Bryan Bulaga

Perusing the stat line from Iowa’s game against Arizona on Sept. 19, you may get the idea that the Hawkeye offensive line succeeded without junior left tackle Bryan Bulaga.

Adam Robinson ran for 101 yards and picked up two touchdowns. Brandon Wegher added a third rushing touchdown. Ricky Stanzi is still alive.

But upon further inspection, it becomes obvious that Iowa greatly missed its best player.

Without Bulaga, who sat out because of an unspecified illness, the Iowa offensive front was far from ferocious.

Nine of Iowa’s called rushes ended in either no gain or a loss, and 147 rushing yards between Wegher and Robinson doesn’t seem nearly as dominating when it takes 35 attempts to reach that number.

The running game wasn’t the real victim of Bulaga’s absence, though. Without the 300-pounder, Stanzi didn’t look like a quarterback many teams are going to have to plan against.

Stanzi threw 12 incompletions, and five of his 20 completions were for fewer than five yards. His numbers were pedestrian at best, being forced to throw poor passes by a production-hampering Arizona pass rush.

This led to his lone touchdown completion, a floated pick-six to Arizona’s Trevin Wade.

Iowa’s defense crippled Arizona for four quarters, yet Iowa won by a meager 10 points. Arizona was behind by one trip across the goal line entering the fourth quarter.

Without Bulaga anchoring the line, Iowa’s offensive line didn’t protect an average quarterback. That will fly at home against Arizona. It won’t against Penn State in State College, Pa.

Ask the Chicago Bears about what happens when an average quarterback gets no protection in a big game. Scratch that — ask the Indianapolis Colts.

Iowa’s defense won’t dominate Penn State as it did the Wildcats. If Stanzi can’t get a descent pass off because he has the Nittany Lions defensive front slam dancing him like it’s A Night At the Roxbury, the offensive line is going to be exposed for what it is — porous, headless, and soulless without Bulaga.

— by Sean Morgan

Tony Moeaki

The entire Hawkeye football team missed the presence of Tony Moeaki against Arizona on Sept. 19, but few missed the 6-4, 250-pound tight end more than Iowa’s Ricky Stanzi.

Moeaki’s season began with a phenomenal performance against Northern Iowa. The Wheaton, Ill., native grabbed 10 balls for 83 yards and a score, showing Hawkeye fans why many ranked him as the No. 1 player at his position in the class of 2005.

Unfortunately, he suffered a high-ankle sprain against the Panthers and that caused him to see little action the week after, only recording one catch against Iowa State. On Sept. 19, he didn’t dress because of that injury.

Junior Allen Reisner stepped up in Moeaki’s absence against the Wildcats, recording three catches for 40 yards.

But there’s no doubt whether the Hawkeye offense has more firepower when Stanzi has both Reisner and Moeaki at his disposal. The two combine to form one of the best tight end corps in the Big Ten — and maybe even the country.

But they aren’t healthy right now — at least Moeaki isn’t. As is always the case with Iowa tight ends, the position plays a huge role in the team’s blocking scheme.

Brandon Wegher’s and Adam Robinson’s lives are also made easier by the presence of Moeaki, whom Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz commended for his blocking efforts against Iowa State.

Hawkeye Nation can only hope that Moeaki will be healthy and back in the Iowa lineup soon. For now, fans can only imagine how much more proficient the Iowa offense would be with No. 81 making plays every week.

— by Jordan Garretson