I saw this article in yesterday's issue of Alternate Reality Times and thought you folks might find it interesting.
September 23, 2015
It's not often that Kirk Ferentz would describe himself as an innovator. Or anyone else, for that matter. But with this Saturday's contest against the North Texas Mean Green looming large, I caught up with the University of Iowa's head coach to listen to him explain how he has done just that.
"I'm just a regular guy, like you," he begins.
"I pull on my beige khakis one leg at a time like everyone else. But we all know last season wasn't where we wanted to be and 2012 was slightly below expectations which led to... as I believe Hawkeye Nation's Jon Miller put it, an "off-season malaise". Well I took a long hard look in the mirror and decided some changes needed to be made." When pressed for further details, Kirk gives one of his sly grins.
"Execution. We need to execute better. We're not doing the things we're supposed to be doing on both sides of the ball. So execution, or the mentioning of it as often as possible, is what I've decided to focus on." When asked if he had plans to improve obvious flaws in his vanilla playbook, his ultra-conservative play style, his team's inability to win close games, his lack of aggression, his team's lack of cohesiveness, his woeful special teams efforts, or any of a long list of other issues plauging his football program of late, he chuckles.
"Oh no, nothing like that. Just execution." That brave spirit of change and innovation is also being embraced by fifth-year senior Jake Rudock as he starts under center in Saturday's game.
"I'm going to try making throws two... no make that THREE yards past the line of scrimmage in this game!" beams the future doc. The Hawkeyes (1-2), need as much of this enthusiasm as they can muster going into this razor-close game against the little team that could from North Texas. It began with a season opener against an FCS foe that required a record-shattering FOUR blocked field goals to preserve a one point lead over Illinois State.
"Any record is a good record", coach Ferentz was quoted as saying afterwards.
Next, Iowa fell to in-state rival Iowa State by a score of 2-3.
" We could've moved the ball more," Ferentz quipped with a grin following the game.
When criticized about having Rudock take a knee on his own 49 yard line with 30 seconds and two timeouts remaining in the half, Ferentz explained "l had to cut things a little short after I ran out of gum and little notebooks..."
The following week Iowa forfeited their game against Pitt after Kirk listened to the game preview episode of HN Podcast and thought to himself, "You know, that Steve Deace guy has a point..."
So when the Hawkeyes take the field this weekend, they'll be fighting for a preseason .500. A win won't be easy however, given Kirk's undying love for close games.
"I have an undying love for close games," he explains. "I've been accused of intentionally putting the brakes on a little bit in games where we're getting too far ahead. That's ridiculous, of course. Fact is, I actually put the brakes on A LOT when we're pulling too far ahead. You see, these are impressionable young men we're dealing with here. I can't stand the sight of hurt feelings, so if I can lift our opponents' spirits with a gift from time to time, of course I'll try to accommodate that. Remember that Central Michigan game? That was one of my favorites."
Quarterback Jake Rudock agrees.
"We've been accused of making it too easy for our opponents. We've been told over and over to make changes. But you know what? Sometimes the most innovative thing you can do is the exact same thing as before." It was this thinking that led coach Ferentz to release a depth chart in February featuring Rudock as the starter over backup CJ Beathard. When asked about his teammate, who was recently benched during practice for "throwing too far", Rudock shrugs.
" He's alright, I guess. I mean, if you care about things like "arm strength" or "reading the field" or "throwing on the run" or "pinpoint accuracy" or "leadership ability", then I guess you'd go with him. But any time you need a flat-footed, pinic-stricken toss for a one yard gain or a wild overthrow, I'm your man!" Rudock, who's throwing ability has been often described as "wet noodle" or "hey, my eight-year-old sister throws just like that!", is nevertheless excited for this weekend's nail-biter.
When the Hawks take the field this Saturday, they'll take that unbridled enthusiasm with them, as well as that of their coach.
"It's just another game, so whatever. When we lost the last game, I was already over it and looking ahead to this week's game. But now that it's here, its just another ball game. I'd like to win but really graduating students and doing it right is key so whatever happens happens, I suppose. That's football. I'm really not too worried about it." And with that fercious war cry, the Hawks will take the field in front of at least 9 or 10 thousand indifferent fans. Go Hawks!
