I can tell you what Iowa's offense needs.

Adam

Adam

Well-Known Member
Next year we need to come out from the season opener in the god damn shotgun. Iowa needs to throw the ball 30 times a game. That is the only way this passing game is ever going to get better. Let the receivers get more than 2-3 targets a game. Drops get into these kids heads because they have such few opportunities.

We will have a pretty experienced offensive line there is no reason they should completely forget how to run block. Throw the damn football. You are going to have to prove to every single B1G coach that Iowa can throw the football.

We should have slaughtered Wisconsin's aggressive defense with simple hot read slants. It is the most basic concept of passing to beat pressure. Identity the backer that is blitzing and hot route the closest receiver into a slant to occupy that void. I'm not sure there was a coherent offensive game plan at all for Wisconsin. I was excited when the hawks first play from scrimmage was a 3 wide shotgun formation that Wadley took for 5 yards. I was like hot damn we are actually going to change our offense to counter the opponents strength. Well that was immediately shelved for bulky power formations which I hate to say, but Iowa is rarely ever going to beat Wisconsin with again. They are just better than us in the trenches and I don't see that changing anytime soon. If we use that scheme against Wisconsin it will always result in a pathetic performance. Throw the damn ball! End rant.
 
And these guys:

bryan-bulaga-of-the-green-bay-packers-and-riley-reiff-of-the-detroit-picture-id610721970
 
Iowa ran like 75% of the plays against Wisconsin in the shotgun. That worked well.

I'm ok throwing but do it QB under center. We are much harder to defend QB under center and it could help the run game. Shotgun does nothing to help the run game. Even Wisconsin sucks when they go shotgun.
 
hwk23 said:
Iowa ran like 75% of the plays against Wisconsin in the shotgun. That worked well.

I'm ok throwing but do it QB under center. We are much harder to defend QB under center and it could help the run game. Shotgun does nothing to help the run game. Even Wisconsin sucks when they go shotgun.
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A run game is completely possible and can be very potent from the shotgun.
 
Adam said:
Next year we need to come out from the season opener in the god damn shotgun. Iowa needs to throw the ball 30 times a game. That is the only way this passing game is ever going to get better. Let the receivers get more than 2-3 targets a game. Drops get into these kids heads because they have such few opportunities.

We will have a pretty experienced offensive line there is no reason they should completely forget how to run block. Throw the damn football. You are going to have to prove to every single B1G coach that Iowa can throw the football.

We should have slaughtered Wisconsin's aggressive defense with simple hot read slants. It is the most basic concept of passing to beat pressure. Identity the backer that is blitzing and hot route the closest receiver into a slant to occupy that void. I'm not sure there was a coherent offensive game plan at all for Wisconsin. I was excited when the hawks first play from scrimmage was a 3 wide shotgun formation that Wadley took for 5 yards. I was like hot damn we are actually going to change our offense to counter the opponents strength. Well that was immediately shelved for bulky power formations which I hate to say, but Iowa is rarely ever going to beat Wisconsin with again. They are just better than us in the trenches and I don't see that changing anytime soon. If we use that scheme against Wisconsin it will always result in a pathetic performance. Throw the damn ball! End rant.
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Iowa dropped back to pass 28 times against Wisconsin. Those 28 plays netted 4 yards. I'm not sure we had an answer against Wisconsin. They had us pegged like we had OSU pegged. And we are not a good road team this year.
 
Adam said:
A run game is completely possible and can be very potent from the shotgun.
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Not with our OL.

They’re not competent right now and theyre one of the absolute worst squads you’ll ever see vs the blitz. Akrum Wadley sure isn’t going to be picking up any blocks, and if you say, “but James Butler!!” then what are you left with for a running game? A split backfield from the shotgun? Last time I checked Iowa isn’t a Big 12 team and isn’t set up to be one.

Stanley showed against OSU that if he’s semi protected and not being blitzed every play that he can have flashes of competence. Welp, you need a stellar OL to have that luxury.
 
haydensly said:
Iowa dropped back to pass 28 times against Wisconsin. Those 28 plays netted 4 yards. I'm not sure we had an answer against Wisconsin. They had us pegged like we had OSU pegged. And we are not a good road team this year.
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Key word is "dropped back". Pretty hard to hot read the blitz when you have your back turned for half the play.
 
Adam said:
A run game is completely possible and can be very potent from the shotgun.
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It's possible, but it would be a completely different offense, like a Chip Kelly or Urban Meyer offense. Those offenses normally have a dual threat QB, not to mention a ton of athleticism. It's a big advantage though since they line up pretty much the same every play.

Iowa went shotgun a ton against Wiscy, more than ever, and you saw the result. It's almost like we are running two completely different offenses that don't compliment each other. I ran the stats in the NW game and Iowa had 9.2 YPA passing QB under center and 3.3 YPA out of the shotgun.

