Stream-of-Consciousness Notes
2010 Orange Bowl - Iowa vs. Georgia Tech
By
Pete Fiutak
-
2008
Orange Bowl Stream-of-Consciousness Notes
Pregame
- We didn't learn anything about the Fiesta Bowl last
night, but we'll learn a lot about Georgia Tech, and
more specifically, the option offense. Iowa has a
great linebacking corps, a smart coaching staff, and
time to prepare to be disciplined against all the
deception. If the offense gets stuffed for the
second year in a row in a bowl game, it's not
exactly going to catch on fire.
- Nothing against Iowa (I'm picking the Hawkeyes),
but I want to see Georgia Tech's attack work. I love
the option and would love to see it rock. Navy and
Air Force, with its versions of the option, worked
great in the bowls. Now the big boys get a chance to
show what they can do.
- 50-degrees in Miami. There are a lot of ticked off
Iowa fans, but boo hoo, it's still about 50 degrees
warmer than the rest of the nation.
- Tanning booth alert!!! Tanning booth alert!!! Nice
raccoon eyes on FexEx EVP Mike Glenn. And by the
way, here's a 50; get a decent dress shirt.
First Quarter
Iowa on its own 34
- Iowa hasn't snapped the ball yet and America is
already asleep. This attack isn't going to do
anything interesting. This game is about the other
side of the ball.
- First play, handoff for minus-2 yards, second play
a nice pass from Ricky Stanzi for a manageable 3rd
and 4.
- Uh oh ... I forgot. It's Iowa in a big bowl game.
Here come the mistakes.
- Marvin McNutt catches the ball at midfield, the
ball gets popped out, and Sedric Griffin picks it
up.
Georgia Tech on the Iowa 47
- False start on Georgia Tech on a
dive play that Jonathan Dwyer would've taken the
distance.
- Nice play by DT Christian Ballard to follow Josh
Nesbitt down the line to make the stop.
- In the My Life Is Too Easy department, the
batteries on my remote for the soundsystem are out
ad I've been grouchy about it for the last hour.
- Big, big issue for Iowa. corner Shaun Prater does
a great job of shadowing Demaryius Thomas and rolls
his ankle.
- Georgia Tech never punts, and it shows. Jerrard
Tarrant airs the punt into the end zone.
Iowa on its own 20
- Stanzi is sharp early. He's 3-for-3.
- Scouting time. Iowa left tackle Bryan Bulaga is a
first round talent. Georgia Tech's Derrick Morgan is
on the other side.
- OT Kyle Calloway lets Morgan get inside, Stanzi
runs well to the outside and he connects.
- Tony Moeaki just moved up a lot of draft boards.
Stanzi does a nice job of faking out Morgan, Moeaki
gets the ball on the move and he rumbles 54 yards
down the field.
- Interesting. Iowa is running every play to the
right side right at Morgan.
- 2nd and goal on the three and Iowa doesn't run to
Bulaga's side. If he's really a first rounder, he
erases 255-pound Anthony Egbuniwe and this is an
easy score.
- Stanzi looks fantastic He throws a perfect pass to
Marvin McNutt who goes up and makes a play for a
score. After last night's mediocre quarterbacking
play from Kellen Moore and Andy Dalton. Stanzi's
first six minutes are a breath of fresh air.
- Iowa couldn't be playing better. Georgia Tech is
going to have to put up some points, because the
defense doesn't seem to have any prayer of
generating pressure.
Iowa 7 ... Georgia Tech 0
Georgia Tech on its own 29
- This game is going to last two hours
with the way Tech runs.
- FANTASTIC play by DE Adrian Clayborn. He got
outside in a hurry to stop a pitch for no gain.
- That's how you destroy the spread option. The Iowa
defensive interior is getting to Nesbitt before he
can do something with it.
- Going for it on the 39 ... 4th and 1? ... This has
to be one of those offsides tricks.
- Tech is kicking.
- I'm getting fatter just watching the ad for the
Taco Bell drive-thru diet.
