Iowa Football Depth Chart Monday

IOWA CITY — You're totally intrigued by Manny Rugamba and you should be.

The true freshman cornerback made his first career start for the Hawkeyes in last week's 14-13 upset over No. 3 Michigan. He finished with an interception, career-high four tackles and broke up three passes, including getting a hand in on a pass to Michigan wide receiver Amara Darboh on the Wolverines' third-and-8 from Michigan's 18. This gave Iowa the ball back with 1:23 left and eventually led to Keith Duncan's game-winning field goal as time expired.

'Manny played fantastic today and that's what we expected out of him,' senior cornerback Desmond King. 'We have great expectations for every player on our team and he was the next one in. He knew what he had to do today. He came up and defended the run and he did his job.'

Rugamba, a 6-0, 172-pounder from Naperville, Ill., replaced senior cornerback Greg Mabin, who suffered a leg injury in practice last week, and made his first career start. Rugamba's performance earned him co-Big Ten freshman of the week.

Mabin wasn't listed on the depth chart Iowa released Monday, so it looks like another start for Rugamba when the Hawkeyes (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten) travel to Illinois (3-7, 2-5) this weekend.

Michigan went at Rugamba. He was targeted 10 times and only allowed three receptions.

'How many plays did that guy make tonight?' sophomore free safety Brandon Snyder said. 'The dude just finds a way to find the ball. You can't teach that. Just to be able to step in and do that was huge.'

Two plays into the game, junior strong safety Miles Taylor was knocked out of the game with an apparent concussion. The Iowa radio broadcast reported that Taylor went to the locker room twice and went through concussion protocol.

Senior Anthony Gair replaced Taylor and was listed No. 1 on Monday. Michigan also went after Gair, hitting on two of four targets for 41 yards, but Gair was a positive against the run, with seven tackles and a half tackle for loss.

'We didn't miss a beat. I'm proud as heck of that guy,' Snyder said. 'He's a senior on our team. He's not always an outspoken leader, but he leads by example and is always doing stuff the right way. He got a shot. Obviously, Miles is great and we'd love to have him, but to step in like that. He's got so many calls he's got to make and get guys in the right position, I can't speak enough how big that was for us, to come in in a game like this.'

Tight end George Kittle and offensive tackle Cole Croston also missed the Michigan game. They were on the field in immobilizers on what looked to be ankle injuries. Croston also was on crutches. Neither was listed on the depth chart.

Iowa's offensive line Monday was listed from left to right as tackle Boone Myers, guard Keegan Render, center James Daniels, guard Sean Welsh and tackle Ike Boettger. Boettger missed the final seven snaps of the game with what looked like an ankle injury. He was listed Monday and so has a good chance to make it back this weekend.

Junior Peter Pekar and freshman Nate Wieting were listed as co-starters. Iowa ran a ton of two-tight end sets against Michigan, with Pekar and Wieting logging a combined 85 snaps.

It looks like sophomore Adrian Falconer has passed fellow sophomore Jay Scheel on the depth chart. Falconer was listed ahead of Scheel on Monday at the 'B' outside receiver position. Falconer played 18 snaps and was targeted once against Michigan. Scheel played six snaps.

TV time

Saturday's game at Illinois is an 11 a.m. kickoff and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.

The time for Iowa's season finale on Black Friday against Nebraska still is up in the air. The Big Ten used its six-day window. Kickoff for the game at Kinnick Stadium won't be announced until Saturday night at the earliest.

Let's check some Pro Football Focus grades

Go to Pro Football Focus and totally dig into that site. Learn about football. Get smarter. Win arguments. That's the whole point of what they do and what I try to do (sometimes not as great as others).

PFF did an individual post on grades for Iowa-Michigan. Check that here.

Iowa's run blockers ranked by PFF (starting O-line, fullbacks and TE)

1. C James Daniels

2. TE Nate Wieting

3. TE Pete Pekar

4. OT Ike Boettger

5. FB Drake Kulick

For the second straight week, Daniels, a true sophomore, is Iowa's top run blocker. He was Iowa's only positive grade at +3.2. The rest of the top five scored neutral grades. PFF had five negative grades, including T Boone Myers, G Keegan Render, G Sean Welsh, OL Levi Paulsen and FB Brady Ross. The bottom grade was minus-3.4.

Michigan's front seven is one of the best in the Big Ten.

