This week Wisconsin comes to Iowa to compete for the Heartland trophy, a reward that has been in play since 2004. Over the course of the trophy Iowa leads the series 4-2 winning 2 at home and 2 on the road, their 2 losses coming in 2006 and 2007 by a total of 7 points. Over the history of the rivalry the Hawkeyes lead by just a game at 42-41-2. The Heartland Trophy game is Iowa's second trophy game of the season, they retained the Cy-Hawk trophy with their 35-7 win over Iowa State earlier this year.
The match up this week appears to be the closest one of the year so far, the Hawkeyes and Badgers appear to be just about mirror images of each other. Both teams have suffered one loss this year, Iowa in week 3 to Arizona and Wisconsin in week 5 to Michigan State. The positive that both teams can take from their losses is that the team they lost to is currently in the top fifteen in the rankings. Wisconsin is coming of their season high, a victory over Ohio State, and hopes to keep their momentum going. Iowa comes in off a much needed victory in the Big House in a game where the stats would not have predicted the outcome at all.
The quarterback match up in the game is so similar that at first glance you might think the stats got copied over and someone forgot to change them.
Quarterback | TD | Int | Comp % | Yards | Sacks |
| Stanzi | 13 | 2 | 68.3 | 1474 | 11 |
| Tolzien | 7 | 3 | 70.9 | 1353 | 5 |
Both quarterbacks are typically asked to manage their team while giving the ball to their strong running backs and let them do most of the work. Occasionally they will be called upon to make a big play, which in most cases they manage to do. The play of the quarterback position is my key to the game on Saturday making plays when they need to be made, keeping the chains moving and keeping the ball in their offenses hands will determine who is going to win this one.
The running back position is similar between Iowa and Wisconsin as well. Wisconsin does what Iowa planned to do in spring ball this year, which is using 2 running backs to keep the defense on their toes. Wisconsin has had the benefit of 2 healthy backs while Iowa has had to deal with an injury to Jewell Hampton and the departure of Brandon Wegher for personal reasons. Adam Robinson has taken over full time duty in the feature spot and handled it very well to this point. Robinson has rushed 129 times at 4.8 yards per carry while scoring 3 touchdowns, the only other back over 100 yards to this point is still Jewel Hampton who only played in 2 games this season. Wisconsin backs John Clay have combined for 216 attempts this season averaging over 6 yards a carry and 20 TDs. They also have running back Montee Ball who has rushed 46 times for 201 yards and added 3 more touchdowns. Needless to say the play of the offensive and defensive lines will go a long way in determining just how explosive this game can be.
Both teams have solid defenses coming into the game. Iowa was exposed last week against the pass but I credit that to preparing for Denard Robinson for 2 weeks and then having to change the game plan after halftime to adjust for Tate Forcier. Iowa ranks number 7 in the nation for rushing defense allowing 83 yards per game but number 52 in passing defense tweaked a little by last weeks performance.. Wisconsin ranks 26 allowing 114 yards per game rushing and 38 in passing defense allowing 193 yards per game.
Special teams play is another potential game changing area for both teams, mainly on the defending side. Both teams appear to be to be solid in the rankings for punt and kickoff returns but at the same time they have both allowed a touchdown on a punt or kickoff return. It happened to Iowa early in the Arizona game, putting them in a hole that they never could work their way out of. For Wisconsin it happened against MSU, a punt was returned for a touchdown giving the Spartans momentum and the lead which they never gave back in the game. These plays can change the entire momentum of the game as they have against both the Hawkeyes and the Badgers.
One mistake could be the difference in this game, one lapse in judgment by a quarterback, one running back that doesn't tuck the ball in, one blown coverage on special teams is all it could take. I believe that it will be the team that makes one less mistake that will come out on top. I expect a quick game on Saturday since I believe both offenses will be able to get the chains moving and that the running backs for both sides will see well over half of the snaps for the game. It should be a tight game throughout, I'm looking for the Iowa crowd to get behind the team and give them the push that they need to pull off the "upset."
