SB Nation - Jayme Murphy

Jewel Hampton Needs Knee Surgery, Out For Year; Brinson Also Out For UNI Game

Oops Pow Surprise — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:45:24 -0000

Good night, funny man.

No, it's not good at all. But at least it's official: Jewel Hampton is out for 2009 and will almost certainly redshirt.

Such news was confirmed at Kirk Ferentz's press conference this afternoon, and we're working on getting a good link on a transcript (either full or sensibly trimmed) for you folks. In the meantime, there's Hawkeye Nation's liveblog (the presser itself starts at 12:38) for your perusal.

Hampton evidently injured the knee on July 4, when the rumors started floating, but he was making his way back and even practicing before it became evident that he would need surgery to actually fix the problem. For whatever reason, Ferentz isn't specifying what's injured, just that surgery is necessary. Not really sure what Ferentz is trying to protect by staying vague, unless he doesn't know the exact injury (which, to be perfectly honest, shouldn't matter to him as much as the fact that he's out). Hampton should be out of commission for next spring's practice as well, but right now he's expected to return at full speed for 2010.

As for Jeff Brinson stepping in? Yes, well, about that... no. He's still recovering from some Fujiya & Miyagi style ankle injuries, and he's out for the week. That means PAKI BOMB IS A GO. Batten down the hatches.

As far as other "highlights":

Adam Robinson has quietly improved and looked nice in all areas, meaning he's #2 on the depth chart. We're a little skeptical about this, but he didn't look terrible at the open practice.
As expected, the Irish Car Bomb is done after back surgery. Godspeed.
Ferentz wants the Bryan Bulaga-to-the-NFL talk to wait until after the season. In other words, barring injuries, he's as likely to come back as Norm Parker's two toes.
Despite the team's best efforts, they couldn't hide the fact that true freshmen will actually play next week; Brandon Wegher, Keenan Davis, and Micah Hyde are expected to see significant time. No real surprises there.
Colin Sandeman may or may not play this week.
DJK has been dinged up and has missed three complete days of practice, which might be part of the reason why he's not starting per the 2-deeps.
Oh, and Paki O'Meara is also returning kicks as of today even with his starting role confirmed. Interesting.

Well, today had to come sooner or later, we guess. No more questions about Hampton until next season; now it's Brinson's ankle and whether he can work his way ahead of O'Meara and Robinson. If he can't, um, that's probably not a good sign, right?

Also... what does this do to your expectations for this Saturday?

Poll

Where are you setting the line for the UNI game?

Iowa by at least 42

34 votes

Iowa by 28-41

136 votes

Iowa by 14-27

269 votes

Iowa by 1-13

63 votes

UNI wins

45 votes

547 votes | Poll has closed

It's Not Plagiarism If You Link To It Counts the Hours

Hawkeye State — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:00:15 -0000

Fun With Depth Charts. EEE DEPTH CHART IS OUT FOR WEEK ONE EEE (link PDF). A couple of notes:

