A Pre Big Ten Review

As the Hawkeyes prepare to open their Big Ten schedule against Penn State this Sunday, I decided to take a look at their warm up games so far this season. I do this on my way to Pennsylvania so lack of internet is the reason for the lack of details.

So far the Hawks have put together a 3-1 record with 2 wins over non FBS Championship Series teams.  The games against these two teams have provided some very promising performances as well as some worries. Iowa has also defeated a Pittsburgh team who went on to demolish then number 16 USF two weeks late. The lone loss for the Hawkeyes has at the hands of in state rival, Iowa State.

The up side:

The defense: Big plays haven’t been hard to find so far this year, there have been many timely interceptions as well as third and fourth down stops that have been game changers.

The line has been excellent at stopping opposing running backs. There hasn’t been a game where the opponent has rushed for significant yards yet this season. The inside play allows the secondary to be a bit more free and create the plays that they have so far.

The offense: The ability to move the ball has been present throughout the year so far whether by ground or by air. I am a firm believer that you must be able to run the ball to succeed, but I have fallen in love with the up tempo air it out offense that has been present since the fourth quarter of the Pitt game. The Hawks are now able to do to opposing defenses what is done to them from time to time; keep them on the field and throw the ball over the field.

The passing takes some of the carries off of Coker for now, allowing him to stay rested and ready for when the elements hit and the ball has to stay on the ground.

Special Teams: Special teams fall on the positive side since they have not have any glaring holes. Meyer has been solid kicking field goals despite his couple misses at Iowa State. The coverage has been acceptable on punt and kickoff returns, nothing spectacular but nothing to complain about, in this case no news is good news.

I don’t know where to put it in but the fight in this team has to be accounted for somewhere. They were outplayed for a majority of the game but hung around and played well enough late to force three overtimes before finally losing. The next week they faced a Pitt team who again outplayed them for 3 quarters. 21 straight 4^th quarter points later the Hawkeyes walked out with a win. The offense playing well enough to prompt Pitt’s coach to go for it on 4^th down just because he didn’t think his defense could stop the Hawkeyes.

The down side:

The defense: there have been far to many yards given up this year overall to be comfortable facing a more explosive offense such as Michigan, Wisconsin, or any of the other perennial powers in the big ten.

Containing the quarterback is another issue the defense has had this year, specifically the Iowa state game. During the course of the game and the three overtimes there were way to many opportunities to force and third or fourth and long or to force a punt where the quarterback escaped the pressure and picked up the first down. The coverage has been good and the opportunities to create the play have been as well, all to be lost when the containment is broken.

The offense: probably the best down side you can have is that the only concern for the Hawkeyes so far on offense has been their depth. The wide receivers core has proven to be much more solid then anyone anticipated in the pre season. Marvin McNutt is only 2 touchdowns away from the school record; Keenan Davis and freshman Kevonte Martin-Manley have stood out as the top receivers so far. The down side is at running back where the reserves behind sophomore Macrus Coker are thin. Freshman Mika’il McCall, who was initially Cokers backup, went down with a broken leg in the first week and no one has been highly noticed since.  The quarterback position will also be thin for the next two weeks as freshman A.J. Derby was suspended two games for a drunken incident in Iowa City last week. I’m very surprised the suspension was only two games based on the history of discipline at Iowa.

Looking Ahead:

The way I see it, this week is going to be an indicator of what is to come for the season. Penn State appears to be a middle of the pack Big 10 team with a growing offense and an average defense.  If the Hawkeyes can continue their winning ways in College Park the big ten schedule will be off to a good start. A loss could be the sign of trouble.  The key to the game to me is the containment of the quarterback. I believe the offense has enough power to stay in the game and the leaders in the secondary can make plays on the receivers. Making stops when they need to be made is what will change the game.