I begrudgingly admit KF has become a better game planner.

[HomerChampless]

Better than in the ISU game this season. I'm not going to consider Ball State, here. How KF could've stuck with Iowa's conservative offense when ISU's offense puts pressure on linebackers remains a mystery, still, to me. Considering how Iowa's linebackers performed in the Northern Iowa game and considering their lack of experience at the beginning of the season. Was Iowa's offense just not ready to take the next step?

KF game planned much better for the Indiana game. IMO, he realized Iowa needed to put up a lot of points to counteract Indiana's estimated scoring ability against Iowa's defense. Game planned just enough to win but not to destroy (I'll pursue further in another thread).

I expect Iowa will attempt a scoring barrage against Maryland. IMO, it will be needed to counteract Maryland's offensive pressure (and home field advantage). I hope KF has anticipated as well.

I can't wait for Iowa to play traditional B1G offenses like, for instance, Minnesota and Nebraska. Who wins the lines of scrimmage usually wins those games. Iowa might be able to get by playing Rudock and pounding Weisman all day long (at least the opponent won't put crazy pressure on the defense).

 

[uihawk82]

Coaches used to say every offensive play is designed to score if perfectly blocked and executed.

I would hope that Iowa's overall plan is to score as much as possible and to defend for a shutout.

Of course that doesnt always happen so yes I think the philosophy needs to be to try some plays that are designed to get large chunks of yardage and get scores.

I really think Phil Parker has been doing a very good job and it is telling after the Iowa State game that Parker seemed to show his displeasure in a game plan of containment rather than pressuring the opponent.

Offensively, "someone or somebodies" have helped the coaches open up the play book.

 

[WinOneThisCentury]

Well, losing to a really crappy cross state rival at home, will tend to force you to examine your will to live. I think the coaches meeting after ISU was, "we need to stop playing so conservative and open things up"...hence all the vertical passing over the past three games. Let the kids make plays and take some shots.

 

[Skeets77]

Always appears better with wins over less then impressive programs, which can obscure ones vision. Let's see what today brings.

 

[83Hawk]

Personally, I think the offense was "opened up" against Indiana so Kirk could show the fans that Jake should be the starting QB. Notice how the play calling became more conservative when CJ was in? Now that Kirk made his point, I expect the offense to go back into its shell. We probably won't see CJ unless Jake stinks up the joint and the Hawks are down big in the second half.

Jake did play well against Indiana, and should be the starter.....let's hope Kirk continues to let Davis be aggressive in his play calling. The Hawks have game breakers on offense....we need to use them!

 

[thawks1]

The game plan has been there. It has been the total lack of imagination in play calling which is Davis. That and Jake checks down to fast, holds the ball for a second to long. All are easily correctable. Jake did better last week. In the 2n half he threw way too late to and Powell had to stop an wait for the ball.

Davis's play calling is another thing. He does very little most times to make the defense think. More misdirection in the running game- he's uses almost none of it which allows linebackers and safeties to read and fly to the ball carrier. Against Pitt he used some misdirection early 2nd half and we got 3 nice runs. The rest of the game Pitt couldn't fly to the ball but had to read that leads to more success in the running game

 

[ColoradoHAWKEYE]

KF may feel secure in his contract, but I think the public outcry and calling out of coaches in mainstream media after that week helped him open his game planning a bit. It may not have affected him one iota, but it is coincidental in regards to every facet in general, and the increased use of known talent in particular.

With each game, prior experience helps, and the loss may have been a tap on the shoulder to the coaches as well as the players. But I think we've seen this perceived "improvement" play out similarly each year in the past as seasons unfold.

KF is not a "bad" coach per se. He wants to win, but he is sometimes guilty (albeit like many coaching decisions nationally) of questionable judgment, which stems from his conservative approach.

EDIT: "sometimes" guilty can also be read as "often" guilty, depending on one's perception.

 

[uihawk82]

Jake does need to get better at releasing the ball to a spot as the receiver is getting open. Last week he had KMM for a touchdown but waited a half count too long and slightly underthrew the ball.

You can underthrow it if you throw it early enough before the defender can recover.

I am not dumping on JR but he could be excellent in the passing game with the receivers he has if he can see them getting open sooner and deliver the ball on time. Easier said than done because most QBs who can do this have names like MOntana, Marino, Manning, etc.

 

[uihawk82]

KF may feel secure in his contract, but I think the public outcry and calling out of coaches in mainstream media after that week helped him open his game planning a bit. It may not have affected him one iota, but it is coincidental in regards to every facet in general, and the increased use of known talent in particular.

With each game, prior experience helps, and the loss may have been a tap on the shoulder to the coaches as well as the players. But I think we've seen this perceived "improvement" play out similarly each year in the past as seasons unfold.