APAKILYPSE NOW - In case you've been wandering through the barren wastelands of the Mongolian steppe since Friday afternoon and haven't heard, there is no mention of Jewel Hampton. There's an equal lack of Jeff Brinson and Brandon Wegher. The week one starting halfback is a former walk-on, and his backup was playing safety 6 months ago. Those drills they taught you in school aren't going to help; unless you have a fortified bomb shelter, it's probably better to sit on your porch, put on some sunglasses, and enjoy your last few moments on Earth as the shockwave from the PAKIBOMB washes over you.
DJKO'd - If it's a motivational tactic. it's being taken to absurd lengths: Marvin McNutt is starting at split end, and Derrell Johnson-Koulianos is the backup. Either McNutt truly is the velcro-handed speed demon promised this spring, or Kirk Ferentz is playing an absurd game of chicken with a player poised to break every significant career receiving record in Iowa history. Neither would surprise me. (Oh, and Colin Sandeman is conspicuous in his absence from the entirety of the depth chart, while The Veep is backing up Stross).
The Icky Shuffle - Lord only knows what's going on with the offensive line, as injuries (Vandevelde) and suspensions (Calloway) change a group ranked tops in the conference by Phil Steele into a Three's Company rerun. Your starters, from left to right on your FM dial: Bulaga, Gettis, Eubanks, Doering, Richardson. Over/under on number of starters still playing in those positions by Penn State week: 2.5, and the under is the proper play. Subthoughts: Gettis is getting rave reviews and looks significantly bigger; KF told Rivals Friday ($$) that Eubanks had his best three weeks of practice since joining the program; the Doering/Richardson combo on the right fills me with melancholy, as the bookend tackles we were promised instead line up side-by-side for exactly one game, then retreat to diminished roles; the fact that Dace is playing tackle on those knees shows The Mad Russian isn't ready; Andy Kuempel just can't catch a fucking break.
Returning Starters - How did we not see this coming? Your punt returner is not Colin Sandeman. It's not Brandon Wegher. It's not Paul Chaney. It's obviously not Jewel Hampton. No, the returner is Amari Spievey (he'll also be handling kick returns with DAS PAKIBOMB). This is both brilliant (is there anyone on the roster that is more likely to break a big play?) and monumentally stupid. I love it with all my heart, and yet it is clearly even dumber than the hairbrained Jewel Hampton idea from earlier this summer. Not only is Spievey arguably the best player on the team, but there's this...
Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cornerbacks - I've been reading these depth charts for years, and there is always one thing that strikes fear deep into my black heart: The dreaded "or" line. Typically reserved for backups or genuine position battles, the "or" signifies mass hysteria in the ranks. It is also almost always a precursor to getting three names on the two-deep; if two guys occupy the same line, then a third name is needed to fill in the blanks. Well, not only is left cornerback carrying the dreaded "or" line, but there is no third name. Greg Castillo and Willie Lowe are co-starters, and the loser is the listed backup AT BOTH CORNER POSITIONS. Micah Hyde is nowhere to be found, and is almost certainly redshirting. Shaun Prater will serve his two-game suspension. We are, in essence, one catastrophic injury from starting a true sophomore and redshirt freshman at corner with no backups. Tell me again why we're sending Spievey out with a target on his jersey to catch an oblong ball out of the air and attempt to make 225-pound human lawn darts miss him.
Other Than That, Mrs. Lincoln, How Was the Show? - No decision yet on backup QB; Ballard is officially listed at DT; kicker is a toss-up; Cody Hundertmark, long thought to be a potential starter at DT, is now backing up Broderick Binns at defensive end.

SANCTIONPORN. This weekend, I went to a party in North Liberty (clad in The Leman, of course, because I'm classy), drank a few beers, played some poker and table tennis, cleaned my kitchen, and caught up on my sleep. It was uneventful.

How was your weekend, Michigan?

The University of Michigan football team consistently has violated NCAA rules governing off-season workouts, in-season demands on players and mandatory summer activities under coach Rich Rodriguez, numerous players told the Free Press.

Players on the 2008 and 2009 teams described training and practice sessions that far exceeded limits set by the NCAA, which governs college athletics. The restrictions are designed to protect players’ well-being, ensure adequate study time and prevent schools from gaining an unfair competitive advantage.

The players, who did not want to be identified because they feared repercussions from coaches, said the violations occurred routinely at the direction of Rodriguez’s staff.

Of course, the upper peninsula of Blogfrica is losing its collective mind: MGoBlog got its spider monkey on, like Emilio Estevez at the end of Young Guns: They questioned the messenger, chronicled the allegations (in a completely reasonable and measured manner), took the word of two freshmen players' parents -- neither of which are directly involved with the team or college coaching in general, and one of which who admitted he hadn't yet read the article -- as gospel, then tortured and killed the messenger (Brian, you know I love you, but there's a Grand Fucking Canyon in the logic when the "nobody -- not the players, not the former players, not the reporter -- knows the rules" post is right next to the "these players' parents who are not affiliated with anything say we're totally cool and stuff" post.)

UPDATE: Reason and sanity, thy name is Cook.

No, it's Beuford (and Doc Saturday, and Rittenberg, and I think Brian in the initial post) who get this right: Sure, Rodriguez and Barwis probably bent the rules, but not significantly more than 90% of the programs in college football today; for instance, I will guarantee the Iowa guys are going through voluntary-but-not-really workouts with the training staff throughout the year and putting in ungodly hours during the season. The difference here is that Lloyd Carr didn't bend those rules (after all, his weight program was based on the muscle-building properties of mozzarella cheese), and so players at Michigan before Captain Snake Oil came to town are in the rare position of knowing the difference. Throw in a healthy dose of resistance to change and VOILA. It's not quite much ado about nothing, because there's probably going to be some sort of NCAA investigation in the middle of a football season, but it's as close as you can get when "NCAA investigation" is involved.

Sigh. Roy, Roy, Roy:

According to Iowa Courts Online records, [Roy Marble, Sr.] was arrested Monday in Cedar County and charged with driving while barred-habitual offender, driving with a denied or revoked license, distribution of ephedrine and possession of drug paraphernalia....

