Changes/Tweaks for Next Season

G

grandmahawk

Well-Known Member
I know many here are calling for large-scale change (of coaches, of entire schemes, general philosophies, etc.); and perhaps understandably so.

Knowing Kirk, though, that's not what we're going to see.

So, with that in mind: what smaller changes do you predict Kirk & co. will make this off-season?

And what specific small-scale changes/adaptations/tweaks would you SUGGEST they make?

I know it's easy to criticize coaches for doing things poorly. I'm curious if the collective mind of HN can think constructively and predict/suggest reasonable (given Kirk's coaching loyalties) adjustments to our football team.

And if you think that only large-scale changes (ie, firing KOK) will solve things, you're certainly free to state that, but it's perhaps better done in a different thread.

I look forward to an interesting and constructive discussion!
 
Hopefully we work on the nickel/dime package and quit matching LBs up with slot WRs. And as good our defense has been over the year, it's time we start mixing things up a little bit. Persa said it best when saying Iowa's defense is easy to prepare for because they run the same defense all game.
 
I agree. Interestingly, we did that against Ohio St. (that is, go to dime on obvious passing downs), which I hadn't seen us do very often before that. So that was encouraging. Maybe our depth at CB just wasn't good enough to make a big difference (ie, they were faster than LBs but not athletic enough to make the play)?
 
i'd love to see us spend some serious time developing hot routes with our receivers and tight ends. we did very poorly adjusting to the blitz at times, and we might have outright won a couple games with some better adjustments.
i say this because i'm sure JVB will get a lot of heat brought at him as a relatively inexperienced QB next year.
oh yeah, and it would be awesome to finally work on a 2 minute drill.
 
Good point. I suspect there will necessarily be some changes (or at least differences) because of the experience disparity between Stanzi and JVB (and their ability to read defenses).
 
grandmahawk said:
Good point. I suspect there will necessarily be some changes (or at least differences) because of the experience disparity between Stanzi and JVB (and their ability to read defenses).
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i just hope they let JVB air it a little and show off that cannon arm that he seems to have. i'm afraid that they'll handcuff him or be sooo afraid to throw it that we run it 70% of the time.
 
I doubt there will be any changes or tweaks next season.

They've been running the same plays on both sides of the ball and using the same conservative game plan for 12 years.

Why would they change things now?
 
Xerxes said:
I doubt there will be any changes or tweaks next season.

They've been running the same plays on both sides of the ball and using the same conservative game plan for 12 years.

Why would they change things now?
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i think if KOK can survive the really, really poor stretch on O that we had a few years ago (2007 especially: 110th in total O) that we'll never change with KF at the helm. I'm sure he's convinced his system works when executed, and i kind of agree. but, i'd like to see a little more.
 
big10fan said:
i just hope they let JVB air it a little and show off that cannon arm that he seems to have. i'm afraid that they'll handcuff him or be sooo afraid to throw it that we run it 70% of the time.
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The highest percentage of run calls in any season was the year we had Greene, and that year, 61% of our plays were running plays. Every year has been consistently 45% pass and 55% run....except the year with Drew Tate and no runningbacks...but even then, I think it still around 49% pass/51% run.
 
lilrabbi said:
The highest percentage of run calls in any season was the year we had Greene, and that year, 61% of our plays were running plays. Every year has been consistently 45% pass and 55% run....except the year with Drew Tate and no runningbacks...but even then, I think it still around 49% pass/51% run.
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Interesting. One would think our strength next year is the run...three (or more) qualified running backs, and (more)mature offensive line. So it seems unlikely that JVB will really be allowed to let it rip any more than Stanzi was this year.
 
More nickel and more calls from that package.

More screens on offense fullback, tight end, tailback and if we have a WR that looks to be shifty bring that back as well.

I wish the coaches would spend time with either New Orleans offensive staff or Indianapolis. Similar base offensive schemes that use elements of hurry up.

