News and notes from week seven

Another weekend, another win for the Hawkeyes who improved to 7-0 (3-0) with a 20-10 win over the Wisconsin Badgers yesterday. The Hawks continue to improve each week and continue to show their resiliency. For the second time in as many games, the Hawkeyes fell behind 10-0 to a Big Ten opponent on the road, this time against a rival, only to come back and dominate the second half of the game. Despite only rushing for 65 yards, Iowa's defense and execution in the second half pulled out another huge win.

People like ESPN.com's Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg have said the Hawks will need to score some style points eventually. But Kirk Ferentz has never really been one for style points and I think he'd be the first to tell you that.

And the game ball goes to...: quarterback Ricky Stanzi. Stanzi was mistake-free (other than a fumble he lost at the Iowa 25, which resulted in no points for the Badgers) and it made a pretty significant impact on the game. The junior signal-caller from Mentor, Ohio, finished the game 17-23 for 218 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown was a thing of beauty. Facing a third-and-seven at the Wisconsin 24, Stanzi read blitz and narrowly escaped the pocket. Rolling to his right he found tight end Tony Moeaki with single coverage in the corner of the endzone for a stunning strike that blew the game open for the Hawkeyes. A receiver like Moeaki is open even when he is covered, and Stanzi threw an absolute gem for the touchdown. I've said it before and I'll say it again, when Stanzi plays well, the Hawks play well. This guy is a real game breaker.

Let's hand out another one to the Iowa defense. Amari Spievey's interception early in the third quarter put a crack in the dam so to speak. Nine plays later Stanzi hit Moeaki for the game-tying touchdown. Spievey (above) had another pick in the fourth quarter, as did linebacker A.J. Edds. Usually the difference in close games is who makes the fewest mistakes. For the seventh time this season, the Iowa defense forced its opponent to make too many mistakes. And thus, another win.

Tip of the cap: to Derrell Johnson-Koulianos. DJK was the glue that held the Iowa passing game together, snagging eight passes for a season-high 113 yards. When Stanzi needed some one to go to, DJK was the guy. The more this guy touches the ball, the better for the Hawkeyes offense.

Wag of the finger: to Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema. Bielema refuses to show the public his Iowa tattoo. Come on coach, tell us how you really feel.

Final thoughts: Iowa may be the most resilient team in the nation. The Hawks have been behind in six of their seven games, yet still stand 7-0. Young quarterbacks can learn from a guy like Stanzi. Few signal-callers are more cool when the heat is on.

The Hawks continue to make believers out of the rest of the nation as they made a significant leap in the polls this week (7th in the AP, 8th in the ESPN/USA Today). Iowa is ranked even higher in the season's first Bowl Championship Series rankings as well, climbing all the way to No. 6. Rankings don't mean anything until the end of the season but, needless to say, this is a good start for the Black-and-Gold.

Next week: the Hawks travel to East Lansing, Mich., for a date with a Michigan State team (4-3, 3-1) who seems to have found the stride most experts expected them to have at the beginning of the year. The Spartans have racked up three straight wins over Big Ten foes (Michigan, and Big Ten bottom-feeders Illinois and Northwestern) after a 1-3 start. The Hawkeyes haven't won in Spartan Stadium since a 21-7 triumph in 1995. And so the trap has been set.

Iowa vs. Wisconsin Pre-Game

No. 11/12 Iowa (6-0, 2-0) vs. Wisconsin (5-1, 2-1)
Kickoff: 11:00 a.m., Camp Randall Stadium
TV/Radio: ESPN, AM 800 KXIC
Line: Iowa, +3 (espn.com)

What to watch for
The Hawkeyes lead the Big Ten with 19 takeaways. Iowa is yet to lose a turnover battle this season which has been a big part of the defense's success.

Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi has thrown an interception (or more) in every game so far this season, but still ranks second in the conference in touchdown passes (10) and fourth in yards (1359). Stanzi's quarterback rating is a solid 126.4.

Iowa's running backs (Adam Robinson and Brandon Wegher) have yet to put the ball on the turf in 2009.

Key Stats
The Badgers are third overall in the Big Ten in total yardage, averaging 422.3 yards per contest. But the 'Sconis (pronounced scaaaa-knees) are a reflection of their head coach, ex-Hawkeye Bret Bielema. They favor their power running game, led by a dump truck of a running back John Clay and a massive offensive line. Through six games the Badgers lead the Big Ten with 200.7 rushing yards per game and Clay has done most of the damage rushing for 641 yards (106.8 ypg) and seven touchdowns on 132 carries (4.9 ypc). However, Clay was held in check most of last week against the Buckeyes, rushing for just 59 yards on 20 carries.

Iowa counters with a stout rushing defense. The Hawks have allowed 134.3 rushing yards per game, which is a bit misleading considering they gave up 190 to Iowa State on Sept. 12 and another 195 to Michigan last week. But against an Arizona team who came in as one of the top five rushing offense's in the nation, Iowa held the Wildcats and shifty running back Nic Grigsby to his lowest total of the season (75 yards) before sustaining an injury against Oregon State on Sept. 26. Iowa is also second in the conference in rushing touchdowns allowed (three) after ending a streak of 33 quarters without surrendering a touchdown on the ground against Michigan last week.

