Defensive play

There was a lot to hate about Iowa’s victorious embarrassment at the hands of Northern Iowa.

From the Hawkeyes’ defense doing its best to snuggle 172-pound freshman Carlos Anderson to the ground to our offensive line’s laissez-faire attitude toward keeping Ricky Stanzi out of the hospital, Iowa looked more out of place in the top 25 than Shawne Merriman at the Seneca Falls Convention on feminism. (Too soon?)

Iowa looked overconfident and under-coached, and no single group looked more dazed and confused then the much-lauded defensive backfield. Lead by Mel Kiper dream date Amari Spievey, Iowa’s DBs were supposed to be a strong point for everyone’s favorite Big Ten team on the rise.

But let’s be honest, when has the Hawkeyes’ pass defense ever been a strong point?

Kirk Ferentz doesn’t recruit the freak athletes at corner, so Iowa can’t bump receivers off the line. Ferentz also can’t get the great athletes at defensive back because the top prospects don’t want to play zone defense 8 yards off the line.

When you bless the opposition with miles of cushion, all a receiver has to do is run four yards, cut, and he’s all but guaranteed to make a reception.

Norm Parker schemes against the pass like I used to when playing NFL Blitz on my Nintendo 64. Let the receiver make the catch, then try your best to hit them so hard the ball falls harmlessly to the turf.

All that’s missing is the post-whistle leg and elbow drops.

How are the Hawkeyes supposed to even entertain the Nittany Lions or the Buckeyes when they let a 5-9, 170-pound Jarred Herring rip them for 100 yards?

Hawkeye Nation is undoubtedly wetting its pants over the running-back situation, but freshman Adam Robinson has likely solidified his starting spot over special-teamer Paki O’Meara.

As long as Parker continues to coach the Hawkeyes as though they are the 1985 Bears, hoping to knock down the quarterback every third play while abandoning all hope in the secondary, Iowa will forever be relegated to above average bowl games and overhyped preseasons.

— by Sean Morgan

Running backs

After an underwhelming performance against Northern Iowa, it’s fairly easy to say Iowa’s running game is its biggest concern at the moment.

The Hawkeyes’ tandem of junior Paki O’Meara and redshirt freshman Adam Robinson rushed for 79 yards on 24 carries, a drastic decrease from Shonn Greene’s steady 100-plus-yard weekly production last season.

It’s evident that O’Meara, who rushed for just 16 yards on nine carries and coughed up a fumble on Sept. 5, is not the answer to quell the season-long absence of sophomore Jewel Hampton.

O’Meara just doesn’t have the high-level ability to start for a Big Ten team. There is nothing special about the way he carries the ball, and he will get chewed up against top conference defenses.

Robinson had a solid performance with 63 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown. Obviously, Robinson has talent and can produce decent offensive numbers.

But at this point in his career, he isn’t a go-to guy.

O’Meara deserved a shot at the starting job. He was the only running back on the depth chart with any collegiate experience.

However, he did nothing against the Panthers to justify a second start in the backfield.

On the bright side, Iowa’s offensive line will improve when it gets two starters back.

Senior right tackle Kyle Calloway is expected to play in Ames after serving a one-game suspension, and junior right guard Julian Vandervelde will be back the following week after undergoing arm surgery early in the summer.

Iowa also has two other running backs who have the potential to contribute in freshman Brandon Wegher and redshirt freshman Jeff Brinson, who did not play against Northern Iowa.

Once the line is healthy and Robinson gets some more reps — in addition to the couple other freshmen — Iowa fans will really know what to expect on the ground from the Hawkeyes this season.

— by Clark Cahill