SATURDAy, OCTOBER 17 | Iowa vs. NORTHWESTERN | RYAN FIELD | 11 a.m. ABC/espn2
PREGAME The Daily Iowan
OVERCOMING ATTRITION Inside: Iowa’s attacking offensive line
22 -- The 16, 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 linebacker Ben Niemann scores a touchdown after blocking a punt by Northwestern in Kinnick on Nov. 1, 2014. The Hawkeyes defeated the Wildcats, 48-7. (The Daily Iowan/Alyssa Hitchcock)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Two starting tackles, a running back, a defensive end, and a wide receiver are all out this week. How will Iowa survive?
Inside Feature Iowa’s offensive line is one aggressive bunch. Take a look at why they play that way.
By The Numbers Our weekly numbers-based breakdown of Iowa’s game. See how the ‘Cats and Hawks match up.
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The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, October 16, 2015 - 3
4 - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, October 16, 2015
Surviving the MASH calls Despite an onslaught of injuries, the Iowa football team is No. 17 in the nation and is in the driver’s seat to win the Big Ten West. By Ryan Rodriguez ryan-rodriguez@uiowa.edu
A few days before Iowa’s 29-20 win over Illinois on Oct. 10 at Kinnick Stadium, defensive end Drew Ott fielded questions at the team’s practice facility from reporters as part of the Hawkeyes’ weekly media availability. Ott, who had been dealing with a nagging elbow injury since the second week, talked about the mentality of staying healthy and dealing with injuries, both from a personal standpoint as well as the team as a whole. “You always have to be ready to go in no matter what happens,” Ott said. “Injuries are part of it. You have to know the role of the starter in case he goes down and be able to step up.” Four days later, Ott, slumped over on a pair of crutches with his right knee wrapped, watched from the sidelines as his team ran out the clock on its sixth victory of the season. His ACL torn and his final season over not even halfway through its course, Ott limped off the field followed by a handful of sports trainers. The moment felt surreal to watch, but in many ways was perfectly emblematic of Iowa’s 2015 campaign thus far. Boasting serious depth and flexibility on the roster, the Hawkeyes have been able to handle injuries to key players almost without missing a beat in a way that few thought possible early on in the season. “I think it’s a testament to our character as much as it is anything else,” center Austin Blythe said. “We have guys who can play all over the place and just have that attitude. It’s the next man in, and they have to be ready to go.” “Next man in” is a phrase that’s been repeated by ad nauseam by many of the Iowa players this year anytime a question about injuries occurs. More than anything, it’s a mantra meant to underscore the necessity of having a team be more than just its individual parts. But it’s been more than just a platitude regurgitated by a player thinking back to his media training. It’s become a way of life for these Hawks and a vital one at that. The team has been hit hard by the
Iowa trainers attend to defensive end Drew Ott after he was injured during the Homecoming game against Illinois in Kinnick on Oct. 10. The Hawkeyes defeated the Fighting Illini, 29-20. (The Daily Iowan/Valerie Burke) injury bug, often with numerous injuries occurring in the same week on both the offense and defense. Five players — Ott, LeShun Dainels Jr., Ike Boettger, Boone Myers, and Tevaun Smith — are expected to sit the game at Northwestern Saturday. All of those Hawkeyes were listed as the No. 1 player at their respective position coming into the season. Not since its first week of the season has Iowa been able to field the best, healthiest version of itself;
someone seems to go down in the middle of a game. It started in the second week with the initial injury to Ott plus a high ankle sprain for halfback Daniels, an injury that has lingered well into October. Daniels missed the Illinois game and the same is expected Saturday at Northwestern. Making things worse, up until that point, he had been listed as the No. 1 running back on Iowa’s depth chart. Luckily for Iowa, the emergence
of senior Jordan Canzeri as a legitimate every-down feature back has cushioned the blow left by Daniels’ absence in a significant way. “A lot of the time, it’s just a matter of doing those little things that can really help out your body after a game,” Canzeri said. “Getting in the hot tub, getting in the ice, just taking care of those little bumps and bruises and getting a lot of rest are huge.” See COVER, 14
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6 - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, October 16, 2015
O-line reverts to Hawk basics Injuries and youth have given Iowa’s offensive line some troubles in 2015, so the group will stick to what it does best.
