What came as a pleasant shock to Iowa football fans didn’t surprise those closest to the action.
Despite the Iowa defense making critical stops throughout the majority of the game last weekend at Michigan State, the Hawkeyes needed their offense to return the favor, and they did just that following the charge of junior quarterback Ricky Stanzi.
The Spartans had just engineered a late fourth-quarter rally to go ahead 13-9 with 1:37 remaining. And in turn, they handed the ball back to Stanzi.
Yet even after completing seven of 23 prior passes, Stanzi capped a 10-play, 70-yard touchdown drive with a 7-yard toss to sophomore wideout Marvin McNutt as time expired, leading the Hawkeyes to a 15-13 win.
The defense got the bailout it needed, but it came as no shock to the Hawkeyes.
“It’s a team sport,” senior safety Joe Conklin said. “We’re here to pick those guys up, and they’re here to pick us up. Whoever does what, it doesn’t matter. We’re just happy to get the win.”
Guys on both sides of the football knew Stanzi had it in him. His poise and ability to bounce back under the most dire of circumstances are what give him the respect he has inside the Iowa locker room.
Those facets are also what has him 16-3 as a starting signal-caller for his career.
“Everybody has been scrutinizing Rick and all that bullcrap. He stepped up and he led this team,” senior linebacker Pat Angerer said. “He’s unbelievable. He’s a great leader and great person.”
After the game, junior defensive tackle Christian Ballard called Stanzi “one of the greatest leaders” he has seen.
“He stands tall in adversity, and he does everything he needs to do to keep the team winning. You got to love that guy,” Ballard said. “And the O-Line guys, they were playing as well as I’ve ever seen them play. We’ve got to give a lot of credit to them.”
Updates with two-deep
The Hawkeyes paid a price in their 15-13 win over Michigan State, with four players suffering serious injuries.
Senior offensive lineman Dace Richardson suffered a broken bone in his left leg, which will sideline him for the final four weeks of the season.
Redshirt freshman running back Adam Robinson suffered an injury that will likely prevent from suiting up on Saturday against Indiana. He was not listed on the team’s two-deep released on Monday.
Junior Julian Vandervelde is expected to take Richardson’s spot at right guard, and true freshman running back Brandon Wegher will make his first career start at running back, with junior Paki O’Meara listed behind him.
The good news for Iowa is that Brett Greenwood and Colin Sandeman, both of whom were knocked out of the Michigan State game, appeared on the list. Greenwood is expected to start at free safety, while Sandeman is listed behind Derrell Johnson-Koulianos and Marvin McNutt at the receiver position.
TV notes
The Big Ten announced on Monday that Iowa’s next two games at home against Indiana and Northwestern will be 11 a.m. kickoffs televised by ESPN. The matchups will be the fifth and sixth morning starts Iowa has had this season. Mark Jones and Bob Davie will call this week’s game against Indiana for ESPN.