Defensive scheme DOES NOT WORK w/out a pass rush



I still think the offensive has bigger problems, but I really do not remember the last game the defensive line has made a difference. In all honesty, I really can't remember if the defensive line is suppose to make a difference in the pass rush.
 


How is the defensive line suppose to get to the QB when the offense knows and I mean knows that Iowa will give you that little 4 yard check down/sideline route every time. It does little good to have your corners play 10 yards off the receiver, while your d line is trying to get to the QB. I can't even begin to count how many times this year I have seen an Iowa d lineman a step or two from the QB only to see the QB throw that little outlet pattern anytime he is being pressured. Your negating your own pass rush. Wouldn't it be a better idea to play up on the receivers, making the QB hold the ball that extra split second to where you d line can now get to the QB? At least make the QB make an accurate throw. Heck, many of the posters on this board could make those 5 yard sideline routes. They are wide open all the time.
 


It also doesn't work without linebackers. Not an excuse for the gutless way we played today but the injuries killed us at LB.
 


Pass rush is why Angerer and Edds were so good in pass coverage. They are good but when the QB has 3-4 seconds instead of 7-8 like this year it makes the LB's cover that much less ground. I'm tired of seeing Iowa lb's trailing a WR or a RB out on a pass route. When a QB is forced to make a decision in a short amount of time the misakes go up, when he knows he isn't going to get hit he can dink and dunk it down the field or find wide open recievers. Iowa needs to make a puch for great coverage corners so the Lb's can be used to blitz.
 


Rewatch the linebacker play. Short coverage wasn't too good ... and we just weren't that good against the run.

LBs were having troubles with blockers against the run. I'm not certain how much that was on the fact that Johnson just didn't look good or the fact that Morris looked like a TR FR ... but it could also have partially been due to the tradeoff of the DL getting off their blocks a bit too early in order to disrupt plays on their own.
 


Also, not unlike what Clayborn said against Wisky ... we just weren't winning too many early downs. They were facing way too many 3rd and makable situations. When the O has the advantage in terms of down and distance ... it makes things A LOT harder on the D.

Lastly, it really looked like the squad was prepped in order to address the Gopher passing game, however, what really ended up killing us is how badly we were getting gashed against the run. The tackling was simply terrible.

As a whole, it was arguably the most painful Hawk game to watch since back in '07. Just terrible ...
 


The announcers still calling our DL one of the best in the country is such a joke. I've seen enough of ****** B10 teams just pushing our DL around every game. Clayborn mailed the second half of this season in. The fact that we made absolutely no defensive adjustments shows how overrated of a coach Ferentz is. We gameplan to allow teams to hang in the game and make the defense get late stops, which they have shown over and over again they are not capable of. The fact that every game announcers talk about how easy it is to gameplan for our defense is embarrassing. It's not working and it's easy for everyone to see except for Ferentz. He needs to wake the **** up and make some changes this offseason. We run a defensive scheme that spread teams love, it's an outdated scheme that's only going to get worse and worse results.
 


This defensive scheme is responsible for 80% of the success we've had the last decade.

End of discussion. Does the scheme have flaws... yes.

But please, if you want to complain... the elephant in the room is our offense. Our crippling offense. End of discussion.
 






Top