Ferentz Era Over

[hawkeyes87]

How is that the coaches fault? Answer that. How is that a coaching issue? Players didn't execute.

How is it that you don't blame the coaches for this CONSTANT "failure to execute" ???

If Stanley was to blame for PSU, why didn't the coaches bench him? If there's nobody better ( and you said an average qb would have led an easy win ), whose fault is that?

 

[DJL]

Iowa wins out. You doom n gloom crowd will be eating crow. Nebraska will get beat down by a team with a legit D like us. Put me in the crowd that believes.

Legit D? Did you watch the game Saturday???

 

[DJL]

What's wrong with you people? You should be pissed at your coaching staff when a team comes in unprepared, or their game plan either offensively or defensively sucks...and they get torched for it. Wisconsin and Penn State were games we should have won, but the players failed to execute...or made key errors that cost us the game. You can't put Wisconsin on the coaching staff. Three critical errors killed us against Wisconsin. The two punt return turnovers, and Stanley throwing a 100 MPH fastball on the crossing pattern that was intercepted to essentially end the game. How is that the coaches fault? Answer that. How is that a coaching issue? Players didn't execute. Stanley had a chance to create a legacy and he failed.

Penn State...Stanley was awful...he had wide receivers open all over. He was terrible. The coaches can't play the game. My god, if Stanley is just average we win by two touchdowns AT Penn State. You can't blame the coaching on that loss either. The defense gave up a few big plays...but for the most part...Stanley gave them one of their touchdowns.

Purdue...our defense didn't play well. We doubled Moore and left Moss on an Island and they made the plays. I can just hear you morons bitching if we had played Moore in more one on one situations. "He's the leading receiver in the league and we let him torch us...our coaches suck." Phil decided to take Moore away as much as he could. He never got anything down the field. There was a reason for that. I think it was a poor game plan....I would have figured out a way to blitz the crap out of Blough. I'll give you that...it was a poor defensive game plan. Most of you say Phil Parker is responsible all the success...chew on that for awhile. Phil swung and missed. You should have no issues with our offensive game plan.

So when the players aren't executing, what do you do? Stanley will never be benched, but does he deserve to be? I keep hearing about NFL talent, but I sure don't see it unless we are playing the most God awful defenses in the conference. Obviously Nate has a lot of talent; a big arm, but he seems to be easily rattled, can't move, and throws the ball 100 miles an hour most of the time. The kid behind him is very very confident. I like that, but I'm not at practice so I don't know if he would do any better.
Moss gave up 3 TD's and was obviously in over his head. I agree Parker should've changed something sooner. I also think Parker was to blame for his defensive scheme at the end of the Wisconsin game. I get tired of watching our team piss leads away at the end of games.

 

[NoBeer]

What's wrong with you people? You should be pissed at your coaching staff when a team comes in unprepared, or their game plan either offensively or defensively sucks...and they get torched for it. Wisconsin and Penn State were games we should have won, but the players failed to execute...or made key errors that cost us the game. You can't put Wisconsin on the coaching staff. Three critical errors killed us against Wisconsin. The two punt return turnovers, and Stanley throwing a 100 MPH fastball on the crossing pattern that was intercepted to essentially end the game. How is that the coaches fault? Answer that. How is that a coaching issue? Players didn't execute. Stanley had a chance to create a legacy and he failed.

Penn State...Stanley was awful...he had wide receivers open all over. He was terrible. The coaches can't play the game. My god, if Stanley is just average we win by two touchdowns AT Penn State. You can't blame the coaching on that loss either. The defense gave up a few big plays...but for the most part...Stanley gave them one of their touchdowns.

Purdue...our defense didn't play well. We doubled Moore and left Moss on an Island and they made the plays. I can just hear you morons bitching if we had played Moore in more one on one situations. "He's the leading receiver in the league and we let him torch us...our coaches suck." Phil decided to take Moore away as much as he could. He never got anything down the field. There was a reason for that. I think it was a poor game plan....I would have figured out a way to blitz the crap out of Blough. I'll give you that...it was a poor defensive game plan. Most of you say Phil Parker is responsible all the success...chew on that for awhile. Phil swung and missed. You should have no issues with our offensive game plan.

All you are doing here is highlighting the macro issue, which is that its a different excuse all the time. You're trying to make it sound like it was just a few unrelated things in 3 games but in reality its been 15 years of this.

