in Kinnick on Nov. 2, 2013. King had 7 tackles, but Wisconsin defeated Iowa, 28-9. (The Daily Iowan/File Photo) consin’s defense has done a fine job of getting off the field.
Total offense — Iowa: 439.3 yards per game, Wisconsin: 408 yards per game Again, take this metric with a grain of salt. The only defense remotely close to being classified as legitimate Iowa has faced this far is Pittsburgh’s, which ranks No. 17 nationally in total defense, giving up an average of 291.7 yards. Wisconsin is in a similar boat. Head coach Paul Chryst’s squad faced Ala-
bama, which ranks No. 12 nationally, giving up an average of 267 yards per contest. When Iowa played Pittsburgh, the Hawkeyes racked up 363 yards of offense (that’s the only time this year the Hawks have failed to break 400), and when Wisconsin played the Crimson Tide, it managed 268 yards.
Punting — Iowa: 45.87 yards per punt, Wisconsin: 40.67 yards per punt Field position should play a big part in this contest, as it does in most
Big Ten matchups. Hawkeye Dillon Kidd has done a nice job this year, averaging 47.92 per punt. Kidd hasn’t yet qualified for the Big Ten leaderboard, but if he had, that number would rank first in the league. Wisconsin’s Drew Meyer ranks seventh among qualified punters in the league at 40.7 yards per attempt. If anything, Iowa should feel comfortable in the field-position game. The Hawkeyes have shown they can march the length of the field, totaling nine scoring drives of 70-plus yards this season. Wisconsin has put together seven drives of that caliber.
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ROS
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Iowa Hawkeyes
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Marshall Koehn Mick Ellis Brandon Bishop Jay Scheel Jacob Black Tevaun Smith Ronald Nash Omar Truitt Emmanuel Ogwo Sean Draper Colten Rastetter Isaiah Kramme Tyler Wiegers Jerminic Smith Jonathan Parker Ryan Boyle Michael Ojemuida Anthony Gair Greg Mabin Desmond King Connor Keane Joshua Jackson Dillon Kidd C.J. Beathard Jacob Hillyer Ryan Schmidt Drew Cook Miles Taylor Andrew Stone Justin Jinning Angelo Garbutt John Milani Eric Graham Akrum Wadley Kevin Ward Jordan Lomax Maurice Fleming LeShun Daniels, Jr. Nick Wilson Jake Gervase Steve Manders Aaron Mends Derrick Mitchell, Jr. Jordan Canzeri Nate Meier Cole Fisher Brandon Snyder Adam Cox Travis Perry Parker Hesse Bo Bower Austin Kelly Macon Plewa Josey Jewell Ben Niemann Eric Grimm Drake Kulick George Kittle Lane Akre Jack Hockaday Melvin Spears Jacob Sobotka Jackson Subbert Drake Dunker Boone Myers Brady Ross Garret Jansen Steve Ferentz Faith Ekaktike Jake Newborg Eric Simmons Ross Reynolds Jacob Giese Kyle Terlouw Austin Blythe Cole Croston
6-0/200 5-10/180 6-9/170 6-1/195 6-0/205 6-0/200 6-2/210 5-11/180 6-0/170 6-0/190 6-2/205 6-3/205 6-4/222 6-1/180 5-8/185 6-2/215 6-2/190 6-2/200 6-2/200 5-11/200 6-1/195 6-1/185 6-2/215 6-2/209 6-4/212 6-5/220 6-5/220 6-0/195 5-11/175 6-2/210 6-2/210 6-1/185 5-9/195 5-11/180 6-1/205 5-10/205 6-0/205 6-0/230 6-2/206 6-2/200 6-1/235 6-0/200 6-1/212 5-9/192 6-2/252 6-2/236 6-1/210 5-11/234 6-3/234 6-3/240 6-1/228 5-11/245 6-2/234 6-2/230 6-3/205 6-2/200 6-1/228 6-4/235 6-0/220 6-1/215 6-2/268 6-3/225 6-3/205 6-2/225 6-5/300 6-1/220 6-2/255 6-2/278 6-3/290 6-3/280 6-2/295 6-4/300 6-3/270 6-4/288 6-3/290 6-5/295
