Iowa football: Five observations from loss to Penn State

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IOWA CITY, IOWA- OCTOBER 12: Wide receiver Brandon Smith #12 of the Iowa Hawkeyes rushes up field during the first half against cornerback John Reid #29 of the Penn State Nittany Lions on October 12, 2019 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images) /

Brandon Smith is a beast

I still don’t understand how Brandon Smith isn’t a more integral part of this offense. He is Nate Stanley’s own personal get out of jail free card.

Yet, the Iowa football team treats the jump-ball threat as a normal wide receiver. That’s all well and good, but just throw the ball up to him and see what he can do.

So far this season, it’s either been good or nothing at all, which is better than a sack or an interception.

For example, look at this catch last night that Smith secured for the Hawks only touchdown in the past two games.

https://twitter.com/BigTenNetwork/status/1183216393086353408?s=20

That isn’t just an aberration, that’s stuff Smith can do on a consistent basis. We’ve got a speedster in Ihmir Smith-Marsette, an athletic phenom in Tyler Goodson, and a guy who will win 1-1 battles every time. Let’s use them.

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