Stanley will throw fewer than 26 touchdowns in 2018

Nate Stanley had one of the best seasons in Hawkeye history in terms of touchdown passes in 2017, throwing for 26 scores in his first season as a starter.

The mark tied Brad Banks’ Heisman runner-up year in 2002 and was bested only by Chuck Long in 1985, when he threw 27.

But that is going to be a tough number for Stanley to break this season. After all, the record has stood for 33 years and has not been matched.

Stanley had five games in 2017 in which he threw 1 or no touchdowns; if he wants to be No. 1 in the books, he has to improve on that mark and be more consistent.

He tossed 5 touchdowns on two separate occasions in wins over Iowa State and Ohio State, which showcases his ability to go off in any given game, but it will be harder for him to do so with defenses more prepared for the Menomonie, Wisconsin, native entering his second full-time season under center.

If someone is going to break Long’s record soon, though, Stanley has a good shot. He has more experienced wide receivers and two tight ends who are on the John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List.

Now, facing the season with an inexperienced running game, Stanley will be trusted to take the reins of the offense, but that means defenses will be even more focused on him than they were last season, which will make that touchdown mark even harder to repeat, let alone surpass.

All of the pieces are there, but it won’t be easy. Whether he gets there or not, it will be a fun season to see whether Stanley can put his name in Hawkeye lore.

​— Pete Ruden

Stanley will throw for more than 26 touchdowns in 2018

Stanley cemented himself as one of the best quarterbacks in recent Hawkeye history in just his first season under center. Tying Banks’ second-best mark for single-season TDs is nothing to scoff at, but for a true sophomore last season, it’s even more impressive.

Defenses will definitely have their eyes on Stanley — they should — but Iowa has the weapons for a historical aerial attack on paper.

As Pete noted, Iowa’s Noah Fant and T.J. Hockenson were both named to the John Mackey Award Watch List. Granted, watch lists don’t equate to anything on the playing field, but it shows that Iowa does have a dynamic tight-end duo. Throw in receivers Nick Easley, Brandon Smith, and Ihmir Smith-Marsette for fun, too — each now with a full season of college football under their belts — and you’ve got a recipe for weapons all over the field.

That Iowa has inexperienced running backs could easily lead to Stanley throwing the ball more than he did last season. In 2017, the Hawkeyes had Akrum Wadley and James Butler, two tailbacks with plenty of experience, to hand the ball off to, yet Stanley was one touchdown away from tying the school record for single-season scores.

With the spread offense dominating college football, it wouldn’t surprise me if Stanley’s attempts jumped in 2018. Iowa traditionally (and still is) a run-first team, but I believe the combination of inexperience at running back and a stellar sophomore campaign will translate to at least 27 touchdowns for Stanley.

— Adam Hensley