PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB Nate Stanley was horrible last week against Penn State. That sounds harsh, but it’s reality. The junior completed just 18-of-49 passes for 205 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. He threw an inexplicable interception late in the fourth quarter on an apparent miscommunication at the Penn State three-yard line when Iowa was in position for the go-ahead touchdown. He badly overthrew wide-open TE T.J. Hockenson in the second quarter on a beautifully executed third-down play, costing Iowa a certain touchdown and a 21-7 lead. His 16 touchdown passes rank second in the Big Ten, but his decision-making is suspect, particularly when he faces an intense pass rush. And now he’s dealing with an injured thumb on his throwing hand. If he plays Saturday at Purdue, he’ll need to rebound from the Penn State disaster for Iowa to have any chance of winning.
–TE Noah Fant is arguably Iowa’s most talented player and best NFL prospect, but he was under-utilized in last week’s loss at Penn State. Iowa QB Nate Stanley never threw a pass in Fant’s direction until the third quarter, and that one sailed far over his head. Fant didn’t have a reception until the fourth quarter. And in the first quarter, he wasn’t on the field for all three snaps when Iowa had a first-and-goal. In the fourth quarter, Stanley finally targeted Fant and he finished with five catches for 56 yards. But by that time the Hawkeyes weren’t able to come back. “Obviously, I would like to be involved all the time, but that’s not really in my control,” Fant said. “I can control if I catch the ball. I can control what I do with the ball when I catch it.”
–S Geno Stone was passed over by his home-state team, but the Pennsylvania native showed Penn State last week that he can play. The sophomore accounted for one of Iowa’s touchdowns with a 24-yard interception return. Stone leads the Hawkeyes with three interceptions. He has now made four career starts after being one of 10 true freshmen to see action for Iowa last year. Iowa has dealt with injury issues in the secondary and Stone has stepped up to help fill the void. Stone and Iowa’s defensive backs will likely play a key role in Saturday’s game against Purdue, which has a high-octane offense.
–WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette continues to be one of a select few players who can make dynamic plays for Iowa. The sophomore ran back a kickoff 49 yards last week at Penn State immediately after a Nittany Lions touchdown. The return set up a 49-yard field goal by Miguel Recinos that gave the Hawkeyes a 17-14 lead. Smith-Marsette ranks second in FBS with a 33.7-yard average on kickoff returns. As a receiver, Smith-Marsette had his best game against Minnesota with three receptions for 78 yards, including Iowa’s longest touchdown pass play (60 yards) of the season.
SERIES HISTORY: Purdue leads Iowa 47-38-3. The Boilermakers ended Iowa’s four-game winning streak in the series last year. The Hawkeyes have won their last four games in West Lafayette, Ind., last losing there in 2007. Iowa’s record in games played at Purdue is 17-27-1.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “Every week, you see a handful of scores like, ‘How’d that happen?’ So the experts aren’t always right. So really the best way to do anything is to try to take things a step at a time, as mundane as that sounds.” — Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz on looking too far ahead.