Top 5 Hawkeyes 'plays of the game' for 2015

When we actually cover games, Scott Dochterman and I do a lot of talking. Formations are first and foremost, with glimpses on personnel. Maybe we have eureka moments, maybe we don't. We both know that when Jonathan Parker is on the field for Iowa's offense it's going to be a jet sweep or a fake jet sweep.

We started doing 'Play of the game' last year. That's Scott's call, but we do sometimes discuss it. And, why yes, of course, deadline often has a major say in the 'play of the game.' Basically, when Iowa kicks off at 7 p.m., something awfully interesting is going to happen before the fourth quarter (Scott actually does a great job keeping this fresh).

On our 'On Iowa' podcast Thursday, we broke down our top five. (What, you don't listen to the podcast? I'm even listening to podcasts now. Get on it!)

Yes, they're similar, but they're not the same. I'll start with my No. 5 (one of which wasn't a 'play of the game,' but it was in the debate).

5. (tie) RB Jordan Canzeri's 68-yard run in third quarter against Nebraska and DE Parker Hesse's 4-yard interception return for a TD also against Nebraska

This was the last lap for 12-0. It also was at Nebraska and against a team that high jumped below the bar in Mike Riley's first season as head coach (the whole point of high jumping is to go over the bar, by the way). The Huskers had and always will have dangerous individual personnel. This season, that was lost in the vortex of change.

The Hawkeyes also had the weight of 12-0 on their backs. 12-0 . . . 12-0. Never been done. Could it be done?

Redshirt freshman defensive end Parker Hesse gave Iowa a 14-7 lead it wouldn't relinquish when he dropped a few steps and tipped a Tommy Armstrong screen pass attempt to himself in the second quarter. He walked into the end zone. Touchdowns were never that easy when he was QB at Waukon.

Iowa's Hesse with the easy pick-six - ESPN Video

Nebraska gathered itself in the third quarter and made it 21-17. And then it all came together on one run play for the Hawkeyes. First down at Iowa's 32, Canzeri ran an inside zone to the left. Everyone, from left tackle Boone Myers to wide receiver Tevaun Smith, made their blocks. Canzeri showed great vision and the Hawkeyes had 12-0 in their grip.

Canzeri puts on the jets, goes 67 yards for TD - ESPN Video

4. CB Desmond King 88-yard interception return for a TD against Maryland

Why this play? Why from this sleepy and, really, kind of dull 31-15 win against a team that couldn't hold onto the football with Super Glue?

Because I think you saw in this game why Desmond King is everyone's all-American. On this play, a supremely failed WR screen, King had it read three steps into the primary WR's route, which was flat and, perhaps, a little too 'screeny' behind the LOS. King read this, kept the receiver in front of him and never took his eyes off QB Perry Hills' eyes. Hills threw to a spot. His eyes had to have locked on the primary. He clearly had no feel for where King was. King kept his eyes on Hill's eyes. King looked like the primary receiver.

Instinct, check. High game IQ, check. Speed to pull away for 88 yards, check.

3. Canzeri 75-yard run against Illinois

Love this play for a couple of reasons: It was just 16-13 with 2:56 left third quarter. Iowa clearly needed a push to get over the hump against the Illini. That was Canzeri, who carried a school-record 43 times for 254 yards and that TD. Yes, 43 times. This was the Canzeri game. Make the T-shirts already.

The second reason is it was an audible from QB C.J. Beathard.

'We had an original play called — and C.J. put us in a great one with the check — a play that we actually haven't run in a while,' Canzeri said. 'Just the fact that he was football smart and he had the awareness to put us in that call, that was great on his part. The line blocked it amazing ... it just opened right up and I just saw it and I took it.'

'Football smart' was part of the reason the Iowa staff thought Beathard was ready to take over and that is why they made the call of Beathard over Jake Rudock in January.

Canzeri outruns Illinois for TD - ESPN Video

2. Marshall Koehn's 57-yard field goal as time ran out to beat Pitt

This one needs no explanation. But let's talk about it anyway, because it was so darn fun.

Koehn had no plan for the moments after the game-winner against Pitt. He said he couldn't hear anything. He was just running. He started toward the north end zone and then turned right and sprinted toward the south end zone. Teammates trailed behind and alongside. No one stopped him.

It was out of a movie. A man unhinged in celebration.

And then the party bus slammed into the cheerleaders in the south end zone. Leading the wave of players was defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson, a 6-4, 310-pound nose guard. He accidentally backed over a blonde cheerleader. A brunette cheerleader also was swallowed up in a wave of jerseys and helmets.

Koehn's night was ever-so gilded that he didn't even end up in the pile. He kept his feet moving as teammates tripped on cheerleader after cheerleader, who fell like trees in an avalanche.

'There were so many guys in that pile,' Koehn said. 'I didn't even end up in the dog pile.'

Kick the game-winner, avoid the dog pile. That's when you know it's your night.

1. That Nate Meier play on the goal line against Wisconsin

Nate Meier wears No. 34 because he came to Iowa thinking he might play running back. Then, after his freshman year, he switched to linebacker. OK, how about defensive end? Meier, who's 6-1 and might've been in the 230-pound range when he was asked to do this, said, um sure, why not?

So, sure why not? Go the next step and ask Meier to play noseguard in goal-line situations. At 6-2, 255, the senior is an undersized defensive end. At noseguard on goal line, he's an extremely undersized player. But you know Iowa coaches wouldn't put him there if they didn't feel as if he could do the job.

'I can get low,' Meier said. 'It was cool playing that position.'

So, what does it say about Meier? It probably says that he's a quick, violent rambler. It also says he walks a fine line. In this game, at his size, a lot of times for Meier it's all or nothing. When you consistently give up a half foot and 50 to 70 pounds to the O-lineman across from you, it's embarrass or be embarrassed.

So, doubling down on goal line and asking Meier to hold a point and stalemate, shows Meier has believers on the staff. After all, Meier was put in that noseguard position and defensive tackle Carl Davis, an NFL draft pick now shining in the Baltimore Ravens camp, slid outside during the 2014 season.

Speaking with Meier about the noseguard thing, there really isn't much to say. He knows the stakes and he punches the clock.

'What are you going to do?' he said with a laugh. 'You just go in there. He's going to embarrass you or you're going to embarrass him.'

Wisconsin faced second and goal at the Iowa 1 with the Hawkeyes leading 10-6 and 7:50 left in the game. Meier hammered the A gap, knocked guard Micah Kapoi off path and onto QB Joel Stave's foot. Stave then botched the handoff and the ball was loose. Meier tackled running back Taiwan Deal onto the ball, which rolled to Iowa defensive tackle Faith Ekakitie at the 5-yard line. Ekakitie recovered the fumble and Iowa . . .

The possibilities opened up after that victory at Wisconsin, didn't they? Iowa beat the Badgers for the first time since 2009, claimed the Heartland Trophy and jumped into first place in the Big Ten West Division.

Such an 'Iowa' play, and I mean that in the most honorable way possible.

Here's a 2-star former running back and linebacker who came off southwest Iowa grids from 8-man football and transitioned into defensive end and then fit nicely into a noseguard role on goal line because . . . well, because Nate Meier was never supposed to work on this level, right?

You take your place in line where everyone thinks you belong or you become a madman hunting for the next 'you can't do that.'

IOWA vs. WIS - IOWA fumble recovery - ESPN Video

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