By Jordan Hansen
Each week, The Daily Iowan will run “The Box Score,” an analytic breakdown of a couple Iowa football stats we find interesting. It’s the last week before the season starts, so let’s take a look at the engine of the whole thing — the running game.
Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz loves to the run the ball.
There’s a reason, of course. He’s a big believer in clock management and grinding the ball down the field. While this has changed a bit under offensive coordinator Greg Davis (who has more of a spread-offense, quick-pass background) it’s still a huge part of the Iowa game plan.
Over the past few seasons, the Hawkeyes have used a variety of different backs, with last season being an apt example of flexibility. Iowa used four running backs a year ago because of injuries, coaching decisions, and the matchup.
The now-graduated Jordan Canzeri and senior LeShun Daniels did most of the heavy lifting last season. Canzeri accounted for 38.6 percent of all rushing yards last year and 41.2 percent of Iowa’s 20-plus yard runs. Daniels rushed for 646 yards and was second behind Canzeri in rushing touchdowns.
Speedy and quick, Canzeri was Iowa’s version of a “scatback” and led the team in running-back receiving yards. But he also proved throughout his career he could be a downhill running threat. The Hawkeyes will miss him this year, but it also opens up space for Akrum Wadley and Derrick Mitchell Jr. to prove something this season.
Wadley and Mitchell are different players, but there are a few areas in which their skillsets overlap. For starters, both showed an ability to catch the ball. This shouldn’t surprise anyone, with Mitchell, a converted wide receiver, and it’s a nice bonus attribute of Wadley.
Despite playing a far fewer number of snaps than Canzeri, Daniels, or even Wadley, Mitchell still finished second on the team (among running backs) in receptions with 15. Iowa seems to like him as a third-down back, but it seems reasonable his playing time could go up this year.
The Hawkeyes aren’t afraid to toss the ball to a running back and let him run. Canzeri took up 43.2 percent of the receiving yards among running backs last year, and it stands to reason that production will have to come from somewhere this year.
Considering Iowa will break in several new wide receivers, running backs with soft hands could very well become quarterback C.J. Beathard’s safety blanket.
However, a running back’s first priority is moving the ball with his legs, and it will be interesting to see who takes the lead on that this season. Daniels should be the No. 1 option, considering he played well when he was healthy last year.
He’s deceptively quick and can turn on the afterburners when needed. The end of the Minnesota game is a great example — Daniels took off for a 51-yard touchdown after a great cut to seal the deal for Iowa.
The biggest problem with Daniels over the years has been staying healthy. He’s had several foot and ankle issues, which seem to be nagging. If he can’t play a full season, Iowa might be in a bit of trouble.
Wadley seems promising and is extremely explosive out of the backfield, but his Achilles’ heel is a fumbling issue. He lost two fumbles two seasons ago and one last season in a fairly limited number of touches.
He has tried to rectify the issue, but it’s still a black mark on his trust with coaches. With that said, he also ran for 204 yards and 4 touchdowns against Northwestern last season.
When he’s at his best, there’s an elite bit of shiftiness to his game. Wadley has massive amounts of talent and potential, with this year seeming like a great chance for him to really prove something.
Mitchell could also find himself running the ball. He’s a big player and has shown he can tote it if needed. While he probably won’t get as many carries as Wadley or Daniels, it’ll probably be more than the 25 he got last season.
There’s always the possibility a freshman could stand out as well and end up with some playing time.
The Hawkeyes should be strong again at running back, and if the stats tell one tale, it’s that Ferentz and his coaching staff have plenty of options to play with.