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Only two games into the 2013 season it seems the Iowa Hawkeyes are who we thought they were – an average at best team. It’s hard to remember a less impressive victory than Saturday’s 28-14 win over Missouri State. It’s not that Iowa played terribly, it’s just that they didn’t look like a Big Ten team should when playing an inferior team like the Bears. A win is a win and the Hawkeyes finally ended their seven-game losing streak, but not without further fans’ doubt about the upcoming season.
You can point to a lot things that Iowa didn’t do well. But for now, I’m going to focus on one of the few positives – first-year quarterback Jake Rudock. Sure, he didn’t throw any touchdown passes and he once again tossed a horrible interception, but the young signal-caller is showing some encouraging signs. He seems to have a good sixth-sense in the pocket and an ability to avoid pressure. He knows when to pull it down and run, which is something Hawkeye fans haven’t been able to say about a quarterback since the days of Brad Banks.
If you told Hawkeye fans back in March that their starting QB would have three rushing touchdowns just two games into the 2013 season, they would have laughed in your face. It’s just not something that happens at Iowa under Kirk Ferentz. But that, along with the new up-tempo offense, should encourage fans somewhat moving forward in what figures to be a difficult season.
You can bet that if the Hawkeyes are fortunate enough to pull out a win against rival Iowa State this Saturday, it will be a result of riding the legs of Rudock and Mark Weisman all game long.
Related:
Iowa Hawkeyes: Winning Wasn’t Enough Against Missouri State
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