Stanzi wants to move beyond 'game manager' for Hawkeyes

The term “game manager” can be taken a couple of ways when it comes to the quarterback position.

You can think of it as store manager. In Iowa's case, for the 2008 season, at times, the name tag would have read, “Ricky Stanzi/Game Manager.”

“I think I know what you mean by ‘game manager,' Stanzi said, laughing.

Hand the ball to Shonn Greene, Iowa's Doak Walker Award-winning running back.

“Yeah,” Stanzi said.

Stanzi admits there was that element last season, but he also contends “game manager” can mean “winner,” “leader” and just plain “smart quarterback.”

“It's doing what you need to do to help the team, whether that's throw the ball or give it to your running back,” said the 6-foot-4, 230-pound junior. “Managing the game is exactly that - not trying to do too much and not being too shy and not doing anything.”

“You've got to find your fit and try not to get out of character and make mistakes on things that shouldn't have been pushed. But at the same time, you don't want to sit back and not take any chances on plays that could be made, whether it be downfield or in the end zone.”

Of course, you could make a strong case that Stanzi wasn't at all a game manager last season.

He completed 150 of 254 passes for 1,956 yards, 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions. His pass efficiency was 134.8, fourth in the Big Ten. Take out a couple of rough rides - during Iowa's 0-2 start in the Big Ten he had five turnovers - and Stanzi probably is nationally ranked in pass efficiency, a number that usually means big-time success at Iowa. Remember Brad Banks and his national-best 157.1?

Also, Stanzi won a heated (and public) battle with incumbent Jake Christensen. This is not “game manager” stuff.

“Having the trust of your teammates is a huge factor and what helps you become a great leader,” offensive coordinator Ken O'Keefe said. “Without the trust factor, that's harder to do. The best way to get the trust, you've got to provide the example everyone is looking for - on and off the field, in the weightroom, during every little drill.

“His example has elevated our performance level a lot of times, in games and drills. Without a doubt, his example as far as his attitude is concerned has really lifted us as well.”

Gerry DiNardo, Big Ten Network analyst and former FBS head coach, believes Stanzi skipped the “game manager” phase.

“To me, he's gone from a rookie quarterback to maybe one of the better quarterbacks in the conference,” DiNardo said. “I think ‘game manager' is a negative term in most cases. But even if it's not a negative term, I don't think it applies to Stanzi. He's gone from a rookie to status.

“They (Iowa coaches) made the change because they had a game manager.”

The next step now is in front of Stanzi, the leap from rookie to steely performer, weapon, game changer or whatever you want to call it.

"If there's an opportunity for me ... everyone wants to be a ‘game changer,'” said Stanzi, who has bulked up from 210 to 230. “You always want to go out there and make big plays. That's why you're out there.”

The timing is set up perfectly. Jewel Hampton, Iowa's top running back, is slowed by a July knee injury. The passing game will have to pick up the slack, and it should be able to do that. Tight end Tony Moeaki is healthy and Iowa's wide receiving corps is deep.

And, of course, there's Stanzi.

“I think right now, he's a lot more comfortable, a lot more confident, and rightfully so,” Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said. “Ricky should be a prominent guy in this equation.”

Iowa quarterbacks at a glance

Iowa quarterbacks at a glance

Starter: Ricky Stanzi, Jr, 6-4, 230 (150 of 254 for 1,956 yards, 14 TDs, 9 interceptions)

In the mix: James Vandenberg, red-shirt fr., 6-3, 205, John Wienke, red-shirt fr., 6-5, 220

In the know: Stanzi engaged in a heated battle for the top spot with Jake Christensen last season. Stanzi entered the race as a skinny sophomore whose only completion his freshman year was to a Syracuse defensive back. Plus, Stanzi injured a shoulder going into fall camp and didn't practice for the first two weeks. Still, by the start of the Big Ten Conference season, Stanzi clearly won the job. It'd be easy to put the “game manager” sticker on Stanzi with All-America RB Shonn Greene in the backfield, but that doesn't tell the whole story. Iowa's offense worked off the setup of Greene and, suddenly, its play-action passing attack had teeth again. Stanzi threw better on the run than Christensen and that, as much as anything else, won him the job.

Bowling if ... Well, if Stanzi stays healthy. This isn't a knock on Vandenberg and Wienke. Their resumes don't come with ink at this point. During camp, Vandenberg seemed to emerge as the No. 2. The Keokuk native has an accurate arm and a good sense of Iowa's offense. Wienke has a big ar, but seems to be behind on footwork.

- Marc Morehouse