I have been questioned many times as to how I ended up following such an odd variety of sports teams, so I have decided to let you all know exactly who I follow and how it got to be that way. I have an extreme anti-New York team bias which I've never fully been able to explain but I credit most of it to my high dislike of bandwagon fans. I suppose living in the state with the team you see many more of them then rooting for a team outside the state, so I stay away from anything in New York. As far as my favorites I'll start with my biggest passion, hockey, and work my way though.
Hockey:
NHL: I was never really a huge single team fan as a kid, always more of a fan of the players. Initially it was Pavel Bure when he played for the Canucks so I followed them closely, then I became a fan of Eric Lindros and therefore the Philadelphia Flyers. I went and saw the Flyers play against the Hartford Whalers and was one aggressive move away from getting my jersey signed by Lindros. Once his career headed downwards I didn't really follow anyone until the Minnesota Wild. We were on a family vacation in the mid west during the summer of 2000 right before their opening season. We went and saw the arena but weren't able to get a tour but the energy in the entire city for the team was amazing. This sparked my interest in the Wild along with watching Marian Gaborik play. I have been to 2 Wild games so far, both in Buffalo. The first was while Gaborik was still there, I was 2 rows from the ice and it was one of the most amazing experiences ever and the other was last year toward the end of the season. I still follow Gaborik now that he is in New York but the Wild are still my team. Overall I am just a hockey fan in general, ill turn on any hockey game that's on TV regardless of who is playing just to watch some hockey. I have been to a few other Sabres games on occasion since the prices can be reasonable and nothing is better than live hockey regardless of your seats or the level.
AHL: The Rochester Americans are my adopted hometown hockey team. Being from Utica, we have had our share of semi-pro hockey teams pass through. My junior year of college at Brockport I began going to Amerks games with my roommate and got hooked. My senior year all of my roommates were hockey fans with an AHL team at home so I used Rochester as mine. I go to about twenty games a year but always keep track of how they are doing when I'm not there or they are on the road.
College: Being a student at Brockport, the Golden Eagles are naturally my favorite team. I am part of/one of the creators of the Eagles Nest Crazies, the student section for the home games. I travel across the state to support the team with my friends, causing as much trouble as we can for the opposing teams. I would love to write about the games but until I graduate and am not friends with the players anymore I will not be doing so. As far as D-I hockey goes I don't have a personal favorite team, I pull for the Bemidji State beavers since my dad taught there but once again ill watch any game that happens to be on TV. The college tournament leading up to the Frozen 4 however is like a holiday. I have been known to set up 2 TVs and a computer and watch every available game during the day.
Football:
NFL: I'm not sure when I became a football fan but I credit my dad's friend in Iowa for getting me to be a Green Bay Packers fan. Once I started following them my passion grew, I had tickets thought Brockport to see the Packers play in Buffalo my freshman year but the transportation never showed up. Obviously I started following the packers while Favre was there and loved him as a Packer. I was ok with the trade to the Jets and Favre playing there because I understand the desire to play and the teams decision to move on but the move to Minnesota crossed the line, now that he is playing there I could not like him less. I've never been to an NFL game but do hope to get to one someday soon, even if it's going to see the Bills play at some point.
College: As I'm sure you have noticed if you have read just about any blog so far I am also an avid Hawkeyes fan and hope dearly to go to a game in Iowa City at some point in my life. I have seen them play in Syracuse; some of you may remember the 4 stops inside the 4 yard line with under 2 minutes to play. This one again goes to my dad's friend who bought me an Iowa jersey when I was first born but also to my grandfather who always has an opinion about how they are playing. I was in Iowa for their Orange Bowl win over Georgia Tech last year which was an experience by itself.