Marble, who played for the Iowa basketball team from 1985 to 1989 and remains the team's all-time leading career scorer, was stopped for speeding in Tipton, according to authorities. The drug-related charges were filed Tuesday, according to online court records.

Marble, 42, said a friend drove him and Marble's son, Roy Marble Jr., 16, from Cedar Rapids to Southfield, Mich., to take Roy Marble Jr. home. Marble's son is an incoming Iowa basketball recruit. Marble said his friend decided not to return to Iowa and that he had no choice but to drive his friend's car back Monday.

"I did not participate in any drug activity," he said. "I was not doing any drugs or drinking on the road."

Innocent until proven guily, it's all allegations, all that, sure. But we know what happened to Roy once he left Iowa, and given his recent problems -- he had a DUI in 2006 that led to the barred license, his business in Cedar Rapids was destroyed in the flood, and apparently he claims that he's borrowing cars from junkies to give his son a ride to Michigan -- this does not look good. Roy's post-Hawkeye career has always felt like a Shakespearian tragedy, and he's running out of time and opportunities for an ending that doesn't channel Hamlet.

Pat Harty, in his latest attempt to take Skip Bayless' job on ESPN, hops on his blog and writes 500 words about how Roy shouldn't put his son in situations like these, as if we needed to be told that a son might not be happy when his dad is arrested on drug charges. Thanks for that principled stand, Pat.

Footnotes:

Jayme Murphy is officially done at Iowa, after back surgery late last week. He was a terrormonster on special teams, but never found a position that stuck. Of course, it was probably that terrormonstering that caused the back injury in the first place.
Jayme might want to talk to Alex Kanellis, who had his career cut short by concussions. Kanellis chronicles his post-football life for the P-C ("I never looked past playing Iowa football. That's as far ahead as I ever thought.") Alex is now coaching the offensive line at Iowa City Regina under head coach Marv Cook.
On the eve of FRYFest, Hlas scores an interview with Bill Colbert, the guy who created the Tiger Hawk in 1979.
I'm not sure which is funnier: The sheer volume of errors in this post from Fargo, ND on the Iowa-ISU rivalry, or the fact that the Iowa State fan who posts a comment to chronicle the errors misspells his own head coach's name.

INPIYL2I Presents Iowa Media Day: FLUFFAPALOOZA

Hawkeye State — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:02:30 -0000

Friends Forever...Always Will Be Friends...

Tom McEvoy once said the World Series of Poker was, "hours of boredom interspersed with moments of sheer terror." The same sentiment, slightly altered, could be applied to Iowa Media Day: Hours of boredom interspersed with moments of actual news. Media Day is a Don Doxie content wet dream, a neverending string of human interest angles on college kids who are ready to prove the critics wrong and achieve greatness, all of which go out the window the moment the ball is kicked.

There were moments, though, where the media cut through the glossy Nerf bullshit and got some information on this team, nearly all from the Ferentz press conference (which included such hard-hitting questions as, "How good is Amary Spievey?" I'm not kidding.):

The Walking Wounded: Jewel Hampton is 100%. Jayme Murphy is not: the fourth-year junior "will be limited" this season due to a number of concussions. Given how the staff handled Alex Kanellis two years ago, that's essentially the end. Chad Geary's situation (torn ACL) does not look promising, nor does that of Joe Gaglione (the always-dangerous Italian shoulder). Julian Vandervelde (bicep) will likely miss a couple of weeks as he recovers from surgery.

Fun With Depth Charts: The big questions are no surprise: Running back, interior offensive line, defensive tackle, wide receiver, and backup quarterback. Running back is Hampton's to lose, though nobody seems too sure he can sustain 25+ carries per game. The rest of the depth chart is up for grabs.

Ferentz mentioned Adam Gettis and Markus Zusevics when talking about potential interior offensive linemen, though Zusevics is being groomed as a tackle and buried behind Kyle Calloway on the two-deep. Gettis also gets some fluff from the SID. Vanderverde acquitted himself well, disarming the press with wit and charm; there's clearly a graduate assistant job on this staff waiting at the end of his rainbow. As for center, it's Raf Eubanks' spot to lose. James Ferentz gets the obligatory "I'm working past my stupid mistakes of years gone by" column.

The defensive line rotation could be the most interesting part of the week one Hayden Fry lovefest/Northern Iowa game. Ferentz mentioned, in order, Klug, Hundertmark, Daniels (who "can lift a house"), and Meade at defensive tackle. There was no mention of Clayborn or Ballard moving inside (in fact, Rick Kaczenski said they aren't even discussing it), though there was plenty of discussion of the unblockability of Broderick Binns. I still can't believe he won't start.

