Face of the Hawkeyes is Ohio grown

CHICAGO - Straightening his jacket outside the interview room at the Hyatt Regency McCormack Place in Chicago, a smile came across the face of Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi.

Just a handful of years have passed since the Hawkeyes came swooping in at the last second with an offer to the former Lake Catholic quarterback. Had it not been for that offer, Stanzi said he was pretty much inclined to accept the offer from Miami (Ohio) coach Shane Montgomery.

Instead, here he was on a bright sunny afternoon in the Windy City as one of a three-person caravan chosen to represent Iowa at the Big Ten

Meetings along with teammates Adrian Clayborn and Karl Klug.

“It's a tremendous honor to be here,” Stanzi said. “When Coach Ferentz asks you to do something, you jump at it. I'm very happy to be here to answer questions on behalf of our team and to stand here next to these guys.”

With all due respect to the staunch Iowa defense, Stanzi is the proverbial face of the franchise. Not only is he the reigning Roy J. Carver Most Valuable Player for the Iowa offense, but he was recently named to the Manning Award Watch List, an honor that goes to the nation's top collegiate quarterback.

He is coming off a junior season in which he threw for 2,417 yards and 17 touchdowns and enters the season ranked sixth in career passing yards (4,373) and passing touchdowns (31) in Hawkeye history - all of which prompted Ferentz to boldly state that Stanzi might end up the greatest quarterback to ever suit up for the Hawkeyes.

Not that the ever-humble Stanzi would have any of that.

“That's baloney, to be honest,” Stanzi retorted. “There are a lot of great quarterbacks to come through Iowa. I'm far from great and I'll be the first person to tell you that.”

That's because Stanzi, his own worst critic, has one statistic that stands out in his mind more than any other - the 15 interceptions he threw last year.

The 6-foot-4, 230-pound signal-caller is the consummate perfectionist who wants to get better.

“What sets me apart is I turn the ball over more than the average quarterback, and that's not a good thing,” Stanzi said. “I'd rather not be talked about in that regard. I know there's a lot of work for me to do to correct those things.”

The Hawkeyes return letter winners such as receivers Derrell Johnson-Koulianos and Marvin McNutt, as well as tight end Allen Reisner and a young triumvirate of sophomore running backs. Plenty of weapons to make defenses sweat.

Plenty, that is, if Stanzi takes care of the ball how he'd like to.

Take care of it more than he did last year.

I've got to make a conscious effort to not turn the ball over,” he said. “I understand this is not back-yard football. It's not just (me) making decisions. I have a lot of responsibility. I'll be the first person to admit I need to improve the most out of anybody on the team.”

To be fair, Stanzi led the Hawkeyes to an 11-2 record last season and a 24-15 win over Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl. He missed a 27-24 loss to Ohio State and a 12-0 win over Minnesota with an ankle injury, but was still voted his team's MVP.

“We were fortunate because we have a great defense and great special teams that can get us out of jams I put us in,” he said. “They were all my fault. Nobody else's. I can't be putting guys in bad positions. It starts with the quarterback and that's the position I play.”

Despite the harsh critique of his own game, Stanzi has a big

fan in Ferentz. And unbridled support.

“He has done a great job leading the football team,” Ferentz said. “We're excited having him back.”

The Hawkeyes were voted as the No. 2 team in the Big Ten behind league favorite Ohio State in a polling of media members of the Big Ten

this week. But Stanzi said as much as he is looking forward to his team's game against the visiting Buckeyes on Nov. 20, the only game in his mind right now is the season-opener against Eastern Illinois.

Don't even ask him about Big Ten

championships or national championships.

“We play 13 games and of course we want to win them all,” he said. “That's what everyone is trying to do, win every game they play.

“National championship? I don't know. The farthest I've ever been is the Orange Bowl. All I know is to play in that game is a tremendous amount of work.”

Work he has been willing to put in and will continue to be willing to put in, starting with the beginning of his team's training camp this week.

All the other stuff like trips to Chicago, dozens of media members surrounding him to hang on his every last word is, like he said, an honor. But nothing more.

“All these things are nice,” he said. “But I know all the guys here would rather do their talking on the field.”

Especially himself.

- By JOHN KAMPF Journal Register News Service,writer