Baseball:
MLB: My passion for the Diamondbacks comes from my other grandfather who lived in Arizona and took me to a bunch of games when I was younger. My first game was their inaugural season and I believe it was against the Giants. I have also seen them play the Rockies, Padres, and during their World Series winning year I was them play the Astros. Chase Bank Stadium is the only MLB level field I have ever been to, thought I have never seen a game with the roof open. I am also a fan of anyone that beats the Yankees, this goes back to the bandwagon fan concept. I do acknowledge a few actual Yankee fans, but it's not very hard to be a fan of a team that finishes in the top 2 in the league year in and year out with a payroll that could pay off multiple teams' rosters.
Minor Leagues: I have attended a few Syracuse Skychiefs, and Buffalo Bison games as well as one Rochester Red Wings game but I do not follow any of them with any interest.
Miscellaneous:
I refuse to follow NBA basketball at all, though thanks to over coverage on ESPN I can name many more starters off a variety of teams then I would like to admit. I will watch some college basketball from time to time but that is usually limited to UNC/Duke games (in which I root for UNC) for the rivalry and the March Madness tournament. Most of my interest in the tournament is based on pools as well, not in the actual basketball itself. Syracuse basketball I refuse to root for…ever…because the only time you hear about a Syracuse basketball fan is when they are ranked or making a run in the tournament. I would like to see their football team do well but that is only because they don't have any bandwagon fans at the moment, I'm sure if they start winning it will fill right back up again.
A sport I would like to follow more closely is indoor lacrosse. I played lacrosse in high school and enjoyed it but never followed it a whole lot. I've been to multiple Rochester Knight Hawks games which I have enjoyed but never followed them outside of what I see at the game. I have attended multiple Rochester Rhinos games and enjoyed each one more than I expected to, since I was not previously a soccer fan. I watched as much world cup action as I could this summer as a result of the interest in the Rhinos game and nationalism. I recently found out about the Rochester Raiders indoor football team and will have to make seeing that a priority, I witnesses the AF2 championship in Iowa one year and the intensity of arena football is amazing.
I have yet to be offered an opportunity to watch a new sport that I have turned down. I'll watch anything once and generally return if given that chance. Sports have always been part of my life and will be for a long time to come. This blog is a chance for me to express my views and at the same time increase my knowledge of sports and current events in them. I hope you enjoy what I have to say and even if you don't let me know what would make it more enjoyable for you.
To call today's game an up and down event would be an understatement, especially when the only way to find out what was going on was on a cell phone. A slow start, two 3-and outs gaining only 7 yards in between which Michigan and Denard Robinson put together a 75 yard touchdown drive. Then the Hawkeyes got going, recording 3 consecutive touchdown drives totaling over 180 yards while holding the Wolverines scoreless due to an interception and a missed field goal. The second half was about the same as both teams struggled to keep the ball in their possession until Iowa scored with a minute and 45 seconds left in the third quarter. At this point the game got very interesting.
Denard Robinson suffered a shoulder injury on the first Michigan play of the third quarter, prompting Tate Forcier to take over at quarterback. Watching the GameCast on the phone made this even more interesting since there was no notification about the injury, I was left to wonder why Robinson had left the game. Robinson is the most dynamic quarterback in the Big-10 but the Hawkeyes had 2 weeks to formulate a game plan to stop him. The problem with this is that with an injury like we saw today, the whole game plan has to change in a matter of minutes. Forcier came into the game for Robinson and immediately drove the Wolverines down the field and into scoring position. Fortunately for the Hawks, they forced a fumble by Vincent Smith on their own 15 yard line to end the threat. After an Iowa punt Forcier took over again, this time he made his own mistake on the third play of the drive and had his pass intercepted by the Iowa defense. The offense took just under 3 minutes to cash in on this mistake and got a late game touchdown, something that I pointed out they needed more of after the last game. The next 3 drives traded touchdowns back and forth, leaving Iowa with a 35-21 lead with just over ten minutes to go. Iowa went three out and on the next drive and Forcier once again drove the Michigan offense down the field to make it a 7 point game. The next drive Ricky Stanzi stepped up with Adam Robinson to get the job done. They drove into Michigan territory and although the drive stalled, took another 4 minutes off the clock. 4th and 7 deep in Michigan territory seemed to take forever to update, the nerves of waiting to read if the freshman kicker Michael Meyer had hit the field goal were killing me. When the phone finally revealed that he had hit it I was highly relieved, a ten point lead with less than 3 minutes to go sounded much better than the simple 7 point lead the Hawks had been clinging to. The defense stepped up when Forcier took the field for the last time, intercepting his third pass of the drive to seal the game. Adam Robinson picked up a first down for good measure, allowing the Hawkeyes to kneel down and pick up a victory in Ann Arbor for the first time since 2002.
