Iowa Hawkeyes tailback Marcus Coker goes from 2010 Insight Bowl MVP to 2011 Insight Bowl suspendee today.
Last year he set Iowa bowl records for rushing attempts (33) and rushing yards (219) in the 27-24 win over Missouri. Hopefully, he also got to see the Grand Canyon last year, because he will not be traveling with the team to Arizona.
Why is Marcus Coker suspended? The statement only gave the very cryptic, doesn’t-tell-us-anything:
“The issue involves University of Iowa policies and has resulted in Coker being in violation of the UI Student-Athlete Code of Conduct.”
The 6-0, 230 Coker had 82.9 percent of Iowa’s non-QB rush attempts and ran for 1,384 yards this season. Iowa already lost a running back to disciplinary reason this year, and lost two tailbacks to off-the-field issues last year at this time (Adam Robinson kicked off the team after marijuana bust, Jewel Hampton opted to transfer) so their depth there is already razor-thin.
The Hawkeyes will try De’Andre Johnson, Jordan Canzeri and Jason White to fill the void. This is a really tough blow for Iowa as they will face a MUCH MORE talented, but not always interested Oklahoma Sooners team.
Already a big underdog, the Coker news bumbed OU up to a 14.5 point favorite.
Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net, an official Google News site that generates millions of unique visitors. He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker, and Fox Sports
A Fulbright scholar and MBA, Banks has appeared on live radio shows all across the world. The President of the United States follows him on Twitter (@Paul_M_BanksTSB) You should too.