If Running Game Doesn’t Improve...

[revkev73]

Any competent coaching staff the last few years knows that Iowa has had, for most part, receivers that can't get open with spacing, and an inaccurate QB who has a tendency to panic. So, you plug the middle, make Iowa beat you via the airwaves, while creating some pressure on the QB. Against smart and talented teams, Iowa is dead in the water, reverting to their sub par punting option. Death is often slow and painful.

 

[trj]

Scrapping the zone blocking scheme would be a drastic change. It would be a complete philosophy change on how they recruit and develop O-lineman.

I am in favor of constantly tweaking what they are doing. As long as there is a Ferentz running the show I am not in favor of scrapping it altogether it is what they do.

As someone mentioned above recruiting is a big part of this. A running back who can plant and hit the cutback lanes is paramount. Iowa copied those Bronco teams of the late 90’s, early 2000’s where you could plug anyone into that system and they would gain 1500 yards. Well as we all know that doesn’t quite work at Iowa.

 

[WinOneThisCentury]

Any competent coaching staff the last few years knows that Iowa has had, for most part, receivers that can't get open with spacing, and an inaccurate QB who has a tendency to panic. So, you plug the middle, make Iowa beat you via the airwaves, while creating some pressure on the QB. Against smart and talented teams, Iowa is dead in the water, reverting to their sub par punting option. Death is often slow and painful.

The strategy is right on for stopping Iowa...teams committed resources to stop our running game and we didn't make them pay...but you have to look at the MSU game and say...maybe we proved we can beat a really good defensive team with our offense...if we execute in all phases. I personally think we lost to Wisconsin because we didn't throw enough and to Penn State because our QB had broken his right arm earlier in the week and we still played him. That's all I got on why Stanley was so bad at Penn State. He threw like his arm was broken.

You have to commit to the passing game when teams are loading up the box. I was at NW and holy crap...they had 9 in the box pretty much the whole first half. We started throwing and they changed things up...then we fumbled, and fumbled again...and threw a pick and...well self destructed. The opportunity was there in the first half and we didn't attack their defense. You could have had both TE's run straight down the damn field and they both would have been open.

Contrary to most, I think BF is on the right track with what we are doing offensively. We are much more diverse than we have been...in a long, long time...and over the past two years...we have people wide freaking open. Whether our QB hits them consistently at a high percentage is the key. We scheme to get matchups and to find open areas of the defense. CJ Beathard made all the plays at critical times in 2015...I would say Stanley did not do that in 2018...and that's why we were 8-5.

That last issue is what others have spoken about...where are the big plays in the running game? Non-existence since AW left. The back has to make one guy miss...often...that isn't happening enough.

 

[trj]

The strategy is right on for stopping Iowa...teams committed resources to stop our running game and we didn't make them pay...but you have to look at the MSU game and say...maybe we proved we can beat a really good defensive team with our offense...if we execute in all phases. I personally think we lost to Wisconsin because we didn't throw enough and to Penn State because our QB had broken his right arm earlier in the week and we still played him. That's all I got on why Stanley was so bad at Penn State. He threw like his arm was broken.

You have to commit to the passing game when teams are loading up the box. I was at NW and holy crap...they had 9 in the box pretty much the whole first half. We started throwing and they changed things up...then we fumbled, and fumbled again...and threw a pick and...well self destructed. The opportunity was there in the first half and we didn't attack their defense. You could have had both TE's run straight down the damn field and they both would have been open.

Contrary to most, I think BF is on the right track with what we are doing offensively. We are much more diverse than we have been...in a long, long time...and over the past two years...we have people wide freaking open. Whether our QB hits them consistently at a high percentage is the key. We scheme to get matchups and to find open areas of the defense. CJ Beathard made all the plays at critical times in 2015...I would say Stanley did not do that in 2018...and that's why we were 8-5.

That last issue is what others have spoken about...where are the big plays in the running game? Non-existence since AW left. The back has to make one guy miss...often...that isn't happening enough.

I think BF is on the right track as well. Incorporating those stop routes, those options routes that Welker/Edelman made famous from the slot in New England worked here when NS was accurate with the football.

 

[okeefe4prez]

I think BF is on the right track as well. Incorporating those stop routes, those options routes that Welker/Edelman made famous from the slot in New England worked here when NS was accurate with the football.