 

[WinOneThisCentury]

So when the players aren't executing, what do you do? Stanley will never be benched, but does he deserve to be? I keep hearing about NFL talent, but I sure don't see it unless we are playing the most God awful defenses in the conference. Obviously Nate has a lot of talent; a big arm, but he seems to be easily rattled, can't move, and throws the ball 100 miles an hour most of the time. The kid behind him is very very confident. I like that, but I'm not at practice so I don't know if he would do any better.
Moss gave up 3 TD's and was obviously in over his head. I agree Parker should've changed something sooner. I also think Parker was to blame for his defensive scheme at the end of the Wisconsin game. I get tired of watching our team piss leads away at the end of games.

Thank you...all legitimate arguments against the coaching staff. I'll debate those. Should Stanley have been benched against Penn State. Yes...I think he should have been to start the fourth quarter.

I thought Phil should have blitzed more...early in the game. You have to rattle Blough...that's what MSU did...they got in his grill...early.

 

[WinOneThisCentury]

All you are doing here is highlighting the macro issue, which is that its a different excuse all the time. You're trying to make it sound like it was just a few unrelated things in 3 games but in reality its been 15 years of this.

I really wish HN had a feature to identify "Special Needs" posters. It would temper the way I respond to people. Like an animal emoji or something.

 

[NoBeer]

Exactly what I thought when I read his post.

Why would anybody want the "let's just keep doing the same thing and hope it works" mentality spread to the rest of the department?

"that's football" becomes "that's sports"??

Gary Barta should be Athletics Department CFO. Instead of building a department like Wisconsin he raises funds.

 

[NoBeer]

I really wish HN had a feature to identify "Special Needs" posters. It would temper the way I respond to people. Like an animal emoji or something.

This the response of someone without a counter argument. Ad hominem attacks.

 

[DJL]

Thank you...all legitimate arguments against the coaching staff. I'll debate those. Should Stanley have been benched against Penn State. Yes...I think he should have been to start the fourth quarter.

I thought Phil should have blitzed more...early in the game. You have to rattle Blough...that's what MSU did...they got in his grill...early.

Agree on both accounts. The season certainly isn't over, but if we are going to win out Nate has to be more consistent, or take a seat and the Phil is going to have to get creative sometimes because we have some young players on that side of the ball. Opposing coaches are good at seeking out the mismatch and taking full advantage. We need to adjust if we can. I thought we eventually made the right adjustments late in the game against Purdue, but some crazy officiating and fear of a returner (I'm not blaming that decision, just noting they had great field position) set Purdue up for the win late.

 

[HawkeyeDenis]

You're not sold on it being good or you're not sold that that's what's going to happen? Because its totally what is going to happen.

I am not sold on Brian being ready for the head coaching job. And it is not totally set. If there is a large enough fan revolt. They will have to look outside the Ferentz family.

 

[Fryowa]

I thought Phil should have blitzed more...early in the game. You have to rattle Blough...that's what MSU did...they got in his grill...early.

Again, that leaves the secondary thinner than it already is. It's a one dimensional answer to a deeper problem being our CBs can't cover receivers. If you watch the game Blough never needed more than a couple seconds to launch the ball so more blitzing wouldn't have been effective. Especially with Moore and Knox being in the slot at all times.

If you go back and watch the Purdue-MSU game their corners were all over Purdue's receivers. They got after him because he had nowhere to throw to. Against us was the opposite...take the snap and launch it immediately to one of two or three open guys. You're trying to fix a problem in a way that would actually exacerbate it.

 

[HawkeyeDenis]

It's tough to win a game when your opponent scores TDs and you have to counter with FG's.

 

[hwk23]

Again, that leaves the secondary thinner than it already is. It's a one dimensional answer to a deeper problem being our CBs can't cover receivers. If you watch the game Blough never needed more than a couple seconds to launch the ball so more blitzing wouldn't have been effective. Especially with Moore and Knox being in the slot at all times.

If you go back and watch the Purdue-MSU game their corners were all over Purdue's receivers. They got after him because he had nowhere to throw to. Against us was the opposite...take the snap and launch it immediately to one of two or three open guys. You're trying to fix a problem in a way that would actually exacerbate it.

Yep, we couldn't match up at CB and it cost us the game. That's all it took. Purdue looked like they were practicing that all week. Nothing else really mattered. If you've read the quotes by the Purdue WR, he predicted it. He said he knew Moss doesn't play bump and run and he knew he would be able to beat him deep by studying the tape.

