Two still aboard Iowa RB train

IOWA CITY - It's time for Adam Robinson to start thinking 1,000 yards. It's time for one big countdown until Iowa's freshman running back breaks through the mark that makes a back's season.

He's probably got his yardage on a bulletin board in his apartment or dorm.

“I'm not even sure what my yards are right now,” Robinson said.

Apparently, Robinson needs to get on the Robinson train.

The red-shirt freshman leads Iowa with 520 yards going into the latest road land mine for No. 7 Iowa (7-0, 3-0 Big Ten) this weekend at Michigan State (4-3, 3-1). He's fourth in the Big Ten with 74.3 yards a game and averages a respectable 4.8 yards a carry.

Yep, it's just a countdown to 1,000. This is totally tongue in cheek, by the way.

Robinson also leads the Hawkeyes in “grounded” game. Every week for him is Christmas/birthday/TD celebration.

“It'd be nice to hit the 1,000-yard mark, but I'm happier with how the season is going and how the team is playing as a whole,” Robinson said.

Nobody wants to get ahead of themselves with Iowa running back.

Robinson remains in a series-by-series platoon with fellow freshman Brandon Wegher, whose bruised hand should be fine for tomorrow night's game.

The numbers might say it's Robinson's ball. At Wisconsin last week, he rushed for 91 yards on 20 carries, including a 10-yard TD that put the Hawkeyes ahead to stay. Wegher ended up with 1 yard on 11 carries. Since gaining 73 yards at Penn State, Wegher's numbers have steadily decreased, with just 22 yards in the last two games. Robinson has 161 in the last two.

The numbers say Robinson, but the coach doesn't. Kirk Ferentz says quite the opposite.

“We still have confidence in both guys, and, really simply, the statistics were pretty lopsided the other day,” Ferentz said. “But if you went back and looked at the tape, (Brandon) didn't have much opportunity. We had some disastrous plays when he was in there from his standpoint. He had no chance of getting it going.”

Wisconsin sent linebackers and safeties to the line of scrimmage when Wegher was in the game.

“I thought it was a reflection on the timing of some things we didn't do well with our execution or things they did,” Ferentz said, “but it wasn't him. He basically had some dead plays that he had to try to execute and he made the best of them.”

The numbers certainly back up Ferentz's conclusion. Wisconsin had a ridiculous 13 tackles for 51 yards in losses.

Wegher made some plays in the passing game, catching two passes for 19 yards. When Iowa went into a five-wideout, empty backfield formation, Wegher lined up in the slot and caught a wide-open out route. He has 10 receptions for 67 yards this season.

Robinson's 108 carries are fourth in the Big Ten. Wegher has averaged 3.6 yards on 81 attempts.

Robinson and Wegher seem to have developed a bit of esprit de corps. They hugged and smiled coming off the field last week. They seem to be in this together and maybe that's what makes it work. It also has to help with wear and tear with both backs in the range of 190 to 200 pounds.

“The first thing that jumps in my mind is mental toughness,” Ferentz said when asked what he likes about Wegher, “to do what he's done after he's playing high school football last Thanksgiving. Now he's playing college football and really just acts like he belongs out there.”

Robinson isn't about to campaign for more carries. He entered the season as a possible No. 3. He thought at this point he'd be on special teams, maybe.

“At the beginning of the year, I didn't think I'd be getting any snaps at running back at this point,” he said. “It's just a blessing to be in this position.”

The only train Robinson is jumping on is the charter flight to East Lansing.