Tag: gavin williams

Iowa Hawkeyes have full stable of running backs, Kirk Ferentz confident in group

For the first time this season, the Iowa Hawkeyes will have their full stable of running backs healthy. Kirk Ferentz has confidence in them.

For the first time of the 2022 college football season, the Iowa Hawkeyes enter a game with their full complement of running backs. There have been some injuries and unforeseen circumstances causing the Hawkeyes to have only two, sometimes just one, of their top backs suited up.

Heading into the Week 4 matchup against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Iowa will have their top three backs ready to go. Gavin Williams, Leshon Williams, and Kaleb Johnson are ready to go and can each be expected to see time Saturday night.

“Yeah, he is. He’s full speed and doing great, and just a tough week,” Kirk Ferentz said very definitively when asked about Leshon Williams’ availability this weekend.

Gavin Williams made his presence felt last week with 57 rushing yards and 34 receiving yards. His ability in multiple facets of the offense can exploit a defense and was a weapon last weekend.

Kaleb Johnson had his coming out party last weekend running for 103 yards and two touchdowns to show off his explosiveness and natural speed. Ferentz has confidence in the young back and elaborated on it this week.

“If you earn it, you’re going to get it. He certainly has earned it. He’s done a really good job,” Ferentz said when asked if Johnson will see more opportunities.

“I think he’s earned our confidence and is earning more and more from everybody as we go, and so yeah, if you do that, you get a chance to play. That’s a good thing certainly, and it was great to see him look like he did because we’ve seen him look like that occasionally in August, and it’s good, and hopefully there’s some consistency there with him. Great young guy.”

 

As the Hawkeyes look to build on their offensive output last week, the three backs are key components to this offense churning out yards and first downs. Saturday night will be the first chance to see the trio stamp their mark on a game.

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‘My heart just dropped’: Iowa Hawkeyes frosh RB Kaleb Johnson elated after two-touchdown day

After a two-touchdown performance, Iowa frosh running back Kaleb Johnson is getting comfortable said he’s “ready to score another one.”

Iowa came into 2022 looking for a replacement for last season’s 1,000-yard rusher, Tyler Goodson. The prevailing thought was that Gavin Williams and Leshon Williams would be the Hawkeyes’ No. 1 and No. 2 running backs.

That still may be the case, but true freshman Kaleb Johnson took advantage of his opportunity on Saturday and made a statement against Nevada that he’d like some of those carries, too, please.

On just seven carries, Johnson racked up 103 rushing yards and a pair of touchdown runs of 40 and 55 yards that represent two of Iowa’s biggest plays from scrimmage all season.

“My heart just dropped. It was like my heart dropped and I just felt so relieved, so amazed and I was just ready to score another one, so it was just, it was very amazing,” Johnson said of his emotions crossing into the end zone for the first time.

As noted above, he did go ahead and score another touchdown run against the Wolf Pack. Now, he looks like a serious factor in the Hawkeyes’ backfield. It’s something the Hamilton, Ohio, native didn’t anticipate would happen this quickly.

“No. Not at all. I thought I wouldn’t be in until like the sixth game, sixth, seventh game. Probably get into a blowout game or something like that. Never thought I’d be in this early and doing this well, so it’s just a blessing,” Johnson said.

The 6-foot, 212 pound running back was quick to credit his teammates and coaching staff for his swift progression into potential stardom.

“Just my team. I mean, they helped me from day one since I got here. They just provided me and told me what to do and what not to do there, so just helped me progress and told me what to do. On the offensive side and especially on the defensive side, too, they told me, too, so just the whole team, coach (Ladell) Betts. The whole team and the coaching staff, too,” Johnson said.

While it technically went against some of camp’s unwritten rules, Hawkeye starting quarterback Spencer Petras was taken by Johnson’s approach from the first moment he saw him.

“Yeah, you know, I vividly remember our first day of camp. We were in shells, so that’s like we’re not wearing pads, and this dude was running through tackles and stuff, which is kind of like the unwritten rule of what you don’t do in shells. Just like, you know, you don’t want to get anyone hurt, but, so, yeah, I knew that was coming. He’s a really good player, especially for a freshman. Just got to keep building. You know, I’m sure there’s going to be some really good stuff on tape for him, and probably some stuff he should clean up. Sky’s the limit for him, though,” Petras said.

Johnson agreed with the assessment and said it’s all part of the preparation.

