Collinsworth comment

[bamahawkeye]

Watching Indy/SD game and Collinsworth makes this comment:
They (Indy) are very high on him (Angerer). They feel his coverage skills are every bit as good as Brackett (or Session, not sure which LB he said), who is considered one of the best around.

This, and I've said this before in the last two weeks, is the single biggest reason this defense was not as good as last year's.
Edds and Angerer were very, VERY good in pass coverage. These two guys could cover and were always in the right place. They made plays EVERY game. They also, which is obvious now, brought a lot of leadership to the table. I was not expecting to feel the loss of these two guys as much as we have on the defensive side, but the more this season rolled along, the more obvious how great these two were became. HUGE void left by these two that I didn't see (or didn't want to).

 

[Lonoclone]

Watching Indy/SD game and Collinsworth makes this comment:
They (Indy) are very high on him (Angerer). They feel his coverage skills are every bit as good as Brackett (or Session, not sure which LB he said), who is considered one of the best around.

This, and I've said this before in the last two weeks, is the single biggest reason this defense was not as good as last year's.
Edds and Angerer were very, VERY good in pass coverage. These two guys could cover and were always in the right place. They made plays EVERY game. They also, which is obvious now, brought a lot of leadership to the table. I was not expecting to feel the loss of these two guys as much as we have on the defensive side, but the more this season rolled along, the more obvious how great these two were became. HUGE void left by these two that I didn't see (or didn't want to).

...and then on the very next play Antonio Gates beats him for a first down. Not that it invalidates what Collinsworth said, it's just funny the way it happened.

 

[bamahawkeye]

...and then on the very next play Antonio Gates beats him for a first down. Not that it invalidates what Collinsworth said, it's just funny the way it happened.

LOL, saw it as I was typing.

 

[HAWKEYESTATE4ever]

I have said the same thing. Spievey too as he took away half the field! But Tarp, Nielson, Hunter were capable of filling the void. The problem then became them not playing, and us ultimately playing a true freshman who was playing 2A football last year. Morris is going to be good, but he was not ready. And losing BOTH Prater and Hyde late yesterday was tough.

 

[ajones1996]

I have said the same thing. Spievey too as he took away half the field! But Tarp, Nielson, Hunter were capable of filling the void. The problem then became them not playing, and us ultimately playing a true freshman who was playing 2A football last year. Morris is going to be good, but he was not ready. And losing BOTH Prater and Hyde late yesterday was tough.

I think Morris is already better than Tarp or Nielsen. This on paper was a good year to break in new LB's due to having a dominant d-line returning.......but when they turned out to be average at best it screws everything up

 

[HawkeyeNTexas]

Iowa uses their linebackers more than most other teams in the country for pass coverage. Edds and Angerer have definately been missed, but teams have also figured Iowa's defense out. When your defensive scheme hasn't changed in who knows how many years, teams are going to figure out how to beat it. NW is an example, among others.

 

[bamahawkeye]

I don't buy into the "teams have figured out our defense" theory. I buy into our LB's were overmatched.
We've been in close games the last 3 years. You can say we've been in close games all of KF's tenure for that matter. The defense has always done the same things, year in year out. Always a bend don't break philosophy, and always around the top 10, 15 or 20 units in the country. Our defense made plays at the end of games the last two years, namely Edds and Angerer (throw in Speivey as well, Fletcher, King, Kroul).
The defensive line and their performance this year goes hand in hand with the abilities of Edds and Angerer. If they or any of our LB's are covering their ground, the QB has to hold the ball for an extra second, and our defensive line has usually been there to make a play, especially last year.
Our defense has to be very disciplined, experienced and talented at all three levels to be as dominant as it was a year ago, and even go back to '02, '03 and '04.

 

[hawkfan340]

Iowa uses their linebackers more than most other teams in the country for pass coverage. Edds and Angerer have definately been missed, but teams have also figured Iowa's defense out. When your defensive scheme hasn't changed in who knows how many years, teams are going to figure out how to beat it. NW is an example, among others.