By Charlie Green charles-j-green@uiowa.edu
Perhaps Wisconsin linebacker Joe Schobert said it best Oct. 3, fresh off his team’s 10-6 loss to the Hawkeyes. “They want to hit you more than Alabama wants to hit you,” he told the Dubuque Telegraph Herald. “Alabama is a good, physical offensive line, but I think Iowa kind of takes it to that next step, and wants to run at you, and wants to physically punch you.” That’s high praise in the comparison with a perennial title contender and powerhouse recruiting program in Alabama. It also came from a player who had just finished making C.J. Beathard’s life hell for four quarters. During that game, Iowa made a switch in its offensive approach. With the move to a ground-and-pound, ball-control style, the offense has since transformed to fit the profile of its offensive line. As the unit prepares to take on a Northwestern defense allowing 12.2 points per outing, it doesn’t seem likely to stray far from what worked for it against the Fighting Illini on Oct. 10. With roughly 10 minutes left in the game, the Hawks dialed up 11 running plays in a row, all going to tailback Jordan Canzeri. The drive took nearly seven minutes off the clock. It ended in a field goal that put the Hawks up 2620 and took the wind out of the sails of an opposing offense that had been in a passing groove. “I don’t have any lack of confidence or any anxiety of what’s going to happen or anything,” Canzeri said. “I just trust that [the offensive linemen are] going to get the job done, and they’ve proven it, and it’s easy when you have guys like that that you can really trust when you’re running the ball.” The run-heavy strategy and Canzeri’s combination of patience and decisiveness paved the way for a career day. The Hawks have called his number 69 times through their first two Big Ten contests. That gives him more carries than any other back in the nation over that span, and he’s compiled 381 yards in the process (256 against Illinois). The changes coincide with struggles in the passing game. Beathard has not looked as sharp without his top target in wide receiver Tevaun Smith. Injuries to Ike Boettger and Boone Myers have turned a young
Members of the Iowa offensive line make their way to the line of scrimmage in Jack Trice Stadium on Sept. 14, 2013. Iowa beat Iowa State, 27-21. (The Daily Iowan/File Photo) offensive line even younger, causing confusion in pass protection that has left Beathard under duress. But the linemen can still hit. And rather than putting them in a situation in which they have to pick up rushers and handle various defenders coming at them, it appears coach Kirk Ferentz and his staff are content at letting them do the attacking. “I knew that all along, we’ve got a
tough offensive line,” Beathard said. “They’re going to go in there, and fight, and hit people in the mouth, and that’s what they did.” The offense has allowed 10 sacks on the season — half of which came against Illinois and Wisconsin. In addition to the sacks, Beathard has been hit 11 times when dropping back to throw. For now, at least, the Hawkeyes don’t have much reason to divert from
a style that has carried them past their first two conference opponents. They’re confident the line can clean up some of the problems. “There are some young guys on the offensive line right now, so they’re going to continue to get better, and they’ve done a good job so far this season,” Beathard said. “Like me and like every position, they just have to continue to improve and see what they did wrong.”
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8 - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, October 16, 2015
By the Numbers: Iowa vs. Northwestern By Jordan Hansen jordan-hansen@uiowa.edu
No. 17 Iowa will head to Evanston, Illinois, on Saturday to take on No. 20 Northwestern in a game with huge Big Ten West implications. It’s Homecoming for the Wildcats, and all signs point to this game being a defensive battle royale. The final score should be close, and it shouldn’t come as a surprise if this game is just as ugly as the Hawkeyes’ win over Wisconsin on Oct. 3. Here’s a look at the statistics both teams have put up through six games.
