Disharmony
- Thread starter drldm
- Start date
DuffMan
Well-Known Member
If I had to guess I'd say it was because AC wasn't in the condition to go on the radio and talk. He was pretty busted up after the last couple of losses, one to the point he had to leave the media room.
As far as "disharmony" I don't think anything could be further from the truth. It's hard to hide when something is wrong in the locker room because it usually rears it's head at some point on the field. A few years ago when we had a QB that ruffled a few feathers in the lockeroom you could see it on the field. The "fat cat" team had problems that were evident on the field. When there are a bunch of distractions off the field it usually shows up on the field at some point.
I don't think I've seen anything remotely close to that this year, in fact, I'd be willing to say this is the most cohesive team I've seen in recent memory. It's nothing more than as a team, they haven't been able to close the deal when they needed to. That goes for the defense, the offense, the lines, the skill players, the special teams, the coaches... everyone.
As many like to say Iowa football always walks the fine line, and the difference between 10-1 and 8-4 often times is 4 plays. It's been that way this year also.
As far as "disharmony" I don't think anything could be further from the truth. It's hard to hide when something is wrong in the locker room because it usually rears it's head at some point on the field. A few years ago when we had a QB that ruffled a few feathers in the lockeroom you could see it on the field. The "fat cat" team had problems that were evident on the field. When there are a bunch of distractions off the field it usually shows up on the field at some point.
I don't think I've seen anything remotely close to that this year, in fact, I'd be willing to say this is the most cohesive team I've seen in recent memory. It's nothing more than as a team, they haven't been able to close the deal when they needed to. That goes for the defense, the offense, the lines, the skill players, the special teams, the coaches... everyone.
As many like to say Iowa football always walks the fine line, and the difference between 10-1 and 8-4 often times is 4 plays. It's been that way this year also.
Iowafarmgirl
Banned
I think this disharmony is just guys looking for excuses when the reality is that we just are not as good this year.
CallMeDragon
Well-Known Member
Regardless of wins and losses I expect this team to stick together, and I for one would have liked to seen someone come to A-Rob's defense after (what looked like) a questionable helmet to helmet hit late in the game.
Don't get me wrong, I am not saying respond with a cheap shot, but I would have loved to see one of our OL get right in the grill of that OSU player and give him a piece of their mind. You can get your point across without getting a penalty! I'd like to think that the refs would have given a player like Stanzi a "free pass" to go nuts for a few seconds in defense of his teammate.
Don't get me wrong, I am not saying respond with a cheap shot, but I would have loved to see one of our OL get right in the grill of that OSU player and give him a piece of their mind. You can get your point across without getting a penalty! I'd like to think that the refs would have given a player like Stanzi a "free pass" to go nuts for a few seconds in defense of his teammate.
latrans
Well-Known Member
Acutally if you think about it we are probably just as good this year as last year. There were lot of close wins last year.
Iowafarmgirl
Banned
I think our losses on the O line have haunted us all year, as well as our losses at linebacker. And then we have players who were good last year, but for whatever reason ,are not playing as well this year, like the D line, Reiff, Donahue, Hunter, Greenwood...
And just the simple eyeball test tells me this team isn't playing as well as last year. Last year we were pushing people all over the field on both sides of the ball. This year we simply are not. We thought we would reload, but we didn't.
BSpringsteen
Well-Known Member
I think the idea of disharmony is BS.
Ghostof ....er Iowa Farm Girl is right. Some players aren't playing as well, and the holes we thought would be filled were not.
Which tells me, maybe some players didn't put the work in during the offseason to get better.
Every other team in the Big 10 got better, we should have too.
Greenwood and Hunter in particular have looked average at best.
Ghostof ....er Iowa Farm Girl is right. Some players aren't playing as well, and the holes we thought would be filled were not.
Which tells me, maybe some players didn't put the work in during the offseason to get better.
Every other team in the Big 10 got better, we should have too.
Greenwood and Hunter in particular have looked average at best.
hawkfan340
Well-Known Member
I see what you're saying, but it's pretty hard to put in enough work in the offseason to get as good as Moeaki, Bulaga, Richardson, Eubanks, Angerer, and Edds, given the level of talent that we're using to fill holes.
Also, I don't understand the criticism of Greenwood or Hunter. Greenwood's been pretty much the same player as last year (except with more responsibilties against both the run and the pass) and Hunter has been an animal for us this year. He may be playing better than any player we have on defense.
DodgerHawki
Well-Known Member
What a bunch of loaded statements...
We are going to go (at best) 5-3 in league play this year, after 6-2 last year. How does that "tell you" that some players didn't put in the work to get better? What basis do you have for that? Stanzi went from 17 TD's and 15 INT's to 23 and 4, while increasing his completion percentage from 56 to 66%. Yes he's regressed.
