Ten Key Battles To Watch When Iowa Plays Arizona

The Iowa schedule has gradually increased in difficulty as the season has gone on.

Despite the Hawks' near debacle last year against UNI, most fans had to view the first game of the season against Eastern Illinois as a glorified scrimmage.

Meanwhile, the game against Iowa State is understood and taken seriously by everybody within the Hawkeye State no matter how much Iowa is favored. Furthermore, anybody that has followed this rivalry for the past 15 years, knows that the Cyclones tend to play "up" for this game.

In retrospect, it would appear that ISU was over-matched this year, and that was how it looked on paper. However, the way the Iowa-ISU game looks on paper is rarely the way it plays out.

The Hawkeyes' next game against the University of Arizona will be a real proving ground for Kirk Ferentz's team. Iowa has undoubtedly looked phenomenal in their first two games, but again, those games were against over-matched teams.

On the other hand, Arizona is currently ranked No. 24 in the nation. They boast a very strong offense that features a proven and reliable quarterback. Their defense appears to have some holes, but thus far, the Wildcats have only allowed an average of four points per game.

Of course, as with Iowa, those games were against decidedly over-matched teams.

Further complicating the challenge, Iowa fans remember quite well the last time the Hawkeyes went into the desert. It was against Arizona State, and the Hawks got shellacked 44-7.

From the first snap, it was evident Iowa didn't show up, and in retrospect, it makes sense. Firstly, Iowa was two time zones to the west. Secondly, the game was a 9:30 PM (CST) start time. Thirdly, it was in the desert heat.

Needless to say, those are the same conditions this Iowa team will be facing. I can't say whether they will have the effect that they had on the 2004 team. I'm guessing if they do, they won't be as glaring, as over the years, Kirk Ferentz has proven that he learns from his mistakes.

Still, even without the intangibles, this will be a tough game for the Hawks; probably amongst their three-four toughest games this year. Due to that, it will be this game where we finally get to see if the 2010 Hawks are indeed pretenders or contenders.

Adam Grant Vs Adrian Clayborn

As I'm sure most people reading this are Iowa fans, I won't go into all the awards and laurels that have been thrown Adrian Clayborn's way over the past two years.

He's a great defensive end; a rare combination of size, speed, toughness, and technique. In fact, with all due respect to Matt Roth and Aaron Kampman, Clayborn might be the best defensive end to play for Kirk Ferentz.

Nevertheless, here is something many don't remember: Previous to last year's Arizona game, Clayborn had compiled exactly two sacks as a starter for the Hawks.

Two sacks. In 14 games. It's hard to believe that Adrian Clayborn was once human, but it's true. He was always good, but two sacks is hardly worthy of All-American honors.

It was during that 2009 Arizona game that he seemed to enter a new zone as a football player. In that game, he had six tackles, one sack, and one very memorable tackle-for-loss. That tackle-for-loss, in case you don't remember, was where he chased down Arizona's 190-pound tailback Nic Gribsby, from behind.

After that, Clayborn never looked back.

Well, Arizona was a lot like that last year. They still lost a few after Iowa soundly defeated them, but they were a decidedly better team. Moreover, they were a decidedly better team made up of decidedly better individuals players.

This was no better exemplified than in the play of left tackle Adam Grant. When the season was said and done, Grant was voted second team All-Pac 10. This year, Phil Steele picked him for his preseason All-Pac 10 team.

You wouldn't have thought he was that good the way he was manhandled last year, but he grew exponentially as 2009 went on.

He will be the first truly dominant lineman that Clayborn will have lined up against, arguably since last year's Wisconsin game. Moreover, Arizona is possibly one of the few teams that might not have to double team Iowa's defensive end.

I would still pencil in Iowa as having the advantage here, but it's not by much. It's certainly not by what Hawk fans have grown used to.

Trevin Wade and Robert Golden Vs Marvin McNutt And DJK

Remember Trevin Wade, Hawk fans? No?

Well, he holds the distinction of the being the first defensive back to have picked off a Stanziball and taken it for six points.

When he made that interception I think most Iowa fans were scratching their heads saying, "Who is this no-name true sophomore? Just lucky I guess?"

As it happened, he was and is a pretty good football player.

Last year, he picked off five passes, which was good enough to earn him second team All-Pac 10. This year, he is a favorite to achieve first team All-Pac 10 status.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the field will be fourth year junior Robert Golden. Golden is a converted safety, and is not quite as much of a natural as Wade. Phil Steele thought enough of him to list him as a second team preseason All-Pac 10. Of course, he listed him at his former safety position.

However, don't be fooled. He can cover, and as a converted safety, he can hit.

