Brian Ferentz is determined to run the ball with Toren Young and Mekhi Sargent leading the way
By Pat Harty
IOWA CITY, Iowa – My biggest takeaway from Tuesday’s press conference with Brian Ferentz is that he is determined to re-establish the Iowa football team’s running game.
He is wise to take that approach because it is easy to forget with all of the hype surrounding offensive tackles Alaric Jackson and Tristan Wirfs that Iowa only averaged 148.4 rushing yards per game last season.
That is mediocre at best, and yet, the Hawkeyes still managed to finish 9-4 last season despite having an inconsistent ground game.
“I think if you’re going to win football games you need a consistent running game, period,” Brian Ferentz said to the media after practice on Tuesday. “And we’re trying to win more than nine games, so we’re definitely going to need a consistent running game.
“That’s been an area of focus since 1999 and I don’t think anybody would tell you that we don’t feel like we fell short of that the last two years. So certainly we need to get that thing established right out of the gate.”
Iowa has long been considered one of the Big Ten’s top running teams under head coach Kirk Ferentz, who is Brian Ferentz's father. But that perception is sort of misleading. Iowa finished ninth in the conference in rushing last season and was held to a minus-15 rushing yards in the 27-22 victory over Mississippi State in the Outback bowl.
“There’s just a lot more that goes into the running game than pointing the finger at one position group or one guy,” said Brian Ferentz, who is entering his third season as Iowa's offensive coordinator. “What we need, and it comes down to the play caller, too, right. Are we building the offense? Are we doing things that give us a good clean situation to run the football from time to time?
“So it’s everybody, and I think we’re making strides. But we’ll know a lot more here in whatever it is, eleven days or something. I don’t know, but it’s coming up fast.”
Brian Ferentz was referring to Iowa’s season opener against Miami of Ohio on Aug. 31 at Kinnick Stadium.
Juniors Mekhi Sargent and Toren Young have separated from the pack at running back, while fellow junior Ivory Kelly-Martin is finally healthy and also pushing for playing time in a crowded backfield.
Kelly-Martin started the season opener last season, and six games overall, but he has since been passed on the depth chart by Sargent and Young.
Incoming freshmen Tyler Goodson and Shadrick Byrd are also competing for playing time, but it won’t come easy with three established juniors ahead of them.
“I think we want to play all those guys, but right now, if you look at where we’re at, Mekhi and Toren have probably separated themselves, which is not unexpected,” Brian Ferentz said. “That’s what we were talking about going into camp. They’ve solidified that. They’ve done a nice job. I think both guys bring a real individual unique skill set in some ways.
“Toren Young is running the ball as good as he ever has. He’s a tempo setter, and Mekhi is kind of a Jack of all trades, a little bit of a utility knife. So what we have to do is do a good job of doing a balancing act there to try and make sure that those are certainly two of our best players. Let’s keep them involved in what we’re doing offensively and we may need to look at some personnel groups where we utilize both of those guys at the same time.”
Sargent performed well down the stretch last season and led Iowa in rushing with 745 yards and nine touchdowns, while Young finished with 637 yards and five touchdowns.
Kelly-Martin appeared in nine games last season and rushed for 341 yards on 97 attempts. His biggest problem is that he just couldn’t stay healthy.
“I think he’s done a nice job,” Brian Ferentz said of Kelly-Martin. “But to me when I look at it there’s still a clear one and two. But when you have a guy like Ivory that’s pushing and in that mix, the first thing I would say is he’s been able to be out there the whole time. And that’s been a big step for him. That’s what he hasn’t been able to do. So he’s improving every day and he’s making a push to certainly be in that conversation.”
And while Young and Sargent are clearly the top two running backs at this stage, Brian Ferentz is pleased with the depth at the position. Brian declined to say how much Goodson and Byrd might play this season, instead leaving that to his father.
“I don’t want to sound like, hey, we’ve got two guys and after that it’s no good,” Brian Ferentz said. “And then we have two young guys, and I know the head coach will hit more on this, but boy, they’ve shown some things, too, that I think are pretty impressive.
“So I feel pretty good about that situation, but you’re always cautiously optimistic about that situation because that’s a position where things could change very quickly.”
As for Jackson and Wirfs, the hype surrounding them continues to grow thanks to the media, although, Brian Ferentz tried to temper expectations on Tuesday after being asked where they rank among Iowa's best offensive tackles.
“What I know is we have two good players coming back there, but it’s kind of like everything else," Brian Ferentz said. "But I’m interested in what guys do on Saturday and not what we’re writing about. Not who’s freak and who can do this and who can do that. I want to know who lines up and plays football on Saturdays and that’s what these guys need to do right now. We need to stop talking about everything we’re going to do and we need to do it.”
The hype surrounding Jackson and Wirfs does seem a bit premature considering neither has made first-team All-Big Ten at this stage.
Wirfs has become a media obsession due partly to his record-breaking performance in the weight room. However, the Mount Vernon native only made honorable mention all-Big Ten last season, so it makes sense that Brian Ferentz would try to temper expectations.
Brian Ferentz also touched on the progress being made by several other players on offense, including receiver Oliver Martin, who is waiting for the NCAA to rule on his appeal to play this season.
Martin, a 2017 graduate of Iowa City West, transferred to Iowa this summer after having played the previous two seasons for Michigan.
“I think he’s much more in that mold of a versatile guy, and a guy that you don’t want to pigeon hole,” Brian Ferentz said. “He can play outside and he can play inside. He’s a good short-area quickness guy, but he does a real nice job on some vertical type routs and tracking the ball down the field and doing those types of things. He’s more of a utility guy.”
Brian Ferentz also spoke highly of redshirt freshman and Solon native Tyler Linderbaum, who appears to be firmly entrenched as the starting center after switching from defensive tackle last December.
Rafael Eubanks is the last freshman to start at center for Iowa in 2006.
“I would just say this; the fact that we’re not sitting here talking about him I think is a real positive thing,” Brian Ferentz said of Linderbaum. “When I look at the experience I’ve had in coaching with first-year centers, the fact that it’s not a big storyline I think is a positive. So he’s got to continue to grow. But he is first-year guy and there are things that happen every day, so he’s learning and he’s growing.
“There is only one way for growth to occur and usually it comes through some hard knocks and some adversity and not getting everything right. And that’s part of the process. So we’ve seen all that and he’s checking all those boxes, and to me that’s a real positive.”
Junior receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette also drew praise from Brian Ferentz, not only for being more consistent on the field, but also for his attitude and leadership during preseason camp.
Smith-Marsette led the Big Ten and finished second nationally in kick returns last season with a 29.5 average on 24 returns. But he also struggled with consistency as a receiver.
“He’s been as impressive a guy as we have on our roster right now, just when you talk about growth and maturity” Brian Ferentz said. “Skill set is not an issue.
“Good guy. Good player. Good teammate. All those things. But developing that attitude of playing the next play and trying to build on things and taking care of the football and making the smart plays and doing those things, absolutely, I couldn’t be more pleased with the growth that he has shown.”