The Hawks blew out #17 Indiana for their 7th straight win! Better yet, the rest of the Big 10 west moved out of the way to allow the Hawks to jump up and grab first place. So how does Iowa's most objective fan evaluate the performance?
1. Petras is still Petras. There's a lot to be excited about after this win. However, many must have a disappointed feeling in the pit of their stomach tonight. We all had hopes that Petras worked hard in the off season and vastly improved upon his subpar accuracy and pocket presence. Sure, Pro Football Focus rates Petras the worst returning QB in all of college football, but homers in the Iowa media were quick to point out that he spent a few days with a "qb guru," "watched a lot of film of Alabama's QB," and had the opportunity to participate in the all important spring practice. Sadly, Petras put up the same subpar performance we've come to expect: 13/27 for 145 yards and 0 touchdowns. He missed on quite a few wide open WRs, had some head scratching underthrows where it was clear he pissed down his leg, and most concerning, he's got the same anxiety ridden happy feet he had last year. Sure, a game manager going 13/27 can win games when backed by a defense that has 2 pick 6s and doesn't give up a single touchdown. But will it be enough to carry the team against better teams?
2. Goodson's Mixed Bag Performance. Although last year I was admittedly on team Mekhi Sargent, believing he was the best back on the roster, I found myself yelling "Goodson for Heisman" in the first quarter today after he broke a 56 yard touchdown run to the outside. A few more runs like that against a Top 20 opponent could certainly create some Heisman buzz for the reigning all-Big 10 RB. Unfortunately, Goodson struggled after that run. He had 18 carries for just 43 yards the rest of the game, including a costly fumble that would have permanently put someone like Akrum Wadley in Kirk's dog house. I'd expect to see better production than 2.38 yards per carry when running behind the top center in college football.
3. Riley "Randy" Moss. Four years ago, an inexperienced Moss got torched a few times when Parker thrusted him into the lineup before he was ready. Fans Moss of being a step slow and randying around in tough losses. Fast forward to 2021, the guy is a man among boys. With two highlight reel interceptions that he turned into long touchdown runs (nearly 100 yards receiving on the day), Riley took ownership of the nickname, playing like Randy Moss out there. For context, 4 year starting WR Brandon Smith had a combined 2 tds all year last season and current WR starter Tyrone Tracy has just 1 td in his career. Could Moss be Josh Jackson 2.0? Thorpe Award? Stranger things have happened.
4. LaPorta: the Next Great Hawkeye TE. LaPorta looks every bit the TE that TJ Hockinson was two years ago. Aside from the 1 uncharacteristic drop, he finished with 5 catches for 83 yards (more than 50% of Iowa's receiving yards). He's got a knack for finding the seam and getting open and showed no fear making tough catches down the middle. If Petras can't learn to spread the ball out, look for more double coverage on LaPorta as the season progresses. If guys like Nico and Tracey step up, LaPorta could have a special season.
5. Benson Becoming the Guy at LB. Benson came out of nowhere last year to become honorable mention all-Big 10. This year, he's picked up where he left off. He's not the biggest guy or the best athlete out there, but he had 10 solid tackles and knows how to lay the wood.
6. Will the DL Be Enough? 3 of Iowa's 4 DL from last year are playing in the NFL. I was hoping the coaching staff might hit the transfer portal and bring in an upper classmen like Heflin to plug some holes this year. They didn't. Don't get me wrong, the DL played solid like Phil Parker's DLs always do (they gave up just 77 rushing yards), but it sure seemed like Penix had all day to throw back there. The Hawks recorded just 1 sack, and I'm guessing a more accurate QB might have had more success given the limited pass rush. It may be a matter of installing some blitz packages to get pressure on the QB.
1. Petras is still Petras. There's a lot to be excited about after this win. However, many must have a disappointed feeling in the pit of their stomach tonight. We all had hopes that Petras worked hard in the off season and vastly improved upon his subpar accuracy and pocket presence. Sure, Pro Football Focus rates Petras the worst returning QB in all of college football, but homers in the Iowa media were quick to point out that he spent a few days with a "qb guru," "watched a lot of film of Alabama's QB," and had the opportunity to participate in the all important spring practice. Sadly, Petras put up the same subpar performance we've come to expect: 13/27 for 145 yards and 0 touchdowns. He missed on quite a few wide open WRs, had some head scratching underthrows where it was clear he pissed down his leg, and most concerning, he's got the same anxiety ridden happy feet he had last year. Sure, a game manager going 13/27 can win games when backed by a defense that has 2 pick 6s and doesn't give up a single touchdown. But will it be enough to carry the team against better teams?
2. Goodson's Mixed Bag Performance. Although last year I was admittedly on team Mekhi Sargent, believing he was the best back on the roster, I found myself yelling "Goodson for Heisman" in the first quarter today after he broke a 56 yard touchdown run to the outside. A few more runs like that against a Top 20 opponent could certainly create some Heisman buzz for the reigning all-Big 10 RB. Unfortunately, Goodson struggled after that run. He had 18 carries for just 43 yards the rest of the game, including a costly fumble that would have permanently put someone like Akrum Wadley in Kirk's dog house. I'd expect to see better production than 2.38 yards per carry when running behind the top center in college football.
3. Riley "Randy" Moss. Four years ago, an inexperienced Moss got torched a few times when Parker thrusted him into the lineup before he was ready. Fans Moss of being a step slow and randying around in tough losses. Fast forward to 2021, the guy is a man among boys. With two highlight reel interceptions that he turned into long touchdown runs (nearly 100 yards receiving on the day), Riley took ownership of the nickname, playing like Randy Moss out there. For context, 4 year starting WR Brandon Smith had a combined 2 tds all year last season and current WR starter Tyrone Tracy has just 1 td in his career. Could Moss be Josh Jackson 2.0? Thorpe Award? Stranger things have happened.
4. LaPorta: the Next Great Hawkeye TE. LaPorta looks every bit the TE that TJ Hockinson was two years ago. Aside from the 1 uncharacteristic drop, he finished with 5 catches for 83 yards (more than 50% of Iowa's receiving yards). He's got a knack for finding the seam and getting open and showed no fear making tough catches down the middle. If Petras can't learn to spread the ball out, look for more double coverage on LaPorta as the season progresses. If guys like Nico and Tracey step up, LaPorta could have a special season.
5. Benson Becoming the Guy at LB. Benson came out of nowhere last year to become honorable mention all-Big 10. This year, he's picked up where he left off. He's not the biggest guy or the best athlete out there, but he had 10 solid tackles and knows how to lay the wood.
6. Will the DL Be Enough? 3 of Iowa's 4 DL from last year are playing in the NFL. I was hoping the coaching staff might hit the transfer portal and bring in an upper classmen like Heflin to plug some holes this year. They didn't. Don't get me wrong, the DL played solid like Phil Parker's DLs always do (they gave up just 77 rushing yards), but it sure seemed like Penix had all day to throw back there. The Hawks recorded just 1 sack, and I'm guessing a more accurate QB might have had more success given the limited pass rush. It may be a matter of installing some blitz packages to get pressure on the QB.