Running back James Butler out through the bye week with an arm injury
By Pat Harty
IOWA CITY, Iowa – James Butler's only season as a member of the Iowa football team just got shorter.
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said in his Sunday conversation that Butler likely will be out through the bye week on Oct. 14 because of an arm injury that he suffered against North Texas. That would have Butler missing this coming Saturday's game against Penn State at Kinnick Stadium, along with the Sept. 30th game at Michigan State and the Oct. 7th game against Illinois at Kinnick Stadium.
A graduate transfer from Nevada, Butler has served as Akrum Wadley's backup in the first three games. Butler is second on the team in rushing behind Wadley with 158 yards on 36 carries.
Wadley also suffered a leg injury in Saturday's 31-14 victory over North Texas, but Ferentz said to the media after the game that he didn't think the injury was serious.
Butler's injury could mean more opportunities for redshirt freshman running back Toren Young and for true freshman running back Ivory Kelly-Martin. Young led Iowa in rushing against North Texas with 78 yards, while Kelly-Martin wasn't far behind with 74 yards.
Butler transferred to Iowa after graduating from Nevada, where he rushed for over 3,000 yards over the previous three seasons.