RobHowe
Administrator
Minnesota’s defense is allowing 20.9 PPG, which is sixth in the B1G and 28th nationally.
Howe: Hawkeyes' Signature Win Highlights What Might Have Been
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Minnesota’s defense is allowing 20.9 PPG, which is sixth in the B1G and 28th nationally.
kameltoez102
Well-Known Member
Young should be getting Sargeants reps in my opinion. Sergeant run too much sideline to sideline on a consistent basis.
What happened to putting Young at FB on some snaps. They did that early in the year and it was a good look and he is a pass catching threat.
Seth53
Well-Known Member
Meh.
The game yesterday (and the circumstances surrounding it) have been played out many times in many seasons.
Iowa is "close" .....only "x" losses by a combined "xx" points. As the OP opines,....what if.
Without anything nationally to play for other than some press clippings and a warmer bowl game, we rise up for one game and make somebody else's life miserable. Chip on the shoulder. Play better being somewhat disrespected.
Pats on the back. Good press clippings. Lots of "we're close" and "shoulda/woulda/coulda"....as we end up 8-4, 9-3, bowl game. And place at least one person in the first two rounds of the NFL. Sometimes more. And even more make NFL teams.
Is this good? Is this underachieving? I'll leave that up to you, the reader.
My take is it is what our program is.
The game yesterday (and the circumstances surrounding it) have been played out many times in many seasons.
Iowa is "close" .....only "x" losses by a combined "xx" points. As the OP opines,....what if.
Without anything nationally to play for other than some press clippings and a warmer bowl game, we rise up for one game and make somebody else's life miserable. Chip on the shoulder. Play better being somewhat disrespected.
Pats on the back. Good press clippings. Lots of "we're close" and "shoulda/woulda/coulda"....as we end up 8-4, 9-3, bowl game. And place at least one person in the first two rounds of the NFL. Sometimes more. And even more make NFL teams.
Is this good? Is this underachieving? I'll leave that up to you, the reader.
My take is it is what our program is.
RobHowe
Administrator
Fair question. They’re opting for more 3-WR sets.
Weak OCs with little imagination, flexibility. Below average which works for Middle TN, but in the needed games, not.
Weak in game coaching, which seems disjointed, panic led, confused. Iowa seems to get out-coached quite often but when do the pundits and fans say...wow, Kirk and staff won that game!
QBs which, even though experienced, just don't have the "it" to carry the team to the finish line beyond a bit above average.
Predictable Iowa, which most often is easy hunting for opponents of equal or above talent.
Perhaps Kirk is the "restrictor plate" which overrides change and creativity. If so, the other coaches are only along for the ride.
Greatness seldom "plays it safe." But with so many bowls out there, so much middling success available, is the risk worth the reward of being champion?
This team has the talent to be great, but it is another befuddled and baffling season of what might have been, but isn't.
You feel good about it, but not so much.
RobHowe
Administrator
Part of Iowa’s offensive success in the first half yesterday was because Minnesota was expecting conservative predictably from Iowa’s offense. The Gophers sat back on D. In the second half, they had success turning up the heat and the Hawkeyes, in turn, reverted back to more conservative play calls.
The announcers said that the staff watched the Gophers last game and thought they would be over-aggressive, especially in the secondary. They called a couple double moves that the Gopher staff didn't have on film. The toss play is another one that wasn't on the other teams scouting report. Finally, Stanley had more time than he did against any other decent team this season and he was just in a rhythm to start the game at home.
MoseSchrute
Well-Known Member
The stat was Kirk is 52-58 in one possession games.
Maybe, but didn't Young start vs Wisconsin just the week before? Some defenses you've gotta have more power at the RB spot; some defenses hitting the spots quickly is most important. I thought starting Young vs the Badgers was a good move, and until Stanley's fumble, Young was rumbling. But after watching the MN/PSU game, I had the same thought as KF: MN's run weakness was against quick off-tackle runs to the outside -- something Goodson would be much better at. If anything, it appears to me that Sargeant is becoming the 3rd RB at this point more often than not.
VTHawk
Well-Known Member
This last paragraph is what it is all about. Thank you for posting this. We should have this mentality every week. And to me this is on Ferentz.
NCHawker
Well-Known Member
Well, nobody seemed to notice the aggression against Michigan. Problem is that their DBs won the 1 on 1 battles several times and once there was an injury at guard the 2nd half became run and duck
Not really. Ran a reverse that didn’t pan out, 3 dropped passes thwarted drives (TT although good strip by Minny, ISM on the over turned play, Ragini), Goodsen missed in pass protection on a sack(Nate rolled into it and didn’t help), Stanley threw some beautiful balls in the second half, and the team moved it well enough to flip the field.
thus, I don’t think it’s fair to say they went conservative, just some misses in a low possession game
94HawkMA
Well-Known Member
Man am I glad I was wrong about this game. That was awesome!
RobHowe
Administrator
Good points. I would say not Northwestern game conservative but less risk than the first half.
I wouldn’t call the reversal on ISM play a dropped pass.
If you want to beat Iowa, you attack the QB, early and often. And never let up other than "select" opportunistic plays.
It seems to me...
DBAHawkFan
Well-Known Member
The NW game wasn't bad coaching from KF. NW was only going to score if all 11 Iowa D players fell over with broken legs. Sometimes you gotta play a little conservative and lean on that knowledge.
What is frustrating is that Iowa can still TRY and score on offense to take away any flukes from happening. You don't have to throw bombs, or come out throwing at all, but get a little more creative with your running plays and mid size throws. It's risky to go conservative like they did when the opposing teams know what you're going to do.
Again, NW could have known everything about Iowa's defense scheme on every play, but their QB was no more going to complete a pass for more than 3 yards...
Iowa needs to learn how to adapt better on offense to have any chance at winning the West again. Most of us knew this season was over after the loss to UM. The offense didn't/doesn't have that spark
InGoodCo
Well-Known Member
Goodson has been getting touches since the first game of the year. He is second on the team with 82 attempts, they've had Goodson on the field the entire season.
ChosenChildren
Well-Known Member
I really think playing the "what if" game is a complete waste of time.
We are 7-3 with a chance to be 9-3. Then 10-3 in the bowl with a win. That is all we can focus on now.
10-3 would be a special season, division championship or not. Bowl championships matter, and we could be playing in January again with a strong finish.
We are 7-3 with a chance to be 9-3. Then 10-3 in the bowl with a win. That is all we can focus on now.
10-3 would be a special season, division championship or not. Bowl championships matter, and we could be playing in January again with a strong finish.
