What a difference a year makes for Tate, Powers

A year ago, IU sophomore quarterback Blake Powers went seemingly unknown. \nWhile Powers sat on the bench and watched the Hoosiers struggle, Iowa quarterback Drew Tate earned All-Big Ten honors and led the Hawkeyes to a tie for first place in the conference.\nWhat a difference a year makes. \nSo far this season, Powers has accumulated more passing yards and touchdowns than Tate, en route to the Hoosiers holding a better record than the Hawkeyes.\n"You can't really focus on stuff like that," Powers said. "If my numbers are helping the team win, then that's definitely good. But if my numbers are through the roof and we're losing, then it doesn't really matter to me. It's good to have those numbers though because it has helped us win games."\nPowers is currently No. 3 in the nation with 18 touchdown passes and has a 56.2 completion percentage. He has 95 completions for 1,160 yards and leads an IU offense that has averaged more than 30 points a game. Despite the hefty numbers, Powers said the season has been a learning process for him.\n"I think I've gotten more comfortable each week," Powers said. "I've gotten used to the fact that a lot of the team's success rides on the quarterback's shoulders. It's something that you accept when you decide to play that position. It's something that I've always been open to and accepted."\nWhile Powers said he is still learning his position, Tate is no stranger to being a starting quarterback. The 6-foot junior is the first Hawkeyes quarterback in six years to start in consecutive seasons. He has completed 87 passes this season for 1,081 yards and nine touchdowns. Tate's 151.5 passing efficiency ranks second in the Big Ten and 17th nationally.\n"He is obviously the man who runs that machine," IU coach Terry Hoeppner said in a statement. "He is the engine of that offense. He is dangerous and he appears to be on a roll."\nTate threw for a career-high 357 passing yards and three touchdowns last Saturday in a 34-17 win against Purdue. \n"As he goes, so go the Hawkeyes on offense," Hoeppner said in a statement. "He really had a super year last year. He had a tough game against Iowa State and Ohio State, but if he is playing well, they are tough to handle."\nWhile Tate came into the season with national accolades, Powers fell off the radar. The Hoosiers went into their preseason camp unsure of who their starting quarterback would be. But Powers emerged as the top candidate for the position.\n"I said it to someone during the spring that I wasn't sure if we would be able to throw a pass in the fall," Hoeppner said. "We better run the ball every play. It wasn't Blake. Don't misunderstand me. It was learning the terminology and the system."\nDespite the early uncertainty at the quarterback position, Hoeppner, the rest of the coaching staff and the players, stood by Powers.\n"It's great to know that the team has confidence in me as their starter," Powers said. "I've always felt like they've had confidence in me, even last year. I think that just comes with being close to guys on the team."\nPowers said confidence will also be key for Saturday's matchup against Tate at a rowdy Kinnick Stadium. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said he has seen the numbers Powers has put up so far this season and knows what to expect from the young quarterback and his offense.\n"You look at them up front, they're very veteran up front offensively, which gives you a great chance at getting things going," Ferentz said in a statement. "But then you look at the newcomers they've added. Powers is playing tremendous at quarterback for them. He set the record already for touchdown passes, but then you think about it ... I think Antwaan Randle El had the record -- better than a fair player"