“Yeah, that’s what I do. I always run hard, finish in practice, because it leads to a game. I always practice hard, leads to a game, so I did it,” Johnson said.

Meanwhile, Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz expounded upon that point from Petras and Johnson’s play thus far.

“What Spencer described was a guy who just got here out of high school the first couple practices. He has a good attitude. He has a little energy to him that’s fun. He’s not, naive is not the right word, but it’s all new to him, so it’s kind of fresh. He has been fun to work with and he has done things. He has been in the other games, but hasn’t really looked great.

“It was good to see him run with confidence tonight and he got a little bit of daylight and knew what to do with that, that’s for sure. Coincidentally, there’s a run he made in camp that was very similar to a couple that he made tonight. That was good to see that transfer over to a game field. Hopefully that will be good for his confidence and it’s going to help us. The more the merrier from that standpoint,” Ferentz said.

Johnson admitted to just what Ferentz touched on there. It took the first several games for Johnson to begin to get comfortable and just be himself running the football.

“Yeah, a lot. My first and second game. First game, I stutter stepped. I was kind of a little bit nervous and scared a little bit, because I didn’t know. That was my first time. Second game, got in there, got a little first down. It was cool,” Johnson said when asked if there was any difference in the way he ran.

“And then, third game, this one I just turned it on and just went up from here. It was really just me getting used to the environment, getting used to the players and getting used to the other teams that we play. So, I mean, it was just up from there.”

Now, with his confidence soaring, it’s about continuing to do what he loves and continuing to do it very, very well.

“Yeah, it was very…I loved doing that, especially in front of the environment, so it was very fun putting my name out there, putting it known. I love Hawkeye football. Love it,” Johnson said.

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Report Card: Grading the Iowa Hawkeyes’ 27-0 win over the Nevada Wolf Pack

The Iowa Hawkeyes blanked Nevada, 27-0. Naturally, the best all-around performance thus far earns improved marks in this week’s report card.

Even though Mother Nature had other ideas, ultimately, nothing could stop the Iowa Hawkeyes from turning in their best start-to-finish performance of 2022. The Hawkeyes improve to 2-1 on the season and will now turn their attention to Rutgers next Saturday night from SHI Stadium at 6 p.m. on FS1.

As a result, the Nevada Wolf Pack exit Iowa City the victim of a 27-0 shutout and drop to 1-2 on the season.

“We got off the mat and got back in the fight and did a good job in unusual circumstances tonight. So to stay focused, that was good to see. Just really pleased. We showed some progress in certain areas. Happy about that. Obviously, it was good to get Nico (Ragaini) back and Keagan (Johnson) back and then Brody (Brecht) was able to get involved a little bit too at the receiver position. So gave us a few more guys to throw to.

“All in all, the team effort was good. Again, you go 60 minutes broken down over seven hours, not easy to do. Defensively, you all saw the game, those guys played a good game. They were aggressive and very tough to run against and they made the passing yardage tough as well. I thought especially in the first half. It was a little disjointed once we got back in the second half. But in the first half I thought we had a little rhythm offensively. The run game wasn’t perfect, but we did some better things so that was encouraging,” Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz said of the victory.

Before completely turning the page over to Rutgers, let’s hand out some Nevada grades. Pull up a chair. Class in session.

Iowa’s Keagan Johnson, Jestin Jacobs absent from Hawkeyes’ Cy-Hawk week depth chart

As the Iowa Hawkeyes get ready to host the Iowa State Cyclones in the Cy-Hawk rivalry, there were some depth chart adjustments released.

With the matchup against the Iowa State Cyclones approaching, the Iowa Hawkeyes are back to work this week getting ready. That starts with a newly released depth chart and some changes in personnel.

The “non-change” that is sure to be the number one topic of conversation this week amongst Hawkeyes fans is the quarterback depth chart. Spencer Petras is listed above Alex Padilla.

One of the biggest changes comes in the fact that linebacker Jestin Jacobs is not present anywhere on the depth chart. This is on the heels of an injury sustained in week one and will likely be nursing back to health.

When asked about it, head coach Kirk Ferentz does feel that Jacobs avoided something serious.

“I assume this is good news. It wasn’t a joint. It sure looked like it on the field. So, it’s soft tissue, and those can drag out, too, as we know, but at least it wasn’t a joint. That would have been bad,” said Ferentz in regards to Jacobs’ injury.

