It took me three and a half hours to write the introduction to this article.
That is not hyperbole.
I sat at my desk in my dorm for three straight hours, staring blankly at a pearly white document, feeling
as if I had forgotten the alphabet entirely. I thought of starting with Mendoza’s suspicious safety slide, but I couldn’t find the motivation to discuss it any further than it had already been harped about over the bye week. I tried focusing on Gronowski’s return to the starting line-up, but that too didn’t seem remotely interesting enough for a hook.
I mulled over this violent case of writer’s block as I sat in the back of my roommate’s Ford Bronco, surging violently against a torrential downpour that had arrived seemingly out of nowhere. On the way to retrieve a stranded Sig Pi brother, we passed by a three car pile-up shrouded by flashing red and blue lights. As we flew past in a flashing spray of pooled rainwater, the frenetic energy of the night revealed to me the source of my issue:
Iowa is the most frustratingly consistent team in college football. Every year is a shadow of the last, never truly evolving from one iteration to the other. Whereas other teams have bad seasons and then decent seasons and then, if the stars align, great seasons, Iowa seemingly buries their head in the sand, demanding 8-9 wins and a semi-prestigious bowl game. For years, Iowa fans have demanded change, and for years, we’ve been disappointed.
I firmly believed that, prior to the season, this Iowa team had fully embraced change. With Lester’s new QB room and Parker’s green defense, I thought this team would usher in a new era of Iowa football, one marked with elite offensive play and true playoff contention.
What we have instead is awkward. It’s a messy clash between the stubborn ways of Kirk Ferentz and the progressive concepts of Tim Lester. But most importantly: it’s scrappy. Wisconsin is likely to be the last game Iowa is favored to win for the rest of the season, and thus it creates an opportunity. An opportunity to bounce back from a bad Indiana loss and prove that, once again, the Hawks mean business. An opportunity to build some momentum before diving into a gauntlet of ranked teams. But, most of all, it’s an opportunity to change.
THE OFFENSE
Who’s Up First?
After cobbling together a decent performance, Gronowski exited the game in the 4th quarter with an undisclosed injury. With two weeks to rehab from the bye, Gronowski was expected to start against Wisconsin despite his injury. Ferentz came out earlier this week and mostly confirmed these suspicions, asserting he was confident Gronowski would start. And yet, for the first time all year, the depth chart included Jeremy Hecklinski.
While Gronowski is expected to start against Wisconsin, it is fair to say his status is still relatively up in the air. Even if he is mostly healthy, it’s likely that the Hawkeyes might consider resting Gronowski for a quarter or two, allowing Brown and/or Hecklinski to earn real game reps. With such a tough gauntlet ahead in the schedule, Iowa may be looking for an insurance policy in case Gronowski is knocked out for good.
BENCH-O-METER – CURRENT STATUS: SPENCER PETRAS BUT SPECIFICALLY AFTER ALEX PADILLA’S PERFORMANCE AGAINST OSU
Last Week’s Requirements: ~100yds passing, +20yds rushing, 2 All-Purpose TDs.
Gronowski’s Stats: 144 yds passing, 7 yds rushing, 1 rushing TD and 1 INT.
Gronowski failed to excite against Indiana’s defense, but sufficiently managed the game up until his injury. Losing Gronowski was a serious blow to the offense, and the poor play of back-up Hank Brown left a touchdown off the board which ultimately gave the game to Indiana. Gronowski’s performance against Indiana truly cemented his place as QB1. Not because of any spectacular play, but because the alternative is seemingly far less efficient. So much so that the 3rd string QB is now being thrown into the mix to compete for the back-up spot.
Everyone’s favorite player is QB… 3?
RVZ Rendezvouz?
Before being prematurely sidelined by his injury, RVZ had been the talk of Iowa’s camp, quickly establishing himself as Gronowski’s preferred target. His loss has become more impactful than expected, and the WR room has since struggled throughout the season. Although Reece wasn’t listed on the depth chart, Coach Ferentz suggested he might take a few snaps against the Badgers. Although much isn’t expected from him this game, Vander-Zee should become a major part of the passing game later in the season, potentially giving the WR room the edge it needs to start winning games.
Besides Vander-Zee, the WR room has seemingly improved from game to game, with certain receivers standing out over others. Dayton Howard has emerged as a solid deep threat receiver for the offense, something the Hawkeyes had been sorely lacking for the first half of the season. Sam Phillips has also established himself as a versatile and reliable receiver capable of making big catches on important downs. While more veteran receivers like Seth Anderson and Jacob Gill have been quiet so far, the potential return of Vander-Zee could bring the spark this offense has been searching for.
THE DEFENSE
NoBoyz No More
Iowa’s secondary got their first interception of the season against Indiana as Zach Lutmer picked off Fernando Mendoza in the 4th quarter. Having finally gotten over the ‘no take-aways’ hump, Iowa’s defense now prepares to face a Wisconsin team led by career FCS back-up QB Hunter Simmons, who is currently listed as QB1 due to Billy Edwards Jr’s injury. While it’s possible for Edwards to play against Iowa, it’s likely that Simmons will take a majority of the snaps for the badgers. Simmons, who put up 177 yards with a 62% completion rate and one interception against Michigan, prepares to make his second ever start at the FBS level after being a back-up at FCS Southern Illinois for three years. Point being: this defense should be hunting for picks. Especially if he plans on throwing 29 times a game.
The Return of the Fire Breathing Dragons
Last year, an announcer referred to Ethan Hurkett and Deontae Craig as the “Fire Breathing Dragons” on the edge. I like this nickname. Although we unfortunately had to say goodbye to Deontae, Llewellyn stepped up admirably, and the line has performed rather well so far this season. Iowa will be facing the weakest offensive line in the conference this game, and one of the weakest o-line’s they’ve seen since UMass in Week 3. Coming off of a bye, this line should wreak havoc against the Badgers, generating enough push at the line to limit any gains on the ground and threaten the pocket consistently.
Wisconsin represents Iowa’s last chance to ask questions this season before they start receiving some very serious answers. Luke Fickle’s team presents the Hawkeyes with a sandbox to try and evolve past the mistakes they’ve trended over the last 5 games. A win recaptures momentum as we prepare to face Penn State, Oregon, and USC in a mid-season stretch from hell. A loss presents the unfamiliar reality of potentially failing to become bowl eligible for the first time in decades. Ultimately, this Iowa team needs to get its head on straight, and there isn’t much time left to get it done.
As always,
GO HAWKS!