Iowa on its own 14
- Finally, Morgan makes a play in the
backfield to Stanzi, but he gets nailed for holding
and won't let Moeaki release.
- There's Bulaga. He shoved DT Jason Peters into two
other defenders to get a nice gain for the ground
game.
- Adam Robinson is getting ten-mile wide holes to
run through. If he's on, Tech is in big trouble.
- Tech doesn't have any hope of doing anything
defensively. The line is running into a brick wall.
- No pressure, Stanzi goes to get his ankle taped
and has a latte, and he allowed Derrell Johnson-Koulianos
to make a double move to run deep for an easy big
play.
- Oh dear lord ... Georgia Tech, you had better have
something else in the bag. Stanzi throws a perfect
floater to Colin Sandeman for a score. That was way,
way, way too easy an 86-yard drive.
- Right now, some Iowa fans are wondering what might
have been if Stanzi had been healthy ... and if he
played like this at any time all year.
- Dick Stockton sounds like a big game. Apparently,
this is the Ar-ange Bowl where Flar-i-dah State
played a few years ago.
Iowa 14 ... Georgia Tech 0
Georgia Tech on its own 24
- The Iowa defensive front is getting
the Tech O line out of the way and the linebackers
don't have any trash to sift through to get to
Nesbitt.
- That's the third penalty on Tech, and the second
to erase a positive play.
- If the officials are going to call that chop block
all game long, Georgia Tech, back up the bus.
- 2nd and 22. This is not what Tech can deal with.
- 11 minutes into the game and Pat Angerer is
probably on the All-Bowl team.
- As is Adrian Clayborn. Some adult needs to step in
and tell him he's costing himself a bunch of dough.
There might not be an NFL Draft in 2011.
Iowa on its own 32
- What, did Andy Dalton in last
night's first quarter make an appearance? Just when
it seemed like Iowa was about to march and put this
game away. Jarrard Tarrant, who got torched for two
scores, comes up with his second takeaway of the
game with a pick six. He jumped all over Stanzi's
ball, outworked Johnson-Koulianos for the ball and
saved the Orange Bowl.
- Nice shot of Iowa fans doing a collective,
Yeeeeeeeeesh.
Iowa 14 ... Georgia Tech 7
Oooops. Fox had a promo for the Reese's
Perfect Ending, and it was the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.
Tostitos was mentioned as much as Reese's.
Iowa on its own 36
- Stanzi goes right back to Johnson-Koulianos.
There's no real fear of Tarrant, who's a great
playmaker, but is beatable.
First Quarter Score: Iowa 14 ... Georgia
Tech 7
SECOND QUARTER
- The Georgia Tech cheerleaders look COLD,
but they're still cheering. I've never been that
plucky at any time in my entire life.
- Tech is missing tackles. The preconceived notions
are true. Iowa is playing far more physical.
- Stanzi's second major mistake. It was an easy 3rd
and 2, and Stanzi didn't get the play off.
- Sung in Tommy Boy voice: "Fat ref in a little
shirt ... Fat ref in a little, sha-irt."
- So far, every offensive penalty for each side has
been a drive killer.
- Terrific punt by Ryan Donohue pinning Tech deep.
This is where Tech has to go up top to Thomas.
Georgia Tech on its own 7
- Tech isn't getting any room to move.
The dive play isn't working in any way.
- Iowa isn't even bothering to think about the
passing game. There are basically nine players on
the line.
- The Iowa defensive front is destroying the Yellow
Jackets.
- The offense doesn't work against good teams with
time to prepare.
Iowa on the Georgia Tech 45
- The way things are going for Tech,
one Iowa score might end this. Georgia Tech doesn't
have a first down.
- You could run for 12 yards with the holes the Iowa
line is destroying Tech. The receivers are doing a
great job, too.
- OWWWWWWWWW!!!! Johnson-Koulianos shockingly looked
fine, but it looked like he pulled a Wes Welker and
bent up his knee.
