Tuesday’s quickest slants

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz watches his team scrimmage during Iowa Kids Day at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2011. (David Scrivner/SourceMedia Group)

The deal here is quickness, brevity.

Hopefully, the spelling makes sense.

DT Carl Davis (leg), CB BJ Lowery (wrist), OL Nolan MacMillan (sports hernia), Brad Rogers (heart) all out.

Davis has a chance for next week. Lowery will likely miss four weeks with broken wrist.

Six to 9 true frosh could play, including all three freshmen.

Matt Tobin will start at RG.

Micah Hyde will return punts. KR will be Keenan and Jordan Bernstine.

Three or four true frosh could be in the core of special teams.

MLB James Morris needs to not worry about being “Station, Greenway, Hodge or one if those guys,” Ferentz said. Later, Morris said he doesn’t really feel that way and is just trying to be the best me he can be.

James Vandenberg was a state tennis qualifier at Keokuk. Wishes he would’ve been a wrestler.

Brandon Scherff was a 270-pound quarterback at Denison his junior year. He moved to OL after Iowa started recruiting him as an OL. Big kid. Great personality. He said he thinks he could be a tackle and has worked out at right and left.

Broderick Binns said he feels guilty about his junior year and is maybe the hungriest Hawkeye. I feel a lot of rage is about to come out. Mike Daniels said the same. “I can’t wait to see him play.”

The six-to-eight player rotation on the D-line is happening. Ferentz said he wants to see what everyone can do. The players said, yes, some of the guys are better against the run and some are better pass rushers. They didn’t get too specific, however.

Tuesday’s quickest slants

enatl said: On August 30, 2011
These early games get a lot of pooh-poohing as being inconsequential or boring. But the reality of the past few seasons is the opposite. Iowa’s incredible ability to block two kicks (back-to-back) v UNI foreshadowed a season of playmaking. Last year, v Eastern Illinois we saw shaky special teams foreshadow the kinds of things that ate any margin for beating Arizona, Wisconsin. Several years ago versus Montana – the OL was generally sluggish and a bit sloppy (penalties on consecutive plays, etc.) That sort of defined that season, too. I don’t think the first game is season defining – but it has been telling.
- Garth Algar said: On August 31, 2011
  Well put. I doubt the players who screw up this week and hear about during film sessions will think its inconsequential either. While it may not give us fans a lot to hang our hats on, these games are good for players to knock off the rust, or get used to the college game speed.
  - Marc Morehouse said: On August 31, 2011
    Same, or very, very similar, fake punt from Eastern Illinois to Wisconsin. Attacked the middle.
enatl said: On August 30, 2011
self-arresting correction — yes, Eastern Illinois was 2 years ago. BTW, any comparison (made or asked) about the Tennessee Tech QB vis-a-vis Joshua Cribbs when Iowa hosted his senior season team from Kent State?
- Marc Morehouse said: On August 31, 2011
  Josh Cribbs is 6-1, 215. Tre Lamb is 5-9, 185.
  I don’t think the skill set is quite the same, but I’d go with a Persa comparison.
Captain America (aka Steve Rogers) said: On August 31, 2011
Goood insight enatlanta.
Not that Iowa will lose, but I am slightly worried about the quickness that Lamb will undoubtedly display. I am very curious to see how Iowa’s linebackers look against a hurry up spread. My guess? They look quite good after they get out of the 1st qtr and get acclimated to the hurry up.
The D-line? I am guessing the extra bodies will help keep everyone fresh.
Max Power said: On August 31, 2011
With MacMillan, is this developing into a season-long injury problem? Seem to recall that he hasn’t done much during camp because of the hernia.