HawkeyeGameFilm Reviews Iowa Defense from Saturday
- Thread starter JonDMiller
- Start date
sandhawk20
Well-Known Member
I was always a fan of Norm Parker's fundamental, low-risk, make-a-tackle defenses. Allowed for the team to make plays and didn't typically leave players on an island to give up big plays.
I'll be interested in seeing how many big plays we give up this year, if we do increase the aggressiveness as projected.
I'll be interested in seeing how many big plays we give up this year, if we do increase the aggressiveness as projected.
hawkeyegamefilm
Well-Known Member
If I had to guess Iowa will play a heavier mix of man schemes but will by no means leave their zone schemes behind. They used Cover 2,Cover 3, and Cover 4 variations throughout the day and a few zone blitz looks mixed it as well. I think through the first few games we'll see them try a lot of different things and gravitate towards what works best with the personnel.
Some of the big plays were against younger guys who were athletically over-matched. Marcus Collins and LaRon Taylor were two guys who were caught out of position and beaten for big gains a few times. For the most part the 1st team LBs were very good in pass coverage, man and zone. Perry seemed to handle himself nicely in man coverage situations out there Saturday. They all have luxury of working against some very talented TEs in practice day in and day out and it should make them a stronger unit as the season gets underway.
hawkfarmer
Well-Known Member
Is Alston not next in at MLB?? I liked everything I read except the end about Law and Donatell. never good when they split reps, was really hoping Law would step up his coverage skills.
hawkeyegamefilm
Well-Known Member
Whatever injury kept Alston out last week clearly wasn't completely healed. He was dragging a leg as the long practice wore on. Not sure if it was a knee or just a soft issue(quad, hammie). He also just looked off most of the day, not the same guy I saw last spring. If he's healthy I think he's the fourth linebacker, but if he's not able to get healthy he'll continue to be passed by guys on the depth chart.
AreWeThereYet
Well-Known Member
Sounds like grounds for guarded optimism about the defensive line. Maybe better than last year.
hawkeyegamefilm
Well-Known Member
Always safe to stick with cautious optimism. The good news is they improved noticeably as a unit. This practice they had a much lower percentage of plays where they gave up 4-5 Yards per run just off OL surge. DTs were attacking low and dropping down and clogging lanes rather than getting driven back against double teams. I saw a lot more shedding of blockers from the DEs to make tackles in the run game as well. They weren't perfect and I don't expect them to produce like the '09 or '10 units did, but they are a young group with some talent.
RocknRollface
Well-Known Member
The problem with Norms scheme was that it was just too easy to plan for because the lack of variation.
cmhawks99
Well-Known Member
I don't know who you are or what you do for a real job, but I like ya....
. On a serious note I think all you can hope for is continual improvement and it seems like it was fairly significant, with young guys that is paramount and impressive. I do agree it seems like the talent is there…..we can only hope the steps back are small and the steps up are always big….
imported_ankle23
Well-Known Member
these type of comments just make me laugh.
Hawkeye11en1
Well-Known Member
How does the future look for this group? What do you think about next year as they progress? Could they be anything like the 09 group going forward?
cmhawks99
Well-Known Member
Interesting you say this…..was reading something on the Hawaii message board yesterday (trying to find out if Darius Bright is ever going to be any good) and they were talking about open/closed practices and how Norm Chow has always been kind of meh on it. They went on to point out that you can find his Offense, schemes, philosophy, etc on the Internet and it remains mostly unchanged. Said he has often commented if an offense is working like it should you should be able to tell a defense what’s going to happen and still excute the play if you are well trained and adept at it..
I have never bought into the predictability argument..it doesn’t make sense. We are talking about football not quantum physics.
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RocknRollface
Well-Known Member
I seem to remember hearing and reading "we new exactly what Iowa was going to do" quite often from opposing players after wins.
But maybe im just imagining that.
cmhawks99
Well-Known Member
MoseSchrute
Well-Known Member
No, Mr. Dan Persa actually did say that before a game with Iowa. "They are easy to prepare for because they do the same thing every year", was pretty much what he said.
cmhawks99
Well-Known Member
Yes I know it was said, I’m referencing the fact that Iowa fans never got what it really meant…..you could truly say that about every team to a degree and for what it’s worth Dan Persa’s coach once said in a magazine about I believe Iowa and tOSU that he wishes he could play people straight up like they do…..just more silliness and propaganda.
Scheme and "tricking" people is the least important aspect of coaching football. You pick your scheme; teach it well and game plan to match it up with what the other team does….
hawkeyegamefilm
Well-Known Member
I don't think the raw materials are in place for that level of play. Iowa had some amazing talent on those DLs. The tackle position probably has the best chance to evolve quickly but the DEs just don't look to have the physical tools to be in the same category as Ballard & Clayborn were.
RocknRollface
Well-Known Member
What in the world are you implying here? That it was some sort of inside joke that only you got?
He meant exactly what he said.
And if your plan isn't working because the other team is doing something you didn't expect then be prepared to adapt to whatever the other team is doing.
This is what has been lacking recently. The inability to adapt to the unexpected, be that in scheme or physical level of play.
To be fair the defense has been more willing to change it up then the offense. The Michigan last year comes to mind w/ the increased aggressiveness and man coverage. It won us the game.
The flip side of that would be tOSU in 2010. JT said he expected "a heavy weight bout" and that is what we gave him. They had planned for it and we played it that way and we lost.
There are times when you have to play to win because playing to not lose won't cut it if the other team expects you to play to not lose and has planned accordingly.
When you reference OSU game, you are talking about 2009 where Kirk didnt let Vandenberg throw ball at end of game.
In 2010, Iowa wins if Clayborn makes stop on Pryor on that 4th down play. Pryor won that battle and OSU won game.
Iowa did same scheme, more or less, under Norm and did it very well. If you play the scheme well,then you will usually beat other team. Persa made some very good plays, including the TD pass before injured. I have also read that the DL may have lined up same way every time but they rarely did the same thing two times straight. Their stunts and slants, etc were changed up to cause confusion. If Iowa had been able to keep LBs healthy, they would have done better in 2010 and 2011.
In 2010, Iowa wins if Clayborn makes stop on Pryor on that 4th down play. Pryor won that battle and OSU won game.
Iowa did same scheme, more or less, under Norm and did it very well. If you play the scheme well,then you will usually beat other team. Persa made some very good plays, including the TD pass before injured. I have also read that the DL may have lined up same way every time but they rarely did the same thing two times straight. Their stunts and slants, etc were changed up to cause confusion. If Iowa had been able to keep LBs healthy, they would have done better in 2010 and 2011.