September 23, 2015
It's not often that Kirk Ferentz would describe himself as an innovator. Or anyone else, for that matter. But with this Saturday's contest against the North Texas Mean Green looming large, I caught up with the University of Iowa's head coach to listen to him explain how he has done just that.
"I'm just a regular guy, like you," he begins.
"I pull on my beige khakis one leg at a time like everyone else. But we all know last season wasn't where we wanted to be and 2012 was slightly below expectations which led to... as I believe Hawkeye Nation's Jon Miller put it, an "off-season malaise". Well I took a long hard look in the mirror and decided some changes needed to be made." When pressed for further details, Kirk gives one of his sly grins.
"Execution. We need to execute better. We're not doing the things we're supposed to be doing on both sides of the ball. So execution, or the mentioning of it as often as possible, is what I've decided to focus on." When asked if he had plans to improve obvious flaws in his vanilla playbook, his ultra-conservative play style, his team's inability to win close games, his lack of aggression, his team's lack of cohesiveness, his woeful special teams efforts, or any of a long list of other issues plauging his football program of late, he chuckles.
"Oh no, nothing like that. Just execution." That brave spirit of change and innovation is also being embraced by fifth-year senior Jake Rudock as he starts under center in Saturday's game.
"I'm going to try making throws two... no make that THREE yards past the line of scrimmage in this game!" beams the future doc. The Hawkeyes (1-2), need as much of this enthusiasm as they can muster going into this razor-close game against the little team that could from North Texas. It began with a season opener against an FCS foe that required a record-shattering FOUR blocked field goals to preserve a one point lead over Illinois State.
"Any record is a good record", coach Ferentz was quoted as saying afterwards.
Next, Iowa fell to in-state rival Iowa State by a score of 2-3.
" We could've moved the ball more," Ferentz quipped with a grin following the game.
When criticized about having Rudock take a knee on his own 49 yard line with 30 seconds and two timeouts remaining in the half, Ferentz explained "l had to cut things a little short after I ran out of gum and little notebooks..."
The following week Iowa forfeited their game against Pitt after Kirk listened to the game preview episode of HN Podcast and thought to himself, "You know, that Steve Deace guy has a point..."
So when the Hawkeyes take the field this weekend, they'll be fighting for a preseason .500. A win won't be easy however, given Kirk's undying love for close games.
"I have an undying love for close games," he explains. "I've been accused of intentionally putting the brakes on a little bit in games where we're getting too far ahead. That's ridiculous, of course. Fact is, I actually put the brakes on A LOT when we're pulling too far ahead. You see, these are impressionable young men we're dealing with here. I can't stand the sight of hurt feelings, so if I can lift our opponents' spirits with a gift from time to time, of course I'll try to accommodate that. Remember that Central Michigan game? That was one of my favorites."
Quarterback Jake Rudock agrees.
"We've been accused of making it too easy for our opponents. We've been told over and over to make changes. But you know what? Sometimes the most innovative thing you can do is the exact same thing as before." It was this thinking that led coach Ferentz to release a depth chart in February featuring Rudock as the starter over backup CJ Beathard. When asked about his teammate, who was recently benched during practice for "throwing too far", Rudock shrugs.
" He's alright, I guess. I mean, if you care about things like "arm strength" or "reading the field" or "throwing on the run" or "pinpoint accuracy" or "leadership ability", then I guess you'd go with him. But any time you need a flat-footed, pinic-stricken toss for a one yard gain or a wild overthrow, I'm your man!" Rudock, who's throwing ability has been often described as "wet noodle" or "hey, my eight-year-old sister throws just like that!", is nevertheless excited for this weekend's nail-biter.
When the Hawks take the field this Saturday, they'll take that unbridled enthusiasm with them, as well as that of their coach.
"It's just another game, so whatever. When we lost the last game, I was already over it and looking ahead to this week's game. But now that it's here, its just another ball game. I'd like to win but really graduating students and doing it right is key so whatever happens happens, I suppose. That's football. I'm really not too worried about it." And with that fercious war cry, the Hawks will take the field in front of at least 9 or 10 thousand indifferent fans. Go Hawks!
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