Scrawny Iowa recruit now thrives in Big Ten

Kirk Ferentz watched James Vandenberg during a high school basketball practice and told one of his Iowa football assistants that he feared the skinny, baby-faced youngster might not survive in the Big Ten. A newspaper story quoted Ferentz as saying the youngster, a senior at the time, looked "like he was 13 or 14 years old."

"I still take a lot of flak for that," Vandenberg said this week.

He can almost laugh about it now, since questions about him surviving the rigors of Big Ten football no longer exist. The junior succeeded Ricky Stanzi as quarterback this season and the Hawkeyes have continued to win, going 5-2, albeit with a favorable schedule that is one reason they can become bowl eligible with a victory Saturday at Minnesota.

Another reason is Vandenberg and his favorite receiver, Marvin McNutt -- new school-record holder in career TD receptions with 24 -- a tandem that helps Iowa defy the popular perception of a program dependent in a physical, ground-oriented offense.

The Hawkeyes entered last weekend's play last in the Big Ten in rushing -- yes, behind even Minnesota and Indiana -- and after a 45-24 victory over the Hoosiers climbed to 10th in the league in that category at 143.4 yards per game (ahead of the Gophers by 0.5 ypg.) The Hawkeyes under Ferentz continue to be a major exporter of offensive linemen to the NFL, but success is now based more on the finesse of the passing game than pounding the ball.

"People change, personnel changes with graduation," Ferentz said this week. "We're just trying to win games however we can."

And that has meant taking to the air. Vandenberg is No. 2 in the conference in pass efficiency (156.7) and passing yards per game (248.7), trailing Wisconsin's Russell Wilson in both categories. McNutt is No. 2 in receiving yards per game (108.1), No. 1 in TD catches (8), including two last week that lifted him to the Hawkeye school career record.

And had that happened, McNutt might well have been the starting quarterback Saturday against the Gophers and their new coach, Kill. But when McNutt saw Stanzi and Vandenberg ahead of him at the position, he asked Ferentz before the 2009 season how he might get on the field.

"We thought he had a chance to be a good quarterback, and I'm not so sure he wouldn't have been," Ferentz said. "[McNutt] just made up his mind he wanted to play."

McNutt now calls the move to receiver "a blessing," and figures to be at least a mid-round NFL pick in next year's draft. He's already a part of Iowa history.

"It meant a lot to me," McNutt said of the record. "From where I came from, as a quarterback, to have accomplished something like that, I definitely felt good, and proud to be a part of Hawkeye history."

It was the dream of being a part of that history that kept Vandenberg holding out hope that Iowa would offer a scholarship, a hope that persisted even as his senior high school year dragged on without one. Not that Vandenberg was without options, since Nebraska offered midway through his senior year and he felt comfortable at Northern Illinois.

It took some time for Ferentz to be sold on the skinny, baby-faced kid, but then the coach watched Vandenberg lead his team to the state title and finish as the most prolific passer in Iowa high school history with 12 career records, including most career passing yards (7,709) and touchdowns (93) and most touchdowns in a single season (49 as a senior).

"The day after we won the championship, I got the offer from Iowa," Vandenberg said.

Vandenberg was thrown into the fire in 2009 when Iowa, 9-0 at the time, lost Stanzi. The Hawkeyes lost two of their final three regular-season games, but Vandenberg acquitted himself well as the Hawkeyes lost 27-24 in overtime to Ohio State and finished with a 12-0 victory over the Gophers.

Vandenberg backed up Stanzi again last year, but this year he's the clear No. 1. And Ferentz said he no longer frets about his quarterback being snapped like a twig by Big Ten defenders.