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Iowa Football: Three Players to Watch During First Road Game
Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports
Three players to watch when Iowa football takes the field against Rutgers
For the first time in 2016 the Iowa Hawkeyes will be on the road. Coming off a gut-wrenching loss to North Dakota State, the Hawkeyes want to put it behind them and focus on conference play. This is the first time these two teams have met since Rutgers joined the Big Ten a couple of years back.
Rutgers is usually a decent team, and that trend has continued this year. They’re 2-1 on the year and their lone loss came against a top-10 team in Washington. The Scarlet Knights aren’t going to compete in the Big Ten this year, however the Hawkeyes have to come into this game more focused than they were last week.
Due to the poor play by the Hawkeyes on both sides of the ball, there are plenty of players to keep an eye on. As a team, Iowa wants to have a bounce back week and prove to everyone that they’re still a top-25 team.
Individually, a lot of players didn’t play as well as they did in the first two weeks. With Rutgers being a step above Miami (OH) and Iowa State, but a step below North Dakota State, the Hawkeyes have to come out firing and squash any potential upset hopes Rutgers has.
Here’s a look at three players to watch on Saturday when Rutgers and Iowa take the field.
Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
RB Robert Martin
2016 Stats: 37 Carries, 252 Yards, 1 Touchdown
Following the Hawkeyes giving up 4.9 yards per carry to North Dakota State, and 6.2 yards per rush to King Frazier, Robert Martin could be poised for another big game. Martin missed the season opener against Washington, therefore this will be his first true test of the season.
After rushing for a solid 763 yards as a sophomore in 2015, Martin is off to an extremely fast start in 2016. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry in his season opener against Howard and recently ran wild against New Mexico. Martin rushed for 169 yards on 21 carries, also finding the end zone once. While New Mexico is a far cry from the Hawkeyes defense, 169 yards is still very impressive.
The biggest problem for the Hawkeyes last week was that they got no push at the line, allowing Frazier and Lance Dunn to easily got past the line of scrimmage with a full head of steam, and without being touched. The same can’t happen against Rutgers this week.
The Hawkeyes defensive line should have extra motivation following their poor showing in the fourth quarter against the Bison. Stopping Martin should be an easier task, especially since quarterback Chris Laviano doesn’t have the mobility and arm Easton Stick does. Therefore there won’t be as much emphasis on stopping the pass game.
Rutgers wants to pound the ball with Martin, however getting down early in every game has caused them to turn to passing the ball early. Granted Martin ran for 169 yards against New Mexico, but the Scarlet Knights were down 21-0 at one point. Therefore, getting Martin involved wasn’t at the top of list considering he’s not a huge threat in the pass game.
I wouldn’t expect Robert Martin to run wild against the Hawkeyes, however last week proved that anything is possible. The Scarlet Knights don’t have a great pass game and stopping the run could cause their offense to go stagnant very quick.
Martin hasn’t faced a defense like Iowa’s in 2016, but averaging 6.8 yards per carry against anyone is impressive. Especially following a season in which he gained 5.4 yards per rush as a sophomore. One of the most underrated running backs in the Big Ten, Iowa can’t underestimate this workhorse.
Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
Janarion Grant
15 Receptions, 112 Yards, 2 Touchdowns in Return Game
Janarion Grant is the definition of lightning in a bottle. Standing at just 5-10 and 174 pounds, Grant isn’t a huge receiver, however he’s quick and knows how to get by defenders. Following Rutger’s 2015 leading receiver Leonte Carroo graduating, someone had to step up in 2016.
Grant has stepped up in a big way. He has more than double the receptions of anyone else on the team, is second in receiving yards, and continues to be one of the biggest threats in the nation in the return game. He even added a 21-yard touchdown pass in week three against New Mexico.
Bigger receivers such as James Gardner of Miami (OH) have hurt the Hawkeyes this season. Although defending a speedy, shorter receiver like Grant will be a new challenge for the secondary. It’s extremely hard to stay with him because of his speed, but it’s even harder to take him down.
He’s only averaged 7.5 yards per reception this season, although his work in the return game is evidence of his elusiveness. Not to mention Grant is also averaging 9.5 yards per carry on 15 carries this season, including finding the end zone three times. Just like a lot of slot receivers, Grant is extremely versatile and the Scarlet Knights like to use him in a multitude of ways to help their senior quarterback.
When it comes down to it, the Hawkeyes don’t need to worry about him catching 10 passes or eclipsing 200 yards. Although, if they lose track of him, Grant has a tendency to find the end zone or burn teams. He’s not an All-American caliber receiver, rather one of the best athletes in college football.
The area the Hawkeyes need to watch him in is in the return game. I keep alluding to his capabilities as a returner, and it’s because he has eight return touchdowns in his career. Grant currently is tied for eight all-time in college football history with five kickoff return touchdowns, and he had a very impressive one against Howard already in week two.
Grant is going to rack up a decent amount of yards on offense, however the Scarlet Knights want to pound the ball with Robert Martin. That being said, if Grant gets in open field he’s extremely hard to take down. For that reason, I’d expect the Hawkeyes to punt away from him on Saturday because his ability to change field position and find the end zone is an underrated advantage Rutgers has over nearly every team in the nation.
Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports
Akrum Wadley
25 Carries, 190 Yards, 3 Touchdowns
After being extremely impressive in the Hawkeyes’ first two games, Akrum Wadley was non-existent against North Dakota State. Whether it was due to the Hawkeyes inability to consistently get first downs or Wadley suffering a mild injury the week leading up to the game, he finished week three with just four carries for 20 yards.
He’s now returning to New Jersey, where he went to high school, and will look to get back on track after a disappointing week.
However, the Scarlet Knights have not been terrible against the run this season. They have only given up 4.3 yards per carry and have nine sacks on the season. Plus, despite allowing 48 points to Washington in their season opener, they held them to just three yards per carry.
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After LeShun Daniels Jr got the bulk of the carries and couldn’t find any holes up the gut against North Dakota State, I’d expect Kirk Ferentz to turn to his quicker back if the same problems arise this week.
In a homecoming type game for Wadley, the Hawkeyes will look for his lightning in a bottle style of play after missing it mightily last week. Wadley isn’t a workhorse back, yet he finds ways to make an impact on offense when he’s given touches.
Whether it’s averaging 10.1 yards per carry against Miami (OH) or scoring on a 26-yard touchdown reception against Iowa State, Wadley has a very unique arsenal. Iowa wasn’t able to tap into that last week, although going to him early like in previous weeks, and balancing his style of play with Daniels, could give the Hawkeyes an early edge.
With the Hawkeyes offensive line struggling last week, shorter passes to Wadley could help open up the ground game, or open up options down field, as well. The fact of the matter is that every time Wadley touches the ball, there’s always a possibility of a big play happening.
After averaging just 1.9 yards per carry a week ago, Iowa will want to establish a run game early. There’s no doubt that the powerful run attack that we saw in the first two weeks is still there, and Wadley is just as big of a part as Daniels.
If Wadley is 100 percent then I’d expect him to instantly have a bigger role in the offense. The Hawkeyes could have used his versatility in the backfield last week, and playing in his home state will only help him. In a homecoming game for Akrum Wadley, he could be in for another special performance.
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