The Out-Of-Towner: Hawkeye Outback Ass-Kickin!
Everything yesterday went completely according to script. My version of it anyway. Our boys played a great game, as was expected. Spurrier's South Carolina squad was completely outmatched in all aspects of the game. It was a good way to finish one of the most memorable seasons I have ever witnessed. It may even be enough to vault the team to a top 25 finish for the season. Today is a good day to be a die-hard Hawkeye fan.
Yesterday's ass kicking started out with the Hawkeyes marching right down the field with such a balanced ground and air attack that it looked like the boys wouldn't even break a sweat all afternoon. It quickly spiraled out of control with four SC turnovers and a commanding 21-0 lead in the first half. The second half didn't fair much better for the GameChickens either. Another turnover and 10 pity-points later, the game was wrapped up with a 31-10 Outback bowl stomping by the Hawks.
Shonn Greene finished his last game as a Hawkeye with 121 yards rushing and another 3 TDs to finish the year with a school record 1,850 yards rushing and 20 TDs. That peformance capped off his 13th straight 100+ yard performance of the season and also gained him the Outback Bowl MVP honors. That trophy will probably look pretty nice next to his Big 10 MVP trophy and the Doak Walker Award trophy for the nation's rushing leader. On a sad note though, Greene did announce his intention to enter the NFL Draft this year. He is projected to go somewhere between the 20th pick and sometime late in the second round. But although we'll miss him next year, he really can't be blamed for opting out of his senior season at Iowa. The timing is right for us to watch number 23 on Sundays. Good luck Shonn!
The rest of the offense had a productive day as well. The offensive line dominated the entire game and Ricky Stanzi threw an efficient 13-19 for 147 yards, 1 TD (Stross), and 2 picks.
Iowa's Defense once again made people stand up and take notice. The Hawkeyes added four more interceptions to lead the nation in that statistic, 2 of which were by Tyler Sash, which ties an Outback Bowl record. 43 total rushing yards given up on only 14 carries by SC also set new Outback Bowl records.
So now its time to say goodbye to our senior class of football heroes. All 16 seniors on the roster, including notables Mitch King, Brandon Myers and Matt Kroul(new record 50 straigt starts), will be sorely missed. Thank you guys for all you have done for Hawkeye football these past years.
While we do have to say goodbye to these players, one person we shouldn't have to is head coach Kirk Ferentz. With rumors flying about the Cleveland Browns calling, it's time for our athletic department to step up to the plate and make a serious offer to keep Ferentz in Iowa for a long, long time. Nobody can deny the effectiveness and consistency that Kirk provides, so why not show the man how much he means to the University of Iowa and all of us football fanatics?!
So that's that. The season is over. I hope you all have enjoyed it every bit as much as I have. Now it's time to start looking to next year. It looks like next year's freshman class could be one of the most talented in many years. And of the 127 players on this year's roster, only 16 were seniors. Aside from a few very good players leaving, the core of the Iowa Hawkeyes football team remains. I don't think I am alone in predicting a preseason top 25 ranking and a Big Ten Championship next year. I can hardly wait!
Stay tuned for more posts in the upcoming weeks. Questions, comments, or insults can be sent to pixley@iowahawkeyes.net.
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