- It was ruled a catch, but reviewed and ruled no
grab. Blinding pain will do that.
- Steven Sylvester gets a sack of Stanzi getting a
free run at him. For the first time all game, Tech's
defensive line held its own.
- Another delay of game against Stanzi and it's
going to kill the drive.
- Bulaga lucks out. He should've been called for a
hold on Morgan.
- Big-time stop from Tech. The defense finally
showed up.
Georgia Tech on its 14
- A first down! A first down! Anthony
Allen gets into space as the Iowa defensive front
was all on the ground.
- The Iowa defensive tackles are battling through
the blocks and are clogging everything up.
- Clayborn gets to the outside with Nesbitt and the
ground game doesn't go anywhere.
- I say this not just because he's a friend, but
Charles Davis does as good a job as any analyst at
describing and explaining the subtle nuances.
- ANOTHER punt. Georgia Tech never, ever punts.
Iowa on its own 19
- Just under five minutes to play and
this is a big drive. It's only a seven point game as
Iowa wasn't able to drop the hammer. Tech is great
at making adjustments.
- Iowa has gone away from what worked. There's no
rhythm now. No quick tempo.
- Three and out.
- Penalties are KILLING Georgia Tech. Every one of
them has been a big deal.
Georgia Tech on its own 32
- It didn't work, but Nesbitt had to
keep firing. The safeties can't keep cheating.
- Georgia Tech, you might want to stop running at
Clayborn. Dwyer isn't doing enough to block him.
- That's the problem with a first down Tech pass.
Now it's 3rd and 9.
- Nesbitt gets 8 on a bad pass and a great catch
from Embry Peeples. Tech will have to go for it.
There's 2:14 to go and it's at the Tech 41 ...
- But Peeples went out of bounds and came back in.
He got hit with an illegal touching penalty.
- Another dead drive.
Iowa on its own 14
- Two minutes to play, the defense is
dominating, and you're deep. Run and see what you
can do, but don't get crazy.
- Iowa might be able to win this game without
throwing another pass. The line continues to be
terrific and the Hawkeye backs don't fumble.
- The running game is getting five yards a crack
without a problem.
- Kool and the Gang at halftime. Let me guess,
Celebration?
- 3rd and 6 with over a minute to play. See if
Stanzi has his groove back.
- He gets on the move and throws a strike for a
first down, and then hits Colin Sandeman again to
get to midfield with :58 to play.
- At some point, after a few short throws, Stanzi
needs to take a shot down the field.
- And there it is. Stanzi goes for the home run ball
but he's triple covered. Tarrant makes a great play
to knock it away, but he got dinged up. It looks
like the wind got knocked out of him.
- 17 second to play and Iowa goes for it on fourth
down ...
- Bad route. The two receivers ran into each other.
Georgia Tech on its own 41
- Uhhhh, Adrian Clayborn. You might
want to rethink that coming back for another year
thing.
Second Quarter Score: Iowa 14 ... Georgia
Tech 7
- Whatever happened to that Up With People
thing? Watching the Orange Bowl director lady and
her staff groove to Ladies' Night is just about as
good as it gets.
- Real tomato ketchup, Eddie? Really, Kool & the
Gang? And they say the recession is over.
Apparently, Asia wanted the Orange Bowl to throw in
a case of Fanta, and that proved to be the deal-breaker.
- The dancing chicks with the pom-poms ran faster on the field than the Georgia Tech backfield (bing, pow).
THIRD QUARTER
Georgia Tech on its own 33
- Nesbitt and Dwyer combined for 16
rushing yards in the first half. Going out on a limb
here, but that's not good.
- Tech hasn't taken any real shots down the field at
Thomas.
- Nice adjustment by Paul Johnson. The offense has
to get to the outside and Nesbitt made a long pitch
to get Dwyer to a manageable third and short.
- First down. Again, Iowa didn't put the game away
and Tech is one big play away from tying this thing.
- Clayborn has nine tackles and two sacks.
- Again, the long pitch that gets the speedy Tech
backs to the outside comes up with another big run.
