Iowa Hawkeye Chalk Talk For Week 2: Iowa State

2010 will be the 53rd meeting between the Hawks and the Clones. It will also be the 34th meeting in which the Cy-Hawk trophy will be at stake.

The game lay dormant from 1935-1977, basically because the Iowa athletic director felt the way people were acting was unbecoming. Then, in 1977, the rivalry was restarted. Ever since, fans, coaches, and players alike have been...errrrrrrrrr...civil to each other.

Overall, Iowa has a 36-16 record in the series.

Since the resurgence, Iowa has been 22-11. However, Kirk Ferentz has a 5-6 record against the Clones. On the other hand, he's got a 5-2 record in their last seven meetings. Iowa has not let up a touchdown against Iowa State since 2006. It has been 14 quarters, and nothing but field goals. In 2007, it was even enough field goals for the win.

As the Hawkeyes head into the battle for the ugliest trophy in all of college football, one is left to wonder what tricks Kirk Ferentz will pull out of his sleeve.

How will he stop the vaunted Iowa State zone read? Will Iowa's young and inexperienced offensive line be able to push the Cyclones' rather undersized defensive line around?

Will Iowa State put the ball in Iowa's end zone?

Whatever the outcome, before breaking down the probable game plans of the Hawks and Clones, I will leave you with this thought:

What do you get when you cross a groundhog and Cyclone?

Iowa Will Attack ISU Up The Middle

Six more weeks of bad football.

The average weight of an Iowa State defense linemen is 256.5 pounds. The average weight of their tackles is 274.5 pounds.

As we know, technique, experience, execution, and speed can and usually do make up for size. However, the fact is in ISU's win over Northern Illinois, the Huskies had some success rushing right up the gut.

NIU is decidedly a run first team, but they did put up more than 150 yards and over four yards per carry on the Clones.

Also, Iowa State has three new starters in the linebacking corps. Two of those starters are sophomores. Iowa will look to exploit their inexperience by running right at them.

Expect to see a lot of fullback Brett Morse in this game. Also, Iowa's tailback Adam Robinson is pretty good at breaking tackles and dragging tacklers.

On top of that, Iowa will see the return of Jewel Hampton, who is more of a speedster than A-Rob. Ken O'Keefe will use Hampton to run around the end, thereby keeping ISU's ends honest. This was what he did last week with two consecutive end-arounds by receivers Marvin McNutt and DJK.

Due to all of this straight ahead rushing, Iowa State's young linebackers will be off-balance and playing on their heels.

How do you keep a Cyclone out of your yard?

Then They Will Play Action ISU's Linebackers To Death

Put up a goal post.

With the Iowa State linebackers on their heels, Iowa will begin to steadily and mercilessly play action them to death.

This is something that is an Iowa forte, and in particular, it is something Ricky Stanzi is superb at.

Expect plenty of rollouts, waggles, and delays, as Stanzi looks to get the ball to his tight ends.

Last week, Iowa tight ends caught eight passes for 113 yards. Four receptions by Allen Reisner for 39 yards, three by Brad Herman for 57 yards, and one by Zach Derby for 17 yards. Most of those catches were off the play fake.

Needless to say, this is nothing new for Iowa, but it does exploit a particular weakness of this Cyclone defense; namely, young linebackers.

This is something that Northern Illinois didn't do, and, in my opinion, they suffered for it. They only accumulated 93 yards through the air against the Clones. Of course, the Northern Illinois quarterback was nowhere near as experienced and skilled as Stanzi.

What's the difference between Iowa State and cereal?

Which Will Lead To Man Coverage on Iowa's Receivers

Cereal almost always makes a bowl.

Due to Iowa working the middle and ends of the ISU line, and the play action off of this, Iowa State will probably move its safeties into the box.

As it happens, ISU does have a decent secondary. Phil Steele picked their safety, David Sims as second team All-Big 12. He also picked their cornerback, Leonard Johnson, as fourth team.

However, they are not especially big players. Sims is 5'9", and Johnson is 5'10". The other members of their starting secondary are 5'11" and 6', respectively.

Iowa's shortest receiver is Paul Chaney at 5'9". However, after that, Iowa has DJK and Colin Sandeman—both at 6'1"—Keenan Davis, who stands at 6'3", and Marvin McNutt, who is 6'4". You can also throw in Don Nordmann, who is 6'6".

If Stanzi sees those receivers in single, man-coverage against Iowa State's corners, with no safety support, he is going to throw it to them every time. And, more often than not, he will get his man.

What do you call 48 people sitting around a TV watching a bowl game?

Iowa State Will Attack Iowa on Stretch Plays

The Iowa State Cyclones

Iowa State will attack Iowa via the zone read.

Quarterback Austen Arnaud will take the snap, stick the ball in the belly of his tailback, Alexander Robinson, and watch Iowa's defensive end—one Adrian Clayborn—to see what he does. Clayborn's reaction will determine whether Arnaud hands the ball off or takes it himself.

