Better not look past NIU

[HuckFinn]

@HuckFinn @HawkleberryFinn @Hawknick

There seems to be a few new ones that have shown up recently, but there isn't enough data to get a good reading yet.

I do not lie, TK. If I had a second identity on this site, I would admit it freely. Take a lesson. BTW, I have an advanced degree in English with many writing courses. You should be able to ascertain if my writing style on Huck Finn bears any resemblance to the others you mention.

 

[HawkGold]

I do not lie, TK. If I had a second identity on this site, I would admit it freely. Take a lesson. BTW, I have an advanced degree in English with many writing courses. You should be able to ascertain if my writing style on Huck Finn bears any resemblance to the others you mention.

Its not unheard of for criminals to show up at the scene of the crime. I have to admit thiugh he's pretty good at it.

 

[HawkeyeDenis]

Big concern against NIU is that it is the first game and Iowa has those suspensions. Those suspensions could haunt Iowa into the second game too.

 

[proudhawkfan21]

Maybe this has been the case in the past but my experience in coaching football is you have your bread and butter offense in place, your passing tree and against a team with "lesser" personnel you practice your best plays over and over and run them over and over game 1. Maybe thats why games are close early in the season. If our personnel IS better, at times you will break a few big plays. Have to avoid getting too fancy. I think our problem over the past few years is a feel for when to call a deception play. The best coaches have a knack for calling the play action or counter or screen at just the right time. Not the right "game situation " as everybody is expecting it but, maybe 2nd and 15 vs 3rd and 15, etc. I think we come in and take physical control 31-13.

 

[NCHawker]

I'm picking Iowa 38-14 or some similar blowout. I am the eternal optimist that Brian has transformed the offense and that Stanley is one of the best QBs in the conference. NIU will come out expecting a grinder game against Iowa and be down 21-0 the first time they look up at the scoreboard.

for all the promise, I don't have confidence in the OLine coach. I think the OLine will struggle and it will drag the passing game down and the running game will under perform.

I hope I'm wrong.

 

[AreWeThereYet]

for all the promise, I don't have confidence in the OLine coach. I think the OLine will struggle and it will drag the passing game down and the running game will under perform.

I hope I'm wrong.

The center of the Iowa line seems to be doing OK. I expect a rather dramatic improvement in the two starting tackles over last year, but of course they aren't in the first game. From what I read the second line preformed poorly on Saturday. The second string tackles need a lot of improvement between now and the NIU game.

 

[CP87]

for all the promise, I don't have confidence in the OLine coach. I think the OLine will struggle and it will drag the passing game down and the running game will under perform.

I hope I'm wrong.

I have heard that sentiment from a few others as well, including @RobHowe . It is mostly just the lack of success last year, or are there rumblings that he is not working out?

In his interview from the summer, he mentioned that last year he was just telling the OL what he was being told, without necessarily having a great grasp on things himself. He said that this year he sees the big picture and understand the why and how, not just the what. By all accounts he is a grinder, so hopefully the extra year in the program will make all the difference.

 

[okeefe4prez]

he mentioned that last year he was just telling the OL what he was being told, without necessarily having a great grasp on things himself.

Um, that's actually really troubling. It shows either stupidity or bad judgment. I get that the offense is complicated, but if you're making several hundred grand a year you better figure out how your unit interacts with the rest of the offense. Alternatively, maybe he did know but was just making an excuse, which is bad judgment.

 

[seepig]

im going to call this a 31-28 Iowa win. With all the inexperience at LB we will be slow to react and their QB could run for 100 on his own. Our TE's and balance on Offense will be too much for NIU they will find inconsistency in their ability to stop our O. This is a different offense then the KF/GD piss poor offense of old.

 

[mopkins]

Over the past 3 years Iowa has won their season opener by an average score of 33-13. That includes a trucking of Wyoming with their "elite 1st round NFL QB" Josh Allen.

The numbers don't lie....Iowa has been trending in the right direction with their season openers.

 

[CP87]

Um, that's actually really troubling. It shows either stupidity or bad judgment. I get that the offense is complicated, but if you're making several hundred grand a year you better figure out how your unit interacts with the rest of the offense. Alternatively, maybe he did know but was just making an excuse, which is bad judgment.

I am probably not quite doing his quote justice, but that seemed to be the gist. It was his first time ever coaching OL.

To the original hiring of Polasek, they looked in that direction because of the way NDSU handled their business in the trenches in 2016. Perhaps instead of poaching their OC, maybe they should have poached their OL coach?

To the staff construction overall, I get the sense a "developmental" approach was taken, much like it is with players here. KF identified qualities that he thinks make a good coach, found guys with those qualities, and trusts in the ability of these coaches to develop the necessary competencies that they will need over time. Hopefully the development curve is steep and things come together sooner rather than later.