PK K DB WR DB WR WR DB WR DB P DB QB WR WR QB WR DB DB DB WR DB P QB WR QB QB DB WR LB LB DB RB RB DB DB DB RB LB DB LB FB RB RB DE OLB DB FB LB LB LB FB FB OLB LB LB LB TE FB LB DE LB LS LB OL LB DL OL DL OL OL OL DL DL OL OL
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Solon, Iowa Allen, Texas Sugar Grove, Ill. Mount Auburn, Iowa Solon, Iowa Toronto, Ontario Sioux City, Iowa Fort Washington, Md. Mesquite, Texas Cleveland, Ohio Guttenberg, Iowa Ankeny, Iowa Lake Orion, Mich. Garland, Texas St. Louis, Mo. West Des Moines, Iowa Farmington Hills, Mich. Plano, Texas Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Detroit, Mich. St. Paul, Minn. Cornith, Texas Deerfield Beach, Fla. Franklin, Tenn. Somerset, Texas Linn-Mar, Iowa Iowa City, Iowa Silver Spring, Md. Cedar Falls, Iowa The Colony, Texas Carrollton, Texas Iowa City, Iowa Prattville, Ala. Newark, N.J. Homer Glen, Ill. Upper Marlboro, Md. Chicago, Ill. Warren, Ohio Granger, Iowa Davenport, Iowa Crofton, Md. Kansas City, Mo. St. Louis, Mo. Troy, N.Y. Tabor, Iowa Omaha, Neb. Larchwood, Iowa Chana, Ill. Urbandale, Iowa Waukon, Iowa West Branch, Iowa Hickory Hills, Ill. Franklin, Wisc. Decorah, Iowa Sycamore, Ill. Damascs, Md. Muscatine, Iowa Norman, Okla. Geneseo, Ill. Forsyth, Ill. Allen, Texas Clearfield, Iowa Williamsburg, Iowa St. Louis, Mo. Webster City, Iowa Humboldt, Iowa Pella, Iowa Iowa City, Iowa Brampton, Ontario Inwood, Iowa Madrid, Iowa Waukee, Iowa West Branch, Iowa Sully, Iowa Williamsburg, Iowa Sergeant Bluff, Iowa
IOWA VS. WISCONSIN • SATURDA 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 97 98 98 99
Jordan Walsh Levi Paulsen Jaleel Johnson Landan Paulsen Keegan Render Lucas LeGrand Brett Waechter Brant Gressel Ryan Ward Mitch Keppy Ike Boettger Dalton Ferguson Daniel Gaffey James Daniels Sean Welsh Henry Krieger Coble Jon Wisnieski Adrian Falconer Riley McCarron Andre Harris Nate Vejvoda Peter Pekar Jake Duzey Jake Hulett Matt VandeBerg Sam Brincks Miguel Recinos Brady Reiff Jameer Outsey Terrence Harris Michale Slater Drew Ott Matt Nelson Tyler Kluver Darian Cooper Anthony Nelson Nate Wieting Nathan Bazata
6-4/290 6-5/290 6-4/310 6-5/290 6-4/305 6-5/280 6-5/275 6-2/280 6-5/290 6-5/300 6-6/300 6-4/307 6-2/260 6-4/285 6-3/288 6-4/250 6-5/247 6-1/180 5-9/186 6-0/185 6-5/215 6-4/245 6-4/248 6-3/265 6-1/185 6-5/260 6-1/173 6-3/226 6-3/235 6-3/252 6-2/265 6-4/272 6-8/270 6-0/220 6-2/282 6-7/220 6-4/225 6-2/284
OL OL DL OL OL OL OL DL DL OL OL OL DL OL OL TE TE WR WR WR TE TE TE DL WR DE K DL TE DE DE DL DE LS DL DE TE DL
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Glendale Heights, Iowa Moville, Iowa Lombard, Ill. Moville, Iowa Indianola, Iowa Dubuque, Iowa Hartley, Iowa Centerville, Ohio Homer Glen, Ill. Port Byron, Ill. Cedar Falls, Iowa Solon, Iowa Iowa City, Iowa Warren, Ohio Springboro, Ohio Mount Pleasant, Iowa West Des Moines, Iowa Leesburg, Fla. Dubuque, Iowa Kirkwood, Mo. Homer Glen, Ill. Greendale, Wis. Troy, Mich. Springville, Iowa Brandon, S.D. Carroll, Iowa Mason City, Iowa Parkston, S.D. Somerset, N.J. Englewood, N.J. St. Louis, Mo. Trumbull, Neb. Cedar Rapids, Iowa Marshalltown, Iowa Elkridge, Md. Urbandale, Iowa Rockford, Ill. Howells, Neb.
