Kirk Ferentz enjoying how Iowa’s ground attack is gaining traction
Iowa running back Leshon Williams (4) carries the ball during the second quarter against Purdue Saturday October 7, 2023 at Kinnick Stadium. (Lynn Harrington/stayaliveinpower5)
IOWA CITY, Ia. — Although the Hawkeyes are dead last in the Big Ten in total offense, their backfield is starting to make strides.
The running back room has already faced adversity, and suffered through a slew of injuries this season. Now the cream is starting to rise to the top, and Coach Kirk Ferentz feels the improvement couldn’t be happening at a better time, as the Hawkeyes navigate through the Big Ten meat grinder.
“I think we’ve seen improvement, all of us have, the last four or five weeks, I guess, whenever we started the second four-game deal,” Ferentz said. “It shows up in different ways, but we’re getting a little bit more mature, now we’re operating a little bit better together and having a better feel.”
Ferentz is amazed how his running backs have embraced that next man up mentality. Different defenses require certain types of rushers, and the Hawkeyes have versatility. Leshon Williams, Kaleb Johnson and Jazuin Patterson have all had their moments this fall. Williams leads the team in carries and yards on the ground. Not to mention Williams eclipsed the century mark in rushing yards in victories over Western Michigan and Wisconsin.
Johnson has battled injuries, which forced him to miss three games. However, Johnson continues to make an impact whenever he’s in the lineup, and rushed for a season-high, 134 yards in the win over Purdue. Patterson has also been injured, but he led Iowa in rushing yards at Iowa State.
The Hawkeyes’ rushing attack is trending up over the last two games. Iowa rushed for 181 yards against Purdue, and 200 against Wisconsin. Ferentz is the longest-tenured coach in the FBS, so he knows the type of physicality it takes to move the ball in the Big Ten. Which is why he’s proud to see everything coming to fruition with the ground attack.
“Certainly the run game was huge for us the other night, and we’ll be a better football team if we can run the ball successfully,” he said. “It’s never easy, but it certainly helps you.”
The big boys up front are instrumental in the surge in Iowa’s rushing offense. Everything starts with the offensive line, and the Hawkeyes are starting to maul defenders at the point of attack. Ferentz noticed there were a couple of gaping holes against the Boilermakers and the Badgers.
“Hopefully guys are gaining confidence, when good things do happen they should feel a little bit more confident,” the 68-year old coach said. “The backs, especially Leshon, really ran the ball well and we created some room for him, and he did something with it.”
Running backs are the most trusted individuals on offense, because they have to carry the ball most of the time. That means fumbling is not an option, blocking is vital and they have always keep their legs moving forward. Johnson is the bruiser, while Williams is the slasher, but together they provide a nice change of pace for Iowa in the backfield.
Having an effective rushing attack, opens up the play-action pass, and controls time of possession. Ferentz just wants his running backs to take advantage of their carries and give a great effort. By doing that, he’s confident Iowa’s ground game will continue to improve through the course of the season.
“That’s the way the run game is and you’ve got to make something happen.”
