How bad is our Oline?
- Thread starter hwks1
- Start date
DBAHawkFan
Well-Known Member
I think the OL is decent, but our play calling doesn't help. Teams know we're going to run left or to the short side of the field, tough to block more guys than you have up front. We ran the ball decent in the 1st Quarter, but NW adjusted....we did not. TE's made some good plays again today, yet we don't make them a focus earlier. I do get tired of hearing how we are a OL powerhouse, yet our numbers are almost always average. This is play calling.
tm3308
Well-Known Member
This. We insisted on pounding it into 8 and 9 man fronts, instead of actually making NW pay for selling out by going over the top on play action.
AreWeThereYet
Well-Known Member
It's worse than individual play calling. It's a systematic problem with Iowa's offense. Everyone in the league, with a few exceptions, slants their defensive linemen across the face of the zone blocking on running plays. Iowa has never consistently countered the move. Northwestern has been effectively doing it to us since at least 2005. Every else has long since done the same thing. I can even remember Arkansas State doing the same thing to us years ago and almost caught up with us.
Jjgoiowa11
Well-Known Member
NCHawker
Well-Known Member
D
DDThompson
Guest
This.
Wasn't there a drive or two with space blocking, pulling guard/center that was successful?
Bigtenchamp
Well-Known Member
our line is good...
1. Our running backs often to very little with big holes...
2. Rudock rarely gets sacked
3. The other team plays 13 in the box and dares us to throw it.
1. Our running backs often to very little with big holes...
2. Rudock rarely gets sacked
3. The other team plays 13 in the box and dares us to throw it.
knighthawk13
Well-Known Member
Weismann can't make anyone miss. The holes were there, but the NW LBs and safeties were hitting Weismann after 2 yards and driving him backwards.
Bigtenchamp
Well-Known Member
I love Weisman but yes sometimes he has to make a move. Running people over often lets the rest of the defense swarm... and not going to run over 5 defenders.
D
DDThompson
Guest
I thought a couple of those were because he was trying to make a move and when he does that he stands up and when he stands up he gets whacked and driven backwards. ????
I dunno. I'll watch it again.
SpecialKHawk
Well-Known Member
Agree on # 1 that we have no back that takes advantage of the one cut running lanes that are there.
Disagree a little on number 2. Part of that is Ruddock's ability to move in and out of the pocket.
Agree that teams dare us to throw deep and deep across the middle but we will not do it.
The number one issue though is our interior lineman. The tackles have always been the strength but the guards and center positions are typically smaller and less physical players. MSU and NW just took turns blowing up the center and guards which ruins a lot of running plays.
I laugh every time we recruit a lineman who is under 6'4". Most big time programs have everyone at 6'5" or better on the o-line but somehow our coach thinks he can underdog it always and the results are always the same when we play anyone with a pulse.
DDStretch
Well-Known Member
The true fact of the matter is Weismann is slow. He doesn't hit the hole with explosion like a typical running back would, therefore loses out on a lot of yards because the hole is getting smaller by the time he's to it.
This was very evident in the Ohio State game. There were A LOT more rushing yards to be had in that game. Runs that went for 5-8 yards would have gone 12-15 with a typical Division I running back.
Weismann was a great fallback when every RB went down last year, and it's fine to run him a bit to pound on defenses, but to expect him to be the feature back on a Big Ten football team is a lot to ask from a guy with his physical abilities.
The offensive line has been pretty good this year, and Iowa has been a solidly competitive team.
Iowa's main issues remain – lack of explosion/playmakers on offense. Defense struggles to get a pass rush with the front 4, and the secondary struggles in downfield coverage. Most times 2 and 3 go hand-in-hand. The combination of the three is the main reason we fizzle out when looking for an upset and why we can't put an inferior team away.
This was very evident in the Ohio State game. There were A LOT more rushing yards to be had in that game. Runs that went for 5-8 yards would have gone 12-15 with a typical Division I running back.
