Two Hawkeye Football Players named to Walter Camp team for 2009

Iowa linebacker and offensive tackle are named to named to the 2009 Walter Camp (pictured left) All-America team.

Angerer and Bulaga named All-Americans - HawkeyeReport.com

Angerer, Bulaga named Camp all-Americans - Gazette Online (blog) - Marc Morehouse
Iowa's Pat Angerer (43) intercepts a pass intended for Wisconsin's Travis Beckum (9) during the second half of this NCAA college football game, Saturday, ...

Iowa running back Shonn Greene was a first team Walter Camp member in 2008.

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Iowa takes the Outback To(night)day over South Carolina 31-10 to welcome New Year

As Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said, Iowa brought "great focus" to Tampa and executed vs. South Carolina in the 2009 Outback Bowl.

Mission accomplished! Iowa 31 South Carolina 10 in Tampa!

Iowa moves to 9-4 on the season, while South Carolina finishes 7-6, dropping coach Steve Spurrier to under .500 in bowl games and USC drops to below .500 in games played, after the 2009 Outback Bowl.

Iowa RB Shonn Greene won the Outback Bowl player of the game award with 121 yards and 3 touchdowns. He finishes the season with 13 100+ yards rushing for the season. The only player to rush for at least 100 yards in each ball game this season.

Post game, Iowa's band was playing "Hey Jude" in Tampa.

Kirk Ferentz finishes his tenth season at Iowa with a strong performance, losing four game by a total of 12 points during the season. A Ferentz coached Iowa team wins their second Outback Bowl in three games, completes their fifth January 1 bowl game in ten seasons with a strong 31-10 statement in Tampa.

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier has a lot of work to do in Columbia, SC to get the Gamecocks ready a SEC title run. It may never come.

It's great to be a Hawkeye!

cidsports

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Five finalists would be worthy for the Heisman Presentation and College Football

Is the Heisman Trophy losing it's luster? Is it becoming another award for the nation's top quarterback in college football?

From Wikipedia...

"The Heisman
Memorial Trophy Award (often known simply as the Heisman Trophy
or The
Heisman), named after the former college
football coach John Heisman,
is awarded annually by the Downtown Athletic
Club of New York City
to the most outstanding player in collegiate football."

We know the Top 3, who are attending the 74Th presentation today in New York City on ESPN are all quarterbacks. But, why not invite some non-quarterbacks? The award is about the outstanding player in collegiate football. There is clearly more to football than strong quarterback play.

Who would cidsports invite? Well, the Top 3 are all worthy of attendance. Any of the three are outstanding players and you could argue worthy of the 2008 award. The next two that should have been invited were a running back and a wide receiver.

Iowa's Shonn Greene clearly displayed he was the most outstanding running back in college football in 2008. Further, his story was worthy of tribute through an invitation. He is the only running back to run for 100 yards in all 12 regular season games. Further, he averaged a very solid 6.2 yards per carry. The Heisman isn't for the best quarterback, but best college football player. The absence of non-quarterbacks is simply bad for college football.

“Shonn has been consistently dominant throughout the season and his
performances in big
games have been the key to Iowa’s success,” said
CBS’ Verne Lundquist, a member of the Doak Walker Award National Selection
Committee and presenter of the 2008 Award.

The next player would be a wide receiver. Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree is the best wide receiver in college football. His catch in the Texas game likely cost the University of Texas the BCS title game and likely will cost Texas QB Colt McCoy the Heisman Trophy. An undefeated Texas team would be hard to not consider McCoy the nation's most outstanding player in 2008.

Some would say what about Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell? Isn't he worthy of an invitation. Yes, he had a very good season in the Texas Tech offensive system. However, for one, I don't think he is his team's top player, let alone the most outstanding player in college football. Of the six players being discussed, I think the loss of Harrell would have the least impact for their teams. Maybe, I am giving too much credit for little known, Taylor Potts, Harrell's backup.

