How Can Iowa Fix Its Offense?

thanks for the Link. Ari Wasserman is the kid that played indoors while the other kids in the neighborhood played ball.

Scott D is having a great run at the Athletic, becoming quite a star with lots of additional responsiblity.
 
It’s pretty rare that even the most homer of Hawkeye media personalities all agree on something as extreme as firing a coordinator. Like Spencer, Brian is probably a good dude personally, but he’s not a P5 coordinator.
 
Fryowa said:
It’s pretty rare that even the most homer of Hawkeye media personalities all agree on something as extreme as firing a coordinator. Like Spencer, Brian is probably a good dude personally, but he’s not a P5 coordinator.
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Would be nice to think that...but there's plenty of smoke that Brian is a bit of a dick. Unless KFz cuts him loose...this is not gonna end well. But like most everything else...KFz will be the last one to see it.
 

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Is Iowa's offense going to be a complete mess again?​

Iowa 7, South Dakota State 3

We've danced this dance before. If Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz trusts his defense and special teams to win a game on their own, he's going to keep things as vanilla as humanly possible on offense. He doesn't mind a rock fight, and his Hawkeyes have won plenty of them through the years. Meanwhile, South Dakota State is one of the best, most physical teams in FCS. Just last year, the Jackrabbits thumped Colorado State by 19 three weeks before Iowa beat CSU by 10.
Acknowledging all of that, there is still no excuse for what we saw on Saturday in Iowa City.

The last time Iowa ranked in even the top 50 in offensive SP+ was 2011. (Ferentz's son Brian has been in charge of the offense since 2017. It feels relevant to mention that.) In that span, Wisconsin, another defense-and-manball team from the Big Ten West, has ranked in the top 50 six times. Minnesota did it in 2019, and even Northwestern has had a top-50 offense since 2011. Northwestern!

In 2021, for the fourth time in five years, (a) Iowa's leading rusher averaged less than 5 yards per carry, and (b) its quarterback produced a Total QBR rating under 70. (Spencer Petras' ghastly 49.2 QBR ranked 105th in FBS.) Iowa lost four of its last eight, scoring a total of 34 points in the losses.

On Saturday, Iowa rusher Leshon Williams averaged 3.0 yards per carry, the Hawkeyes averaged 2.7 yards per play as a team, and Petras continued his regression, going just 11-for-25 for 109 yards, an interception and two sacks. (It also feels relevant to note that Brian Ferentz took over as quarterbacks coach this season.)

In fact, the Hawkeyes' seven points were flattering to the offense, which got outscored by its own defense 4-3. Punter Tory Taylor was amazing once again, and the defense was rarely threatened. But even if SDSU knew what plays Iowa was calling -- hell, even if the Jackrabbits knew the snap count -- the Hawkeyes should have been able to generate more than 2.7 yards per play.

Confidence meter: 2 out of 10. Plenty of teams have figured out how to establish a physical offensive identity and actually score points. If things don't improve quickly, the Hawkeyes will waste another elite and exciting defense this fall.
 
No one's getting fired, yet, but getting healthy players back will help. Not sure about Lee at center seemed to make a lot of mistakes. That can be smoothed out with experience. OL might be bad again this year, looks like we might have to wait for those highly rated recruits. Changing QB's would help at least as a change of pace, keep our opponents guessing ala Purdue. Roll with the player with the hot hand. Petras body of work is not Division 1. I think we have enough data to support that. Why Kirk has to be such a drama queen about this I don't know? Players get replaced all the time in high school, college, and the pros. A player either uses this as motivation of jumps in the portal. The problem with all these solutions is (except health) Kirk is the only one that can implement them. With a contract to infinity he can do what he wants.
 
dahlhawk said:
With a contract to infinity he can do what he wants.
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Yeah like make a mockery of the Iowa Hawkeye offense in front of a national audience, and potential recruits. If you go to a game to get wined and dined and impressed and you hear the booing and see the unhappy fans, where you gonna go for your college football experience??
 
Gibsonian said:
Yeah like make a mockery of the Iowa Hawkeye offense in front of a national audience, and potential recruits. If you go to a game to get wined and dined and impressed and you hear the booing and see the unhappy fans, where you gonna go for your college football experience??
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When my kids were babies, the photographer always said that crying was OK as it was emotion. He could work with emotion more than disinterest.

Maybe it's not so bad?! :)
 
Anybody have a feeling Petras is going to come out Saturday looking like Joe Freaking Montana when playing Iowa State?
 
Drew Tate as QB coach. And then find a high octane OC from FCS or somewhere and let them have the reigns. Just really anything that will keep the defense off of the field for more than 2-3 minutes so they can stay fresh.
 
briney11 said:
Drew Tate as QB coach. And then find a high octane OC from FCS or somewhere and let them have the reigns. Just really anything that will keep the defense off of the field for more than 2-3 minutes so they can stay fresh.
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I actually wondered if Ricky Stanzi would ever be interested in coaching. He's prob had the most successful run as a professional for Iowa QB's in the recent past, even though in the CFL.
 
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MelroseHawkins said:
Anybody have a feeling Petras is going to come out Saturday looking like Joe Freaking Montana when playing Iowa State?
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No.

He might look better, but when has he every looked really good?

I remember his first start at Purdue. The long awaited kid from California. After the first two series, I knew he just wasn't that good.
 
NCHawker said:
No.

He might look better, but when has he every looked really good?

I remember his first start at Purdue. The long awaited kid from California. After the first two series, I knew he just wasn't that good.
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A few times in 2020:

1st half of MSU (I don't remember much of this game, but we thrashed them in that half)
1st half of PSU (moved the offense very effectively, made throws when needed, no TDs)
2nd half of Illinois (stunk the joint up royally in 1st half...actually looked pretty good in 2nd, made some clutch throws)

In 2021:
2 drives vs. ISU
Maryland

So in 2+ years of starting, he has probably looked good for less than 3 games, cumulatively.
 
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