Iowa knows to watch for Derrick Morgan

By Jeff Shain

For the AJC

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Iowa tight end Tony Moeaki could only chuckle when Derrick Morgan’s name came up for the third time in about a 10-minute span Saturday.

“He’s a playmaker,” Moeaki said of the Georgia Tech defensive end. “I’m sure I’ll run into him sometime during the course of the game. You have to be ready for that.”

The question facing the Hawkeyes is trying to figure out where the ACC’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year might be approaching from. Georgia Tech likes to confuse opponents with multiple looks, and there may be no more effective way than to move Morgan around.

Mostly the 6-foot-4, 265-pound disrupter storms in from the right, but he’ll frequently switch over to the left side. At other times he’ll become a standup linebacker, effectively turning the Yellow Jackets’ 4-3 base into a 3-4.

“You really need to count on the people that are playing over him to do the jobs they’re supposed to do,” offensive coordinator Ken O’Keefe said. “It’s not like you’re always going to know exactly where he is.”

Morgan amassed 12-1/2 sacks this season and led the ACC with 18 tackles for loss. When the Yellow Jackets needed a big play to preserve the ACC championship, it was Morgan who chased down Clemson’s Kyle Parker on fourth down.

“He’s not offensive-friendly, that’s for sure,” said left tackle Bryan Bulaga, an All-Big Ten selection who figures to draw the biggest assignment on Morgan.

“Anytime the stakes are like they are in this game and you get to go against a good player, too, you’re going to be fired up from the start.”

Richardson cleared

The Hawkeyes’ offensive line got a major boost when coach Kirk Ferentz announced Saturday that guard Dace Richardson -- another All-Big Ten selection -- was healthy enough to play Tuesday night.

Richardson missed Iowa’s final four games after breaking his left ankle in a game at Michigan State. The Chicago-area native has had an ill-fated college career, missing all of the 2007 and ’08 seasons with a series of knee injuries that almost ended his playing days.

“I feel ready. I feel strong,” Richardson said. “They just wanted to make sure I was ready to go. From that standpoint, I’m grateful.”

Richardson might be the most versatile lineman on the Iowa roster. He opened the season at right tackle as Kyle Calloway recovered from injury, moved to left guard for four games, then shifted to right guard.

“I don't know that he would be ready to play a 60-minute game if he absolutely had to,” O’Keefe said Saturday. “But he'll be ready to do something.”

Peace of mind

Defensive end Adrian Clayborn began the Hawkeyes’ Christmas break by telling the world that he would put the NFL on hold and come back for his senior season.

The announcement gave Clayborn the thing he wanted most for the holidays -- peace of mind.

“I was thinking about it every day,” he said. “It was a drain on me during finals week, going through school and practice. It was just very stressful.

“I’m glad all that stuff can give me a break for a couple of months.”