Passing yards allowed per game — Iowa: 232.3, Northwestern: 138.2 While Desmond King, Greg Mabin, and the rest of the Iowa secondary have been good this season, Northwestern has been incredible. The Wildcats have only given up more than 155 yards passing twice this season — 178 yards to Ball State and 179 to Michigan — and have limited teams to 4.5 yards per attempt. Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard has been good, but not great, this season, however, the last time he faced a top-tier defense, Wisconsin held him to 77 yards. Northwestern’s passing attack leaves a bit to be desired. Quarterback Clayton Thorson has only reached more than 200 yards passing once and leads a passing offense that is the worst in the Big Ten.
Rushing yards — Iowa: 1,207, Northwestern: 1,282 Both teams have found plenty of success on the ground this season, and the yardage has come from a variety of places. Iowa’s Jordan Canzeri leads all rushers in the game with 697 yards, but the Wildcats’ Justin Jackson isn’t far behind. Jackson has 661 yards on 150 carries this year but has only found the end zone once. Interestingly, Thorson and Beathard is each team’s third-leading rusher with 161 yards and 192 yards, respectively.
Field-goal percentage — Iowa: 88.9, Northwestern: 71.4 In a game that has a high probabil-
Northwestern’s Justin Jackson runs during the Iowa-Northwestern game in Kinnick on Nov. 1, 2014. The Hawkeyes defeated the Wildcats in a 48-7 blowout. (The Daily Iowan/Alyssa Hitchcock) ity of being close and low scoring, taking advantage of any opportunity for points will be extremely important. Northwestern kicker Jack Mitchell has missed four field goals and an extra point. He does have a decent leg, but is only 5-of-11 on field goals beyond 40 yards in his career. It’s an advantage for Iowa, then, that Marshall Koehn is 8-of-9 on his kicks this year, though he has missed two extra points. Koehn is
also a touchback machine, sending 64.7 percent of his kickoffs through the end zone. Only 20 percent of Northwestern’s kickoffs have resulted in touchbacks.
Penalty yards per game — Iowa: 51.5, Northwestern: 34.8 One of the Wildcats’ keys for success this season has been avoiding penalties. Only twice this year has
Northwestern been penalized for more than 50 yards; Iowa has had five such games. Against Illinois, the Hawkeyes were penalized six times for 80 yards, a season high, and many of those penalties came at bad moments. Field position will be a key, and for two teams that are both very good on third-down conversions, getting a couple first downs on penalties could help sway the game.
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ROS
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IOWA HAWKEYES
1 2 2 3 4 4 5 5 6 7 7 8 8 9 10 11 11 12 13 14 14 15 16 16 17 17 18 19 20 21 22 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 29 30 30 31 32 33 34 36 37 38 39 40 41 41 42 43 44 45 45 46 47 48 49 50 50 51 52 52 53 54 56 57 58 59 60 61 63 64
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. NORTHWESTERN • SATURDAY, O 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.
