Iowa Hawkeyes' Football: Is Iowa's Glass Half-Empty Or Half-Full After Week One

In case you hadn't heard, this past Saturday, the Iowa Hawkeyes beat the Eastern Illinois Panthers by a score of 37-7.

The defense was predictably dominant, and the offense was surprisingly efficient.

However, after the game I was listening to a radio call-in show, and I was moderately surprised to hear a number of fans call in complaining about a number of facets of Iowa's game.

One fan called to bemoan Iowa's "poor play" in the secondary, while another felt that the lack of impact of the receivers had him worried.

Still another questioned why Norm Parker seemed to be "holding back" with his defense.

I guess callers of this sort are necessary to make a radio show work.

Moreover, I am not about to say that Iowa doesn't have some things they'll need to work on this week, as they prepare for Iowa State.

Nevertheless, just as the radio host was quick to do, I think it's fair to dismiss so many of these callers as looking for a reason to find fault with the Hawks.

That said, there were definitely elements of the Hawks' game that will need some polishing up before next weeks' meeting with Iowa State.

But if there is one thing head coach Kirk Ferentz has proven over his 11 years as head coach, it is that he develops players.

Furthermore, I was considerably more encouraged by what I saw of Iowa, than anything that gave me cause for concern.

The following slideshow will note five things that Iowa will need to pay close attention to as they prepare for the Cyclones.

It will also note five things that had me leaving Kinnick Stadium thinking just how much this team can achieve in 2010.

Depth

The following is a list of players that were suspended or injured for Iowa's game against EIU: RB Jewel Hampton, C Josh Koeppel, G Adam Gettis, K Daniel Murray, DE Broderick Binns, LB Jeff Tarpinian, CB Shaun Prater.

Of those players, four would have started against the Panthers, and will start as soon as they are healthy. Meanwhile, the three others are or were potential starters.

Nevertheless, even without those players in the lineup, Iowa still banged out a healthy win. Furthermore, the players that filled in for the starters, for the most part, played very well.

Yes, this was "only" Eastern Illinois, but I find this to be a very good sign.

As Hayden Fry used to say, the top 22 players on Iowa can compete with the top 22 players on Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska, or any team in the country. It is after those top 22 players that Iowa tends to run into problems.

This year, that does not seem to be as overwhelming an issue.

Iowa has tangible depth at every position outside of safety and offensive line.

This year's Hawkeye roster has 29 seniors, which is a huge number. By comparison, last year's graduating class had 15 seniors, which was a small class, but not minuscule.

As was recently noted by Big Ten Network analyst Howard Griffith, Iowa is a "developmental program." And as Kirk Ferentz so often notes, he expects his Hawkeyes to play their best ball in their senior year.

In short, I don't want to see any Iowa players go down to injury, but we all know injuries are a part of football. Unlike so many of the Ferentz years, I think this team can absorb an injury or two.

Besides, if you are one of those people that thinks that Iowa didn't play up to standards this week, simply consider the fact that they were shorthanded. Those missing players will probably be back against Iowa State.

A-Rob

Iowa's tailback, Adam Robinson, impresses me more and more each time I see him play.

Against Eastern Illinois, he had 24 carries for 109 yards and three touchdowns. He also caught three passes for 43 yards, and was superb in pass protection.

However, in this case, statistics don't tell the whole story. Along the way, he must have broken about 583 tackles, and turned at least five broken plays into positive gains.

Most notably, when quarterback Ricky Stanzi went down for a series, A-Rob took the team on his back.

The Panthers defense knew he was going to carry the rock, and they loaded the box with eight and nine men.

Didn't matter. Robinson took the took the ball, and gained 23 yards and a touchdown on the series.

On one 14-yard rush, he was gang tackled after about eight yards, and proceeded to carry the pile over the first-down marker, and to the EIU six-yard line. On the next play, he ran it into the end zone.

All of his receptions were for first downs, with one coming on a third-and-nine play and another on third-and-ten.

A-Rob is not really a highlight reel sort of player. He is not going to bust off 80-yard touchdown scampers.

He was almost an afterthought to Iowa's 2008 class, initially being offered a grayshirt, and beginning his Iowa career as a strong safety.

He does not have breakaway speed, and he is not 230 pounds.

