Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi (12) looks to run between Arkansas State's Marcus Brown, left, and Greg Hardy, right, during the third quarter Saturday. Iowa won 24-21. (Photo: Charlie Neibergall | AP)

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — There isn't much for Iowa fans to worry about these days. The 12th-ranked Hawkeyes are 5-0 behind a stellar defense and superb special teams play, and their 21-10 win two weeks ago at then-No. 5 Penn State put them on the short list of Big Ten title contenders. Saturday, they play host to 4-1 Michigan in a night game (8 p.m., ABC)

If only life were that easy for coach Kirk Ferentz: There's still been some nail-biting concerning quarterback Ricky Stanzi.

Stanzi's numbers are pedestrian at best: eight TD passes, seven interceptions and a completion percentage of 58.6 percent. Stanzi's 215 passing yards per game is sixth in the Big Ten.

Ferentz has grown a bit weary of defending his junior signal caller in recent weeks — especially his first-half struggles — because the positive traits he sees in Stanzi have little to do with statistics.

"He just carries himself the way you hope a quarterback will, and I think his teammates just follow him. He's displayed good mental toughness and physical toughness," Ferentz said.

Part of the reason Ferentz likes Stanzi so much is because that toughness has developed over time.

When Stanzi arrived on campus in 2006, few saw him as the heir apparent at quarterback. He was a year behind Jake Christensen, who was groomed to be a three-year starter, and happy-go-lucky Stanzi didn't exactly blow away the coaching staff with his focus.

But Stanzi quickly realized the hard work he'd have to put in to see the field, and a shot at the starting job opened up after Christensen and the Hawkeyes struggled to a 6-6 record in 2007. Stanzi took over for good five games into the 2008 season.

He helped lead a team built on the running game and a strong defense to a 9-4 record and a win in the 2009 Outback Bowl.

Though Stanzi didn't light up the stat sheet, throwing for 14 touchdowns in 13 games, he displayed composure in key moments, including a 15-play drive in the final moments to help Iowa upset Penn State last November.

"When it starts hitting the fan, he stays positive. To me, that's what good quarterbacks — that's how they're built," Ferentz said.

The knock on Stanzi this season has been his slow starts.

Stanzi hasn't been the only reason Iowa's offense has struggled at times, despite averaging 25 points per game. He has been a victim of drops by an inconsistent receiving corps, and the Hawkeyes running backs and offensive line took some time to settle in.

Stanzi is 13-3 as a starter, though, and he's been behind center for Iowa's current nine-game winning streak. Iowa is off to its best start since 1995.

"Rankings don't mean a whole lot to us, I don't think. It's a good attitude that we have on our team," Stanzi said. "It's a lot of noise, and it really doesn't mean anything this early in the year."

Ferentz has been quick to defend Stanzi this season, praising his play at Penn State even though his numbers — 11-of-26 passing for 135 yards and two interceptions — weren't pretty. Last week, in a 24-21 victory against Arkansas State, Stanzi was 18-of-26 passing for 296 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

The coach knows that at some point in the next seven weeks, the Hawkeyes will lean on Stanzi in crunch time. Ferentz has seen enough of Stanzi's intangibles to believe that he'll come through.

"He's leading our team really well, and he's really keeping his poise out there on the field, which I think spreads to others," Ferentz said. "I think we have an opportunity to become a good offensive football team. We're not there yet, but with him playing quarterback, I think that gives us a good chance."