So, the two finalists for the Heisman Trophy in my book are two quarterbacks. By, the way, I would have placed RB Shonn Greene in the Top 3, if I had the opportunity to cast a ballot. I don't always agree with Mike Hlas, but I do on this occasion about Greene, not Harrell, since I don't see Harrell in the Top 3 among quarterbacks nationally.

So, who should be the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner? The Walter Camp Award winner, like 2007, is out of contention in my book. Here are cidsports Top 3 for 2008:

1. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma (outstanding Big 12 statistics in passing)
2. Tim Tebow, Florida (2007 Heisman Winner - great story following 'Ole Miss loss)
3. Shonn Greene, Iowa (Football is more than a strong quarterback)

One final note:

Good luck to the Northern Iowa Panthers in there Division I semi-final football game coming up on ESPN at 3 pm Central Time. Yes, there are playoffs in Division I college football, it's called the FCS. This year's Heisman is for FBS players in Division I.

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Iowa's Shonn Greene not among Top 3 Heisman Finalists

My thoughts on the development about Iowa's Shonn Greene and the Heisman finalists in NYC. Nothing can take away from the outstanding season displayed by the junior running back from New Jersey.

McCoy, Bradford, Tebow named Heisman finalists Houston Chronicle AP USA Today Top 25 BCS Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow were named ...
Bradford, McCoy, Tebow finalists for 2008 Heisman Trophy Sports Network
Tebow, pair of Big 12 QBs are Heisman finalists The Associated Press
Heisman finalists announced tonight The News-Press
Orlando Sentinel - Tulsa World

http://twitter.com/cidsports

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Iowa's RB Shonn Greene is a First Team all-American this year...

Not just a first-team all-American...

Iowa's Shonn Greene wins Chicago Tribune Silver Football Chicago Tribune, United States

Group names Greene to All-America Team Chicago Tribune, United States

Hawkeye football: Greene named first-team all-America by coaches DesMoinesRegister.com

Greene earns all-American honors Gazette Online

UGA’s Moreno named an All-American Atlanta Journal Constitution

WHNT - Gainesville Times

all 12 news articles »

http://twitter.com/cidsports

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Can Iowa knock off #2 Penn State at Kinnick today?

The University of Iowa have given Penn State Joe Pa some difficult games over the years. A lot of Iowa's success has been in Happy Valley, with head coaches Bob Commings, J Hayden Fry and present coach Kirk Ferentz all picking up big wins over in PA.

Iowa has won five of the last six games over Joe Pa and Penn State. Last year though, Penn State pulled out a 27-7 win over Iowa.

Iowa in on pace to beat opponents in the Big Ten they lost to last year, but lose to opponents they beat in '07

Penn State stands in the Hawkeyes way today.

A Penn State team that enters Iowa City and Kinnick Stadium off a bye week. A Nittany Lion team that could be playing in the BCS National Title Game, if they can get by Iowa and their next two oppoents.

Can Iowa (5-4, 2-3 Big Ten upset Penn State (9-0, 5-0 Big Ten) in Iowa City today?

Prior to the last two Iowa wins in Kinnick Stadium over Penn State, the Hawkeyes hadn't won over Penn State at home, since 1930. This is an Iowa team that has been pretty good in match ups with Penn State. We saw a huge high scoring affair in 2002, with Iowa winning 42-35 in OT, while seeing an offensive depleted game, where Iowa beat PSU 6-4. Two Iowa wins have been in OT over Joe Pa.

Last week, Iowa ended a five game win streak over Illinois (5-4, 3-3 Big Ten) with a 24-27 loss at Champaign on a last minute FG by the Illini. The Hawkeyes have lost four games in '08 by a total of 15 points, with a 5 point loss being the worse.

What Iowa team will we see today?

Iowa beat Wisconsin 38-16, but loss to Northwestern 22-17 (5 Iowa turnovers) at Kinnick Stadium earlier this season in the Big Ten. Can Iowa win all three phases of the game?