In the end, the Wildcats do have some defensive issues. Their play at safety is suspect. They are a bit soft up the middle. They are breaking in three new starting linebackers.

Nonetheless, these may be the best pair of cornerbacks Ricky Stanzi and his receivers will see all year.

William "Bug" Wright Vs Ryan Donahue

Last year, Arizona led the Pac-10 in punt return average with 15.31 yards per return. A large reason for this was William "Bug" Wright.

Wright is a backup receiver that has seen limited time on the offense. However, he has made a big splash on special teams. Last season, he had 12 returns for a 17.5 average. He also took one to the house.

He has not yet done anything notable this year, but punt returners are like that. Once they find a seam, they are gone, and they don't look back.

Meanwhile, Phil Steele picked Iowa punter Ryan Donahue as his first team All-Big Ten punter.

Donahue also hasn't done much this year, primarily because Iowa has blown out its first two opponents. On the other hand, when he has been called to duty, he has put up a 47.5 average.

Still, in blowout games, a punters' services are only so valuable. Of course, in close games there might be no more important player on the team, as close games often come down to field position.

One of the key elements of this game will be for Iowa to make sure that Arizona has to drive a long field. Arizona is a team that can mount drives. The Hawkeyes have to make sure that they have to work as hard as possible in order to score.

Donahue will be a key to that.

Ricky Elmore Vs Riley Reiff

Last year, defensive end Ricky Elmore compiled 10.5 sacks. This was good enough to earn him second team All-Pac 10 honors.

This season, he is expected to equal, if not outdo his previous season's production.

Standing at 6'5" and weighing 250 pounds, Elmore is not a big end. At the next level, he projects as a rushing linebacker in a 3-4 defense, rather than a defensive end.

Consequently, he is not going to bullrush or overpower a quality lineman. He will look to use his speed and technique to make his presence felt.

On the other side of the line, Riley Reiff will be lining up at left tackle. Last year at this time, he was starting his second game ever, subbing for an injured Bryan Bulaga.

He played well enough to earn a starting spot of his own, playing both tackle and guard over the course of the year. Now, he is comfortably situated in the left tackle position,

He has played against his share of elite linemen, and he has held his own. Most notably, he spent much of last year's Orange Bowl lined up against Derrick Morgan.

If Reiff can consistently beat Elmore, then Arizona's line will probably only be able to generate a minimal pass rush, as none of the other linemen are huge pass rushing threats.

Nick Foles Vs Tyler Sash/Brett Greenwood

In last season's meeting between the Hawks and Wildcats, Arizona started Mike Scott under center. The Iowa defense proceeded to demolish him, which prompted Mike Stoops to make a change at quarterback.

At that point, Nick Foles assumed the starting position, and he never looked back.

This year, Phil Steele picked Foles as his fourth-team preseason All-Pac 10 quarterback. That might not seem that impressive until you consider that Jake Locker, Andrew Luck, and Matt Barkley are the signal callers in front of him.

In his first two games, Foles has an efficiency rating of 174.77. More importantly than that, is the way Foles plays the game.

It has been well-established that the way to beat Iowa's defense is through a patient, accurate, efficient quarterback; one that will not look downfield, but will be content to dink and dunk his way through 10 and more play drives.

Foles is such a quarterback. In the Cats' two games thus far, Foles' has completed 83.1 percent of his passes. His longest completion went for only 45 yards. Moreover, during that time, he has completed passes to 12 different receivers.

In short, expect this contest to be a waiting game, with Foles' waiting to see if Iowa will risk the long play in order to stop the repeatedly successful short ones.

Meanwhile, Iowa's All-Big Ten safeties, Tyler Sash and Brett Greenwood, will sit back and wait for Foles to finally try to force one long.

Colin Baxter Vs Karl Klug, Christian Ballard, and Mike Daniels

Obviously, Arizona center Colin Baxter will not be expected to take on the entire interior of Iowa's defensive line.

On the other hand, the primary goal of the Hawks' linemen is gap responsibility. Put simply, that means that Iowa's linemen try to tie up as many offensive linemen as possible, using as few bodies as possible.

In effect, Klug, Ballard, and Daniels will indeed attempt to tie up Baxter and both guards using only two bodies.

If they do this, they will effectively take away any inside running game the Wildcats intend to put forth. Furthermore, if they penetrate the line, they could take away Nick Foles' throwing lanes, thus forcing him right into the willing and able hands of Iowa's defensive ends.

Iowa's Linebackers Vs Arizona's Third and Fourth Receivers

One of the keys to beating Arizona will be for the defenders in coverage to make sure that short passes end once the catch is made.

As has been previously mentioned, Arizona and Nick Foles are going to dink and dunk. They are going to do a lot of lateral passing, and attempt to drive the ball slowly and methodically down the field.