I said earlier this week that forcing turnovers was going to be the key to this week; yards were going to be gained regardless of how well the defense played. Little did I know that the yards were going to be picked up through the air and that the turnovers were going to come at the hands of last year's starting quarterback and not Denard Robinson. The Hawks were semi successful at stopping Robinson, he completed 13 of 18 passes but only for 97 yards and had one interception. Robinson also ran 18 times for 105 yards in the half that he played, both stats were on pace for the 200 passing 200 rushing that he has been averaging this season. They key for Iowa was that Michigan only had 7 points from their initial touchdown drive to show for all this success. Forcier brought a whole new aspect to the game, something that the team surely hadn't prepared for much the last 2 weeks. Forcier completed 17 of 26 passes for 239 yards and a touchdown but also threw 2 interceptions and had the costly fumble by his running back while he was in the game. The stat that worries me is the 523 total offensive yards that Michigan was able to gain. The Wolverines gained 31 first downs, including 3 by converting fourth down situations. Points were kept off the board though by the opportunistic Hawkeyes defense with the 4 turnovers and a blocked field goal.
With the exception to a very slow start to the third quarter, the offense looked as fantastic statistically as I had expected it to. Stanzi was 17 of 24 passing for 247 yards with 3 touchdown passes to Derrell Johnson-Kulianos, who had 4 total receptions for 70 yards. The ball was spread around well by Stanzi again this week, 7 teammates had receptions, Robinson and McNutt matched DJK with 4 receptions on the day. Adam Robinson did everything asked of him today, he ran 31 times for 144 yards and 2 touchdowns. With Adams 61 receiving yards he was over 200 total offensive yards for the game. The thing that I was the most pleased to see about the offense was the points scored in every quarter, something that it seems there was a lack of in tight games so far.
Special teams did their job today; Michael Meyer hit all 5 extra points as well as the game clinching 30 yard field goal. Ryan Donahue was called upon 5 times and averaged 46 yards per punt, I would like to see the number downed inside the 20 higher than 1 but without actually watching the game I don't know how often that could have been asked for today. DJK handled kickoff duties today and averaged 30 yards a return, none of the Michigan punts were returned. Kick coverage was good as well today, as it has been since the Arizona game, allowing an average of 20 yards on kickoffs and only 6 total yards on 3 punt return attempts.
When all is said on done it's nice to see the W on the board for the week. We will find out how good Michigan and Penn State really are in the next few weeks. Today's offensive effort was great to see, last year I would have doubted the teams ability to score enough points to win a shootout. The next 2 weeks continue to be huge for the Hawkeyes; first Wisconsin comes to Iowa City coming off their win against number 1 Ohio State followed by Michigan State, currently undefeated and atop the Big-10 standings. These two teams will both be in contention for the Big-10 title when the end of November rolls around so a couple of wins could set the stage for the Hawkeyes. For those who are watching the standings currently, the Hawks are one of 3 teams tied for first based on the conference record.
I will have a preview later in the week of the Wisconsin game, as they come to town attempting to knock Iowa out of the way and work their way up the standings.