So, who knows what we will get with Iowa this week.

Does Penn State become Iowa's Illinois victory from last year?

The pundits at ESPN say Penn State will beat Iowa. Lee Corso says by a field goal... the Nittany Lions will still absent a statement game nationally. On the flip side, Kirk Herbstreet says Iowa will keep it close early, but from the sounds of it... Iowa will fall, like Michigan, in the second half.

So, can Iowa say, not so fast?

cidsports' Prediction:

Iowa 15

Penn State 13

Why not Iowa pulling off the close game in '08 for once? Why not Shonn Greene running for 109 yards, which is about 80% the yardage given up by Penn State (136.6) in Big Ten games this season.

Make Penn State quarterback Darryl Clark beat Iowa at quarterback... is he up the Juice? Illinois QB Juice Williams was up to the task last week, unlike Iowa's QB Ricky Stanzi.

On Iowa!

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Iowa Hawkeyes @ Illinois Fighting Illini on November 1, 2008

The Hawkeyes (5-3, 2-2) travel to Champaign to face the Fighting Illini (4-4, 2-3) kickoff at 2:30 pm on ABC in the Midwest and on ESPN elsewhere.

This is a huge game for both programs. Iowa's coach Kirk Ferentz has had the upper hand on both the Illini (5 straight) and vs. Illini coach Ron Zook (4 straight, including '04 Outback Bowl, when Zook coached the Florida Gators).

It's the Fighting Illini spread offense attack vs. crafty Iowa DC Norm Parker's 4-3 defense. The Iowa offense has improved greatly from last year's morbid unit. Iowa's RB Shonn Greene has been a huge surprise, while new QB Ricky Stanzi continues to show improvement with each game.

It should be a great game in Champaign... The Illini have been held to 13 or less points in each of the five games Iowa has won recently. Last year, Iowa held the Illini to two field goals, in a 10-6 Iowa win.

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Iowa beats Indiana 45-9... Next up: Wisconsin at Kinnick

A little photo from the physical game that Iowa at Indiana was on Saturday. This picture from the Indianapolis Star shows how physical the game Iowa RB Shonn Greene faces at times.

By the way, there was no penalty on the play.

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Vegas was right to begin with: Pitt by 1 over Iowa

Shonn Greene - Star of the Day...

Iowa is better than last year. Sadly, we loss our first road test. Thankfully, Iowa beat ISU and will enter the Big Ten 3-1 this year, rather than 2-1.

Iowa left a lot of plays out on the field.

Special teams - break downs...missed FG bad snap leading to bad punt and change in field position break downs on the return coverage break downs on punt returns - Iowa allowed the ball to drop a little more this game than early in the season... remember the sliding catches at Kinnick.

The coaching staff played the odds and lost with Jake Christensen. Is it all terrible.

I don't think so, if Iowa moves to Ricky Stanzi at quarterback.

The coaching staff need to pull Christensen as a starter... period.

Let Stanzi play things out. You can bring Christensen as a sub, a reliever, which is the best he likely will ever be.

Iowa's offense, defense and special teams need to get ready for the real season.

Should Iowa be 3-1? Yes.
Could Iowa have been 4-0. Yes.

Iowa's most important game in September is the Big Ten opener. I know many will say ISU.

But, it's really Northwestern.

Iowa know has the taste of loss in their mouths.

This was a TEAM loss. Let's see what the character is of this team.

The coaching staff made some plays today.

But, we saw another good, bad, and ugly game.

On Iowa!

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Iowa welcomes in the 2008 College Football season with 46-3 win over Maine

Iowa's Shonn Greene returns to the Iowa Hawkeyes with a 109 yards on 22 carries and one touchdown. Iowa scores 4 rushing touchdowns, with Greene, Paki O'Meara and two by true freshman Jewell Hampton.

