JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
A message board poster (iowahawkeyes89, linked here) brought up this topic on Sunday, and it’s a topic that is being bandied about throughout the Hawkeye Nation, water coolers and more:
Will the 2010 defensive line be the best in school history?
As I posted on the message boards, it’s tough to answer questions like these because none of us has seen every Iowa defensive line in history. The number of people that use this message board that saw Evachevski’s defensive lines in the 1950’s is relatively small. The number of people that saw the line of the Ironmen in the late 1930’s that are on this board are microscopic.
I try to look back at things that I have been witness to in my lifetime, and my cognizant memory of Iowa football begins with the 1981 season…I know, that’s pretty convenient, but I was 10 years old that fall, in the 4th grade. I remember bits and pieces of that season, more pieces than bits in fact. Enough memory to recall the names and good enough with technology to go to the places to find the information that still exists about those teams.
In my opinion, the 1981 Iowa defense is the standard.
Points Allowed: 13.0/game, #9 all time and the best mark after 1960
Rushing Yards Allowed: 79.7/game & just 2.4 per rushing attempt, both school records
Passing Defense: 21 passes intercepted to just seven touchdowns allowed
Total Defense: 232.5, 4th best in school history and the best mark after 1957.
Turnovers gained: 36
To help put these numbers into a bit of perspective, you have to think back to the game of college football through the decades…Iowa’s Hayden Fry and Illinois coach Mike White ushered in a new era of Big Ten football, namely the copious usage of the passing game. There had been some passing teams in the league before those two programs opened it up with regularity, but they were few and far between. The game of football was mostly won or lost on the ground up until the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. In 1981, it was still pretty much a ground game in the league, so to put up rushing defensive totals like that group did is mind boggling. We are talking about school records here in arguably the most dominant statistic there is in all of football; stopping the run.
Also, the points allowed per game that season, which include the bowl game (28-0 loss to Washington) are phenomenal, because there were plenty of years in older era’s where points were hard to come by due to the nature of the game of football.
That group was unreal, to put it bluntly and accurately. It was Iowa’s own version of the Steel Curtain at the same time the Pittsburgh Steelers were using that nickname for their defense.
The 2002 Iowa defense, perhaps the most intimidating group of my lifetime, is #2 on the all time list related to rushing yards allowed per game at 81.9. The 2004 defense, which is my pick for the best front four of the Ferentz era to date, is 3rd on that list at 92.5. The 2003 Iowa defense is #4 all time at 92.7 (Jared Clauss & Howard Hodges started on the #2 and #4 ranked rushing defenses). The 2008 Iowa defense is #5 on that list, at 94.0 per game.
Hey, even I am sharp enough to notice a theme here; four of the ten best run stopping units in Iowa history have come in the last eight years. Norm Parker deserves a raise.
The 2008 Iowa defense tied with the 1981 defense in allowing 13.0 points per game, and they also played one more game than the 1981 squad. That’s a part of the reason why I wrote last year that the 2008 Iowa defense was the most statistically dominant Iowa defense since that 1981 squad.
Last year’s Iowa defense was one of the best in the nation, ranking 10th in total defense. However, it was a rather ho-hum 34th in the nation against the run (123 yards per game) which means it allowed more than the 2001 Iowa defense did on the ground. However, last year’s secondary was probably the most talented in pass coverage of any Iowa defense of the Ferentz era. Last year’s defense had 21 picks, tying the 1981 mark. Last year’s defense was 10th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 15.3 points per game. Take away the four pick sixes that Rick Stanzi threw, plus the fumble by Stanzi in the endzone against Northwestern, and the 2008 group allowed just 12.69 per game, which would have moved it ahead of the 1981 & 2008 teams…but I cannot recall how many similar points were put on the board for those squads.
This brings us to this year’s Iowa defensive line…can they be the best ever? Will they be better than the 2004 group of Roth, Babineaux, Robinson and Leubke? Will they be better than the 2002 version of Clauss, Cole, Hodges and Babineaux (who was later injured that year). Will they be better than the 2008 group of King, Kroul, Clayborn and Ballard?
Adrian Clayborn is already being talked about as a Top Five NFL draft pick for 2011 and is going to be a first team preseason All American in any publication that is legitimate. Broderick Binns has been named to the preseason Lombardi watch list, and he might be the 4th best of the front four…which is not an insult by any stretch. Christian Ballard will be a three year starter, and his best defensive tackle days are ahead of him, as he moved from end to tackle before the start of last season. Norm Parker has referred to Karl Klug in the same breath as the likes of Matt Roth, Mitch King and Matt Kroul and recently said that if we were talking about a street fight, he’s not so sure that Klug wouldn’t whoop everybody.
Just how well this front does against the run this year will go a long way in defining their place in Iowa football history, and that of course will be aided by the linebackers behind them. Another factor will be how much success the 2010 team has on the whole.
The 1981, 2002 and 2004 Iowa teams were Big Ten Champions. The 2008 team lost four games by a grand total of 12 points. The 2003 team won 10 games and a January Bowl game. The 2009 team won 11 games and a BCS bowl game, the first BCS bowl win since the 1950’s.
We are talking about all time teams here…the anticipation for the 2010 season might be the most since the 1985 season, which was another Big Ten title team and one of the three best in school history.
