IOWA CITY -- Kirk Ferentz isn't a professional film critic, but the Iowa football coach doesn't need to be Roger Ebert to give a frank assessment on the Hawkeyes' 2007 season tape.

"Our statistics last year were horrible. That's a nice way to say it," Ferentz said Monday at the team's media day. "If you look at what the problems were, it doesn't take a Hall of Fame coach to figure out what the reasons were."

At times last season, the Hawkeyes found reaching the end zone harder than trying to get into the White House without an appointment or a pass. Thanks in large part to an outbreak of injuries to key personnel and a dearth of execution in third down and crunch time situations, Iowa averaged 18 points a Saturday and watched the bowl season from home for the first time since 2000.

Forget HDTV, the view from the Hawkeyes' living rooms stunk.

And after the most trying and controversial offseason in Iowa history, Hawkeye players are itching to put the focus back on the field. The sexual assault charges filed against former players Abe

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Satterfield and Cedric Everson and alleged victim's ensuing charges that Iowa officials pressured her to settle the case has become a controversial firestorm that threatens to hang over the program for the entire 2008 season.

Restoring pride to the program is "very important to us," sophomore running back Jayme Murphy, a Dubuque Senior graduate, said. "What's in the past is in the past. They're no longer on this team. They're not a concern of ours. We have to play football. More importantly, we want to bring a winning tradition back to Iowa. That's what our fans really care about. Six-and-six is not acceptable."

Discussing the Hawks' 2007 struggles was actually a welcome relief for Ferentz, who has been forced often to address the scandal. Reporters grilled Ferentz for over 20 minutes on the sexual assault case and his program's legal troubles alone following his Kinnick Stadium press conference. Ferentz said his program -- which has had a rash of arrests since the spring of 2007 -- must be accountable for its mistakes and reshape its public image

"We can't ignore our past," Ferentz said. "Our past is our past and somehow we've got to get it corrected."

Ferentz doesn't expect the storm to pass any time soon. Satterfield and Everson are scheduled to go to trial in November.

"If we it allow it to be a distraction, then it will be. It's been in the news every other day. I can't imagine a story covered any more in the history of this state. I mean that in all seriousness. I've lived in this state for 18 years."

Back to the topic of football, Murphy will be in the thick of Iowa's wide-open backfield. Sophomore Paki O'Meara enters camp listed No. 1 on the depth chart and junior college transfer Shonn Greene is a favorite, but Murphy has impressed Ferentz and new running backs coach Lester Erb with his work ethic and game smarts. Murphy was working his way up the depth chart in spring practice before aggravating a bulged disc in his back that derailed his momentum.

Six candidates are in the mix, with Nate Guillory, Jewel Hampton and Jeff Brinson also in the running. Iowa has virtually no game experience in the backfield outside of Greene, who ran for 378 yards and three touchdowns from 2005-06 before being dismissed from the team for academic reasons last year. Greene worked his way back to Iowa at Kirkwood Community College last year.

With Albert Young and Damian Sims gone, Iowa must replace 97 percent of its rushing yards from last season.

"The running back position, it's a jump ball in all regards," Ferentz said.

Ferentz says the return of Greene, a 5-foot-11, 228-pound bruiser back who has battled weight problems gives Iowa some veteran depth at its biggest mystery position.

"What we haven't seen in a while is Shonn, but we've seen enough of him to know that he knows what to do," Ferentz said. "He's a guy that can impact our football team."

The quarterback position still has Jake Christensen's name on it. But the junior is aware he is still in the hot seat after a sophomore season in which he passed for 17 touchdowns and 2,269 yards, but completed just 53 percent of his passes.

"It's been pretty well documented that I didn't play as well as I should have last year," Christensen said. "It was a learning experience and it's going to make me that much better."

Christensen worked with longtime NFL quarterback Steve DeBerg during the offseason to improve his mechanics and throwing accuracy. He will be pressured by sophomore Ricky Stanzi, who is recovering from a shoulder injury he suffered in July. Ferentz said Stanzi should return to practice by next week.

Iowa does have two rock anchors in defensive tackles Mitch King (who packed on 17 pounds of new muscle in the offseason to grow to 6-foot-4, 284 pounds) and Matt Kroul. Ferentz calls the duo the foundation of Iowa's defense and the face of the program.

"I can't say enough about the way they've taken ownership of our program," the coach said.

King, an All-America candidate, and Kroul are two of the images Ferentz hopes fans see when they think of the Iowa football program.

With 25 days until the Aug. 30 season opener with Maine, the Hawks will be forced to deal with distractions, but Ferentz and Iowa are trying to find a new, better day.

"Given the last (few) months, the ante is going to go up," the coach said. "That's just the way it goes. Our players know that. ... We're moving forward. ... At the end of the day, I hope people judge this team on what they do this year."