HawkleberryFinn
Well-Known Member
Need to play Epenesa on 1st and 2nd to allow for the element of surprise. Everyone knows he's gunning for the QB on 3rd.
Epenesa only in on 3rd Downs
- Thread starter HawkleberryFinn
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SamBrownlee48
Well-Known Member
They are obviously easing him in. Even on 3rd and short, they kept either Hesse or Nelson out there. They basically told him to go out there and bend the blindside on 3rd and long, and he did a pretty damn good job of it today.
HawkleberryFinn
Well-Known Member
He needs to play on 1st and 2nd to keep the defense honest and to be most effective. Hesse is a good plugger, but he's rarely a pass rusher. Epenesa is a true DE. Void the UNION CARD!
SamBrownlee48
Well-Known Member
I think we will see more of him as the year goes on, but I think you are grasping at straws of what was a great team defensive showing today. AJ's got a role that will grow, but Hesse's not chopped liver. He plays the run very well.
HawkleberryFinn
Well-Known Member
Hesse's a good plugger as I said. He's not a pass rusher--he's not a D1 DE. Epenesa is. If Epenesa had been in on all those 1st and 2nd downs he would have put more pressure on Allen and probably had another sack or two. Our personnel selection needs to stop being based on "who's been here longer" and start being based on who will help the team more snap to snap. This nice-guy-based depth chart mentality is one of Iowa's biggest impediments.
GesterHawk
Well-Known Member
Not sure how or what a Defensive End can do to keep the defense honest.
Also I doubt him being on the field would change the way Wyoming calls their offense.
SamBrownlee48
Well-Known Member
Or maybe he blows his gap and allows for a long TD run. Hard to say what would happen when it didn't happen. But I can say that the Iowa defense destroyed Wyoming today while using AJ, Hesse, etc. the way they did.
HawkleberryFinn
Well-Known Member
Not playing the more talented player because "they might have hypothetically blown their gap" is not good reasoning--it's a "playing not to lose" mentality...classic Kirk. Get Epenesa in more often and get him acclimated...then keep him in--that's the way of the future. It's how we're going to gain that "slight edge" over teams like OSU and PSU. What's our record against OSU during Kirk's tenure?
SamBrownlee48
Well-Known Member
I think Epenesa should and will get more snaps by the time we are to that point in the schedule. Whining about it now just makes you seem silly. Our "slight edge" this year will be our overall DL depth and ability to keep people fresh, not just a true frosh. AJ is a big part of that depth, but he doesn't transcend it. . . yet anyway. I wouldn't be surprised to see him dominating the game at times later this year.
HawkleberryFinn
Well-Known Member
Plenty of programs would have played AJ more. I doubt he will get more snaps over the course of the year than Hesse--this is Kirk's MO and "the dean" has a track record to prove it--denying that just makes you look silly. He'll be splitting snaps with Hesse til Hesse is done at the end of 2018 season. AJ will have been underutilized, maximum potential unrealized...many Iowa pros have been stifled under Kirk and the program suffers for it.
GesterHawk
Well-Known Member
Making broad reaching statements based on limited exposure to the players and thinking they know better than the coaches that have seen the kids practice all camp... Classic Iowa Message Borad fans.
99topdawg
Well-Known Member
This^^^
HawkleberryFinn
Well-Known Member
Making ill-informed statements in the face of a 19 year track record, enabling the "play not to lose" mentality... Classic Message Board Kirk Apologist.
GesterHawk
Well-Known Member
How do I enable anything? I don't oversee KF. I don't think he hears me yelling at the tv from Minnesota.
AJ will be great. No doubt about it. AJ showed he can get penetration. AJ also showex a couple times that he can miss some pretty wide open shots at the QB when he gets there.
People need to temper their expectations for the kid. There were people on the board predicting he would have 3 sacks today. Come on. Let him play a couple games before you start calling him the next Clowney.
There is much kore to football than being the most athletic. There is even mors than that in Iowa's system.
I am good with the coaches putting him in during situtions where they can say - just get the QB. He will play more each week if he is as vood as the hype this board has viven him.
HawkleberryFinn
Well-Known Member
You enable because you accept the status quo--and argue in its favor. It's no secret Ferentz has suppressed talent in favor of experience throughout his career at Iowa. AJ may have had 3 sacks today if he were allowed to play more. He only played some 3rd downs and he had one. And I hope he's not the next Clowney...for other reasons.
GesterHawk
Well-Known Member
If you are going to call out posters on their what ifs, you really shouldn't base your own arguement on one.
You're talking like AJ was collapsing the pocket every snap he played. He had a good push a few times, missed a .5 sack with Hesse, and got a TFL on a play in which nobody blocked him.