Iowa played two quarterbacks equally, with starter Jake Christensen and his backup Ricky Stanzi. A good first game for both quarterbacks and one would think we will see more of both quarterbacks next Saturday, as the Iowa Hawkeyes host Florida International U.

Maine scored right as the half ended on a 40 yard field goal, fueled by several costly Iowa penalties. Iowa (1-0) lead Maine (0-1) 22-3 at halftime.

Highlights of the game:

• Junior AJ Edds play at LB - including a tackle for a safety in the 2nd quarter
• Sophomore Paki O'Meara showed a nice ability catching the football out of the backfield
• 3rd string true frosh RB Jewell Hamption had a very nice 4th quarter, running for 68 yards on 9 carries
• the kicking game looked solid with punter sophomore Ryan Donahue, true frosh PK Trent Mossbrucker and the kickoffs and placekicking of PK Daniel Murray
• Sophomore Adrian Clayborn looked very solid as a starting DE
• Senior Andy Brodell looked very solid as a punt returner, again... nice to see him back healthy and contributing

Iowa did what you would expect. A predicted 45-6 outcome before the game ended with a 46-3 final score. Iowa has a lot of clean up work to do. They have a lot of improvement to do in most areas of the game. But, it was nice to see a good crowd and some smiles again at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday. They always say teams improve the most from Game 1 to Game 2. We will hopefully find out next Saturday, vs. FIU.

The coaching staff played a lot of true freshmen today, which should help with overall team depth. No true freshmen or redshirt freshmen started today, other than PK Mossbrucker, who played with sophomore Murray, spliting the place kicking duties. Murray handled kickoffs and did very well.

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Banners are up: One week until kickoff at Kinnick Stadium

The University of Iowa is a week away from kickoff of the 2008 college football season. One of the many banners is now up and ready for next Saturday's kickoff.

Iowa in '07 finished .500, with 4-4 in the Big Ten and 6-6 overall. Though the Hawkeyes were bowl eligible, they stayed home for the first time, since 2000.

Injuries were a problem for a young team in '07. It appears as many as three starters will be sidelined for the season opener, vs. the Maine Black Bears. TE Tony Moeaki, WR Troy Stross and G Dan Doering will likely be out. Moeaki missed a significant amount of time in '07, after going down in the Big Ten opener, at Wisconsin, in '07, and missing the rest of the season.

Iowa's defense, especially the front 7, appears to be the strength of the Hawkeye team entering 2008. The Hawkeye defense finished #12 in points allowed nationally, in '07. Another strength is sophomore punter Ryan Donahue, who set an Iowa record with 86 punts last year.

The real question in 2008 is how much the offense improves, including the offensive line. Iowa ranked #110 in offensive scoring, #92 in rushing, #94 in passing and #109 in total offense, all nationally, in '07. The offensive line allowed 46 sacks, sixth highest in the nation and first year starting QB Jake Christensen took a lot of abuse, both by opponents and by Hawkeye fans, who questioned why the 2nd string QB didn't see more snaps in '07.

Five things to like about Iowa entering 2008:

1. Four year starters in DTs Matt Kroul and Mitch King anchor the Iowa front 7.
2. Iowa's linebacker corp is loaded with non-seniors and is lead by #2 tackler junior A.J. Edds. The future is bright and Edds may be Iowa's next great linebacker.
3. Iowa returns #1 WR Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, a sophomore from Ohio, and fellow WR senior Andy Brodell returns from injury, after missing almost the entire Big Ten season in '07.
4. Iowa has a veteran coaching staff, but welcomes a new WR/TE coach from Michigan, in Erik Campbell, who spent the past 13 seasons as the Wolverines receiver coach. This is Kirk Ferentz's tenth season as Iowa's head football coach and 19th overall (OL coach from '81 to '89 under coach J Hayden Fry).
5. Iowa played 11 true freshmen and 31 total freshmen in '07. Still a young team in many ways, experience will be a boost in '08 with 50 letterwinners returning for the Hawkeyes (Starters returning: 7 offense, 5 defense, 2 special teams).

