By Jordan Zuniga
At the end of last season, the Hawkeye football team wound up in a disappointingly familiar place, the losing end of a bowl game.
The Iowa football team has now lost bowl games in four-straight seasons. That’s five bowl losses in a row, all but one by at least 17 points.
In order to get over the hump to win their first bowl since 2010, Iowa will need to see better production from three key positions: quarterback, wide receiver, and defensive back.
Quarterback
Easily the most important position on the football team. The Hawkeyes had C.J. Beathard at the helm last season, and to say it was a disappointing season for him would be an understatement
He put up 1,929 yards, with 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Numbers that look worse when you put them next to his numbers from the previous season: 2,809 yards, 17 touchdowns, and only 5 picks.
As a team the Hawkeyes averaged 153.2 passing yards per game last year, 118th in the nation, second only to Rutgers for worst in the Big Ten.
With Beathard now in San Francisco, sophomore Nate Stanley and junior Tyler Wiegers will battle to see who will be the next Iowa quarterback.
Stanley saw quite a bit of action during the 2016 season, making appearances in seven games; Miami (Ohio), Iowa State, North Dakota State, Minnesota, Purdue, Illinois and Florida.
Wiegers, on the other hand, has not seen any game action since the 2015 season, in which he made only four appearances.
No matter who wins the starting role, Hawkeye fans hope the QB will help improve one of the nation’s worst passing attacks.
Wide Receiver
It’s true that a receiver’s game is based mostly on the play of the QB. It’s also true that Iowa’s best receiver, Matt VandeBerg, played in just four games last season.
Nevertheless, the Hawkeye’s receiving corps was a mess last season, combining for just 1,185 yards, including the bowl game.
To put that in perspective, 20 Bowl Subdivision players had more receiving yards than all the Hawkeye receivers put together.
Sure, VandeBerg will be back this season, but he’s just one guy. The Hawkeyes need to find at least one other solid receiver to keep the opposing defenses on their toes, especially after the departure of Riley McCarron and tight end George Kittle.
Sophomore Devonte Young appears to be the guy Iowa will turn to as its No. 2 receiver.
The wide receiver did take the field in 12 games last season, and he hopes to be the downfield threat the Hawkeyes sorely missed last season.
Defensive Backs
The biggest difference on the defensive side of the ball between last season and the previous season before was turnovers, specifically interceptions.
In 2015, the Hawkeyes ranked 10th in the nation in interceptions with 19; in 2016, the Hawkeyes fell to 81st in the nation with just 9 picks.
The Hawkeyes lost their ace cornerback Desmond King, who went in this year’s NFL Draft.
One of the guys poised to replace King is true sophomore Many Rugamba. Many Hawkeye fans fondly remember Rugamba’s late-game interception in the Michigan game when he ripped the ball out of Jeshu Chesson’s arms.
The Hawkeyes and the fans hope to see Rugamba make stellar plays on the defensive side in the future.
