2011 Insight Bowl: 5 Iowa Hawkeyes You Need to Know

Iowa's Nov. 30 matchup against Oklahoma in the Insight Bowl is almost upon us and now is a good time to dig once more into this intriguing showdown.

Most fans of both programs probably already know that Oklahoma's coach, Bob Stoops, played at Iowa and was a graduate assistant there under former head coach Hayden Fry. They probably also already know that he was there at the same time Kirk Ferentz was an assistant under Fry.

To say the two men know each other is an understatement. To say they grew as coaches in the same kind of system would be redundant.

There should be no big surprises for either coach. Or will there be?

Both programs have also lost some key personnel for the showdown. Oklahoma will be without star receiver Ryan Broyles and leading rusher Dominique Whaley. Iowa will be without their top two running backs, Marcus Coker and Mika'il McCall.

There will be little evidence either coach can glean from film as to what twists these men's replacements might bring to the table.

For the Hawkeyes to pull out the upset (they're 14-point underdogs), there will need to be solid play on both sides of the ball. Iowa will need some people to step up in some big ways to bring home their fourth straight bowl win and second consecutive Insight Bowl upset.

RB De'Andre Johnson

Neither Marcus Coker nor Mika'il McCall have made the trip to Tempe, Arizona for this bowl game. Undoubtedly, that hurts Iowa tremendously.

Coker led the Hawkeyes in 2011 with 1384 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns. McCall only had 11 carries on the season for 65 yards, thanks to a broken ankle that kept him out most of the season, but averaged a blistering 5.91 average per carry.

The rushing duties now fall on the shoulders of freshman De'Andre Johnson.

Johnson has also seen very limited action this season. He's posted just 18 carries on the year, gaining 79 yards. His 4.39 average is respectable however, and will be sorely needed.

It's never a great thing when a freshman has to be thrown into the fire to carry the load in the biggest game of the season. However, Iowa fans will not soon forget that Coker was just a freshman last season when he stepped in for suspended (and ultimately released) Adam Robinson in this same bowl game and bruised Missouri for 219 yards.

Don't expect Johnson to have that kind of breakout game against the Sooners, but don't be surprised either if the young man carries for over 100 yards and helps Iowa chew up yards and time off the clock.

QB James Vandenberg

This is Vandenberg's first bowl appearance as Iowa's starting quarterback. Last year, the Hawkeyes were reveling in Ricky Stanzi's final performance in the black and gold.

"Vandy," or "JVB" if you prefer, has had a fairly successful opening season as the starter. He's completed 59.4 percent of his passes for 2,806 yards. Most importantly, he boasts a 23-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Vandenberg is second in the Big Ten behind Northwestern's Dan Persa in terms of yards thrown per game. He's also third in the conference behind Wisconsin's Russell Wilson and Michigan State's Kirk Cousins in terms of touchdowns thrown. Finally, he's fourth in the conference among QB's who have attempted more than 100 passes on the season in terms of fewest interceptions thrown.

Vandenberg is a smart player with excellent aim and a solid arm. Iowa will need him to use all of those attributes against Oklahoma to keep the offense from becoming one-dimensional and to keep the defense honest.

WR Kevonte Martin-Manley

WR Marvin McNutt Jr. is arguably the best receiver to ever suit up as a Hawkeye. That's interesting considering he came to Iowa as a quarterback.

Keenan Davis was one of the most exciting recruits to come to Iowa a couple of years ago. He's slowly worked his way into a more prominent role on the Hawkeye roster.

However, the receiver that could make the most difference in this Insight Bowl might just be Kevonte Martin-Manley.

There's no arguing whether Martin-Manley is as good as Marving McNutt. He's not...yet.

His production is nowhere near the 1,269 yards McNutt posted this season, nor the 16.27 average McNutt employed and certainly hasn't come close to the 12 touchdowns McNutt has grabbed for the Hawkeyes.

Still, Martin-Manley has been a solid third option for the Hawkeyes this year and has nearly matched pace with Davis, especially in terms of touchdown receptions (three to Davis' four).

Most importantly, Oklahoma is sure to key on McNutt heavily. With Coker out of the game, McNutt would be the obvious choice for big plays, and he's been Vandenberg's favorite target all year long.

Surely, the Sooners will do everything they can to throw a wet blanket on the future NFL draftee.

Davis won't likely escape their attention either. While his numbers can't compare with McNutt's either, he's been the No. 2 guy and has shown a penchant for circus-style grabs that beg for attention.

There are only so many defenders to go around, especially if De'Andre Johnson can do anything positive at all on the ground. All of that leads up to opportunities for Martin-Manley to take a big role in Iowa's offense.

If nothing else, a successful performance by Martin-Manley could draw some of the attention off of McNutt and Davis, making Iowa's offense even more dangerous.

S Tanner Miller

When you think of Hawkeyes in the secondary, the name Micah Hyde comes to mind. Hyde was arguably the savior of last year's Insight Bowl with his late-game interception, and he is tied for the most interceptions on the team this year with three.

However, anyone who has watched even a modest amount of Hawkeye game film knows how dangerous Hyde is. He's a solid cover corner and is even more dangerous if he gets the ball in hand.

His name hasn't been called that much this season. That's certainly not because he hasn't had a good year. Rather it's because teams try not to throw the ball his direction.

That has opened the door somewhat for safety Tanner Miller.

Miller also has three interceptions on the year, along with a touchdown. While he may not yet be as good as Tyler Sash or Brett Greenwood was a year ago, he's getting there quickly.

Miller has good instincts and a nose for the ball.

Given Oklahoma's propensity for passing the football, Iowa's secondary will have to be on its toes. Hyde will undoubtedly be as dangerous as ever, but the Hawkeyes will need more than one man to stop Landry Jones and his touchdown crusaders.

Tanner could have a tremendous day against the Sooners if he continues to evolve his game, and Iowa will need him to be in pure form.

DE Broderick Binns

As mentioned, Oklahoma likes to throw the football. The Sooners are awfully good at it. It takes more than a good secondary to slow down a pass-heavy attack. It takes a good defensive line.

Iowa's line hasn't necessarily been stellar. It's near the bottom of the conference in terms of sacks, with just 19 on the year and are even worse at tackles-for-loss with the third worst total in the Big Ten.

That doesn't mean they're incapable however.

Broderick Binns was overshadowed the last couple of years by Adrian Clayborn. This year, he was somewhat overshadowed by Mike Daniels.

However, Binns leads the Hawks with 11.5 tackles-for-loss and 5.5 sacks. On top of that, he's broken up eight passes, hurried the quarterback six times and forced a fumble.

Binns can be disruptive and has a knack for getting his large hands in the way of quarterback passes. If Iowa is going to be successful at slowing down the Sooner pass attack, it'll have to get pressure on Landry Jones and force him into making throws before he's ready.

While the entire defensive line needs to be on their 'A' game, Binns has the skill set to turn the tide to black.