What he does do is move the sticks. If his yards per carry average read 4.5 ypc, then he is usually carrying the mail to the tune of four and five yards a carry, every carry.

That is a Big Ten back. That is a player you go to when you absolutely need to move the ball.

Micah Hyde

I think a lot of people are going to come out of this game focusing on two notable miscues from Iowa's true sophomore cornerback; two miscues that led directly to Eastern Illinois' only points in the game.

However, what they will forget is that Micah Hyde had a superb game outside of those two plays.

I will get to those plays in a moment. For now, I will note that going into the season, I was a bit apprehensive about who would replace Iowa's All-Big Ten cornerback Amari Spievey, who left early for the NFL.

Nevertheless, most of my worries were alleviated this Saturday.

First of all, Hyde was an extremely able tackler, which is absolute necessity for an Iowa cornerback. Against the Panthers, he picked up six tackles, most of which were of the short gain variety.

Outside of the aforementioned plays he kept everything in front of him; another absolute necessity for an Iowa corner.

On one play, he jarred loose a would-be EIU reception with a perfectly timed hit; timing that one would generally expect of an experienced upper classman.

He was also notable on special teams, downing a Ryan Donahue punt at the Eastern Illinois four-yard-line.

Needless to say, he's not quite ready to play on island with the Big Ten's elite receivers, but this was his first start at this level of play.

Give him a few games' worth of experience, and I think he'll replace Spievey admirably.

Ricky Stanzi

Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi completed 18-of-23 passes for 229 yards and one touchdown. Just as importantly, he threw no interceptions.

I wouldn't read too much into those numbers, as EIU was giving the Iowa receivers a fairly sizable cushion.

Consequently, Stanzi didn't have to go through his progressions that much. He saw that his primary receiver was open, and he threw it to him.

However, there were two plays that stood out for me; that left me thinking that Stanzi had indeed taken some big steps this offseason.

Both of them were completions to running back Adam Robinson, and both went for first downs.

The first play was third-and-eight from the EIU 12-yard-line. Iowa had smoothly driven the ball from their own 44, but they were facing a potential drive-ender.

Stanzi was in the shotgun. Robinson ran a quick curl route. Stanzi scanned the field and looked at all his receivers, none of who were open.

Therefore, he checked down to his outlet receiver—Robinson—and lobbed an easy pass to him. Robinson took the ball and was tackled right at the first down marker.

He went on to run it into the end zone from four yards out.

The other play was similar. Third-and-ten from Iowa's 33. Stanzi dropped back, went through his progressions, found nobody, and dropped it off to A-Rob, who wound up with a 14-yard, first-down reception.

Over the course of the game, I suppose these seemed like minor plays, but they highlighted a potentially new element of Ricky Stanzi's game.

Last year, if Stanzi's primary or secondary receivers hadn't been open, he probably would have either tried to run for the first down, or more probably, tried to force a throw, and potentially gotten in trouble.

If his checkdowns in this game are any indication of Stanzi's growth, then Iowa fans can take heart. They may mean an end, or at least a minimizing of, the dreaded Stanziball.

Special Teams

The special teams weren't perfect. There was a fake punt that turned into 36-yard gain. That play eventually led to Eastern Illinois' only points on the day.

However, there was considerably more good than bad.

First of all, Paki O'Meara blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown.

Furthermore, Iowa was not even in punt block formation. More than that, they came dangerously close to blocking at least two other punts on the day. Once again, not in punt block formation.

Secondly, true freshman Mike Meyers has now taken over kickoff duties, and he did a superb job on Saturday. Four of his six kicks went for touchbacks.

This is something Iowa hasn't had since Kyle Schlicher graduated in 2006, and it is something that will be extremely beneficial in the field position game.

Also, Iowa only returned two kickoffs, but DJK averaged 28 yards per return, which is none-too-shabby.

Finally, Ryan Donahue showed why he is on the Ray Guy Award watch list. He only punted the ball once, but it went for 43 yards, and it was downed inside the five.

One staple of Ferentz' best teams has been special teams. In the past, he has said that his teams can't really compete with the elite teams in terms of player-for-player talent.

Nevertheless, well executed special teams play is one area that the Hawks can gain an advantage.

My opinion is if the Hawks are to be a highly competitive team this year, they will need stellar special teams. Overall, I think Saturday was a good sign.

