Vibe the thing for Iowa's Rogers

IOWA CITY -- The math doesn't work as simply as Brad Rogers returns to lineup and Marcus Coker's rushing yards trend upward.

There are other factors -- opponent, formation, Coker's decision making. Rogers spent a lot of time away from the game, dealing with a heart condition that kept him sidelined from last December to week 6 of this season. So, he's made a slow return to bona fide playing time.

Rogers saw more snaps in Iowa's victory last week against Michigan than he's seen since maybe last year's victory at Michigan, when he jumped in at fullback in place of injured Brett Morse and grabbed coaches' attention.

"Brad got in during pretty tough circumstances and acted like he'd been doing it forever," Ferentz said. "He kind of won me over that afternoon, really."

After dancing with the no-huddle out of necessity against Pittsburgh and kind of avoiding fullback with Rogers waiting to clear heart tests, there's no denying Rogers has made the position a part of Iowa's offense again. Maybe not a huge part -- Ferentz said as much Tuesday -- but something that inches the Hawkeyes (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) along in their matchup against No. 13 Michigan State (7-2, 4-1).

Iowa got a good football player back in Rogers, forget the position.

"He's been around and I think he's got a lot of confidence . . ." Ferentz said. "He's one of our younger guys that really kind of brings a good vibe to our football team. He does a little bit more than block; he just really adds a real positive energy, also has done a good job on our punt team, which is a real important role, and it was good to get him back on that front, too."

The fact that Coker's numbers are up is a bonus for Rogers, whose best friend on the team is Coker.

"We both work our tails off for each other," Coker said. "Before a big run, I say, 'Hey, let's go, Brad.' Same thing for one of those times when I know he's going to get the ball. It gets us extra amped up, working hard and blocking for each other."

Coker's last four games have been as hot as any back in the country and hotter than any Iowa back since Shonn Greene in 2008. The 6-0, 230-pound sophomore has averaged 161.75 yards (647 yards), 26.5 carries and has scored eight TDs.

Coker has basically had Brandon Wegher's 2009 freshman season (641 yards, eight TDs) the last four weeks. In his last four games as a Hawkeye, Greene averaged 148.25 yards a game and scored nine TDs.

"Oh yeah, he's [Coker] like my little brother," Rogers said. "When he came in, I took him in as a little brother. We're really close. We're always around each other.

"It makes it a lot easier when you can be friends with the person you're blocking for. It more reassurance that that person is going to get the job done when you have more trust in each other."

There's the "vibe" Ferentz referred to. Rogers does his job, which happens to be one of the tougher jobs in football, and that resonates within the huddle.

"When you have good players on the field, and more than that, good players that have a good vibe, it helps your football team," Ferentz said. "He does his job well, but he also adds a little bit more. Anytime you've got a player  who does more than just execute his assignment, that's a good thing."

That doesn't mean Rogers is a yeller, but it does mean he's an intense player who hates to lose, something you don't pick up on in an interview. His voice is a smooth baritone and barely rises to hit normal conversational tone.

"I go out there and try to make the big hit and try to pick people up," Rogers said. "I'm a different person on the field."

That resonates in a huddle.

"He's not one of those rah-rah guys," Coker said. "He just goes out and does his job everyday. When you have someone who's doing his job and they do it all the time, 100 percent correct, it rubs off on you."

Rogers is a redshirt sophomore, so he's a year older than Coker. He also came in as a running back, but switched to fullback last season when it became apparent Coker was the clear No. 2. Rogers was here first, but Coker emerged.

Absolutely no hard feelings from Rogers.

"Whatever success Marcus gets, he shares with me," Rogers said. "I might not get the press, but between me and Marcus, we know what's going on."

This is the portion of the season where vibe doesn't hurt. Neither does a fullback.

Extra quotage:

Brad Rogers

As a receiver -- I caught a couple in the flat, this year and last year. I like the receiver aspect of this position. Whenever they get a chance to put me in the flat and throw me the ball, I'll take advantage of it.

Third guard -- I like it. I have no problem with it, as long as I'm helping the team and Marcus is doing what he's doing and the rest of the line is blocking.

Job No. 1 going through the hole -- Make the right read, first of all. Hopefully, my read makes Marcus' read a lot easier. -- It depends on the scheme. Sometimes, I'll help out a lineman if something doesn't go right. If not, then I'm on my man.

Fullback is back -- I've seen it change with a little more fullback in the game, which I'm not opposed to. They know what's best. Whatever call they make, they know what they're doing.

Two TE/fullback, want to be -- Iowa is a power running team. We have great receivers, so it's kind of a complement. If we can go in there and if we go in there and do our job, it's a lot easier for Vandenberg and McNutt and Davis on the outside.

Positive energy -- It's more as a player. I go out there and try to make the big hit and try to pick people up. I'm a different person on the field.

