Iowa Could Dominate

I think that's a true fair assessment. Iowa's Oline was terrible. Couldn't run or give Stanley time to pass all game long. What'd Iowa have 80 something yards of O? It was beyond pitiful. It all snowballed as the game went on but that was as one sided of a game as I've seen in that way for awhile... It'll be different this year in Kinnick especially.
I don't disagree with how they did it, but it's pretty hard to establish our Run game when the entire defense is playing a few feet off the line of scrimmage. Maybe technically it's not stacking the Box but boy when only 1 guy plays back further than 5 yards off the Los, that is a ton of traffic to try and get a run game going through. Their db's we're more experienced, so they just jammed, turned to start to possibly cover and if it was a run??? By that time the entire D was within 5 of the Los. Tough to run against that. We just couldn't get them to back off the line and respect anything deeper.
WE HAD ONE, ONE PASSiNG COMPLETION THAT WAS 10 YARDS!! That was the longest.
That's brutal. I don't care who you have as a rb, playing 10 guys 5 yards or less off the Los, is basically a......... Goal line stance type of defensive play.
Except they were doing it all day long.

Our TE's had 1 catch. 1. Hockerson.

Jeez do a roll out, anything to slip someone past them and basically it was 1 on one after that. Get Fant 1 on 1 and let him go up and get it. Use that athletic ability of our ol.
I get we want to predicate the pass off the run, but they turned that around on us and we needed to respond by playing the run off the pass. Get them off the Los.
 
Last edited:
Two monster “athletic” tackles. QB with a gun. Best/cockiest TE we’ve ever had. Stout RBs. Potential at WR. Talented D ends. Questionable DTs—hope one of the freshmen plays. Potential at LB. Experienced corners. Talented safeties. And Brian Ferentz’s slick hair.

I agree. With Brian Ferentz's slick hair there is no stopping us now! See you at the CFP!:eek:
 
Last edited:
I just noticed something. Including this year's game 6 of the last 9 games will have been played in Iowa City. 5 of the last 7. Don't you guys like coming to Madison? It's not that far. ;)
 
Last edited:
I don't disagree with how they did it, but it's pretty hard to establish our Run game when the entire defense is playing a few feet off the line of scrimmage. Maybe technically it's not stacking the Box but boy when only 1 guy plays back further than 5 yards off the Los, that is a ton of traffic to try and get a run game going through. Their db's we're more experienced, so they just jammed, turned to start to possibly cover and if it was a run??? By that time the entire D was within 5 of the Los. Tough to run against that. We just couldn't get them to back off the line and respect anything deeper.
WE HAD ONE, ONE PASSiNG COMPLETION THAT WAS 10 YARDS!! That was the longest.
That's brutal. I don't care who you have as a rb, playing 10 guys 5 yards or less off the Los, is basically a......... Goal line stance type of defensive play.
Except they were doing it all day long.

Our TE's had 1 catch. 1. Hockerson.

Jeez do a roll out, anything to slip someone past them and basically it was 1 on one after that. Get Fant 1 on 1 and let him go up and get it. Use that athletic ability of our ol.
I get we want to predicate the pass off the run, but they turned that around on us and we needed to respond by playing the run off the pass. Get them off the Los.

Bingo
 
I don't disagree with how they did it, but it's pretty hard to establish our Run game when the entire defense is playing a few feet off the line of scrimmage. Maybe technically it's not stacking the Box but boy when only 1 guy plays back further than 5 yards off the Los, that is a ton of traffic to try and get a run game going through. Their db's we're more experienced, so they just jammed, turned to start to possibly cover and if it was a run??? By that time the entire D was within 5 of the Los. Tough to run against that. We just couldn't get them to back off the line and respect anything deeper.
WE HAD ONE, ONE PASSiNG COMPLETION THAT WAS 10 YARDS!! That was the longest.
That's brutal. I don't care who you have as a rb, playing 10 guys 5 yards or less off the Los, is basically a......... Goal line stance type of defensive play.
Except they were doing it all day long.

Our TE's had 1 catch. 1. Hockerson.

Jeez do a roll out, anything to slip someone past them and basically it was 1 on one after that. Get Fant 1 on 1 and let him go up and get it. Use that athletic ability of our ol.
I get we want to predicate the pass off the run, but they turned that around on us and we needed to respond by playing the run off the pass. Get them off the Los.

Yeah that's where a guy like Brandon Smith can help or splitting out Fant wide as you said. They can win those quick back shoulder/jump balls type of plays. Just have to call them and then oh yeah execute... Do that a few times to loosen them up and then you can hit them with bubble screens to ISM. To try banging your head against the wall just to get yourself in 2nd and 3rd and longs don't work. Hayden Frys 'scratch where it itches' philosophy still applies...
 
I see Athlons Sports Magazine has Fant as a 1st Team All American. They have two Michigan defensive players first team and one a second team All American. They have Iowa in the Cactus Bowl vs Utah.
 