Offensive Line

The Iowa offense rushed for a very respectable 179 yards, and only allowed the EIU defense two sacks, neither of which were the o-line's fault.

However, the reality is, they were getting pushed into the backfield far too often in the rushing game.

Moreover, A-Rob had to scratch and claw far than he should have needed to against an undermanned FCS team, even one with a very good defense.

Overall, the line wasn't a disaster, a la last year's Northern Iowa game. It also has to be noted that Adam Gettis—Iowa's would-be starting right guard—was out with a high ankle sprain.

In his place was redshirt freshman Nolan MacMillan, Not only was MacMillan playing and starting in the first game of his college career, but before Gettis' injury, MacMillan had been taking snaps as the backup tackle. Guard was a very new experience for him.

Also, throughout fall camp, center James Ferentz had been splitting time on the No. 1's with Josh Koeppel. He wasn't officially named the starter until the Aug. 27 depth chart was released.

Not surprisingly, on Saturday, the two weakest links on the line were Ferentz and MacMillan.

But as one is a redshirt sophomore and the other a redshirt freshman, there is plenty of reason for optimism. They will improve.

As Ferentz said in his press conference, "Knowing from experience, that first game is usually the toughest one for young players, and it’s good for them to have that under their belt and we’ll have little more confidence coming out next week."

In the end, this line needs some substantial tweaking, but Iowa's line is always developmental, and there is a lot of room for optimism.

We will know considerably more following next week's Iowa State game, both as regards improvement, and because Gettis is expected to return.

Until then, I think it is safe to hold off on any rash judgments.

Bouncing Back From Bad Plays

As I previously said, cornerback Micah Hyde had a great day, but for two lapses.

Those two lapses followed the aforementioned fake punt.

To begin with, due to a missed tackle, EIU turned a five-yard fourth down conversion into a 36-yard gain. This was followed by a 36-yard pass, on which Micah Hyde let his assignment get behind him.

After this, free safety Brett Greenwood blew up an end-around for a four-yard loss. Then Hyde got burned again for an 11-yard touchdown pass.

Again, consider the fact that Hyde is a true sophomore. He simply had a mental lapse.

As Iowa defensive coordinator Norm Parker often says, "The defense's job is to put out fires, not to ask how the fire got started."

I think Hyde got caught not bouncing back after what would have been a three-and-out, if not for the fake punt.

In other words, Hyde got caught looking back at the last fire—which he did put out—instead of the fire directly in front of him.

This is something that is not entirely unexpected in a young player. It is also something that he will learn from and work on.

It will be addressed by the coaches, it is very fixable, and I wouldn't let it spoil a very good day on the part of the young corner.

Quarterbacks Taking Better Care

I mentioned the progress Ricky Stanzi seemed to make. However, there were some negatives as well.

To begin with, Iowa took two sacks on the day. Both of those sacks were on Stanzi and not the o-line.

One was on a cornerback blitz, and the other was the play where Stanzi slipped and limped off the field.

Both of those plays saw Stanzi doing what he has had the tendency to do throughout his career: Refusing to give up on a play, and getting in trouble because of that.

This was most glaring on the play where he got injured. The pocket had collapsed, his receivers were well covered, and it was evident he had nowhere to go.

He probably no longer had an opportunity to make anything positive happen. What he did have was enough time to at least neutralize the play.

At that point, the absolute best thing he could have done was throw the ball to the sideline. The second best thing would have been to take a knee, and eat the three or four lost yards.

Instead, he apparently decided he would try his hand at running over the Eastern Illinois linebackers. He tried to cut, slipped, and his leg wound up in an awkward position.

Thankfully, it turned out okay, but it could have destroyed Iowa's season.

As Ferentz said in his press conference, "Looked ugly from the sideline and I’m sure it looked ugly from all angles."

He then noted how backup quarterback James Vandenberg tried the same thing.

"And then Vandenberg tried to get himself knocked out there in the fourth quarter and so we could have been down two quarterbacks, and that ratio would not work too well I know for the season."

In short, quarterbacks absolutely have to be aware of their own limitations and their own importance. No play is worth risking their health.

When it is time to give up on a play, Stanzi absolutely has to commit to that.

Finishing Games

When Iowa went up 14-0 at the 9:57 mark of the first quarter, there was not a person in Kinnick Stadium that had their doubts about Iowa getting the victory.