It’s going to be tough for any defense to top the 1981 version, but today’s game is a different game and it’s unfair to compare statistics. Just win, and the accolades will come
Will the 2010 defensive line be the best in school history?
As I posted on the message boards, it’s tough to answer questions like these because none of us has seen every Iowa defensive line in history. The number of people that use this message board that saw Evachevski’s defensive lines in the 1950’s is relatively small. The number of people that saw the line of the Ironmen in the late 1930’s that are on this board are microscopic.
I try to look back at things that I have been witness to in my lifetime, and my cognizant memory of Iowa football begins with the 1981 season…I know, that’s pretty convenient, but I was 10 years old that fall, in the 4th grade. I remember bits and pieces of that season, more pieces than bits in fact. Enough memory to recall the names and good enough with technology to go to the places to find the information that still exists about those teams.
In my opinion, the 1981 Iowa defense is the standard.
Points Allowed: 13.0/game, #9 all time and the best mark after 1960
Rushing Yards Allowed: 79.7/game & just 2.4 per rushing attempt, both school records
Passing Defense: 21 passes intercepted to just seven touchdowns allowed
Total Defense: 232.5, 4th best in school history and the best mark after 1957.
Turnovers gained: 36
To help put these numbers into a bit of perspective, you have to think back to the game of college football through the decades…Iowa’s Hayden Fry and Illinois coach Mike White ushered in a new era of Big Ten football, namely the copious usage of the passing game. There had been some passing teams in the league before those two programs opened it up with regularity, but they were few and far between. The game of football was mostly won or lost on the ground up until the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. In 1981, it was still pretty much a ground game in the league, so to put up rushing defensive totals like that group did is mind boggling. We are talking about school records here in arguably the most dominant statistic there is in all of football; stopping the run.
Also, the points allowed per game that season, which include the bowl game (28-0 loss to Washington) are phenomenal, because there were plenty of years in older era’s where points were hard to come by due to the nature of the game of football.
That group was unreal, to put it bluntly and accurately. It was Iowa’s own version of the Steel Curtain at the same time the Pittsburgh Steelers were using that nickname for their defense.
The 2002 Iowa defense, perhaps the most intimidating group of my lifetime, is #2 on the all time list related to rushing yards allowed per game at 81.9. The 2004 defense, which is my pick for the best front four of the Ferentz era to date, is 3rd on that list at 92.5. The 2003 Iowa defense is #4 all time at 92.7 (Jared Clauss & Howard Hodges started on the #2 and #4 ranked rushing defenses). The 2008 Iowa defense is #5 on that list, at 94.0 per game.
Hey, even I am sharp enough to notice a theme here; four of the ten best run stopping units in Iowa history have come in the last eight years. Norm Parker deserves a raise.
The 2008 Iowa defense tied with the 1981 defense in allowing 13.0 points per game, and they also played one more game than the 1981 squad. That’s a part of the reason why I wrote last year that the 2008 Iowa defense was the most statistically dominant Iowa defense since that 1981 squad.
Last year’s Iowa defense was one of the best in the nation, ranking 10th in total defense. However, it was a rather ho-hum 34th in the nation against the run (123 yards per game) which means it allowed more than the 2001 Iowa defense did on the ground. However, last year’s secondary was probably the most talented in pass coverage of any Iowa defense of the Ferentz era. Last year’s defense had 21 picks, tying the 1981 mark. Last year’s defense was 10th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 15.3 points per game. Take away the four pick sixes that Rick Stanzi threw, plus the fumble by Stanzi in the endzone against Northwestern, and the 2008 group allowed just 12.69 per game, which would have moved it ahead of the 1981 & 2008 teams…but I cannot recall how many similar points were put on the board for those squads.
This brings us to this year’s Iowa defensive line…can they be the best ever? Will they be better than the 2004 group of Roth, Babineaux, Robinson and Leubke? Will they be better than the 2002 version of Clauss, Cole, Hodges and Babineaux (who was later injured that year). Will they be better than the 2008 group of King, Kroul, Clayborn and Ballard?
Adrian Clayborn is already being talked about as a Top Five NFL draft pick for 2011 and is going to be a first team preseason All American in any publication that is legitimate. Broderick Binns has been named to the preseason Lombardi watch list, and he might be the 4th best of the front four…which is not an insult by any stretch. Christian Ballard will be a three year starter, and his best defensive tackle days are ahead of him, as he moved from end to tackle before the start of last season. Norm Parker has referred to Karl Klug in the same breath as the likes of Matt Roth, Mitch King and Matt Kroul and recently said that if we were talking about a street fight, he’s not so sure that Klug wouldn’t whoop everybody.
Just how well this front does against the run this year will go a long way in defining their place in Iowa football history, and that of course will be aided by the linebackers behind them. Another factor will be how much success the 2010 team has on the whole.
The 1981, 2002 and 2004 Iowa teams were Big Ten Champions. The 2008 team lost four games by a grand total of 12 points. The 2003 team won 10 games and a January Bowl game. The 2009 team won 11 games and a BCS bowl game, the first BCS bowl win since the 1950’s.
We are talking about all time teams here…the anticipation for the 2010 season might be the most since the 1985 season, which was another Big Ten title team and one of the three best in school history.
It’s going to be tough for any defense to top the 1981 version, but today’s game is a different game and it’s unfair to compare statistics. Just win, and the accolades will come
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