Iowa Hawkeyes: Five Hopes for 2010

After a tremendous 2009 season that ended with arguably the biggest win of the Kirk Ferentz era, Iowa Hawkeye fans are extremely excited about next season. And their excitement is justified.

After all, even though the Big Ten should be a better conference next season, Iowa's 2010 schedule should be easier than their 2009 schedule.

2009 included a vicious away slate that included away games at Iowa State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Penn State, and Ohio State.

All of those very formidable teams will still be on Iowa's schedule, but they will all be played at Kinnick Stadium.

The only tough away games should be at Michigan and Arizona.

Needless to say, those games are by no means easy. However, Camp Randall or the Shoe is infinitely more intimidating than the Big House. (I admittedly know nothing about Arizona's home environment, though I do remember the last time Iowa travelled into the "Grand Canyon State.")

Furthermore, Iowa returns eight players from a very salty defense.

Almost all of Iowa's offensive skill players return, as do both specialists.

However, this is college football. Things happen.

The reality is that next season's team could very well be better than the 2009 Hawks and still wind up with a worse record.

In order for things to go as well as they can, a team needs a few breaks and some creative coaching.

The following are five things I hope to see happen with the 2010 Hawks.

1. The Hawks Will Need To Remain Much Healthier Than They Were Last Season

This is an obvious point, but one that I feel needs to be made.

In 2009, if you grant that Jewell Hampton would have been the starting tailback, Iowa lost 34 starts to injury.

That number does not include key backup players such as Colin Sandeman or Paul Chaney, both of whom were lost for substantial periods of time.

It also doesn't include potential starters such as Jordan Bernstine, who was vying for a starting cornerback spot but was lost before the season.

On offense, exactly two players—FB Brett Morse and C Rafael Eubanks—started all 13 games.

Frankly, it was amazing Iowa could score any points, let alone score enough for 11 wins.

Hopefully, this won't be an issue next season.

Even more poignantly, hopefully certain indispensable players that don't have any notable backups aren't lost to injury, namely Adrian Clayborn, Tyler Sash, Brett Greenwood, and Riley Reiff. 

The loss of any of those players could be disastrous.

2. A Lot of Three, Four, and Five-Wide Sets and a Solid Intermediate Passing Game

As we Hawk fans know, Iowa's offense tends to live and breathe with the fate of its O-line.

It is no coincidence that the Ferentz Iowa team that had the best offensive line—2002—was also arguably the best team that Ferentz has fielded.

No matter who starts on the offensive line next season, the line will be very young and very inexperienced.

This does not bode well for the Iowa offense, but all hope is not lost.

Iowa has an experienced senior quarterback. Iowa also has as much talent, experience, and depth as it has ever had at the receiver position under Ferentz.

There will be three seniors amongst the receiving corps: Darrell Johnson-Koulianos, Colin Sandeman, and Paul Chaney.

DJK, a probable four-year starter, is well on his way to becoming Iowa's all-time career leader in both receptions and yards.

Meanwhile, Sandeman and Chaney were making solid contributions to the Hawks before their seasons were cut short by injuries.

Along with the three seniors is junior and converted quarterback Marvin McNutt, who had a breakout season in 2009.

McNutt was the second leading receiver for the Hawks in both receptions and yardage.

He also had an impressive 19.8 yards per catch and eight touchdowns.

At 6'4" with solid speed, if McNutt can further hone his skills he will hear his named called early in the NFL draft when he leaves Iowa.

Finally, Keenan Davis is a young, highly recruited sophomore that got his feet wet last year.

Due to the experience of the quarterback, the depth and talent of the receivers, and the lack thereof of the O-line, I think Iowa would do well to open up the passing game.

I am not calling for a Purdue-like metamorphosis of the offense.

As the song goes, I am calling for Iowa to ac-cen-tu-ate the positive—the receivers and quarterback—and eliminate the negative—the O-line.

I feel the best way to give the young O-line a chance to grow will be with a short, quick passing game, and spreading out the field a bit.

Iowa did a fair amount of this last year. I'd love to see more of it.

3. Ricky Stanzi Takes the Next Step in His Progression as a Quarterback

Over the last 20 years, Iowa has had some good quarterbacks.

Drew Tate was good. In fact, he was a lot better than people give him credit for.

Brad Banks was good. Matt Rodgers was good.

However, the reality is they were all physically limited. It was for this reason, more than any other, that none of them really got a chance at the NFL, let alone got a chance to succeed.

Ricky Stanzi does not have those physical limitations. Ricky Stanzi could be as good as Chuck Long.

Ricky Stanzi could play at the professional level.

However, in order to do that, he will absolutely have to pick up his game.

He will have to cut down on mental mistakes. He will have to learn to give up on plays every now and then. He will have to learn to make the routine throws as easily as he seems to make the big ones.

If Stanzi can cut out the mistakes and routinely hit five-yard outs and 10-yard slants, the Hawks will have a good year and Stanzi will get a shot at the next level.

4. Let DJK Return Kickoffs

That is big talk, and as soon as he fumbles one, I'll be eating my words.

However, with all due respect to Brandon Wegher, DJK is a unique talent that Iowa has not seen since Timmy Dwight.

Moreover, I think we got a full glimpse of that when DJK took one to the house against OSU.

We also saw it on his touchdown catch against Indiana—a catch that was, with all due respect to Stanzi, all about DJK.

In short, the guy has the unique ability to make people miss him.

In the Orange Bowl, Ferentz went back to Wegher as his return man.

I fully acknowledge that Kirk Ferentz has forgotten more about football than I have ever known.

He also has considerably more access to the players and their abilities than I have.

Nevertheless, sometimes Ferentz's conservatism tends to hold him back a little.

One example of this was the Pitt game in 2008. Due to conservatism, he played Jake Christensen the final quarter of that game.

Meanwhile, everybody in the stands and watching at home knew that Stanzi should have been in there.

I would argue that it is once again conservatism that is keeping him—and has kept him—from playing DJK on kickoffs unless absolutely necessary.

5. How About a Couple of Old Fashioned Blowouts?

Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed 2009. I will always remember where I was, what I was doing, and how I reacted at the end of the 2009 Michigan State game.

Nevertheless, a curb stomping or three would be much appreciated by the fans, and probably very helpful to the team.

As for the latter point, it is debatable. Nevertheless, I would argue that QB James Vandenberg would have been much better prepared and thus effective against NU if he had gotten some playing time against UNI, Arkansas State, or Indiana, to name a few.

On the other hand, maybe the tight games and a bit of unexpected adversity made the Hawks a stronger team in the long-run. Who knows?

However, I do know that in 2010 I'd love to see Vandenberg and some young D-linemen get some playing time against the likes of Eastern Illinois and Ball State.

I think that playing time would pay substantial dividends in 2011.

Furthermore, as exciting as 2009 was, it was also exhausting. Every game was a roller coaster.

I realize this has nothing to do with the team: But speaking as a fan, I'd like a week or two off.

Maybe this is an indication of my being far too obsessive when it comes to Iowa Hawkeye football, but by the end of game day I am exhausted.

Moreover, I spend all of Sunday recovering from Saturday.

After 12 weeks of football, this exhaustion takes its toll.

Speaking as one fan, I really appreciate weeks when Iowa has the game well in hand before the half and I can relax a little.

All in all, 2010 has all the makings of another great year for the Hawkeyes. Just how great remains to be seen.