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Iowa Football: 5 takeaways from 2018 season

By Quinn Douglas

TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 01: Nate Stanley #4 of the Iowa Hawkeyes calls a play during the 2019 Outback Bowl against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Raymond James Stadium on January 1, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 01: Nate Stanley #4 of the Iowa Hawkeyes calls a play during the 2019 Outback Bowl against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Raymond James Stadium on January 1, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
(Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /

4. Punting needs to be addressed

Iowa’s issues in the punting game in 2017 were good enough reason to open up a competition in spring camp and fall camp between Colten Rastetter and Ryan Gersonde. Rastetter, the punter in 2017, won the job again and many Iowa fans hoped that he would be much better than he was the previous year. For the first month of the season, he looked much improved, averaging over 50 yards a punt.

However, as the season wore on, Rastetter regressed more and more back into the punter he was in 2017, and his lack of consistency hurt Iowa badly throughout the Hawkeyes three-game skid and almost killed them in their wins over Nebraska and Mississippi State. Rastetter finished the year averaging 38.9 yards a punt, putting him 113th out of 124 Division I FBS punters. Something has to change at the punter position.

It appears Iowa has begun to take initiative into fixing the situation, as the Hawkeyes are rumored to be in contact with Arizona State grad transfer Michael Sleep-Dalton. Sleep-Dalton ranked 27th in the country last season in punting, averaging 43.8 yards per punt, which would be a significant upgrade for Iowa. No matter if they land him or not, punting has to be addressed more seriously this offseason.

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