Five questions that Iowa must answer in '08, if they are going to improve:

1. Iowa returns all five starters in the O-Line and everyone in the two deep, but can they stay healthy and build team chemistry to open up running lanes and protect the Iowa QB?
2. Who steps in at Running Back? Iowa's top 3 ball carriers from '07 and #1 fullback have departed. Iowa does receive a boost from junior RB #23 Shonn Greene, returning after a season at a JC to concentrate on academics. Greene is a two year letterwinner though.
3. QB Jake Christensen was the league's lowest-rated passer based on passing efficiency and second string QB Ricky Stanzi was 0-4 with 1 int in '07. Will Iowa get production from the Top 2 or will a newcomer emerge during the course of the season? As coach Ferentz has pointed out a number of times, junior Christensen's progression as a starting QB at Iowa, may draw similar comparisons to former Iowa QB Matt Rodgers in '89. Like Christensen as a sophomore, Rodgers had a rough first year as a starter, but was successful in his final two seasons as an upper classmen... can Christensen repeat history for Iowa?
4. How will injuries and depth impact Iowa in '08?
5. Iowa must replace two departed CBs, like in '02. Like '02, Iowa returns a part-time starter at CB (senior Bradley Fletcher) and will depend on youth. Will the secondary develop in '08 feeding off the strength of Iowa's front 7?

Projection for Iowa in '08: 5-3 in Big Ten, and depending on Iowa State and Pitt games, Iowa's overall record will rebound from 6-6 in '07 to 8-4 or 9-3 in '08.

You can catch the Iowa opener, August 30th, with an 11 am kickoff on the Big Ten Network, from Kinnick Stadium. Iowa has finished in the Big Ten top division six out the past seven years... will 2008 make it 7 out of 8?

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Maybe it's time to flip back to 2005... but make it 2008?

Is 2008 the year, that Kirk Ferentz helps Iowa catch back up with the pundits that believe Iowa would walk on water in 2005 and 2006?

"Believe the hype... Hawkeyes will contend for a BCS bowl" (2005 Sporting News Big Ten Preview cover)

#3. Iowa Hawkeyes (that's nationally, not in the Big Ten)... "the defensive line, where all four players who started all 12 games last year are gone." "Never sell Kirk Ferentz short or underestimate his resourcefulness. Iowa coach stands among the elite in his profession." (page 46 - Athlon Sports 2005 Big Ten Regional Edition)

Back in 2005, all most every preview magazine had Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz walking on water. Actually, every preview magazine, other than Game Plan, had Iowa in the Top 25 entering the 2005 season. Only Game Plan didn't buy it. Kirk Ferentz was wary, if we go back and listen, but the national media had Ferentz mania.

"This is the league's best program not named Ohio State. Want proof?
The Hawkeyes could win the Big Ten for the third time in five seasons.
Imagine what Ferentz would do if he had the same talent as Michigan.
Scary. Take a bow, Kirk." (Tom Dienhart's take on Iowa in the 2006 Sporting News Big Ten Preview)

The following season, the Iowa Hawkeyes were a 2006 Preseason Consensus Top 25 Team. Nobody had Iowa in the Top 5, like 2005, but every preseason magazine had Iowa in its Top 25. By the way, Iowa finished 2-6 in the Big Ten in '06. So much for the pundits predictions.

By 2007, none of the major preview magazines showed Top 25 love for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Iowa finished 4-4 last year and 6-6 overall, so they are making progress, but after 2005-2007... the three year run of 2002-2004, where Iowa finished #8 nationally for three straight seasons has run its course. The 2008 predictions for Iowa are very low key.

It's quite ironic to reflect on the past seven years of college preview magazines. In 2002, clearly Iowa's best Big Ten season ever, not one preview magazine had Iowa on their radar.
Iowa was coming off its first bowl season under coach Ferentz, his third season as head coach. In 2001, Iowa went 7-5 (4-4 in the Big Ten) and defeated the Big 12's Texas Tech in the Alamo Bowl.