Wide receiver, as you can imagine, is all about DJK. He's smiling, he's motivated, he's working hard, he's playing well, he's answering the questions the way he's supposed to answer the questions. We've believed his demotion was a motivational ploy all along, at least right up to the point where Stanzi praised Marvin McNutt's pass-catching ability. Given DJK's recurring fight with dropped passes, it could be that McNutt is actually that good. In other wideout news, Stephane N'Goumou did not qualify and will attend prep school, and there's still no sign of whether Keenan Davis will redshirt.

The backup quarterback spot is still up for grabs between redshirt freshmen James Vandenberg and John Wienke. With that said, Vandenberg got a lot of press. As little as that might matter, when it is combined with persistent rumors of his slight lead in the race, it's difficult to envision a scenario where Wienke is first off the bench. Barring THE HORROR in week one, we should have a far better picture by about 1:30 on September 5.

The Fluff. Oh God, the Fluff: The special teams are...special, according to UI sports information. Nobody cares about that #21 ranking in the coaches' poll. Nobody cares at all. Everyone is focused and avoiding the distractions (this is classic Doxie). The field turf looks great (that Hlas post also includes the quote of the day from KF: "It's really conceivable that we have a better team than last year, and a record that doesn't indicate that.") KOK likes the way Morehouse asks a question. Norm loses a toe "but wins big" (no, wait, THIS is classic Doxie). The coaching staff talks about how long they've been a coaching staff.

Assume the Position 2009: Running Back

Hawkeye State — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 03:25:18 -0000

It's about that time again. For the next three months, BHGP will be previewing this year's Iowa Hawkeyes, position-by-position. Naturally, as the earth revolves around the sun, things will change. Therefore, we're starting with the position where we are most certain, and ending with the position of which we are least certain. To date:

1. Quarterback
2. Offensive Tackle
3. Safety
4. Linebacker
5. Tight End

Tonight: Running Back

Shonn Greene wasn't the only halfback wearing a cape

How do you replace Shonn Greene? How do you even start?

In case you forgot, Shonn Greene just had the greatest single season by an Iowa halfback since Nile Kinnick, put up 1800 yards rushing, had more than 100 yards in every game, won the Doak Walker and Big Ten MVP, should have been in contention for the Heisman, and shouldered the load for the most run-heavy Iowa offense of the decade.

So, again, how do you replace that? The first step: Form a committee.

The Starter, We Think

Jewel Hampton (#27, 5'9", 210, Sophomore) - On its face, Jewel Hampton is the obvious choice at halfback. He's the only non-PAKIBOMB halfback with experience, after all. He showed flashes of brilliance last year, especially against Indiana and Minnesota. He's at the top of the depth chart on July 20.

There are reasons to be concerned about Hampton, though, reasons big enough to question whether he will be the opening day starter:

Size - Hampton's frame isn't exactly Greene-esque, which is fine; Fred Russell wasn't a large man by any stretch of the imagination. The problem is, Hampton is built like a bowling ball, and runs more like Greene than Russell. The shiftiness and elusiveness might be there in small quantities (just ask Minnesota), but he could take a pounding this year running between the tackles. It wouldn't be a big deal, except for...
Injuries - I don't need to remind you of Hampton's offseason injury issues, but I will anyway. He entered spring camp with a hamstring pull and missed the first few practices. He then picked up an undisclosed injury late in the spring and missed another couple of practices. Of course, that was followed by the phantom ACL tear. Only the late spring injury was contact-related, which is a good sign; he might be able to take the pounding.
Experience - Hampton might have 91 carries more than his closest competitor, but 91 carries does not a career make. Throw in the nagging injuries that kept him out of spring, and the distinct possibility that he could miss a portion of August camp, and the experience gap might not be as significant as we assumed.

Put it all together, and I don't think we're certain that Hampton is the starter. It's still more likely than not, of course, and Hampton will get significant playing time regardless. Just don't buy that #27 jersey quite yet.

The Posse

Jeff Brinson (#44, 5'11", 215, Freshman (RS)) - Ah, the excitement of expectation. Brinson has been the subject of puff piece after puff piece this offseason, and rightfully so. He was a universal 3-star prospect from St. Petersburg, Florida who stuck with Iowa despite a late push by the Gators and 'Noles. Brinson entered fall camp last year with a decent chance of avoiding the redshirt and taking the backup role, but was injured and missed a week. That injury effectively forced the redshirt, ended his season, and vaulted Hampton into the depth chart.