If I wrote this article in the week after the Iowa vs Penn State game it would have a very different perspective then it does now. When the game took place I saw it as a one loss Iowa team taking on a one loss Nittany Lions team with the winner competing for the Big-10 title regardless of which team was the winner. I expected another game where whoever scored last was going to win the game, Iowa showed up to play as expected, Penn State failed to live up to my expectations. Those expectations were lowered even more the following week when Penn State lost to a tough but not outstanding Illinois team by 20 points.
Regardless of how good or bad of a team Penn State ends up being there were many aspects of Iowa's game that looked outstanding. With the exception of one throw in the first half where he was intercepted, Ricky Stanzi had a great day. He went 16 of 22 throwing for 227 yards and a touchdown, rushing 6 times for 9 yards and another touchdown. The ball was distributed all over the field again as well, 6 different receivers made receptions, 4 of them had over 25 yards receiving for the game. Marvin McNutt and DJK once again were the favorite targets for Stanzi hitting them for 5 and 4 catches with 93 and 64 yards respectively. Adam Robinson continued his solid season as well rushing for 95 yards on 28 carries. The one thing I once again didn't like about this game was the slowdown at halftime by the offense. They put 17 points on the scoreboard in the first half but failed to score another touchdown the rest of the game. Overall the day was successful, only the one turnover by the offense, nearly 350 yards which generated 17 first downs and had a tendency to keep the clock rolling.
As good as the offense was the defense matched it. Through the last 2 games, yes one was against Ball State but still; they have allowed only 3 points. Penn state made it inside Iowa territory twice in the first half, only 6 yards in on one drive. A fourth down stop on the goal line in the third quarter kept Iowa in control of the game, something they never really gave up from the first drive. The final nail in the coffen for the Nittany Lions was the interception return for a touchdown by Shaun Prater with 2 minutes left in the 4th quarter. The defense did all that was asked of them in the game, although they gave up over 300 yards they stepped up when it was needed, the interception and the 4th down stop.
Special teams performed well again this week as well. Freshman Michael Meyer was solid, making all 3 extra point attempts and converting his only field goal try of 20 yards. Ryan Donahue was also excellent in the punting department. He had 7 punts which averaged 40.3 yards per kick and had 3 downed inside the Penn State 20 yard line. The fact that 3 of his punts were downed inside the 20 was the most impressive special teams stat to me, his 4 kicks that weren't downed they were from well within Iowa territory; the 29, the 35, the 11 and the 23. Making the opponents drive as fast as possible is going to be key as the season moves on, beginning this week with Michigan.
Denard Robinson may be the most feared 2 words in the Big-10 outside of Ohio State. This week Iowa goes into Michigan to face Denard and his 5-1 Michigan Wolverines. Last week Michigan got their first real test of the season against Michigan State and it turned out that they are human after all. This week Iowa hopes to repeat the Spartans performance and force Robinson to throw the ball. Michigan State did this mainly once they got the lead any Michigan had to try to mount a comeback. I hope that Iowa's ability to start fast will hold up again this week against the 112th (out of 120) ranked defense that allowed 536 yards, including 249 on the ground, last week to the Spartans. Iowa's secondary has a great ability to get to the ball and Robinson's arm is untested so multiple interceptions are possible. The front four will need to contain Robinson as well; they have done well at generating pressure this year. However, getting pressure will not be enough against a shifty quarterback.
This week has the potential to be a statement game for the Hawkeyes. Winning in the "Big House," something that the Hawkeyes haven't accomplished since 2002, would put Iowa on pace in the Big-10 with a 2-0 record. Regardless of the hype, or in this case skepticism, about Michigan, a win in Ann Arbor would be a huge one for the Hawkeyes. I personally think it can be done, Josh Nesbitt from Georgia Tech was supposed to run all over the Hawkeyes in the Orange Bowl last year and that didn't happen. Either way the matchup between the Hawkeyes and Wolverines Saturday should be a good one.
Well the opening round of 2010 MLB playoffs came to a close on Tuesday, fittingly with another great pitching performance. What the first round lacked in drama (other than the Rays-Rangers series) it made up for in excellent pitching performances and a number of ugly calls by umpires. My predictions were admittedly sub-par but seeing as I did them day of ill take a .500 record when picking the team that I thought would actually win.
