Offense
Quarterback
Overall, I would say the quarterback position has been a pleasant surprise. Is Nate Stanley good? Eh, I wouldn't go that far, but he is competent, and considering that this is his first real experience, that's a pretty good start. His biggest issue is the deep ball, which has caused my dog much grief as she gets scared when I scream profanities at my television, but even those are getting better. He's not a world beater, but I don't think much more can really be expected from the guy.
Running Back
Akrum Wadley is a super good running back who is badly misused as a bellcow back that is trying to run between the tackles. The outside zone is where he makes his money, as he can stretch a play out, make a hard cut and get up field. Grinding between the tackles, especially with nine guys charging through the line is not a recipe for success. The backup running backs have all looked good as well. It's one of those situations where the guys have played well, but they haven't always been put in a position to succeed.
Receivers
I'm going to group the wide receivers and tight ends together here. The tight ends have been the stars of the show as both Noah Fant and TJ Hockenson have played very well this year. Yes, there have been some drops, but these are the guys who are finding ways to get open consistently, and I'd like to see more designed plays for both of them.
As for the actual Wide Receivers, I don't think anyone can be anything but ecstatic over the performance of Nick Easley. There were rumors that he looked good in practice, but the fact that he has risen to be Stanley's go-to receiver is pretty incredible. He hasn't been perfect, but let's not get nitpicky. Matt VandeBerg has been fine. I feel like he's still ramping up, and the chemistry that he had with Beathard has not been repeated with Stanley. He's still shown flashes, and I do expect him to play a larger role during the final handful of games. Outside of that, nobody has really stepped up. ISM had his moments, but Brandon Smith has not. Is there anyone else really worth mentioning? These guys are performing well, but Iowa flat out doesn't have a talented enough receiving corps for them to have a big time pass game. That is why teams can continue to stack the box to stop the run, as none of these receivers, nor the quarterback throwing to them are really terrifying.
Offensive Line
Since expectations were fairly low for every position but running back, the offensive line is probably the most disappointing unit from the first half. A major factor in that is injuries. Losing Cole Croston for the year really put a wrench in Iowa's plans, and I'm not sure if Boone Myers has been completely healthy all year long. I think they have done a good job in pass protection as Nate Stanley has had a decent pocket most of the time. The big issue has been the running game where Iowa has not found any way to create consistent holes.
Defense
Defensive Line
The best of Iowa's three defensive units. This is the one area where Iowa has almost too much depth as I constantly want more AJ Epensesa, but like, Parker Hesse is pretty good too. Nelson & Nelson have both been solid on the line, and Bazata continues to be very important without having many flash plays. I was expecting a little more impact from Cedric Lattimore, but this is where we get nitpicky. Iowa has so many guys who flash special traits, but we still see everybody stuffed at the lines. I thought they would have more of an impact in the pass game, but Iowa style dictates that they stay their lane as opposed to always trying to make impact plays.
Linebackers
The linebackers are exactly who we thought they were. Josey Jewell is Iowa's best defender, and my only complaint with him is that he got injured and had to miss a game. Ben Niemann and Bo Bower have both been good, although I am going to be slightly terrified when Ohio State spreads out the field and makes them play in space. Iowa fans had high hopes going into the season, and I think the linebackers have lived up to those expectations.
Secondary
Josh Jackson is probably the most pleasant surprise of any Hawkeye this season, even more than Nick Easley. He has been running amok in the secondary, and he is close to getting crunk ON the field, something only Jovon Johnson and Desmond King have officially done as Iowa players. I think hopes were a little too high for Manny Rugamba, since it was almost entirely based on the single play of him yanking a ball away from a Michigan receiver for an interception. Ojemudia has been solid, but he was more thought of as a third cornerback going into the year, who got bumped up to number two due to Rugamba being hurt.
As for the safeties. Holy shit, Brandon Snyder. I know he is already hurt again, which, uh, yeah, he did just tear his ACL six months ago, but man, when he was in, I felt so much better about the Iowa secondary. Also, Amani Hooker is learning on the fly, but you can already see the improvement. Poor Miles Taylor and Jake Gervase. Together they could make a good safety, but Taylor's instincts just aren't there, and Gervase's athleticism just isn't there. But when Iowa's safeties are healthy, there isn't a huge weakness in this defense.
Coaching Staff
Soooooooooooooooooooooo the coaching staff. Let's start out by saying that Phil Parker has put his defense in a position to succeed, so he's fairly clean on all of this. My only issue is that Iowa has A TON of defensive line talent, but too often on pass plays, we just see four or more guys charging into offensive linemen without a real plan to get to the quarterback. That really bothers me, but again, it's really tough to give any fault to the defense.
Which brings us to the offense. The good news is that it is better to watch this year than last year. They throw the ball in the middle of the field which is the most hallelujah thing I can imagine after the Greg Davis era. Unfortunately, although the receivers are doing their best, their just isn't enough talent to really depend on them to get open for big plays. This is causing an issue as teams are definitely keying in on the run and blowing up Akrum Wadley before he has a chance to make anything happen. I'd like to see Iowa send some non-wide receivers deep. Get Fant going deep, or put Wadley in the slot and send him deep. Worst case scenario is they protect against Wadley and that opens up a little space for Toren Young. But nobody's going to stop stacking the box until Iowa makes them pay for it.
Before last week's game, Iowa has consistently struggled in the first half, and then put things together in the second half. The good news is that Iowa has been good at halftime adjustments. The bad news is the game planning during the week has not been getting the job done. Iowa moved the ball well to start off last week's game, so hopefully that continues against Minnesota, and I don't know, maybe Iowa will play two good halves of football on offense. It could happen, right?
Luck
You will notice that I didn't bring up Kirk Ferentz in the section above. That's because he more belongs in this section. Because, really, what this Iowa season has come down to so far is just luck. Despite all of the issues they have had, it's not like Iowa is that far off from being 7-0. If Amani Hooker tips the ball against Penn State, if Iowa flips the turnover situation against Michigan State, if Iowa scores early on drives where they dominated to start the game, Iowa is 7-0, and they look just as good as the team that went to the Rose Bowl.
But although they got a bit of luck in the Iowa State game, the ball has not been bouncing their way this season, and that is one of the biggest factors in this season seeming more disappointing than it really is. Overall, the team is playing well, but it's Iowa; they're never going to blow the roof off the place. They're going to fight; they're going to grind. Sometimes they'll have amazing wins, but they are also going to have maddening losses.
So is Iowa any good this year? Yes, they are somewhere between "not very" and "quite" good this year. If their luck continues, it'll be closer to the former, but if it reverses, it might end up closer to the latter. Either way: In Kirk We Trust
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