If there is a three-game solution to replacing receiver Mo Brown - and judging by Iowa's first three games, such an answer might not exist within the rules of college football - Kirk Ferentz is searching for it.
Ferentz announced Tuesday that his No. 18 Hawkeyes will be without the hobbled Brown, Iowa's top playmaker in the passing game, likely until the Oct. 18 game at Ohio State.
For now, Iowa will try to figure out how to keep an offense that wasn't racking up frequent flyer miles with Brown, from hitting the ground without him.
"Losing a guy like Mo really takes some steam out of us," Ferentz said. "We'll just keep looking around. We can't really pull a rabbit out of our hat, but we'll keep looking."
Brown injured his right ankle in the process of making his third touchdown reception of the season in Saturday's 40-21 victory against Iowa State. He came down awkwardly between two Cyclone defenders and had his foot planted in the turf when he was hit by cornerback Ellis Hobbs.
"You watch the tape, and you're almost glad we got away with what we got away with," Ferentz said. "He's got a substantial injury right now."
Ferentz would neither confirm nor deny reports that Brown underwent surgery on Monday.
At the time of his injury, Brown had 14 of Iowa's 28 receptions on the season. His 212 receiving yards accounted for more than 63 percent of the Hawkeye team total.
Iowa's second-leading receiver is true freshman fullback Champ Davis, who has three receptions for 33 yards. But Davis also is among the Hawkeyes' lengthy list of injured playmakers. He's questionable for Saturday's game against No. 16 Arizona State.
Ferentz said senior strong safety Bob Sanders won't be ready in time for the Sun Devils, but there's a chance the preseason all-American will be back Sept. 27 when the Hawkeyes open Big Ten play at Michigan State.
Freshman running back Albert Young, who broke his right fibula in August, is still at least a week away from being ready to make his Iowa debut. Junior Jermelle Lewis is expected to miss the entire season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
And now there's Brown's injury.