STER
The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, October 16, 2015 - 11
NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS
OCTOBER 17, 2015 • 11:00 A.M. ABC/ESPN2 1 2 2 3 4 5 6 7 7 8 8 9 10 10 11 11 12 13 13 14 14 15 16 16 17 17 18 18 19 20 21 21 22 23 24 24
Max Chapman Traveon Henry Christian Salem Keith Watkins II Solomon Vault Miles Shuler Mike McHugh Matt Alviti Ifeadi Odenigbo Stephen Buckley Jack Mitchell Garrett Dickerson Jake Murray Zack Oliver TJ Green Pierre Youngblood-Ary Auston Anderson Deonte Gibson Warren Long Christian Jones Lloyd Yates Macan Wilson Quinn Baker Godwin Igwebuike Daniel Kubiuk Marcus McShepard Clayton Thorson Anthony Walker Cameron Dickerson John Moten IV Justin Jackson Kyle Queiro Parrker Westphal Nick VanHoose Mark Gorogianis Montre Hartage
DL S WR CB RB WR WR QB DL WR PK SB DB QB QB WR RB DL RB WR QB WR WR S QB CB QB LB WR RB RB S CB CB WR DB
6-3/270 6-1/215 6-3/195 5-11/180 5-10/190 5-10/180 6-3/195 6-0/200 6-3/250 6-0/185 6-3/210 6-3/245 6-3/200 6-4/230 6-2/190 6-3/190 5-9/180 6-3/265 6-0/210 6-3/235 6-2/195 6-0/180 5-11/190 6-0/200 6-1/200 5-11/200 6-4/220 6-1/235 6-3/225 6-0/190 5-11/190 6-3/200 6-1/190 6-0/190 6-0/190 6-0/180
Sr. Sr. Jr. So. So. Sr. Jr. So. Jr. Jr. Jr. So. Fr. Sr. Fr. Sr. R-Fr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Fr. So. So. So. R-Fr. So. R-Fr. So. Sr. Fr. So. So. R-Fr. Sr. So. Fr.
Ponte Vedra, Fla. Lauderdale Lakes, Fla. Santa Monica, Calif. Cincinnati, Ohio Gaithersburg, Md. Long Branch, N.J. Kirkwood, Mo. Park Ridge, Ill. Centerville, Ohio Forney, Texas San Diego, Calif. Englewood, N.J. Coppell, Texas Baton Rouge, La. Leawood, Kan. Orlando, Fla. Plano, Texas Lakewood, Ohio Union City, Calif. Houston, Texas Oak Park, Ill. Houston, Texas Trout Valley, Ill. Pickerington, Ohio Barrington, Ill. University Heights, Ohio Wheaton, Ill. Miami, Fla. Englewood, N.J. St. Louis, Mo. Carol Stream, Ill. Verona, N.J. Bolingbrook, Ill. Urbana, Ohio Lombard, Ill. Cordele, Ga.
25 26 27 28 29 31 32 33 33 34 35 36 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 44 45 46 46 47 48 49 51 52 53 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 63 64 65 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 85 86 87 88 89 90 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99
Luke Dauch Terrance Brown Matthew Harris Alonzo Mayo Trae Williams Tommy Vitale Nate Hall Matt Micucci Steven Reese Simba Short Tom Hruby Corey Acker Arthur Omilian Mason Weissenhofer Dan Vitale Jared McGee Joseph Jones Cole Johnson Malcolm Bowman James Prather Nathan Fox Eric Lutzen Anthony Pierce-Adams Joe Bergin Tommy Odell Josh Roberts Jaylen Prater Chris Fitzpatrick Geoff Mogus Cameron Queiro Trent Goens Drew Smith Brett Walsh Matt Frazier Heath Reineke J.B. Butler Ian Park Andrew Otterman Jared Thomas Tyler Lancaster Connor Mahoney Brad North Shane Mertz Tommy Doles Blake Hance Adam DePietro Graham Bullmore Eric Olson Kenton Playko Adam Lemke-Bell Sam Coverdale Austin Carr Jelani Roberts Andrew Scanlan Chad Hanaoka Cameron Green Chris Cliff Mark Szott Flynn Nagel Garrett Kidd Jayme Taylor Charlie Fessler C.J. Robbins Fred Wyatt Greg Kuhar Dean Lowry Jordan Thompson Hunter Niswander Joe Gaziano Xavier Washington Ben Oxley
WR S CB DB DB LB LB P/PK DB LB LB WR PK PK SB S LB WR RB DL LB SB LB DB S LB LB LS OL LB DL LB LB OL DL OL OL OL OL DL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL WR WR WR WR WR WR SB WR WR SB WR DL DL DL DL DL K/P DL DL DL
