Iowa rallied behind a fresh mindset last week to mount an absolute defensive clinic, but a Kirk Ferentz adage ultimately saved the depleted Hawkeye offense.

Against Arizona, the Iowa coaching staff instilled a new “six seconds of hell” mantra and consequently saw an explosion of defensive production. On offense, head coach Ferentz’s “next man in” philosophy was employed to an almost unprecedented degree.

As has come to be expected from Ferentz-coached teams, Iowa is reveling in its resiliency just three weeks into the 2009 season.

“Some years are like that, and some aren’t,” the coach said on Tuesday. “This one has kind of been a scatter drill since the start of camp, which is the way it goes sometimes.”

In the Hawkeyes’ first three games, a slew of prominent players have been held out of the lineup for reasons ranging from an undisclosed illness to dislocated ankles. However, Iowa has yet to flinch in the face of this year’s mounting adversity, due in large part to Ferentz’s “the show must go on” mentality.

For the most part, “the show” has gone more smoothly than most casual fans might expect. But a quick glance at Iowa’s tendencies over the past decade will likely yield a greater appreciation for how the staff handles personnel issues.

Not since 2004 have the Hawkeyes suffered this many setbacks to this many high-profile players. Iowa running backs Albert Young, Jermelle Lewis, and Marcus Schnoor went down with season-ending knee injuries that year, leaving walk-on Sam Brownlee to carry the load.

While Brownlee didn’t wow anyone running the ball, he did help keep All-Big Ten quarterback Drew Tate’s jersey clean, which Ferentz still points to as a key to that team’s success.

Tate hooked up with another “next man in” later that season on a play that instantly went down as one of the greatest plays in Iowa history.

Warren Holloway stepped into a prominent role as a receiver midway through the 2004 season following Calvin Davis’ season-ending surgery. Holloway caught a last-second, 56-yard touchdown pass from Tate to win the 2005 Capital One Bowl, a play that cemented both players permanently in Hawkeye lore.

Nearly five years have passed, and the Hawkeyes are once again faced with filling what could be several big holes on offense.

On Sept. 19, Iowa played without All-Big Ten offensive lineman Bryan Bulaga, injury-plagued tight end Tony Moeaki, and wide receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos.

The experienced trio was once again left off the two-deep released earlier this week, and Ferentz has said all three are “day-to-day.” The Hawkeyes’ upset bid will take a hit if they cannot play against No. 5 Penn State, but players remained optimistic after practice on Tuesday.

“Attitude and mental toughness, that’s where it starts,” junior quarterback Ricky Stanzi said. “Everybody’s taught the same fundamentals, but stepping in and playing in a game is different than in practice. Guys have done a good job of taking [advantage of] their chances.”

Despite occasional struggles on Sept. 19 against Arizona, the offense once again reminded the Iowa faithful that the “next man in” has something to prove.

Redshirt freshman Riley Reiff has taken a fair amount of criticism for his off-the-field antics last year, but he has played admirably in place of Bulaga, a preseason All-American. While no one expected Reiff to fully replace Bulaga at the all-important left tackle spot, few predicted just how well he has been able to mesh with the rest of a veteran offensive line.

Since being inserted into the lineup, he has helped the offensive line pave the way for two straight 100-yard performances for Iowa running backs Brandon Wegher and Adam Robinson.

The line has surrendered four sacks in the last two weeks, but Reiff’s ability to step in and contribute has proven to be a testament to the “next man in” attitude.

“[Riley] played better [against Arizona] and had to, because he played against a very good player,” Ferentz said. “That player was an All-Pac-10 player … the defensive end, and I thought Riley met the challenge.”

Just outside Reiff on the line, Allen Reisner is the man charged with backing up the oft-injured Moeaki at tight end. The ankle injury that kept Moeaki out last week was also bothering him against Iowa State, which allowed Reisner to step in and score the second touchdown of his career.

Reisner was awarded a “Next Man In” award after last season, during which he replaced Moeaki for a majority of the games as Iowa’s second tight end behind All-Big Ten performer Brandon Myers.

Against Arizona, Reisner caught three passes for 40 yards, including a 29-yarder on a key third down that led to a field goal in the third quarter. The Marion native is slated to start his second-straight game against Penn State as Moeaki continues to recover.

The third injured Hawkeye may be the most provocative member of the 2009 team, and his replacement will likely be by committee. Despite not starting Iowa’s first two games after leading the team in receiving for two-straight years, Johnson-Koulianos has consistently been the most reliable third-down outlet for quarterback Ricky Stanzi.

The confident junior receiver has played well early this season in a backup role, and he was on the field during the tightest situations against Northern Iowa and Iowa State. A pair of juniors stepped in against Arizona in his stead, and they will be counted on more heavily as the Hawkeyes begin Big Ten play without Johnson-Koulianos.

After starting the season on the bench with an injury of his own, Colin Sandeman has six catches for 55 yards in the last two games. The Bettendorf product led Iowa against Arizona with five catches for 47 yards, and he has now jumped into a starting position this week opposite senior Trey Stross.

Fellow junior Paul Chaney Jr., had a strong performance against the Wildcats, and he will also see more reps if Johnson-Koulianos cannot play.

“You always have to be ready when they call your number,” sophomore wide receiver Marvin McNutt said. “You always prepare as if you’re going to be the starter or you’re going to get 60 to 70 snaps a game.”