Iowa football #MusterOneUp Mailbag: Win pig, eat pig

IOWA CITY — The Hawkeyes were so pig last weekend.

First, they claimed the Floyd of Rosedale trophy with their 17-10 victory over Minnesota. Of course you know, Floyd is a 98-pound bronze pig statue. It's the Hawkeyes' third consecutive year with Floyd, who has absolutely no caloric value.

To the victors go the spoils.

When the Hawkeyes walked into the dining area in the Hansen Performance Center on Sunday evening, a roasted hog was on the table. The hog was courtesy of Graze, an Iowa City restaurant owned by Peter Harman.

The Hawkeyes are big fans of Peter's work.

'He's kind of crazy and goes all out,' quarterback Nate Stanley said. 'He had a whole hog in here for us. It was pretty good.'

This was the second year Graze served up hog after the Floyd victory.

'The food that he brings is always really good,' Stanley said. 'He loves the Hawkeyes and we're definitely thankful for him.'

Stanley said the Hawkeyes weren't surprised to see a pig. Harman and Graze keep things interesting.

'Everybody knows that he's kind of nuts like that,' Stanley said. 'I think he likes it that way. Maybe some people were surprised, but I wasn't too surprised by it.'

One time, presumably when Iowa faced the Florida Gators in last year's Outback Bowl, Harman served up, you guessed it.

'Graze always has some creative ideas,' linebacker Ben Niemann said. 'I think they brought in shark or something before. Or maybe it was gator. I don't know what it was, but it's something different all the time.'

Senior defensive tackle Nathan Bazata grew up on a pig farm in Howells, Neb. He approved.

'It was pretty sweet.'

It's 'Muster One Up' mailbag No. 7. I'm always looking for contributions on Twitter, Facebook or email. Questions, comments, over/unders, please use the #MusterOneUp hashtag on Twitter.

October 30, 2017

@marcmorehouse who's the bigger surprise this season Josh Jackson or Nate Stanley? #MusterOneUp

— Austin Hames (@azhawk911)

I'm going to go with Stanley.

1) He's brand-spanking new. Pretty much. At the beginning of the year, he was a new car with 5,000 miles on it and the owner just wanted a different shade of candy-apple red. It was just nine passes last season. I've thought of this as his first season.

2) Quarterback is the toughest position on the field and maybe in sports. You have to be smart, physical, articulate, poised and you must to project. You can't go into a huddle and mumble.

'He's going to be something special,' running back Akrum Wadley said. 'We don't shy away from Stanley. We don't get down on him. I never try to criticize anyone else at a different position, especially at quarterback. I know how hard it is to be a running back. I'm worried about this guy or this guy blitzing, but he's worried about everything.

'He's like a point guard if we were playing basketball. He's like a floor general. There's too much on his plate, but I know he's young, he's going to get it together and he has a cannon.'

I really did think Josh Jackson was going to be a good player. I was kind of shocked last year when Manny Rugamba got him for nickel corner. Obviously, Jackson filed that away, put some more tools in his tool box and came back an improved player this year.

In December/January, it'll be interesting what he hears from the NFL draft advisory people. Remember, there are only three grades they give: First round, second round and stay in school. Jackson, a fourth-year junior, will get an accurate read and might have an interesting decision to make.

October 31, 2017

#MusterOneUp Is Wadley a bit too quick in his cutbacks on OZ? Would he benefit from pressing the hole to the sideline more often?

— Caleb Hunter (@chunter11)

The last couple of weeks, defenses have done a good job at 'spilling' Wadley where they want him to run. Against Northwestern, the Wildcats sold out to seal the outside, forcing Wadley into the middle where all the traffic is.

Minnesota also tried that. The Gophers also knocked the air out of him a few times. I think he was kind of dinged. Ed Podolak, analyst for Iowa radio broadcasts, picked up on that. Wadley didn't hit holes as fast and didn't see things the way he usually does.

Outside zone is killer for Iowa when it works (see Michigan last season). Timing has been off in the running game all season. I wonder how much first-year tackles effect the OZ?

How Iowa plans to use Wadley this week is major. He's the best weapon. He'll be the one Ohio State knows.

We know Ohio State is great on the O/D Lines which could be a big issue. How do we slow them down on D and keep up on O? October 31, 2017

We know Ohio State is great on the O/D Lines which could be a big issue. How do we slow them down on D and keep up on O? #musteroneup

— Connor Blythe (@CBlythe15)

This has to be the week of excellent fakes.

Remember the two Noah Fant plays against Northwestern? He scored a TD after blocking down and peeling off in a short route. He had the drop on the same play. The point is it was an effective play born out of deception.

