Iowa cornerbacks looking forward to challenge of facing Josh Allen
By Tyler Devine
IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Iowa football team’s season opener against Wyoming on Saturday already was a challenge on paper due simply to Josh Allen's presence at quarterback for the Cowboys.
But that was before Iowa free safety Brandon Snyder suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the spring and before sophomore cornerback Manny Rugamba was suspended for one game for violating a team policy.
The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Allen is considered by many as a top five pick in next year’s NFL draft and will provide an early test for an Iowa secondary that only has 24 combined starts, 23 of which are by senior strong safety Miles Taylor.
Junior cornerback Josh Jackson, who accounts for the other career start, is looking forward to the challenge of playing against Allen.
“I think he’s a really good quarterback,” Jackson said. “He’s smart, takes chances. I think he’s definitely everything they’re comparing him to be so I’m excited and I think the defense is excited. We have to come out and play our keys and just play tough, smart, physical. I’m excited to play against him and just play against a top-notch quarterback.”
Allen is known mostly for his passing prowess, but he hardly is a one-trick pony. In addition to passing for 3,203 yards and 28 touchdowns last year, Allen also rushed for 523 yards and seven touchdowns.
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz sees similarities between Allen former Miami (Ohio) quarterback Ben Roethislberger, who has won two Super Bowls as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Roethlisberger played against Iowa three times in college from 2001 to 2003.
"I think two things; probably the last time we had a challenge, you guys probably know better than I, but I think back to 2003 when Roethlisberger was playing here as a senior, third straight year we had played against him," Ferentz said Tuesday. "Obviously, a very accomplished player. We were fortunate that day, but they won out the rest of the way, and he kept winning in Pittsburgh and still is winning.
"So you kind of look at it as a challenge like that, and then the other part of the equation I think with Wyoming is that they're a very diverse, balanced team. They ran for over 200 a game, threw for over 200 a game, so it's not like they're just a one-dimensional football team, which puts a lot of pressure on you defensively."
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Despite only having one start under his belt, the 6-foot-1, 192-pound Jackson is not short on experience. He saw action in 12 games last season and in 14 games in 2015. Jackson is using his experience to help prepare the younger defensive backs, including sophomore Michael Ojemudia, who will start for Ragamba on Saturday.
“We’ve all gotten adjusted during fall camp so it’s really just we’re leaning on the older guys to let them get us started,” Jackson said. “It’s just about coming out and playing what you’ve been doing during fall camp and spring ball and summertime.
“Being an older guy you have to get everybody on the same level. You have to come in with a different attitude, there’s no slacking off. You have to come in with a mindset to get better and push the younger guys to help them get better. It’s more of a mature role obviously and I think we have to just come to work everyday and the young guys are looking to follow so I think that’s the main thing being a leader at your position.
“We have Miles, Brandon Snyder, Jake Gervase and O.J. (sophomore cornerback Michael Ojemudia), so we’re all considered older guys so the younger guys are looking to us and looking how we practice. The way we practice kind of sets the tempo for everybody else.”
The 6-2, 200-pound Ojemudia considers Saturday as an opportunity for he and the young cornerbacks to prove they belong against a talented quarterback.
“It’s a good opportunity for me, for all of us,” Ojemudia said. “There’s a lot of new names stepping on the field so it’s an opportunity to just see what we got and prove ourselves. Especially this quarterback. He’s a really good quarterback and they have a lot of different schemes so it’s going to take a lot of focus to play well in this game.
“He’s got a really big arm. He’s really mobile. He’s pretty dynamic, he makes good decisions even on the run so it’s going to be hard to play against this guy.”
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Iowa's defensive backs will have the luxury of playing with a veteran group of senior linebackers, led by preseason All-America candidate Josey Jewell, who will make his 31st consecutive start on Saturday.
Jewell was asked on Tuesday about facing Allen and the challenges that come with it.
"I guess we'll find out Saturday how good he is," Jewell said. "But right now, we're preparing like he's a normal guy and like a normal team."