6-3/220 6-1/210 5-11/180 5-11/170 5-11/200 6-3/220 6-2/230 5-11/185 6-2/190 6-2/210 6-3/240 5-9/170 5-11/180 6-2/185 6-2/235 6-1/215 6-1/225 6-1/200 5-11/195 6-4/270 6-2/245 6-6/235 6-0/215 5-11/190 5-11/200 6-1/215 6-0/230 6-2/235 6-5/305 6-1/225 6-3/250 6-1/230 6-1/225 6-4/295 6-3/245 6-3/305 6-4/305 6-5/295 6-4/275 6-3/300 6-4/290 6-2/290 6-8/310 6-6/280 6-5/300 6-5/295 6-7/290 6-6/295 6-5/300 6-5/270 6-7/305 6-1/195 5-8/160 6-2/215 5-10/170 6-3/210 6-2/205 6-4/255 5-11/190 6-2/195 6-4/230 6-4/205 6-5/300 6-4/270 6-3/305 6-6/290 6-3/275 6-5/235 6-4/255 6-1/235 6-6/285
Sr. Jr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Fr. R-Fr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Jr. So. Sr. Fr. Sr. R-Fr. Jr. So. R-Fr. R-Fr. Fr. R-Fr. R-Fr. Fr. So. So. Jr. Jr. Sr. R-Fr. Fr. Sr. So. Sr. R-Fr. R-Fr. Jr. Fr. Fr. So. Jr. So. Sr. R-Fr. R-Fr. Jr. So. Jr. Jr. Fr. So. Jr. Fr. Jr. So. Fr. Fr. Sr. Fr. Sr. So. Fr. Sr. R-Fr. Jr. Sr. Fr. So. Fr. So. R-Fr.
Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Long Beach, Calif. LaGrange Highlands, Ill. Baltimore, Md. The Plains, Ohio Wheaton, Ill. Toledo, Ohio Lake Zurich, Ill. Buford, Ga. Brentwood, Calif. Crown Point, Ind. Ballston Lake, N.Y. Atlanta, Ga. Planfield, Ill. Wheaton, Ill. Mansfield, Texas Plano, Ill. Avon, Ind. Dallas, Texas Memphis, Tenn. Houston, Texas Pewaukee, Wis. Chicago, Ill. Bloomfield Hills, Mich. River Forest, Ill. Wamego, Kan. Hamden, Ohio Lawrenceburg, Ky. Lorain, Ohio Verona, N.J. Chino Hills, Calif. Cincinnati, Ohio Monrovia, Calif. Bourbonnais, Ill. Ashland, Ohio Plainfield, Ill. Pittsburgh, Pa. Morristown, N.J. Indianapolis, Ind. Romeoville, Ill. Malvern, Pa. Allen, Texas Hazlet, N.J. Grand Rapids, Mich. Jacksonville, Ill. Lancaster, Pa. Kenosha, Wis. Sudbury, Mass. Lewis Center, Ohio Oak Park, Ill. Chagrin Falls, Ohio Benicia, Calif. Owings Mills, Md. Royersford, Pa. Honolulu, Hawaii Buffalo Grove, Ill. West Bloomfield, Mich. Naperville, Ill. Lemont, Ill. Midland, Mich. The Woodlands, Texas Erie, Pa. Peru, Ill. Lawrence, Kan. Concord Township, Ohio Rockford, Ill. Cincinnati, Ohio Peninsula, Ohio Scituate, Mass. Cedar Hill, Texas Avon Lake, Ohio
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14 - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, October 16, 2015
COVER
Continued from 4
Since becoming the main back in the Iowa offense starting in the third week against Pittsburgh, Canzeri has posted more than 600 yards of total offense as well as 7 touchdowns, with a large chunk of that yardage coming on the ground. The feisty but undersized Canzeri has also had to shoulder a lot of the heavy run-blocking assignments usually taken by the heavier, more physical Daniels. “Going into the season, I made sure not to expect anything,” Canzeri said. “You don’t want to give yourself high hopes or anything, so it’s more that I was just ready for it if I was asked to do so.” That attitude about mental preparation isn’t unique to Canzeri. It’s what’s really been at the heart of “next man in” the whole time — the expectation that someone’s season could end on the next play, and you have to be ready when your name is called, no matter the situation. Of course, it helps when a lot of the guys on your roster already have experience playing numerous positions. Iowa’s offensive line, the unit arguably hit the hardest in terms of players lost, has been helped along in part by a dynamic quarterback in C.J. Beathard but also by pretty much every lineman on the depth chart being able to play different positions. That flexibility goes along way when you have offensive starters dropping like flies every other game. Particularly at tackle, where the loss of Myers and Boettger has thrown greenhorns Cole Croston and James