Beating Northwestern For Dummies

WinOneThisCentury

Well-Known Member
I'm not sure if anyone watched Indiana beat NW yesterday, but that's how you beat NW like a drum. You keep throwing the ball downfield and exploit their DBs as Fritz leaves them on an island and loads up to stop the run. The point is that you keep going after them play after play DOWN THE FIELD. Indiana just kept throwing it...and they picked up like 6 pass interference calls because that's what NW does, they hold in the defensive backfield...but you have to have a large number of attempts to train the officials to call it.

The short passing game against NW doesn't work...they have 8-9 guys within 7 yards of the line of scrimmage at all times. You are just throwing into their strength. Think about the longer passes to Tracy and ISM against NW...Indiana took those shots every play. Sure, they had a few three and outs...but they exploited NW's defense 20-30 yards down the field.

Then, after you have set the tone...you go to Stevie Scott who now has some running room...and he punishes people.

I sure in the hell hope BF watches that tape.
 
Not in.the game plan.

IL is going to be an issue. They have been recruiting well and the young guys are maturing. No depth.
 
I'm not sure if anyone watched Indiana beat NW yesterday, but that's how you beat NW like a drum. You keep throwing the ball downfield and exploit their DBs as Fritz leaves them on an island and loads up to stop the run. The point is that you keep going after them play after play DOWN THE FIELD. Indiana just kept throwing it...and they picked up like 6 pass interference calls because that's what NW does, they hold in the defensive backfield...but you have to have a large number of attempts to train the officials to call it.

The short passing game against NW doesn't work...they have 8-9 guys within 7 yards of the line of scrimmage at all times. You are just throwing into their strength. Think about the longer passes to Tracy and ISM against NW...Indiana took those shots every play. Sure, they had a few three and outs...but they exploited NW's defense 20-30 yards down the field.

Then, after you have set the tone...you go to Stevie Scott who now has some running room...and he punishes people.

I sure in the hell hope BF watches that tape.

Well iowa did that a few times, but what if that isn't "who you are"?
 
Indiana had a nice game plan. Even if you only complete 1 out 4 on those deep passes it keeps the secondary honest and in reality it's better than trying to pound the rock for little or no gain time after time.
 
I'm not sure if anyone watched Indiana beat NW yesterday, but that's how you beat NW like a drum. You keep throwing the ball downfield and exploit their DBs as Fritz leaves them on an island and loads up to stop the run. The point is that you keep going after them play after play DOWN THE FIELD. Indiana just kept throwing it...and they picked up like 6 pass interference calls because that's what NW does, they hold in the defensive backfield...but you have to have a large number of attempts to train the officials to call it.

The short passing game against NW doesn't work...they have 8-9 guys within 7 yards of the line of scrimmage at all times. You are just throwing into their strength. Think about the longer passes to Tracy and ISM against NW...Indiana took those shots every play. Sure, they had a few three and outs...but they exploited NW's defense 20-30 yards down the field.

Then, after you have set the tone...you go to Stevie Scott who now has some running room...and he punishes people.

I sure in the hell hope BF watches that tape.

Yes, I have mentioned how the last 3 years the hawks or I should say the offensive coaches have been pounding the run into that 8 man box and throwing short passes hasnt worked. At least this year they threw deep to Laporta, Tracy and maybe a couple of other passes.

Kirk is so risk averse to the long pass most times
 
It would be different if KF's style of well beyond-conservative play had produced a truckload of B1G titles and consistent talk year after year on the national picture. If that were true than the fan base would be stupid to question his tactics.

But it's not.
and we as fans ARE NOT WRONG in questioning his decision-making.
Again, the fact that we have had just two HCs in 41 years is not normal and just because it's unique among all of college football does not mean it's a good thing!

I swear every media type that talks about our FB program is like "Awww, look at Iowa, so adorable that they never change their Head Coach...how special!
(Translation: These Midwestern hicks are so clueless...but we won't dare criticize them because watch them wave to the sick kids! Awww")

Nothing will change until Barta's gone, so from now until 2026 embrace the suck of ho-hum, completely predictable and inept Ferentzian play-calling.
 
I'm not sure if anyone watched Indiana beat NW yesterday, but that's how you beat NW like a drum. You keep throwing the ball downfield and exploit their DBs as Fritz leaves them on an island and loads up to stop the run. The point is that you keep going after them play after play DOWN THE FIELD. Indiana just kept throwing it...and they picked up like 6 pass interference calls because that's what NW does, they hold in the defensive backfield...but you have to have a large number of attempts to train the officials to call it.

