The case of Bryan Bulaga is getting more confusing by the day.
After being held out of Iowa’s 35-3 win over Iowa State on Sept. 7 because of an unspecified illness, the Hawkeyes’ left tackle is listed as the starter for Saturday’s home contest against Arizona. But head coach Kirk Ferentz said Bulaga didn’t practice on Tuesday and is “day-to-day.”
“It really depends on when he’s cleared [to play],” the 11-year head coach said. “It’s not a matter of if he’ll be cleared, but when he [will be] cleared. I’m getting nervous, though, because most players play better if they practice.”
Redshirt freshman Riley Reiff filled in nicely for Bulaga against Iowa State, save for a few early game penalties. And last weekend, both right tackle Kyle Calloway (suspension) and right guard Julian Vandervelde (pectoral injury) returned to the lineup.
But without Bulaga, a preseason second-team All-American, the Hawkeyes’ highly touted offensive line remains less than 100 percent — as it has been since spring practice.
While Ferentz said, “It’s been like the Bermuda Triangle out there for 30 days,” Vandervelde took a more positive approach to the team’s issues up front.
“What’s nice about this offensive line is that we’ve all been here for a long time,” he said. “We’ve all been playing together for a while. [Ferentz] can throw us in there any way he wants to. We really feel like we can be productive.”
Beyond the return of Calloway and Vandervelde, Ferentz has been pleased with Dace Richardson’s versatility. The senior filled in for Calloway at right tackle in the opener and then moved to left guard against Iowa State.
Richardson is “playing with more confidence,” after missing nearly two full seasons with a knee injury, the coach said. Richardson said he’s to the point where he doesn’t even think about his knee, other than when he applies ice to it after practices and games.
Even with Richardson’s surprising comeback, Ferentz would still like to see Bulaga — the Hawkeyes’ linchpin on the left side — return from his illness in time for Saturday’s 2:36 p.m. kickoff.
“I know it’s a big thing, and I don’t mean to minimize it, but we’re not going to call the season off or just change our whole game plan,” Ferentz said. “We can’t shut it down because one guy’s out.”
Stanzi’s first-half struggles
Quarterback Ricky Stanzi threw two first-half interceptions against Iowa State and had one more that was negated by a Cyclone penalty.
In all, the second-year starter was an uninspiring 12-of-24 for 117 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions in the game’s first 30 minutes, which left fans curious about the quarterback’s early game struggles.
“I almost wonder if he’s pressing too much, quite frankly,” Ferentz said. “The throw to Tony [Moeaki against Iowa State] sailed high. I don’t know anything about being a quarterback, but I used to throw a baseball a little bit. And I know that if you press too hard, that’s what happens.”
Donahue shines
After Iowa’s all-too-close 17-16 win over Northern Iowa in the opener, Ferentz said punter Ryan Donahue had Iowa’s “best game by far.”
The junior, who was named to the Ray Guy Award watch list in August, had five punts for 42.8-yard average, including four inside the 20. Donahue followed that up by sticking three of his four punts against Iowa State inside the 20, drastically swinging field position in the process.
“It’s such a big thing,” Ferentz said. “He’s really performing well right now. … He’s been pretty impressive.”