Daniels into the fire. “In the summer, you play both sides [of the line].” right guard Jordan Walsh said. “You’ll play guard, you’ll play center. If you play guard, they’ll have you playing tackle, and if you play tackle, they might have you inside. Everybody is flexible.” It’s really not all that surprising, given coach Kirk Ferentz and his history of recruiting players at one position and turning them into starters at another by the time they leave. The coaching staff absolutely places importance on flexibility in player development; recruiting heavily in the state of Iowa gives the coaches an advantage. “A lot of us are small-school guys, so that’s is probably a little bit of an advantage already,” said Parker Hesse, Ott’s replacement. “Your school doesn’t have many kids, and
Iowa wide receiver Tevaun Smith (4) reaches for a pass against Pittsburgh in Kinnick on Sept. 19. The Hawkeyes beat the Panthers, 27-24. (The Daily Iowan/Joshua Housing) if you’re the only one who can fill a certain role, then that’s your job.” Hesse, who grew up in Waukon, a town of fewer than 4,000 people, played all over the field on both sides of the ball in high school, including starting at quarterback. Fewer than two years later, the redshirt freshman will now be called upon to fill Ott’s shoes for the rest of the year opposite Nate Meier. But for Hesse, it’s not about replicating what Ott brought to the table. It’s about simply fitting into a defense that can be effective on Saturdays. “[Former Hawkeye] Colin Cole came back last week and gave us a
great talk about just being 1/11th of the defense,” Hesse said. “Every man on the field has a job to do, and you have to do your 1/11th. Obviously, with guys such as Drew, they can do so much more, but I’m just worried about doing my part.” Whether it’s Hesse stepping in for Ott, Canzeri shouldering a heavier workload, freshman wide out Jerminic Smith coming up with a huge game in the absence of deep threat Tevaun Smith, or any of the other gaps that have been filled by players for Iowa this year, there has been one constant: survival. Maybe the greatest strength Ferentz has built into this team is its
ability to take a punch. Currently ranked No. 17 in the AP Poll and atop the Big Ten West, the Hawkeyes as a whole have kept rolling despite some of their better parts breaking down. And while 7-0 is certainly no guarantee; if the first six games have taught Hawk fans anything, it’s that the most important guy on the team is the next one. “The only thing you can’t do for a player is you can’t give him game experience, because it’s still different,” Ferentz said. “So, you do your best in practice, and you learn from every opportunity being at practice or game competition.”
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AROUND THE BIG TEN Danny Payne daniel-payne-1@uiowa.edu
power rankings
Offensive Impact
1. Ohio State (6-0) This isn’t going to change until Ohio State loses, which will happen at some point this season.
8. Illinois (4-2) Cubit has this team heading in the right direction, and he’s not a cartoon like Beckman, give it a couple years.
2. Michigan State (5-0) I have a hard time seeing Sparty here at the end of the year.
9. Minnesota (4-2) It’s the Jerry Kill factor, BELIEVE PEOPLE! FOLLOW THE CHURCH OF KILL!
3. Michigan (5-1) Michigan’s defense is good, boys and girls. With the injury bug getting Iowa, the Woverines leap-frog the Hawks.
10. Indiana (4-2) Indiana, on the other hand, will never have a good team under Kevin Wilson, which is sad, because he’s a great offensive mind without a clue on D.
