I think there is an elephant in the room you have neglected to mention. This is the mentality of the team towards the end of the season. Ferentz teams traditionally finish strong and play their best football in November - not true with this team. I think some of the best Ferentz teams had great leadership on both sides of the ball - questionable with this team (who were the offensive and defensive leaders? IMO Angerers leadership was not replaced on D and no one stepped up and took control of the O, which I would fault Stanzi for - this is opinion based on observation alone). After losing to a 2-9 Minnesota team (on the same field USD of Vermillion, SD won earlier in the year) Adrian Clayborn said that the team had lost its will to win - this is glaring to me. I did not see fire in this team after the MSU game. Did something happen to negatively impact team dynamics? Was it one single incident? Was it the team as a whole buying into the hype and losing inspiration? Was there a void in leadership? I don't have an answer for any of the questions but to me there is no doubt that the team as a whole did not have its heart in the late season games.
2010 Iowa Football: What Happened?
- Thread starter JonDMiller
- Start date
PeoriaHWKI
Well-Known Member
Jon, This is a great post. I'm still baffled by the offense and the amount of talent we have to be so underachieving. I think KF is the man, Norm is tha man, but maybe it is time to tweak the OC position. It just seems we could be better. Look at the post season accolades we got and the only one that didn't get any was Stanzi which I will argue is one of the best QBs in the Big 10 yet he falls short on the awards because of 0-5 when it mattered.
One thing to add... These guys are just kids. I look back at myself at 18-23 and can't even imagine. We all need to put that into perspective.
One thing to add... These guys are just kids. I look back at myself at 18-23 and can't even imagine. We all need to put that into perspective.
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JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
I agree very much with what Jared Clauss had to say related to this opinion:
"I don’t know if that is a matter of will or the other team is making plays. It’s tough to say, they had so much to play for and they were right there in the talk about the BCS. We have good talent this year and could’ve gotten a chance at a Big Ten title. When that’s taken from you it dampens things emotionally. The losses we had this year were so heartbreaking, they were a shadowy image of last year but on the wrong end of things. You know our last minute wins were tough on the teams we beat last year, well we were that team this year. That can drag on you when you are so close and you lose by an average of less than four points per game. It’s frustrating."
I think the A-Rob injury really did a number on Stanzi, along with the losses at RG.
The NW loss was the final straw for the mental aspect...its easy to get up on Senior Day and when Ohio State is in town. After that loss, it was all spent.
HawkeyeNTexas
Well-Known Member
Wow Jon. Nice write up. I guess I didn't realize and simply had forgotten all the bad things that have happened this season. It really puts things into perspective and almost makes me feel better about the losses.
Now...here is my rant/rave regarding sports, the mental aspect of sports, and how it relates to this team. I believe a majority of success in sports comes from having a strong mental outlook. If your head is in the game mentally, you will succeed more often than not.
I firmly believe this team as a whole checked out mentally after the MSU game. As far as why that happened, that is a mystery to me. It doesn't make sense. Something changed? Something happened in the locker room? The coaches changed?.....I just don't know. You could just tell with the body language starting in the Indiana game.
Regardless of the injuries, this team still had a chance to win and should have won every single game they lost. Maybe I'm asking too much of 18-21 year olds to be mentally prepared for a game? Maybe I'm wrong in thinking they weren't prepared to play? TO ME, it just looked like some of them didn't care. How do you explain AC's comments after the Minnesota game?
Now...here is my rant/rave regarding sports, the mental aspect of sports, and how it relates to this team. I believe a majority of success in sports comes from having a strong mental outlook. If your head is in the game mentally, you will succeed more often than not.
I firmly believe this team as a whole checked out mentally after the MSU game. As far as why that happened, that is a mystery to me. It doesn't make sense. Something changed? Something happened in the locker room? The coaches changed?.....I just don't know. You could just tell with the body language starting in the Indiana game.
