Are there really no better safeties in this program.

[Hawknick]

The Miller haters on this board go way overboard on the guy. He is a 3 year starter that has had a change at db or defensive coordinator each year. Most safeties on any team will be out of position on a fake or other plays from time to time. He is in position more times than not though. He has also made many big plays. It seems like all 6 of his interceptions were at critical times in the game. He looked like an all American against WMU this year. The pass breakup against their tight end was a perfectly timed hit. The guy is experienced and he gets the job done most of the time. There is no need for all this Miller hatred.

 

[olddude]

Just tell them they are very close to sitting. What this thread really comes down to is a gapping grand canyon in competition. There has to be someone pushing for pt. If not i am in the worried group.

 

[hawkfarmer]

The Miller haters on this board go way overboard on the guy. He is a 3 year starter that has had a change at db or defensive coordinator each year. Most safeties on any team will be out of position on a fake or other plays from time to time. He is in position more times than not though. He has also made many big plays. It seems like all 6 of his interceptions were at critical times in the game. He looked like an all American against WMU this year. The pass breakup against their tight end was a perfectly timed hit. The guy is experienced and he gets the job done most of the time. There is no need for all this Miller hatred.

Thanks for that. I need to find something to clean the coffee off of my computer monitor now.

 

[lightning1]

It doesn't make him slow does it? I think just assuming he's slow because he's white and plays safety is even more presumptuous.

Slow is certainly a relative term. I do know something about track. Winning the 400 makes you a fast track athlete. Having a poor first 10 yard split is slow in college football. If you can't react quickly and have closing speed, you can't recover fast enough not to get beat deep.
I was very fast in the 40 (and I am white) but a lot of track guys could dust me in the 200 and 400.
Tanner Miller is not a fast Safety. Bob Sanders was a fast Safety but I'd bet Tanner ran a better 400.....hurdles was it?

 

[Clark]

Slow is certainly a relative term. I do know something about track. Winning the 400 makes you a fast track athlete. Having a poor first 10 yard split is slow in college football. If you can't react quickly and have closing speed, you can't recover fast enough not to get beat deep.
I was very fast in the 40 (and I am white) but a lot of track guys could dust me in the 200 and 400.
Tanner Miller is not a fast Safety. Bob Sanders was a fast Safety but I'd bet Tanner ran a better 400.....hurdles was it?

I don't think Miller's problem is his speed. I don't know that he's any slower than Greenwood was but he's certainly much less productive.

 

[HomerChampless]

The secondary is THE WEAK LINK of this year's team. Blown coverages (leaving wide open receivers) have cost the team several scores already. The mental part of the game, rather than physical mistakes are unacceptable.

Without these glaring mistakes this team might be 6-1.

If you've seen Iowa football long under Ferentz, you've realized the secondary is season in and season out the weak link on Iowa's defense. When offenses of the B1G were primarily 4 yards and a cloud of dust, safeties could cheat up to stop the run without sacrificing defense.. And pass rushes could cover up inadequacies of Iowa's pass defense. Offenses of the B1G have changed. Iowa's defense under Ferentz hasn't. Which is really strange since Ferentz always emphasizes defense on his teams. The secondary problem for Iowa is a scheme problem. And Iowa isn't getting much of a pass rush.

 

[hawkdrummer1]

There's a starter in our secondary that is a case study of KFz playing the older guy...over younger talent. Per policy, I'll leave out the name.

 

[tm3308]

That's not even close to being true. Who was that terrible kid that started for most of the 2006 season? I think he was from New Jersey. Dalton maybe? That guy was BAAAD. As was Wilson's nephew that saw some serious PT that season.

Harold Dalton definitely wasn't good, forgot about him. Regardless, that only further proves my point.

 

[PeoriaHWKI]

Miller doesn't have bad physical skills. He's got decent wheels (won state in the 400 hurdles, finished second in the event at Drake relays), and pretty good ball skills.

His problems come in coverage when he gets lost and is way out of position. That's obviously a major problem to have, but OoTH's point still stands, at least in Miller's case.

and he doesnt like contact

 

[JCinthePowerI]

I think it boils down to people are tired of white safeties. White safeties rather rare at BCS level football. They're even more rare on New Year's Day and BCS Bowls. People are tired of white safeties, yet alone two of them.

With that said, Iowa has had some very good safeties over the years, and most of those very good safeties have been white.

 

[Section136]

There's a starter in our secondary that is a case study of KFz playing the older guy...over younger talent. Per policy, I'll leave out the name.

Name the younger guy that you think should be starting then.

I would also like for you to tell us how much insight you have had into offseason workouts, spring ball, fall camp and all the practices in order for you to know who is the more talented player.

 

[eveningnewsteam]

I think it boils down to people are tired of white safeties. White safeties rather rare at BCS level football. They're even more rare on New Year's Day and BCS Bowls. People are tired of white safeties, yet alone two of them.

With that said, Iowa has had some very good safeties over the years, and most of those very good safeties have been white.

I dont care about his skin color, but Im tired of seeing him 30 yards out of position consistently and Iowa having many blown coverages for td's.

 

[lightning1]

If I had thought the remark about white Safeties was going to draw this much attention, I wouldn't have made it. I only made it because our DB coach fit that description and he is deciding who gets to play. I think every Iowa fan can name a few white Safeties that were very good and played for Iowa. I can name 10 white NFL safeties that anyone would love to have play for their team, in the past.
Forget about the skin color, it's not important. If Sean Considine walked thru the doors, ready to suit up, nobody is complaining or mentioning the color of his skin. And he played several years in the NFL.