4. Iowa (6-0) Iowa could win the West this week. Did you think that’d happen Week 7? No, you didn’t. Stop lying to yourself.
11. Nebraska (2-3) So how long until Shawn Eichorst gets the boot for that moronic decision of firing Pelini and hiring Riley, whose team can’t play 60 minutes?
5. Northwestern (5-1) What do you call a team that has a chance to finally become legitimate and then gets shut out? Northwestern.
12. Purdue (1-5) Really curious to see how much more time they give Hazell in West Lafayette. What a sad, sad place.
6. Wisconsin (4-2) If Joel Stave isn’t Joel Stave, I’d have a hard time seeing Wisconsin anywhere but Indianapolis.
13. Rutgers (2-3) The Scarlet Knights’ next four games: Michigan State, Indiana, Ohio State, and Wisconsin. Yikes.
7. Penn State (5-1) Sorry, James. If you were in the West, you’d be in great shape! But you’re in Pennsylvania, which is not the West.
14. Maryland (2-3) Did Maryland and Rutgers really have to come into the Big Ten? Sigh.
Name: Jordan Canzeri, Iowa Position: Running back Year: Senior Canzeri has been a gift from god for the Hawkeyes. With Iowa’s No. 1 back, LeShun Daniels Jr. out, Canzeri’s 256 yards against Illinois last week were extremely impactful.
defensive Impact Name: Carl Nassib, Penn State Position: Defensive line Year: Senior With five forced fumbles, Nassib is alone atop the country in that category. That’s not too shabby, considering Scooby Wright III of Arizona — last year’s national leader — finished with six forced fumbles. On a team that doesn’t have a ton going for it, it’s something for Penn State fans to keep an eye on.
GAME TO WATCH No. 17 Iowa at no. 20 northwestern When: 11 a.m. Saturday Where: Ryan Field, Evanston Illinois Watch: ABC, ESPN2
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ON THE LINE MATCHUPS
Danny Payne
Jordan Hansen
PREGAME EDITOR (20-10)
SPORTS EDITOR (21-9)
Charlie Green
Ryan Rodriguez
FOOTBALL REPORTER (18-12)
FOOTBALL REPORTER (22-8)
Taylor Brooks
DITV SPORTS DIRECTOR (18-12)
Patrick Lyne DESIGN EDITOR (21-9)
Fan Picks
iowa This is assuming Beathard plays, if not, then there’s no action. I’m the editor, so we play by my rules. Peasants.
NORTHWESTERN Beathard might not make it to halftime.
IOWA The Hawks have yet to steer me wrong, so I’ll stick with ‘em.
IOWA Iowa, but just barely.
IOWA Northwestern’s overrated.
IOWA Kind of feel obligated to take them at this point.
IOWA (68%) Hawks pull one out in a defensive slugfest.
alabama I’ve learned not to bet against ‘Bama.
ALABAMA Ian made this pick, so credit or blame him accordingly.
ALABAMA The SEC has stumped me this year, so fingers crossed on this one.
ALABAMA The most South game ever.
ALABAMA Bama’s defense is looking decent.
ALABAMA Gotta stick with the tide here (ha, double entendre).
alabama (84%) Tide continue rolling through October.
USC at No. 14 Notre Dame
notre dame It’s the 10-year anniversay of the Bush Push. In other news, you just felt much older.
NOTRE DAME Tough week for Sark, hope he gets better.
NOTRE DAME I’ll choose to pass on the Sarkisian joke that could derail my future presidential campaign. #Charlie2032.
NOTRE DAME This game is more fun if you picture actual leprechauns and Trojans fighting.
NOTRE DAME USC fell off the wagon.
NOTRE DAME Gotta pick my team.
notre dame (75%) Drama and USC go hand in hand.
No. 8 Florida at No. 6 LSU
lsu Need Fournette to have a bad game or two so Zeke gets out in front for the Heisman.
