January 5, 2010
BCS FedEx Orange Bowl, 8pm on FOX
No. 10 Iowa Hawkeyes (10-2) vs. No. 9 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (11-2)
Georgia Tech’s playing in a BCS-level bowl game for the first time since 1966 and Iowa for the first time since the 1959 Rose Bowl. GT is one of the other teams I see out there that is overrated. This a horrible defense that almost let them down in the 49-44 win over Clemson in the ACC Championship Game. Aside from the pass rush of Derrick Morgan and Morgan Burnett patrolling the secondary, the Yellow Jackets’ defense has no other NFL potential. This secondary has been torched for big gains all year long and Iowa’s got itself a nice group of receivers with Marvin McNutt, Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, and tight end Tony Moeaki. Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi should also be back healthy for this game after undergoing surgery for a severe ankle sprain. If Stanzi does play, I look for the Georgia Tech defense to have a tough time, and they also have to worry about the running of Adam Robinson who should be healthy for Iowa.
Everyone wants to ask the question: can Iowa stop Georgia Tech’s triple-option offense?
Iowa is another great Big Ten defense. Everyone wants to talk about the defenses in the SEC, but the Big Ten defenses have proven there worth this bowl season: Wisconsin over Miami, Penn State over LSU, Ohio State over Oregon, all those games were won by the defense of the Big Ten team.
Iowa will have a challenge with the triple-option, it’s something you rarely play against and it’s extremely difficult to prepare for because you can’t simulate the speed of it in practice. With a month to prepare for this game though, I trust Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz to get the team ready, he has a reputation as one of the best game planners. We saw what LSU did to Georgia Tech last year in the 38-3 rout. LSU stuffed the option game from the very start and then jumped out to a big lead that forced Georgia Tech to abandon the triple-option and throw the ball to get back into the game which proved very ineffective.
When Tech can run its offense, the pass is very effective after lulling the defense to sleep on the option. Receiver Demaryius Thomas has four catches of 70 or more yards this year and nine catches of 50 or more yards. Iowa will have to play a couple men deep at all times and keep Thomas in front of them, not to mention they have All-American safety Tyler Sash who led the Big Ten in interceptions and has made an interception in every game I have watched him play, and I’ll be watching this one.
Josh Nesbitt and Jonathan Dwyer are the second best rushing tandem in ACC history and it all starts with Dwyer in the option on the dive play. To stop the option you have to have solid tackling in the middle of your defense to take away the dive option right away. Iowa has middle linebacker Pat Angerer who’s one of the best in the nation. Then if the option goes to the outside it’s all about assignment football and having disciplined defenders to stick to their man. You have to contain the quarterback, and also put a guy on the pitch man.
Iowa’s a run defense that allows 122 yards per game, while Georgia Tech is capable of gaining over 300, and this is a type of rushing offense Iowa hasn’t seen. It’s going to be all about discipline and preparation. Ferentz will get his team ready, but if they can’t stop the option, this game will turn into a shootout—a shootout that Iowa would win.
Prediction: Iowa 31, Georgia Tech 24
Result: Iowa 24, Georgia Tech 14
After three-and-outs on the first possession for both teams, Iowa jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, while Georgia Tech’s spread triple-option offense wasn’t having any success moving the ball against this stout, well disciplined Iowa defense. It looked as if Iowa would go on to make it 21-0 and take Georgia Tech out of their game, but an interception returned for a touchdown by Jerrard Tarrant made it a 14-7 game and allowed the Yellow Jackets to stick to their option offense, but they still couldn’t get anything going. Iowa linebacker Pat Angerer was the most instinctive player on the field covering both the inside dive plays and the runs to the perimeter. He knew where the ball was on every play and made it there to make the tackle.
There was a lot of hype surrounding Georgia Tech defensive end Derrick Morgan going against Iowa’s offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga. Bulaga won the battle tonight, aside from hurrying Ricky Stanzi on one throw and causing him to roll out for a big gain on another, Morgan was a non-factor just like TCU’s Jerry Hughes against Boise. Iowa defensive end Adrian Clayborn, who announced already he will return for his senior season rather than entering the NFL Draft, stole the spotlight from Morgan and I bet scouts were disappointed in Clayborn’s decision to stay at Iowa. Clayborn had nine tackles and two sacks by the third quarter and stuffed inside runs and chased down the outside pitches. Clayborn was right there with Josh Nesbitt all night. Georgia Tech also had a maximum of six punts in a single game all season coming into tonight, and Iowa forced them into six punts in the first half.