The short passing game against NW doesn't work...they have 8-9 guys within 7 yards of the line of scrimmage at all times. You are just throwing into their strength. Think about the longer passes to Tracy and ISM against NW...Indiana took those shots every play. Sure, they had a few three and outs...but they exploited NW's defense 20-30 yards down the field.

Then, after you have set the tone...you go to Stevie Scott who now has some running room...and he punishes people.

I sure in the hell hope BF watches that tape.
We already beat NW. No tape necessary to watch.
 
Obviously, none of you were in Evanston last week. Windy as hell, then the rain came a-pouring. That we completed 12 passes was, in itself, a minor miracle.
 
2017 -- 46
2018 -- 53
2019 -- 54
2020 -- 89

They have some nice players. Hidden is that is the not so good players they've recruited. They can put out about 70 percent of a team as good as, close to, or better than Iowa. They mask it well. Few of those in the rankings listed will play much (some will). The wild card is whether KF will allow them to stick around.
 
They have some nice players. Hidden is that is the not so good players they've recruited. They can put out about 70 percent of a team as good as, close to, or better than Iowa. They mask it well. Few of those in the rankings listed will play much (some will). The wild card is whether KF will allow them to stick around.
Iowa consistently ranks 15 spots ahead of Illinois and that’s considered poor recruiting by some on here.

70% of the team as Iowa puts out equals Iowa winning. It’s all about how you coach up the players that fit into your system. KF does that. Lovie hasn’t shown that yet.
 
Iowa consistently ranks 15 spots ahead of Illinois and that’s considered poor recruiting by some on here.

70% of the team as Iowa puts out equals Iowa winning. It’s all about how you coach up the players that fit into your system. KF does that. Lovie hasn’t shown that yet.

Hope u are correct.
 
IL is much better because of the key transfers they were able to bring in. They filled spots of real need.

It also helps that Lovie finally decided to coach the defense and start earning the $5 million Illinois is paying him.

I really don’t like seeing this emergence of Illinois and Indiana. We have benefited greatly in the recruitment of the kids from Indy and Illinois for quite awhile. I hope that doesn’t go away.
 
Obviously, none of you were in Evanston last week. Windy as hell, then the rain came a-pouring. That we completed 12 passes was, in itself, a minor miracle.

Not to mention that Smith was out and it was Tracy's first start. Oh, and Iowa's pass protection sucks this year.
 
I'm not sure if anyone watched Indiana beat NW yesterday, but that's how you beat NW like a drum. You keep throwing the ball downfield and exploit their DBs as Fritz leaves them on an island and loads up to stop the run. The point is that you keep going after them play after play DOWN THE FIELD. Indiana just kept throwing it...and they picked up like 6 pass interference calls because that's what NW does, they hold in the defensive backfield...but you have to have a large number of attempts to train the officials to call it.

The short passing game against NW doesn't work...they have 8-9 guys within 7 yards of the line of scrimmage at all times. You are just throwing into their strength. Think about the longer passes to Tracy and ISM against NW...Indiana took those shots every play. Sure, they had a few three and outs...but they exploited NW's defense 20-30 yards down the field.

Then, after you have set the tone...you go to Stevie Scott who now has some running room...and he punishes people.

I sure in the hell hope BF watches that tape.


Good call!
 
Hope Iowa can execute in the passing game.
I forgot I posted that last year. I usually go to one game a year in Kinnick as it's a major trip coming from the West Coast. I picked NW last year. I froze my ass off first of all. Then I had to watch Brian Ferentz call the worst offensive game in the history of Iowa Football. You have Fant and Hockenson, two first rounders, and the safeties are 6-7 yards off the line of scrimmage. They could have just run straight down the field. Now, we did it a few times and Nate missed them...but the point of the post is that you have to commit to it. They load the box...and everyone is on the line of scrimmage. You have to make them pay...and you have to create big plays.
 
I'm not sure if anyone watched Indiana beat NW yesterday, but that's how you beat NW like a drum. You keep throwing the ball downfield and exploit their DBs as Fritz leaves them on an island and loads up to stop the run. The point is that you keep going after them play after play DOWN THE FIELD. Indiana just kept throwing it...and they picked up like 6 pass interference calls because that's what NW does, they hold in the defensive backfield...but you have to have a large number of attempts to train the officials to call it.

The short passing game against NW doesn't work...they have 8-9 guys within 7 yards of the line of scrimmage at all times. You are just throwing into their strength. Think about the longer passes to Tracy and ISM against NW...Indiana took those shots every play. Sure, they had a few three and outs...but they exploited NW's defense 20-30 yards down the field.

Then, after you have set the tone...you go to Stevie Scott who now has some running room...and he punishes people.

I sure in the hell hope BF watches that tape.
Sorry, but anything that doesn't involve a stretch run into the boundary simply isn't in our playbook.
 

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