Coker impresses with bruising runs
Tavian Banks knew something was up Saturday when his cell phone beeped and emails streamed into his computer.
“People couldn’t wait to tell me about Iowa football,” the former Iowa running back said Monday. “They couldn’t wait to tell me about what Marcus Coker did.”
While Banks was running errands around his Naperville, Ill., home, the Hawkeye sophomore was chasing his record during a shocking 22-21 loss at two-win Minnesota.
Coker was the lone highlight, his 252 rushing yards becoming the third-best rushing performance in 122 years of Hawkeye football — behind Banks’ 314 against Tulsa in 1997 and Ed Podolak’s 286 against Northwestern in 1968.
“That record will be broken sometime,” Banks said. “I’m actually a little surprised it’s lasted as long as it’s lasted.”
Coker is the Big Ten Conference rushing leader entering Saturday’s 11 a.m. game against 13th-ranked Michigan at Kinnick Stadium, averaging 121.1 yards a game.
That’s ninth nationally, and it comes on a whopping 182 carries — the ninth-highest total among major college backs.
“He’s a bulldog,” said Podolak, who watched the performance from Iowa’s radio booth. “He takes a punishment, but equally important, he deals it out.
“It takes a heck of a man to do what he did, running the ball as many times as he did, carrying people with him while taking all those hits, and at the same time giving out the hits.”
Coker has 969 yards, and if he makes his average during the final four regular-season games, he’ll have 1,453.
That would be No. 4 on the Hawkeyes’ single-season list, behind Shonn Greene’s 1,850 in 2008, Banks’ 1,691 in 1997 and Sedrick Shaw’s 1,477 in 1995.
“I’ve seen him play, and it’s interesting that we’re actually opposite runners,” Banks said. “I was a little more dash, and from what I’ve seen, he’s more of a guy that’ll run over you. He’s a pretty durable back.”
If the 6-foot, 230-pound Coker continues averaging 22.8 carries a game, he’ll end the regular season with 273, third behind Greene (307) and Fred Russell (282) for a season.
“Marcus ran great, but as an offensive line we didn’t block well,” center James Ferentz said after the Minnesota game. “He did great … and we didn’t even block well.”
The 6-foot, 230-pound Coker was so good that he had consecutive first-half rushes of 50 and 41 yards – 10 plays apart.
“That’s what I mean about being tough and durable,” Podolak said. “He carried guys with him.”
Podolak also is quick to mention that Coker is 19.
“Shonn Greene was 23 years old when he left Iowa for the NFL,” Podolak said. “Marcus has plenty of time to move up the charts. There will be better days to come. Just think about all Marcus can still learn.”
Coker outran defensive backs during long rushes while gaining 219 yards in last season’s Insight Bowl victory against Missouri. Saturday, he was caught by backs on the two long runs against the Gophers.
“The Minnesota guys that caught him — they’re fast,” Podolak said. “What Marcus does is that he sees the cutback better than most people in college who are even older and more experienced than he is.”
“Sure, he likes to run over people instead of around them, but that’s something he’ll figure out as he plays more games. He’s already proven that he can run away from some people.”
As he continues to mature, Podolak said Coker will figure ways to outmaneuver opponents like Banks did while rushing for 2,977 yards between 1994-97.
“I had some breakaway speed,” Banks said. “Coker — he’s a big, bruising guy, but as long as you get the job done, it doesn’t really matter what kind of runner you are.”
Depth chart update: This week’s Iowa depth chart lists Keenan Davis as a starting receiver. He missed Saturday’s game because of a sprained ankle. Davis is the Hawkeyes’ No. 2 receiver with 30 receptions for 463 yards and four touchdowns.
Category: Iowa Hawkeyes Football
Coker not getting Player of the Week is a crime. Not a single player in the Big 10 was near his level..
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You don’t get POTW when you lose. To the victor goes the spoils and the losers get forgotten.
It is a shame. What a performance by the young man. He was outstanding and played like a man amongst boys. Too bad the rest of the team played like boys.
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