The problem is when Iowa goes QB under center teams go 8 up front to stop the run and when we go shotgun, teams blitz 5 and drop 6. The only passes we ever complete in the shotgun, with few exceptions, are short passes.
 
Exactly who are we going to throw the ball to? There is no talent in our receiver group. Once in a while someone will get open by chance, but to go shotgun and spread the field and throw. Forget about it.
 
Fryowa said:
It's possible, but it would be a completely different offense, like a Chip Kelly or Urban Meyer offense. Those offenses normally have a dual threat QB, not to mention a ton of athleticism. It's a big advantage though since they line up pretty much the same every play.

Iowa went shotgun a ton against Wiscy, more than ever, and you saw the result. It's almost like we are running two completely different offenses that don't compliment each other. I ran the stats in the NW game and Iowa had 9.2 YPA passing QB under center and 3.3 YPA out of the shotgun.

The problem is when Iowa goes QB under center teams go 8 up front to stop the run and when we go shotgun, teams blitz 5 and drop 6. The only passes we ever complete in the shotgun, with few exceptions, are short passes.
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Short passes are fine and we suck out of Shotgun because we only use it when everyone knows we are passing.
 
Caddy said:
Exactly who are we going to throw the ball to? There is no talent in our receiver group. Once in a while someone will get open by chance, but to go shotgun and spread the field and throw. Forget about it.
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And they are going to develop getting 2 targets a game?
 
hwk23 said:
It's possible, but it would be a completely different offense, like a Chip Kelly or Urban Meyer offense. Those offenses normally have a dual threat QB, not to mention a ton of athleticism. It's a big advantage though since they line up pretty much the same every play.

Iowa went shotgun a ton against Wiscy, more than ever, and you saw the result. It's almost like we are running two completely different offenses that don't compliment each other. I ran the stats in the NW game and Iowa had 9.2 YPA passing QB under center and 3.3 YPA out of the shotgun.

The problem is when Iowa goes QB under center teams go 8 up front to stop the run and when we go shotgun, teams blitz 5 and drop 6. The only passes we ever complete in the shotgun, with few exceptions, are short passes.
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P.S watch a Pittsburgh Steelers game. They run Shotgun a ton. Big Ben is no one's idea of a dual threat QB. Or all that athletic. Amazing how they manage to run the ball too. So weird.
 
Brian needs to clean a few things up...

Players need to stop making mistakes...

Iowa is equal to Wisconsin...(fantasy talk)
 
We should continue to be critical of our offense, since it is indeed a weakness on this team, along with some significant special teams issues. However, it is foolish to judge our offense solely based on the Wisconsin game, as it was foolish to grade our offense solely on the Ohio St. Blowout. Anyone could see that our OC, and the staff as a whole, was amazingly successful on the first occasion, and a miserable failure on the second. Hello, Capt. Obvious.

So, I would suggest that we delay reaching our conclusions until the season is complete. I would guess that we will grade our defense a B+, our special teams a C-, and our offense a D+.

Finally, I would suggest that a second year, given our young team, especially breaking in a new QB, a change in the OC after five years of missed opportunities, a great deal of frustration, and a couple of years of improved recruiting, would be a much more logical point at which to draw conclusions.
 
HuckFinn said:
We should continue to be critical of our offense, since it is indeed a weakness on this team, along with some significant special teams issues. However, it is foolish to judge our offense solely based on the Wisconsin game, as it was foolish to grade our offense solely on the Ohio St. Blowout. Anyone could see that our OC, and the staff as a whole, was amazingly successful on the first occasion, and a miserable failure on the second. Hello, Capt. Obvious.

So, I would suggest that we delay reaching our conclusions until the season is complete. I would guess that we will grade our defense a B+, our special teams a C-, and our offense a D+.

Finally, I would suggest that a second year, given our young team, especially breaking in a new QB, a change in the OC after five years of missed opportunities, a great deal of frustration, and a couple of years of improved recruiting, would be a much more logical point at which to draw conclusions.
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I am not arguing sensibility. I truly believe that Iowa has stuck to an offensive format for the past 18 seasons. Some years we execute it much better than others. None of that changes my opinion though that what this offense needs is to feed primarily on a passing game during an entire non con so they can establish some rhythm and comfort in executing on passing plays. I say use the Shotgun to do this because it is a proven offense to slow the game down for a QB. Allow them to see everything develop.

I never expect Iowa to abandon under the center formations, but we know the gun is already in the playbook. All I want is for it to be the 70% lean for 3 games against usually inferior competition. This could build some confidence in the passing game for our young receivers and will help to confuse opponents about what we will and can come at them with. Also would be great experience for when we play a defense like Wisconsin. They could completely flip the game plan back to a Shotgun primary offense and completely shred Wisconsin's downhill play from their LB's.
 
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