GameDay Analysis: Hawkeyes vs. Yellow Jackets

By
tracy.mccullough
Published: January 4, 2010Posted in: Latest News
Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi (12) tosses a pass during the team's Orange Bowl practice Sunday, Jan. 3, 2010 at Barry University, in Miami Shores, FL. (Brian Ray/The Gazette)

Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi (12) tosses a pass during the team's Orange Bowl practice Sunday, Jan. 3, 2010 at Barry University, in Miami Shores, FL. (Brian Ray/The Gazette)

When Iowa has the ball

Georgia Tech is average on defense; there’s simply no way around that fact. The Yellow Jackets are sixth in the Atlantic Coast Conference in just about every category that matters, including pass, rush, total and scoring defense. What does that mean against a team from the Big Ten?

Tech’s best foot forward is defensive end Derrick Morgan, a 6-foot-4, 272-pound edge rusher. He was a first-team All-American, led the ACC with 12.5 sacks and finished second in the conference with 18 tackles for loss.

Morgan, a junior, is universally loved by NFL scouting dotcom-ers. ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay has the Coatsville, Pa., native going No. 3 in a 2010 mock draft. In the same mock up, McShay has Iowa tackle Bryan Bulaga going No. 20 to the New York Jets. Will they meet up tonight? Probably some, but Tech defensive coordinator Dave Wommack is more likely to move around Morgan, looking for the optimal matchup. Iowa is doing some tinkering. Right tackle Kyle Calloway, who’s started 36 games at tackle, might slide in to guard with freshman Riley Reiff going to tackle. The move would be to fight the sheer bulk of D-tackle T.J. Barnes, a 6-7, 314-pound monster.

Morgan gives Tech a fighting chance up front, but Tech’s secondary is shaky, allowing quarterbacks to complete 61.8 percent of their passes (11th in the ACC) with 21 TD passes allowed.

The linebackers are led by Brad Jefferson’s 90 tackles. He’s second on the team with eight tackles for loss.

Everyone at Georgia Tech knows the ugly stat from the Jacket’s final two games, 662 rushing yards in a loss to Georgia and a victory over Clemson. Coach Paul Johnson expects improvement. Expect the linebackers to play run-first, testing the health of Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi.

That’s the real question mark for Iowa’s offense — how rusty is Stanzi? He missed the final two games after a high-ankle sprain Nov. 7 against Northwestern. He had surgery the Monday after the injury and started practicing again in mid-December. Everyone says all systems go, but Stanzi did sit out some practice this week. Probably a precaution, but who really knows.

A big part of Iowa’s offense is the play-action passing game. Stanzi was hurt on a naked bootleg, a play he will most likely be asked to run tonight. He says there’s no fear factor and believes the ankle will hold up.

But let’s face it, even a healthy Stanzi had unsteady moments, finishing the season with 16 interceptions.

Advantage: Iowa

When Georgia Tech has the ball

Georgia Tech’s triple-option offense is run-first. Jonathan Dwyer (6-0, 235) is the workhorse heavyweight, as the B-back. He averaged 6.1 yards a carry and scored 14 TDs. There is one “but.” In Tech’s losses, Miami (33-17) and Georgia (30-24), Dwyer was held to 7 and 33 yards, respectively. A-backs Roddy Jones (5-9, 195) and Anthony Allen (6-0, 231) help fuel the nation’s No. 2 rushing offense (307.15 yards). Allen averages a nutty 9.8 yards a carry. Jones checks in at 6.5. Jones is the quick back with moves; Allen is a Shonn Greene-type with power and speed. Quarterback Josh Nesbitt will pass the 1,000-yard mark (991) in this game. He leads Tech with 18 TDs.

Nesbitt (6-1, 214) makes the “flexbone” work. This will put defensive ends Adrian Clayborn and Broderick Binns in the crosshairs.

Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (6-3, 229) is a dangerous vertical threat. He led the ACC with 1,154 receiving yards, with an eye-popping 25.1 yards a catch. But he’s also powerful enough to swat cornerbacks off his hip in one-on-one coverage. Iowa’s defensive backs have the “don’t get beat behind” drilled into their heads, but with Tech running the ball 57.7 times a game, the challenge is going to be resisting the urge to play run-first. Thomas has the size, speed and body control that will force Iowa’s corners Amari Spievey and Shaun Prater to pay respect.

The Hawkeyes are geared for the cut blocks coming their way. It’s what Tech does. The technique allows it to create lanes and keeps traffic off runners. The Hawkeyes haven’t seen this concentrated scheme of cut blocks since Glen Mason’s running game at Minnesota. It’s been a point of emphasis in practice, with several D-linemen saying they’ve gone at it to the point of tension. We’ll see.

Will Tech be able to move the chains against a defense that’s been pretty heady and that’s led by a veteran linebackers corps? The closest example of the triple option the Hawkeyes have seen is Illinois in 2007, a game Iowa won at Kinnick. Just food for thought.

Advantage: Push

Special teams

Tech kicker Scott Blair is a strength. He’s made 14 of 19, including 5 of 6 from 40 to 49 yards with a long of 49.

Iowa’s kick return finally broke through after 242 straight kicks without a TD return with Derrell Johnson-Koulianos’ 99-yard return at Ohio State. He seems to have a knack for the job.

Kicker Daniel Murray made three of his last four to end the season, but the 22-yard miss at Ohio State (a 27-24 loss) still hangs in the air.

Advantage: Georgia Tech

The scoreboard

Iowa can win this with its offensive line. The health of running backs Adam Robinson and Brandon Wegher might be more important than Stanzi, but if they’re 100 percent, the O-line has a chance to punch out Tech. The longer Iowa can sustain drives, the fewer chances the “flexbone” will get to work its magic. Defensive coordinator Norm Parker has had a month to plan and he has a smart, experienced group that’s physically capable of playing this type of game. Nesbitt isn’t a top-flight passer. He might need to be.

Iowa 31, Georgia Tech 21

— Marc Morehouse