Teams don't have this defense "figured out" any more than they had last year's defense figured out. The difference is the players. When we have elite players (as we did last year) this defensive scheme is unbelievable. However, when we have average players, it's an average defense. The thing I'd like to see, is that the coaches use some new schemes to compensate for when we don't have elite players. It's not about changing because others have figured it out, it's about changing to fit the personel you have at your disposal.

 

[Hawks4life11]

This could go back to Norm being out also. Had he been around he may have seen the weaknesses first hand and been able to do something about it. But being in the hospital and not actually seeing them in practice could have made it more difficult to process what needed done.

 

[hawkfan2679]

Certainly not the entire year, but did anyone else realize that for a large chunk of the game this weekend we had:

Starting DL
LB's were DiBona, Morris, and Johnson (I think, after Hunter left the game)
CB's were Lowery and Castillo
Starting S's

**Edit - Why is this thread in the wrestling forum?

 

[Hawks4life11]

**Edit - Why is this thread in the wrestling forum?

Because we were wrestling with offenses all year instead of beating them??? I was going to ask the same thing but figured I would just let it go.

 

[HawkeyeNTexas]

Teams don't have this defense "figured out" any more than they had last year's defense figured out. The difference is the players. When we have elite players (as we did last year) this defensive scheme is unbelievable. However, when we have average players, it's an average defense. The thing I'd like to see, is that the coaches use some new schemes to compensate for when we don't have elite players. It's not about changing because others have figured it out, it's about changing to fit the personel you have at your disposal.

How do you explain Northwestern?

I agree the scheme needs to change a bit. I think that will erase my point of teams figuring the defense out.

 

[Deej]

LOL, saw it as I was typing.

I can't remember who to quote, but somebody said the quickest way to jinx somebody was to pay them a compliment. Usually the very next play the screw up. If you say a QB hasn't thrown an INT in X amount off tries, I can almost guarantee that the next pass is going to be an INT.

 

[99topdawg]

I have said the same thing. Spievey too as he took away half the field! But Tarp, Nielson, Hunter were capable of filling the void. The problem then became them not playing, and us ultimately playing a true freshman who was playing 2A football last year. Morris is going to be good, but he was not ready. And losing BOTH Prater and Hyde late yesterday was tough.

Totally agree. Watched the game again last night and he got blocked all day. He and Johnson did not have the best games and Minny took it right at them.

 

[bamahawkeye]

Certainly not the entire year, but did anyone else realize that for a large chunk of the game this weekend we had:

Starting DL
LB's were DiBona, Morris, and Johnson (I think, after Hunter left the game)
CB's were Lowery and Castillo
Starting S's

**Edit - Why is this thread in the wrestling forum?

Wow, LOL, I struggled with this thread. I think I was reading a wrestling thread, heard Collinsworth and hit new thread. Wasn't even thinking about where it was going LOL.

 

[SDK46]

OK...so let's say we all subscribe to the depleted LB theory. And let's subscribe to the theory the talent on the field was over-matched in the schemes they were asked to cover.

Then why the hell wasn't Iowa changing/mixing up schemes in order to match or compensate for what we do or do not have on the field??

It's called coaching.

 

[bamahawkeye]

OK...so let's say we all subscribe to the depleted LB theory. And let's subscribe to the theory the talent on the field was over-matched in the schemes they were asked to cover.

Then why the hell wasn't Iowa changing/mixing up schemes in order to match or compensate for what we do or do not have on the field??

It's called coaching.

I don't disagree in the slightest. I think this is where the loss of Norm was felt. But my point was, if we have LB's who can cover, this defense is much different. Same can be said if Norm was healthy and with us, I believe this defense is much different. This theory or explanation doesn't remove the disappointment for me by any means. And the coaches deserve some heat, no doubt.