His offense is night and day from Davis's. Davis's option routes were like 8 different branches of the route tree and it was impossible for 98% of college QBs to grasp. Davis was sooooo lucky Beathard was at Iowa and was an astute student of the game thanks to his lineage and the tens of thousands of dollars his family probably spent on QB camps in the south.

 

[HuckFinn]

Any competent coaching staff the last few years knows that Iowa has had, for most part, receivers that can't get open with spacing, and an inaccurate QB who has a tendency to panic. So, you plug the middle, make Iowa beat you via the airwaves, while creating some pressure on the QB. Against smart and talented teams, Iowa is dead in the water, reverting to their sub par punting option. Death is often slow and painful.

You forgot to use as evidence of their demise that they won 9 games last year and came darn close to a couple more wins. But, hey! Don't let me confuse you with the facts.

 

[Fryowa]

You forgot to use as evidence of their demise that they won 9 games last year and came darn close to a couple more wins. But, hey! Don't let me confuse you with the facts.

More defeatist drivel.

Iowa won 9 games and was 10th in the conference in total offense, 10th in rushing, and 11th in first downs. They won 9 games because their defense was near the top in almost all relevant categories. But, hey! Don't let me confuse you with the facts.

But you're enough of a cuckolded Brian Ferentz homer that you don't stop to think of how much success the Hawkeyes could have with a serviceable offense to go along with their consistently elite defense. There's a reason folks like you don't thrive in the business or sports world.

You're a settler, and I don't mean the Oregon Trail type.

 

[Hawk1960]

The strategy is right on for stopping Iowa...teams committed resources to stop our running game and we didn't make them pay...but you have to look at the MSU game and say...maybe we proved we can beat a really good defensive team with our offense...if we execute in all phases. I personally think we lost to Wisconsin because we didn't throw enough and to Penn State because our QB had broken his right arm earlier in the week and we still played him. That's all I got on why Stanley was so bad at Penn State. He threw like his arm was broken.

You have to commit to the passing game when teams are loading up the box. I was at NW and holy crap...they had 9 in the box pretty much the whole first half. We started throwing and they changed things up...then we fumbled, and fumbled again...and threw a pick and...well self destructed. The opportunity was there in the first half and we didn't attack their defense. You could have had both TE's run straight down the damn field and they both would have been open.

Contrary to most, I think BF is on the right track with what we are doing offensively. We are much more diverse than we have been...in a long, long time...and over the past two years...we have people wide freaking open. Whether our QB hits them consistently at a high percentage is the key. We scheme to get matchups and to find open areas of the defense. CJ Beathard made all the plays at critical times in 2015...I would say Stanley did not do that in 2018...and that's why we were 8-5.

That last issue is what others have spoken about...where are the big plays in the running game? Non-existence since AW left. The back has to make one guy miss...often...that isn't happening enough.

 

[Hawk1960]

The strategy is right on for stopping Iowa...teams committed resources to stop our running game and we didn't make them pay...but you have to look at the MSU game and say...maybe we proved we can beat a really good defensive team with our offense...if we execute in all phases. I personally think we lost to Wisconsin because we didn't throw enough and to Penn State because our QB had broken his right arm earlier in the week and we still played him. That's all I got on why Stanley was so bad at Penn State. He threw like his arm was broken.

You have to commit to the passing game when teams are loading up the box. I was at NW and holy crap...they had 9 in the box pretty much the whole first half. We started throwing and they changed things up...then we fumbled, and fumbled again...and threw a pick and...well self destructed. The opportunity was there in the first half and we didn't attack their defense. You could have had both TE's run straight down the damn field and they both would have been open.

Contrary to most, I think BF is on the right track with what we are doing offensively. We are much more diverse than we have been...in a long, long time...and over the past two years...we have people wide freaking open. Whether our QB hits them consistently at a high percentage is the key. We scheme to get matchups and to find open areas of the defense. CJ Beathard made all the plays at critical times in 2015...I would say Stanley did not do that in 2018...and that's why we were 8-5.

That last issue is what others have spoken about...where are the big plays in the running game? Non-existence since AW left. The back has to make one guy miss...often...that isn't happening enough.

Not trying to nitpick but we were 9-4 in 2018, not 8-5.

 

[CP87]

More defeatist drivel.

