Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz once compared his injury-riddled offensive line to the Bermuda Triangle — and that was with Dace Richardson healthy and proving to be the Hawkeyes’ most versatile lineman.
Before breaking his left foot in the first quarter against Michigan State, the injury-riddled Richardson had played right tackle and both guard positions for Iowa. But now without his senior, Ferentz will turn to veteran Julian Vandervelde, who started the final eight games in 2008 at left guard.
The 11-year head coach said on Tuesday that Vandervelde, who will start at right guard against Indiana this weekend, is still “working back from his [pectoral] injury,” which caused him to miss a significant amount of time in camp.
“Obviously, having Julian in there, he has played before; he knows what he’s doing,” left tackle Bryan Bulaga said. “He played a lot last year.”
Injuries, suspensions, and illnesses have kept the offensive line — a group many viewed as the team’s unquestioned strength — unstable through the Hawkeyes’ first eight games.
First, it was Vandervelde’s torn pectoral muscle, then it was right tackle Kyle Calloway’s one-game suspension, then it was a thyroid condition that caused Bulaga to miss three games. When he returned against Arkansas State on Oct. 3, it marked the first time since the spring that the Hawkeyes’ offensive line had been at full strength.
In fact, the emergence of redshirt freshman Riley Reiff in Bulaga’s absence gave Ferentz a good problem — six quality, healthy offensive linemen. But that only lasted a little more than three games.
Now, it’s Richardson’s broken foot, which will keep him out the rest of the regular season. He was carted to the locker room after being injured on Iowa’s first drive against Michigan State — a sad sight for Hawkeye fans, who had seen the senior return to the lineup after missing nearly two seasons following a knee injury.
“It’s devastating,” senior center Rafael Eubanks said. “I know it’s very devastating for him. He’s worked hard to get back. … That he can be back for the bowl game is good for us and good for him to, at least, get one more game in his career.”
If Ferentz is looking to put a positive spin on Iowa’s lack of continuity up front, all he has to do is put in the tape from Michigan State. Against one of the best linebacker corps in the conference, the offensive line opened up enough holes to get redshirt freshman running back Adam Robinson over the 100-yard mark for only the second time in his career.
“The yards were tough to come by the other day,” Ferentz said on Tuesday.
The offensive line’s biggest plays perhaps came on the team’s final drive against the Spartans. Down 13-9 on the road with 1:37 left, junior quarterback Ricky Stanzi had a perfect pocket to throw in during the team’s final drive.
He wasn’t sacked — let alone touched — giving him time to keep his eyes down field to find open receivers. The result of the drive was a 7-yard catch by sophomore Marvin McNutt to keep the Hawkeyes’ undefeated season alive.
“There are so many little things that people don’t see,” Stanzi said. “You see the touchdown pass, but [you don’t see] the [offensive] line protecting [on the drive], and everyone being on the same page.”