Georgia Tech had a promising drive to open up the second half until Scott Blair missed the field goal so Tech came up empty, but they moved the ball well. GT coach Paul Johnson made a key adjustment at halftime and that was to have two backs run out wide, one as the pitchman and the other as a lead blocker and they pitched the ball to their best back Jonathan Dwyer, and Dwyer normally has been the B-back and not taken very many pitches, but it worked on that drive until Iowa was able to adjust to that offense, Kirk Ferentz and Iowa’s staff did a great job with that defense.
Georgia Tech’s defense stepped it up after halftime too, at least in the secondary. They took away the deep throw and allowed the underneath routes, but Iowa methodically moved the ball that way, but Tech took Iowa’s best receiver Marvin McNutt out of the game and Derrell Johnson-Koulianos left the game in the first quarter with a knee injury. Iowa tight end Tony Moeaki continued to make big catches and Colin Sandeman stepped up, but the Iowa run game pounded down the Georgia Tech defense, while Iowa’s offensive line dominated the battle up front.
Georgia Tech scored its first offensive touchdown of the game with an Anthony Allen one yard run after a long drive and made a 17-14 game. It looked like the momentum went Tech’s way. Iowa was forced to punt, but credit to their special teams, they didn’t really allow Georgia Tech to start with good field position very many times. Tarrant for some reason field the punt at the three yard line and was lucky to get it out to the 11, but on the first play Nesbitt threw an interception, but Iowa could not capitalize with points.
Georgia Tech got the ball back again with poor field position on its own 12 and Iowa’s defense smothered Dwyer in the backfield for a loss of 11 yards and almost a safety. Tech went three-and-out and on the next Iowa possession, the freshman Brandon Wegher broke loose for a 32 yard touchdown run that made it a two possession game with 1:56 to go. It forced Georgia Tech to abandon the run and try to throw the ball downfield and Iowa was ready, and forced a turnover on downs to end the game.
So many people wanted to criticize me for putting so much stock into Iowa’s defense. Everyone told me I was not smart to think that Iowa could stop Tech’s triple-option. Well, it happened.
My Player of the Game: Adrian Clayborn, Iowa Defensive End
Honorable Mention: Pat Angerer, Iowa Linebacker
No. 10 Iowa Hawkeyes (10-2) vs. No. 9 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (11-2)
Georgia Tech’s playing in a BCS-level bowl game for the first time since 1966 and Iowa for the first time since the 1959 Rose Bowl. GT is one of the other teams I see out there that is overrated. This a horrible defense that almost let them down in the 49-44 win over Clemson in the ACC Championship Game. Aside from the pass rush of Derrick Morgan and Morgan Burnett patrolling the secondary, the Yellow Jackets’ defense has no other NFL potential. This secondary has been torched for big gains all year long and Iowa’s got itself a nice group of receivers with Marvin McNutt, Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, and tight end Tony Moeaki. Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi should also be back healthy for this game after undergoing surgery for a severe ankle sprain. If Stanzi does play, I look for the Georgia Tech defense to have a tough time, and they also have to worry about the running of Adam Robinson who should be healthy for Iowa.
Everyone wants to ask the question: can Iowa stop Georgia Tech’s triple-option offense?
Iowa is another great Big Ten defense. Everyone wants to talk about the defenses in the SEC, but the Big Ten defenses have proven there worth this bowl season: Wisconsin over Miami, Penn State over LSU, Ohio State over Oregon, all those games were won by the defense of the Big Ten team.
Iowa will have a challenge with the triple-option, it’s something you rarely play against and it’s extremely difficult to prepare for because you can’t simulate the speed of it in practice. With a month to prepare for this game though, I trust Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz to get the team ready, he has a reputation as one of the best game planners. We saw what LSU did to Georgia Tech last year in the 38-3 rout. LSU stuffed the option game from the very start and then jumped out to a big lead that forced Georgia Tech to abandon the triple-option and throw the ball to get back into the game which proved very ineffective.
When Tech can run its offense, the pass is very effective after lulling the defense to sleep on the option. Receiver Demaryius Thomas has four catches of 70 or more yards this year and nine catches of 50 or more yards. Iowa will have to play a couple men deep at all times and keep Thomas in front of them, not to mention they have All-American safety Tyler Sash who led the Big Ten in interceptions and has made an interception in every game I have watched him play, and I’ll be watching this one.
