By Ryan Rodriguez
Having a solid tailback can do wonders for a team. A guy that can create on his own, hit holes, block, and eat up a large number of carries can give an offense a huge boost late in games.
Having two gives a team a dual threat that keeps defenses guessing and makes it harder on them to shut down the running game.
Having four of them can help keep you undefeated in November, even in one of the most injury-riddled seasons in program history. Iowa’s 31-15 win over Maryland Oct. 31 was, among other things, a confirmation of the absolute embarrassment of riches in Iowa’s backfield.
“It’s emblematic of the way the team has been playing. It seems like when someone can’t go or can’t contribute, someone else jumps in there and does it,” head coach Kirk Ferentz said. “We’re going to need all three of them certainly, and we’ll be happy when Jordan gets back, too.”
Much has been written about the “next man in” and how Iowa’s obsession with preparation and depth has paid dividends this season as it has had to plug some serious holes in the lineup due to injuries.
And in many ways, Iowa’s current backfield situation is a sign of that mentality.
Losing feature back Jordan Canzeri to an ankle injury seemed like a deathblow until the likes of Akrum Wadley, Derrick Mitchell Jr., and a finally healthy LeShun Daniels Jr. stepped up, each finding the red zone in Iowa’s win over the Terps.
But it goes beyond that as well.
Canzeri’s replacement wasn’t Canzeri Light or some cheap knockoff. No, the trio of Mitchell, Daniels, and Wadley were so effective because of how versatile and different each player is.
“I’m more of a shifty back,” Wadley said. “LeShun, he’s shifty, but he can pound you, too. In Derrick Mitchell, you have a guy with outstanding hands, and Canzeri, he can do it all.”
The best thing the Hawkeyes could have done this year was play to the strengths of the current roster. Much to their credit, they’ve done that, especially with regard to the backfield.
Instead of trying to force a square peg into a round hole and rely on one specific back in all situations, Kirk Ferentz and Company have been careful about using different players in different situations that best suit their strengths as football players.
“We don’t have defined roles, it’s just that we all can do different things,” Mitchell said. “Some guys are better in certain roles, like I’m better as a third-down back. You just have to go in there and try to keep drives going.”
In a way, Canzeri’s injury opened the door for the rest of Iowa’s backfield members to showcase their talents. And make no mistake, there’s a lot of talent there. The Hawks do boast the second best rushing offense in the Big Ten.
But more than anything else, it’s made their running game multidimensional and a nightmare for opposing defenses trying to prepare to shut it down.
With Canzeri expected to return before the end of the season, that unpredictability is only going to increase.
“Just anytime you get an opportunity to play and maximize an opportunity,” Ferentz said. “That’s what it’s all about, and we did a good job of that.”
Follow @ryanarod for Iowa football news, updates, and analysis.