Another change, or absence, of note is that Keagan Johnson has been removed from the depth chart in a revision. This will give Iowa Arland Bruce IV, Alec Wick, Jack Johnson and potentially a first look at Brody Brecht as the receiving group.

On a positive note, Gavin Williams is present on the running back depth chart. There were rumors floating around last weekend that he was very close to suiting up so his presence in the backfield will be a welcome site.

At cornerback, we see Terry Roberts getting the nod opposite of Riley Moss after his solid performance last week.

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Iowa may have accomplished the unthinkable: Spencer Petras, offense might have gotten worse

What happened versus South Dakota State might be worse than every Iowa fan’s worst nightmare: inexplicably, the Hawkeyes’ offense is worse.

Let’s get the “yeah, buts” out of the way right off the top. Iowa opened with the No. 3 team in the FCS in South Dakota State. The Hawkeyes did so minus their top running back and two of their top three wide receivers with both Gavin Williams and Keagan Johnson sidelined and wide receiver Nico Ragaini announced as out to start the week.

Those injuries are in addition to wide receiver Jackson Ritter and offensive lineman Justin Britt both being lost for the season. Plus, wide receiver Diante Vines isn’t expected back from his injury before at least the midway point of this season it doesn’t sound like.

It’s an offensive line that’s young in spots and looking to replace a first-round 2022 NFL draft pick in former center Tyler Linderbaum. Just to reiterate, South Dakota State is really good at the FCS level and has beaten FBS competition as recently as last season in Colorado State and hung with Minnesota in a 28-21 loss to start 2019.

All of this is true. It doesn’t change or excuse the fact that this looked and felt like rock bottom for Hawkeye quarterback Spencer Petras and the Iowa offense.

This was a flat-out embarrassing offensive performance for a program that spent all offseason looking to address a group that finished No. 121 nationally in total offense a season ago, averaging 303.7 yards per game.

Iowa ranked 101st in the country in rushing yards per game with 123.6 and 109th in passing yards per game with 180.1 last year. In 2021, Iowa registered an average of 16.5 first downs per game. In scoring offense, the Hawkeyes finished ranked No. 99, averaging 23.4 points per game.

So far, not so good in the improvement department. Iowa managed to do worse than each of those averages from last season. The Hawkeyes finished with a measly 166 yards of total offense, 109 passing yards and 57 rushing yards. Even though the score looks like the Hawkeyes tossed a conventional touchdown and PAT on the board, Iowa scored its seven points by virtue of one field goal and a pair of safeties. Oh, by the way, Iowa finished with 10 first downs and was 4-of-17 on third-down conversion tries.

In fact, Iowa’s seven points were the fewest by a winning Big Ten team since Iowa’s 6-4 triumph over Penn State in 2004. The Hawkeyes are also the first Big Ten team to win a game without scoring a touchdown since Nebraska beat Michigan State 9-6 in 2018.

At halftime, Petras was 6-of-15 passing for 41 yards with an interception. He finished 11-of-25 for 109 yards. All of the talk about this being a new-look offense sure didn’t hold up over the course of game one.

It could be as simple as Iowa truly doesn’t have a better option than Petras at quarterback. That’s what Ferentz said to start this season.

“It’s a long evaluation, and we evaluate everything, we tell our guys starting in January. Obviously we’re not doing football stuff, and both Spencer and Alex are both quality guys, but just the time on the field, I think Spencer has outperformed Alex a little bit at this point. He’s further ahead and gives us a better chance to be successful. That’s not to diminish what Alex has done. Both have improved.

“Now the thing is can we put this whole thing together and be a little bit more productive offensively. Both guys have done a good job. Spencer has continued to climb,” Ferentz said earlier this week when asked why Petras was able to secure Iowa’s starting quarterback job.

If that’s the case, then so be it, but it’s difficult for fans to reconcile not seeing other quarterbacks like Padilla or Labas get their chance outside of practice and in a game to try to deliver better for Iowa.

After all, as many in the Iowa echo chamber would pass along, right now, it doesn’t feel like it can get any worse. So, why not give those other two a chance and see if it can provide a spark?

It will get sold and painted as a positive that Iowa won the game 7-3 over South Dakota State despite offensive struggles. It’s not. It’s a negative that Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz and offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz were able to stick with Petras for the game’s entirety and win.

It sets up for the Hawkeyes to stay with a quarterback that means this team’s ceiling isn’t a Big Ten championship or maybe even a return appearance in the Big Ten Championship game. Today was the day to try out and see what it looked like once again with backup quarterback Alex Padilla or redshirt freshman Joe Labas.

