Offense capitalizes on Michigan mishaps (premium)
Posted on 17. Oct, 2010 by admin in Iowa Football
By Brendan Stiles
HawkeyeDrive.com
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Players and coaches talk about it frequently. There can be games when the defense is asked to carry the load because the offense struggles. There are also games that end up being shootouts, and the offense is counted on to score points in bunches in order to secure a win.
It turned out on Saturday that the No. 15 Iowa Hawkeyes would need every bit of their 38 points they scored in a 38-28 win over Michigan inside “The Big House.”
Things looked bleak early on after the Iowa defense allowed a touchdown on Michigan’s opening series. But the Hawkeye offense would respond later in the quarter.
Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi was the catalyst of the scoring barrage, completing 17-of-24 tosses for 248 yards passing. Stanzi showed a little bit of everything the Hawkeyes had in their arsenal.
He ended up throwing three touchdown passes, all of which went to senior wide receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos on his record-setting day.
“I know he was chomping at the bit to get this record,” Robinson said about Johnson-Koulianos becoming Iowa’s all-time leading receiver. “Today, it was even more so. He went out there and got the record.
“I’m real proud of him. He deserves it.”
Like both Stanzi and Johnson-Koulianos, Robinson delivered on this day as well. He carried the ball 31 times to the tune of 143 yards rushing and two touchdowns. He also had 61 yards receiving on four catches.
The second quarter is what truly told the story about what took place. Junior safety Tyler Sash made an interception, and four plays later, Iowa took the lead when senior wide receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos caught his second touchdown pass of the afternoon from 31 yards out.
Later in the quarter, the Hawkeyes were able to block a 38-yard field goal, and responded offensively with another critical scoring drive. It was capped off by Robinson’s four-yard touchdown run, but it was the play he made before that score that loomed big.
It was a 3rd-and-14 for the Hawkeyes from the Michigan 32-yard line. A run play for Robinson was called, and he proceeded to get 15 yards on the carry for a first down.
“It was a lot of fun blocking out there for him today,” Vandervelde said. “They come out with some unique schemes, some looks that we really don’t see much of anywhere else.
“For us to work so hard all week on this scheme, and be able to come out and execute it, is a great feeling.”
Robinson’s second score came on a series preceded by another Iowa interception from sophomore cornerback Micah Hyde, who picked off Michigan quarterback Tate Forcier in the third quarter after Forcier came in for an injured Denard Robinson.
Finally, the Hawkeyes’ last bit of points was a 30-yard field goal from true freshman kicker Michael Meyer. But in order to get inside the red sone, Stanzi had to dial up junior wideout Marvin McNutt on a 3rd-and-9 slant pattern that resulted in 17 yards and an Iowa first down.
“They gave us the coverage we were looking for, and he ran a great route,” Stanzi said. “The ball was just a little bit behind him, but he had great hands on it, caught the ball, moved up the field, and got those extra yards we needed on that drive to chew up some clock.
“That was a huge part of the ballgame for us.”
It was an outing guys on the other side of the football were grateful for as well.
“When we were struggling, the offense picked us up the whole game,” senior defensive tackle Karl Klug said. “When they do that, that’s pretty big.”
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