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Iowa Hawkeyes (Last Year: 9-4)
2009 College Football Season Preview:
Star Players:
QB Ricky Stanzi, RB Jewel Hampton, WR Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, T Bryan Bulaga, T Kyle Calloway, G Julian Vandervelde, G Dace Richardson, DE Adrian Clayborn, ILB Pat Angerer, OLB Jeremiah Hunter, CB Amari Spievey, SS Tyler Sash, FS Brett Greenwood, P Ryan Donahue.
Draft/Graduation/Transfer Losses:
QB Jake Christensen, RB Shonn Greene, WR Andy Brodell, TE Brandon Myers, G Seth Olsen, DT Matt Kroul, DT Mitch King, CB Bradley Fletcher.
2009 Iowa Hawkeye Offense:
Iowa surprised many last season because of the leading rusher in the nation in Shonn Greene, who departed for the NFL Draft. Will this offense be just as potent rushing the football despite losing Greene?
You bet. Why? Head coach Kirk Ferentz is one of the best offensive line coaches in the nation and he also has arguably the most talented line in the nation. This was a big reason why people thought so highly of Greene. The line opened up massive holes, which made him look better than he really was.
The Iowa offense is led by future first-round pick Bryan Bulaga at left tackle and a very solid right tackle in Kyle Calloway, who should also hear his name called in the second to fourth rounds. This line is also dominant on the interior. Dace Richardson returns from a season-ending injury to take over at left guard, and this team has experience at right guard with Julian Vandervelde.
Bulaga and company will open up massive holes for the new No. 1 back Jewel Hampton. Expect his production to be very solid, but Iowa would be better off if they had a faster option to hit holes quickly.
Quarterback Ricky Stanzi should be improved coming off his sophomore season. He threw for 7.7 yards per attempt, 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He doesn’t have many viable options at receiver, but he will have a ton of time to throw the ball in the pocket and will put up respectable statistics with teams having to occasionally put eight in the box.
2009 Iowa Hawkeyes Defense:
Was the Hawkeye defense ranked so highly nationally because of a weak offensive schedule or underrated talent? It might have been both, but we will find out this season.
So, how good was this defense? They ranked fifth in the nation in scoring defense, 11th in rushing defense (yards per carry), fourth in pass defense (yards per attempt), and seventh in yards per play. You really can’t do much better than that.
The Hawkeyes lose two of their best defensive linemen in seniors Matt Kroul and Mitch King. These players are going to be difficult to replace in the trenches.
No returning player had more than two sacks last season. The defensive line is mediocre at best. While small, King and Kroul were very physical and played with great leverage. However, I doubt their new starting defensive tackles (combining for less than 530 pounds) can be nearly as effective.
This team is really hyping up junior end Adrian Calyborn, who needs to step up as a pass rusher next season. The other bookend is 6-5, 285 pound junior Christian Ballard. He is another great defensive end against the run who simply lacks explosive athleticism off the edge.
I like the bookends on this team to stop the run, but teams just might try to pound it up the gut on Iowa’s slender defensive tackles.
The linebacking corps is one of the best in the Big Ten led by inside linebacker Pat Angerer. He is a physical player who brings the big hit, but lacks some fluidity in his hips. Junior WILL linebacker Jeremiah Hunter is an athletic playmaker and can cover a lot of ground. A.J. Edds is another returning starter on the strongside and really solidifies this unit, but needs to be more of a pass rusher when asked to blitz.
Iowa’s defensive backfield is the best in the Big Ten. Junior corner Amari Spievey is a pro prospect with some upside. He had 68 tackles, four interceptions and six pass breakups last season. With Charles Godfrey gone, he needs to embrace the role as a No. 1 corner.
The safeties are very consistent and reliable. Sophomore strong safety Tyler Sash and junior free safety Brett Greenwood are playmakers in the backfield and rarely get beaten deep.
Last year’s nickel Jordan Bernstine takes over for Fletcher and should be consistent and productive.
Looking at Iowa’s schedule, there are hardly any pro prospects they will face at receiver outside of Eric Decker and Greg Matthews, so they should be dominant again if their defensive tackles step up to the challenge.
2009 Iowa Hawkeye Schedule and Intangibles:
Last year’s non-conference schedule was easy, and this year’s non-conference schedule is even worse. They don’t face Pittsburgh this season, which means their big non-conference game is Iowa State.
However, their Big Ten slate is considerably harder. Instead of getting Penn State at home, they have to travel to Happy Valley in late September. They also have to travel to the Horseshoe to face Ohio State. As opposed to playing Wisconsin at home, they have to travel on the road.
Somebody needs to replace Andy Brodell as a punt returner, but I have a hard time seeing another athlete get up to his 10.6 yards-per-punt return mark with one touchdown.
Iowa has a solid place-kicking situation with junior Daniel Murray and Trent Mossbrucker.
Iowa has one of the best punters in the Big Ten with junior Ryan Donahue. He had 19 kicks inside the red zone and averaged 41.6 yards per punt last season. Donahue is budding star who gives the defense outstanding field position, and was a big reason for Iowa’s success defensively last year.
2009 Iowa Hawkeyes Positional Rankings (1-5 stars):
Quarterbacks |
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Offensive Line |
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Secondary |
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Running Backs |
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Defensive Line |
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Special Teams |
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Receivers |
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Linebackers |
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Coaching |
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2009 Iowa Hawkeyes Analysis:
The Hawkeyes are one of the most underrated teams in the nation, and I simply would not be shocked if they ended up winning the Big Ten this year. Ohio State is very beatable and Penn State alumnus Walter Cherepinsky (you might have heard of him) reminded me Iowa plays Penn State tough every year. This team has the offensive line to be dominant, and if Ricky Stanzi can really emerge as a leader, this team could find itself with its first Rose Bowl berth in a very long time.
However, I am not sold on Jewel Hampton quite yet and last year’s defense might have overachieved. I am going to be conservative with my projection, but this team has the potential to make some noise.
Projection: 9-3
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