Brian Ferentz Appreciation Thread
- Thread starter WinOneThisCentury
- Start date
WinOneThisCentury
Well-Known Member
I love the way everyone throws out the racist remark. None of us were there. Abusive? I should disown my HS Hall of Fame coach because he was abusive and he yelled at me. Back in those days...they withheld water until we got to the session breaks. Should I sue them for abuse? I'm sorry, and I'm not as up on the final reporting from DIAL, IT, & INN Law Firm the University used, but the only racist comment I heard about Brian was the Wadley wearing a mask issue. Probably borderline racist, likely inappropriate...but hardly abusive.
I'm not arguing Brian comes off as a dick. I can only imagine what he's like in the heat of the moment. I'm just not buying he's this racist ogre you seem to think he is. You'd think spending your entire adult life in the presence of a culturally diverse group of people would have flushed that out sooner...his playing days, his time in the NFL, at Iowa.
Lastly, I'm just going to say I'm not really believing much of what comes out of Wadley's mouth. Others, yes...James Daniels yes, etc. There are ulterior motives at work with other people, who I feel are using a bad situation to benefit.
Motigerhawk
Well-Known Member
White privilege is what it is.
hawkfan2679
Well-Known Member
I would say there are several things in play here:
1. Our level of competition has played a factor. Once we got past Northwestern, whose defense would be top 2-3 in the B1G, we've performed much better.
2. Petras has been very streaky, but at least against Illinois, seemed to be more in control of the streaky-ness. Can't deny that...
3. That NW game is unfortunately a black eye, considering we took a 17-0 lead and still, out of our 74 plays, called 54 pass plays (of the 23 rushing attempts in the box score, 5 of them were for Petras and I counted 2 QB sneaks in the PBP, which means 3 of the rushing attempts were actually called passes). Any grace given to Petras for his 1st game performance needs to flip back on BF in his 2nd game, putting so much reliance on his young QB.
4. The Wildcat certainly isn't anything new or anything I'd consider ingenious. Football trends seem to go in cycles...even when the Wildcat first came into popularity in the mid-2000's (most notably with Ronnie Brown/Ricky Williams in Miami, based on my recollection) it was simply a take on the old direct snap, single wing stuff that had been prevalent decades earlier. Maybe you are referring to the fact that we're even using it as ingenious, which I'm not sure that I agree with either, but I at least appreciate that we're using it if nothing else. To me it beats lining up in 22/23 personnel and getting stuffed at the LOS on a horribly predictable 3rd and 1 call. If we're going to run anyway, let's get the QB off the field and get an extra blocker/jet guy out there to provide a constraint issue for the defense.
5. I think he's set a relatively low bar for what performance is considered good...but it's a remarkably inconsistent bar. So on those occasions when he has a game when we execute the game plan very well (because let's be honest..."good coordinating" and "good execution" are basically synonymous, or at least the latter can be causation for the former), he can clear that bar with no problem. But Iowa is a complementary football program and throughout all of KF's tenure the offense has generally lagged behind the defense, content to control the clock, control field position, and ultimately score 1 more point than the opposition. Anything beyond that is gravy, but it's not that we're ONLY aiming to do that...but often that's what it comes to because we value simplicity, repetition, execution, and risk-avoidance.
6.
I'm not trying to poo-poo the entire post. I will say that our offense has looked good for several weeks now and that has to do with the execution of the plays that we've run, which ultimately has to fall back on the OC whose job it is to ensure those things are happening. I also like what I see that we're getting the ball into the hands of playmakers. I appreciate that we are TE U, but those outside guys (ISM & Brandon Smith specifically) have a skill set, or maybe more succinctly, unique skills that we don't get often.
Big test coming up this week...can we block the Wisconsin odd front in both the running and passing game?
1. Our level of competition has played a factor. Once we got past Northwestern, whose defense would be top 2-3 in the B1G, we've performed much better.
2. Petras has been very streaky, but at least against Illinois, seemed to be more in control of the streaky-ness. Can't deny that...
3. That NW game is unfortunately a black eye, considering we took a 17-0 lead and still, out of our 74 plays, called 54 pass plays (of the 23 rushing attempts in the box score, 5 of them were for Petras and I counted 2 QB sneaks in the PBP, which means 3 of the rushing attempts were actually called passes). Any grace given to Petras for his 1st game performance needs to flip back on BF in his 2nd game, putting so much reliance on his young QB.
