Stanzi leads Hawks to 2-0 start

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By Eric Page | Sunday, September 7, 2008 12:18 AM CDT | () comments

Iowa's Colin Sandeman hauls in his second touchdown catch of the day during the Hawkeyes' victory. (Lee News Service / Quad-City Times, John Schultz). Buy this Photo

IOWA CITY — Ricky Stanzi couldn’t have written a more romantic script than the one he played out Saturday at Kinnick Stadium.

The sophomore quarterback was Iowa’s leading man, making his first career start and throwing for 162 yards and three touchdowns in the first half of the Hawkeyes’ 42-0 win over Florida International.

He got the win, he got the player of the game honors, and he got showered with an ovation as he left the field. Heck, he even got the girl, being corralled for a postgame interview by Ashley Russell, the blonde working the sidelines for the Big Ten Network’s television broadcast.

“It was nice,” Stanzi said. “Yes, she’s very pretty, and she’s a great reporter. It was exciting. I guess there isn’t a better way to draw it up.

“I was excited for the opportunity. That’s all you can really ask for is a chance to go out there and start.”

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz decided midweek to start Stanzi instead of junior Jake Christensen, who had made 13 straight starts with a 7-6 record before Saturday.

As they did in last week’s opener, Stanzi and Christensen split reps, and Christensen, for the most part, played well. He was 8-for-12 for 99 yards and a touchdown, but he was booed after skipping his first attempt short of a receiver when he entered the game late in the first quarter with the Hawkeyes leading 14-0.

Christensen didn’t play poorly, but he didn’t keep pace with Stanzi as the two enter what is expected to be the final leg of the quarterback race they have waged since Ferentz opened up the job in the spring.

“It’s hard,” Christensen said. “It’s never easy. But if you look at it, we won 42-0. If anyone’s upset about the game, that’s selfish. I’m not upset. But I want to be the guy.”

Stanzi looked like the guy Saturday, perhaps forcing Ferentz’s hand when it comes time to name a starter for next week’s matchup with Iowa State. He led the offense to four touchdowns in the five series he played.

Ferentz didn’t give any indication of who will get the nod next week.

“You know, in a nutshell, we’re just pleased with the way both guys are performing,” he said.