AMES, IA – During Iowa football’s 20-13 road victory over Iowa State on Saturday, Hawkeye running back Jaziun Patterson was “willing to throw his body for the team.”
The redshirt freshman not only sacrificed his body in pass protection but also found himself in the end zone for his first career collegiate touchdown.
Patterson, a native of Pampano Beach, Florida, led the Hawkeyes in rushing, scampering for a total of 86 yards on ten carries. His longest run of the day came in the first quarter, with Iowa in its own territory on third-and-one, looking to capitalize on a blocked field goal from the previous drive.
Assisted by a block from Iowa right guard Connor Colby, Patterson hit the gap and broke free up the field before being tackled near the left sideline by Cyclone cornerback T.J. Tampa.
“I was getting up off the ground and I saw him sprinting down the field,” Colby said of the play during his postgame media availability. “Obviously that gets everyone excited, so that’s a great feeling.”
Even though the Hawkeyes failed to find the endzone after the big gain, Patterson was able to cash in for the Black and Gold in the second quarter. On second down inside the red zone, Patterson again slipped through the hole, breaking a couple of shoestring tackles and diving across the goal line for six.
Patterson said he preferred the TD over his long run but for teammate and quarterback Cade McNamara, the running back’s effort is what really stood out from his performance.
Asked if Patterson runs with “reckless aggression,” McNamara provided a simple answer: “I think that’s a great way to put it.”
“He’s such a downhill runner, we definitely appreciate guys who run like that,” the quarterback said. “We know how hard he runs; that’s something that he brings to this team, and we’re happy that he’s on this team.”
Another moment of Patterson’s effort is evidenced when the running back took out two defenders in pass protection. According to the back, he identified one defender running to the inside and another taking an outside route to the quarterback.
In order to block both of them, Patterson said he intentionally swung his body to make contact with each, keeping his QB unharmed.
Referring to Patterson as a “versatile back who runs hard” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz wasn’t exactly surprised by the 5-foot-10, 204-pounder’s performance. Feretnz referenced Iowa’s bowl game against Kentucky of last season, particularly a play where Patterson “impacted the game” with a nine-yard run in the fourth quarter.
“We [the coaching staff] have been watching in camp and certainly today,” Feretnz said of Patterson. “He came up there for us today, and I’m really proud of him.”
Currently listed as the third-string running back behind starter Kaleb Johnson and backup Leshon Williams, Patterson ranked second in the trio with regard to carries. In his last game action against Utah State on Sept. 2, Patterson had just four combined rushes and receptions for a total of 17 yards.
Patterson said he turned around during his 59-yard run only to find Tampa in his sights. He said that he wouldn’t turn around the next time. After rushing for a total of 47 yards during four games last season, the running back kept his eyes set on the future, a future where he knew he could contribute.
“I just kept my head down every day and went to work because I knew my time would come,” Patterson said. “And when it comes, I want to show up. … because anything can happen at any time.”
