CANT RESIST: My First Look at Iowa Football 2014

[JonDMiller]

For Powell to work, he has to get 15+ snaps a game. He's no longer a 'secret weapon' and when he came in this year, the playbook shrunk.

 

[Xerxes]

I am optimistic. Stay healthy, development throughout the season, and I think this could be a year I would say its OK to Expect 9+ wins....which means I'm doing Exactly what I tell people not to do in terms of expectations...yikes.

This is what worries me about 2014. Iowa stayed extremely healthy this year. Not a lot of starters missed games. A lot of times with injuries, regardless of the team, its a matter of luck. Can Iowa have 2 seasons in a row with good health?

 

[imported_ankle23]

This will be a very Junior/Senior dominated team...which is what KF's system needs.

show me the system that does better with freshmen and sophomores. it's no accident the the best teams are generally the teams that are the most junior/senior laden. probably no accident that 4 out of 5 OL on OSU's team are seniors. say the same of MSU's D.....etc, etc....

 

[NCHawker]

For Powell to work, he has to get 15+ snaps a game. He's no longer a 'secret weapon' and when he came in this year, the playbook shrunk.

no kidding.

just curious how many times per game the hawks threw to WRs.. maybe 2x per quarter?

 

[Montanahawk]

For Powell to work, he has to get 15+ snaps a game. He's no longer a 'secret weapon' and when he came in this year, the playbook shrunk.

Right, and I think for obvious reasons that was true. A late start. He needs to be on the field more , pretty happy with T. Smith's development. Hope that continues.

 

[ArvadaHawk]

They mentioned Scherff coming back on BTN Live last night and Glenn Mason just shook his head and said "that's bad news for the rest of the BIG." Howard Griffith looked at Mike Hall and said "If you ever want to go up against someone and just lose...then stand in front of #68." Yeah, let's kick LSU and then start 2014 right away. I'm already getting jacked up.

 

[ICHawk24]

For Powell to work, he has to get 15+ snaps a game. He's no longer a 'secret weapon' and when he came in this year, the playbook shrunk.

In the early to middle portion of the B1G schedule, he was getting 15 to 20 snaps. Then he disappeared. Maybe he regressed, maybe he got passed by other guys, or maybe the coaches realized he just isn't all that good a football player.

Tavaun Smith exploding next year is what I'm optimistic about.

 

[uihawk82]

For Powell to work, he has to get 15+ snaps a game. He's no longer a 'secret weapon' and when he came in this year, the playbook shrunk.

Correct, but I said earlier it should not be that hard for powell or smith to threaten deep, turn the Dback then stop and comeback to the ball for 10 yard completions or so with YAK possibilities. So powell can go deep and if he can breakdown in his route and comeback he has two patterns.

Can he catch it over the middle, not sure if we even saw that.

Powell can definitely house it on a tunnel or bubble screen.

I hope we have KMM and Smith as starting split receiver and flanker and I hope powell can get 3 or 4 spot so we can use his speed.

 

[TMH1122]

Powell to me seems like an ideal guy to play the slot. He's small, he's fast and slot guys are the kinds of guys you get out in space for them to make plays. I'd really like to see some plays where he goes about two yards up field and drags across the middle where he can use his speed to burn slower linebackers or second and third string cornerbacks. I think a whole season in the offense and a solid spring/fall camp could allow him to become the kind of big play guy we expect.

Also, I really expect LD to be much more prepared to contribute, especially with more time in the weight room with coach Doyle. I'm very excited to see the growth and I'd be absolutely fine with a season of 8 wins being the minimum.

 

[NCHawker]

Seems to me that getting open and catching are necessary but not sufficient. WR's need to know whats going on on the other side of the line of scrimage. The need to be seeing the same things that the qb sees. I haven't seen any of these guys go out there into an open spot and sit down like Ed Hinkle used to do so well. Maybe its the system, maybe its experience. I don't know.

I'll say this, our Running Game has a ceiling until the passing game takes a step forward.