During what wound up as a frustrating 12-10 loss to Minnesota last week, the Iowa Hawkeyes did see some good news.
Iowa (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) returned one of its top running backs from injury. Redshirt freshman Jaziun Patterson didn’t see a ton of action, but he was back and carried the football three times.
That’s great news for an offense that’s looking for a spark. The 5-foot-10, 204 pound back out of Pompano Beach, Fla., forms a nice three-headed monster in the backfield alongside junior Leshon Williams and sophomore Kaleb Johnson.
Hawkeye fans hadn’t seen Patterson in the backfield since he rushed six times for 20 yards against Western Michigan all the way back on Sept. 16. Patterson had been dealing with a foot injury.
As he met with reporters during Iowa’s bye week, Patterson was in good spirits and says he feels great.
“I’m doing good physically. Like, I got a little stinger right now, but it’s not nothing to worry about really. I just take Aleve and I’m on my feet. But, my foot, as far as my foot, my foot is great,” Patterson said.
During the Western Michigan game, Patterson lost his cleat on a run to the right side. The Sunshine State product said his foot got twisted up by some linebackers.
“I didn’t feel it at first until I went on the sideline. And then, I stopped running, like my adrenaline stopped rushing, that’s when I really felt it. Then, after that weather delay, it was just like I can’t feel my foot. Like, I’m trying to work on it, can’t feel it. That’s what it was,” Patterson said.
But, he’s back now and ready to continue showcasing a running style that Hawkeye fans are already growing very fond of.
Jaziun Patterson seems to really embrace contact, employing a punishing running style that fits right in with the black and gold’s preferred offensive approach.
“All my life. Ever since I was young. I think that’s what stands out about me. All my life, I’ve always been running the ball hard. You can even go back to high school, like little league. I’ve got little league highlights on YouTube. Always run the ball hard, always run with a purpose, so I feel like that’s my identity and that’s what I want to get better at every time. I’m trying to put a guy’s face in the dirt. I’m just trying to run through people, make them feel me every time,” Patterson said of his running style.
Patterson really showcased his talents earlier this season during a breakout performance against Iowa State, carrying 10 times for 86 yards. Patterson registered his first career touchdown in that contest against the Cyclones, ripping off a big 59-yard run to set up Iowa’s first score and then reaching pay dirt with a 4-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
It will be great to continue to watch Patterson progress now that he’s back to feeling healthy.
As far as the team is concerned, Patterson says the mood of the Hawkeyes is good despite a tough rivalry loss.
“I mean, the energy’s been great. We got a 24-hour rule, so when the 24 hour’s up, next man, next team. We just focus on the next team before we go into the next game, because we can’t just sit around contemplating about the last game. We know it’s a long season, so we can’t worry about what happened. It’s unfortunate, but we always focus on the next game. That’s the 24-hour rule,” Patterson said.
Iowa gets this week to rest up a bit before returning to action for the stretch run beginning on Saturday, Nov. 4 versus Northwestern (3-4, 1-3 Big Ten) from Wrigley Field in Chicago.
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