a lot of people are ignoring the elephant in the room

Two points:

1. The Iowa D still ended up only giving up 13 points to the IU O. Heck, even if Belcher doesn't drop the potential game-winner ... that's still only giving up 20 points to a pretty darn potent O.

2. The same 2004 Iowa D that Iowa fans remember so fondly got their collected azzes handed to them on a plate against the Gophers. However, Iowa LUCKED OUT when the Gophs missed the game-winning FG.

Some fans have such short memories. A win is a win people ....
 
Deej said:
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.
Click to expand...

Did you follow the boards after the Michigan State game last weekend? People are going to complain no matter what. Otherwise, totally agree.
 
All facets of Iowa's game needs to pick it up next week or Ohio State game will not even matter. Maybe I think about it too much, but D line just does not put much pressure on the QB. We get scratched to death with 5-7 yard passes all day.
 
If he would have caught that ball there would be mass hysteria right now and the meltdown would probably rival any meltdown in history. Same thing would be happening in Lincoln right now if the holder for the clowns didn't throw like a girl. Ahhh, but we got the dubya(for you Vin). Defense is just fine. Held MSU scoreless until late in the game cheap td and IU to 13 points. Gee, press the panic button. Hawks didn't score in the red zone and let them hang around. Kudos to Rick on the last drive though.
 
EddyP said:
If he would have caught that ball there would be mass hysteria right now and the meltdown would probably rival any meltdown in history. Same thing would be happening in Lincoln right now if the holder for the clowns didn't throw like a girl. Ahhh, but we got the dubya(for you Vin). Defense is just fine. Held MSU scoreless until late in the game cheap td and IU to 13 points. Gee, press the panic button. Hawks didn't score in the red zone and let them hang around. Kudos to Rick on the last drive though.
Click to expand...


LOL; thats exactly what I said after watching that girly throw in Ames. I hope he was not backup QB.
 
olivecourt said:
Did you follow the boards after the Michigan State game last weekend? People are going to complain no matter what. Otherwise, totally agree.
Click to expand...

When things seem relatively obvious to a number of fans, they're entitled to question some of the coaching philosophies. Whether you appreciate those fans' comments is irrelevant, nor does it give you the right or help matters to make sarcastic, smartass comments. A win is a win, just like a loss is a loss...but we all know how you win and lose matters. And when you should beat a team that isn't particularly good by multiple TD's and don't, fans are going to ask questions. Those fans are still happy w/ a win, but I'm guessing they'd likely prefer the team play to it's potential, not just good enough to win.

As for Clayborn getting blocked 1:1 by a RB many plays today, he can't just try to steamroll the RB or the RB will cut him. Instead he engages the RB under better control to at least maintain contain and stay on his feet and keep going to the QB. The DL has gotten limited pressure many games this season b/c opposing QB's have gotten the ball out very quickly. Part of that is playing a vanilla D and in which the opposing team and QB likely have easy reads and gameplans. IA has also faced numerous veteran QB's this year. Things like reading defenses and gameplanning are usually easier for older QB's.

The D also did give up another late game drive, and that's disconcerting. The issue that really troubled me is I'm fairly sure we were in cover 2 on the last play IU ran, instead of cover 3. I think we should've been playing deep 1/3's instead of deep 1/2's.
 
tm3308 said:
The end result doesn't change the problem. On Indiana's last 4 plays, their receivers dropped 3 passes. They were wide open each time. And they were wide open most of the game.
Click to expand...

While we played awful, #88 was the worst player on the field. He dropped 3 TD passes.
 
SeattleHawkeye said:
When things seem relatively obvious to a number of fans, they're entitled to question some of the coaching philosophies. Whether you appreciate those fans' comments is irrelevant, nor does it give you the right or help matters to make sarcastic, smartass comments. A win is a win, just like a loss is a loss...but we all know how you win and lose matters. And when you should beat a team that isn't particularly good by multiple TD's and don't, fans are going to ask questions. Those fans are still happy w/ a win, but I'm guessing they'd likely prefer the team play to it's potential, not just good enough to win.

As for Clayborn getting blocked 1:1 by a RB many plays today, he can't just try to steamroll the RB or the RB will cut him. Instead he engages the RB under better control to at least maintain contain and stay on his feet and keep going to the QB. The DL has gotten limited pressure many games this season b/c opposing QB's have gotten the ball out very quickly. Part of that is playing a vanilla D and in which the opposing team and QB likely have easy reads and gameplans. IA has also faced numerous veteran QB's this year. Things like reading defenses and gameplanning are usually easier for older QB's.

