2008 Iowa Hawkeyes
July 16, 2008
Kirk Ferentz enters his 10th year as the Iowa Hawkeyes head football coach. Ferentz turned this program around in his first five years here, but he’s just had the Hawkeyes treading water in the Big Ten over the last five. A home loss to Western Michigan in the final game of ‘07 had Iowa missing a bowl game with a 6-6 record. The Hawkeyes will be hungry to get back into Big Ten contention, but do they have enough talent to compete in this wide-open league? Find out with Info Plays 2008 Iowa Hawkeyes football predictions below.
Offense:
Most of the blame for the Hawekeyes’ recent woes can be blamed on their offense. Quarterback Jake Christensen struggled every way imaginable in his first year as starter last season. Iowa scored just 18.5 points per game while Christensen mustered up just a 6.13 yards per passing attempt. It was the lowest among Big Ten starters. Much of the blame can be attributed to poor offensive line play, which is uncanny with Ferentz as head coach, considering he was and offensive line coach in the NFL. The good news is that all the starters and key reserves return this season on the offensive line.
The line allowed Christensen to get sacked 46 times last year, the sixth highest number in the nation. The Hawkeyes also averaged just 3.5 yards per carry, the lowest in the Big Ten. Iowa needs to find some consistency at running back. Seniors Albert Young and Damian Sims are gone. Sophomore Jevon Pugh, who would have been Iowa’s top returning rusher with just 40 yards, has left the school. Now Junior college transfer Nate Guillory, true freshman Jeff Brinson and Jewel Hampton, and walk-ons Paki O’Meara and Jayme Murphy will all be battling for carries.
Defense:
The heart and sole of the Iowa defense has been their front seven for years now. They have several former lineman and linebackers getting a ton of playing time in the NFL from season’s past at Iowa. The Hawkeyes are going to be powerful up front again with Mitch King and Matt Kroul taking the defensive tackle spots in their fourth season as starters. This pair combined for 132 tackles last season. King was and All-Big Ten performer with 14.5 tackles for loss and seven pass break-ups. Kroul was fourth on the team with 74 tackles.
Iowa will need two starting cornerbacks to emerge because Charles Godfrey and Adam Shada are gone. Senior Bradley Fletcher will inherit the left corner spot. In four starts last season, Fletcher picked off two passes so he’s a promising corner heading into the ‘08 season. Sophomore Jordan Bernstine will likely start on the right side, but he missed spring practice with shoulder surgery. Outside linebacker A.J. Edds has shown the potential to be Iowa’s next great linebacker. He made 80 tackles as a sophomore last season and you can expect even more out of him this year. Sophomore Brett Greenwood has grown into his role at free safety. He was ninth in the Big Ten with nine pass break-ups, including two interceptions.
Iowa Hawkeyes Predictions at Info Plays: 7th in the Big Ten
The Iowa Hawkeyes have no proven running back and are without competition at quarterback despite Jake Christensen’s woeful 2007 campaign. Their receiving corps keeps having run-ins with the law which gives Christensen little chance of succeeding this season. Returning their entire offensive line will help matters, but this unit was one of the worst in the nation last season in both pass blocking (46 sacks allowed) and run blocking (3.5 yards per carry). The offense has way too many question marks for the Hawkeyes to be a serious Big Ten contender. Iowa is always a tough out for any team because of their efforts on the defensive side of the ball. Look for the Hawkeyes to flirt with a bowl bid in 2008.