Without a spring game, it's hard to get a bead on Brinson's running style, especially given the fact that he comes out of a single wing high school offense. All indications are that he could play thunder to Hampton's lightning, picking up the bruising between-the-tackles yards when needed. He enters fall third on the depth chart, but make no mistake; with a good (and injury-free) fall camp, it's not out of the question he grabs the top line.

Paki O'Meara (#25, 5'11", 211, Junior) - On the other hand, DAS PAKIBOMB will not be the starting halfback. He's been in the program for two non-redshirt years. He carried the ball 21 times last season for a less-than-spectacular 62 yards, and exhibited none of the elusiveness or power needed from a top-line halfback. With that said, he was excellent in blitz pickup as a third-down backfield option (he was also, arguably, the best backfield receiver on the team), and a revelation on special teams. Barring a metamorphosis never before seen, expect more of the same.

Brandon Wegher (#3, 5'11", 206, Freshman) - Speaking of expectations, the crown jewel of the 2009 recruiting class has already been told he's returning kicks; with the redshirt burned, some time at halfback is inevitable. If he even approaches the hype, it should be something special.

Wegher comes to Iowa via Sioux City Heelan, not exactly a football factory. As we said on signing day:

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the most highly-regarded incoming Iowa halfback since Jermelle Lewis. Brandon Wegher comes to campus fresh off a 3A state championship, and burdened with all the expectations of a fanbase desperate for a Tim Dwight sequel.

First, on that high school championship: It's not as if Wegher was a part of the Heelan offense; he was the offense. He ran for 3,238 yards (all-time Iowa record) on 362 carries, caught 9 passes for another 110, racked up 54 touchdowns (another all-time Iowa record), and kicked the field goals for good measure. The Legend of Brandon Wegher was already well-known in western Iowa entering this season, but any doubt about his ability left the building two weeks into the season. Harlan entered its game with Sioux City Heelan as the traditional 3A football powerhouse, with a win over Heelan in the prior season. Wegher dropped 330 yards on them. Nobody even came close to beating Heelan the rest of the way. Heelan's playoff run generated some of the most hyperbolic newspaper writing of the year.

Wegher is the most recent - and most heralded - product of Iowa's continuing recruiting inroads into western Iowa and eastern Nebraska. Once the exclusive territory of Nebraska and Iowa State, western Iowa is now some of the most fertile Hawkeye recruiting ground in the country, providing Wegher this year and two highly-coveted commits already for next season. Say what you will about Reese Morgan as a line coach - let's not kid ourselves, the line is coached by Ferentz at least as much as Morgan - but his in-state recruiting success is unparalleled by any coach in school history.

Could See the Field

Jayme Murphy (#17, 5'11", 210, Junior) - It appears as if the experiment with safety is over, though nobody seems quite sure why. Rather than stay in the defensive backfield and provide much-needed depth, Murphy is now the fifth or sixth in line to the running back spot. Fortunately, the position change didn't sap him of his ability as special teams guided missile. Expect more of the same.

Adam Robinson (#32, 5'9", 205, Freshman (RS)) - He's a halfback. He's a safety. He's a halfback again. He might be a slot receiver. Either nobody knows what is going on with Robinson, or those who do aren't saying anything. Likely a special teamer and possible change-of-pace.

The Fullbacks

Brett Morse (#36, 6'3", 236, Junior) - Morse, like so many Iowa fullbacks before him, won a place in my heart sometime around week 2, when, after whiffing on two goalline blocks midway throught the first quarter against Florida International, he returned to the huddle, punched himself in the side of the head repeatedly, then crushed a safety in the hole to spring Greene across the goal line.

As Morehouse documented, fullback production has declined consistently since 2001, to the point where Morse could play an entire season as a starter and only carry the ball 5 times. You can't really expect more this year; not even Tom Busch got double-digit carries.

Wade Leppert (#47, 6'0", 245, Sophomore) - I'd skip him (after all, how many fullbacks are we really going to use?), but I love this story:

Not long before last season started, Leppert, a 6-0, 235-pounder from Mundelein (Ill.) High School, was a total outsider. As a four-year starter at linebacker and fullback in high school, Leppert was a pure fullback. He wrote letters to Ferentz and the Iowa staff, basically begging for a shot.

"I asked (running backs coach) Lester (Erb), who is this guy and why is he bothering us?" Ferentz said. Then, in two December practices last fall, Leppert opened eyes.

"That’s when I asked, OK, who’s this Leppert guy again? Where did he come from?" Ferentz said. "(Fullback) is what he’s built for, it’s what he wanted to do."

Tenacity, thy name is Leppert. Too bad he won't see significant time until he's senior.