Iowa will do what they always do. They will play their base defense in a cover-two or quarters, and they will wait for Arizona to make an error.

Meanwhile, when the Wildcats do throw underneath, it will be imperative that Iowa doesn't make any mistakes.

What that means is that if a player makes a reception, Iowa's cornerbacks, and especially their linebackers will have to come up and quickly make the tackle.

Last week, Iowa's strong side linebacker, Tyler Nielsen had a good week. He came up and made plays, delivered solid tackles, and even made a pick.

At the middle position, Jeff Tarpinian was slowly worked back into the regular rotation, as he missed the previous week with a broken hand. Furthermore, it is no slight to Bruce Davis, who was filling in for Tarp, but in his limited play, Tarp looked much better than his understudy.

Finally, Jeremiah Hunter is the old vet, having started at the weakside linebacker for the past three years.

Norm Parker's Absence

On Tuesday, Kirk Ferentz reported that defensive coordinator Norm Parker is unlikely to make the trip to Arizona.

Norm was out last week and the defense did fine. Furthermore, the advantage in having a staff with a good deal of continuity is that the other coaches are in tune with Norm. In effect, if he is gone, they tend to know what he is going to do.

Nevertheless, one can never tell how team dynamics go. Perhaps, linebacker coach Darrell Wilson or defensive backs coach Phil Parker (no relation) could make the same calls as Norm.

Yet, the players might react differently. Who knows?

Obviously, I'd rather have Norm calling the plays, as I'm sure he would as well. Still, Iowa has to press on.

Mike Stoops Vs Ken O'Keefe

Donald Miralle/Getty Images

SAN DIEGO, CA - DECEMBER 30: Head Coach Mike Stoops of Arizona Wildcatslooks down from the sidelines against the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers during the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, on December 30, 2009 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. (

This might seem an odd matchup being that Ken O'Keefe is Iowa's offensive coordinator while Mike Stoops is Arizona's head coach.

Nevertheless, I think it is true to the dynamic of the football teams with which they are involved.

Ken O'Keefe has been with Kirk Ferentz since Ferentz became the head coach in 1999. It is obvious that Ferentz hired him and has stood by him because their offensive philosophies jibe, and because he trusts him.

It is true that Ferentz makes all the final calls when gameplanning, and Ferentz makes the final decisions. However, I think it is also safe to say that Ferentz leaves the play calling to O'Keefe.

Meanwhile, I don't know that the same can be said for Mike Stoops. To begin with, Stoops' background is on the defensive side of the ball. Furthermore, his former defensive coordinator was his brother, Mark Stoops. Mark left his gig at Arizona to take what amounted to the exact same job—at least in name—at Florida State.

My guess—and it is strictly a guess—is that he left his brother because the FSU position was under Jimbo Fischer, whose background is with the offense. Consequently, Stoops felt he would have more autonomy at Florida State.

That said, I am interested to see how O'Keefe attacks Arizona, how Mark Stoops responds, and how O'Keefe responds back. 

The fact is, Arizona does appear to have some holes in their defense. Of course, they will adjust to fill those holes.

In turn, Iowa, which has hinted at an extremely versatile offense this season, will further adjust.

Of course, much of this versatility depends on the play of one Hawkeye...

Ricky Stanzi Vs Ricky Stanzi

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MIAMI GARDENS, FL - JANUARY 05: Quarterback Richy Stanzi #12 of the Iowa Hawkeyes rolls out of the pocket against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the FedEx Orange Bowl at Land Shark Stadium on January 5, 2010 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Iowa won 24

Currently, Ricky Stanzi has the ninth highest passing efficiency rating in the country. Having completed over 70 percent of his passes for over 400 yards, with three touchdowns to zero interceptions, he has started his senior season in superb fashion.

Nevertheless, as much as Hawkeye fans love him, I still don't think they entirely trust him. It is probably a hangover from last year's rollercoaster, which included four pick-sixes, 15 interceptions, and a host of bad decisions to go along with his fourth quarter heroics.

I think I speak for most Iowa fans when I say that whenever I watch Stanzi play, I am always ill-at-ease, waiting for the next Stanziball.

In effect, despite his stellar play thus far this season, his play is still worrisome.

Moreover, there is no disrespect to Arizona's defense by saying that this battle is Stanzi against Stanzi. After all, his best game last year was probably against Wisconsin, who had a good defense.

Meanwhile, his worst game might have been against Indiana, where he was terrible for three quarters, and then caught fire. And, of course, Indiana had a decidedly lackluster defense.

In short, I'll still be on the edge of my seat with Stanzi under center, but if he comes through in this game as he has in the last two, I may finally start to believe.