 

[cincyhawk]

I do not lie, TK. If I had a second identity on this site, I would admit it freely. Take a lesson. BTW, I have an advanced degree in English with many writing courses. You should be able to ascertain if my writing style on Huck Finn bears any resemblance to the others you mention.

I do data analytics. This type of analysis is super-cool, so wanted to pitch in. It's called stylometry. There's an online tool (use Google) you can use, where you paste in samples from two known authors and an unknown third, and it tells you if the unknown is one of the two known authors, or uncertain if it is neither.

 

[NCHawker]

 

[cincyhawk]

I am probably not quite doing his quote justice, but that seemed to be the gist. It was his first time ever coaching OL.

To the original hiring of Polasek, they looked in that direction because of the way NDSU handled their business in the trenches in 2016. Perhaps instead of poaching their OC, maybe they should have poached their OL coach?

To the staff construction overall, I get the sense a "developmental" approach was taken, much like it is with players here. KF identified qualities that he thinks make a good coach, found guys with those qualities, and trusts in the ability of these coaches to develop the necessary competencies that they will need over time. Hopefully the development curve is steep and things come together sooner rather than later.

Oh god. Please don't let that be true. This isn't Miami of Ohio. We certainly can afford coaches with experience here at the POSITION assistant level, right?

 

[CP87]

Oh god. Please don't let that be true. This isn't Miami of Ohio. We certainly can afford coaches with experience here at the POSITION assistant level, right?

I don't think it is about what they can afford, but rather what will ultimately bring them the higher level of success (i.e., the focus is on long-term success, not immediate results). I think they believe in finding the right person, and then giving them an environment to learn the necessary skills.

But then again, I am just pulling stuff out of my keister, who knows what they are actually thinking in putting a staff together? We have seen in the past that they are very comfortable with putting a coach with a new unit (e.g. Reese Morgan with DL).

 

[CP87]

This is the podcast I was referencing:
https://post.futurimedia.com/kxnoam/playlist/rss/8.xml

I gave it a quick review, and I could not find the quote I was looking for. Maybe it was a different interview, or maybe I just dreamed it.

 

[cockyhawkfan]

I certainly agree we can't and aren't looking past NIU. But I'm curious how much time some of you have spent looking at and analyzing what NIU has returning and how it matches up to our strengths and weaknesses? Or are you just basing your fear on the fact that they're projected to win the West Division in the MAC and return Sutton Smith?

When you look at them, they return their really productive defensive front, but replace all LB's and a good chunk of their secondary on D. One would hope we can maximize the lack of LB experience with 2 likely All Big Ten TE's. Not to mention beef up our run blocking and pass protection, with the use of those same TE's. Hopefully some increased experience in our WR group will help us exploit a inexperienced secondary, as well.

On offense they return their 2nd year QB, but are breaking in a new RB, as well as inexperienced WR's. They do have a solid O-line returning, but they certainly don't come across as unstoppable.

They also have a less than stellar place kicker returning.

I'm not trying to suggest, that I don't see this game as a challenge, but I'm also not quite sure yet, that we have a lot to be worried about. Maybe, I'm just trying to be overly optimistic.

 

[okeefe4prez]

I certainly agree we can't and aren't looking past NIU. But I'm curious how much time some of you have spent looking at and analyzing what NIU has returning and how it matches up to our strengths and weaknesses?

No, no one has done that. This thread was put up in response to a "Better not look past ISU" thread and some astute Hawk fan, who knows of Ferentz's penchant for losing to MAC teams, responded by putting this thread up.

 

[seepig]

Over the past 3 years Iowa has won their season opener by an average score of 33-13. That includes a trucking of Wyoming with their "elite 1st round NFL QB" Josh Allen.

The numbers don't lie....Iowa has been trending in the right direction with their season openers.

24-3 against a BAD Wyoming team isn't that impressive chief. And I guess we're just forgetting Illinois State. But you did figure out only doing 3 years you get to include the worst team in FBS Miami OH in that mix so your averages are probably correct. And for some reason you didn't include a L with Ruddock at the helm on opening day to these guys and a brutal like 18-17 win in Soldier Field on the last play of the game. Don't forget a couple very uncomfortable matchups against giant killer UNI. But keep throwing the avg. margin of victory on opening day

 

[mopkins]

24-3 against a BAD Wyoming team isn't that impressive chief. And I guess we're just forgetting Illinois State. But you did figure out only doing 3 years you get to include the worst team in FBS Miami OH in that mix so your averages are probably correct. And for some reason you didn't include a L with Ruddock at the helm on opening day to these guys and a brutal like 18-17 win in Soldier Field on the last play of the game. Don't forget a couple very uncomfortable matchups against giant killer UNI. But keep throwing the avg. margin of victory on opening day

Holy shit...I said "trending in the right direction" for a reason. I didn't say or hint that they're fully recovered from their usual slow starts or that any of their wins were impressive. Trending doesn't mean anything more than they are trending.

Trending

Trending

Say it with me now...TRENDING