Weismann was a great fallback when every RB went down last year, and it's fine to run him a bit to pound on defenses, but to expect him to be the feature back on a Big Ten football team is a lot to ask from a guy with his physical abilities.
The offensive line has been pretty good this year, and Iowa has been a solidly competitive team.
Iowa's main issues remain – lack of explosion/playmakers on offense. Defense struggles to get a pass rush with the front 4, and the secondary struggles in downfield coverage. Most times 2 and 3 go hand-in-hand. The combination of the three is the main reason we fizzle out when looking for an upset and why we can't put an inferior team away.
Bigtenchamp
Well-Known Member
the interior of our line could be weak... however we have a lot of guards that get drafted into the NFL also.
This teams weakness is not the oline. If there is one thing that Ferentz typically produces its good o lines.
tm3308
Well-Known Member
I'd have to watch the game again, but it's a weaker unit when Walsh is in instead of Donnal. Walsh gets beat pretty routinely, which forces Blythe to help out and weakens the gap protection between Blythe and Boffelli. When Donnal is in, it's a pretty cohesive unit. There's a reason the O-Line looked pretty good against OSU: Donnal was there all game.
WinOneThisCentury
Well-Known Member
There is nothing wrong with our offensive line. IMO there are a couple of things going on here:
1) Our backs are just very average. I hate to say it, but they are serviceable backs. They are not the reason we lose, but they are not maximizing the holes and blocking they have, and they almost never create something with cuts or reversing field.
2) Watch the tape of OSU in the second half and NW after the first QB, they have committed eight to the box. I don't care how good your offensive line is, you can't run against that consistently. If you want to, then go three tight end sets all day long...and tighten up the line of scrimmage and have at it. I'm going to put this in CAPS.
GREG DAVIS IS UNWILLING TO PUT THE GAME IN RUDOCK'S HANDS FULLY, AND ALLOW HIM TO THROW THE OTHER TEAM OUT OF THE DEFENSE THEY WANT TO PLAY. IF TEAMS ARE COMMITTING SAFETIES TO THE RUN GAME, YOU HAVE TO MAKE THE PAY OVER AND OVER. IT'S NOT, THROW ONCE IN AWHILE. THROW THE BALL 10 FREAKING TIMES IN ROW AND MAKE THEM STOP THE PASSING GAME AND ADJUST TO US THROWING...THAT WILL HELP THE RUNNING GAME IMMENSELY. WHEN HAVE WE DONE THAT? WHAT'S SCAREY, IS THAT KOK USED TO DO IT.
1) Our backs are just very average. I hate to say it, but they are serviceable backs. They are not the reason we lose, but they are not maximizing the holes and blocking they have, and they almost never create something with cuts or reversing field.
2) Watch the tape of OSU in the second half and NW after the first QB, they have committed eight to the box. I don't care how good your offensive line is, you can't run against that consistently. If you want to, then go three tight end sets all day long...and tighten up the line of scrimmage and have at it. I'm going to put this in CAPS.
GREG DAVIS IS UNWILLING TO PUT THE GAME IN RUDOCK'S HANDS FULLY, AND ALLOW HIM TO THROW THE OTHER TEAM OUT OF THE DEFENSE THEY WANT TO PLAY. IF TEAMS ARE COMMITTING SAFETIES TO THE RUN GAME, YOU HAVE TO MAKE THE PAY OVER AND OVER. IT'S NOT, THROW ONCE IN AWHILE. THROW THE BALL 10 FREAKING TIMES IN ROW AND MAKE THEM STOP THE PASSING GAME AND ADJUST TO US THROWING...THAT WILL HELP THE RUNNING GAME IMMENSELY. WHEN HAVE WE DONE THAT? WHAT'S SCAREY, IS THAT KOK USED TO DO IT.
Bigtenchamp
Well-Known Member
lol yeah as much as I hated KoK he would go deep more... the lack of sophistication in the short and intermediate is where kok lost me.
