Iowa notes: Special teams changes, kicking competition

IOWA CITY - Iowa has a reputation for status quo in the special teams department but year-round competition has yielded year-over-year changes.

Many preseason publications, including Phil Steele, tabbed senior Kevonte Martin-Manley as a preseason All-American punt returner, yet when Iowa forced a punt last Saturday, sophomore Matt VandeBerg trotted out to receive it. Jordan Canzeri split time at kickoff returner last year but on Saturday, red-shirt freshman Jonathan Parker assumed the deep-back duties.

'We felt like it was the best thing for our football team, and guys compete - we practice that year‑round, spring ball included - and bowl practice and what have you,” Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said.

Against Western Michigan last year, Martin-Manley was the first player in Big Ten history to return punts back-to-back for touchdown. Martin-Manley caught a team-high eight passes for 62 yards on Saturday, but he did not return a punt.

'It's not a knock on Kevonte at all. Kevonte played an excellent football game Saturday, maybe as well as he's played,” Ferentz said. 'But we just felt - based on practice and what we had seen - that Matt was probably the better guy to be back there.

'The other guy that was right there in contention was Riley McCarron, except Riley got injured during that kids' day scrimmage. When he gets back, he'll enter into the discussion, too. But it's not a knock on Kevonte at all; it's just Matt did a little better in practice.”

Canzeri was not the primary kickoff returner last year, but he was involved alongside Jordan Cotton. Parker, who stands 5-foot-8, brings dazzling speed to kickoffs. Canzeri remains one of Iowa's primary running backs and rushed for 22 yards on seven carries. Parker returned only one kickoff for 22 yards.

'Jonathan is one of the guys that's really matured from a year ago,” Ferentz said. 'He was a first‑year guy who was a good prospect but wasn't ready to play by any stretch. But he did well in the spring, I thought, did well in bowl prep and did well in spring and really took another step during August. We feel good about what we saw him doing in practice and felt like, ‘Hey, we need to get him in the ballgame and see if he can help us a little bit.' Obviously he's fast.”

Kicking it

Iowa saw mixed reviews from its kicking game on Saturday. Place-kicker Marshall Koehn converted all four extra-point attempts but was one of two in field goals, including a 37-yard miss inside the left hash mark. But Koehn boomed four of his six kickoffs for touchbacks and his 63.7-yard average on kickoffs would have led the Big Ten last year.

Punter Dillion Kidd averaged 36.2 yards on four punts. One landed inside the 20.

'I know Marshall would have liked to have gotten that one field goal, and we'd feel better about that,” Ferentz said. 'His kickoffs were good, and Dillon punted OK. He can punt better, he has punted better, and I think that'll come.”

Competition remains fierce at both spots, and Ferentz said the positions remain semi-open.

'It's no good if they're looking over their shoulders. You can't do that,” Ferentz said. 'I think it's in fairness to both those guys we've got to let them compete a little bit and perform, and then we'll see how it goes.”

Tickets available

Iowa has about 7,500 tickets remaining for this week's game against Ball State and 750 open for the Sept. 13 Iowa-Iowa State game. The Iowa State tickets go on sale at 8 a.m. Wednesday.

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