PFF's top pass blocker this week

Boettger was Iowa's lone positive grade here at +1.1. After Penn State, there were no positive grades. Render was Iowa's lone negative grade. Michigan sacked QB C.J. Beathard twice, hit him six times and hurried him seven.

Best PFF overall grades for the offense this week

1. RB Akrum Wadley

2. C James Daniels

3. OT Ike Boettger

4. RB LeShun Daniels

5. TE Nate Wieting

Iowa's offense was pinned without Wadley. OC Greg Davis played off UM's overaggression and found a way to get Wadley out in space with screen and swing passes. Wadley had a career-high 28 touches (23 carries, five receptions) and generated 167 total yards (115 rushing, 52 receiving, including a 3-yard TD that made it 10-8 late in the first half.

Wadley, who was a +5.4 grade, had 72.6 percent of Iowa's yards. There were 63 non-Wadley yards.

James Daniels is trending up. Iowa logged four positive grades. Ranking Iowa OLs right now, it's probably Welsh and then Boettger and Daniels fighting it out. It wasn't a great offensive performance, with eight negative grades ranging from minus-1.2 with Beathard to minus-4.8 for Render.

The problem isn't solved, but that doesn't take any of the shine of beating one of the Big Ten's best defenses.

Offensive factlets

— One penalty against Iowa's offense? That's what Kirk Ferentz would call 'cleaning things up.'

— Beathard didn't complete a pass aimed 10 or more yards downfield and completed only one pass under pressure (TD pass to Wadley, playing off UM's overaggression).

— PFF counted 15 blitzes against Iowa.

— Beathard finished with 66 yards and an NFL passer rating of 45.0. And the win.

— There might've been a few cutbacks, but Iowa's most successful running lanes came behind Daniels. The Hawkeyes rushed 19 times for 108 yards on either side of Daniels.

— Wadley was targeted six times, caught five and had 64 yards after contact.

Iowa's run defenders ranked by PFF (starting D-line and linebackers)

1. (tie) DT Jaleel Johnson and OLB Ben Niemann

2. FS Brandon Snyder

3. DE Anthony Nelson

4. CB Desmond King

5. (tie) DT Faith Ekakitie and DE Parker Hesse

Did you think Niemann played an inspired game? Where might he find inspiration for a game against Michigan? Maybe the fact that the Wolverines put up a 78-0 on a defense his dad coaches? Maybe that. Niemann was the linebacker who stood out. He was back to 2015 edge-setting excellence. Oh hey, there's Jaleel. Maybe the best game of his career. These two scored +2.2.

Iowa had five positive grades and just one negative (LB Bo Bower at minus-1.5).

PFF's best against the pass

It's Niemann. He was targeted six times and allowed just two completions for 6 yards. Two negative grades for Iowa in pass coverage — Manny Rugamba (2.2) and Anthony Gair (2.5). They were the new guys and they soaked up a lot of targets. They didn't allow the big, crushing gain, however.

Best PFF overall grades for the defense this week

1. DT Jaleel Johnson

2. OLB Ben Niemann

3. FS Brandon Snyder

4. DE Parker Hesse

5. DE Anthony Nelson

Johnson clocked in with a +3.3. He also was Iowa's lone positive grade in rushing the passer, logging a sack and four QB hurries. Niemann was a +2.5. Iowa had four positive grades. Anthony Nelson edged King for the fifth spot. Five Hawkeyes had negative grades ranging from 1.2 for Josey Jewell to 2.0 for Bower.

Defensive factlets

— Iowa got to UM QB Wilton Speight with eight hurries, a hit and a sack. Speight suffered a broken collarbone on UM's last offensive play (at least it looked like it), which ended with Hesse putting a hit on him just before he threw a pass. Speight is reportedly out for the rest of the regular season.

— A week after getting attacked vs. the pass, Michigan threw once toward Snyder. It was on the goal line and he batted it into the air to save a TD.

— Bower and Jewell were targeted a total of six times and gave up four completions for just 27 yards. Lots of checkdowns and quick tackles for short gains.

— Iowa held Speight to an NFL passer rating of 37.8. Speight completed just one pass aimed more than 10 yards. All those explosive plays that killed Iowa at Penn State? Gone. Huge key in this victory. Probably the key.

— Michigan's running lanes were negatives behind left tackle and right guard.

l Comments: (319) 398-8256; marc.morehouse@thegazette.com