Fast forward: Where will Stanzi rank all time for an Iowa qb?

[ChosenChildren]

Duncan and Long played on great teams with great defenses as well.

I have to admit that it is hard to pick Stanzi over Long; Long was terrific and I was fortunate enough to witness most of his games.

I would rank Long #1 right now and Stanzi #2. Long's best year was his senior year, so Stanzi has one more year to close the gap (and he might do just that with this set of receivers, barring injury).

 

[hawktech]

My top five, 2-5 in no particular order....Long gets #1:

Long = 35-13-1 as (almost) four year starter (82-85)
71% winn perct
1st in all time passing yards
3x 1st team all-league, 85 League MVP, 85 League Player of the Year
2-2 in bowls
Maxwell, O'Brien winner, 2nd in Heisman in 85, 7th in 84
1st team All-American

Stanzi = 18-4 as starter (08,09)
82% winn perct
2-0 in bowls
Ranks sixth after two seasons in all-time career yards

Hartleib = 15-7-3 as two year starter (87,88)
60% winn perct
3rd all time yards passing
Holds 3/4 top passing yards in a game, 7 TD's in a game ranks #1
2x 1st team all-league
1-1 in bowls
Beat out McGwire, won @ tOSU

Rogers = 23-11-1 as three year starter (89-91)
70% winn perct
4th in all time yards passing
2x 1st team all-league
0-1-1 in bowl games
Last starting QB to win at tOSU

Tate = 23-14 as three year starter (04-06)
62% winn perct
2nd all time in passing yards
1x 1st team all-league
1-2 in bowl games
Holder of best pass ever as QB

Long is the only one that had half the defense that Stanzi has had. Norm is Stanzi's best friend...

Stanzi is going to have to put up some serious numbers and play outstanding football the Entire game, and season, to get a top 5 vote from me. Although he is probably #1 poise, he wouldn't have done squat with the teams the aforementioned quarterbacks had. Remember Stanzi lead the Nation in turnovers before he was injured last year. Again, Norm is Stanzi's best friend...

 

[SDK46]

So many variables to consider:

Career sustained excellence....no doubt, Long is #1.

End of season accolades...again, Long is #1.

One-season accomplishments....if Stanzi gets us a Rose Bowl win or into the NC game, then I'd give him the nod for the very best one-season QB ever.

Good point about Stanzi being "good" because of the terrific defenses he's had to bail him out....then again, so did Tate during his sophomore (and best) season.

I liken Tate to Marino...a ton of yards, some great wins...but for the most part, never reached the heights expected team wise.

 

[GrandpaHawk]

The team would have to win the Big Ten and he's going to have to play error free and then we can rank him up with Long.Lets wait and see how this season goes and if he has a monster year,if so then I think he will get noticed nationally and just maybe they will start talking about Iowa but I'm not going to hold my breath because you all know we don't get any respect.

 

[VintageHawkeye]

If he wins the Rose Bowl or we go to the National Championship game he is #1 on the list.

Another BCS bowl win I'd say #2.

"we"??
You're a clone.

 

[CoolRunnin66]

You certainly CAN use Bowl Wins. While there are many more bowls there are only so many top tier bowls, of which Rick's played in two and has won two. If you can't count an Orange Bowl and an Outback Bowl, what can be counted?

Wins are important, very important. However, to put an indelible mark on his legacy he's got to have some stats and some post season honors to put with those dubs. Otherwise, years from now, he'll be a footnote in this chapter of Iowa Football rather than a chapter in Iowa Football. Having said that, win an NC or play for an NC and it' doesn't matter.

 

[HawkAttack]

Right now he's definitely not in my top 5 -- in order from best to worst:

Long
Duncan
Hartlieb
Tate
Rodgers

Stanzi, Ploen, Banks are in that 2nd group. If he cuts his INTs in half and performs well in another BCS Bowl I'd put Stanzi in at #3. He benefits more from an incredible defense than the others in my top 5 so I can't give him all the credit for his high winning %.


Kinnick and Devine played in eras where they were more like RBs so I discount them for this list of QBs.