Prediction
Despite 'Sconi's physical style of play, their inexperience was exposed last week against Ohio State. Wisconsin junior quarterback Scott Tolzien threw two pick-sixes to the Buckeyes defense. And the Badgers also allowed a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. If the 'Sconis want to pull of this upset, they will have to play a flawless game because errors on special teams and on offense against Iowa will bury the Badgers.

It should be a close, hard-hitting contest, but I see this as the game where Stanzi is finally mistake-free and that is what makes the difference in this one.

Iowa 27, Wisconsin 21

Mid-Season Awards

We're half way through the schedule in the 2009 college football season. The Hawks are ranked 11th by the Associated Press and 12th by ESPN/USA Today and are off to the best start in Kirk Ferentz's tenure as head coach, sitting at 6-0. It's time to hand out the awards (and, in a few cases, demerits) for the first half of the season.


Team MVP -- Tyler Sash
The sophomore safety's five interceptions through six games is tied for the Football Bowl Subdivision lead with UCLA's Rahim Moore. Sash isn't only Mr. Interception, the "pride of Oskaloosa" also averages 7.8 tackles per game. His 47 tackles nearly equals his 2008 total of 53, showing his support in the running game. He picked off three passes and had a forced fumble in Iowa's 35-3 beat down of Iowa State on Sept. 12 in Ames.


Honorable mention -- Adrian Clayborn, Ryan Donahue, Adam Robinson.


Best Offensive Player -- Ricky Stanzi
Say what you want about Stanzi's inconsistency, his eight interceptions (three of which have been housed by the other team), or his slow starts. The fact of the matter is this: Whenever Iowa needs him, Stanzi is there. Take game one against Northern Iowa.



Iowa started the game with a 14 play drive that ended in a Daniel Murray field goal. For the rest of the half, the Hawks' offense would be on the field for no more than five consecutive plays and managed no points, trailing 10-3 at halftime. Stanzi came out firing in the second half, throwing his first touchdown of the season to Tony Moeaki to give Iowa the lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Stanzi averages 225.6 passing yards per game and has thrown 10 touchdowns.


Best Defensive Player -- Adrian Clayborn
Clayborn would have been the team MVP if not for Sash. The St. Louis native has been everywhere for the Iowa defense this year and is a big part of the unit's success as a whole. He leads the team in sacks (3.0) and is second to Karl Klug with 4.5 tackles-for-loss. Clayborn's big hit on Michigan quarterback Tate Forcier in the fourth quarter of Iowa's 30-28 win on Oct. 10 sidelined the freshman for the rest of the game with a concussion. Is there a quarterback out there who doesn't fear Clayborn's very presence on the field? I don't know if there is.
Clayborn's blocked punt touchdown broke the game open against Penn State. No. 94 and fellow defensive end Broderick Binns harassed Nittany Lions quarterback Daryll Clark virtually the entire evening in Happy Valley. "If Daryll Clark never sees Iowa again, that would be just fine with him," Big Ten Network said after the game. Truer words have never been spoken.


Honorable Mention -- the other 10 starters.

Best Newcomer -- Adam Robinson
Robinson has made the most of his time in the spotlight. At the beginning of the season, Robinson was listed as the third-string running back. Six games later, Robinson leads the team with 429 yards on 88 carries (4.9 average) and four touchdowns. His 95 total touches are also tops on the team.

The most significant impact of Robinson's success isn't necessarily related to field, however. Robinson's impact on the game has led to Ferentz openly admitting his newly discovered willingness to throw young players into the line of fire. Robinson has responded superbly.


Honorable Mention -- Brandon Wegher, Keenan Davis.

Best Game -- @ Penn State
This game had it all: drama, big plays, nasty weather, ESPN's College GameDay. Iowa was an 11-point underdog to the then-No. 5 Nittany Lions. But with a wet, sloppy field, Penn State's high powered offense failed it's first major test of the season as the Iowa defense had it's way against the Nits' inexperienced offensive line.

Things looked bleak from the start as the Hawks went three-and-out on their first possession. Penn State then scored on it's first play from scrimmage on a 79-yard touchdown pass and Beaver Stadium was rockin'.

But Iowa did what it does best: Played damage control.

The Nits notched a field goal on their next drive, but would not scavenge another point for the rest of the game as the Iowa defense took control of the game. A Broderick Binns sack and forced fumble resulted in a safety near the end of the first half, drawing the Hawks into striking distance at 10-5. Nobody scored in the third quarter.


Then Adrian Clayborn made the breakthrough for the Hawks, blocking a PSU punt in the fourth quarter and rumbling 53 yards for a touchdown to give Iowa the lead for good, 11-10. Adam Robinson punched in a touchdown after a Pat Angerer interception and Iowa rolled to a 21-10 win, it's fifth win in six games in Happy Valley.

Honorable Mention -- Northern Iowa, Michigan.

Achilles Heel -- injuries
Iowa has been haunted by injuries during 2009. Running back Jewel Hampton was lost to a season-ending knee injury before the season even started. Tony Moeaki sat out three games with an ankle injury before returning against Michigan last week. Bryan Bulaga sat out three consecutive games with an undisclosed illness. Derrell Johnson-Koulianos has been hampered by a hamstring injury all year, but has played through it admirably. Other than Hampton, the Hawks haven't been nipped by the injury bug too bad this season, however any team is just one significant injury away from a melt down. It can happen any week.

Honorable Mention -- dropped passes, Stanzi's INT's, offensive play calling, offensive personnel selection.