a lot of people are ignoring the elephant in the room

[PlanoHawk]

If the elephant brought a trunk full of beer to the room, he's welcome to stay.

and we're free to drink them as long as we're not on melrose!

 

[olivecourt]

We needed a defensive stop at the end against Arizona - didn't get it.
We needed a defensive stop at the end against Wisconsin - didn't get it.
We needed a defensive stop at the end against Indiana - didn't get it.

It's not the defense so much as the defensive philosophy. The plan is to let out the line with low drag until the offense makes a mistake. We were just lucky this week that the mistake was on 4th down in the endzone.

I'm not sure how "Indiana turns the ball over on downs" at the end of the game doesn't constitute a stop.

 

[UIHawkGrad]

if that Indiana WR is able to catch that WIDE OPEN pass in the endzone, Iowa loses.

This team really better get it's (feces) together. The "nation's best defensive line" is a complete joke.........much like "big game" bob stoops. Zero pressure on Chappell all day, it's not like Iowa had to worry about him taking off and running the ball. Pathetic effort by everybody today except Coker.

If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we'd all have a Merry Christmas!

 

[tm3308]

I'm not sure how "Indiana turns the ball over on downs" at the end of the game doesn't constitute a stop.

Three wide open receivers dropping passes does not constitute a stop. Our defense had nothing to do with them turning it over on downs.

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

Three wide open receivers dropping passes does not constitute a stop. Our defense had nothing to do with them turning it over on downs.

It's still a stop.

 

[tm3308]

It's still a stop.

Maybe in the statsheet. But our defense allowed them to march it downfield, and left receivers wide open on 3 of the final 4 plays. That isn't a stop in my book.

 

[PlanoHawk]

Three wide open receivers dropping passes does not constitute a stop. Our defense had nothing to do with them turning it over on downs.

yea i think our defense still had enough stops to make things work just fine. if you have to compare units, i think our defense had a better day than our offense overall.

 

[Thawki]

It's pretty hard to pin a loss on the D in this game...

...if we would have lost, since IU has a pretty good offense and we held them to 20 if we would have lost. But that's what happens when people think you are the 1975 Steelers or the 1985 Bears.

The D couldn't stop a team, almost, at the end again. A TRULY great D wouldn't have let that happen. We didn't let that happen today, but we did against Arizona and Wisconsin. We are not a truly elite D. But Jon is right. This is me talking, not Jon, but just because we aren't a truly elite D does not mean the D is the problem.

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

Maybe in the statsheet. But our defense allowed them to march it downfield, and left receivers wide open on 3 of the final 4 plays. That isn't a stop in my book.

Well no one gives a **** about your book.

 

[VintageHawkeye]

Well no one gives a **** about your book.

tm has a book? does the elephant know about this?

 

[bxy]

The defense is mediocre to awful for whatever reason. It very well may be the injuries but on the road especially we look less than pedestrian.

 

[olivecourt]

The defense is mediocre to awful for whatever reason. It very well may be the injuries but on the road especially we look less than pedestrian.

Dude, if you want to see mediocre to awful defense you should turn on the PSU/Northwestern game.

I'm not saying I'm not disappointed in the defense on the final drive, but let's have some perspective here. We are #8 in the country in scoring defense.

 

[HawkPrdatr40]

Troll alert

 

[VintageHawkeye]

Troll alert

So you're saying the elephant is a troll? We should ignore him, then.

 

[silvanthalas]

Apologists alert.

 

[DuffMan]

Three wide open receivers dropping passes does not constitute a stop. Our defense had nothing to do with them turning it over on downs.

How can someone familiar with our defensive scheeme honestly say this. Our D is based on the philosphy that we keep it in front of us and make the other team put together 15 play drives to beat us. It's supposed to work exactly as it did today.

 

[MNHawkeyeFreak]

So you're saying the elephant is a troll? We should ignore him, then.

Is this a GOP elephant?

 

[WayzataHawkeye]

The most concerning thing I saw on defense was that Indiana was able to consistently block Clayborn 1 on 1 with a back. He does not seem to have an answer for those cut blocks. I am no expert but I have to believe there is a technique to deal with that.

 

[J10Hawk]

if that Indiana WR is able to catch that WIDE OPEN pass in the endzone, Iowa loses.

This team really better get it's (feces) together. The "nation's best defensive line" is a complete joke.........much like "big game" bob stoops. Zero pressure on Chappell all day, it's not like Iowa had to worry about him taking off and running the ball. Pathetic effort by everybody today except Coker.

i skipped reading everything in this thread so if this has already been said im sorry
but
If my aunt had nuts, she'd be my uncle.

 

[Deej]

If Iowa had scored TD's on just two of their 4 redzones its immaterial...ifs all over....its football The defense is fine.

Looking like that, I agree. The defense only gave up 13 points, which is great for a defense. The offense did need to get the ball in the end zone more often. Another two touchdowns out of those four redzones, and you have 32-13, and I am sure nobody would be complaining.