Instead, the moment came and passed and now it’s on to Iowa State where tinkering at the quarterback position in-game could mean losing to your biggest rival for the first time in the past seven meetings. Obviously, the Iowa coaching staff hopes it doesn’t come to that.

The results versus the Jackrabbits indicate that it’s probably a matter of time before it does. Like the frustrating play that has defined Petras’ career at Iowa in the past, the San Rafael, Calif., native overthrew targets with regularity, struggled against pressure to identify where his open receivers were, he was intercepted on a pass behind his intended target in tight end Sam LaPorta, and missed a deep shot to wide receiver Alec Wick that could have helped sealed the game.

To be fair, Petras deserves a pass in this regard: like the subpar play that defined the back half of last season, it truly isn’t and wasn’t all his fault. The offensive line showed some serious weaknesses in game one.

Petras was under regular duress and the offensive line never could establish the Hawkeyes’ patented run game. Leshon Williams ended his day with 24 carries for a hard-earned 72 rushing yards, though he even had a costly fumble on Iowa’s lone offensive drive that seemed destined for the end zone. As a team, Iowa averaged just 1.6 yards per carry.

It’s week one, so overreactions are a dangerous game, but this was wildly uninspiring offensively from a program that needs improvement on that side of the football in the worst way.

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Iowa Hawkeyes to open season minus RB Gavin Williams, WR Keagan Johnson

Iowa opens the 2022 season minus its top running back and top wide receiver in running back Gavin Williams and wide receiver Keagan Johnson.

Reports surfaced just before kickoff of the 2022 season opener against South Dakota State that the Iowa Hawkeyes would be without their top running back and arguably their top wide receiver in running back Gavin Williams and wide receiver Keagan Johnson, respectively.

According to Hawk Central’s Chad Leistikow, it sounds like an ankle injury that is sidelining Williams. Meanwhile, Johnson has been dealing with injuries all throughout the offseason and now he is set to miss the Hawkeyes’ opener per the Iowa communication staff.

With Iowa already minus one of its other top wide receivers in Nico Ragaini for several weeks to start 2022, it feels like the Hawkeyes have taken several bullets before the season has even started. It does present an opportunity for a pair of walk-on receivers in Alec Wick and Jack Johnson to potentially star in the opener against the Jackrabbits. Perhaps Jacob Bostick as well.

Iowa has also lost wide receiver Jackson Ritter for the season and fellow wide receiver Diante Vines is out for probably the first half of the season as well.

In terms of wide receivers, Johnson and Ragaini were No. 1 and No. 2 for Iowa in 2021 in receiving yardage. Johnson finished with 18 grabs for 352 yards, while Ragaini registered 26 receptions for 331. Naturally, that’s some important production to try to replace in the opener versus a talented FCS team in South Dakota State.

Williams was Iowa’s No. 2 running back last year and finished the season with 65 rushes for 305 yards. While Gavin Williams entered as Iowa’s No. 1 running back on the depth chart this year, Leshon Williams was expected to factor in heavily. Now, he gets the chance as Iowa’s featured runner in the opener.

After Leshon Williams, look for the freshmen running backs Jaziun Patterson and Kaleb Johnson to see some carries as well.

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5 Offensive keys for the Iowa Hawkeyes against South Dakota State

Here’s five keys for the Iowa Hawkeyes on offense to get the season off to a strong start in week one against South Dakota State.

Week One is the perfect time to work out the kinks, earning some needed chemistry and playing time. While No. 2 Ohio State is playing a national contender in No. 5 Notre Dame to kick off their season, Iowa is also facing a national championship contender, albeit a very different one.

The Hawkeyes will host the South Dakota State Jackrabbits at Kinnick Stadium to kick off their season. It certainly isn’t the toughest week one slate, they didn’t elect to schedule a top 25 team like No. 12 Oregon or a returning College Football Playoff team in No. 22 Cincinnati, but SDSU is certainly not a pushover. They aimed for a bit more of an ambitious FCS opponent than say Wisconsin taking on Illinois State, a team that didn’t even muster five wins in 2021.

Expectations are high for the Hawkeyes, fresh off of their Big Ten Championship game campaign. The first team left on the outside looking in of the USA TODAY Sports AFCA coaches poll, Iowa certainly has a chip on its shoulder entering the season. After an offseason of incessant talking points, none of that matters anymore. The season is here, time to put up or shut up. Here are five keys for the Iowa offense against South Dakota State.