ALCS
Yankees @ Rangers
Season Series: 4-4
Previous series: These 2 teams took opposite rides on their way to advancing to the ALCS. The Yankees went into Minnesota and won their first 2 games on the road and then proceeded to win game 3 at home to sweep the series. Typically the Yankees got the job done early, their starting pitcher picked up the win in all 3 games of the series. The Rangers won their series against the Rays on the back of pitcher Cliff Lee. Lee pitched 16 innings in the ALDS giving up only 2 runs and striking out 21 of the batters he faced. The oddity of the series however is that neither team won a game at home, something that will need to change if the Rangers hope to have a chance against the Yankees.
Key to the series: For the Rangers the key to this series again is starting pitching. Not being a huge baseball follower I would assume Cliff Lee would get a start in game 2, on 4 days rest, which would put him in position to pitch again in game 5 or 6 depending on how the rest of the matchup turns out. None of the players that I mentioned before the first round did anything spectacular but I believe they will need to produce in pressure situations if the Rangers want to win their second ever playoff series. The Yankees need to continue to play the same way that they did in the first round. They scored 5 or more runs in all 3 games while allowing more than 2 in only 1 game. Starting pitching was great for the Yankees allowing only 2 runs and striking out 15 in their 20 innings of work. Offensively the Yankees batters couldn't have been better, every one players that came up to bat had at least 1 RBI, 5 different players had multiple. Spreading the offense around is one of the things that the Yankees do best.
Predictions:
My hopes: Rangers Reality: Yankees (6 games)
NLCS
Giants @ Phillies
Season Series: 3-3
Previous series: Pitching was the key for both of the teams in their ALDS matchups. The Phillies won 2 games by shutout, including a no hitter by Roy Halladay (I guess he handled the pressure of the playoffs just fine) and overpowered the Reds in their other win by scoring 7 runs. The Giants also used the arms of their pitchers to get though the first round, allowing only 4 runs total in their 3 wins. Tim Lincecum kept up with the starters from Philadelphia allowing only 2 hits and striking out 14 in his only start of the series.
Key to the series: The Phillies make their 3rd trip to the NLCS in as many years; their balanced attack could allow them to be successful in advancing for the third time. I expect the pitching to hold the Giants down offensively and even if they don't their offensive power is matched in these playoffs by only the Yankees. The Giants need their pitchers to keep games close but generating offense will be the key. The Braves handed the Giants a gift by not forcing a game 5 and therefore another Lincecum start allowing him to square off against Halladay in game 1 on full rest. The Giants must win the games that Lincecum starts if they are to have any success in the series.
Predictions:
My hopes: Phillies Reality: Phillies (5 games)
As many of you may know I don't follow baseball all that closely other than to suffer at the hands of my Dbacks each year. Even so, I figured I might as well make some predictions and voice my hopes for which teams will be playing in the second round.
NLDS:
Atlanta Braves at the San Francisco Giants
How they got here: The Giants won a normally contested, but always questioned, NL West race with the Padres by 2 games. The rode the backs of their young pitchers, who allowed them to win many games this year even when the offence only produced 2 or 3 runs. The Braves on the other hand clinched their post season berth on the last day of the season compliments of their win against the Phillies and the Padres getting shut out by Jonathan Sanchez, who the Braves will see in game 3. From what I've seen the Braves also rely on their pitches, they had 3 starters with 10 or more wins and an E.R.A. of 4 or better. The tail end of their bullpen is also strong with Billy Wagner picking up 37 saves.
Season Record: Overall Home Away Last Playoff Appearance Last Playoff Series Win
Atlanta 91-71 56-25 45-36 2005 2001
San Francisco 92-60 49-32 43-38 2003 2002
Season series: Braves 4-3
Key to the series: For the Braves starting pitching is the key, they need to keep the runs allowed down against the quality of pitchers that San Francisco has. The key for the Giants is getting run support for their pitchers. If the starters allow 5 or more runs in a game I will be extremely surprised but even if they only give up 2 runs will it be enough to get the job done?
