Does Iowa have a turf problem?

guffus

guffus

Well-Known Member
Iowa has laid an egg in 2 straight road games at Mich St and UCLA. In both games, Iowa's defense did a very bad job of tackling compared to the typical Iowa defense.

This got me wondering what could be the problem other than just being on the road in general. One thing MSU and UCLA have in common is they both play on grass at home.

I have a new theory that Iowa does not play well on the road when they play on a grass field. But I am too lazy to actually prove it. I wonder if other teams have similar problems on grass.
 
"Bend but don't break" is broken. The D can't get off the field. Iowa is getting carved up on third down against accurate QBs. This isn't the first time this has been an issue on defense. The defense is a bit soft up the middle against better offensive lines. Also, the secondary has had issues with coverage over the top.

The offense can't stay on the field. The UCLA, Michigan State and Iowa State games had one good quarter. Otherwise, they were lucky to get one decent drive each quarter.
 
guffus said:
Iowa has laid an egg in 2 straight road games at Mich St and UCLA. In both games, Iowa's defense did a very bad job of tackling compared to the typical Iowa defense.

This got me wondering what could be the problem other than just being on the road in general. One thing MSU and UCLA have in common is they both play on grass at home.

I have a new theory that Iowa does not play well on the road when they play on a grass field. But I am too lazy to actually prove it. I wonder if other teams have similar problems on grass.
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I need a 5-year sample size on this before I buy in. I’m too lazy to do the homework, but they dominated Washington and Wisconsin at home on grass, but they shit the bed against MSU and UCLA…logic would dictate that it is something other than turf.
 
trj said:
I need a 5-year sample size on this before I buy in. I’m too lazy to do the homework, but they dominated Washington and Wisconsin at home on grass, but they shit the bed against MSU and UCLA…logic would dictate that it is something other than turf.
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Kinnick isn't grass. It's the grass like recycled tire turf field.
 
They have a recruiting problem plain and simple. Ferentz let his inexperienced son turn the offense into a national joke and they are now paying the price. Just beat Nebraska!
 
trj said:
I need a 5-year sample size on this before I buy in. I’m too lazy to do the homework, but they dominated Washington and Wisconsin at home on grass, but they shit the bed against MSU and UCLA…logic would dictate that it is something other than turf.
Click to expand...
Huh?

Iowa isn't grass...
 
Would be interested to see more of the stats on how Iowa's played on grass over the last few yrs now that you mention it. Maybe it a common denominator. Maybe not long term it hasn't but for this yrs group it looks like it.

Iowas D just couldn't get off the field. 3rd and short 3rd and long it didn't matter. When they had to stop the run or pass they just couldn't. If not for UCLAs turnovers it wouldn't have been a close game frankly.

Iowa tends to hope the other team messes up. More so then trying to force them to. Look UCLA turned it over multiple times but it wasn't enough. That's how bad Iowa's D was. What's our record when we force multiple TOs in a game and win that battle? So yeah with a defense that returned 9 starters this is an extremely underwhelming performance.
 
Iowa is a big slow team for the most part. Grass usually helps that.

That said, there is some validity to the original poster's theory. If you practice and play on turf, there is a adjustment to grass playing services. Its as good an explanation as any for the way the defenses have looked on those two road losses.
 
The OLine getting dominated on the road...as if they're having flashbacks to the last two years, losing their confidence of being at home and revert to thier old selves.

The Defense got all that NIL money and it made them soft - rat poison.

- The simpleton's guide to Iowa football Page 41
 
For the ultimate home field advantage, Iowa should reinstall Astroturf. The old carpet kind. No one else uses it and a generation of kids have never played on it. It would mess with the mind! Before anyone says, “everyone’s knees would explode” remember how long Kinnick had that surface. What was the most catastrophic injury? AIRBHG didn’t exist. It’s nonsense as a possibility but it would be so unique, teams would get in their own heads!
 
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