Regardless of the injuries, this team still had a chance to win and should have won every single game they lost. Maybe I'm asking too much of 18-21 year olds to be mentally prepared for a game? Maybe I'm wrong in thinking they weren't prepared to play? TO ME, it just looked like some of them didn't care. How do you explain AC's comments after the Minnesota game?
AHawk1
Well-Known Member
No doubt that they didn't have their heart in it on Saturday. I think there was definitely finger pointing over the losses and the staff did lose the team againest the Gophers. I think it was an accumulation of all the misfortune that happened through out the season, as Jon did a good job of pointing out.
SirJamaLot
Well-Known Member
Great post!!! Great Summary Jon, I have been overly negative because i live in MN and I cant believe the Hawks lost to the lowly Gophers but the past decade has been awesome. Im disappointed in the fact we lost to 2 teams we were much better than NW and Mn but such is life, we arent perfect and neither or they, I agree that they need to tweek their schemes but im sure they already know that
Great writeup,Jon. Iowa seems to have more injuries than most programs,but no facts to back that up. When you realize the extent of the injuries,it is not surprising to have seen Iowa lose more games than we expected.
The Chicago Bears are going into their 12 game of the year,and currently have zero injuries to the original 45 guys on their roster. Now,that is the other extreme,but it is pretty remarkable to have played 11 NFL games and not have a single guy on the injury list...with the orginal roster.
Iowa will never have a season like that,but if they had this year...they would be in the Rose Bowl for sure.
Going more than 3 deep at lb,rb,and offensive guard ended up killing the hawks in November.
The Chicago Bears are going into their 12 game of the year,and currently have zero injuries to the original 45 guys on their roster. Now,that is the other extreme,but it is pretty remarkable to have played 11 NFL games and not have a single guy on the injury list...with the orginal roster.
Iowa will never have a season like that,but if they had this year...they would be in the Rose Bowl for sure.
Going more than 3 deep at lb,rb,and offensive guard ended up killing the hawks in November.
OPHawkJDGolfer
Member
Good write up, but I think Jon missed a big special teams gaffe in the Wisconsin game … didn’t Donhoue as the holder muff a snap that prevented a very makeable field goal attempt?
53-43 B10 record under Kirk.
That's an average record of 4.4-3.5. Bascially 5-3/4-4 B10 record each season.
21-19 in the last 5 seasons.
6 seasons since last B10 title.
Zero outright titles
3+ million a year.
All facts that need to be considered
If you think I enjoyed typing that, think again. I'm sick to my stomach. That's not a joke.
That's an average record of 4.4-3.5. Bascially 5-3/4-4 B10 record each season.
21-19 in the last 5 seasons.
6 seasons since last B10 title.
Zero outright titles
3+ million a year.
All facts that need to be considered
If you think I enjoyed typing that, think again. I'm sick to my stomach. That's not a joke.
+1
This is a play that stands out in my mind as well. FG attempt snapped from Wisconsin's 13-yd line which would've made it a 30-yd kick. Not a gimme but Meyer would probably make that kick >75% of the time.
The reason this was big was because we would have (hypothetically) been up 9 points before Wisconsin scored their last TD...which would have forced them to get an onsides kick and score again.
I KNOW the game probably would have played out differently...but those missed points proved to be crucial.
Texashawk17
Well-Known Member
53-43 B10 record under Kirk.
That's an average record of 4.4-3.5. Bascially 5-3/4-4 B10 record each season.
21-19 in the last 5 seasons.
6 seasons since last B10 title.
Zero outright titles
3+ million a year.
All facts that need to be considered
If you think I enjoyed typing that, think again. I'm sick to my stomach. That's not a joke.
hard to argue this
That's an average record of 4.4-3.5. Bascially 5-3/4-4 B10 record each season.
21-19 in the last 5 seasons.
6 seasons since last B10 title.
Zero outright titles
3+ million a year.
