Howe: Limited Passing Game Leads to Another Iowa Bowl Embarrassment

[RobHowe]

Iowa's struggles in the passing game doomed the Hawkeyes in a lopsided loss to Florida in Monday's Outback Bowl, writes HN columnist Rob Howe

https://www.hawkeyenation.com/footb...ng-game-leads-another-iowa-bowl-embarrassment

 

[guffus]

Davis, Kennedy and Woods should all be fired.

 

[SheagleHawk]

Ferentz lacks the balls to ever be a great coach.

 

[HawkPrdatr40]

Toss me one of them SOFTBALLS!! Hahahahaha!! Wow..

 

[HawksMN]

Ferentz lacks the balls to ever be a great coach.

That CLEMSON guy would check him for balls

 

[RobHowe]

Davis, Kennedy and Woods should all be fired.

I think you're going to be disappointed if that's your expectation. Maybe you're just hoping.

 

[revkev73]

"Embarrassment" is a good start on the way to trying to describe the state of affairs...in the face of contract extensions and millions of dollars being doled out each year...plus other perks...

Sick, sad, pathetic, hideous, inexcusable are other good starters...

At least we have some Texas talent headed our way...oh wait...

 

[AreWeThereYet]

I would be OK with the first two. I'd keep


I think you're going to be disappointed if that's your expectation. Maybe you're just hoping.

Iowa's passing game ranges from ugly at best down to practically non-existent at times. I just don't see the passing game under Davis and Kennedy getting any better than lackluster. We consistently see that quarterbacks, receivers, and their coaches are not on the same page, and frequently lapse into confusion. The confusion in the passing game we see now, seems to be a continuation of what we saw when Davis got here in 2012. The problems vary in severity but are persistent. The team has generally played better the last two years, but that is because other parts of the team have improved, primarily the running game and defensive line. I don't see the problems with the passing game being fixed. It will wait until the either the running game or defense are down, than the other shoe will drop.

 

[RobHowe]

We had five years o

Toss me one of them SOFTBALLS!! Hahahahaha!! Wow..

?

 

[RobHowe]

Iowa's passing game ranges from ugly at best down to practically non-existent at times. I just don't see the passing game under Davis and Kennedy getting any better than lackluster. We consistently see that quarterbacks, receivers, and their coaches are not on the same page, and frequently lapse into confusion. The confusion in the passing game we see now, seems to be a continuation of what we saw when Davis got here in 2012. The problems vary in severity but are persistent. The team has generally played better the last two years, but that is because other parts of the team have improved, primarily the running game and defensive line. I don't see the problems with the passing game being fixed. It will wait until the either the running game or defense are down, than the other shoe will drop.

During his introductory press conference, Davis said he'd design his plan around his players' strengths. It doesn't seem like his plan changes at all no matter who he has.

 

[revkev73]

I would like to hear Davis talk about his own strengths as an OC...

 

[HawkGold]

During his introductory press conference, Davis said he'd design his plan around his players' strengths. It doesn't seem like his plan changes at all no matter who he has.

No doubt that the lack of a passing game is huge, but a bigger huge is Iowa's lack of speed/quickness on the edges on both sides of the ball. After the first couple of series, even King looked like another guy on the field compared to the white jerseys. Iowa on the edges looked a bit like the Louisville kicker (exaggeration, but the point is made). Iowa looked like they had 7 or 8 guys who could compete (interior) and the others looked D3ish. That includes receivers.

Another missed point, it was quite apparent that Iowa doesn't have a back up QB who was ready. That is a KF trait. CJ looks some much like JVB his senior year it's spooky. I'm am beginning to think the O line is actually pretty good, but the play calling, qb issues, and WR issues makes them look bad.

 

[theboat]

I would like to hear Davis talk about his own strengths as an OC...