- Going wide hasn't loosened up the line. The inside
running game is non-existent.
- Seriously, Clayborn has been unreal. Tech can't
get him n the ground.
- A hold on Tech making it 2nd an 18. Run the wide
option again and see what happens ...
- They do and Dwyer gets 15.
- Basically, Tech is running away from the D line.
- Nesbitt FINALLY gets a hole to run through and
gets the first down. If Tech scores on this and ends
up winning, those last two plays need to be
remembers as two of the biggest of the game.
- And then comes a drive-killing false start
penalty.
- Like I'm questioning Johnson and his offense, but
it seems like if Tech could get someone to go across
the middle, like a tight end it doesn't use, the
hole appears to be wide open.
- Devastating. The 41-yard field goal try goes wide.
Tech will go for it on fourth down the rest of the
game.
Iowa on its own 25
- Stanzi hasn't thrown a pass in anger
for over an hour.
- But he connects on a nice first down throw to
Sandeman for 11 yards.
- Bulaga gets nailed for a holding call on a wide
running play that went nowhere.
- Moeaki just makes some more dough going up and
snagging a 23-yard catch for a first down.
- Bulaga makes up for the penalty by burying Morgan.
- The Iowa backs are running better than they have
all year.
- If nothing else, this is a long drive that's
keeping Tech's O on the sidelines.
- Apparently, according to Dick, Adam Robinson is
5-9 and 205 yards.
- Yeeeeeeesh. Bulaga and Julian Vandervelde sat on
the Tech line's head.
- Can we get a shot of backup Iowa QB James
Vandenberg's hot mom?
- Johnson-Koulianos is out.
- Sandeman has yelled fudddddddgge, but he didn't
say fudge, twice in this game audible enough to
hear.
- Daniel Murray nails an easy field goal. This was a
wasted opportunity, though.
- There's no truth to the rumor that the French are
up in arms over the Michelob Ultra found in Lance
Armstrong's drug test.
Iowa 17 ... Georgia Tech 7
Georgia Tech on its own 29
- That was open all game long. A
misdirection one way, a short pass to Dwyer the
other, and Nesbit has his first completion.
- The Iowa linebackers are nowhere to be found.
- The offense keeps on moving, but this has to be a
scoring drive. Tech might not get the ball back
again more than two times.
Third Quarter Score: Iowa 17 ... Georgia
Tech 7
FOURTH QUARTER
- 3rd and three GT ...
- Dwyer flies through a big hole and almost takes it
to the end zone. He gets tripped up at the last
second.
- Tech is on the Iowa 30.
- Dwyer is starting to take over. He's a slippery
runner who looks fresh.
- Iowa is looking a bit cashed. The line isn't
getting to the outside fast enough and the back
seven isn't coming up with plays until the back is
well down the field.
- Tech is on the five.
- Anthony Allen ..... just short of the goal line.
- He gets in on the next play. Iowa did everything
right defensively for three quarters, and now it's a
three point game.
- The Hawkeyes, particularly Tyler Sash, look
frustrated.
Iowa 17 ... Georgia Tech 14
Iowa on its own 27
- Getting a score might be a must on
this drive, but at the very least, Iowa has to get
the clock moving and needs to give the D a rest.
- The running game on the outside was working so
well. The big Iowa offensive line needs to get its
chance to take over the game.
- Tech holds up on the right side and stops the run
to force a 3rd and 7. Those were a disastrous first
two plays for the Hawkeyes.
- Stanzi outruns Derrick Morgan for a first down.
That didn't look good for No. 91, who didn't appear
to have the half-step of closing speed to get to
him.
- And on the very next play, with Morgan on the
sidelines, Iowa runs to the left side and gets an
11-yard gain by Wegher. Brilliant call.
- Stanzi takes a shot deep and it's broken up by
Mario Butler. Great play to avoid the interference
call.
- Stanzi didn't read the blitz. Tech brings in the
safety on the outside and the linebacker inside, and
Stanzi gets dumped. It's now 3rd and 17.
