Hard to believe that Kirk Ferentz was on the hot seat a few years back isnt it? The program suffered through two straight 6-6 seasons, but there was no doubt that they would rebound under his tutelage, and last year was the first step back. The team finished 9-4, beating South Carolina in the Outback Bowl. The Hawkeyes were 6-1 at Kinnick Stadium, and just 2-3 on the road. While they must replace some key parts on both sides of the ball, Iowa should be competing for another New Year's Day Bowl.
Offense:
The offense figures to be the weaker part of the team, and go through some growing pains. That being said, there are some strong points, and if the offense were to come together, the Hawkeyes can be very dangerous. Ricky Stanzi will now be a junior, and his role up to this point has been to manage games. He threw for under 2,000 yards, but had a TD-INT ratio of 14-9. Leading receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos returns. He is the only returning player that caught for more than 200 yards last year. We know that a big part of this is because Iowa is a run first team. That is their strength. Of course, All-American Shonn Greene is gone, and so are his 1800 rushing yards. Sophomore RB Jewel Hampton averaged over five yards a carry last year for a total of 463 yards, and he figures to be the replacement to Greene.
Luckily for him, the offensive line should be formidable in 2009, despite losing C Rob Bruggeman. They have a pair of tackles that could both be playing in the NFL some day. Im talking about 6'6" 312 lb Bryan Bulaga and 6'7" 315 lb Kyle Calloway. Guard Julian Vandervelde isnt too shabby either, and the onus will be on the linemen early to help the other pieces of the offense fall into place. They can make the running game go, no matter who is running the ball. The offense finished 2nd in the Big10 last year in points, averaging 33/game. Until they find some receivers to complement Johnson-Koulianos, the defenses can key on the running game, and no matter how good the line plays, that spells problems.
Defense:
No doubt the strength of the team, as it would be the strength of many teams. The bad news is that they lost Mitch King, their heart and soul, to the NFL. The good news is that most everyone else is back, and their back 7 should be nasty. The Hawkeyes finished 9th in the nation in rush defense last year, letting up less than 100 yds/game. Despite losing King and fellow DT Matt Kroul, expect the rush defense to be stout again. All three linebackers return, and LB Pat Angerer could be the next special thing. Their secondary will most likely be the strength of their team. They return Tyler Sash, Brent Greenwood, and Amari Spivey. Spivey is probably the best player on the entire team.
The kicker Trent Mossbrucker converted 31/33 FGs last year. He has to be an alias or something to Brent Musburger. Is this the name Musburger uses when he goes to the Bellagio and doesnt want people to know hes staying there?
The formula is not complicated when it comes to Iowa. They like to run the ball, and they like to play defense. Nearly every year, they do both things well. This year, the pieces are in place for them to do those things well, but it could take a couple of games to christen a new running back, and find other options on offense. The worst piece of news could be that they travel to the other three strongest teams in the Big10 - Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan State. This will prevent them from winning a Big10 title this year. However, this doesnt mean that Iowa won't be a strong, solid football team, and one that will likely return to the Outback Bowl.
Schedule w/ predicted outcome:
Sept.5 : Northern Iowa = Win
Sept 12: @ Iowa State = Win
Sept 19: Arizona = Win
Sept 26: @ Penn State = Loss
Oct 3 : Arkansas State = Win
Oct 10 : Michigan = Win
Oct 17 : @ Wisconsin = Win
Oct 24 : @ Michigan St. = Loss
Oct 31 : Indiana = Win
Nov 7 : Northwestern = Win
Nov 14: @ Ohio State = Loss
Nov 21: Minnesota = Win
Final Prediction: 9-3 (5-3)
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