Vince young

 

[RobHowe]

No doubt that the lack of a passing game is huge, but a bigger huge is Iowa's lack of speed/quickness on the edges on both sides of the ball. After the first couple of series, even King looked like another guy on the field compared to the white jerseys. Iowa on the edges looked a bit like the Louisville kicker (exaggeration, but the point is made). Iowa looked like they had 7 or 8 guys who could compete (interior) and the others looked D3ish. That includes receivers.

Another missed point, it was quite apparent that Iowa doesn't have a back up QB who was ready. That is a KF trait. CJ looks some much like JVB his senior year it's spooky. I'm am beginning to think the O line is actually pretty good, but the play calling, qb issues, and WR issues makes them look bad.

Speed on the edge was an issue against PSU and Florida. Speed at WR has been an issue far too often. Not sure how they change that. DJK, McNutt, Hinkel, Solomon, some of our best receivers during the last decade plus were high school QBs. Recruiting at the WR position is a glaring weakness. Has been for a while.

 

[HawkGold]

Speed on the edge was an issue against PSU and Florida. Speed at WR has been an issue far too often. Not sure how they change that. DJK, McNutt, Hinkel, Solomon, some of our best receivers during the last decade plus were high school QBs. Recruiting at the WR position is a glaring weakness. Has been for a while.

Agree that is where it really showed, but the overall lack of it also is involved in why Iowa couldn't beat NDSU or NW. Have that speed and those games aren't that competitive as the edges can cover more ground and help out inside more. The WR speed is the obvious issue. Less obvious is the outlying speed on D, but a huge factor. Iowa still doesn't beat PSU or Florida with better receivers. WRs are also on the edge.

The 85 yard run was totally about lack of speed. If I was Florida, I like my chances of breaking one on the outside.

What is frustrating is how bad/slow the Hawks are at certain positions. It just doesn't make any sense except that a 4 or 5 star knows they won't see much of the field until their 3rd year.

 

[dwghawk]

They would have been better of going to four TEs and run student body right and student body left and let the RBs find the holes to run through. You could still throw screen passes or 5 to 10 yard passes over the middle.

 

[ArvadaHawk]

I think you're going to be disappointed if that's your expectation. Maybe you're just hoping.

I am not sure barta understands how much iowa's game day attendance is tied to ferentz as hc and that it is, increasingly, changing to fan attendance dropping because he is still hc. Five straight bowl losses and 4 of those were complete de-pantsings and program embarrassments. Only the 21-14 loss to LSU wasn't a de-pantsing, although, we never really had a chance to win that game, either.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

Speed on the edge was an issue against PSU and Florida. Speed at WR has been an issue far too often. Not sure how they change that. DJK, McNutt, Hinkel, Solomon, some of our best receivers during the last decade plus were high school QBs. Recruiting at the WR position is a glaring weakness. Has been for a while.

Was Keenon Davis the last WR Iowa recruited and got that was of decent star count? I seem to remember him being a 4 star that didn't exactly reach his potential. Seemed like KMM took a lot of his thunder during their time together.

Rob do you expect there to be much shuffling of the coaching staff? I know it'd been talked about some that there wouldn't be but that was before this fiasco of a game. Knee jerk reactions will bring this talk back up I'm sure. Besides the obvious of Davis and Kennedys jobs what about Woods. I never did understand him moving to TEs... Especially after Reid left why wouldn't have have slid back to that role of LBs again? Our TE production clearly wasn't all that great this yr either even when Kittle was healthy...

 

[RobHowe]

I do not expect there to be much, if any, changes on the staff. In December, KF and GD both talked about injuries and graduation at WR and TE hurting this year's passing game. They believe it will get better next year.

 

[RobHowe]

I am not sure barta understands how much iowa's game day attendance is tied to ferentz as hc and that it is, increasingly, changing to fan attendance dropping because he is still hc. Five straight bowl losses and 4 of those were complete de-pantsings and program embarrassments. Only the 21-14 loss to LSU wasn't a de-pantsing, although, we never really had a chance to win that game, either.

Attendance is important but less so than in the past because of the huge TV contracts the Big Ten is signing. Plus, donors keep giving money. Pacha just stepped up with a huge donation for the north end zone renovation.