Nevertheless, from the middle of the second quarter until the fourth quarter, the score seemed stalled at 28-7. Iowa later added a safety to make it 30-7, but the offense still struggled to put their opponent away.

This is something the Hawkeye offense will have to work on. Again, this was Eastern Illinois, who had very little chance against the Hawks.

If Iowa gets a lead against a team like Penn State or Wisconsin, they have to finish the deal.

They cannot let a good team hang around against them. That is a recipe for disaster.

Iowa's third quarter statistics: Two turnovers. One penalty for five yards. Stanzi: 4-for-7 for 60 yards. Iowa rushed for 37 yards. The only points were off of a safety.

Again, they got the yards, but they couldn't convert the points. That is a wasted opportunity, and something that was typical of Iowa last year.

They didn't put teams away and they didn't play consistent, beginning-to-end games.

Turnovers

Against EIU, Iowa lost the turnover battle 2-0.

Both of the turnovers were fumbles. One came on a bad exchange between Stanzi and first-time starting center James Ferenz.

The other was a fumble by receiver Colin Sandeman, after getting upended following a catch.

One of the turnovers was forced. One was not. Both were somewhat understandable.

As I said, Sandeman got absolutely leveled, and it is possible that if they had reviewed the play, it might have been reversed.

As for the bad exchange, those things tend to happen when a quarterback is working with a new, young, and inexperienced center.

Whatever the reasons, this will have to be cleaned up.

Under no circumstances can Iowa lose the turnover battle this year.

Chances are, if they have a negative-two turnover margin against Ohio State or Michigan, they won't find themselves on the winning end of the game.

It is that simple.

Other Thoughts and Observations

When the second-team came out, Jordan Bernstine, who had been in competition with Micah Hyde for the starting cornerback spot, was playing strong safety.

Current Iowa free safety, Brett Greenwood, will run out of eligibility this season. Expect Bernstine to compete for that job in 2011.

Following the fake punt by Eastern Illinois, Iowa opted to leave its base defense on the field—aside from the return man—instead of bringing on their punt coverage team.

They continued doing this until the fourth quarter. You can expect Ferentz to put special emphasis on fake kicks in practice this week.

Adrian Clayborn is a monster on the punt rush. I don't know what the television showed, but he tore into EIU's roving blocker, who was probably a linebacker or tight end.

Imagine Clayborn coming at full speed against a 220-pound linebacker. Typically, the player wound up on his back, and on at least one occasion, got into a shoving match with Clayborn following the play.

The Iowa band has taken to playing "Born in the USA" when Stanzi does something particularly notable. Also, as has been well-noted by now, the student section chanted "U-S-A" when Stanzi came back on the field, after his injury.

Don't read too much into Iowa's backups dominating EIU's starters. The key difference between FBS and FCS teams are the roster sizes. By the time Iowa's well-rested second string came on, Eastern Illinois' starters were exhausted.

Also, don't read too much into the lack of production by McNutt and DJK. There was no way Ken O'Keefe was going to open up the play book in this one.

However, it is worth noting that DJK and Sandeman split snaps fairly evenly, while McNutt was on the field more often than not. Also, in Iowa's three-wide sets—which the Hawks used a lot—Keenan Davis was the slot receiver.

True freshman CJ Fiedorowicz got a lot of snaps in the second half. He looked somewhat awkward and was to blame for Iowa's only penalty of the game. Nevertheless, that is to be expected of a young player. What is certain is that he is a physical presence on the field.

Iowa's safeties—Sash and Greenwood—didn't see too much action on Saturday. Expect to see more of that through the year. Teams will attack Iowa horizontally as much as possible.

Sash and Greenwood will make their presence felt by what teams don't do, as much as what the safeties are given the opportunity to do.

It is no knock on Adrian Clayborn when I note that he was probably the least active of Iowa's four starting linemen. Particularly notable were Christian Ballard and Mike Daniels, who were all over the place.

Speaking of which, Iowa blew up two screen attempts. That is the advantage of having talented and experienced linemen. Don't expect to see too many teams try screens or draws against Iowa's defense.

What you will see, at least in the beginning of the year, is a lot of play action. Iowa's young linebackers bit quite a bit on the fakes. That is something that will get cleaned up with time and experience.