A dedicated counter play instead of relying on the backs to find the cut back on every run in case we are down to a third or fourth string running back again.

An emphasis on dominating special teams again. That used to be a strength.

Stop tipping every blitz. If Sash comes back involve him more. You will now have veteran corners and an athletic free safety. Use Sash as a weapon on D. If he doesn't business as usual.
 
with our running backs back, i think we go "wisconsin" on everybody next year. With a healthy stable (and semi-healthy line with our experience). It is very likely that we have 2800 yds rushing between three backs just like wisconsin. If any coach could run every play they would (see wisconsin vs mich in the second half); Ferentz might already be licking his chops. I think that Ferentz & team also welcomes back Wegher***, and we would then have 4 experienced SALTY backs (two speed & two power). JVB might be the luckiest QB next year for the situation he walks into.

***(^ one main reason is because Iowa seems to have "RB-armageddon" every year)
 
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I was hoping you'd get involved in this thread, Spudhawk. It's great to have your insights here, and these are all very doable tweaks that you'd think would make the offense a little more dynamic and the D a little less predictable.
 
An intriguing idea, hawkfaninTX. As long as AIRBHG doesn't curse our RBs again, we might finally have the depth to be really run-heavy. The question, I guess, is whether the O-line could hold up / enable that.
 
CubHawk1237 said:
Hopefully we work on the nickel/dime package and quit matching LBs up with slot WRs. And as good our defense has been over the year, it's time we start mixing things up a little bit. Persa said it best when saying Iowa's defense is easy to prepare for because they run the same defense all game.
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Persa's team had seven points with 10 minutes to go in the game. If we were so easy to plan for wouldn't NW have scored more points. The points they did score late in the game were more of a result of his legs and not their offense picking our defense apart.
 
Good point. You wonder if conditioning gets changed around a little bit this year, what with the very visible fatigue of our most experienced d-linemen in a great many games (even against teams that didn't run hurry-up offenses). I do still think Doyle is the best, though.
 
hawkdoctor said:
Persa's team had seven points with 10 minutes to go in the game. If we were so easy to plan for wouldn't NW have scored more points. The points they did score late in the game were more of a result of his legs and not their offense picking our defense apart.
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They rarely score a lot against us. When you mount 85- and 90-yard drives going 5-7 yards at a time, you eat up a ton of clock. They consistently beat us in TOP, which is supposed to be a part of OUR game. And they do that because they take what we give them. And they do THAT, because it's WHAT THEY WANT TO DO AGAINST EVERYONE.
 
I hope the offense executes... because I don't think there will be too many changes/tweaks

I hope the defense doesn't break.... because I don't think there will be too many changes/tweaks
 
A few tweaks I would like to see:

(1) I agree with the frustration of a linebacker covering slot receivers (i.e. Sanzenbacher). I know maybe this is a tired complaint, but it just seems there has to be a better decision than putting T. Johnson on Sanzenbacher with the game on the line. Wouldn't even Lowery be a better option in that scenario?

(2) Find a kicker who can actually kick touchbacks. By the end of the season, kickoffs landing at the 20 were really killing us (not to mention kicking it out of bounds a few times, which should never happen).

(3) Have the cornerbacks play more press/jam coverage, even if only on third down. I was sick and tired of seeing 10-yard cushions on a 3rd a five, which made an out or even a quick slant easy pickings against our defense.

(4) Find a few new "exotics" on offense. We all know KF won't use too many, but the WR reverse is getting old. Is that really the only trickery we can think of. Throw a few more trick plays in. Not saying we have to buy in to the hype of the Wildcat formation, but watching Burkhead for Nebraska last night run the wildcat and read very successfully, we should at least throw in a few wrinkles on offense.

(5) Like spudhawk said, disguise blitzes. Whenever we blitzed, it looked very obvious before the play and the QB was able to adjust and find an easy quick throw.
 
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