Twenty-six plays, 142 yards, 15:03 elapsed, and two touchdowns.
And with that, No. 9 Iowa knocked out Iowa State with two punishingly methodical game-opening drives.
Head coach Kirk Ferentz tried to remember the last time one of his teams started in such dominating fashion. He guessed 2002, but he settled on, “It has been a long time since we’ve done something like that.”
Offensive starts such as that don’t come around often, and neither does the type of offensive performance the Hawkeyes posted Sept. 11. Ken O’Keefe’s unit gained 479 total yards against Iowa State, the highest number since Iowa had a 480-yard output last season against Indiana.
“There were glimpses last year, but I don’t think we’ve ever put together a full [game] like we did [Sept. 11],” said running back Adam Robinson, who rushed for a career-high 156 yards against the Cyclones.
And seemingly everyone got involved in the action.
Quarterback Ricky Stanzi completed two passes of more than 50 yards — one to tight end Allen Reisner and the other to wide receiver Marvin McNutt. Robinson had runs of 75 and 39 yards. Wide receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos caught a team-high six passes for 65 yards.
Perhaps most striking, the Hawkeye offense averaged nearly seven yards per play.
The domination was so widespread that a reporter asked Ferentz after the game if he had any sympathy for Iowa State. The head coach responded, “I don’t think we’re in the sympathy business. … We’ll do the same thing [Iowa State is] going to do: Get up tomorrow and start working to the next one.”
The next one comes on Saturday at No. 24 Arizona. A 1,500-mile trip and 9:30 p.m. (CDT) kickoff await the Hawkeyes. It will be Iowa’s first trip that far West since losing, 44-7, at Arizona State in 2004.
The Wildcats boast one of the best defenses in the country. Having not allowed a touchdown all year, Mike Stoops’ squad ranks No. 3 in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total defense. For comparison’s sake, Iowa — which has allowed 14 points all year and held Iowa State to 275 total yards — is No. 9 in total defense.
The Hawkeyes’ offensive line, which manhandled Iowa State’s front seven, will face an Arizona defensive line that features three seniors. Center James Ferentz, right guard Nolan MacMillan, and right tackle Markus Zusevics will all make the first road starts of their careers.
But much like against the Cyclones, Ferentz will have both Robinson and fellow running back Jewel Hampton to rely on. Switching off series, the duo racked up 240 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the Cy-Hawk game.
Still, despite all the positives to glean from the Sept. 11 offensive clinic, Ferentz is content to take a much more subdued approach.
“It’s only two games,” he said in his postgame press conference. “We’re 2-0. That’s all it means. At least it’s a good start, a positive start.”