Daily briefing: On the ‘Academic Heisman,’ Iowa’s o-line and blitz-master Joe Lee Dunn
Ivan Maisel’s “Daily Briefing” for On3:
13 finalists announced for Campbell Trophy
It has been a rough October for Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford. The Nittany Lions have lost two in a row, in no small part because of an undisclosed injury that Clifford suffered at Iowa. He played last week but his every move in the nine-overtime loss to Illinois made anyone watching him wince. But October is ending on a high note. Clifford is among 13 finalists for the Campbell Trophy, the “Academic Heisman,” the National Football Foundation announced Wednesday. There are big names and small among the finalists, from defensive linemen Aidan Hutchinson of Michigan and Thomas Booker of Stanford to U.S. Merchant Marine Academy linebacker Joshua King and Slippery Rock wide receiver Henry Litwin. The finalists each receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. The winner, announced at the NFF annual gala in Las Vegas in December, receives a $25,000 postgrad grant.
Iowa’s offensive line looking for improvement
Iowa’s offensive line is led by the best center in the country. But Tyler Linderbaum can’t play all five positions. Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz assessed the woes of a running game that netted 76 yards on 30 carries in Iowa’s last game, a 24-7 home loss to Purdue on October 16. “You might have a 7-, 5-yard gain, somebody doesn’t get a block downfield that is doable, you’re eliminating those plays that are 15, 20 yards, even beyond that. Those are the battles we’re fighting,” he said. Ferentz feels as if the off week will do a world of good for the banged-up line. Iowa can’t reach the Rose Bowl — or the Playoff — without a stronger running game.
In praise of Joe Lee Dunn
Joe Lee Dunn, who died Tuesday at age 75, left a footprint on college football much larger than his brief, unsuccessful career as a head coach (17-30, New Mexico, 1983-86) would indicate. As a defensive coordinator, most prominently in the SEC in the 1990s and early 2000s, Dunn utilized the 3-3-5 scheme that has become one of the most useful weapons in stunting the modern passing game. Dunn seemed to have pass defenders and pass rushers coming from everywhere. At Mississippi State under Jackie Sherrill in 1997, he deployed defensive end Greg Favors pretty much as a free safety and stopped UCF quarterback Daunte Culpepper. The Bulldogs won the SEC West in 1998 and beat Alabama four times in five seasons. In those five games, Alabama scored a total of 76 points.