Iowa-Ball State: Hawkeye's Four Areas to Focus on Against Cardinals

It might be hard to get very excited about an out-of-conference match against Ball State.  After all, Iowa is a Top 25 team while Ball State is a mid-pack MAC team at best. 

Still, Iowa's latest performance in Tucson, Arizona left a few areas of concern.  With Penn State waiting in the wings to open Big Ten play, the Hawkeyes don't have a lot of time to cure what's ailing them. 

Running Back

Just over a month ago, this was the least of Iowa's concerns.  Sophomores Brandon Wegher and Adam Robinson were coming back from fantastic freshmen performances in 2009.  Sophomore Jewel Hampton was also coming back after a torn ACL kept him out of the 2009 season.

The Hawkeyes were loaded with experienced, talented tailbacks that could more than handle the rushing load.  Suddenly, things are much less secure at one of most critical positions.

Wegher left the team for "personal reasons" and is not projected to return this year—if ever.  Still, Iowa had two good, experienced backs. 

Now however, Jewel Hampton has injured his left knee and all indications are that he is lost for the remainder of this season as well. 

In the blink of an eye, Iowa finds itself with one good running back remaining out of three.  They're one injury away from burning redshirts and dipping into a well of inexperience to carry the rush attack of a team that's traditionally run-heavy.

Ball State ranks seventh out of 13 teams in the MAC in terms of run defense.  They're allowing an average of 149 yards per game and 4.34 yards per carry. 

This is a prime opportunity for Iowa to get some new faces acquainted with the Hawkeye rush attack and gain some valuable game experience.  Coach Ferentz can't afford to waste a lot of time (or take a lot of chances) with Adam Robinson.  We know how good he is.  Now is the time to find out who can back him up or—heaven forbid—replace him if the need should arise.

Offensive Line

It might not be very fair to get overly critical of the performance the offensive line put up against Arizona.  The Wildcats boast a very good, and experienced defensive front.  Plus, they threw everything they had at a relatively inexperienced Iowa line. 

The problem is, that's not the last good defensive front Iowa will see this year.  Penn State showed a solid front against defending national champion Alabama a couple of weeks ago.  Ohio State obviously has a good defensive line and Wisconsin could give the Hawkeyes fits.  Shall I go on?

Plus, you can imagine how many teams around the league will be watching game footage of Iowa's final possession and taking notes on the back-to-back-to-back crunches Ricky Stanzi suffered at the hands of the Wildcats.  It won't be the last time Iowa will have to face multiple blitz packages and loaded lines.

Ball State may not offer the kind of threat that Arizona (or any of the others I mentioned) did, but it's a good opportunity to work on their timing, schemes, and cohesiveness. 

The Cardinals are dead last in the MAC in sacks with three on the year.  They average just one sack per game and have totaled only 18 yards opponents have lost due to sacks. 

Ball State represents one of the weaker defensive fronts Iowa will see seen; don't expect them to push the Hawks there. 

This isn't about overcoming the demons of a game past, though.  This is about working on the fine details and gaining that little extra experience that can pay dividends down the road.

Special Teams

Perhaps the biggest disappointment that came out of Iowa's first loss (and the year so far) was the play at special teams.  When the lights went out in Tucson, Iowa had quite a tally of failures in this area.

One blocked punt that put Arizona securely in scoring position.  One 100-yard kick return for a touchdown.  And one blocked extra point that prevented Iowa from taking the lead and shifted the momentum back into Arizona's favor. 

While Iowa may not be known for special teams play like, say, Virginia Tech is, they're not traditionally bad at it either. 

Iowa is 10th in the Big Ten at kick returns allowed.  They average 30.91 yards allowed per return and 113.3 yards per game. 

Ball State won't necessarily be a pushover in this category.  The Cardinals already have two kicks/punts blocked and lead the MAC in kickoff returns, averaging 31.89 yards per return. 

If there's one category where Ball State can really hurt Iowa, this is it.  They're dangerous, and that's really all that needs to be said.

Pass Coverage

Let me specify a little here.  The Hawks have done a fairly decent job of defending the pass thus far this year.  They're fifth in the conference, allowing 197.3 yards per game.  They've defended (read: knocked down) 12 passes so far this year, which is good enough for seventh in the conference.

However, against Arizona the Hawks were disturbingly lax against the short-to-mid range pass, leaving gaping holes in their zone defense.  They allowed Nick Foles to pick and peck at them all night long, racking up 303 yards through the air.

Was this evident during the first two games?  Not really, but then again, neither of the first two opponents had the kind of offense Arizona had, nor the kind Iowa will face in weeks to come.

Ball State is 11th in the MAC in passing offense.  They average just 128 yards per game and have two touchdowns to three interceptions. 

Again, this isn't necessarily an area that Iowa should be pushed heavily this coming week.  However, this is an opportunity to tighten the coverage, and work on sticking to zone assignments.  They might even be able to pad their interception stats, if they do what they're supposed to do.

Will Ball State give Iowa their toughest test of the season?  Not even close.  In just about every area that Iowa excels, the Cardinals don't. 

That doesn't mean the Hawkeyes can lay back and take it easy, though.  There's plenty to work on and not much time to get their ducks in a row. 

Following Ball State, the Hawkeyes face four consecutive teams that are currently ranked in the Top 25 in Penn State, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Michigan State.  They have very little room to breathe and the sands are quickly slipping through the hourglass. 

Ball State offers a great opportunity to concentrate hard on the areas they need to most improve before things get really tough.