The run down on the Hawkeye running game

IOWA CITY - Paki O'Meara considered the question, nodded and even smiled.

The Iowa running back got hung up in the pile, driven back and eventually stripped of the ball by Northern Iowa defensive end Ben Boothby. Tough play. O'Meara's forward progress had long stopped. He was still on his feet, though, and never saw Boothby coming.

In a fairly tight running back race, where every little thing counts, a fumble is a killer. A fumble is a killer 24/7 for a running back, especially when the No. 22 Hawkeyes (1-0) found themselves fighting for their lives in Saturday's 17-16 thriller over UNI (0-1).

O'Meara didn't log another carry. Red-shirt freshman Adam Robinson took over and rushed for 49 of his 63 yards in the second half, including an 11-yard touchdown, earning the top spot on the depth chart ahead of O'Meara, on the two-deeps for the Iowa State game released Monday.

Does O'Meara feel he has to win back trust from the coaches?

“I think the coaches are confident with me in there,” said O'Meara, a junior from Cedar Rapids. “It's obviously a letdown that I turned the ball over like that. I don't see it being a problem. I don't think they (coaches) do, either.”

On the other hand, Robinson came away with a positive vibe. His best number might've been the 4.2-yard average on 15 carries. His other best number was zero fumbles.

“I think the coaches are gaining a little more confidence in me,” Robinson said. “. . . I'm most definitely ready to be a 20-carry back.”

O'Meara rushed eight times for 21 yards in the first half, respectable considering the state of flux of Iowa's O-line, which was missing starters Kyle Calloway and Julian Vandervelde.

Calloway should return from his one-game suspension (OWI-related) for Saturday's game at Iowa State (1-0). He is listed as the starter at right tackle on new depth chart. Vandervelde might be another week away after early-summer arm surgery.

O'Meara lost the ball and 5 yards on his final play from scrimmage, finishing the day with 16 yards on nine carries. Insult to injury, he also needed a couple stitches over his left eye after his helmet flew off during a run in the first quarter.

Before the game, Iowa's staff planned to start O'Meara and introduce Robinson, who played his first collegiate game Saturday, on the third series. After that, it was going to be a “feel” thing. Freshmen Jeff Brinson and Brandon Wegher weren't in the plans, apparently. Neither saw action in the backfield, but did play some special teams.

The fumble changed the plan.

“Obviously, I fumbled. Adam took most of the reps after that,” O'Meara said. “That's definitely the most important thing, you need to take care of the football.

“I let my guard down . . . it's all on me. I have to take better care of it.”

The early review on Iowa's running game from Iowa's head coach was tepid.

“Needs a lot of work and we expected that,” Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said. “I don't think we really developed much continuity or consistency during the course of the game.”

Robinson had a couple runs in the second half, but the verdict came with a little more than nine minutes left.

Third-and-2 at UNI's 32, Robinson was stopped for no gain. Then on fourth down, no gain. The Panthers took that and turned it into a 39-yard field goal, making it 17-16 with 4:26 left.

More grim rushing numbers: Iowa's 87 rushing yards was its lowest output since 70 in a victory at Northwestern on Nov. 3, 2007. The 2.8 yards on 31 carries is also a low since 2.1 a carry at Evanston.

“I think our blocking upfront is going to have to improve,” Ferentz said. “We know that. Also, we had a couple younger, inexperienced backs. Patience is part of the running game, too.”