Tuesdays with Torbee
Iowa escaped the non-conference portion of its schedule unbeaten, but not unscathed.
The Hawkeyes’ top two running backs are on the bench nursing lingering injuries and Luke Lachey – a legitimate John Mackey Award candidate – will miss the rest of the season with a particularly gruesome looking lower leg injuring. Oh, the savior transfer quarterback from Michigan also remains banged up and his lack of full mobility is clearly affecting his timing with his wide receivers.
For a program with an offensively challenged reputation, to put it maybe too kindly, these are troubling developments. It was going to be hard enough to convince fans that side of the ball was improving; having four of your best offensive weapons either out or limited just makes the challenge exponentially more difficult.
Doom and gloom, however, can wait until the first actual loss on the ledger.
Let’s take a moment to appreciate this stat on the 19th of September: there are 39 undefeated FBS teams so far in 2023, but only 11 of them have achieved a perfect record against fellow FBS opponents only. Iowa is on that list of 11, joined by Florida State, Michigan, Texas, USC, Washington, Oklahoma, Colorado, North Carolina, Rutgers and Liberty.
Sure, the trio of Utah State, Iowa State and Western Michigan isn’t a murderer’s row of blueblood programs. It sure beats losing to the likes of South Alabama (Oklahoma State), Miami of Ohio (Cincinnati) or Fresno State (Purdue,) however.
Last Saturday’s slow start against the Broncos was eerily reminiscent of both past upsets to MAC teams and last season’s death march of bad offense. However, Iowa finding its footing and cruising to a blowout by allowing only 35 total yards and zero points in the second half while rumbling for more than 200 yards of rushing offense using third-string and lower running backs is extremely encouraging.
Leave it to Iowa to turn momentum around via punt. Trailing 10-7 early in the third quarter, Tory Taylor pinned the Broncos deep, the defense forced a quick three-and-out, Cooper DeJean took the ensuing punt all the way back down to the Western Michigan 25 and Cade McNamara and Leshon Williams hooked up for a go-ahead 25-yard screen pass for a touchdown. More special teams shenanigans helped break the game open when the defense again pinned the opponent deep forcing a punt block for a safety by Anterio Thompson. After that, the rout was on. Like so many Iowa games, Saturday’s victory was not a thing of beauty. Iowa fans really need to embrace the way this program wins games. It’s going to be weird! Blocked punts, safeties, pick-sixes – Iowa is built to win this way and often does. Sure, it can be a bit annoying as a fan to rely on non-traditional scoring methods. But if it drives us nuts, imagine how it makes our opponents feel!
This is also the path to victory against what appears to be a stout, well-disciplined Penn State team. Iowa needs to turn the game in Happy Valley into a close-quarters street brawl and win on the margins. Turnovers and special teams magic are needed Saturday night if Iowa is going to steal a road victory in the whiteout environment.
How Iowa performs in a hostile road venue will be interesting to see. Crowd noise and antipathy did not significantly hamper them in Ames, but that’s a mediocre-at-best Cyclone team not a Top 5 Nittany Lions squad.
If Iowa can hang in against Penn State and make this a contested game late in the fourth quarter, it bodes well for the rest of the season, whether it results in a win or loss. No one on the back end of the schedule looks as formidable on paper as Penn State, so play well here and feel good about taking on the rest of the Big 10 West.
A few random thoughts on notes after reviewing last week’s game again:
- The young running backs look talented, hungry and aggressive. As the offensive line continues to gel, we may be seeing the resurgence of Iowa as an effective, run-first offense. After the past two seasons, that would be a welcome sight.
- I have zero issue with Brian Ferentz lighting up Cade McNamara after he threw an abominable interception into double coverage in the end zone. It was a bad read, a worse throw and cost Iowa the chance to score and build momentum going into the half. Brian’s “tough love” reaction was reminiscent of the 2016 road game in Illinois when then offensive line coach Brian Ferentz challenged the collective manhood of the entire offense, leading to a much-more inspired finish and a win. Cade is a veteran who has won a Big 10 championship. He can take the criticism.
- How cool were both the Blackhawk helicopter slow motion flyover and Walter the wild Hawk’s impromptu tour of the west stands? Game day at Kinnick remains magic.
Follow me on Twitter @ToryBrecht and the 12 Saturdays Podcast @12Saturdays.
