Iowa starting left tackle Brandon Scherff is out for a few weeks. (Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)
Iowa left tackle Brandon Scherff underwent knee surgery Tuesday in Iowa City, Iowa, and is expected to miss two to three weeks, according to multiple reports.
The Hawkeyes received more bad news when it was learned that defensive end Drew Ott, who was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Ball State last Saturday, was injured in a scooter accident on Monday.
Scherff, a 6-foot-5, 320-pound preseason All-American, was listed on Iowa’s two-deep this week for Saturday’s game against Iowa State.
He was injured Saturday duirng the Hawkeyes’ 17-13 victory over Ball State when he tried to chase down Cardinals defensive tackle Blake Dueitt, who returned a fumble 35 yards for a touchdown. Scherff’s knee locked up at the end of the play when he tackled Dueitt.
The procedure was believed to be a meniscus repair and not for a ligament injury. Scherff missed two series during the game and returned to play the rest of the way against the Cardinals. He said afterward that the knee felt OK.
“I stood up and my knee locked up,” Scherff said. “I didn’t know what happened. I didn’t want to stress anything, so I sat back down. I’m all right, it’s good.”
Redshirt freshman Ike Boettger replaced Scherff last week and is expected to fill in until the veteran returns.
Scherff bypassed a chance to enter the NFL Draft after last season to return for his senior year at Iowa.
Ott was involved in an accident Monday morning in Iowa City when his scooter was hit by a car making a left turn. The extent of the injuries were unknown, but the police report indicated they were not life-threatening but that Ott was “down” at the scene.
Ott had a career-high 13 tackles against Ball State that included 2 1/2 tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble that sealed the Hawkeyes’ 17-13 victory.
