Concerns
- Thread starter Iceman
- Start date
Yeah, there are a lot of concerns. The hawk coaches may need to go play action on first downs more like in the 2nd qtr of the ISU game to push the other team out of loading the box. Petras is showing he can hit the home run long balls.
When the other team has 7 or 8 in the box and you want to run better go power run blocking straigth ahead because our outside run game is getting ate up. And maybe more reverses and jet sweeps to hold the back side pursuit.
Boy the Off Line whiffed on some pass protection blocks today. Need to clean up a lot.
Defense was in a lot of man to man coverage in the first half which let that running QB get away for some runs. But the defense did wake up and play a great 2nd half
A lot of the time today they had 6 in the box. We still couldn't run.
Yeah, and Podolak on the radio said CSU had other guys playing downhill at the snap to blitz and plug holes. They were selling out to stop the run and maybe that is why we had 3 long pass completions which we dont usually get.
Luftgekuehlt67
Well-Known Member
Defense is salty af. Your average fan won't appreciate it, because to your average fan, the only good defense is sacks and INTs. But ask opposing coaches what they think of our D. If the word "nightmare" doesn't come up at some point, I'll eat my hat.
No worries there.
Offense...yeah, lots of worries. Let's call it a "work in progress", I guess?
Biggest concern coming into the game today for me was WRs. I thought that group, overall, showed some signs of improvement. We need to keep building on that and, critically, start establishing some consistency. I'm not relaxing on the WRs quite yet, but I'm definitely more concerned with the OL now. Something was not right today. We weren't moving their guys off the ball like I thought we surely would.
So, yeah, looking real iffy on offense.
4-0 is great, I love it and am certainly not looking for things to complain about...but there are some very worrying things going on with this team on the offensive side of the ball.
Looking at the remaining schedule, I see us having - at minimum - a puncher's chance in every single game. I could also see us playing pretty well for the rest of the year and still dropping 3 games.
A 9-3 (6-3) year with, likely, a pretty neat bowl destination? Hell yeah, sign me up. But in a year where we attained a #5 rating (possibly higher depending on how the next couple weeks play out)...if we lose 3 games, a large % of HN is going to lose their friggin' minds.
No worries there.
Offense...yeah, lots of worries. Let's call it a "work in progress", I guess?
Biggest concern coming into the game today for me was WRs. I thought that group, overall, showed some signs of improvement. We need to keep building on that and, critically, start establishing some consistency. I'm not relaxing on the WRs quite yet, but I'm definitely more concerned with the OL now. Something was not right today. We weren't moving their guys off the ball like I thought we surely would.
So, yeah, looking real iffy on offense.
4-0 is great, I love it and am certainly not looking for things to complain about...but there are some very worrying things going on with this team on the offensive side of the ball.
Looking at the remaining schedule, I see us having - at minimum - a puncher's chance in every single game. I could also see us playing pretty well for the rest of the year and still dropping 3 games.
A 9-3 (6-3) year with, likely, a pretty neat bowl destination? Hell yeah, sign me up. But in a year where we attained a #5 rating (possibly higher depending on how the next couple weeks play out)...if we lose 3 games, a large % of HN is going to lose their friggin' minds.
Luftgekuehlt67
Well-Known Member
Yeah, DL has been a real strength, in fact. Crazy.
DL definitely requires a lot of size and strength, but there is a TON of technique that goes into playing those positions. Iowa teaches it well and, like at all other position groups, demands consistently near perfect execution. That has been a recipe for success at that position group.
And it's not just the Clayborns, Epenesas, etc - think how much production Iowa has gotten out of non-prototypical high motor guys over the years. Mitch King. How about Tyler Luebke?!? Right off the IC West swim team and into the Big Ten trenches.
HaydenHawk56
Well-Known Member
Add to concerns....offensive playcalling....but what else is new there? Really puzzling red zone calls helping lead to an interception and a goofy fumble on a reverse. Not a well called game on the offensive side, but give Colorado St credit as they came to play.
Most top play callers find a couple of plays that work and keep calling them and when the defense adjusts the OC already is ahead of them and has his QB ready to change into the right play. Brian F seems to call a disjointed bunch of plays many times.
I do give him credit for the late 1st qtr and 2nd qtr change in playcalling to throw on 1st down and run some on late downs.