LSU Sorry Danny, Zeke’s not winning the Heisman.
LSU Again, fingers crossed.
LSU Playing starting quarterbacks is over-rated.
FLORIDA Their defense. Enough said.
LSU Leonard Fournette, man.
LSU (59%) Would have picked Florida before the QB controversy this week.
No. 7 Michigan St. at No. 12 Michigan
michigan If you ever need to make a decision, flip a coin. You’ll know what you want when it’s in the air. You’re welcome.
MICHIGAN Wolverines have pitched three straight shutouts. Three.
MICHIGAN STATE If Jake Rudock beats Connor Cook, then by golly Jim Harbaugh is the best coach on the planet.
MICHIGAN The Big House is the perfect place to store John Harbaugh’s ego.
MICHIGAN Harbaugh nation is a real thing.
MICHIGAN Michigan has killed me all year so who knows with this pick.
Michigan state (60%) Spartans no longer the little brother.
No. 17 Iowa at No. 20 Northwestern No. 10 Alabama at No. 9 Texas A&M
DI Pregame Roundtable The following is an excerpt from the DI’s Pregame Podcast. Danny Payne, Pregame editor: So Northwestern dropped a game; this isn’t going to be the undefeated matchup some of us were hoping for, me included. Were you guys buying Northwestern in the first place? And if you were, are you still? Ryan Rodriguez, football reporter: I wasn’t buying [the Wildcats] as the No. 13 team in the country. I’m buying them as a legitimate threat, and I believe this is a legitimate trap game that Iowa goes into this weekend. Especially playing at the Wildcats after they’re going to be mad and very embarrassed frankly. But no, I didn’t buy them as a top-15 team, but I did buy them as a legitimate threat in the West. Ian Murphy, Sports editor: It’s kind of disappointing that it won’t be an undefeated kind of Big Ten title game as people thought it would. But
Northwestern has still historically been a thorn in Iowa’s heel. Payne: The game being on the road, I guess you could call that a little of a concern. It is Ryan Field — essentially a glorified high-school stadium. But at the same time, they are the Wildcats, they have given Iowa trouble. If they had beaten Michigan, they would’ve been in the top 10. But they didn’t, so I guess we’ll see. Justin Jackson is one of the more underrated backs in the Big Ten — what do you guys think he can do? Rodriguez: I’m really interested to see how Iowa’s defense handles him. The Hawks haven’t seen really too many dynamic running backs. They’re going to have their work cut out for them stopping the run. Murphy: It’s going to hinge on the secondary, I think, and the Hawkeyes’ ability to contain the run,
really, as they have so far this year. Obviously, [Greg] Mabin and [Desmond] King have been a huge part of that. But it goes all the way through the secondary. Payne: I would have to agree. [Jordan] Lomax and Miles Taylor have to come up and play the run well. If Jaleel Johnson has the kind of game he did against Illinois, that’s a huge, huge, huge help for Iowa. I think that’s the best game I’ve seen Jaleel play since he’s been here. He was in the backfield the entire time. That’s a good matchup to watch, Johnson versus the interior of Northwestern’s line. But let’s get to the Twitter question this week: How many Hawkeye starters will be in the NFL in two years? The obvious one is Desmond King. Rodriguez: Desmond is one. You’d have to think Ott is going to get draft-
ed and make a name for himself if he can stay healthy. So I’d say two. Murphy: Austin Blythe. Payne: Blythe will get a shot if for nothing else because he’s an Iowa offensive lineman. I think Jordan Walsh will get a shot, too. Rodriguez: Marshall Koehn has a leg. Someone will take a chance on him. Payne: Tevaun [Smith]? Rodriguez: Is the body of work big enough yet to say someone will for sure? Payne: I think Tevaun will start his career in the Canadian Football League. You think Beathard will get a shot? Rodriguez: If he makes a name for himself this year and then comes back next year and does just as well or better, I could definitely see him being a second- or third-round pick.
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