Special Teams' Emphasis Key for Iowa

Hawkeyes Valuing Phase Leads to Success

Iowa's Terry Roberts. (Rob Howe/HawkeyeNation.com)

IOWA CITY, Iowa - LeVar Woods went deep into the archives when the Iowa football team installed kickoff coverage for the first time on August 12.

The Hawkeyes’ special teams coordinator found some video from 2005, when Iowa led the nation in kickoff coverage. One of the special teams players in those clips was Shonn Greene.

Three seasons later, Greene was a consensus all-American running back and winner of the Doak Walker Award after rushing for more than 100 yards in every game. But Greene’s first significant action in an Iowa uniform came on special teams back in 2005.

Ask Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz about special teams, and he’ll bring up four-year lettermen Zach Gabelmann (2003-2006) and Amani Jones (2016-2019).

“You don’t have to be a starter to contribute on special teams,” Ferentz said. “Both Zach and Amani had one start in their careers, but were really dynamic special teams players. We try to make our players understand that.”

For some players, special teams is their first taste of significant minutes in a college game.

“It really starts on special teams,” said Terry Roberts, one of the current standouts on special teams and a backup cornerback. “And if you can show the coaches that you’re a playmaker on special teams, you can be a playmaker on offense or defense.”

For other players, special teams is a way to contribute even when they can’t crack the two-deep.

 “We’re always pushing to be No. 1,” Woods said. “And that’s what we’re trying to do, to play championship level special teams.”

Ferentz brought that same approach with him when he replaced Hayden Fry as Iowa’s head coach in 1999. Woods was a senior on that team.

“Going back 23 years plus that was our first emphasis getting here, special teams,” Ferentz said. “I felt like we could get better faster in that area than we could defensively and offensively, and there’s more opportunity for everybody.”

Superior special-teams play has pushed Iowa into the win column more than a few times under Ferentz. There are some exceptions.

One has to look back no further than 2014, when Nebraska visited Kinnick Stadium. The Hawkeyes saw a 24-14 lead turn into a 28-24 deficit on back-to back punt returns in the fourth quarter. De’Mornay Pierson-El returned the first one 41 yards to the Iowa 32. Tommy Armstrong, Jr., threw a touchdown pass to Kenny Bell on the next play.

Iowa’s next possession also ended in a punt, and Pierson-El returned it 80 yards for a touchdown. Nebraska went on to win the game in overtime 37-34.

“We couldn’t cover a punt that day, and it just killed us,” Ferentz said. “You win and lose games there, and we’ve always believed that.”

Iowa has won the last seven games in the Nebraska series since then, and special teams have played a very important role in that streak. There was a 41-yard walkoff field goal by Miguel Recinos at Kinnick in 2018, a 31-28 victory. And Keith Duncan’s walkoff 48-yard field goal for a 27-24 victory in Lincoln in 2019.

When the game returned to Memorial Stadium in 2021, special teams helped turned the tide again. Iowa was trailing in the first minute of the fourth quarter, 21-9. But Henry Marchese blocked a punt, Kyler Fisher caught it and returned it 14 yards for a touchdown. Iowa outscored Nebraska in that fourth quarter, 19-0.

“That was a great experience,” Fisher said. “Henry Marchese made that play. I was just kind of there. Right place, right time.”

But Fisher knows how important special teams are to the bottom line.

“Our coaches definitely say that special teams is your way to the field,” Fisher said. “A lot of great players, like Dallas Clark, who ended up having NFL careers, got their start on special teams at Iowa. Special teams set the tone for the whole game.”

Iowa’s 10-win season in 2021 had plenty of special teams highlights. Charlie Jones was named the Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year in the Big Ten for his kickoff and punt return skills. He was second nationally in combined kick return yards. Placekicker Caleb Shudak was first-team all-Big Ten and sixth nationally in field goals per game (1.71). Punter Tory Taylor was 12th nationally in punting average (46.1). Iowa was 14th nationally in kickoff return defense, 17th in kickoff returns and 18th in punt return defense.

But Shudak graduated after making 24 of 28 field-goal attempts and 36 of 36 PATs. No one else attempted a kick. Jones transferred to Purdue after returning 37 of the opponents’ 39 punts last season, and handling 25 of the 30 kickoff returns. Taylor is back, but Woods has some spots to fill.

“It reminds me of 2017,” said Woods, who became the special teams coordinator that same season. “When we started we didn’t know who the returner was. Who was this No. 6, Ihmir Smith-Marsette? Who was No. 21, Ivory Kelly-Martin? We didn’t know who they were, either. We put them in and bang, things took off.”

There are plenty of candidates to return punts and kickoffs. When Woods looks at sophomore Cooper DeJean, he sees a potential special teams standout.

“I think Cooper is a guy that can play any position you ask him to on the football field,” Woods said. “I’m talking special teams, offense or defense. He’s a really good football player. He’s right in the mix at both kick returner and punt returner. I also think as a cover man he’s really good. Nothing rattles him, at least on the outside. He’s very calm. He rises to the occasion.

Woods also mentions guys like Arland Bruce IV, Caleb Johnson, TJ Hall, Alec Wick, Gavin Williams, LeShon Williams, Roberts, Riley Moss and Kaden Wetjen as potential kick returners.

“We’re building a good pool of candidates,” he said.

Taylor has the punting job locked up for a third consecutive season.

“He’s really good,” Woods said.

Aaron Blom and Drew Stevens continue to compete for placekicking duties.

Four players have stood out to Woods as team leaders on special teams - Roberts, a senior; Logan Klemp, a senior linebacker; Jay Higgins, a junior linebacker; and Fisher, a junior linebacker.

“Roberts, I think everyone knows his story,” Woods said. “Klemp has really taken a step forward. Same with Higgins. Fisher’s a really good football player for us.”

Woods also mentioned guys like senior defensive Dallas Craddieth, sophomore defensive back Brenden Desafernandes and Hall, a freshman defensive back, as guys who have impressed this fall.

“All those guys have done a good job for us,” Woods said.