Hawkeyes relying on fancy passing attack
Iowa’s offense in the first six games of the season hasn’t resembled a Kirk Ferentz offense.
The Hawkeyes, normally a run-first, power football team, have relied on their passing attack to fashion a 5-1 overall record and a 2-1 mark in Big Ten play.
Ferentz, in his 20th season at Iowa, recognizes that his most talented players are his tight ends and quarterback.
Tight ends Noah Fant and T.J. Hockensen form one of the top combos in the country with 45 receptions, 692 yards and nine touchdowns. Fant is a touchdown machine and Hockensen has size and athleticism.
“Those big tight ends were tough for us to match up with, more difficult than I was hoping for it to be,” Indiana coach Tom Allen said after the Hoosiers’ 42-16 loss to the Hawkeyes last Saturday. “But that’s the reality of what happened. Those big bodies, they could run.”
Hockensen, a sophomore, caught two touchdown passes against Indiana and finished with four receptions for 107 yards. He leads Iowa in receiving yards with 394.
“Stanley can take guys away from you with his eyes. And that leaves you with one-on-one coverage and it’s your job to get open,” Hockensen said. “The history that we have here is really special, especially in the tight end room. There’s no words for it.”
Fant wasn’t cleared to play against Indiana until last Friday and was limited during the week but managed to make four catches for 101 yards and his 18th career touchdown reception.
The last time that Iowa had two 100-yard receivers in a game came in 2011.
“You’re a little bit nervous about playing anybody that didn’t get a full week of work,” Ferentz said. “But obviously, he does some good things for us and … tremendous guy. So he looked like he was into it on Friday and able to go. So we wanted to use him.”
Stanley is looking better in his second year as a starter. He’s more accurate and better able to read defenses while utilizing his strong arm. That was evident with his six touchdown passes against Indiana.
“Nate is a more experienced player than a year ago, a much better player than he was a year ago,” Ferentz told hawkeyesports.com. “A lot of the players he is playing with, you can say the same thing.”
That includes wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette, who provides quickness on the outside, and Brandon Smith, whose 6-foot-3 stature allows him to reach for balls thrown over shorter defenders.
“I just love how the whole team’s coming around,” Smith-Marsette said. “We can pass, we can run, the whole team’s blocking — it’s all working in our favor.”
The Hawkeyes appear to have a more aggressive mentality this year as a result of the improved offense.
“We’re trying to be a championship-level football team around here,” Hockenson said. “Once you get up on a team, you need to step on the gas. That’s what we’re trying to do. Whether or not we’re doing it right now, we’re trying.”
Against Maryland (4-2, 2-1) on Saturday, Iowa might need a little more gas to get its offensive machine rolling. The Terrapins have a top-three defense statistically in the Big Ten.
“Nobody’s stopped us (since the Sept. 22 loss to Wisconsin),” Iowa center Keegan Render said. “We’ve just stopped ourselves. The most encouraging thing is there’s a lot of growth we can still make.”
