Betts, running backs hope to improve rushing game
Iowa ranks 12th in the Big Ten with 485 total rushing yards ahead of its matchup with Maryland Friday.
Iowa running back Tyler Goodson finds a gap during a football game between Iowa and Colorado State at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021.
September 29, 2021
Iowa running backs coach Ladell Betts walked into a challenge in his first season on the Hawkeye football coaching staff.
The Hawkeye run game has been inconsistent through Iowa’s first four games in 2021. Junior running back Tyler Goodson rushed for 153 yards and three touchdowns against Kent State Sept. 18, but the Hawkeye offense only accumulated 54 total rushing yards a week later against Colorado State.
“I think the running game is something that can be tricky from week-to-week,” Betts said on a Wednesday Zoom availability with reporters. “The truth is, we’d love to get more out of it on a more consistent basis. But games shape out to be different every week, and sometimes we may rely on the running game more some games and rely on the passing game more some games.”
But the inconsistency in rushing yards isn’t just a running backs issue, Betts said. The entire offense, including the linemen, work together to create opportunities on the field.
“One of the things I preach to the guys is, ‘Patience through the hole, and speed through the hole,’” Betts said. “Everything has to work together — how the linemen approach their blocks and how the running back goes through his footwork and aiming points — all of it has to be on par with each other.”
Goodson is the most consistent running back for the Hawkeyes, as the preseason All-Big Ten selection has amassed 365 total rushing yards and five touchdowns — an average of 91 yards per game.
Senior running back Ivory Kelly-Martin is the Hawkeyes’ second-leading rusher, with 91 rushing yards. Kelly-Martin has recently been having problems with ball security, with two fumbles against Kent State, but that hasn’t changed his confidence on the field.
“No matter what the situation is, [Ivory has] been the ultimate professional,” Betts said. “So, over the past couple weeks, I think everybody understands he had a couple fumbles two weeks ago, but looking back on it, it wasn’t something where he was careless with the football, or he was waving it around out here away from his body, it was just good plays by the defense. And that stuff happens … you just have to bounce back and be ready for the next opportunity.”
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Behind Goodson and Kelly-Martin, no player has notched more than 25 rushing yards.
Iowa currently ranks 12th in the league with 485 total rushing yards in the 2021 season.
After Maryland ranked last in the league allowing 1,150 rushing yards in 2020, the Terrapins have turned their defense around. The Terrapins have allowed just 447 rushing yards through four games in 2021 — fifth-fewest in the conference.
The Hawkeye rushing attack will also be preparing for the Terrapins’ stout 3-4 defense.
“They present a challenge, their 3-4 defense,” Betts said. “They have some big bodies down in the trenches. So, their front seven is very formidable. So, we’re going to have to be detailed in our work in the running game, and we’re going to have to run through some arm tackles. In my opinion, that’s the job of a running back anyway is to try and get some yards on our own, try to get some yards after contact.”
Iowa will take on Maryland Friday night at 7 p.m. at Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium. The game will be aired on FS1.
