I plan to “empty the notebook” from the Outback Bowl and will pop in between recruiting updates with stuff that’s mostly looking ahead, kind of a spring football primer (it’s only 2 1/2 months away, people).
It’s not all that crazy of a notion.
He’ll be a junior next season. He’s seen just about everything he needed to see in 13 games this season. He conducted a game-winning drive against the then-No. 3 team in the country. He shook off a few turnovers in that game that would’ve crushed a weak-willed first-year starter. Bottomline, when he didn’t turn the ball over — he had eight in Iowa’s three Big Ten losses — the Hawkeyes won.
Of course, he’ll be without Shonn Greene and two of Iowa’s best O-linemen this season (Rob Bruggeman and Seth Olsen).
“Shonn’s been the leader all year,” Stanzi said after the Outback. “We really respect him. Everyone loves playing with him because he’s such a humble guy. He really works hard. We’ll definitely miss him.”
But he’ll have a season under his belt, the guts of what could be a decent running game and receiving corps that’ll be led by DJK and Tony Moeaki (everyone knock on wood now).
Whether or not this becomes “Stanzi’s offense” is certainly up for grabs. He’ll face some competition from a pair of freshmen, James Vandenberg and John Wienke. Every coach asked said the right things about their redshirt seasons. But it’s a notion worth entertaining.
Can Stanzi move away from “game manager” to “game commander”?
“As far as it being my team, I still have a lot of work to do and a lot of respect to earn,” Stanzi said. “That’s where I’m at right now. We had a good season. I’m just going to keep trying to improve. That’s all I can do right now.”
Stanzi’s final numbers were 150 of 254 (59 percent) for 1,956, 14 TDs, nine interceptions and a 134.84.
EDIT: This is as good a place as any to talk Jake Christensen. He’d be a senior next season if he returns. Who knows on that.
I tried to talk to Jake at beach day in Tampa. He very politely said he wanted to keep to himself. I understood that and just said I wanted to touch base. He was very cordial and classy, just as he’s been from the day I met him.
There are some rumors around that some goodbyes were said at “Howl at the Moon,” a piano bar chain, but I didn’t hear those, so I don’t know.
Ferentz said this in late November:
“When it’s appropriate, we’ll sit down and talk about what’s the next step and where to go from there,” Ferentz said. “We touched on that six or eight weeks ago.
“We had a conversation. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

What will become of Jake Christensen? A transfer waiting to happen?
By: mike on January 5, 2009
at 11:26 PM
I tried to talk to Jake at beach day in Tampa. He very politely said he wanted to keep to himself. I understand that and just said I wanted to touch base.
There are some rumors around that some goodbyes were said at “Howl at the Moon,” a piano bar chain, but I didn’t hear those.
Ferentz said this in late November:
“When it’s appropriate, we’ll sit down and talk about what’s the next step and where to go from there,” Ferentz said. “We touched on that six or eight weeks ago.
“We had a conversation. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”
Thanks for asking, Mike. I should’ve mentioned this above.
By: marcmwm on January 6, 2009
at 12:48 AM
I thought RS looked great against USC, very poised on the 1st three third down situations. He really did a good job in the month of practice before the game.
He has all the tools and if he keeps it up he’ll be very good for the next two years.
Good luck to Jake if he leaves though it seems silly to me. I understand he wants to play but it’s not going to lead to anything once his eligibility is done. Unfortunately, he was woefully overrated out of HS no matter what he did with the elite 11 and all of that crap.
Jake is a perfect example of why I don’t care what a kid in HS did and until they prove it at Kinnick their stats are irrelevant.
By: EP on January 6, 2009
at 6:32 AM
What are the rules if Jake decides to transfer? Does he have to sit out a year? Does he lose any eligibility?
By: MF on January 6, 2009
at 7:45 AM
E — I’m with you. I have trouble with the “hype” of recruiting. I’m not saying anyone who covers the Hawkeyes does that. I think everyone I know sticks to the facts, what a kid has done, what Iowa might see in him. But the star system brings a set of expectations that are tough to live up to. Consider the last few five-star kids to show up in Iowa City, Larsen, Doering and I might be forgetting a few. Iowa gets so few of the hyped of the hype that I think the expectations these kids face at Iowa are even more overblown.
MF — He would have to go to a FCS school OR another FBS school if he graduates and that school has the MA program he wants and Iowa doesn’t. I think that’s how that works.
By: marcmwm on January 6, 2009
at 10:25 AM
[…] Shonn Greene gone, Iowa’s offense will be the hands of quarterback Ricky Stanzi, The Gazette’s Marc Morehouse writes in his blog. […]
By: Big Ten lunch links: OSU regains some respect | Big 10 Insider - Big Ten Sports Team News, Schedules, Scores & More! on January 6, 2009
at 12:05 PM
[…] Shonn Greene gone, Iowa’s offense will be the hands of quarterback Ricky Stanzi, The Gazette’s Marc Morehouse writes in his […]
By: Big Ten lunch links: OSU regains some respect | BucksInsider.com - Ohio State Buckeyes News, Videos, Schedules & More on January 6, 2009
at 12:40 PM
[…] https://marcmwm.wordpress.com/2009/01/05/stanzis-offense/ […]
By: Spring ahead (links made easy) « On Iowa on March 5, 2009
at 11:25 AM