Gopher Football
Iowa Offense
Iowa’s offense was one-dimensional last season; the running game finished 2004 ranked 116th in the country, rushing for a measly 73 yards per game. However, all was certainly not lost as the Hawkeye passing attack developed into one of the most potent in the country and quarterback Drew Tate asserted himself as a leader on the field and a superstar in the media. Iowa should be better on the ground AND in the air this year and, if they can put it all together yet again, could be one of the most effective offenses in the country.
Quarterback
Drew Tate, 6’0″ 185 – Small kid from Texas, not big enough, not strong enough “¦ throw it all out. Tate is the real deal. He took what looked to be a hopeless situation last season and turned it around, going for nearly 2800 yards at 20 touchdowns. He has a cannon for an arm and a field sense better than any other signal caller in the Big Ten. While he may not be mobile and size is still an issue, Tate will be the undisputed king of Iowa City this fall.
Jason Manson, 6’1″ 195 – Manson likely won’t see the field unless a) Tate goes down with a big injury or b) the Hawkeyes are up by 30 late in a game. He is only slightly bigger than Tate, but has the skills to run the offense should Tate get hurt. He has never thrown a collegiate pass, never seen game time, and will be the back-up all season barring a disaster.
Cy Phillips, 6’6″ 227 – Phillips is huge compared to Tate and Manson, but doesn’t have the raw skills needed to overtake either of them on the depth chart. He’ll see the bench all season long.
Running Backs
Marques Simmons, 5’8″ 202 – The speedy Simmons transferred to Iowa from Nebraska and showed flashes of what he is capable of early on last year. Unfortunately he was lost for half the year with injury and could not consistently play the role of homerun hitter. This year, he’ll have to or else the Hawkeye rushing attack could be looking at the bottom of the Big Ten barrel yet again. He’ll have some help from “¦
Sam Brownlee, 5’10″ 200 – Brownlee led the Hawkeyes with 224 yards rushing last season, and could see limited playing time relieving Simmons in 2005. He isn’t the fastest and certainly isn’t the biggest runner, but he can do well enough should anyone in front of him go down to injury.
Tom Busch, 5’11″ 231 – Busch saw some time on the field towards the end of last season, and showed that he could step in and be a decent Big Ten fullback. He is still a little raw, but should improve throughout the early season. He’ll need to step up his blocking if he hopes to be really effective for the Hawks.
Wide Receivers
Ed Hinkel, 6’1″ 190 – Hinkel came on as a bit of a surprise last season, forming into one of the best receivers in the Big Ten by season’s end. His 63 catches led the team and while he doesn’t have blazing speed, his dependable route running and hands make him Tate’s favorite target.
Clinton Solomon, 6’3″ 195 – Solomon developed into a huge deep threat last year, going for 905 yards on just 58 catches. He isn’t as tall as other deep targets in the Big Ten (i.e. Wheelwright) but he is just as talented and should frustrate opposing safeties week in and week out.
Tight End Ryan Majerus, 6’3″ 237 – Majerus will have to follow in the footsteps of recent tight end successes Dallas Clark and Tony Jackson, but he should catch on quickly enough. After playing backup all of last season, he has the ability to step up and become a consistent threat for the Hawks offense.
Offensive Line
Ben Gates, 6’6″ 286 – Gates started two games in 2004, and will now get the opportunity to start full time for the Hawkeyes after projected starter Lee Gray went down during spring ball with a knee injury. With all the success that Ferentz has developing inexperienced linemen, don’t be surprised if Gates emerges from this year as a star.
David Walker, 6’2″ 295 – Walker, a senior, was supposed to be one of the strong points on the 2004 line, but he suffered a few injuries that kept him from playing. He is fully recovered and should be one of the better Hawkeye linemen in 2005.
Brian Ferentz, 6’2″ 282 – First of all, yes, he IS the son of head coach Kirk Ferentz. The coach isn’t playing favorites when he puts his son on the starting line, however. Brian Ferentz is a solid center (when healthy) and should see the majority of snaps this year.
Mike Elgin, 6’4″ 277 – Elgin is a bit small for a guard, but his skill and athleticism more than make up for his lack of size. He may swap spots with Ferentz throughout the season, but most of his time will be spent at right guard.
Mike Jones, 6’5″ 299 – Jones moves back to tackle after switching to guard last year. He is big and strong, and should be able to protect Drew Tate very well.
What this means for the Gophers
Uh oh. The Gophers are facing a juggernaut when they come up against the Iowa offense. An experienced, strong line, receivers, and quarterback could mean a long day for the inexperienced Gopher defensive line. If the Gophers can’t figure a way to pressure Tate, the Hawkeye running game could shine, leaving Tate more time to throw because of less outside pass rush pressure. This is probably the worst position match up for the Gopher defense all season.
Talk about the 2005 Hawkeyes on the Gopher Football Message Board.