 

[WarHawk05]

Has anybody mentioned that Chuck Long is in the College Football Hall of Fame?

No disrespect to Rick but that's something he won't achieve even if he and Iowa have another magical season.

Who would you rather have starting at quarterback, Brad Banks or Rick Stanzi? Then you'll realize what kind of a question you're asking.

 

[whammer33024]

i'd rather put the game on ricky's shoulders than brad banks

i realize the question asked and i answered it

 

[homerHAWKeye777]

There is no way Stanzi replaces Long for #1 unless he has an almost error free season and puts up ridiculous numbers IMHO.

Our offense was not stellar to be sure last year. It was primarily our defense that won our games. Stanzi's pick 6's and other stats just does not bring him near Chuck Long.

If you are truly talking about best Iowa QB of all time Stanzi's stats just don't measure up.

Now if he could put up awesome #'s, win B10 conference and get us to BCS or NCG, that could sway my opinion, but his stats would have to back that up.

trapperjon -

I think that folks are forgetting how comparatively few bowls were out there during Long's era. All the same, Long led Iowa to 3 bowl games ... including 1 Rose Bowl game. Big 10 championships are one of the truest measures of success ... and, to that end, Stanzi has yet to garner one of those.

I do believe that Stanzi will go down as one of the great Hawkeye QBs. If he can lead Iowa to a 3rd career bowl victory ... that will earn him his own niche. However, unless it is a Rose Bowl victory ... it will be hard for Stanzi to truly deserve comparison to Long.

Of course, to those who remarked about Stanzi's picks ... there I recommend that you look back to Long's performance in the '83 Gator bowl and get back to us on that!

 

[whammer33024]

homer, does it have to be a rose bowl or can we get a W in glendale and still be able to compare him to long?

 

[homerHAWKeye777]

homer, does it have to be a rose bowl or can we get a W in glendale and still be able to compare him to long?

And I think that you know the answer to that question!

 

[trj]

Man, is this subjective.......Unless this upcoming season is a trainwreck, you would have to put stanzi up there just by the sheer number of W's.

Chuck Long was probably the most prolific QB in Iowa History......But Vlasic had a better skill set and much better NFL career. You could very well have the same scenario with Vandenburg and Stanzi.

Trying to remember C. Hartlieb's career beyond the stats......he threw a lot ducks that got completed, the 54 pass attempt game against who I can't recall. Smart guy, good leader was some of his intangibles, don't quite remember him being the pure passer jon and others do. Seem like he had like 20 brothers and they all played Div-1 football.....Had a little bit of that Rick Barry thing going on........For a 8-10 year period seemed like there was a Hartlieb playing D-1 football somewhere. I would put him on the same plane as Matt Rodgers.

 

[EastLosRandy]

I'm sorry, folks. I'm a big Stanzi fanzi, but he can lead us to the BC$ Championship and Long would still be Iowa's greatest QB of all time.

Chuck Long WAS our offense for four years in a row. Stanzi's had the benefit of playing with the greatest RB in Hawkeye history and quite possibly the TWO greatest WRs in Hawkeye history.

Long put opponents away with his passing. We scored 48 points or more 11 times with Chuck "3rd and" Long at the helm. Stanzi, though it pains me to say it, has kept opponents IN the game with his passing. (Arizona, Arkansas State, Michigan, Georgia Tech)

Iowa had some solid defenses during Long's career, but nothing that compares to the "six seconds of hell" generated by Clayborn, Angerer and company.

Ricky's had some memorable 4th quarter performances, but I would also ask people to consider Chuck's 1985 performances against MSU, Purdue, and especially Michigan.

Stats aren't everything, but I encourage people to take a close look at Chuck Long's stats. They are astonishing. And historically speaking, Chuck Long put Iowa football back on the map. Just ask Hayden.

None of this means that I am anything but giddy with excitement about Stanzi and the Hawkeyes in 2010.

 

[ddiction]

Really? Where have you been the past 50 years? Quarterbacks are ALWAYS measured by wins. That's why Marino will never be considered the greatest quarterback to play the game, because he never won the big one. When was the last time we heard someone say Deion Sanders was the best cornerback of all time because he won Super Bowls with the Cowboys? Now how many times has it been said because he was simply the best to ever play the position?

