If You Could Pick Out Just One Person ...

Hampton or Wehger

I think it hurt the offense not having a speed back as a change of pace from A-Rob.
 
Tarp. After he got hurt the defense really started to slide in production. If we lose Nielsen he can play there and still make the calls and help Morris. If we don't lose Nielsen pass coverage is better all season giving D-line more time all season to provide pressure. Plus he was averaging over ten tackles a game in less than full games when he was relatively healthy.
 
One of the linebackers...either tarp nielsen or davis.......so that Troy Johnson doesnt have to play he killed are defensive all season

Agreed! Our linebackers are getting killed this season. Everyone knows that our LB aren't any good yet cuz their so young, so that's who they're going after.
 
i really do think that wegher leaving the team did more to our psyche than one would think. he was just like water that seeps into cement, give it time and that will undermine your entire foundation. I think the late crumbling started with Wegher's uncertainty back in the fall. If he comes back to the team then they will welcome him back, giving them the easy excuse of believing that he was the missing link, because he actually was.
 
i really do think that wegher leaving the team did more to our psyche than one would think. he was just like water that seeps into cement, give it time and that will undermine your entire foundation. I think the late crumbling started with Wegher's uncertainty back in the fall. If he comes back to the team then they will welcome him back, giving them the easy excuse of believing that he was the missing link, because he actually was.

Explain how Wegher was the missing link.
 
Explain how Wegher was the missing link.

Assuming all events transpire as they did (Hampton injury/close games/special teams errors)

Having another experienced player under those circumstances could be my only point and it would be a valid.

BUT since you asked i will give a couple of detailed examples....

PR/KR/ & ST gunner: Just like Tim Dwight-Wegher could have been on KO/Punt coverage, could have been returning kicks alongside DJK. your probably thinking this would have had little difference, but just like DJK's return vs tOSU last year, and our ineptitude this year.... it's hard to devalue the importance of ST.

3rd down Back/3rd series back: He would have played a key role in spelling AROB. Thus Keeping him healthy, and not had to rely so heavily on passing. By having Wegher in on the last series vs tOSU -(when they pulled coker probably for blocking reasons, and putting in morse)- he adds a few pages to the playbook. BTW if i was one of their ends, seeing #36 come in to the game i would have imediately started to lick my chops.

Since you asked, i'll return the favor: How would he have NOT helped the team?
 
There are so many it is hard to narrow it down to one.

If we get most of them back, watch out for the bowl game. You might see a diferent team than the one that went 1-3 the last 4 games.
 
@hawkfanintexas I think those are valid points about Wegher but I stand by my answer earlier in the thread that Tarp would have been and was more valuable to the team. Bernstine healthy could have filled the special teams roles as effectively. Hampton or Coker healthy for the entire season could have eased the burden on Robinson and a better decision in the MSU game makes the Robinson concussion syndrome moot. But that was a very well composed response.
 
The absence of Kirk Ferentz in my opinion. I realize he faced many challenges this year but hopefully he will shed that emotionless, uninspired, perplexing shell that we witnessed on the sidelines numerous times this year and return well- rested and energized for the 2011 season.

Happy Holidays!
 
@hawkfanintexas I think those are valid points about Wegher but I stand by my answer earlier in the thread that Tarp would have been and was more valuable to the team. Bernstine healthy could have filled the special teams roles as effectively. Hampton or Coker healthy for the entire season could have eased the burden on Robinson and a better decision in the MSU game makes the Robinson concussion syndrome moot. But that was a very well composed response.

Tarp would have been more of an asset on defense. even though that is what "appeared" to be the problem this year, you have to peer a little closer at the picture to see what the actual problem was. 2nd half adjustments/execution on the Offensive side.

Bernstine would have been an excellent addition to the ST game, but he wouldn't have been an asset to the return game. (regarding the bold above) I mentioned in my original response to assume that all events transpire as they did (injuries/close games).... I would have chosen wegher over hampton this year. The kid has got moxie- something about him that demands the ball when the game is on the line, or in the red zone.

All I want for Christmas is for someone to buy Wegher a ticket to whatever bowl we go to and remind him about why he chose Iowa. Next year I think he would be very excited at the opportunity to play against nebby. I feel it in my bones..... he's coming back. He comes back to with this song in the backround:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8z_5ZtPzWI&feature=player_embedded]YouTube - T.I. - I'm Back (Video)[/ame]
 
Actually Bernstine could return kicks. He was a weapon on offense in High School and when healthy one of our faster players, probably faster than Wegher. I also think Willie Lowe could handle those duties along with Jordan Cotton and Deandre Johnson. Given the problems with the special teams coaching this season I will not give the coaches the benefit of the doubt that they put the best players out there. I have always wondered why Ferentz said DJK was not a good punt returner. He was never given the opportunity in a game.
 
My initial response would have been Hampton, but what little we saw of Coker he gave a good impression of what he has to offer similar to Hampton, a little more power and burst, but probably not the break away speed Hampton has, but given that Coker was never given the complete opportunity he should have this year to show and I would add Brad Rogers for that fact too, but I actually have to go with Nielsen on D. He's just one of those players that goes highly unrecognized in the stat sheet but looking back you can see where the D fell off after he was out.
 
Tarp would have been more of an asset on defense. even though that is what "appeared" to be the problem this year, you have to peer a little closer at the picture to see what the actual problem was. 2nd half adjustments/execution on the Offensive side.

Bernstine would have been an excellent addition to the ST game, but he wouldn't have been an asset to the return game. (regarding the bold above) I mentioned in my original response to assume that all events transpire as they did (injuries/close games).... I would have chosen wegher over hampton this year. The kid has got moxie- something about him that demands the ball when the game is on the line, or in the red zone.

All I want for Christmas is for someone to buy Wegher a ticket to whatever bowl we go to and remind him about why he chose Iowa. Next year I think he would be very excited at the opportunity to play against nebby. I feel it in my bones..... he's coming back. He comes back to with this song in the backround:

YouTube - T.I. - I'm Back (Video)

I hate to tell you this but I would be shocked -SHOCKED- if Wegher ever plays football at Iowa again. For what its worth I think that you have a good point about Wegher's depature and its affect on the teams psyche, players and coaches alike were not pleased.

That being said I say Norm illness and absence is number one with a bullet. After that you can make a good arguement for so many different players that its stupid. LB, RB, Guard, Kicker, CB, etc.
 
Lots of good posts on here so far regarding this. From last years team I would say Spievey. If you're just going from this years team I would say Norm and Wegher. Everyone will kill me for saying Wegher, but he adds a different type of threat to account for out of the backfield, and he would have been a good change of pace to arob or coker. With Norm I find it hard to believe we wouldnt have made adjustments against nw, indiana, osu, and minn towards the end of games. Personally I dont understand all of the votes for Tarp. What difference he would have made is purely speculation as he never really had a lot of PT before this year. I thought Morris was one of the better playmakers on the field for the Hawks this year, and I am not sure that having Tarp on the field would have been an upgrade over Morris.

I also agree that it is unlikely that Wegher will play for the Hawks again. Its too bad, as it was good for both him and the University.
 
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