The D also did give up another late game drive, and that's disconcerting. The issue that really troubled me is I'm fairly sure we were in cover 2 on the last play IU ran, instead of cover 3. I think we should've been playing deep 1/3's instead of deep 1/2's.
Click to expand...

Clayborn needs to remember more of the technique that he learned against Georgia Tech. He needs to work off of guys who are chipping him. Of course, the whole point of Indiana trying to take care of him by chipping is that IU is already really good at getting the ball out in a big hurry.
 
homerHAWKeye777 said:
Clayborn needs to remember more of the technique that he learned against Georgia Tech. He needs to work off of guys who are chipping him. Of course, the whole point of Indiana trying to take care of him by chipping is that IU is already really good at getting the ball out in a big hurry.
Click to expand...

It seemed to be a bit of difference today though, Homer, in that Indiana was pass blocking Clayborn with a RB 1 on 1, but he was getting cut a lot. Playing the run and getting off a cut block is different than pass rushing a fighting off a cut block (not rocket science, I know)...by the time he'd have his legs back under him, the ball would be coming out, alluding to your last point.
 
BlackGold57 said:
All facets of Iowa's game needs to pick it up next week or Ohio State game will not even matter. Maybe I think about it too much, but D line just does not put much pressure on the QB. We get scratched to death with 5-7 yard passes all day.
Click to expand...

Indiana's game plan was for Chappell to get the ball out quickly, and he did that today. He's about as mobile as Nick Foles, but Chappell is pretty good.
 
hawkfan2679 said:
It seemed to be a bit of difference today though, Homer, in that Indiana was pass blocking Clayborn with a RB 1 on 1, but he was getting cut a lot. Playing the run and getting off a cut block is different than pass rushing a fighting off a cut block (not rocket science, I know)...by the time he'd have his legs back under him, the ball would be coming out, alluding to your last point.
Click to expand...

I'm sure it frustrated the crap out of Clayborn to have to work off of a cut-block ... just knowing that it would give the QB just enough time to get the ball off.
 
DuffMan said:
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.
Click to expand...

For most of the game, yes. But when they get in the redzone, it's time to stop giving them the short stuff. There is no "big play" in the redzone, so stop protecting yourself from one. You can't give them half the distance to the goal.

When Norm says that we want to leave a WR wide open in the endzone in that situation, I'll paint Cy on my chest and rush the field at Kinnick all by myself.
 
homerHAWKeye777 said:
I'm sure it frustrated the crap out of Clayborn to have to work off of a cut-block ... just knowing that it would give the QB just enough time to get the ball off.
Click to expand...

And it accomplished its goal...on several occasions, it seemed Clayborn approached the running back more timidly, almost anticipating the cut and was planning on how to get around it. When the cut never came, his momentum was gone and while he got a push, it was nowhere near the push he would have gotten had he not been worried about being cut.
 
hawkfan2679 said:
And it accomplished its goal...on several occasions, it seemed Clayborn approached the running back more timidly, almost anticipating the cut and was planning on how to get around it. When the cut never came, his momentum was gone and while he got a push, it was nowhere near the push he would have gotten had he not been worried about being cut.
Click to expand...

Yep ... we can only hope that he learns from the tape.
 
hawkfaninTX said:
If morris doesn't "tip" a pass on during the last drive, Sash intercepts the ball and we end the game.
Click to expand...

Sash seemed genuinely upset about that too...a terrible throw by Chappell made decent by Morris' good play. Sometimes that's the way it works.
 
mrolympia said:
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.
Click to expand...
Yes, Iowa stunk today, but they won the game.

#5 Utah got blown out
#6 Alabama lost
#8 Oklahoma lost by double digits
#12 Missouri lost
#15 Arizona got blown out

Each and every one of those teams wishes they'd squeaked out a win today like Iowa did.

Sometimes you just don't have it, and it's good to be a little bit lucky.
 
Some of you people are crazy, we have run the same defense for 12 years, we will run it for at least 10 more (as long as Ferentz says). We annually finish very high in score defense nationally. We don't blitz, keep everything in front and don't give up the big play. You may not like it, but it is what it is and the results speak for themselves.

The whole point of our defense is to make teams execute to beat us, not give up anything easy. Guess what, that is what happened today, we made IU execute and they couldn't. Simple as that.

If you want to complain about anything today, it should be the execution on offense in the redzone, not the defensive philosophy.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Share this page

Top