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Wisconsin Badgers
AY, OCTOBER 3, 2015 • 11:00 A.M. 2 3 5 6 7 7 8 9 9 10 11 11 12 12 13 13 14 14 15 16 19 20 21 21 22 23 24 24 25 26 26 27 28 29 29 30 30 31 32 34 34
Joel Stave Tanner McEvoy Darius Hillary Corey Clement Michael Caputo D.J. Gillins Sojourn Shelton Titus Booker Jordan Frederick Rafael Gaglianone T.J. Reynard Jazz Peavy Natrell Jamerson Alex Hornibrook Evan Bondoc Bart Houston Thad Armstrong D’Cota Dixon Robert Wheelwright Reggie Love Leo Musso Austin Ramesh Arrington Farrar Mark Saari Caleb Kinlaw Dare Ogunbowale Keelon Brookins Ricky Finko Derrick Tindal Derek Straus Elijah Strong Bradrick Shaw Taiwan Deal Terrance Floyd Max Praschak Serge Trezy Jake Whalen Lubern Figaro Leon Jacobs Derek Watt Chikwe Obasih
QB S CB RB S QB CB CB WR K CB WR CB QB S QB QB S WR WR S FB S RB CB RB ILB WR CB FB CB RB RB CB OLB RB OLB CB ILB FB DE
6-5 6-6 5-11 5-11 6-1 6-3 5-9 5-11 6-4 5-11 5-10 6-0 6-0 6-4 6-1 6-4 6-5 5-10 6-3 6-3 5-10 6-1 6-2 6-0 5-10 5-11 5-11 5-8 5-11 6-1 6-0 6-1 6-1 5-10 6-2 6-2 6-1 6-0 6-2 6-2 6-3
219 231 187 219 206 198 176 187 208 240 170 189 191 211 201 224 213 203 202 216 186 246 215 208 190 200 213 185 176 227 170 205 220 198 198 202 229 181 233 236 268
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Greenfield, Wis. Hillsdale, N.J. Cincinnati, Ohio Glassboro, N.J. Imperial, Pa. Jacksonville, Fla. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Round Lake Beach, Ill. Madison, Wis. Sao Paulo, Brazil Virginia Beach, Va. Kenosha, Wis. Ocala, Fla. West Chester, Pa. Madison, Wis. Dublin, Calif. Ottawa, Ill. Oak Hill, Fla. Columbus, Ohio Boynton Beach, Fla. Waunakee, Wis. Land O’ Lakes, Wis. Atlanta, Ga. Montreal, Wis. Goose Creek, S.C. Milwaukee, Wis. St. Paul, Minn. Hartland, Wis. Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Waunakee, Wis. Oak Creek, Wis. Birmingham, Ala. Capitol Heights, Md. Boynton Beach, Fla. Somerset, Wis. Orlando, Fla. Wausau, Wis. Everett, Mass. Santa Clarita, Calif. Pewaukee, Wis. Brookfield, Wis.