HaydenHawk56
Well-Known Member
Totally agree. Disjointed is perfect description of Brian's calling card.
dahlhawk
Well-Known Member
"Scratch were it itches", one great coach use to say, Brian scratches the same spot until it bleeds. EVERY team we play is going to load up the box until Petras makes them pay. I counted 9 guys within five yards of the line of scrimmage all game. That means we got to win some of those one on one receiver battles or Petras needs to call more hot routes and throw the damm ball out there. The way teams are blitzing us Iowa is just not making them pay for it.
Just run the go routes when they do that on audible. Seemed to work Saturday.
Do the coaches give Petras the green light to audible into a hot route or very many plays at all. We dont know that.
BigD
Well-Known Member
Scratch where it it itches Lol, I think Brian gets butt naked and goes out and rolls around in poison Ivy patches the day before each game.
One of my biggest pet peeves with Iowa's offense is that whenever they complete a big pass play -- which ain't often but it happens -- every single time they hurry down the field, line up quickly, and then...you guessed it: off-tackle run. Every. Single. Freakin'. Time. Usually for 1 yd, if that. Drives me absolutely nuts.
BigD
Well-Known Member
The defensive side of the ball has saved this program and kept Kirk around for as long as he has been here.
The offensive side has been pathetic for the most part. Average at best. Boy did the Nebraska program get an awakening coming from that Big 8 mindset that Offense was all that mattered. Not just that but also only having to deal with two programs (Oklahoma and Texas) as their only real competition for decades until a former Hayden Fry coach took over the reigns at Kansas State and gave them someone else to think about. Yes, Indiana and Northwestern were the patsies of the Big Ten for decades, but that has changed too. So every week Nebraska has to deal with getting their nose bloodied by Big Ten level football instead of just two weeks out of the year.
I only toss that in here for thought. Which would you rather have an explosive offense with a pathetic defense and constantly trying to out score the opponent or a solid defense that keeps you in most games and an average to below average offense that scores enough from time to time and gets you upset wins mostly due to the defense that keeps you in the game?
In a perfect world……………….. I know, I know.
I was around as a young man when Osborne and the Nebby juggernaut were rolling over people and crushing them. However now you have to look back at just really two good programs to have to deal with and the rest of their conference being patsies, was that what was really going on there? Their fans were licking their chops when they joined the Big Ten thinking they going to roll the whole conference u til they played Ohio State for maybe one tough game a year.
ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!
Those Nebraska fans can now understand how that coyote on the road runner cartoon feels now!!! LMAO again!!!
Well come Friday and the game after that we will see if our defense is as good as it appears. Our offense also better wake the hell up or we will be looking at two losses.
Hoping for the best of course but trying to realistic with the offensive struggles we have had.
The offensive side has been pathetic for the most part. Average at best. Boy did the Nebraska program get an awakening coming from that Big 8 mindset that Offense was all that mattered. Not just that but also only having to deal with two programs (Oklahoma and Texas) as their only real competition for decades until a former Hayden Fry coach took over the reigns at Kansas State and gave them someone else to think about. Yes, Indiana and Northwestern were the patsies of the Big Ten for decades, but that has changed too. So every week Nebraska has to deal with getting their nose bloodied by Big Ten level football instead of just two weeks out of the year.
I only toss that in here for thought. Which would you rather have an explosive offense with a pathetic defense and constantly trying to out score the opponent or a solid defense that keeps you in most games and an average to below average offense that scores enough from time to time and gets you upset wins mostly due to the defense that keeps you in the game?
In a perfect world……………….. I know, I know.
I was around as a young man when Osborne and the Nebby juggernaut were rolling over people and crushing them. However now you have to look back at just really two good programs to have to deal with and the rest of their conference being patsies, was that what was really going on there? Their fans were licking their chops when they joined the Big Ten thinking they going to roll the whole conference u til they played Ohio State for maybe one tough game a year.
ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!
Those Nebraska fans can now understand how that coyote on the road runner cartoon feels now!!! LMAO again!!!
Well come Friday and the game after that we will see if our defense is as good as it appears. Our offense also better wake the hell up or we will be looking at two losses.
Hoping for the best of course but trying to realistic with the offensive struggles we have had.
BigD
Well-Known Member