Iowa won 9 games and was 10th in the conference in total offense, 10th in rushing, and 11th in first downs. They won 9 games because their defense was near the top in almost all relevant categories. But, hey! Don't let me confuse you with the facts.

But you're enough of a cuckolded Brian Ferentz homer that you don't stop to think of how much success the Hawkeyes could have with a serviceable offense to go along with their consistently elite defense. There's a reason folks like you don't thrive in the business or sports world.

You're a settler, and I don't mean the Oregon Trail type.

And led the West in ppg, 4th overall in the conference. Pick your stat, I guess. I know I would rather be Iowa (92nd in the country in yards per game, 22nd in the country in points per drive differential) than Nebraska (25th in the country in yards per game, 83rd in the country in points per drive differential).

Of course, I would rather be Alabama (1st in points per drive differential, 6th in total yardage) or OSU (12th in points per drive differential, 2nd in total yardage). And to your point, the offense needs to get a lot better to even start sniffing that rarefied air.

 

[Fryowa]

His offense is night and day from Davis's. Davis's option routes were like 8 different branches of the route tree and it was impossible for 98% of college QBs to grasp. Davis was sooooo lucky Beathard was at Iowa and was an astute student of the game thanks to his lineage and the tens of thousands of dollars his family probably spent on QB camps in the south.

I think Greg Davis was a terrible OC, but in my opinion what made his scheme so stupid wasn't necessarily the routes, it was 1) where they were run to on the field, and 2) what situations they were run in.

The guy was just absolutely inexplicable with the playbook. He'd run 5 yard out routes on 3rd and 8 ad nauseum, and posts into double or even triple coverage that was 20 yards downfield to begin with. Opposing DBs actually had to run toward our receivers for an easy wrap up as opposed to trying to run with us in space. 5 yard stop/out routes are a beautiful thing and in a lot of cases indefensible...ON 3RD and 3...

It was such a problem that reporters were actually asking our guys if they were screwing up their routes and I remember one Hawkeye receiver got kind of pissed off and said "We run the plays the way they're called."

I honestly wonder if he wasn't in the beginnings of some mental issues or some cognitive/dementia problems. The shit he did just made no sense whatsoever. One thing I do know for sure is that Tevaun Smith would be playing south of his own border right now if it weren't for the shitbag OC he was cursed with in college. There is absolutely no single more under-utilized Hawkeye in the history of the Fry/Ferentz eras.

 

[okeefe4prez]

I think Greg Davis was a terrible OC, but in my opinion what made his scheme so stupid wasn't necessarily the routes, it was 1) where they were run to on the field, and 2) what situations they were run in.

The guy was just absolutely inexplicable with the playbook. He'd run 5 yard out routes on 3rd and 8 ad nauseum, and posts into double or even triple coverage that was 20 yards downfield to begin with. Opposing DBs actually had to run toward our receivers for an easy wrap up as opposed to trying to run with us in space. 5 yard stop/out routes are a beautiful thing and in a lot of cases indefensible...ON 3RD and 3...

It was such a problem that reporters were actually asking our guys if they were screwing up their routes and I remember one Hawkeye receiver got kind of pissed off and said "We run the plays the way they're called."

I honestly wonder if he wasn't in the beginnings of some mental issues or some cognitive/dementia problems. The shit he did just made no sense whatsoever. One thing I do know for sure is that Tevaun Smith would be playing south of his own border right now if it weren't for the shitbag OC he was cursed with in college. There is absolutely no single more under-utilized Hawkeye in the history of the Fry/Ferentz eras.

His playbook was full of option routes that required the QB and WR to make a read and be on the same page. JVB was a decent QB, but Davis made him look inept. There were several times a game where a WR would do one thing and JVB would throw it expecting a totally different route. It was hard to watch. It probably wouldn't be terrible in the NFL where you have pro talent and more film study and practice time, but you just can't do it in college.

 

[seepig]

Scheme
Talent
Execution

Its a three-legged stool.

The D keys on formations. Hell even my MOM knows when we are running that outside zone play it's no wonder the D gets to the point of attack quicker. You can create holes with different formations.

 

[Fryowa]

And led the West in ppg, 4th overall in the conference. Pick your stat, I guess.

PPG was that high because we were 2nd in scoring defense. I'm not cherry-picking stats, I'm showing that our offense is horrid comparatively in the Big Ten and that the only reason we got to 9 wins was because of a lockdown defense. Parker and his guys were also 2nd in total defense, 2nd in rush defense, and 3rd in pass defense.