Yeah that's where a guy like Brandon Smith can help or splitting out Fant wide as you said. They can win those quick back shoulder/jump balls type of plays. Just have to call them and then oh yeah execute... Do that a few times to loosen them up and then you can hit them with bubble screens to ISM. To try banging your head against the wall just to get yourself in 2nd and 3rd and longs don't work. Hayden Frys 'scratch where it itches' philosophy still applies...

Honestly, I think BF needed a little birdie in the booth with him. We are fumbling and turning the ball over any way, right?? So send Fant out wide ( this year hopefully Brandon also), dragging a DB across towards the middle 15 -20 yards deep and let him go after it. With that little bit of help over the top on a total mismatch, the odds are pretty good he is going to catch it or draw a pass interference.
Just keep throwing it 15- 20 yards deep in single coverage every play. They never had to adjust because we didn't give them any reason to.
It's also why I brought up rolling out. Hey if the fade works at the goal line, idc if it is mid field, they line up and play that tight, you burn them.
 
Last edited:
That would be easier said than done last year. All of our 4 LBs were solid in pass coverage and dropped well into that 10-15 yard area. Problem for QBs was to figure out which of the 4 were going to drop. And Our safeties were position solid too. When we got burned, it was WR's beating our CBs deep. This year, it's likely to be more of the same, solid LB and Safety play, with inexperience at CB.

Of note, our PROJECTED Free Safety was redshirted last year but was so impressive on the scout squad (practicing against OUR O) that they thought of burning it. Very good measurables and 6'2".
 
That would be easier said than done last year. All of our 4 LBs were solid in pass coverage and dropped well into that 10-15 yard area. Problem for QBs was to figure out which of the 4 were going to drop. And Our safeties were position solid too. When we got burned, it was WR's beating our CBs deep. This year, it's likely to be more of the same, solid LB and Safety play, with inexperience at CB.

Of note, our PROJECTED Free Safety was redshirted last year but was so impressive on the scout squad (practicing against OUR O) that they thought of burning it. Very good measurables and 6'2".
Fant runs like a wr.
I should go back and rewatch it, but I remember a lot of man and press coverage.
There were plenty of ways to beat it.
 
Fant runs like a wr.
I should go back and rewatch it, but I remember a lot of man and press coverage.
There were plenty of ways to beat it.
We did. We did play cover 4. Our 2 deep at safety can all cover 1 on 1. 4th, Wisconsin rated #1 in pass defense efficiency last year for a reason. I don't think it will be that good in 2018.
 
Last edited:
Honestly, I think BF needed a little birdie in the booth with him. We are fumbling and turning the ball over any way, right?? So send Fant out wide ( this year hopefully Brandon also), dragging a DB across towards the middle 15 -20 yards deep and let him go after it. With that little bit of help over the top on a total mismatch, the odds are pretty good he is going to catch it or draw a pass interference.
Just keep throwing it 15- 20 yards deep in single coverage every play. They never had to adjust because we didn't give them any reason to.
It's also why I brought up rolling out. Hey if the fade works at the goal line, idc if it is mid field, they line up and play that tight, you burn them.
No doubt bingo. When your WR is 6'3 215 plus and was a high jumper and their DB is 5'11 190 is it really a 50/50 ball throwing it up. Or a 6'5 240 TE with a 42 inch vert or whatever it is against well anybody else? So long as Stanley puts it in the ball park it should be more of a 70/30 play in our favor. Worst case scenario we should be drawing flags on them.
 
I just noticed something. Including this year's game 6 of the last 9 games will have been played in Iowa City. 5 of the last 7. Don't you guys like coming to Madison? It's not that far. ;)
Before last year's debacle Iowa has a better recent history vs Wisconsin in Madison than at home. Before last year Iowa won four of the last five played in Camp Randall.

I was in Madison for Farmers market just two weeks ago. Three words: Stella's Cheese Bread. I have a son playing for Wisconsin Academy 13-U out of Stoughton. Conservatively speaking, I get to Madison about twenty five times a year.
 
Before last year's debacle Iowa has a better recent history vs Wisconsin in Madison than at home. Before last year Iowa won four of the last five played in Camp Randall.

I was in Madison for Farmers market just two weeks ago. Three words: Stella's Cheese Bread. I have a son playing for Wisconsin Academy 13-U out of Stoughton. Conservatively speaking, I get to Madison about twenty five times a year.
Yeah, oddly Wisconsin seems to have more success against the Hawkeyes in IC as well. 5 of the last 6.
 
Last edited:
Before last year's debacle Iowa has a better recent history vs Wisconsin in Madison than at home. Before last year Iowa won four of the last five played in Camp Randall.

I was in Madison for Farmers market just two weeks ago. Three words: Stella's Cheese Bread. I have a son playing for Wisconsin Academy 13-U out of Stoughton. Conservatively speaking, I get to Madison about twenty five times a year.

One of the more epic road trips from my days in IC, was a trip to Madison for the Hawk-Badger football tilt. We clearly had someone looking out for us.
 
One of the more epic road trips from my days in IC, was a trip to Madison for the Hawk-Badger football tilt. We clearly had someone looking out for us.
That would have been all two lane road when you made that trip. Through all those small towns, farm machinery on the road. Dubuque traffic. Just getting to Madison would have been a major accomplishment.
 

Latest posts

Top