Howe: Hawkeye Football Mid-Season Report Card
- Thread starter RobHowe
- Start date
hawkeyes87
Well-Known Member
No coaching grades, or is that coming later?
I agree w/ most of this. I think you have the TE's a little high- averages of 4 catches for 60 yards seems more B-minus to me.
And LB's I'd say Josey's been an A+, Niemann a B, and Bower's been Bower (C). Overall a B+
I agree w/ most of this. I think you have the TE's a little high- averages of 4 catches for 60 yards seems more B-minus to me.
And LB's I'd say Josey's been an A+, Niemann a B, and Bower's been Bower (C). Overall a B+
HawkeyeWalker
Well-Known Member
Seems fair. I truly believe we'll see noticeable improvements on the Oline next week. 2 weeks of practice will help, possibly a ton. The loss of Ike and Myers, along with Welsh dinged has likely hurt a ton, and starting 2 frosh at tackles is very rare. 2 weeks if work should go a long way.
Hooker, Snyder, Manny, and Jackson may end up being really really good back 4. And I still believe with Snyder back we could blitz more and will see raider package more often.
Interior Dline still the challenge, but again, having Manny and Snyder full strength may free up Phil to let them attack more up front instead of just contain.
Getting the 2's some snaps for LB is going to be huge for next year, losing those 3 at once will hurt a ton(still think Bower is better than he gets credit for) lack of pass rush puts him in a tough spot.
Stanley will be stellar before all said and done, get him in the groove earlier. We joke about it, but is like to see multiple early hard fake deep shots out of the gate, he starts hitting those early and running woes disappear quick.
Use Young and IKM early and often to pound, with AW in there with motion or pass.
Hawks are close, can't help but feel it.
NW and MN are huge games, should win both.
Depth at key spots is dicey, need to stay healthy.
Reps, reps, and more reps the next 11 days...heal, stay healthy.
Hooker, Snyder, Manny, and Jackson may end up being really really good back 4. And I still believe with Snyder back we could blitz more and will see raider package more often.
Interior Dline still the challenge, but again, having Manny and Snyder full strength may free up Phil to let them attack more up front instead of just contain.
Getting the 2's some snaps for LB is going to be huge for next year, losing those 3 at once will hurt a ton(still think Bower is better than he gets credit for) lack of pass rush puts him in a tough spot.
Stanley will be stellar before all said and done, get him in the groove earlier. We joke about it, but is like to see multiple early hard fake deep shots out of the gate, he starts hitting those early and running woes disappear quick.
Use Young and IKM early and often to pound, with AW in there with motion or pass.
Hawks are close, can't help but feel it.
NW and MN are huge games, should win both.
Depth at key spots is dicey, need to stay healthy.
Reps, reps, and more reps the next 11 days...heal, stay healthy.
hawkdrummer1
Well-Known Member
This.
hawkdrummer1
Well-Known Member
This is an opportunity for KFz to pull off one of his great "developmental" seasons. The bye week is at the right time. Upset either tOSU or Wisconsin and go 9-3....I'll be damn impressed. Even 8-4 would be a good year.
RobHowe
Administrator
No coaching grades. This was just a position by position report card.
You guys can feel free to grade the coaches, although that seems to go on around here about every day.
RobHowe
Administrator
I had 7-5 before the season with the unknowns I perceived to be there.
NS has been better than expected. The OL and DL haven't reached my expectations. WRs about what I expected. Easley has been better than expected for me and the true freshmen maybe a little less what I expected. Overall, this is kind of what I expected - flashes of excellent football mixed with inexperience. Injuries are the unknown.
I wonder how a 4-2 second-half with losses to OSU and Wisconsin will be viewed. For me, that would be a successful season.
HawkeyeDenis
Well-Known Member
I think the biggest disappointment is the offensive line, with the defensive line right behind them.
But I picked this team to be 6-6, 7-5 around that area. I actually see that they have a shot at 8-4. Depends how they look coming out of the bye. Our disappointments this year may be high points next year. Lot of potential.
But I picked this team to be 6-6, 7-5 around that area. I actually see that they have a shot at 8-4. Depends how they look coming out of the bye. Our disappointments this year may be high points next year. Lot of potential.
#1DieHardHawk
Well-Known Member
I think the grades are fair all around. The difficult part is that each group is hard to evaluate in a vacuum. For example, the offensive line play obviously impacts the RBs and QB, as does the D-line with the DBs.
I'd probably be a little harder on the D-line, and a little nicer to the D-backs. Now that Taylor is finally on the bench, and with Rugamba working his way back and with Snyder back, this group is solid. The defensive line is more of a talent issue, and so, while I would expect some improvement moving forward, the ceilings are not particularly high, especially at tackle. Kirk is not one to seriously look at the JUCO route, but DT might be a good area to scour the ranks this off-season.
I'd probably be a little harder on the D-line, and a little nicer to the D-backs. Now that Taylor is finally on the bench, and with Rugamba working his way back and with Snyder back, this group is solid. The defensive line is more of a talent issue, and so, while I would expect some improvement moving forward, the ceilings are not particularly high, especially at tackle. Kirk is not one to seriously look at the JUCO route, but DT might be a good area to scour the ranks this off-season.
RobHowe
Administrator
Agree. It's all connected and each part is reliant on the others.
I think Lattimore has a chance to be pretty good. He's just being asked to do a lot as a true sophomore. Carl Davis and Jaleel Johnson didn't begin starting until they were fourth-year juniors.
#1DieHardHawk
Well-Known Member
Absolutely, Lattimore is far from an unfinished project, but he definitely could use more help on the inside. I was really hoping we would get Raequan Williams, but ultimately lost him to MSU. Reiff will continue to get better, but the depth and overall talent level moving forward has to be at least a moderate concern.
RobHowe
Administrator
We got two pretty good DTs in the '18 class. I really like Linderbaum and Shannon. They're obviously going to need some time, however.
#1DieHardHawk
Well-Known Member
I believe we still have Nixon coming in next semester too, IIRC.
Linderbaum is under the radar and definitely has some potential but I see him ultimately as a better version of Bazata. Shannon is interesting, but is he for sure projected to DT? I recall early on prior to him committing to Minnesota that we were looking at him at guard, but perhaps that has changed.
RobHowe
Administrator
Shannon is being recruited as a DT. Forgot about Nixon. If he can get the grades in order, he'll be a nice addition. He'll likely need some time as well, though.
SheagleHawk
Well-Known Member
How can you give a guy that high of a grade when he can't connect on the umpteen open deep balls he's missed this year? Our offense, and particularly our running game, would look so much better if he completes even a 1/4 of those. Those misses have nothing to do with him still learning, and he's had enough practice time with his WRs to be on the same page with them. It comes down to a lack of touch, which appears to be something that hasn't improved, and something that may never improve (i.e. JC).
15 TDs against only 2 INTs for a sophomore QB is pretty salty. Show me another sophomore in the nation with better stats. At least 2 or 3 of those deep balls should have been caught had our receivers laid out for it ... and it would not even be a discussion at this point.
