Hitchens was Benched v Purdue

[HawkPrdatr40]

Hitchens has had a habit all year long of diving at runners and not wrapping..going for the blowup knockdown as opposed to tackling. He was guilty of this on Saturday, too

Morris does it too and was guilty Saturday of it.

 

[MoseSchrute]

The problem with Iowa football started with the rabado scare. About the same time, somehow we ended up with a fiery young defensive coach who after one good year (2009) turned into a complete diickhead. Add in Norm's health and we had two years of poor recruiting results and Kaz drove away several others.

I believe Kaz had been coaching the DL since 2007.

 

[Eda]

I thought both were dinged up (and even the BTN announcers did too). The D has played poorly for several games now. After a pretty good start to the season, it has been disappointing. Maybe this is KF's way of getting them to fire back up. I hope it works and we see mad Herky this wkend.

 

[tm3308]

Anthony was leading the country in tackles for a few weeks, and Ferentz kinda downplayed it. Kinda sensed something then.

I think if it was Morris leading nation, KF would have made a bigger deal about it.

He obviously has his favorites.

You serious, Clark?

Ferentz downplays EVERYTHING when it comes to his own players. That's nothing new. He also recognizes what playing the Will does for a linebacker's tackle numbers. Iowa's Will backers consistently lead the team in tackles every year, because that's part of the nature of that position. The Leo (where Kirksey now plays after playing the Will a year ago) is more about pass coverage, and therefore they get less tackles (Kirksey had 110 last year, was on pace for 89 before Saturday).

That doesn't mean the player isn't good. But the tackle numbers can be a little skewed.

 

[tm3308]

I noticed Hitchens benching during the game. On the long run that Hyde ran down the RB Hitchens took a terrible angle on the play. Next possession he was on the bench, but I figured he was hurt, but he played on special teams after that. I think Morris was yanked after the same play.

Morris actually was dinged, I think. Morehouse said he saw Morris getting ice for his groin/hip/thigh (he chose not to discuss it in postgame, so we don't know exactly what was bothering him). Hitchens said today it was a coach's decision for him to sit.

 

[olddude]

Yep, these boards have been blowing up the last several weeks because KF won't yank the incumbent starter at Will LB. Actually I'm trying to remember if anyone even clamored for Hitchens to be benched.

I do find it interesting that Hitchens, a 2 year starter, got benched (for performance) in favor of a redshirt freshman who has only seen the field on special teams. What wonderment Fisher/Perry were even ready to play...I don't know if the KF double standard says more about the backups for Hitchens or the backup(s) for JVB.

I have been saying since non cons the secondary sucked azz. It was not hard to see. I was told "I thought the secondary was supposed to be our strong point". I get a young line and what that does to the back side, but you do not play ball like our backside does and expect praise. Do you?
Exept for a few "jumped routes" they have not shown anything that even comes close to Iowa ball.

 

[LGEND24]

The entire defense played like crap. Pretty dumb to single out one player, who last I checked was still top 5 in the nation in tackles.

Doesn't make him a great player.

 

[LGEND24]

Posters like you are getting old. Anyone that has legitimate questions and critism of the coach is an idiot. You're a fricken lemming if you can't see there are serious problems with our program and the man paid 4 mil to run it.

I bet you think the same thing about Purdue fans that question their brilliant coach Hope.

Talk about bringing up things that are getting old.

 

[hawkeyebob62]

Hitchens has had a habit all year long of diving at runners and not wrapping..going for the blowup knockdown as opposed to tackling. He was guilty of this on Saturday, too

Amari Spievey knew how to "shoulder tackle". Our current D personnel? Not so much.

 

[Gibsonian]

Morris does it too and was guilty Saturday of it.

Wasn't the entire defense in general doing a very, very poor job of tackling? From my tv screen they were atrocious.

 

[DJL]

Hey, he's up to 5 TD passes now. That has to put him in at least a tie for 14th in the B1G.

According to ESPN.com JVB has a QB rating that is so low, it is 114th in the country. 114th?!? And he's the best we have? Even in a blow out, KF won't put any other warm body in the game? He has a completions % of 56.9% but only averages 5.8 yards a pass? And he's gives us the best chance? Many Ruddock must be completely worthless if the guy peeing down his leg consistently is that much better than him. We've lost 4 games in a row, and the last two to horrible teams. It's time to start benching guys, like the guy who is attempting to run one of the worst offenses in the country. We need to prepare people for next year. Our chances of making a bowl are slim to none, so lets see what else we have.

114

James Vandenberg, QB

IOWA

193

339

56.9

1976

5.8

51

5

6

19

107.2

 

[kameltoez102]

Wasn't the entire defense in general doing a very, very poor job of tackling? From my tv screen they were atrocious.

They all did a crappy job and it has been getting worse. Everyone puts so much stock into leading the nation in tackles. I would rather not have anyone leading that stat. The way I interpret the statistic is that our defense has been on the field way too often that we have needed guys to make that many tackles. Also when many of the tackles are happening after the player has already gone 5 yards it is a deceiving number.

 

[TChawk]

hitchens played like crap.

So it is ok to bench a defensive player who has played 1/2 a game like crap, but keep in a QB who has pretty much been crappy all year. Smart move there KF...

 

[eveningnewsteam]

Win or lose this weekend, probably the latter, I hope to see some angry, aggressive Hawks out there and coaches too. Hoping.

I would hope so. Probably wont end up in the win column, but they need to lay it all on the line Saturday. They have nothing to lose.

 

[1982hawkfan]

I've been frustrated with opposing OC's taking advantage of Morris on 3rd downs the whole year. I was giving the staff props for replacing him with speed on Saturday, but it looks like an injury...

 

[hawkfarmer]

Anyone else remember when Morris was awarded the MVP of a highschool football camp as the best LBer, with other pretty elite prospects around? Wonder what happened.

 

[eveningnewsteam]

Anyone else remember when Morris was awarded the MVP of a highschool football camp as the best LBer, with other pretty elite prospects around? Wonder what happened.

They put on pads and D1 players started blocking him.

 

[hawkjunkie]

hitchens played like crap.

So was JVB

 

[pistons]

Tanner Miller couldnt tackle me he is the worst I have ever seen at Iowa.

Our Defense always sucked everytime Norm was sick and gone.
So we give the Defense to the guy who took over when norm was sick and gone.

I can do the math Phil Parker needs to be demoted and Greg Davis fired.

 

[hoffahawk]

I thought both were dinged up (and even the BTN announcers did too). The D has played poorly for several games now. After a pretty good start to the season, it has been disappointing. Maybe this is KF's way of getting them to fire back up. I hope it works and we see mad Herky this wkend.

I thought it was funny when they showed Morris on the bench and one of the BTN announcers said he was talking to one of the trainers when it was actually his dad.