Assistants see tweaks needed for Hawkeyes

IOWA CITY - It should all be good for the No. 15 Iowa Hawkeyes.

They're 4-1 (1-0 Big Ten), just about on schedule except for a disastrous trip to Arizona. They have an idle week on their hands before running through the bear trap part of their schedule beginning next week at Michigan and then at Kinnick Stadium with Wisconsin and Michigan State.

The defense is ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten in scoring, rushing, red zone and total defense. The offense is led by senior quarterback Ricky Stanzi, who's third in the Big Ten in passing (245.2 ypg) and pass efficiency (176.8).

Offensive coordinator Ken O'Keefe and defensive backs coach Phil Parker talked with the media Thursday. They see the Hawkeyes every day. They know there's more to it than just stats and see areas where things could be just a little bit better.

“I think our defense has been, statistically, pretty good, but as we look at it as a staff, there are a lot of things we can improve on,” Parker said. “I looked at the game last week (24-3 win over Penn State) and thought we had too many missed tackles and leverage problems for our defense. We're an experienced team, I just don't think we tackled very well.”

For O'Keefe, job one is building or finding depth at running back. The depth chart is sophomore Adam Robinson, then freshmen Marcus Coker and Brad Rogers who've never logged a carry in a Big Ten game.

“They have to know what's going on, and really they've gotten a lot of reps this week, especially in the blitz pickup and the protection game, which is critical to what we do,” O'Keefe said.

With Jewel Hampton out with a torn ACL, any situation in which Robinson sees a set amount of carries is out the window, O'Keefe said. Instead of how much will he get the ball, it's how much can Robinson take the ball.

Robinson carried a career-high 28 times against Penn State.

No Stanzi complaints from O'Keefe. Just the highest of praise.

“Certainly, he prepares probably better than any guy we've had, spends an enormous amount of time on that, and he provides great leadership in really all areas of our program, but especially when he's out there on the field,” O'Keefe said. ”He has that kind of knowledge and experience right now where he can move people to the places where they need to be on the scout team.”

Perhaps the biggest challenge for Iowa's defense has been life without coordinator Norm Parker, 68, who had his right foot amputated because of diabetes complications in late September. He's out of the hospital but remains weeks from a return, head coach Kirk Ferentz said this week.

Phil Parker played safety at Michigan State while Norm Parker was a linebackers coach there (1983-85). Phil has known Norm for 27 years. Iowa's defense misses Norm's wisdom, Phil said, but the defense has clipped along.

Phil Parker, linebackers coach Darrell Wilson and defensive line coach Rick Kaczenski have collaborated on the defense. LeVar Woods, a former Hawkeye linebacker, has moved up from administrative assistant to the defensive staff.

“It's been community service as far as guys working together,” Phil Parker said. “We're all on the same page, and we've been doing it together. If Norm were up in the press box, Darrell would be making the calls, and obviously everybody has an opportunity to suggest things that they want called.”

All the way around for the Hawkeyes, it's so far, so good.