Mainly by people who do not want to take the time to learn about the other factors involved in the team's success or lack thereof.

 

[homerHAWKeye777]

I'm sorry, folks. I'm a big Stanzi fanzi, but he can lead us to the BC$ Championship and Long would still be Iowa's greatest QB of all time.

Chuck Long WAS our offense for four years in a row. Stanzi's had the benefit of playing with the greatest RB in Hawkeye history and quite possibly the TWO greatest WRs in Hawkeye history.

EastLosRandy -

Ronnie Harmon might beg to differ. Ronnie accounted for over 1850 yards in 1985 and he was also a significant contributer before that too. You have to recall that Harmon along accounted for nearly 1500 yards of Chuck's career passing yards ... that's one hell of an outlet man.

 

[hawkifan74]

A huge Hawkeye season and Stanzi will be #1 all-time in by book. He might not have Chuck Long stats, the appeal of Brad Banks, but he could be the ONLY Iowa QB in the hitsory of the program to have 3 Bowl wins as well as two top 10 finishes.

IF Iowa goes to a BCS bowl or wins a big 10 title, Ricky will be #1 in my book. Nothing beats wins at the end of the day and despite Ricky struggling at times we found out last season what leadership and his huddle presence is...he is a born leader and I would take that any day of the week.

2010 kickoff cannot get here soon enough!

You're killing me! Chuck Long was the greatest quarterback of all time at Iowa. If you were picking your starting line-ups, out of any quartback that Iowa has ever had, you mean to tell me you'd pick Ricky Stanzi? Please....

 

[GoHawks24]

Really? Where have you been the past 50 years? Quarterbacks are ALWAYS measured by wins. That's why Marino will never be considered the greatest quarterback to play the game, because he never won the big one. When was the last time we heard someone say Deion Sanders was the best cornerback of all time because he won Super Bowls with the Cowboys? Now how many times has it been said because he was simply the best to ever play the position?

So Stanzi may well go down as the winningest QB in school history, and that will be enough to put him in the discussion as one of the best. And while they were "team" victories, that's not the point. When a team wins, QB's take the credit, when they lose, they take all the blame. They rarely warrant all the credit or blame, but they get it.

Trent Dilfer would laugh right in your face if you told him that.

 

[whammer33024]

yeah i'm not one of those guys who thinks wins are the only thing that measure the success of a qb.

let me ask you this...who is the greatest nfl qb of all time?

brett favre-holds most of the records, only has one ring
tom brady-3 rings and not much else to speak of
dan marino-had most of bretts records, no rings
joe montana-awesome and 4(i believe) rings
terry bradshaw-not that great but got 4 rings
peyton manning-will probably break most of brett's records, but only has one ring

this is not a cut and dry argument and its something we could all debate til the day we die. i just hope slingin dick goes out there and at least gives us a reason to debate it after this year

 

[tm3308]

Trent Dilfer would laugh right in your face if you told him that.

I should have been clearer. QB's like Dilfer won't get a ton of credit (but he also only has one ring), but QB's like Marino and Manning (before he got a ring) will always get knocked for not winning the big one. So I guess it's sort of like in baseball when they say you can't win the pennant in June, but you sure can lose it. The ring isn't EVERYTHING if you have it, but it's a fatal flaw if you don't.

And I'm not a proponent of judging QB's like that. It's just the reality of the world we live in. If Manning never won a Super Bowl, he'd still be the best QB I ever saw play, and it's not even close. I don't go strictly by stats, either. Favre may hold all the records, but he's not the best QB ever. He's had a long career, and he's got the record for INT's as well as TD's. He's a gunslinger, and that's why so many people love watching him. But gunslingers rarely get considered the greatest ever. Which is EXACTLY why I don't see Stanzi ever going down as the #1 QB in school history. Chuck Long has a vice grip on that spot, and won't ever give it up. If Brad Banks had 4 years here, 3 of which as a starter, MAYBE he could have done it. But that's it. Tate never had a shot, and neither does Stanzi, even though I love watching the guy play.