HawkeyeNation.com is pleased to bring back Jared Clauss as our Monday Morning Quarterback.  We have been running this feature for seven years now, first with former Iowa quarterback Chuck Hartlieb and now Clauss for the past three seasons.  Clauss was a defensive lineman for Iowa between 2000-2003 and played with three NFL teams.  He is presently a wealth manager in West Des Moines, Iowa, his hometown.

Q: We have talked about expectations before…there was a lot of hype surrounding the 1985 team, but there was not the same level of 24 hour a day media back then. There wasn’t this level of sports following during those days. You were on the 2002 team that ended up as an elite team, but there were not huge external expectations. What would be your advice to this team if you could talk to them before they kick off the year?

Jared Clauss: Expectations come off of prior success. If Iowa wouldn’t have finished strong, if they didn’t have the starters coming back, there wouldn’t be these expectations. Preseason rankings…who cares? That’s probably determined by interns at ESPN or college sports information departments looking for a lot of returning starters. As long as no one dislocates their shoulder patting themselves on the back, I think the Iowa staff will be on top of it. You have to realize that no one cares about last year. Those teams that went 6-6 are just as hungry as we are. You put it in the past and worry about taking care of business now.

Q: You hear coaches that are now analysts, like Gerry Dinardo and others talking about how you have to guard against certain things getting into your program when you get these accolades, that it’s easier to be off the radar. There has to be something to it?

Clauss: I am sure there is. Around campus they are getting talked up by people more. But, the coaching staff learned their lesson from a few years ago, based on what Coach Ferentz has said in the media. They are paying closer attention to that and working on keeping that chip on their shoulder. The reality is we were a few snaps away from being 5th or 6th in the Big Ten last year. They will harp on the fact that we caught some breaks last year. We earned those breaks, but it could have gone the other way very easily. It wasn’t like we were an overly dominant team and I am sure they are hearing a lot of that.

Q: You were on a team (2003) where Gallery and Sanders returned for their senior seasons. Adrian Clayborn is back this year. How tough is it to stay motivated when you are an all American going into the year?

Clauss: I can’t speak from personal experience because I was not in that position, but I think in the case of Bob and Robert, they both realized they had some work to do to refine their games. Adrian saw the same thing and based on what I have seen in terms of his playing style and everything that goes along with his game, I am sure he is just working hard to maximize his ability out there. I know he has the confidence, I know he has the drive, it’s just a matter of him being able to fight through the attention he will get. The double teams he will see, the running backs chipping on him before they go into pass routes; he will see a lot of attention this year. The positive side of that is that there are three other guys on the line that can play as well. An offensive line is not going to be able to slide protect to his side. He has to stay focused and realize what got him all this attention and what got him all of this praise is production. Productive players get awards, they get drafted high and those that come back and play at a high level like Suh, they make a lot of money. He is a fan favorite based on his decision to come back and I hope he does well. But Bob and Robert were two of the best players at their position in the last decade not just at Iowa but in all of college football. So those are big shoes to fill.

Q: You were a part of two of the better defensive lines in Iowa football for the last half century. Do you think this year’s group can be the best you have seen wearing an Iowa uniform in your time?

Clauss: They will be good. I texted Colin Cole this weekend and we were joking about how old we are now. I was saying there is a lot of hype for this defensive line. We were having a few laughs over it. They are going to be good, there is no doubt about that. The problem is when you sneak on the scene like we did my junior year, your senior year you see a lot more play action and chip blocks, slide protections, things that slow down your game. The question is can they overcome the fact that they will not be just beating one guy, they will potentially have to go through two guys to get to that quarterback.

Q: It’s still 11 on 11, if they are doing things to counter Iowa, someone has to be free and something has to be exploitable?

Clauss: You will see more max protects and play actions to slow down the rush. You will see more teams run two or three man routes than five man routes against us. If they are as advertised, something has to give. If they are as good as they should be, teams are going to have to make adjustments to slow us down.

Q: The offensive line is the biggest question mark in my mind. Are you concerned about that area given the expectations from the outside?

Clauss: Anytime you go into a season without a lot of experience, it’s a concern. Everyone knows Iowa has the coaching support, as good as you can get, on the offensive line. I am not concerned with how they will develop, but that first game will be a shock to three of those guys because they haven’t had playing time. But they are not right off the boat, either. They saw some playing time and I look for them to do what other teams will do against us. Protect with some play action. The zone running game is teamwork, as is the entire offense. It’s not about manhandling guys, its about getting to the second level. It will take time. It will take time for a young center to make the calls and you will see other teams bring pressure against us and test us out.

Q: When you were with the Tennessee Titans, you traveled west to play a night game. Thinking about those experiences, how big of a deal is that going to be for this team when they play at Arizona and the kickoff will be 9:30pm Iowa time for their body clock?

Clauss: I don’t think it’s a big deal. You can look at the 2004 ASU game and make assumptions that it must have been the layoff…I don’t buy into any of that. It’s about mental preparation. It’s like showing up to a workout and you think it’s going to be hard and you prepare it’s not that bad. But if you show up thinking it’s going to be a cakewalk and you sweat, you find it’s tougher. They will have to prepare but the staff will have learned from the 2004 situation and they will adjust. They will have team activities and a good schedule and keep them away from watching TV all day in some room.

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