My hopes: Braves Reality: Braves
Cincinnati Reds at the Philadelphia Phillies
How they got here: The Phillies won the NL East decisively with their deadly pitching staff and plenty of power in their offence. The starting pitching of Halladay, Oswlt, and Hamels could just about win games by themselves but Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth are there to provide some backup power. Add to that mix Shane Victorino, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, and Placido Polanco, the Phillies are once again a force not many teams will want to face in the playoffs. The Reds will send 17 game winner Bronson Arroyo to the mound for game 1 and team leader in ERA and strikeouts Johnny Cueto in the second game to try to keep the games close. On offence Joey Votto was among the leaders in every statistical category including runs, hits, HR, RBI, and batting average. The Reds won the NL central by 5 games over the Cardinals despite going 5-5 over the last ten games.
Season Record: Overall Home Away Last Playoff Appearance Last Playoff Series Win
Cincinnati 91-71 49-32 42-39 1995 1995 NLDS
Philadelphia 97-65 52-29 45-36 2009 2009 NLDS
Season series: Phillies 5-2
Key to the series: The only key to this series is the Phillies pitching, how does Roy Halladay handle the pressure of his first playoff start? If the starting rotation gives the Phillies quality starts I don't see any way that the Reds can match up player for player.
My hopes: Reds Reality: Phillies
ALDS
New York Yankees at the Minnesota Twins
How they got here: Both teams in this ALDS matchup were magnificent at home this year tying for 2nd and 3rd overall for most home wins, only the Braves won more. The Yankees carried their team with their bats, bailing their pitchers out on countless occasions. They had 3 players, Rodriguez, Cano, and Teixeira, finish in the top ten in the American league in RBI this season. Their pitching was inconsistent to say the least, CC Sabathia being the exception to the case with 21 wins and a 3.18 ERA. Beyond CC nothing was predictable. Phil Hughes finished with 18 wins but an ERA over 4, AJ Burnett finished with a 5.26 ERA and only ten wins, the aging Andy Pettitte put together an 11-3 record but battled injuries throughout the year making only 21 starts. The Twins used a more rounded approach in capturing their AL Central title. Headlines by Carl Pavano and young ace Francisco Liriano, the twins had 6 starting pitchers pick up 10 or more wins while only one of them had an ERA over 4.5. The offence was versatile as well; they had a different leader in each of the 3 major statistical categories. Joe Mauer led the team in average, Jim Thome let in HR and Delmon Young lead the team in RBI.
Season Record: Overall Home Away Last Playoff Appearance Last Playoff Series Win
New York 95-67 52-29 43-38 2009 2009 WS
Minnesota 94-68 53-28 41-40 2009 2002
Season series: Yankees 4-2
Key to the series: The key to this series is going to be getting wins at home. If the Twins win the first 2 games in their new outdoor ballpark then they have a great chance of winning the series. If the Yankees can steal one in Minnesota I can't see the series reaching 5 games and returning to Target Field. Beyond CC's first start each game in this series has a potential to be a high scoring affair, who's offense can get on track first and take advantage.
My hopes: Twins Reality: Yankees
Texas Rangers at the Tampa Bay Rays
How they got here: The Rangers quietly, other than the mid season acquisition of Cliff Lee, ran away with the AL west. As far as I was concerned at the beginning of the season the depleted angels were still supposed to be in contention for a title but finished the season ten games behind first place with a sub .500 record. Other than Cliff Lee the Rangers pitching staff is relatively unknown, CJ Wilson led the way with 15 wins and a 3.35 ERA. On the other side of the ball Josh Hamilton led the way with a .359 batting average and belting 32 home runs. The always dangerous Vladimir Guerrero provided the most run support with 115 RBI. The Rays won the AL east this year on the final day of play when the Yankees lost the regular season finale to the Red Socks. Young pitching, seemingly the topic for at least one team in each of the first round series, is what led the Rays to the title this year. They had 5 starting pitchers with 12 wins or more, including David price, who won 19 games and led the team not only in wins but in ERA, strikeouts, and innings pitched as well.
