Grim news from Kirk Ferentz regarding the injury situation at the presser (bold emphasis and gastrointestinal distress mine):
Ferentz announced Tuesday that offensive tackle Dace Richardson will undergo season-ending knee surgery and linebacker Mike Klinkenborg (concussion) and free safety Devan Moylan (strained groin) likely are to sit out for the third consecutive week.
Burping up a bit of dinner...
I'm not a doctor or a medical expert, but it's not an ACL repair, it's a little bit more extensive. It involves his cartilage and some structural concerns in there. The procedure that was done this summer was an attempt to get him through the season, and really it just wasn't successful. It's just based on a structure right now, so they're going to have to do some things to alter that and get him through. It's not the same thing as what Mike Humpal went through a couple years ago but maybe conceptually a little bit. It's an extensive rehab, and it's unfortunate.
Definitely getting the spins...
Q. Will he maybe play spring ball?
COACH FERENTZ: Absolutely not. You're looking at a minimum of six months to just have normal function and I think optimistically if he can be back full speed in the summer program next year, that would be good. I make that parallel in Mike's case. His first year back he'd work for two days, have to take a day off. I'm not saying that's going to happen with Dace, but it's a possibility. It's a possibility that this thing doesn't work out where he can play at the position he's in.
HURRRRGGGGHOORRRRRRGGLLLLBARFUPAKIDNEY
God. Okay. Uh, anyone know how to get internal organs out of a sweater? Anyway, this weekend, Iowa is without the following elements of the team, all of whom were '07-eligible on campus the middle of the spring semester:
OFFENSE
- Starting WR Dominique Douglas
- Starting WR Andy Brodell
- Starting TE Tony Moeaki
- Starting LT Dace Richardson
- Second-string OL Alex Kanellis
- Second-string OL Rob Bruggeman
- Second-string WR Anthony Bowman
- Third-string TB Shonn Greene
- Third-string OL Clint Huntrods
DEFENSE
- Starting FS Devan Moylan
- Starting MLB Mike Klinkenborg
- Second-string FS Marcus Wilson
- Second-string CB Justin Edwards
- Second-string DT Ryan Bain
- Third-string CB Amari Spievey
All but three (Moeaki, Moylan, Col. Klink) are gone for at least the rest of the season. Most will never play another snap for Iowa.
Now, injuries and other losses are part of the game, and I'm not suggesting that Iowa would be 5-1 and ranked and we'd all be pissing Jack Daniels and crapping gold coins. But there are so, so few teams that can be as young as Iowa was in the spring, let alone after withstanding so many injuries, and still be competitive for 12 straight weeks. It's insanely unrealistic.
Given the choice, though, I'd rather crap Mario coins. Sorry, Hawks.