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Joe Ferguson Troy Laufenberg Andrew Endicott Bret Verstegen P.J.Rosowski John Damrow Zach Hintze Jesse Hayes Henry Houden T.J. Watt Peter Roy Ryan Connelly Eric Steffes Alec Ingold Nick Thomas Austin Traylor Vince Biegel Mitchell Herl Jack Cichy Kyle Penniston Chris Orr Jacob Maxwell David Pfaff T.J. Edwards Tyl DeForest Garret Dooley Zack Baun Alec James George Panos Joe Schobert TylerJohnson Connor Udelhoven Tyler Marz Walker Williams MichaelDeiter Brett Connors Olive Sagapolu Ryan Ramczyk Beau Benzschawel Kelly Thomas Jon Dietzen David Moorman Aidan McNamara Dan Voltz Ray Ball Kevin Estes Hayden Biegel Gunnar Roberge Micah Kapoi Logan Schmidt Ian Dretzka Jason Erdmann Ben Hemer Troy Fumagalli A.J. Jordan Andrew James Krenwick Sanders Alex Erickson George Rushing David Edwards Drew Meyer Zander Neuville Jeremy Patterson Jake Keefer Conor Sheehy Arthur Goldberg Billy Hirschfeld Connor Allen Jack Russell Andrew Ruzek Kraig Howe
S RB K S P TE K OLB WR OLB WR ILB TE RB ILB TE OLB TE OLB TE ILB OL DE ILB LB OLB OLB DE OL OLB OLB LS OL OL OL OL NT OL OL DE OL OL OL OL OL OL OL NT OL OL OL OL OL TE WR WR WR WR WR TE P DE NT DE NT DE DE P K DE DE
6-1 5-10 5-9 5-11 6-3 6-3 6-0 6-3 6-4 6-5 6-0 6-3 6-5 6-2 6-2 6-4 6-4 6-4 6-2 6-4 6-0 6-6 6-2 6-1 6-0 6-3 6-3 6-3 6-5 6-2 6-3 6-0 6-7 6-7 6-6 6-6 6-2 6-6 6-6 6-6 6-6 6-5 6-4 6-3 6-7 6-5 6-7 6-4 6-3 6-4 6-6 6-6 6-6 6-6 6-0 6-0 6-2 6-0 6-1 6-7 6-3 6-5 6-3 6-3 6-4 6-3 6-6 6-0 6-0 6-6 6-3
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Madison, Wis. Waunakee, Wis. Roseville, Calif. Kimberly, Wis. Stoughton, Wis. Delavan, Wis. Fond du Lac, Wis. Cincinnati, Ohio Madison, Wis. Pewaukee, Wis. Muskego, Wis. Eden Prairie, Minn. Mount Calvary, Wis. Green Bay, Wis. Bradenton, Fla. Columbus, Ohio Wisconsin Rapids, WI Middleton, Wis. Somerset, Wis. Orange, Calif. Desoto, Texas Greendale, Wis. Mequon, Wis. Lake Villa, Ill. Marshall, Wis. Rochester, Ill. Brown Deer, Wis. Brookfield, Wis. Hartland, Wis. Waukesha, Wis. Menasha, Wis. St. Paul, Minn. Springfield, Minn. Tacoma, Wash. Curtice, Ohio New Berlin, Wis. Huntington Beach Stevens Point, Wis. Grafton, Wis. Racine, Wis. Black Creek, Wis. Northville, Mich. Madison, Wis. Barrington, Ill. Columbus, Ohio San Marcos, Calif. Wisconsin Rapids, WI Seymour, Wis. Kapolei, Hawaii Gotham, Wis. Delafield, Wis. Richfield, Wis. Medford, Wis. Naperville, Ill. Dayton, Ohio Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Jesup, Ga. Darlington, Wis. Miramar, Fla. Downers Grove, Ill. Hartland, Wis. Waupaca, Wis. Screven, Ga. Woodville, Wis. Milwaukee, Wis. Mount Lebanon, Pa. Okauchee, Wis. New Berlin, Wis. Waunakee, Wis. Stevens Point, Wis. Dayton, Ohio
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COVER
Continued from 4
al colleges, including Iowa. When he was offered a chance to be a preferred walk-on by the Hawks, he accepted. Fast-forward to the beginning of his junior year. Koehn and true freshman Mick Ellis were battling for the job in fall camp. Koehn won the competition but struggled during his first two games. He went 2-of-5 against Northern Iowa and Ball State. Things got so bad, head coach Kirk Ferentz decided to burn Ellis’ redshirt after Koehn missed a 37-yarder against the Cardinals. The change wasn’t successful; Ellis missed a 29-yard field goal and only saw spot extra-point duty for the rest of the year. Koehn has missed exactly one field goal since being