@HuckFinn wants to roll over & just be happy with good enough and lick Kirk and Brian's boots which is fine, but myself I imagine what Iowa could do with even a 66th percentile offense. With our defense and defensive staff plus a top5 rushing/passing squad, this team would win B1G trophies. But the homers and donors don't care about it. They want the blue-haired crew like HuckFinn to keep on knob jobbing the Ferentz family and all is well.

 

[CP87]

PPG was that high because we were 2nd in scoring defense. I'm not cherry-picking stats, I'm showing that our offense is horrid comparatively in the Big Ten and that the only reason we got to 9 wins was because of a lockdown defense.

@HuckFinn wants to roll over & just be happy with good enough and lick Kirk and Brian's boots which is fine, but myself I imagine what Iowa could do with even a 66th percentile offense. With our defense and defensive staff plus a top5 rushing/passing squad, this team would win B1G trophies. But the homers and donors don't care about it. They want the blue-haired crew like HuckFinn to keep on knob jobbing the Ferentz family and all is well.

Come on, they can't be 4th in the conference in ppg just because they have a good defense. Their D certainly helps and puts them in good position, but the O was decent (not great) at putting points on the board. And the O tries to put the D in good position, as well.

I agree with your basic point that the D carries this team (and has for the vast majority of the last 2 decades), but yards per game is a pretty meaningless stat. Not only is it influenced by drives per game, and hence style of play of both teams offenses and defenses, but yards without points are meaningless.

You know who really loves Iowa's yards per game stat? Cornhusker fans. They love to tout that 90th best offense in the nation vs. their 25th. Meanwhile, Iowa scored 1.2 more ppg than Nebbie.

 

[Fryowa]

Come on, they can't be 4th in the conference in ppg just because they have a good defense. Their D certainly helps and puts them in good position, but the O was decent (not great) at putting points on the board. And the O tries to put the D in good position, as well.

I agree with your basic point that the D carries this team (and has for the vast majority of the last 2 decades), but yards per game is a pretty meaningless stat. Not only is it influenced by drives per game, and hence style of play of both teams offenses and defenses, but yards without points are meaningless.

You know who really loves Iowa's yards per game stat? Cornhusker fans. They love to tout that 90th best offense in the nation vs. their 25th. Meanwhile, Iowa scored 1.2 more ppg than Nebbie.

We can twist this any way you want, but the O was putting points on the boards because Parker's defense created a ridiculous amount of those points. We were 3rd in TOP because our defense didn't give up yards. Led the conference in interceptions, 3rd in sacks, 3rd in 1st downs allowed and 3rd down conversions allowed. All of those things lead to good field position and setting your offense up to score.

Now imagine if Iowa could be even 5th or 6th in offense. That would be almost unstoppable and isn't an out of reach proposition for an aggressive and savvy OC.

No different than Hawkeye basketball a couple years ago and to a little lesser degree last season. 2nd best offense in the conference, but worst defense. Finished around the middle, so just imagine what an even mediocre defense would do...

 

[WinOneThisCentury]

We can twist this any way you want, but the O was putting points on the boards because Parker's defense created a ridiculous amount of those points. We were 3rd in TOP because our defense didn't give up yards. Led the conference in interceptions, 3rd in sacks, 3rd in 1st downs allowed and 3rd down conversions allowed. All of those things lead to good field position and setting your offense up to score.

Now imagine if Iowa could be even 5th or 6th in offense. That would be almost unstoppable and isn't an out of reach proposition for an aggressive and savvy OC.

No different than Hawkeye basketball a couple years ago and to a little lesser degree last season. 2nd best offense in the conference, but worst defense. Finished around the middle, so just imagine what an even mediocre defense would do...

I get what you are saying Fryowa...and it's a valid point. That being said...the offense still needed to convert those turnovers created in the opposing end into points...and they scored touchdowns in alot of those opportunities. Points win games last time I checked.

The other point I will make...look at the losses. Turnovers killed us against Wisconsin and we had loads of opportunities in the red zone and our guys didn't make the play. That game was a gift. Penn State, you wouldn't blame BF for that loss would you. We had guys wide open all over the place...he called a great game...his QB didn't perform. Purdue...the only loss you could point at the defense...the offense scored enough. NW is the only game where I would say the offense wet the bed and the game plan was horse shit...and it was. I've said many times Pat Fitzgerald and their DC just gameplanned us into what they wanted.