Josh Nesbitt and Jonathan Dwyer are the second best rushing tandem in ACC history and it all starts with Dwyer in the option on the dive play. To stop the option you have to have solid tackling in the middle of your defense to take away the dive option right away. Iowa has middle linebacker Pat Angerer who’s one of the best in the nation. Then if the option goes to the outside it’s all about assignment football and having disciplined defenders to stick to their man. You have to contain the quarterback, and also put a guy on the pitch man.
Iowa’s a run defense that allows 122 yards per game, while Georgia Tech is capable of gaining over 300, and this is a type of rushing offense Iowa hasn’t seen. It’s going to be all about discipline and preparation. Ferentz will get his team ready, but if they can’t stop the option, this game will turn into a shootout—a shootout that Iowa would win.
Prediction: Iowa 31, Georgia Tech 24
Result: Iowa 24, Georgia Tech 14
After three-and-outs on the first possession for both teams, Iowa jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, while Georgia Tech’s spread triple-option offense wasn’t having any success moving the ball against this stout, well disciplined Iowa defense. It looked as if Iowa would go on to make it 21-0 and take Georgia Tech out of their game, but an interception returned for a touchdown by Jerrard Tarrant made it a 14-7 game and allowed the Yellow Jackets to stick to their option offense, but they still couldn’t get anything going. Iowa linebacker Pat Angerer was the most instinctive player on the field covering both the inside dive plays and the runs to the perimeter. He knew where the ball was on every play and made it there to make the tackle.
There was a lot of hype surrounding Georgia Tech defensive end Derrick Morgan going against Iowa’s offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga. Bulaga won the battle tonight, aside from hurrying Ricky Stanzi on one throw and causing him to roll out for a big gain on another, Morgan was a non-factor just like TCU’s Jerry Hughes against Boise. Iowa defensive end Adrian Clayborn, who announced already he will return for his senior season rather than entering the NFL Draft, stole the spotlight from Morgan and I bet scouts were disappointed in Clayborn’s decision to stay at Iowa. Clayborn had nine tackles and two sacks by the third quarter and stuffed inside runs and chased down the outside pitches. Clayborn was right there with Josh Nesbitt all night. Georgia Tech also had a maximum of six punts in a single game all season coming into tonight, and Iowa forced them into six punts in the first half.
Georgia Tech had a promising drive to open up the second half until Scott Blair missed the field goal so Tech came up empty, but they moved the ball well. GT coach Paul Johnson made a key adjustment at halftime and that was to have two backs run out wide, one as the pitchman and the other as a lead blocker and they pitched the ball to their best back Jonathan Dwyer, and Dwyer normally has been the B-back and not taken very many pitches, but it worked on that drive until Iowa was able to adjust to that offense, Kirk Ferentz and Iowa’s staff did a great job with that defense.
Georgia Tech’s defense stepped it up after halftime too, at least in the secondary. They took away the deep throw and allowed the underneath routes, but Iowa methodically moved the ball that way, but Tech took Iowa’s best receiver Marvin McNutt out of the game and Derrell Johnson-Koulianos left the game in the first quarter with a knee injury. Iowa tight end Tony Moeaki continued to make big catches and Colin Sandeman stepped up, but the Iowa run game pounded down the Georgia Tech defense, while Iowa’s offensive line dominated the battle up front.
Georgia Tech scored its first offensive touchdown of the game with an Anthony Allen one yard run after a long drive and made a 17-14 game. It looked like the momentum went Tech’s way. Iowa was forced to punt, but credit to their special teams, they didn’t really allow Georgia Tech to start with good field position very many times. Tarrant for some reason field the punt at the three yard line and was lucky to get it out to the 11, but on the first play Nesbitt threw an interception, but Iowa could not capitalize with points.
Georgia Tech got the ball back again with poor field position on its own 12 and Iowa’s defense smothered Dwyer in the backfield for a loss of 11 yards and almost a safety. Tech went three-and-out and on the next Iowa possession, the freshman Brandon Wegher broke loose for a 32 yard touchdown run that made it a two possession game with 1:56 to go. It forced Georgia Tech to abandon the run and try to throw the ball downfield and Iowa was ready, and forced a turnover on downs to end the game.
So many people wanted to criticize me for putting so much stock into Iowa’s defense. Everyone told me I was not smart to think that Iowa could stop Tech’s triple-option. Well, it happened.
My Player of the Game: Adrian Clayborn, Iowa Defensive End
Honorable Mention: Pat Angerer, Iowa Linebacker
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