Last year our two feature backs (Wegher and Robinson) averaged 4.6 and 4.0 ypc. This year, our two feature backs (Robinson and Coker) averaged 4.6 and 5.2 ypc. Again, definite regression. This year, the o-line has allowed 18 sacks in 11 games. In 2009, Iowa allowed 29 sacks in 13 games. The 2010 o-line would have to allow 11 sacks in the last two games to be as poor as last year in that regard. More regression. Greenwood had 3 INT's last year, he has 4 this year. How is this worse? His pick against Wiscy was potentially the play of the year if Iowa goes ahead and punches it in after that to put Iowa up 10 instead of 6.
That said, undoubtedly there have been issues, at times for all aspects of the team, but specifically on special teams and defense. We lost key guys in Edds and Angerer, and then saw their upperclassmen replacements (Tarpinian and Nielsen) have their seasons cut short by injury. Neither Nielsen or Tarp were probably as good as Edds or Angerer, but I think things are different if they could have played. But yes, blame Tarpinian and Nielsen for not working hard. Blame Meyer for not working hard last year as a senior at Dubuque Wahlert. Or blame Murray for getting injured and not being able to kick.
Spievey was also a huge loss, although Hyde's play has improved dramatically in the last half of the season. His pick at the end of the first half against OSU was as good as you will see.
There have been no instances of guys pointing fingers on the sidelines or to the media. There have been no instances of people not playing hard. The team was bought in and stayed together. They just weren't good enough to win more games. You can put the blame on the coaches (and they probably deserve some) but to throw the firebombs you do by questioning players' commitment makes me sick.
We are going to go (at best) 5-3 in league play this year, after 6-2 last year. How does that "tell you" that some players didn't put in the work to get better? What basis do you have for that? Stanzi went from 17 TD's and 15 INT's to 23 and 4, while increasing his completion percentage from 56 to 66%. Yes he's regressed.
Last year our two feature backs (Wegher and Robinson) averaged 4.6 and 4.0 ypc. This year, our two feature backs (Robinson and Coker) averaged 4.6 and 5.2 ypc. Again, definite regression. This year, the o-line has allowed 18 sacks in 11 games. In 2009, Iowa allowed 29 sacks in 13 games. The 2010 o-line would have to allow 11 sacks in the last two games to be as poor as last year in that regard. More regression. Greenwood had 3 INT's last year, he has 4 this year. How is this worse? His pick against Wiscy was potentially the play of the year if Iowa goes ahead and punches it in after that to put Iowa up 10 instead of 6.
That said, undoubtedly there have been issues, at times for all aspects of the team, but specifically on special teams and defense. We lost key guys in Edds and Angerer, and then saw their upperclassmen replacements (Tarpinian and Nielsen) have their seasons cut short by injury. Neither Nielsen or Tarp were probably as good as Edds or Angerer, but I think things are different if they could have played. But yes, blame Tarpinian and Nielsen for not working hard. Blame Meyer for not working hard last year as a senior at Dubuque Wahlert. Or blame Murray for getting injured and not being able to kick.
Spievey was also a huge loss, although Hyde's play has improved dramatically in the last half of the season. His pick at the end of the first half against OSU was as good as you will see.
There have been no instances of guys pointing fingers on the sidelines or to the media. There have been no instances of people not playing hard. The team was bought in and stayed together. They just weren't good enough to win more games. You can put the blame on the coaches (and they probably deserve some) but to throw the firebombs you do by questioning players' commitment makes me sick.
DuffMan
Well-Known Member
Puttman
Well-Known Member
BSpringsteen
Well-Known Member
You either get better or you don't. Certainly there are players on the team who have out performed last year, but comparable doesn't cut it. You are supposed to get better every year, not stay the same.
The other contenders in the Big 10 got better, we stayed the same. That is why we are going to Tampa or Jacksonville instead of Pasadena or New Orleans.
And given that in recent history, we haven't been able to handle BCS level success without entitlement issues, I don't think it is that unfair to suggest that some players may have coasted a little bit during the off season and believed the hype.
They are 19-20 and 21 year old kids, it is tough to not let the outside world factor into your mentality.
The other contenders in the Big 10 got better, we stayed the same. That is why we are going to Tampa or Jacksonville instead of Pasadena or New Orleans.
And given that in recent history, we haven't been able to handle BCS level success without entitlement issues, I don't think it is that unfair to suggest that some players may have coasted a little bit during the off season and believed the hype.
They are 19-20 and 21 year old kids, it is tough to not let the outside world factor into your mentality.
hawkfan340
Well-Known Member
I think Dodger's point is that the places where we regressed from last year are also the places where we had personel turnover. And in addition to having turnover, we had injuries to the relatively experienced players that were trying to replace the star departures.
You can't really blame that on not working hard enough. I don't care if he works out night and day and has football knowledge downloaded to his brain Matrix style, the freshman version of Morris is never going to hold a candle to the senior version of Angerer.
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