Defensive Second Half

C

cincyhawk

Well-Known Member
As much as everyone is focusing on the QB battle, it is amazing how much better the defense was in the second half. The secondary in particular looks like a different team with Lomax in the game. And those safety blitzes to end the game looked brilliant.

Yes, and Iowa gave up 435 total yards and 250 through the air. They did enough today on the scoreboard though.
 
The defense really stiffened up in the second half, and did a good job limiting Pitt to field goals. I'm glad to see the growth.
 
Me too. They were getting absolutely slaughtered in that second quarter. Could have folded it up and mailed it in. But they grew a stiff upper lip and came out fired up and turned the game around in the second half. The blitz was a clear adjustment in the second half, and I even saw some cover 0.
 
Looked like the LBs started to step up on runs better and DL got some penetration. Our soft pass coverage still drives me nuts.
 
The entire team perked up when CJ was put into the game. The team understands who the best QB is to give them the best opportunity to win. This was obvious in the 2nd half. We did take more chances blitzing in the 2nd half, which resulted in some hurries.
 
Would agree defense really picked up game in 2nd half. They got control of line of scrimmage, and controlled it during 2nd half.
 
DT's picked it up, LB's stopped over-pursuing, and the secondary provided better run support (king is always good in this regard)
 
Lowdermilk really stepped it up today as well. He seemed more focused and his number show it. He played contain extremely well at times. Conditioning and rotation was stellar. They seemed to get tougher the longer they were on the field. I have was critical about coaching not making half time adjustments last week but will have to apologize for that as they made some really great scheme changes today. Congrats to coach Parker and his squad on a job well done!
 
cincyhawk said:
As much as everyone is focusing on the QB battle, it is amazing how much better the defense was in the second half. The secondary in particular looks like a different team with Lomax in the game. And those safety blitzes to end the game looked brilliant.

Yes, and Iowa gave up 435 total yards and 250 through the air. They did enough today on the scoreboard though.
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Iowa's defense allowed another opposing player to have a career game.

But, they came through in the 2nd half in a big way when it mattered.

As good a job as Pitt did rushing the ball, the Iowa defense made sure they gang-tackled and punished Connor on most of his carries. He was hurt and hurting at the end of the 2nd quarter. So by doing their job in the first half, their job in the second half was "easier".

Props to the DBs. I like their attitude.
 
ibahawkeye said:
King is the best tackling corner that I can remember. Does the kid ever miss when he is in space??
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I think that is an excellent point, IBA. King is a shutdown pass or run. Mabin looks to be getting to that point also. If we could somehow figure out how to get Gair and Lomax on the field at the same time, we'd be on our way.

Did Josey Jewel do more than just flash on a couple of plays?
 
We rotated a lot and were fresh in the fourth quarter, where I suspect Pitt is going to destroy most of the teams from the ACC it faces. That running back and WR were amazing and save for Melvin Gordon, I don't think we'll see guys that good the rest of the way. Their o-line looked darn good, too, but we sure manned up late in the game. I haven't seen a complete half of Iowa football that good prolly bince the Pitt game in 2011. Everybody chipped in and we looked like a top 20 team out there when we were hitting on all cylinders.
 
DDThompson said:
Iowa's defense allowed another opposing player to have a career game.

But, they came through in the 2nd half in a big way when it mattered.

As good a job as Pitt did rushing the ball, the Iowa defense made sure they gang-tackled and punished Connor on most of his carries. He was hurt and hurting at the end of the 2nd quarter. So by doing their job in the first half, their job in the second half was "easier".

Props to the DBs. I like their attitude.
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That's one of my favorite things about Ferentz - sure, we might get torched by one star, but I swear he has an unwritten bounty out sometimes. For instance, we always used to stand up Dennard Robinson and lay a couple of semi cheap hits on him that would knock him out or soften him up in the fourth quarter. In that PSU game in 2008, we just lit up PSU's receivers every time they went over the middle and then when it mattered their WR got alligator arms and handed us an INT. There seems to be a game or two every year where a guy just doesn't want any more and it is a big advantage in the end.
 
If it was not for the bogus targeting call last week the first half would have been better for the defense. I liked the way they played in the second half. Drew Ott is a beast!
 
Hawknick said:
If it was not for the bogus targeting call last week the first half would have been better for the defense. I liked the way they played in the second half. Drew Ott is a beast!
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Correct on Ott. That dude is a monster. I don't think we'll see many o-lines as good as Pitt's in the B1G, so I'm looking forward to what we are able to do.
 
cincyhawk said:
Me too. They were getting absolutely slaughtered in that second quarter. Could have folded it up and mailed it in. But they grew a stiff upper lip and came out fired up and turned the game around in the second half. The blitz was a clear adjustment in the second half, and I even saw some cover 0.
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Hawkeye pride, determination and Attitude finally show itself.....

:rolleyes:
 
okeefe4prez said:
That's one of my favorite things about Ferentz - sure, we might get torched by one star, but I swear he has an unwritten bounty out sometimes. For instance, we always used to stand up Dennard Robinson and lay a couple of semi cheap hits on him that would knock him out or soften him up in the fourth quarter. In that PSU game in 2008, we just lit up PSU's receivers every time they went over the middle and then when it mattered their WR got alligator arms and handed us an INT. There seems to be a game or two every year where a guy just doesn't want any more and it is a big advantage in the end.
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Nice memory, OK. I like the walk down memory lane.

Bold is football. Iowa football.
 
okeefe4prez said:
That's one of my favorite things about Ferentz - sure, we might get torched by one star, but I swear he has an unwritten bounty out sometimes. For instance, we always used to stand up Dennard Robinson and lay a couple of semi cheap hits on him that would knock him out or soften him up in the fourth quarter. In that PSU game in 2008, we just lit up PSU's receivers every time they went over the middle and then when it mattered their WR got alligator arms and handed us an INT. There seems to be a game or two every year where a guy just doesn't want any more and it is a big advantage in the end.
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That's true -- and they aren't cheap shots, usually. Just that the Hawks don't back off right when the ball is released by the QB and are going to unload on you if you touch the football as a WR.

Makes for some entertaining games when they play MSU, because MSU is usually a D that will do this to Iowa as well.
 
cincyhawk said:
That's true -- and they aren't cheap shots, usually. Just that the Hawks don't back off right when the ball is released by the QB and are going to unload on you if you touch the football as a WR.

Makes for some entertaining games when they play MSU, because MSU is usually a D that will do this to Iowa as well.
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When we went to Michigan in 2010, I swear that the d-line must have been instructed not to tackle Denard, but just hold him up every time he ran, because that guy got popped by our back 7 about 10 solid times and you could just tell he didn't want to see the ball ever again. I was sitting in like Row 94 at the Big House and remember cringing when I heard a few of those hits. Of course, Forcier torched us, but what they did to Denard was beautiful. They did it to Juice Williams in 2007, too. That guy was playing straight scared at the end of that game. Robinson from PSU got that treatment a few times as well, IIRC.
 
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