4. The Wildcat certainly isn't anything new or anything I'd consider ingenious. Football trends seem to go in cycles...even when the Wildcat first came into popularity in the mid-2000's (most notably with Ronnie Brown/Ricky Williams in Miami, based on my recollection) it was simply a take on the old direct snap, single wing stuff that had been prevalent decades earlier. Maybe you are referring to the fact that we're even using it as ingenious, which I'm not sure that I agree with either, but I at least appreciate that we're using it if nothing else. To me it beats lining up in 22/23 personnel and getting stuffed at the LOS on a horribly predictable 3rd and 1 call. If we're going to run anyway, let's get the QB off the field and get an extra blocker/jet guy out there to provide a constraint issue for the defense.
5. I think he's set a relatively low bar for what performance is considered good...but it's a remarkably inconsistent bar. So on those occasions when he has a game when we execute the game plan very well (because let's be honest..."good coordinating" and "good execution" are basically synonymous, or at least the latter can be causation for the former), he can clear that bar with no problem. But Iowa is a complementary football program and throughout all of KF's tenure the offense has generally lagged behind the defense, content to control the clock, control field position, and ultimately score 1 more point than the opposition. Anything beyond that is gravy, but it's not that we're ONLY aiming to do that...but often that's what it comes to because we value simplicity, repetition, execution, and risk-avoidance.
6.
I found this part of the OP curious, given what we know about the Greg Davis era and the "decision point" route tree that he ran that supposedly made our offense so difficult to learn. Receivers couldn't get on the field because they couldn't understand the playbook; our WR's couldn't play multiple positions because the X position route tree matrix was so much different than the Z route tree matrix, etc...
I'm not trying to poo-poo the entire post. I will say that our offense has looked good for several weeks now and that has to do with the execution of the plays that we've run, which ultimately has to fall back on the OC whose job it is to ensure those things are happening. I also like what I see that we're getting the ball into the hands of playmakers. I appreciate that we are TE U, but those outside guys (ISM & Brandon Smith specifically) have a skill set, or maybe more succinctly, unique skills that we don't get often.
Big test coming up this week...can we block the Wisconsin odd front in both the running and passing game?
WinOneThisCentury
Well-Known Member
I've reluctantly resurrected this thread. I'm not sure I've been more upset with a first half of play calls.
Fourth and one in plus territory (41 yard line) on your opening drive and you punt.
Trying lower percentage plays when you are 2nd and two twice...and losing yardage...result: PUNT
I'll admit, I was screaming at the TV in that first half...we should have been up 9 or 13...at minimum.
In the second half though...we got in a groove. The design of the two ISM touchdowns was magnificent. He put their slower safety in isolation with ISM and it was pure speed to the end zone. Obviously something he has seen on tape with formations, and exploited it...both times, ISM in the slot with a safety. Brilliant.
Wisconsin may be the best defense in the country...we just put 28 on them. Props...but please make better decisions on down and distance when you know you are playing the top defense in the country.
Fourth and one in plus territory (41 yard line) on your opening drive and you punt.
Trying lower percentage plays when you are 2nd and two twice...and losing yardage...result: PUNT
I'll admit, I was screaming at the TV in that first half...we should have been up 9 or 13...at minimum.
In the second half though...we got in a groove. The design of the two ISM touchdowns was magnificent. He put their slower safety in isolation with ISM and it was pure speed to the end zone. Obviously something he has seen on tape with formations, and exploited it...both times, ISM in the slot with a safety. Brilliant.
Wisconsin may be the best defense in the country...we just put 28 on them. Props...but please make better decisions on down and distance when you know you are playing the top defense in the country.
ssckelley
Well-Known Member
Yeah BF made some very questionable play calls in the first half, mostly in short yardage situations. But that was the best defense Iowa had faced all season. Iowa scored the most points, total yardage, 2nd most rushing yards, 2nd most passing yards, and scored the most touchdowns against that Wisconsin defense. That Goodson TD run was the first rushing TD they had given up this season. So give credit where credit is due.
But I would have liked to of seen ONE sneak play with that offensive line. Perhaps the scouting said it wouldn't work against that Wisconsin front line.
But I would have liked to of seen ONE sneak play with that offensive line. Perhaps the scouting said it wouldn't work against that Wisconsin front line.
GesterHawk
Well-Known Member
If it weren't for defensive break down against the Fighting David Bell's, I would say we have the best defense...
BF has grown and really come into his own this season. I am not ready to put him in the top tier of the Big Ten OCs, but he isn't far off.
I want him to rely less on passes behind the LOS and to tick up the tempo from time to time. But all things considered, he has done well this fall.
GesterHawk
Well-Known Member
Considering the trouble we have had with their DLine in the last 6 years, I am ok with no sneaks and trying to get the ball on the outside as fast as possible on short yardage.
HuckFinn
Well-Known Member
This is word for word from me and my brother in the first half.