 

[tm3308]

Slow is certainly a relative term. I do know something about track. Winning the 400 makes you a fast track athlete. Having a poor first 10 yard split is slow in college football. If you can't react quickly and have closing speed, you can't recover fast enough not to get beat deep.
I was very fast in the 40 (and I am white) but a lot of track guys could dust me in the 200 and 400.
Tanner Miller is not a fast Safety. Bob Sanders was a fast Safety but I'd bet Tanner ran a better 400.....hurdles was it?

True. But he's not slow, either. He just lacks the speed to make up for his frequent mistakes. There's a big difference. If he wasn't out of position all the time, his speed would be more than adequate.

If you've seen Iowa football long under Ferentz, you've realized the secondary is season in and season out the weak link on Iowa's defense. When offenses of the B1G were primarily 4 yards and a cloud of dust, safeties could cheat up to stop the run without sacrificing defense.. And pass rushes could cover up inadequacies of Iowa's pass defense. Offenses of the B1G have changed. Iowa's defense under Ferentz hasn't. Which is really strange since Ferentz always emphasizes defense on his teams. The secondary problem for Iowa is a scheme problem. And Iowa isn't getting much of a pass rush.

You serious, Clark?

Matt Bowen
Bob Sanders
Derek Pagel
Sean Considine
Tyler Sash
Bradley Fletcher
Amari Spievey
Shaun Prater
Micah Hyde
Jordan Bernstine
Charles Godfrey

All of those guys were drafted. Then you have the Jovon Johnsons, Brett Greenwoods, etc., who were good college players but not NFL-caliber.

If you can seriously look at that track record and think the secondary is the weak link (when Iowa has had just three WR's drafted since Tim Dwight graduated), then you clearly haven't been watching Iowa football.

Not that this would be the first piece of evidence you've provided that suggests that.

 

[blackngold515]

It's surprising to me that there is not another safety on that team that could beat Tanner Miller out at safety. Really Kirk? The kid has speed, yes. He lacks in the other aspect in the game called coverage. Lowdermilk has had his mistakes too but he isnt getting beat down the middle of the field due to bitting on a pa. Come on man! White, Black, Blue, Yellow, Purple.... I dont give a damn what color the player skin is. As long as they can play better than what we are dealing with now! This is what we get with PP. Wasn't a fan of his promotion. Defense was out of place every 3rd down. Left the middle wide open for Miller to waltz for a 1st. I dont know why you dont have a qb spy scheme for a player like that. Oh well, on to Northwestern!

 

[OUTofTOWNHAWK]

Iowas secondary would be good if they were half as smart as Brett Greenwood.

 

[SpecialKHawk]

It's surprising to me that there is not another safety on that team that could beat Tanner Miller out at safety. Really Kirk? The kid has speed, yes. He lacks in the other aspect in the game called coverage. Lowdermilk has had his mistakes too but he isnt getting beat down the middle of the field due to bitting on a pa. Come on man! White, Black, Blue, Yellow, Purple.... I dont give a damn what color the player skin is. As long as they can play better than what we are dealing with now! This is what we get with PP. Wasn't a fan of his promotion. Defense was out of place every 3rd down. Left the middle wide open for Miller to waltz for a 1st. I dont know why you dont have a qb spy scheme for a player like that. Oh well, on to Northwestern!

Miller being a three year starter is classic KF. KF is an underdog at heart and is always looking for the next underdog superstar so we can have a good story. Remember the rage this season about Don Shumpert lighting up CLOSED practices and securing the number one receiver spot over a number of better options.

This is why his best teams had to have 10 plus pro players between the offense and defense and why those teams still lost unexpectedly at times. The superstars constantly have to make up for the inabilities of a few starters he throws in there that honestly would not play on the majority if any B1G teams. The issue is when the material is down to a degree no one can cover up for a free safety who cannot play or a receiver who cannot catch or make a play that counts or a o-lineman who is so over-matched physically it is not funny.

 

[tm3308]

Miller being a three year starter is classic KF. KF is an underdog at heart and is always looking for the next underdog superstar so we can have a good story. Remember the rage this season about Don Shumpert lighting up CLOSED practices and securing the number one receiver spot over a number of better options.

This is why his best teams had to have 10 plus pro players between the offense and defense and why those teams still lost unexpectedly at times. The superstars constantly have to make up for the inabilities of a few starters he throws in there that honestly would not play on the majority if any B1G teams. The issue is when the material is down to a degree no one can cover up for a free safety who cannot play or a receiver who cannot catch or make a play that counts or a o-lineman who is so over-matched physically it is not funny.

Who are we talking about here? The only guy who would even qualify for a "good story" would be Bofelli, and he's actually played well lately.

 

[SpecialKHawk]

Who are we talking about here? The only guy who would even qualify for a "good story" would be Bofelli, and he's actually played well lately.

I am not actually talking about anyone o-line wise this season but referencing some tremendous personnel mistakes over the course of multiple seasons..... Although Walsh was very borderline this season when you have Donnal sitting along with McMillan.

 

[SpecialKHawk]

I love the brand of football KF employs and have no problem there. I also realize recruiting is a tough and sleazy business.

I simply believe what has caused more heartbreak and unfulfilled expectations is personnel decisions and then subsequent lack of accountability for 'entrenched players' some of which would never play a down at another B1G institution. Some of these players would be good players at the FCS or small time FBS level but are over-matched at the BCS level.

We have several other options on the bench that I would bet money would strengthen the safety play and cut down on deep passes down the middle of field but those options will not get a look this season. It's not schematic issues. The lack of a bonafide pass rush prevents the personnel issue from being covered up.

There are countless examples at different positions over the years some of which have been costly.

Play the best 22 regardless of graduating class or need for a good story.