 

[NoBeer]

I am not sold on Brian being ready for the head coaching job. And it is not totally set. If there is a large enough fan revolt. They will have to look outside the Ferentz family.

They don't care what the fans think. If the top donors are content they'll do it.

 

[HawkeyeWalker]

I am sure this has been mentioned by more than a few people. But as a fan I am not sold on Brian becoming the new head coach when Kirk leaves. Overall I think Brian has been a good influence on Kirk. But I just don't think he is head coach material at this point.

agreed. I was pretty critical of BF as OC much of last year and early this year, I think he has improved in both personnel and X/O's.... but has a ways to go in consistency and redzone playcalling. Basically, he's improved but I need to see more to even totally buy in on him a an OC. Regarding HC, I would be very disappointed, and surprised, if he is handed the keys to castle anytime in the next 3 years.

I personally think KF will be HC for at least another 3 years, possible 4-5+.

 

[HawkeyeWalker]

They don't care what the fans think. If the top donors are content they'll do it.

They don't care what the fans think on the internet. If fans stop going, stop watching, and stop buying merchandise....then it resonates. Message boards, twitter, facebook, etc..... they don't give 2 poops about those sentiments.

 

[HawkeyeWalker]

I'd rather see Dan Gable to AD. Kirk would be a Barta clone with no accountability and no demand for excellence.

Dan Gable is an absolute legend, and not just at Iowa. Few individual competitors cared as much about winning and losing simply wasn't acceptable.

But if you know anything about Gable, you'd know that there is literally zero chance of him being AD. 80% of what AD's now have to do, Gable would absolutely hate with every measure of his being.

 

[Fryowa]

They don't care what the fans think. If the top donors are content they'll do it.

This.

 

[WinOneThisCentury]

Again, that leaves the secondary thinner than it already is. It's a one dimensional answer to a deeper problem being our CBs can't cover receivers. If you watch the game Blough never needed more than a couple seconds to launch the ball so more blitzing wouldn't have been effective. Especially with Moore and Knox being in the slot at all times.

If you go back and watch the Purdue-MSU game their corners were all over Purdue's receivers. They got after him because he had nowhere to throw to. Against us was the opposite...take the snap and launch it immediately to one of two or three open guys. You're trying to fix a problem in a way that would actually exacerbate it.

Ok...so we didn't blitz much...or any. I remember one or two, I think. How did that work out for us? Getting someone unabated to QB would have stopped the long throw for the touchdown easily. There were several times where Blough had way to much time to throw, deep throw over the middle to the TE, etc. MSU blitzed him too...but they are more experienced at corner and our corners aren't physical the way theirs are. We also don't play the, "I'm going to try to get away with as much as I can game, like MSU does." I think we should...you seriously could call a penalty on every play MSU's defense plays.

See these are good debates...pissing and moaning about who our coach happens to be is futile. Sound debates about strategy fine...bringing up the past every sign of adversity is a losers game.

 

[Fryowa]

Ok...so we didn't blitz much...or any. I remember one or two, I think. How did that work out for us? Getting someone unabated to QB would have stopped the long throw for the touchdown easily. There were several times where Blough had way to much time to throw, deep throw over the middle to the TE, etc. MSU blitzed him too...but they are more experienced at corner and our corners aren't physical the way theirs are. We also don't play the, "I'm going to try to get away with as much as I can game, like MSU does." I think we should...you seriously could call a penalty on every play MSU's defense plays.

Ok, hypothetically take away a deep threat with a blitz...where does that leave Knox and Moore from the slot? 10 yds downfield across the middle with an empty defensive backfield. That's an even easier throw than the deep ball they beat us with.

We could do this all day but the fact remains that a team needs to be able to play man defense against teams like that. There's no magic bullet at this level of football that will make up for such a serious shortcoming. Unless you're content to lose 5-6 games a year.

One other thing, I say all this but I have zero expectations for the Hawkeyes to change things up and be different. The people calling the shots are content with the squeaky clean, no scandal, corn fed, aw shucks 7-5 football in Iowa as long as they get a 10-2 season once every decade or so. It's what we do here and if you want B1G titles and playoff berths it's best to put your gear on eBay and buy some Clemson or Michigan hoodies. We are what we are and in a few years Brian will start giving us just that...a game over .500 conference record for the next 25 years and probably a statue right next to Hayden Fry's and Kirk's.