pulled during the game with Ball State. “He’s always had great leg strength, but his consistency over the last two years has really improved,” Ferentz said. “I’d say two years ago, he was as apt to hit one from 55 as he was miss one. I’m not sure the probability was any different from 25 in terms of yardage.” Consistency is a favorite buzzword for coaches everywhere, but for Koehn it holds more meaning. During his senior year at Solon, Koehn worked with Nate Kaeding, the former Hawkeye and one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history. A lifelong Iowa fan, Koehn sucked up every word from his favorite kicker as a child. “We talked about how one of his main goals was if you miss a kick, don’t miss the next one,” Koehn said. “Just have mental toughness.” It wasn’t the only time the two spoke. As Kaeding says, he became a mentor to Koehn. He wanted to give Koehn plenty of space, but because he was back in Iowa City, Kaeding figured he could help when needed. “I learned to appreciate the importance of having someone close by that you can shoot questions to, and can be supportive of you when things are going poorly,” Kaeding said. “I kind of serve as a navigational buoy, so to speak. “Every now and then, I push them back on the right course.” Having Kaeding as another friendly, understanding voice in Koehn’s ear only has helped. Also benefiting him is an un-
Iowa kicker Marshall Koehn is tackled by Iowa State defensive back Kamari Cotton-Moya in Jack Trice Stadium in Ames on Sept. 12. The Hawkeyes defeated the Cyclones, 31-17. (The Daily Iowan/Alyssa Hitchcock) derstanding coaching staff. Special-teams coach Chris White said before this season he put some pressure on Koehn last year. It seems to have worked. “What I think makes a great kicker is being able to work through those tough circumstances and have a good support network around you,” Kaeding said. “Those experiences that Marshall went through early in his career, those few hiccups, are going to serve him really well now.” Koehn’s performance has been positive since early in his 2014 season. In his career, he’s 16-of-20 on field goals and 56-57 on PATs. His last field goal, the 57-yarder against Pittsburgh, is the longest
field goal in the NCAA this season. In fact, only three kickers have made a field goal from 57-plus yards in the last three years — Koehn, Indiana’s Griffin Oakes, and Maryland’s Brad Craddock. Also impressive are the 18 touchbacks on 24 kickoffs he had last season. Koehn’s 75 percent touchback rate has him tied for seventh in the NCAA and second in the Big Ten. Touchbacks are a valued stat at the college level and continue to be important in the NFL. It can take a dangerous returner out of the game and avoid the jarring hits that can cause injuries during kickoffs. Interestingly, it’s an improvement over last year, when he had the high-
est touchback percentage in the Big Ten (63.24) by a whopping 10 percentage points over Illinois’ Taylor Zalewski. That mark was also eighth highest nationally. Even more, Koehn did not allow a single kick to go outof-bounds. Granted, at least some of his touchback success comes from the NCAA moving the kickoff to the 35-yard line starting in 2013, but rules are rules, and Koehn has taken advantage of them. “It comes from a lot of a practice,” he said. “The special teams, as a unit, work hard over the summer, and we’re meshing pretty well right now.” See COVER, 18
GO HAWKS!
