The Pylons — Indiana

Posted on Oct 30, 2009 by Marc Morehouse.

A final look at Iowa-Indiana (11 a.m. ESPN). (Different format this week, just a few quick slants on what you might see.)

1. Norm in the box — According to HawkeyeInsider, Iowa defensive coordinator Norm Parker will coach from the pressbox today because of an illness. No report on the illness, but apparently Iowa’s veteran coach is well enough to do that. Parker coached from the pressbox for much of 2004, when he struggled with complications due to diabetes. This offseason, he lost another toe after an infection. This sounds like a one-week shot.

On media day, Parker joked about his latest toe (he’s down to eight now): 

“I lost a toe when I was on vacation,” Parker said. “I had a blister on my foot. One day it rained bad and water filled my fishing boat. I went out to bail the water out, the blister got infected and all of a sudden it was bye, bye toe.”

“The other coaches keep reminding me the year that happened (2004) and they cut off the other toe, we won a Big Ten championship,” Parker said. “If that’s the case again, I guess I can live with it.”

2. Redshirt blues — Coach Kirk Ferentz said all available running backs are in the mix for playing time with freshman Adam Robinson out after a high-ankle sprain at Michigan State. Now, he didn’t say true freshmen Brad Rogers and Josh Brown would play. Rogers did dress and make the trip to Michigan State, but he’s still on track to redshirt and it may still play out that way. Everyone might be in the mix, but Ferentz also said he’d like to keep Rogers and Brown redshirted.

I’m guessing that’d be the way it goes. True freshman Brandon Wegher will remain the featured back. Junior Paki O’Meara will get some carries. Fullback Brett Morse might see more duty. Iowa has maintained excellent run-pass balance (290 runs to 244 passes), but it’s also built to tilt the other way. QB Ricky Stanzi is coming off a signature victory. Tight End Tony Moeaki and wide receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos are among the Hawkeyes’ best players.

Iowa might need to have them dressed just in case, but the need for Rogers or Brown isn’t urgent. One more injury, then, yeah, no question about it.

3. Sandeman out — Wide receiver Colin Sandeman is out tomorrow, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz told the Johnson County I-Club breakfast group.  

Sandeman’s injury was a pretty good source of debate on this blog this week. It was a brutal scene, when, after a shot to the head from MSU’s Jeremy Ware, Sandeman froze stiff on the turf. This will take time, maybe as much as three weeks.

Sandeman has been a terrific punt returner for the Hawkeyes, second in the Big Ten at 10.6 a return.

Ferentz said this week defensive backs Tyler Sash and Amari Spievey would be in the mix, but don’t be surprised if true freshman Keenan Davis gets the call.

On kick return, it’ll likely be DJK and Davis.

4. Redemption song — The last time IU’s pair of D-ends were in Kinnick it was a rather long and embarrassing day for Iowa’s O-line. The Hoosiers racked up nine sacks, with six of those coming from Jammie Kirlew (3.5) and Greg Middleton (2.5).

Two Hawkeyes O-linemen from ‘07 played that day, center Rafael Eubanks and right tackle Kyle Calloway.

This really isn’t so much the redemption game for Iowa’s O-line but more of a rubber match. Last season in Bloomington, the Hawkeyes rushed for 227 yards, one of six 200-yard performances the Hawkeyes pumped out of Shonn Greene and last year’s O-line.

So, it’s a rubber match. Kirlew and Middleton won game one. The Iowa O-line won last year. The Hawkeyes rushed for 138 yards last week, their best total in the last three weeks.

Huh? — If the Hawkeyes win Saturday, they will have gone a full calendar year without losing a football game. Iowa’s last loss — 12 games ago — was 27-24 at Illinois last Nov. 1, 2008.