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In this week’s opponent question and answer, we talk with Marc Morehouse, who covers Iowa football for the Cedar Rapids Gazette. Michigan State opens Big Ten play against the Hawkeyes at noon on Saturday in Iowa City, Iowa.
Q: The Hawkeyes have bounced back nicely from the season-opening loss to Northern Illinois and are receiving votes in major polls this week. What has been the biggest reason for the success rebounding from that loss?
Morehouse: Iowa is strong on the line of scrimmage, much stronger than last season and maybe since 2009. This has given first-year QB Jake Rudock a foundation to work upon as he takes his first steps as a starter. The O-line was great against NIU and has continued that trajectory. The D-line has made gigantic strides since 2012. Led by DT Carl Davis, who’s played more snaps this season than he has in his career, the front four has been a positive story. Can it sustain? Can it provide the pass rush Iowa will need? The strong line play has helped pull things together, but what really lost Iowa that game — long plays blowing up the secondary — remains a blemish.
Q: Kirk Ferentz entered this season under a lot of pressure. Has this four-game winning streak quieted the critics in Iowa?
Morehouse: Yes. One complaint I saw on my blog last week was that Iowa lost the second half, 7-6. It’s true, it did lose the second half, but that just kind of shows you the nits that are being picked. There are other complaints that are more valid. RB Mark Weisman’s workload and the play of the backup RBs has been circled. That’s a legit concern. Also, Iowa found juco wide receiver Damond Powell this winter. He’s lightning striking lightning — fastest Iowa player since, perhaps, the early 2000s — but his presence on the field has been limited to how much he knows and what he shows in practice. Sometimes, that’s not processed very well among fans.
Q: Much like Le’Veon Bell did last season for MSU, Mark Weisman is carrying a heavy load for Iowa. Are there concerns about him holding up through the heavy work load?
Morehouse: Yes, there are concerns. What the answers are, no one really knows. I look at the history of Ferentz era running backs and think Weisman is probably headed toward 300-plus carries. In 2011, Marcus Coker carried 280 times. In 2008 during a Doak Walker-winning season, Shonn Greene carried 307 times. That’s the Ferentz-era high. One thing working in Weisman’s favor is he’s a weight room fanatic. He wants to be a strength-and-conditioning coach. He’s straight into the ice bath and doesn’t do Taco Bell. Helmets on the ankle can happen at any time, but as far as monitoring goes, cars in NASCAR get less of a once over.
Q: It seems like Jake Rudock is really settling in at quarterback for Iowa. How good has he been this season?
Morehouse: Rudock is a learning machine. He’s a pre-med student who’s taking organic chemistry II this semester. Iowa moved evening meetings to accommodate an org chem test for Rudock last week. He’s that woven in. How this shows up on the field is moving the pieces in place for successful running plays. He’s good at seeing defenses and making line checks. That probably gets nullified this week by MSU’s subtle shifts along the front, but Rudock has a strong sense of self and hasn’t flinched yet. He has throws he’s more comfortable with than others, but he’s been accurate and has never been reckless and doesn’t force the issue.
Q: The success of Michigan State’s defense is frequently talked about but Iowa’s defense has been pretty strong this season and enters the week ranked No. 7 in total defense. Just how good is this unit for the Hawkeyes?
Morehouse: When Iowa is right — read: When Iowa isn’t 4-8 — the defense is a rock. Last season, the Hawkeyes had several problems, but mostly an inexperienced D-line was pushed around and out of place. That’s changed. DTs Carl Davis and Louis Trinca-Pasat walked on to campus 340 and 240, respectively. It’s taken a couple of years, but they’ve gotten their bodies to the point where they’ve stuck in the starting lineup. End Dominic Alvis has shown some pass rush that Iowa will need to mine to the nth degree. Linebackers James Morris, Anthony Hitchens and Christian Kirsksey have elevated their play along with the DL. In 2009, when LB Pat Angerer worked his way into the NFL draft, he had a monstrous D-line in front of him that included four NFL draft picks. The 2013 LBs are enjoying the spoils of what a good D-line can provide. The secondary is the pressure point that occasionally caves.
Q: What’s the key for the Hawkeyes to beat Michigan State and what’s your prediction?
Morehouse: Iowa will win if it keeps doing what it’s doing on third down. The Hawkeyes are No. 13 in the nation converting 52.50 percent on third down (42 of 80). Last season, Iowa was 36.36 on third down with just 64 conversions all season. On defense, Iowa is No. 7 in the nation, allowing just a 25.35 conversion percentage.
The Spartans will win if they can keep Rudock from finding a comfort level, keep him guessing and just generally see if he has any flinch in him. Iowa’s sophomore QB has yet to be marauded. The Spartans have that gear. In 2011, this defense produced 45 sacks. Five members from this year’s defense picked up sacks that season.
Michigan State’s offense has the shortest pedigree in this deal. Doesn’t mean it can’t suddenly punch in, there’s just not enough evidence to see that happening. Iowa 16-14.