In 2002, the preseason magazines picked Iowa #8 for the most part in the Big Ten, not the Nation, which is where Iowa finished that year, nationally. While Ohio State finished 8-0 in '02, so did Iowa in the 2002 Big Ten race. None of the major previews had Iowa better than #6.
Iowa is back off the radar. Does history and Kirk Ferentz repeat in 2008 and become the nation's surprise team, again? The previews for 2008 basically look at Iowa as #8 in the Big Ten. Only Phil Steele has Iowa in the top half of the Big Ten, picking the Hawkeyes #5.

Clearly, Iowa doesn't have the look of the '02 team, but if you liked Iowa in '05, why not like them in '08. Clearly, Iowa could be this year's Kansas or Illinois... a non-bowl team from last year that could go from mediocre to big-time? As page 11 of Pro Football Weekly:

"Iowa: Put it this way, the Hawkeyes went 6-6 with an offense that lost almost
all of its top receivers, didn't get any production from the line, and was
inconsistent in the backfield. The bloom is off Kirk Ferentz's rose,
but he has done more with less than he has coming back. The veteran
team should be far better on both side of the ball, but the real reason for
excitement is a schedule that lacks Ohio State and Michigan and brings
Wisconsin and Penn State to Iowa City."

What's changed with Kirk Ferentz, since 2005 or 2006? He did it once before, so why not again in 2008? He has a lot of confidence entering '08 with anchors in both the offensive and defensive lines returning. One of the strengths separating the 2002 team from Ferentz earlier teams was experience and strength in the trenches. Some random observations heading into '08:

1. Lindy's in 2005 rated RB Shonn Greene one of Iowa's top newcomers of impact - you can say that again in '08 as Greene is back after a year at a JUCO
2. They also called OT Kyle Calloway the Sleeper of the Class of 2005 - he may be the sleeper of the 2008 offensive line for Iowa
3. Also Lindy's 2005 scouting report mentions DT Matt Kroul "plays low and hard"... '08 will be his fourth year as a starting DT (Lindy's Top Newcomer back in '05)
4. The Sporting News in 2005 says "Iowa leaps up the list to land among the big boys"... the top incoming players (ranked by position): #1 QB Jake Christensen, #1 TE Tony Moeaki, #2 OL Dan Doering, and #5 DB Chris Rowell... all are involved in '08
5. The Sporting News in 2006 spoke of breakout player... DT Mitch King, who is the other fourth year starter at DT for Iowa in '08 (Also a two-time MVP per Lindy's '07 and '08)
6. Also mentioned as Top incoming players (ranked by position): #5 QB Ricky Stanzi, #5 TE AJ Edds (LB - day 1 at Iowa), and #2 LB Jeremiha Hunter... all are involved in '08
7. Athlon Sports in 2006 pointed out rising star C Rafael Eubanks, the junior looks to begin his third year as a starter.
8. Lindy's in 2007 highlighted OL Bryan Bulaga as Iowa's top newcomer, who is one of five returning starters in Iowa's O-Line for '08... all in the 2 deep return in the O-Line
9. Also Lindy's rated DB Jordan Bernstine as the #8 top incoming Big Ten recruit... ahead of #10 Bulaga. Both are projected as starters in '08
10. In '08, Iowa will replace departed DEs with two sophomores, just like they did in '05. Adrian Clayborn and Christian Ballard are both former "Newcomers of Impact" as mentioned by the past two issues of Lindy's
11. Back in '02, Iowa had to replace everyone in the backfield... new starting QB, new RB, new FB... Iowa has been through this before, but this time, Iowa's top two QBs return in '08.

It will be an interesting year in college football and the Big Ten this season. Iowa appears to have some talent returning, as Pro Football Weekly observed, so will Kirk Ferentz make up for lost opportunities with his '08 Iowa Hawkeyes?

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