The offense is more diverse and the passing game is schemed so much better. We are getting guys open...in all games...and not relying on one on one match ups all the time...it's about creating issues for the defense with motion, misdirection, and scheme. I'm excited because I think Rigani and Martin are going to prove a step up from Easley in the slot. I think these guys are going to be more of a threat after the catch...Tracy too.

 

[Fryowa]

I get what you are saying Fryowa...and it's a valid point. That being said...the offense still needed to convert those turnovers created in the opposing end into points...and they scored touchdowns in alot of those opportunities. Points win games last time I checked.

The other point I will make...look at the losses. Turnovers killed us against Wisconsin and we had loads of opportunities in the red zone and our guys didn't make the play. That game was a gift. Penn State, you wouldn't blame BF for that loss would you. We had guys wide open all over the place...he called a great game...his QB didn't perform. Purdue...the only loss you could point at the defense...the offense scored enough. NW is the only game where I would say the offense wet the bed and the game plan was horse shit...and it was. I've said many times Pat Fitzgerald and their DC just gameplanned us into what they wanted.

The offense is more diverse and the passing game is schemed so much better. We are getting guys open...in all games...and not relying on one on one match ups all the time...it's about creating issues for the defense with motion, misdirection, and scheme. I'm excited because I think Rigani and Martin are going to prove a step up from Easley in the slot. I think these guys are going to be more of a threat after the catch...Tracy too.

I’m not saying that points don’t win ball games, nor am I saying that it matters how you score points. It doesn’t. Points are points.

What I am saying, is that if this team could hit even average (for the conference) offensive numbers it would consistently vie for Big Ten titles. Certainly in the West. I’m also saying that there’s no excuse for a program with this amount of facilities and resources behind it to perform below at least average on one side of the ball for as many years as it has.

That problem is exacerbated by good-enoughers like @HuckFinn , because those kind of people make up the donor base and are perfectly happy with one game over .500 in perpetuity. And we’re now locked in to another 25 years of “good enough.”

 

[hawkeyebob62]

I’m not saying that points don’t win ball games, nor am I saying that it matters how you score points. It doesn’t. Points are points.

What I am saying, is that if this team could hit even average (for the conference) offensive numbers it would consistently vie for Big Ten titles. Certainly in the West. I’m also saying that there’s no excuse for a program with this amount of facilities and resources behind it to perform below at least average on one side of the ball for as many years as it has.

That problem is exacerbated by good-enoughers like @HuckFinn , because those kind of people make up the donor base and are perfectly happy with one game over .500 in perpetuity. And we’re now locked in to another 25 years of “good enough.”

Jesus, are you still trotting THAT out? "It's the fans and the donors who are at fault"

 

[revkev73]

The strategy is right on for stopping Iowa...teams committed resources to stop our running game and we didn't make them pay...but you have to look at the MSU game and say...maybe we proved we can beat a really good defensive team with our offense...if we execute in all phases. I personally think we lost to Wisconsin because we didn't throw enough and to Penn State because our QB had broken his right arm earlier in the week and we still played him. That's all I got on why Stanley was so bad at Penn State. He threw like his arm was broken.

You have to commit to the passing game when teams are loading up the box. I was at NW and holy crap...they had 9 in the box pretty much the whole first half. We started throwing and they changed things up...then we fumbled, and fumbled again...and threw a pick and...well self destructed. The opportunity was there in the first half and we didn't attack their defense. You could have had both TE's run straight down the damn field and they both would have been open.

Contrary to most, I think BF is on the right track with what we are doing offensively. We are much more diverse than we have been...in a long, long time...and over the past two years...we have people wide freaking open. Whether our QB hits them consistently at a high percentage is the key. We scheme to get matchups and to find open areas of the defense. CJ Beathard made all the plays at critical times in 2015...I would say Stanley did not do that in 2018...and that's why we were 8-5.

That last issue is what others have spoken about...where are the big plays in the running game? Non-existence since AW left. The back has to make one guy miss...often...that isn't happening enough.

BF is learning on the job, which isn't an ideal situation. But he seems to work well with the head coach!