Motigerhawk
Well-Known Member
Are you high? That guy singlehandedly ran contain for the defense to cover up weakness at LB. He ripped USC's QB's shoulder and put us in a spot of assuring a guaranteed win in that game. He drew a bunch of doubles that freed up the rest of the defense. He forced teams to gameplan to the other side. The kid was a generationally talented ball player at Iowa and I don't want to say he was the best DE in the Ferentz era, but I would have a helluva time picking between him, Roth and Clayborn for the best. I guess I'd maybe put Clayborn #1 because of that game against GA Tech where he shut down half of the field. That was the best single performance by a Hawkeye defender in the past 20 years, but when Clayborn was confronted with a mediocre LB class in 2010 and was asked to take a bigger role, I don't think he was as good at that role as Epenesa was.
Looking at his stats, I would say that was the quietest great year I have seen.
BUT, I think we replace him. Maybe not the stats he put up, but the overall production of this D line will be outstanding.
I think this D line as a unit will be better than last year. I wish AJ was back though.