KF is not a "bad" coach per se. He wants to win, but he is sometimes guilty (albeit like many coaching decisions nationally) of questionable judgment, which stems from his conservative approach.

EDIT: "sometimes" guilty can also be read as "often" guilty, depending on one's perception.

KF's conservative offensive approach has cost him many games. Just putting the pedal to the metal to get one more TD or one more FG in many close games against sometimes average to below average competition has cost him at least 15 B1g 10 wins.

KF's legacy as a premiere B1g 10 coach would be locked up without all these "maybe unnecessary losses".

With 10-12 possesions a game if you just take a few high percentage chances to score or move the ball you can put teams away.

 

[PCHawk]

KF's conservative offensive approach has cost him many games. Just putting the pedal to the metal to get one more TD or one more FG in many close games against sometimes average to below average competition has cost him at least 15 B1g 10 wins.

KF's legacy as a premiere B1g 10 coach would be locked up without all these "maybe unnecessary losses".

With 10-12 possesions a game if you just take a few high percentage chances to score or move the ball you can put teams away.

This post is so true. There are 2 things that drive me nuts about Kirk's coaching. Clock management and being overly conservative against bad competition.

As frustrating as the clock management is, it's really not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things because it doesn't come into play often enough to cost us allot of wins.

Being overly conservative has cost us allot though. And when it costs us, it costs us big time. He just needs to get over the thought process of "we can beat this team as long as we play it safe and don't make mistakes". Just think of where our records would have been over the last decade if we could just have the national average of loses where we were double digit favors. If Kirk could somehow correct this issue (and possibly the clock management struggles) he would truly be the best coaching fit that Iowa could possibly hope for.

 

[1hawkeye1]

I'm not convinced that KF has seen the light. If you wanna convince me, show me what you got today vs Maryland.

Ya, I know, Kirk don't care what anybody thinks.

 

[PCHawk]

I'm not convinced that KF has seen the light. If you wanna convince me, show me what you got today vs Maryland.

Ya, I know, Kirk don't care what anybody thinks.

I think it has to be a slow change. He can't just switch his way of thinking over night. In the past he has tried aggression here and there and it's bitten him in the ***. The only time I can think of right now is the MSU 4th and 1 in '08. I know there are others though because I can remember thinking a few times that it sucked that it didn't work because it's gunna push him back into his shell.

That's why it's so important that when he does try it (like the times he's gone for it on 4th) that it works most of the time and keeps him moving in the right direction. It's a good sign that it didn't work against Purdue and he continued to try against Indiana.

 

[uihawk82]

Being overly conservative has cost us allot though. And when it costs us, it costs us big time. He just needs to get over the thought process of "we can beat this team as long as we play it safe and don't make mistakes". Just think of where our records would have been over the last decade if we could just have the national average of loses where we were double digit favors. If Kirk could somehow correct this issue (and possibly the clock management struggles) he would truly be the best coaching fit that Iowa could possibly hope for.

I analyzed this question of "just think where our record would have been" a year or so ago. I threw out KF's first two years because they were such underdogs.

I looked at every game and added 7 points or 3 points to Iowa's score in each game from 2001 to the time I did this and it was easily 1 1/2 plus or minus 1/2 game a year, some years one game and some years two games that could have been won.

Now Iowa historically avgs about 25 pts a game from 2005-2013, which is not some huge number, so that is roughly 15 games they could have won.

And this also includes this year's Iowa St game. Just take a few more shots , dont punt from the 33 yard line, etc

 

[Knight78]

KF may feel secure in his contract, but I think the public outcry and calling out of coaches in mainstream media after that week helped him open his game planning a bit. It may not have affected him one iota, but it is coincidental in regards to every facet in general, and the increased use of known talent in particular.

With each game, prior experience helps, and the loss may have been a tap on the shoulder to the coaches as well as the players. But I think we've seen this perceived "improvement" play out similarly each year in the past as seasons unfold.

KF is not a "bad" coach per se. He wants to win, but he is sometimes guilty (albeit like many coaching decisions nationally) of questionable judgment, which stems from his conservative approach.

EDIT: "sometimes" guilty can also be read as "often" guilty, depending on one's perception.

Do you honestly think he, or the players for that matter, really give a rat's petoot what the media opinion (in hindsight, mind you) of what the game plan was or should be? I used to coach - granted, in a much smaller environment - but what the people said to me, I never took it into account. I had trusted assistants and game film that I went over to decide where my team could improve and then we went out and practiced to try to eliminate our deficiencies. I don't expect Ferentz and company to do any differently. All of the "hot air" on sites like this don't affect what he does one bit.