Early Thoughts on Arizona

[SWIowaHawkeye]

I just reviewed the thread on Jon's prediction for a 12-0 season and overall I like what I see...I am not quite as optimistic, but that is OK--it is my nature. One thing I read in the comments and scores though has me a bit puzzled...why all the love for a very average Arizona team? Many posters are picking a loss at Arizona and for the life of me, I cannot see that happening. Losses somewhere in conference I can understand (Wisconsin or OSU -- perhaps someone unexpected like MSU), but not to Arizona. In last year's game, Stanzi threw the first quarter pick 6 and I do not expect to see those as much this year. Take away a meaningless 4th quarter touchdown and they have an offense that put up 3 points. They did not look great in conference (against mostly average competition) during last year and I cannot see how they have improved measurably since then--using mostly the same talent with a couple key losses. Foles is a good QB but I believe he can be shut down by a good pass rush and someone slobber-knocking his underneath receivers. And finally, did anyone go back and look at the film from their bowl game last year against Nebraska? When you smother their running game (as our front four in combination with the linebackers should be able to do) and force them to throw all the time to a receiving crew who is getting lit up every time they are near the ball, I do not see much happening on their side of the scoreboard.

I do believe we will have some close games this season...and that we will win most of the close ones. This one will not be close...Iowa wins this by at least three touchdowns and Arizona does not score 10 points.

 

[simohawk]

Most people's predictions for this game have nothing to do with the opponent at all.

The precedent is the ASU match from 2003-2004 where we absolutely dominated ASU with a 2003 team that was suppose to be worse than our 2004 team.

When we got to the Desert in 2004, not only was ASU pumped on the revenge factor, but the Hawks were simply flat and unprepared. Whether this was due to time zone, night game, 2 hour rain delay, Norm Parker absence, first road game, or some combination of both, it was simply the worst performance by a "talented" Hawkeye team (excluding the 1999-2000 teams) in the Kirk Ferentz era...worse than even the 2003 Orange Bowl.

Most of us, myself included, have no doubt that we are better on paper, but would like for Kirk to prove he has solved the West Coast night game issues that tripped us up last time.

I feel very similar to how I felt before the Orange Bowl last year, when I saw we were clearly better on paper, but wasn't sure which Iowa team would show up. To Kirk's credit, he solved the Orange Bowl puzzle and I"m hopeful he's solved the West Coast Night game puzzle, too.