‘They’re not the same’: Kirk Ferentz discusses Hawkeyes’ running backs Gavin, Leshon Williams

Kirk Ferentz broke down the Hawkeyes’ two primary rushers, Gavin and Leshon Williams, ahead of the 2022 season opener.

By season’s end, the Iowa Hawkeyes will have a new leading rusher. That’s because the Hawkeyes’ leading rusher in 2021, running back Tyler Goodson, is off to the NFL where he’s still looking to catch on somewhere.

Goodson finished the 2021 season for Iowa with 1,151 rushing yards on 256 carries and six touchdowns. Those numbers were good for a 4.5 yards per carry average last season.

Now, enter Williams times two. [autotag]Gavin Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Leshon Williams[/autotag] were listed as the Hawkeyes No. 1 and No. 2 running backs in the South Dakota State depth chart reveal, respectively.

Gavin Williams, a 6-foot, 214 pound running back from Altoona, Iowa, rushed 65 times for 305 rushing yards in 2021. That included 28 carries over the Hawkeyes’ final two games, including 16 totes for 98 rushing yards in Iowa’s 20-17 Vrbo Citrus Bowl loss against Kentucky.

Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz was asked how important it was to help them prepare for 2022 that the pair saw legitimate action in last season’s bowl game.

“I think so, for sure. I still appreciate the fact that we knew a couple weeks out ahead. That was a good thing. Tyler gave us a heads up on that, so it gave both those guys a chance to prepare as starters, and they both did a nice job I thought all month in December and both played well in the bowl game.

“I think at least we came into this season feeling pretty good about who our one and two are and how they can do, and both of them have done a great job, and then the key thing is moving forward with the younger guys. It’s been a really good valuable four weeks for both the incoming freshmen. They’ve done a nice job,” Ferentz said.

And what about their styles? Is there a distinctive difference between the pair’s running styles?

“They’re not the same. Obviously they have the same last name, but a little different styles I guess. But they’re both, they complement each other well. I think they’re both very, very capable. Gavin was probably a little bit more polished if you would or refined when he got here. He just continues to do a really good job. He’s studying everything he does and really has a mature approach.

“Leshon I think is the guy who’s kind of, he’s really surprised us. I think it was a year ago spring when I mentioned he just kind of caught my eye, and I think he’s done nothing but improve since that time. I think both of them are very capable of playing well, so it’s good to know you have two guys that you have confidence in. Now the next challenge is, who’s going to be the next man in,” Ferentz said.

Two freshmen running backs, Kaleb Johnson and Jaziun Patterson, will have a legitimate chance to earn that No. 3 running back position.

“I think both of them are in the mix right now. At least we have plans to let them go, as well, and we’ll see how the game plays out. But I don’t know if they’ll both be in there Saturday, but my guess is at least one of them will,” Ferentz said of Johnson and Patterson.

It’ll be interesting to see how the rushing attack as a whole shakes out for the Hawkeyes. Iowa ranked No. 101 nationally in rushing offense last season, averaging 123.6 rushing yards per game.

Of course, Williams times two will go a long way in determining just how explosive the Hawkeyes’ offense is in 2022.

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Week 1 Iowa Hawkeyes offensive depth chart versus the South Dakota State Jackrabbits

The Iowa Hawkeyes

The season-opening week for the Iowa Hawkeyes is upon us and that means it’s almost time for Iowa to lock horns with the South Dakota State Jackrabbits.

Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes released an offensive depth chart ahead of Big Ten Media Days, but, now that kickoff is this week, the Hawkeyes have revealed an updated offensive depth chart.

Fans suspected that Spencer Petras would remain as Iowa’s No. 1 quarterback. That is the case in the season-opening depth chart. What other surprises await Hawkeye fans in the first in-season depth chart reveal? Let’s take a look at the full Iowa offensive depth chart for South Dakota State.

5 predictions for the 2022 Iowa Hawkeyes football season

The 2022 college football season is just under three weeks from kicking off, here’s five predictions for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

With the 2022 college football season slightly under three weeks away and teams in the thick of training camp, football season is officially upon us. Everyone is undefeated and everyone is juiced up with expectations for the season.

With the Iowa Hawkeyes coming off of their annual Kids’ Day, there is no better time than now to discuss some predictions for their 2022 season. I have five predictions for what this upcoming season will hold and explain a bit regarding why.