INSIDE SLANT
Kirk Ferentz has made it clear he has little experience defending a triple-option rushing attack. He has about a month to get Iowa up to speed on defending the tricky scheme.
Luckily for Ferentz, he has a few guys on defense with the speed and ability to build his game plan around. Linebacker Pat Angerer was named a first-team All-American, one of only two Big Ten players to appear on the list (Michigan State linebacker Greg Jones).
Angerer and defensive end Adrian Clayborn are two big reasons why Ferentz has to like his chances of slowing Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 5. Angerer leads the team with 135 tackles, while Clayborn has a team-high 18 tackles for loss.
The Hawkeyes enjoy running the ball as much as any team in the country, but the speed and blocking schemes of the triple option make it much more difficult to defend. Iowa can reference Ohio State’s season opener against Navy this year for proof.
The Buckeyes rank fifth in the country in run defense, but Navy—Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson’s former team—gashed Ohio State for 27 points and 186 rushing yards in nearly pulling the upset.
Iowa is fifth in the Big Ten at stopping the run, allowing 3.5 yards per carry.
NOTES, QUOTES
• Kirk Ferentz always believed the Hawkeyes deserved a BCS game, despite losing two of their last three games.
Now that they got their wish, the Hawkeyes must contend with an unfamiliar opponent running an unconventional offense in the Orange Bowl.
Iowa will face Georgia Tech’s powerful option attack, an offense Ferentz admits he has little experience defending.
“I’m sure we have played somebody that runs the option, but certainly not to this extent and not with this proficiency,” Ferentz said. “The good news is I guess we’ve got some time to try to get ready for it. The bad news is I’m not quite sure how you even come close to simulating that in practice. I don’t really have any idea how we’re going to do that.”
The Hawkeyes have a month to get everyone healthy and the defense geared to stop the option. After starting the season 9-0, Iowa dropped two of its last three after quarterback Ricky Stanzi and running back Adam Robinson went down with high ankle sprains.
Both are expected back for the bowl game. It’s particularly important for Iowa to get back Stanzi, who has looked disastrous at times this year, but has shown the heart and leadership needed to fuel tremendous late-game rallies.
Seemingly every bowl season, Ferentz must fend off more rumors of his departure from Iowa City. Typically those rumors center around NFL head coaching gigs, although lately the focus is Notre Dame. Until the Irish fill the vacancy created by the firing of Charlie Weis, Ferentz will continue answering questions about South Bend.
The most important part, at least for Ferentz, is that his players remain unaffected.
“I think our players are completely comfortable and I don’t think they’re distracted at all,” Ferentz said. “It probably comes up more in recruiting.”
Ferentz has been affiliated with Iowa for 20 years.
“We’re just extremely happy to be here, not only professionally, but personally,” Ferentz said. “It’s been a tremendous place to raise our family.”
Scouting The Offense: QB Ricky Stanzi has shown he can be awful and brilliant—all in the same afternoon. He’ll get the chance to do it again in the Orange Bowl. Stanzi is expected to be fully recovered from the high ankle sprain that kept him out of the final 3 1/2 games of the regular season. His return will provide a big lift to an offense that has struggled at times scoring. Stanzi’s top target is WR Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, although 6-foot-7 Marvin McNutt, a converted receiver, and TE Tony Moeaki are both lethal in the red zone. Freshmen RBs Adam Robinson and Brandon Wegher did an admirable job running the ball in place of the injured Jewel Hampton this year, combining for 1,469 yards and 12 TDs.
Scouting The Defense: Iowa leads the Big Ten in pass defense and ranks third in points allowed, although that pass defense won’t do much good against Georgia Tech’s option. Iowa’s rush defense, which ranks fifth in the league and has been gashed at times, is much more telling. LB Pat Angerer’s 135 tackles rank in the top five nationally, while DE Adrian Clayborn has 9 1/2 sacks and at times this season has looked unblockable.
Matchups To Watch:
Georgia Tech QB Josh Nesbitt vs. Iowa DE Adrian Clayborn.
Clayborn has done a tremendous job of getting into the backfield this year, but he hasn’t seen a QB as shifty as Nesbitt, who combined with tailback Jonathan Dwyer to rush for more than 2,300 yards and a staggering 32 rushing touchdowns. The key is getting to Nesbitt and forcing him to decide early whether to keep the ball or pitch. Clayborn has been brilliant at turning up the heat on quarterbacks this year.
Georgia Tech WR Demaryius Thomas vs. Iowa CB Amari Spievey.
The Jackets throw the ball more than most triple option teams, and Thomas is the top target. He has 46 catches for 1,154 yards and eight scores. No one else has more than eight catches. Stack the line of scrimmage to stop the option and Nesbitt isn’t afraid to throw over the coverage to Thomas. That means a busy day for Spievy, Iowa’s best cover corner.
Iowa QB Ricky Stanzi vs. Georgia Tech secondary.
Iowa was unbeaten when Stanzi went down with a high ankle sprain late in the season. The Orange Bowl will be his first game back. His final numbers (56 percent completion percentage, 15 TDs, 14 INTs) don’t demonstrate Stanzi’s importance to the Hawkeyes. His ability to rally from big deficits is a big reason why he was voted the team’s MVP on offense. He will face a Georgia Tech secondary led by safety Morgan Burnett, who has four of the Jackets’ 11 interceptions.
Quote To Note: “They are very, very unique, they are very well coached, and it’s going to present a heck of a challenge. At least we’re thankful that we have a little extra time. I can’t imagine trying to get ready for them in a normal game week.”—coach Kirk Ferentz
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
Bowl Breakdown:
Orange Bowl, Iowa vs. Georgia Tech, Jan. 5, Miami, Fla.—This is Iowa’s first trip to the Orange Bowl in seven years and its second in the 76-year history of the bowl. It is Georgia Tech’s first trip back to Miami since losing to Miami in mid-September. It is the last time the Yellow Jackets dropped a conference game.
Players To Watch:
• QB Ricky Stanzi—Teammates will welcome him back despite his not-so-spectacular TD/INT ratio of 15/14. Still, he’s the heart and soul of the offense.
• TE Tony Moeaki—Seemed to disappear from the offense at times, but could be a great weapon against a defense unfamiliar with his size and speed. Moeaki has great hands and can be a great weapon over the middle or in the red zone when matched against a linebacker.
• DE Adrian Clayborn—One of the most underrated pass rushers in the country. Clayborn (9.5 sacks) can make life miserable on opposing quarterbacks.
• S Tyler Sash—The playmaker of the secondary. Sash’s six interceptions lead the league and rank in the top 10 in the nation. He has returned one for a touchdown.
Roster Report:
• QB Ricky Stanzi and RB Adam Robinson are both recovering from ankle injuries and both are expected to be ready. Coach Kirk Ferentz thought Stanzi was ready to play in early December, so the extra month off will only help.
• Ferentz said he believes it is in all college players’ best interest to stay all four years. Nonetheless, he knows OL Bryan Bulaga, DE Adrian Clayborn and DB Amari Spievey are all candidates to leave early for the NFL. “It’s a personal decision,” Ferentz said. “My job is to make sure we get accurate information in front of them. … Then it’s entirely up to them.”
• Freshmen DL Tyler Harrell and OL Matt Murphy will transfer at the end of the semester, Ferentz said.
• RB Jewel Hampton tore his ACL during the preseason and will miss the bowl game.
• OL Dace Richardson’s broken ankle has healed to the point Ferentz is confident he’ll be available for the bowl game.
• RB Brandon Wegher played through a painful injury to his intercostal muscles, which surround the lungs and aid in breathing. He is expected to be healthy for the bowl game.