- Under pressure again, Stanzi throws it deep to no
one. Nine minutes to play.
- Tarrant makes a huge, HUGE mistake catching the
punt on the two. He only gets out to the ten.
- Special teams note, P Ryan Donuhue could've walked
for the first down up the middle.
Georgia Tech on its own 10
- Again, Demaryius Thomas hasn't been
heard from ...
- Nesbitt throws it right to Iowa LB A.J. Edds.
Nesbitt never saw him.
Iowa on the Georgia Tech 15
- It's only a three point game. This
isn't four down territory, but Iowa might think
about it if it's close.
- First play, a running play, gets stuffed.
- Oh come on. LB Brad Jefferson pops Stanzi and gets
hit with a cheap roughing the passer call. Iowa's
drive is bailed out.
- OHHHHHH. That was almost the Dwight Clark play. It
looked like Stanzi was trying to throw it away, and
McNutt almost came down with it.
- Nice blocking. Robinson weaves his way to the
three. 3rd and 3.
- Now I'm calling it four down territory. Pin the
Yellow Jackets deep, if nothing else.
- WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY? You have the big O line. You
have the first round OT. Why not power it to at
least get close?
- Adam Robinson falls down in the end zone on what
would've been a touchdown.
- Moronic. Absolutely moronic. If you're going to
bypass the field goal anyway, why would you go for a
fake field goal? Why wouldn't you, again, use your
big O line and your power running game to try to
barrel for three yards in two plays? Iowa goes for
the fake and it isn't even close.
Georgia Tech on its own 11
- That was as amazing a bad run as
you'll ever see. Dwyer reversed field and should've
been brought down by Clayborn, then Sash, then
Angerer for the safety, and Dwyer willed his way out
of the end zone.
- 5:43 to play. That Dwyer backtrack was
devastating.
- 3rd and 18. Nesbitt hits Embry Peeples, or Embry
Embers, as Dick called him, dropped the ball.
- Sandeman, what are you doing? He led the ball roll
on the punt to allow Tech to get out of trouble.
Iowa on its own 37
- Five minutes left and here come the
running plays. Tech has three timeouts left and can
get it back with around 2:30 to play. .
- It's too early. You have to go for the first down
...
- Killer. Stanzi finds Trey Stross for the first
down. Morgan couldn't beat Riley Reiff to get to
Stanzi.
- 2:44 to play. And this is the problem with the
Tech offense. You can't start calling time outs
because your running game needs them in a two minute
drill.
- Tech calls its first time out.
- Iowa runs to the left side and everyone comes up
with a seal to let Wegher tear off 23 yards. He
wisely goes down in bounds.
- 2:11 to play, Wegher loses three, and Tech has to
call another time out.
- It's over. Iowa, run one more running play, force
Tech to call its third time out with around 1:50 to
play, run another running play, and then, even at
the 33, pooch punt it to give the ball back to Tech
inside the ten with 45 seconds ...
- Or run to the left side and have Brandon Wegher
run 33 yards for a touchdown.
- Alright, work with me here. That actually turns
out to be a bad thing. There's 1:56 to play and
Tech, technically, is still alive. It would've been
better if Wegher had taken a seat at the one.
There's still a lot of time left on the clock, while
Iowa could've run it out had he gone down.
Iowa 24 ... Georgia Tech 14
Georgia Tech on its own 25
- But Josh Nesbitt is throwing the
ball.
- At least hang one up for Thomas an see what
happens.
- Terrific play by Jeremiha Hunter to sniff out the
short pass to Dwyer and come up with a stop.
- If Nesbitt is Nesbitt, he can miss on the first
three and connect on the fourth and nine ...
- But he misses.
Iowa on the Georgia Tech 38
- Stanzi asks for the ball and the
official won't give it to him. There's still a
minute to go.
- But he runs away with it on the final kneel down.
FINAL SCORE: Iowa 24 ... Georgia Tech 14
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