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AROUND THE BIG TEN Charlie Green charles-j-green@uiowa.edu
power rankings
Offensive Impact
1) Ohio State (4-0) With each passing week, the Buckeyes look more and more like 2014 Florida State. Wouldn’t be shocked at the same result.
8. Indiana (4-0) Technically, this team is undefeated. Hopefully, the Hoosiers enjoy it before Ohio State stops by on Saturday.
2) Michigan State (4-0) Oregon’s fall from the rankings doesn’t bode well for Sparty down the road, unless, of course, it can knock off the aforementioned wanna-be-Seminoles.
9. Nebraska (2-2) Its two losses have been tough. Now that they’re in Big Ten season, it’s a fresh start.
3. Northwestern (4-0) Seriously? Yes. The Big Ten is the most top-heavy conference of the most top-heavy sport.
10. Penn State (3-1) They failed to make it through a cupcake-laden nonconference schedule unscathed.
4. Wisconsin (3-1) The Badgers have won their last three games by a combined total of 114-3 against teams you might not even know existed — Miami Ohio, Troy, and Hawaii.
11. Maryland (2-2) One of the Big Ten newbies that contributes nothing to the conference from a football standpoint.
5. Iowa (4-0) As gutsy as the win over North Texas was, the Hawks really put their undefeated record on the line Saturday in Madison.
12. Illinois (3-1) The Illini have played one unranked team from a Power-5 conference in 2015. North Carolina reminded us what Illinois is in that game.
6. Michigan (3-1) No, Jim Harbaugh is not taking Michigan to the College Football Playoff in 2015.
13. Rutgers (2-2) See No. 11.
7. Minnesota (3-1) Where the Big Ten slips into the “no one cares” zone.
14. Purdue (1-3) What’s Kyle Orton up to these days? (Note: If Tebow doesn’t work out for the Bears, Orton should be on speed dial.)
Name: Taiwan Deal, Wisconsin Position: Running back Year: RS Freshman The redshirt freshman ran for 147 yards and 2 touchdowns in the Sept. 26 win over Hawaii. In the absence of the injured Corey Clement, he could emerge as Wisconsin’s featured tailback.
defensive Impact Name: Anthony Zettle, Penn State Position: Defensive tackle Year: Senior Nassib, who started his Nittany Lion career as a walk-on, is having himself one hell of a start to the season. His 5 sacks rank first in the conference. Nassib has also tallied an interception, 2 fumbles, and 7 tackles for loss.
GAME TO WATCH MINNESOTA at NO. 16 NORTHWESTERN When: 11 a.m. Saturday Where: Ryan Field, Evanston, Illinois Watch: Big Ten Network
The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, October 2, 2015 - 17
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- The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa
ON THE LINE
Taylor Brooks
Patrick Lyne
DITV SPORTS DIRECTOR (11-9)
DESIGN EDITOR (16-4)
IOWA The game that pretty much tells you everything you need to know.
IOWA News flash: Wisconsin isn’t that good.
IOWA I mean I know Iowa will break my heart at some point, but I’ll stick with them for now.
IOWA (52%) Hawkeyes move to 5-0 on their way to winning the division!
MINNESOTA The Wildcats are more overrated than Chipotle.
NORTHWESTERN Apparently they are kind of a power house this season?
MINNESOTA It’s Northwestern... how long can they actually keep this up?
NORTHWESTERN (69%) ‘Cats are the second-biggest surprise in the Big Ten after Iowa.
GEORGIA They both lost the game against General Sherman, though.
ALABAMA They have momentum.
GEORGIA Brooks does not have momentum.
ALABAMA (56%) The Tide find a way to win a close game. ROLL TIDE!
CLEMSON It’s only a matter of time before that Irish luck runs out.
NOTRE DAME Because I’ll never trust a guy named Dabo.
CLEMSON I want to see Notre Dame lose.
NOTRE DAME It’s really baffling how so many people still pick against this team.
NOTRE DAME (60%) Great matchup, but Fighting Irish hunt down Tigers.