To give credit where credit is due, Alexander Robinson is a terrific back. Better than our own A-Rob? That is not for me to decide, but he is dangerous when he has the ball in his hands. Last season,  he ran for 1,193 yards and over five yards per carry.

Moreover, though Arnaud's passing is a bit sketchy, he is also a very good rusher. Last year, he put up 561 yards.

Also, Iowa State does have a quality offensive line.

On the other hand, the best counter to a zone read play is an experienced, disciplined, athletic, fast defensive end. Fundamentally sound tackles that can take out three blockers with two bodies is also a big plus.

Iowa has both of those.

In effect, ISU will probably adjust so that the O-line tries to swallow up the D-line, and it comes down to the ball carriers going one-on-one against Iowa's linebackers.

Although two of Iowa's three linebackers are new starters, Iowa has a history of developing fundamentally sound tacklers.

Of course, once again, ISU's A-Rob is a very good back.

How do you make Iowa State cookies?

They Will Try To Get The Ball Out on The Edge

Put them in a big bowl and beat for three hours.

As far as the passing game, ISU will do exactly what EIU tried to do, and what most teams will try to do against the Hawkeyes all season.

They will not want to test Iowa's safeties, unless the receivers somehow get behind them. They will not want Arnaud standing in the pocket waiting for plays to develop, as Iowa's line will tee off on him.

In effect, they will want to get the ball out of the quarterback's hand as quickly as possible. That translates into a horizontal passing game.

As I said, it was what EIU tried to do to Iowa to minimal effect. It is also what the Cyclones did to Northern Illinois.

The key to this offense is tempo. Everything is fast. Everything depends on constant motion, precision, and athletic receivers.

The key to defending it is getting the linebackers out in space, and having cornerbacks that are able tacklers.

Whether Shaun Prater plays or not, against Eastern Illinois, Micah Hyde and Greg Castillo seemed very dependable in this capacity.

On the other hand, Iowa State has better ball catchers than EIU. Against NIU, the Clones spread the ball around to eight different receivers. Only one of those receivers broke a play for longer than 30 yards.

This tells you that Iowa State is going to try to play the possession game.

How many ISU freshmen does it take to change a tire?

This Will Be Followed By Play Action

Trick question. It's a sophomore course.

This leaves one to wonder if they will try anything downfield.

The fact is, it takes a lot of patience to beat Iowa's defense. After all, one doesn't become a quarterback in order to throw five yards out after five yards out all the way down the field. Furthermore, there is also no glory in that for the receiver.

However, that is all that Iowa's defense will consistently give up. In effect, offenses and quarterbacks get antsy. That is when they look 25 yards downfield, and notice receivers that appear to be open. Against Iowa, that throw, as often as not, turns into an interception.

Against NIU, the Cyclones threw the ball deep three times. One of them went for a 34-yard gain. The other two were interceptions.

Unfortunately for Iowa State, Arnaud is not a great passer.

After three years of starting, he has still not mastered the throw into the seam. The seam is that little area that develops when the defense plays a zone. The area between the safeties and the linebackers is the seam.

It is the area that Ricky Stanzi seems to have a preternatural ability to pick apart in the fourth quarter with the game is on the line.

It takes a throw with perfect touch to land right between the safeties and linebackers. It is not a throw a young quarterback can easily make, and it takes time to develop that touch.

Nevertheless, it is a throw that Arnaud will probably try to make against Iowa.

What are the three longest years of an ISU football players' life?

Of Course, The Last Time That Happened...

His freshman year.

Of course, the last time Arnaud tried that, he threw four interceptions, all of them to Iowa's safeties, and three of them attempted throws into the seam.

In short, the only way Iowa State will have a chance to beat this Iowa defense, will be if Arnaud exercises the patience of a saint.

On top of that, Alexander Robinson will have to play the game of his life.

And even with all that, they will still probably need some extra help.

What do students of ISU and U of I have in common?

And As For Iowa State's Special Teams Making Up The Difference...

They were both accepted into Iowa State.

That is where ISU's special teams come into play. As with most competitive games, the team that wins the turnover battle and the field position battle will probably come out on top.

Needless to say, there is no bigger help to a team's field position than its special teams. A punter is a defense's best friend, and touchback on a kickoff can be the difference between a win and a loss.

Last week, Iowa blocked two punts, and put four of its six kickoffs into the end zone.

Also, Iowa's only punt last week was downed at the opposing team's five-yard line.

Meanwhile, in six kickoffs, ISU only had one touchback. Just as importantly, their only punt of the day was an 18-yard shank by senior Daniel Kuehl.

Kuehl had been competing for the starting job with freshman Kirby Van Der Kamp. One is left to wonder if ISU coach Paul Rhoades will make a switch for the Iowa game.

Either way, it doesn't bode well for the Clones.

What is the difference between a Cyclone fan and a puppy?

Go Hawks

A puppy will eventually stop whining.