Season Record: Overall Home Away Last Playoff Appearance Last Playoff Series Win
Texas 90-72 51-30 39-42 1999 Never – 1 game win 1996
Tampa Bay 96-66 49-32 47-34 2008 2008 ALCS
Season series: Rays 4-2
Key to the series: The Rays need their young starting rotation to withstand the pressure of the postseason as well as it did in 2008 when they reached the World Series. The Rangers need Hamilton and Vlad to produce offence early in games and take some of the pressure off of their starting pitchers.
My hopes: Rangers Reality: Rays
The game for the Hawkeyes against the Ball State Cardinals is exactly what they needed. They reestablished their running game, they protected Ricky Stanzi, they put points up on the board, and they shut down the Cardinals offence.
Adam Robinson played only the first half and the first drive of the second but in that time managed to gain 115 rushing yards on 22 carries. Just for good measure he added 3 receptions for 75 yards to his stat line. Once Robinson left nothing really seemed to change the 2 freshman backs for the Hawkeyes, Brad Rodgers and Marcus Coker, averaged 6.3 yards per carry.
Ricky Stanzi had another spectacular day, 5 of his receivers had 3 or more catches and his 7 total receivers ended up with 288 receiving yards. Stanzi played into the fourth quarter and his line didn't allow him to be sacked once. Overall on the rainy day, a poor one for passing the football, Stanzi went 19 for 25, including 3 obvious drops by receivers in the first half. James Vandenberg picked up the minutes at the end of the game going 2-4 with a touchdown pass but mostly just got to hand the ball off to the freshman backs to let them try to prove themselves. One fumble was the only turnover for the offence, credit this one to the rain and lack of communication and hopefully it can be avoided next week. The rest of the offense was outstanding, knowing there is help behind Robinson is sure to take some pressure off of the coaching staff.
The defense played outstanding as well, although they surely were helped by the rain to an extent. They held Ball State's freshman quarterback, Keith Wenning, 4 pass completions on 8 attempts for 26 yards and an interception. The sophomore Kelly Page did about the same, going 4 of 11 for 30 yards and getting sacked once. The defense forced 2 turnovers, the interception and a fumble both by Keith Wenning. Overall the Hawkeyes held balls state to 112 yards and most importantly no touchdowns.
Special teams play was one of my only complaints about this game. Freshman Michael Meyer went 6 for 6 on extra points but only 1 for 2 on field goal attempts. The commentators were high on this kid since he is only a freshman so ill cut him some slack since it was his first game and the rain couldn't have helped his case. Getting at least 3 points on drives will be critical as we enter Big Ten play beginning this week. The punt coverage team wasn't tested in the game because of the Hawkeyes efficiency on offense; they didn't have to take the field once. The kickoff team performed much better then in the previous week against Arizona as well. Kickoffs for the Cardinals averaged only 17.4 yards per return.
Overall it was a great week, 562 total offensive yards and 45-0 win is usually hard to find complaints. One thing that they will have to touch up on is penalties, Both teams were highly penalized with Iowa committing 9 infractions to the Ball State 8. Free yards cant be given out against teams that are at the same level as Iowa.
This week against Penn State it will be crucial once again to get pressure on the young quarterback. Arizona has been to only one to create time for theirs and was able to exploit the secondary, pressure on the freshman at Penn State could cause him to made bad decisions. Hopefully in this night game the Hawkeyes can get off to a quicker start and feed Robinson the ball early to wear down the defensive line and the game should be able to grow from there. It should be a close tight game at home against the Nittany Lions but if the same team shows up that did last week, the Hawkeyes should be able to come out on top.