STANFORD Arizona’s place in OTL ends here.
STANFORD Because there aren’t enough stories connected to Jim Harbaugh yet.
STANFORD Without Solomon, Arizona is doomed.
STANFORD And I still don’t like Rich.
STANFORD (66%) Arizona is still shaken up after getting blown out last week.
Danny Payne
Jordan Hansen SPORTS EDITOR (14-6)
FOOTBALL REPORTER (12-8)
IOWA This Iowa team just feels different, man.
IOWA Are we seriously talking about the Hawkeyes being 5-0?
IOWA The only time I’ll ever take corn over cheese.
Minnesota at No. 16 Northwestern
NORTHWESTERN Ryan Field in Evanston will have absolutely nothing to do with this win.
NORTHWESTERN Two bad offenses and two great defenses? #B1G
NORTHWESTERN Minnesota is back to being Minnesota.
No. 13 Alabama at No. 8 Georgia
GEORGIA My roommate John is the biggest ‘Bama fan I know. Too bad for him.
GEORGIA Someone made Mark Richt a corn maze. Seriously, go look it up.
GEORGIA Is Nick Saban capable of losing two games this early? Only in the SEC.
No. 6 Notre Dame at No. 12 Clemson
CLEMSON I went against my gut with the Michigan pick last week. I’m giving my gut another shot.
NOTRE DAME Both of these teams can and will choke at will. I flipped a coin.
Arizona at No. 18 Stanford
STANFORD I wish the rest of the U.S. played good games so we don’t have to pick Pac-12 ones.
STANFORD At this rate, Northwestern is going to end up in the top-10. And I’m only half-kidding.
MATCHUPS Iowa at No. 19 Wisconsin
PREGAME EDITOR (13-7)
COVER Continued from 14 As good as Koehn is, the rest of the unit deserves at least part of the credit for Koehn’s run of success. Long snapper Tyler Kluver and holder Dillon Kidd have not fumbled a snap this season. Kidd is in his first year as a holder — former punter Connor Kornbrath, who left the program in the off-season, filled the position last season — and Kidd has had no trouble getting snaps from Kluver, who is in his second year as a starter. According to Kidd, the many hours on the practice field have turned into superb performance, highlighted by the field goal against the Panthers. “I feel like the body of work that Marshall, Tyler, and I have put in, in this off-season, especially in gameweek preparation, has been something important in a game-winning situation,” Kidd said. “You trust the process.” As the season plays out, Koehn will trust in another process — the
Charlie Green
professional one. Koehn said every college kicker’s dream is to play in the NFL, and he would consider it. While not highly touted on draft boards — he currently is the 16th best kicking prospect, according to nfldraftscout.com — it’s not an impossible dream. Koehn has the leg. Since the beginning of the 2011 NFL season, only 15 kickers have made field goals of 57-plus. He also benefits from the NFL kicking off at the 35-yard line, the same as in college. This rule changed in 2011 and makes kickers with booming legs all the more valuable. Getting to the NFL, Kaeding says, is a process, and it must be treated accordingly. “Put your best performances on tape, and let the NFL look at it. That’ll take care of itself,” Kaeding said. “The only way to control their opinion is to play good football — that’s what Marshall needs to do week in and week out.” Making field goals and sending kickoffs into the crowd will look good to scouts.
Ryan Rodriguez FOOTBALL REPORTER (15-5)
Fan Picks
Iowa’s Marshall Koehn kicks an extra point in Memorial Stadium on Nov. 15, 2014, in Champaign, Illinois. The Hawkeyes defeated the Fighting Illini, 30-14. (The Daily Iowan/Valerie Burke) It will also help Iowa win, which, for Koehn, is all that needs to be done at this stage. “You only get so many opportunities, and you have to make the most
of them,” Koehn said. “I’m not even looking for the NFL stuff right now, I’m just focused on the next game. “If we keep winning games, that’s the best thing that could happen.”
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