Iowa’s Dace Richardson Has a Broken Ankle

The Iowa Hawkeyes may have been able to escape East Lansing with their eighth victory of the season on Saturday night thanks to Ricky Stanzi’s touchdown pass to Marvin McNutt, but they lost quite a bit in the process.

It was a game of attrition to say the least, as two solid defenses spent the first 55 minutes of the game knocking heads, and the Hawkeyes injury report showed that.  There was Jeremy Ware’s hit on Colin Sandeman that knocked Sandeman out, Brett Greenwood suffering a concussion after colliding with teammate Tyler Sash, and both Adam Robinson and Brandon Wegher were banged up by the Spartans defense.

Those players should all be on the field next weekend, though.  Which cannot be said for guard Dace Richardson.

Senior guard Dace Richardson broke his left ankle in the first half of the game and two former Quad-City high school stars – Brett Greenwood and Colin Sandeman – suffered serious head or neck injuries in the second half.

Richardson, who has missed much of the past two seasons with what was once thought to be a career-ending knee injury, is definitely out for the foreseeable future. He was helped to the sideline and eventually taken to the lockerroom on a cart.

“That was just a terrible thing to see,’’ offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga said. “Not so much for us but for him. With everything he has been through, it’s just awful.’’

This will be an injury that the Hawkeyes are sure to feel for the rest of the season.  The Hawkeyes run game hasn’t been great this season, as they’re ranked 9th in the Big Ten, and Richardson’s injury isn’t going to help Iowa get it on track either.  Richardson has started every game for Iowa this season, and has been a key part to what has been a solid offensive line.

When it comes to looking at the rest of Iowa’s schedule, the one game that sticks out more than any other is obviously the trip to Columbus on November 17.  The Buckeyes have one of the best defenses in the conference, if not the country, and it all starts up front for Ohio State.

So while Richardson’s absence may not be all that noticeable in games against Northwestern and Indiana, it could haunt the Hawkeyes when they take on Ohio State’s front four.