All facts that need to be considered
If you think I enjoyed typing that, think again. I'm sick to my stomach. That's not a joke.
hard to argue this
JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
It's tough for me to hang the first two years of the Ferentz era on anything other than a massive rebuilding project he inherited.
Since then, Iowa is 50-30 in Big Ten play. Just one team in the league has more Big Ten wins than Iowa over the last decade, and that is Ohio State.
Just read this for the 3rd time and first of all thank you Jon for putting this season into some perspective and secondly...if we are playing out 4th string right guard and 10 different linebackers and still challenging for Big Ten Championships and top tier bowls...I am excited about the future of this program. I was as disappointed and ticked off at the outcome of this season as the next guy but seriously I think we have a lot to look forward too.
Excellent post. Summed it up quite nicely. But as for saying undefeated was not a good prediction to make, I would not be too hard on yourself.
09/18 a 6 point loss in a game to which Iowa gave up a pick 6, a punt block that led to a TD and a kickoff return. That game should not have turned out differently?
10/23 a 1 point loss with a botched field goal attempt and a missed XP.
11/13 a 4 point loss to Northwestern
11/20 a 3 point loss to Ohio St.
11/27 a 3 point loss to Minnesota.
ALL of these games easily could have been won, and in most of them I believe Iowa had a lead in the 4th quarter. So in my honest opinion I don't feel undefeated was too bold a prediction. You like a lot of us, bought into the defensive line being spectacular, and not knowing the linebackers would fail in coverage situations and the defense in general cough up leads late in the game.
09/18 a 6 point loss in a game to which Iowa gave up a pick 6, a punt block that led to a TD and a kickoff return. That game should not have turned out differently?
10/23 a 1 point loss with a botched field goal attempt and a missed XP.
11/13 a 4 point loss to Northwestern
11/20 a 3 point loss to Ohio St.
11/27 a 3 point loss to Minnesota.
ALL of these games easily could have been won, and in most of them I believe Iowa had a lead in the 4th quarter. So in my honest opinion I don't feel undefeated was too bold a prediction. You like a lot of us, bought into the defensive line being spectacular, and not knowing the linebackers would fail in coverage situations and the defense in general cough up leads late in the game.
I think the RG issue was the turning point Gettis and Mac were both effective, but Koepple was just not effective. I believe this hurt Stanzi as be began expecting pressure up the middle. He just never seemed comfortable after that point.
My concern is that there are things a coaching staff can do to adjust for that. Play more shot gun, roll the pocket, etc. Same goes for defense where the Hawks should have gone to a different scheme using more DBs and linemen. So, yes, the injuries had their impact, but so did the coaches inability to adjust to the injuries.
Also, with respect to wins. College teams play an extra game from
what they played in previous decades. So 8 wins now would equate to
7 wins before. This is particularly true because game number 12 is a cupcake game.
My concern is that there are things a coaching staff can do to adjust for that. Play more shot gun, roll the pocket, etc. Same goes for defense where the Hawks should have gone to a different scheme using more DBs and linemen. So, yes, the injuries had their impact, but so did the coaches inability to adjust to the injuries.
Also, with respect to wins. College teams play an extra game from
what they played in previous decades. So 8 wins now would equate to
7 wins before. This is particularly true because game number 12 is a cupcake game.
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papathawki
Well-Known Member
I will never, ever again, worry about having too many running backs. In August there was a lot of chatter about what we were going to do with 3 good running backs. Lots and lots of talk about how to use them. All things considered we are lucky Coker turned out as well as he did because early in the season he was #4. And actually, injuries hurt us a lot more at other positions than running back.
Jon, this is great perspective, but the issue that will be debated is why did this team quit? You claim they had nothing left in the tank, but it looked more to me like they quit on KF. I want you to be right, but you have pointed to nothing that suggests you are correct on this issue.
Saginawbay
Well-Known Member
Tough season for sure!!!!