On Coker -- Oh yeah, he's like my little brother. When he came in, I took him in as a little brother. We're really close. We're always around each other. -- More satisfying -- It makes it a lot easier when you can be friends with the person you're blocking for. It more reassurance that that person is going to get the job done when you have more trust in each other.

Smile? -- He's a difficult one to get to smile, but he does. -- Why so serious? -- It's just the way he thinks of himself. He's a very determined person. Everything he does, he's accountable for. That's just the way he is.

Treatment -- I'm pretty sure we're going through the same things. It's tough, it's a long season. Big Ten play is tough. Every week, you have bumps and bruises, but every week you've got to bounce back with treatment and move on the next week.

Tougher not getting the headlines -- Not at all. Whatever success Marcus gets, he shares with me. I might not get the press, but between me and Marcus, we know what's going on.

Moving to fullback tough -- Not at all. I came here to play football. It didn't matter where I played, I just wanted to play.

Marcus rise to his return -- I really don't know how to take it. It's kind of strange, but me being out, I really wasn't around the game as much. As I came back, I tried to talk to Marcus a lot more and get his head right before games and stuff.

Marcus Coker

Growing up backs, style -- My favorite running backs were Earl Campbell and Walter Payton. I definitely have a different running style than both of those guys. They were physical, but it's still different.

Can't pound -- Whatever I have to do to help my team win, I'll do. I'm not looking long haul, I'm looking one day at a time.

19, how Campbell? -- Just my mom and parents, they were huge football fans.

Campbell and Payton and a little Ricky Williams from Texas

Astromony and physics -- all work in school, think less in football -- It was, but that's the type of person I am. I overthink everything. It's not just the classes I'm taking, I did the same thing last year. Just going out and playing has helped a little bit. --

Pals with Brad -- He's one of my best friends on the team. -- We both work our tails off for each other. Before a big run, I say, 'Hey, let's go, Brad.' Same thing for one of those times when I know he's going to get the ball. It gets us extra amped up, working hard and blocking for each other.

Positive vibe -- He's not one of those rah-rah guys. He just goes out and does his job everyday. When you have someone who's doing his job and they do it all the time, 100 percent correct, it rubs off on you.

Fullback and double TE -- During the game, I'm trying not to think, so I don't really worry about it. I just listen to Vandy when he's calling the plays and I do it.

Kirk Ferentz

Q. How important is Brad Rogers to Marcus Coker these last four games? COACH FERENTZ: I mentioned a while back it was great to have Brad get back just for obvious reasons, to get him on the field and back with the team. It was a really tough period for him being out and away, and he's improved and certainly it's not the same as, but Marcus Coker didn't get off to the fastest start because he missed a lot of time in August, and I think certainly with Brad we're seeing him improve each and every week. Having him out there gives us another good player and another really good guy. Not that he's played all that much, Morse has been our fullback, but he's been around and I think he's got a lot of confidence. I would classify him -- he's one of our younger guys that really kind of brings a good vibe to our football team. He does a little bit more than block; he just really adds a real positive energy, also has done a good job on our punt team, which is a real important role, and it was good to get him back on that front, too. It was really the first thing he started doing when he got back.

COACH FERENTZ: When you have good players on the field, and more than that, good players that have a good vibe, it helps your football team. He does his job well, but he also adds a little bit more. Anytime you've got a player that does more than just execute his assignment, that's a good thing.

COACH FERENTZ: The no-huddle really got borne out of the fact that we were down three scores, so it was kind of an obvious choice at that point. And then -- I don't know how much -- I didn't understand the question totally, but I thought overall the offense played well Saturday. We had to be balanced. I felt like we had to be balanced. That was a really tough team to move the ball against. I think we're making some strides right now, and having guys healthy helps, and having guys gives us a chance to be balanced, not that you're going to be balanced every game, but having an opportunity to be balanced is a good thing.

Coker overanalyze -- Everybody has different personalities and some people tend to overanalyze or be too hard on themselves and he leans in that direction, I think it's fair to say. He's his own worst critic. Paralysis by analysis, he might have a little of that going. But again, most running backs out of high school try to make too many cuts and overthink things, instead of just making a decision, reading a key and going. Going back to basics helps you a little bit, but being in practice and playing helps you more than anything.

When Brad wasn't around, we leaned more toward our tight end groupings. So, it's a nice thing to have a fullback. In our offense, Michigan State and Wisconsin are the same way, it's nice to have that available. We had that in Brett Morse. We thought we had that answer in December and then, boom, it's gone. We try to lean left or right based on who our healthy personnel might be. -- There's a chemistry there. They're friends, and coincidentally, they're a lot alike. They have a good presence on the field. I think we all got a our first snapshot of that at Michigan last year. I thought Brad jumped in during pretty tough circumstances and acted like he'd been doing it forever. He kind of won me over that afternoon, really.