http://www.omaha.com/sports/iowa/small-town-linemen-become-mainstays-on-hawkeye-defensive-line/article_4f862d42-2b46-5ae1-a2db-dfe1b687b7ee.html?mode=jqm
The butterflies ...
Meier still had lessons to learn once he regularly started playing at end. Last season, he matched up on a play against Pittsburgh left tackle T.J. Clemmings, who’s now in the NFL. Meier tried to his use strength against him. Clemmings shot his hands out on a play and “picked me up,” Meier said.
“After that first series I was like, ‘all right, I’m using my speed. I’m not going to try and muscle this dude.’ That was like, ‘wow.’ But that was one of our first games, and I was still having butterflies. As the year went on, it was just like every other day.”
DT Jaleel Johnson saw action in 45-28 TaxSlayer Bowl loss to Tennessee . . . recorded three assisted tackles vs. Tennessee, including one tackle for loss and a shared QB sack.
RB Jordan Canzeri rushed 12 times for 120 yards, his second career 100-yard game. He has 1,089 career rushing yards, and is the 45th player in program history to amass 1,000 or more career rushing yards. He passed nine players today on Iowa's all-time rushing chart and now ranks No. 36 all-time.
LB Josey Jewell led all players with a career-best 14 tackles. Jewell, a redshirt freshman, made his fourth career start. LB Quinton Alson (11) and CB Desmond King (10) also reached double-digits in tackles. CB Maurice Fleming (5) and LB Ben Niemann (4) recorded career bests in tackles.
QB C.J. Beathard rushed for a career-high 82 yards on eight carries. Beathard completed 13-of-23 passes for 145 yards and a career-high two touchdowns (31, 18).
WR Matt VandeBerg caught his first career touchdown pass (18 yards) in the fourth quarter.
CB Desmond King recorded his second career interception in the third quarter (37 yard return). Iowa's defense has at least one interception in six straight bowl games. (Good stat - congratulations to Phil Parker and the defensive staff).
Bowl Game was head coach Kirk Ferentz's 200th game at the University of Iowa. Ferentz is 115-85 (.575) in 16 seasons as Iowa's head coach. The 115 wins rank second all-time in program history, behind Hayden Fry. Fry totaled 143 wins in 20 seasons.
More butterflies?
Last year, Iowa used 17 first-time starters -- eight on offense (QB C.J. Beathard, C Tommy Gaul, FB John Kenny, WR Jacob Hillyer, RB Jonathan Parker, FB Macon Plewa, OL Sean Welsh, OL Ike Boettger), seven on defense (DE Nate Meier, LB Bo Bower, CB Maurice Fleming, FS Anthony Gair, LB Josey Jewell, CB Greg Mabin, LB Reggie Spearman), and two on special teams (PDillon Kidd and K Marshall Koehn).
The butterflies ...
Meier still had lessons to learn once he regularly started playing at end. Last season, he matched up on a play against Pittsburgh left tackle T.J. Clemmings, who’s now in the NFL. Meier tried to his use strength against him. Clemmings shot his hands out on a play and “picked me up,” Meier said.
“After that first series I was like, ‘all right, I’m using my speed. I’m not going to try and muscle this dude.’ That was like, ‘wow.’ But that was one of our first games, and I was still having butterflies. As the year went on, it was just like every other day.”
DT Jaleel Johnson saw action in 45-28 TaxSlayer Bowl loss to Tennessee . . . recorded three assisted tackles vs. Tennessee, including one tackle for loss and a shared QB sack.
RB Jordan Canzeri rushed 12 times for 120 yards, his second career 100-yard game. He has 1,089 career rushing yards, and is the 45th player in program history to amass 1,000 or more career rushing yards. He passed nine players today on Iowa's all-time rushing chart and now ranks No. 36 all-time.
LB Josey Jewell led all players with a career-best 14 tackles. Jewell, a redshirt freshman, made his fourth career start. LB Quinton Alson (11) and CB Desmond King (10) also reached double-digits in tackles. CB Maurice Fleming (5) and LB Ben Niemann (4) recorded career bests in tackles.
QB C.J. Beathard rushed for a career-high 82 yards on eight carries. Beathard completed 13-of-23 passes for 145 yards and a career-high two touchdowns (31, 18).
WR Matt VandeBerg caught his first career touchdown pass (18 yards) in the fourth quarter.
CB Desmond King recorded his second career interception in the third quarter (37 yard return). Iowa's defense has at least one interception in six straight bowl games. (Good stat - congratulations to Phil Parker and the defensive staff).
Bowl Game was head coach Kirk Ferentz's 200th game at the University of Iowa. Ferentz is 115-85 (.575) in 16 seasons as Iowa's head coach. The 115 wins rank second all-time in program history, behind Hayden Fry. Fry totaled 143 wins in 20 seasons.
More butterflies?
Last year, Iowa used 17 first-time starters -- eight on offense (QB C.J. Beathard, C Tommy Gaul, FB John Kenny, WR Jacob Hillyer, RB Jonathan Parker, FB Macon Plewa, OL Sean Welsh, OL Ike Boettger), seven on defense (DE Nate Meier, LB Bo Bower, CB Maurice Fleming, FS Anthony Gair, LB Josey Jewell, CB Greg Mabin, LB Reggie Spearman), and two on special teams (PDillon Kidd and K Marshall Koehn).
