By Jordan Hansen | [email protected]
There’s a game in the books, and now there are actual statistics to talk about.
Iowa played fairly well against the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks on Sept. 3 but left fans a few things to ponder. Here are a few interesting statistics from the game.
Akrum Wadley rushing yards: 121
Throughout the off-season, it was hard to tell just how much Iowa was going to use Wadley this season.
The much-maligned running back struggled through fumbling issues during his first two seasons on campus and seemed to lose the coaching staff’s trust. He played well but sporadically last season and rode the bench for long stretches toward the end of the season.
LeShun Daniels Jr. getting the starting nod also signaled he would probably see the largest portion of carries, which would make sense, because he’s a senior. However, against the RedHawks, Wadley had 121 yards to Daniels’s 83 and had two more carries than the senior.
Wadley also had 3 receptions for 21 yards and spent several third downs on the field, which has traditionally been a time when another back — either Daniels or Derrick Mitchell Jr. — has seen the field.
It might not be a permanent shift, but Wadley becoming an every-down running back is a huge plus for Iowa. This, however, shouldn’t discount Daniels’ ability. Splitting carries among the backs is great for their health and also gives the Hawkeyes quite a bit of flexibility in calling plays.
Penalties: 3-35 yards
When Iowa stepped on the field at Kinnick, the team was ready to play.
The Hawkeyes only had three penalties — Josey Jewell’s targeting call and ejection, a false start in the fourth quarter, and a pass-interference call at the very end of the game.
Of those, only two — Jewell’s ejection and the false start — cost Iowa anything at all. The Hawkeyes learned losing its star middle linebacker is not something they want to do, and the false start turned a first and goal from the 2 into an eventual field goal.
Overall, the Hawkeyes stayed away from the little mistakes. This has been something Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz has striven to do, but the team sometimes failed last year.
In 2015, the Hawkeyes averaged more than five flags a game and nearly 50 penalty yards. As the season goes on and holding starts to get called, these numbers will surely change, but the overall lack of false starts and offside calls was encouraging.
Jerminic Smith stat line: 3 catches, 51 yards, 1 TD
While Jay Scheel may or may not still be in the picture at wide receiver, Iowa may have found a solution at the position.
Smith was strong last year in a game against Illinois but was fairly quiet behind Tevaun Smith otherwise. He scored his first career touchdown on Sept. 3 and genuinely looked like a threat, displaying soft hands and good route-running mechanics.
His first catch didn’t go anywhere, but his final two were impressive. Smith’s second catch was a 38-yarder down the left side of the field on a first-down fly route.
His final catch and first career touchdown came on a fourth and 6 call from the 12-yard line on a quick slant route. He caught the ball between two defenders and hung on despite taking a hard hit.
He also displayed his speed, taking a reverse for 10 yards. All together, Smith looked like a fairly polished receiver — something Iowa desperately needs.