Still trying to catch on

[naviga:h3 class="sports_date"]Hawkeye wide receivers still trying to catch on

[naviga:h1 class="sports_art_head"]Hawkeye wide receivers still trying to catch on

By Marc Morehouse

The Gazette

marc.morehouse@gazettecommunications.com

(Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

Iowa wide receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos escapes the tackle of Florida International wide punter Dustin Rivest during a Sept. 6 game in Iowa City. Johnson-Koulianos and Iowa's other young wide receivers are struggling to put up numbers.

IOWA CITY - In September, it looked as if Derrell Johnson-Koulianos' career was cleared for takeoff.

Against Pittsburgh, he caught six passes for 75 yards. The next week, he had five for 55 against Northwestern. In the four games since, Johnson-Koulianos has seven catches for 57 yards.

In a two-week stretch, he had two for 6 yards at Michigan State and was shut out at Indiana.

"He's got a learning curve," Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said. "Just like Andy Brodell did, a lot of guys. He's improving. I think he's improving."

Johnson-Koulianos is hardly the problem for Iowa's wide receiver corps. Yes, the sophomore's number hasn't been called a lot lately, but his season stats actually stand out in the group.

Iowa's wide receiver productivity begins with Brodell (27 catches for 454 yards and four TDs) and pretty much ends with Johnson-Koulianos (25 for 325 and 1 TD).

Junior Trey Stross is next with eight catches for 68 yards.

After missing three games with a hamstring injury, he's seeing more action but still averages just 8.5 yards a catch.

Since catching two TD passes against Florida International, Colin Sandeman has three catches for 20 yards, leaving him with six for 76 yards.

After Sandeman, true freshman DeMarco Paine hasn't been heard from since Florida International, Paul Chaney hasn't recorded a reception since the opener, and Marvin McNutt is just getting his feet wet at the position with one catch since moving from QB.

Ferentz listed Iowa's top four receivers as Brodell, Johnson-Koulianos, Stross and Sandeman.

"We have confidence in all those guys," he said. "We (also) have confidence in our tight ends."

Tight ends Brandon Myers and Allen Reisner are getting their touches.

Myers is the Hawkeyes' third-leading receiver with 22 catches. Reisner has 11 catches, with three for 36 yards last week and a clutch grab on a two-point conversion that tied the game.

When healthy, Tony Moeaki has been productive (seven catches for 74 yards).

"I think all three of those guys do a real good job in the pass game," Ferentz said. "We think our receivers are OK, it's not like there's anything wrong with that group."

Paine's case seems especially confounding. He burned a red-shirt, but has only three catches for 16 yards. He hasn't recorded a stat since week 2. Ferentz didn't offer much insight.

"Yeah, he's just not playing a prominent role right now."

Still, everything hasn't exactly been rosy for Johnson-Koulianos.

He did lose his starting job to Stross based on practice performance.

Also, he was banned from Tuesday news conferences after showing up and conducting interviews in a baseball hat and sunglasses in September.

"Working on his dress code," Ferentz said. "That's really not what we're looking for."

Johnson-Koulianos is allowed to speak after games. And, for the record, he's one of the team's sharper dressers.