Outside of play-action rollouts, the Hawkeyes can run effective, subtle fakes that can catch overaggressive defenses. That was the whole key against Michigan, also No. 3 at the time, last season. The Wolverines were jet powered and the Hawkeyes hit them with plays that teased that aggression (quick-hitting outside zones).

Play with the Buckeyes' eyes. Make them think it's something it's not. Slow them down. Conflict of assignment and constricting defensive players with formations and motions would be huge for Iowa. Can it get to that?

And there has to be more fakes than the play-action rollout. Ohio State knows that one is coming. Everyone does, even when it does work (I'd love to know the percentage on that play this year, it's my sense it hasn't hit as much as Brian Ferentz would like).

Marc: October 31, 2017

Marc: #MusterOneUp

— Draugr The Season (@DouglasABarrett)

Should I worry about {expletive deleted} {expletive deleted} {expletive deleted} offensive play calling?

Thanks!

Are newspaper websites the only places on the internet where there's no swearing?

I've explained my thoughts on this up and down. I hate these situations. Anger has almost ruined my life a million times. It's like electricity. You don't see it, you don't smell it and then there it is and someone is getting a jolt.

Time and place. No one can hear that [bleep] on the field. You see it on camera. You've seen it on camera since the 1970s. In an office-like setting, which the press box is, it just brings attention you don't want.

Kirk Ferentz's public tone has been unmistakable. He projected disappointment. I have to think that's at least somewhat genuine. That's your read here. If you think this bloomed because sports writers were offended, listen to what Kirk Ferentz said. Trust me, he's not listening to us on this or really anything. (And on that, my dad and brother died 46 days apart last year. I can't take cuss words? [Expletive deleted] [Expletive deleted] [Expletive deleted]

I've already written too much on this. Some folks see fire here and they want it for this program. They need it for this program (if you don't think KF has a steel-melting level of intensity, I have to disagree). And if football coaches cussing is a deal breaker for you, why are you still watching football?

Footballs are made out of leather. Coaches cuss. How it's always going to be.

The fire doesn't have to go away. The little I know Brian, I think I'm safe in saying the fire is never going away.

October 31, 2017

#MusterOneUp Honest question: What is advantage of runs to short side? Match-ups, less room for OL to cover, element of surprise, or other?

— Josh Sandin (@RealJoshSandin)

I used to write that it was the ultimate show of power. You always hear the 'phone booth' thing for Iowa football. The boundary is the phone booth. The picture I have in my head was the OT victory over Northwestern in 2013 and Brandon Scherff leaving a trail of mangled.

That was kind of simple and stupid on my part. It might look that way, but you run to the weakside because there are fewer bodies. Most defenses align one or two extra players to the field (wide or strong).

October 31, 2017

#MusterOneUp Do the coaches look at the 2013 tape and try to utilize some 3 TE sets? Extra protection for Nate and have some mismatch opp.

— Cyril Meredith III (@Cyril_III)

R U surprised Hawks have not used 86 and 39 at TE more to help in the run game versus 87 and 38 to help frosh T?October 31, 2017

R U surprised Hawks have not used 86 and 39 at TE more to help in the run game versus 87 and 38 to help frosh T?#MusterOneUp

— David Motz (@motzDDS)

1) Maybe. And the Hawkeyes have been using more three-TE sets the last couple of weeks, with sophomore Nate Wieting seeing a handful (like five) snaps. Senior Peter Pekar also has seen a few more snaps.

Remember who those tight ends were in 2013. Ray Hamilton was a devastating blocker. That bought him some time in the NFL. C.J. Fiedorowicz was an NFL tight end as a freshman at Iowa. He caught four passes for 29 yards and a TD against the Buckeyes in 2013. Jake Duzey caught six passes for 138 yards, which included an 85-yard TD. If it weren't for two major knee injuries, Duzey would be in the NFL. George Kittle also caught a pass in that game. He's a 49er now.

Iowa's TE group doesn't have those credentials. Not yet. Fant and T.J. Hockenson have been fantastic this year. Wieting and Pekar could see more snaps, but if Iowa runs every time one of them is on the field, that's a giant tell.

I think the TE will be an element, but I don't see it being the threat that position threw at OSU in 2013.

2) They're starting to use Wieting a little more. Pekar is also seeing more snaps. I want to say this started at Michigan State. It's not been a big part of a game plan yet. Wieting and Pekar played the blocking TE role extremely well last season against Michigan. They're capable and who knows? Maybe it becomes a bigger thing soon.

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