DJI9424
Well-Known Member
How can you possibly explain the situation where QB Nate Stanley plays at far below a Division 1 (FBS) level, game after game, but never sits out a series, yet TE Noah Fant is riding pine when he clearly has the ability to perform at an All-American level?
No need to think too hard about it, the answer is Kirk Ferentz. Stanley keeps getting the nod because he is doing everything the coaching staff is asking him to do, regardless if he is barely one-dimensional; i.e. he telegraphs where he is going to throw the ball, has little to no pocket presence, and displays an utter lack of confidence to perform when the pressure is on. For any other Division 1 head coach, Stanley is not starting QB material because he is missing too many components of what is necessary to perform in the college game. However, he is committed to learning everything the coaching staff is teaching him, even if it causes him to over-think everything on the field of play, to the overall detriment of his ability to perform. Instead of playing, he is analyzing, but unfortunately he cannot process the information fast enough at game speed, thus he becomes overwhelmed by his thinking and fails to perform.
Fant on the other hand knows he has the raw skills, just get him the ball and let him do the rest. However, if he is not willing to consider what the coaching staff is telling him, or appears to dismiss it as being irrelevant to him, he's going to be punished until he has the proper attitude. It's the classic "do it my (KF) way or hit the highway".
Is KF so stubborn that he would watch his team struggle to perform, losing more and more confidence in their ability to compete in games, only to make his point about having the proper attitude? In a word, YES. And why wouldn't he, after all he will suffer no repercussions for doing so, in fact he will be praised by a significant number of fans for teaching such lessons to these young men.
It's not that KF is experiencing anything different than every other FBS coach in America, however, the most successful coaches know how to effectively communicate with their players, seeking and employing various ways to reach and motivate individual players. In my view, KF treats everyone the same, and if you don't fit in the KF mold, you're in his doghouse and good luck ever getting a second chance until you fully conform to his standard, regardless of your talent and ability. We've seen if before, and we're seeing it again, much to my disillusionment with the KF brand of Iowa football.
No need to think too hard about it, the answer is Kirk Ferentz. Stanley keeps getting the nod because he is doing everything the coaching staff is asking him to do, regardless if he is barely one-dimensional; i.e. he telegraphs where he is going to throw the ball, has little to no pocket presence, and displays an utter lack of confidence to perform when the pressure is on. For any other Division 1 head coach, Stanley is not starting QB material because he is missing too many components of what is necessary to perform in the college game. However, he is committed to learning everything the coaching staff is teaching him, even if it causes him to over-think everything on the field of play, to the overall detriment of his ability to perform. Instead of playing, he is analyzing, but unfortunately he cannot process the information fast enough at game speed, thus he becomes overwhelmed by his thinking and fails to perform.
Fant on the other hand knows he has the raw skills, just get him the ball and let him do the rest. However, if he is not willing to consider what the coaching staff is telling him, or appears to dismiss it as being irrelevant to him, he's going to be punished until he has the proper attitude. It's the classic "do it my (KF) way or hit the highway".
Is KF so stubborn that he would watch his team struggle to perform, losing more and more confidence in their ability to compete in games, only to make his point about having the proper attitude? In a word, YES. And why wouldn't he, after all he will suffer no repercussions for doing so, in fact he will be praised by a significant number of fans for teaching such lessons to these young men.
It's not that KF is experiencing anything different than every other FBS coach in America, however, the most successful coaches know how to effectively communicate with their players, seeking and employing various ways to reach and motivate individual players. In my view, KF treats everyone the same, and if you don't fit in the KF mold, you're in his doghouse and good luck ever getting a second chance until you fully conform to his standard, regardless of your talent and ability. We've seen if before, and we're seeing it again, much to my disillusionment with the KF brand of Iowa football.
