Iowa Football: Season Review Part II Games Five through Eight

Iowa traveled to East Lansing to take on Michigan State in their second Big Ten game of the season. The Spartans jumped out to a 14-point lead quickly, and it appeared as if Iowa might be in for a blowout. But the defense clamped down and allowed just three more points. The problem was, the Hawkeyes’ offense only scored ten points. The offense seemed to stall out as Nate Stanley had just 197 yards on 16 completions and was sacked three times while Akrum Wadley rushed 17 times for just 40 yards.

If I had to pick an offensive player of the game, I would say it would have to be Wadley because he scored the Hawks’ only touchdown. The defensive player of the game is middle linebacker Josey Jewell who has his best game tackling. Jewell registered 16 total tackles on that day including three for a loss. Just like he did the week before against Penn State, Jewell helped keep the game close by providing a spark and great leadership on defense. His impact on a game could not be denied, and he proved that he is one of the best defenders in the nation.

After Iowa’s performance against Michigan State, some were skeptical that their offense would be able to do anything much against some of the tougher competition. Concerns started to be whispered about the play calling and quarterback Nate Stanley. A few felt that offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz might have been in over his head. There were people saying that Stanley wasn’t an effective quarterback and was holding the offense back. They were set to play a struggling Illinois team the next week.

How would they fare?