Iowa Defense: Time for a Change or Aberration?
- Thread starter JonDMiller
- Start date
hawkdoctor
Well-Known Member
I say we should play our base defense most of the time. Dialing up a blitz a little more often would keep offenses honest. Morris or a corner seem to effectively get there. I'd also throw in the dime or nickel package. We seemed to be more effective against Mizzou when we had the dime in. I think against NW and other teams in the spread we need to make some adjustments. Otherwise, it's not broken.
Ihawk209
Well-Known Member
silvanthalas
Well-Known Member
BBDB is obviously frustrating to watch, but it generally works for us.
The problem I have is that we don't seem to have any answers for certain teams and/or schemes, such as Northwestern. When some teams keep beating you year after year, perhaps you ought to consider doing something different against them?
The problem I have is that we don't seem to have any answers for certain teams and/or schemes, such as Northwestern. When some teams keep beating you year after year, perhaps you ought to consider doing something different against them?
1977Hawkeye
Well-Known Member
One thing I would like to see more of is us getting more pressure on the QB than we typically seem to. Too often this year, opposing QB's had all day to sit back there and pick us apart. Otherwise, I really find it hard to complain too much when your defense has stats that are annually Top-15 or Top-10 nationally. Nothing wrong with that.
It's the offensive output that really concerns me. Middle of the pack (roughly) or worse most years leaves alot of room for improvement IMO. The years where we have done better than that are definitely the exception rather than the norm.
It's the offensive output that really concerns me. Middle of the pack (roughly) or worse most years leaves alot of room for improvement IMO. The years where we have done better than that are definitely the exception rather than the norm.
The defense needs to make a few tweaks to do better at getting off the field on 3rd down. The biggest problem this year was not giving up points, but allowing opponents to sustain multiple long drives. Going into the 4th quarter, from a points standpoint the defense had played well, but was out of gas to make the stops when they mattered most. Some of that flips back to the offense sustaining drives to keep our D fresh. Overall, a little more creativity on 3rd down defensively could help.
imported_ankle23
Well-Known Member
biggest change from last year to this year can be seen on Sundays (3 players) and on Iowa's bench (several linebackers). don't care what defense you run, it is an 11 man game, not 4, not 1.
Herminator
Well-Known Member
The ultimate problem is that the offense average points scored wasn't much higher...get teh offense to 28-30 pts/gm and the defense looks spectacular. Instead they are on the field too much draggin a$$ at the end of games trying to protect a 2-3 pt lead.
I like to compare it to the Vikings Defense 2009 vs. 2010. Same personal, completely different results...easy to look good on defense when you make the other team one dimensional and play up hill...when you are behind, your defense can afford zero mistakes.
I like to compare it to the Vikings Defense 2009 vs. 2010. Same personal, completely different results...easy to look good on defense when you make the other team one dimensional and play up hill...when you are behind, your defense can afford zero mistakes.
Saginawbay
Well-Known Member
Need to make some changes during a game more and blitz more often. Not many college QB's do well against a blitz let's see 4-6 a game instead of maybe 1.
Plus, some more nickel coverage when you don't have the people who can do what you ask you have to change and we never do.
Plus, some more nickel coverage when you don't have the people who can do what you ask you have to change and we never do.
sergeanthulka
Well-Known Member
The biggest problem with the defense isn't that we don't blitz enough.
It's that opposing QB's know EXACTLY what coverage we're going to be in 98% of the time. They can get a slot back on a LB whenever they want and (as Missouri did) they can run that same clear out route into the flat 98% of the time.
10 years ago, that was a great scheme because precision passing wasn't nearly so developed. But now that the short passing game has become an extension of many teams' running game -- the scheme is largely outdated, imo.
It's that opposing QB's know EXACTLY what coverage we're going to be in 98% of the time. They can get a slot back on a LB whenever they want and (as Missouri did) they can run that same clear out route into the flat 98% of the time.
10 years ago, that was a great scheme because precision passing wasn't nearly so developed. But now that the short passing game has become an extension of many teams' running game -- the scheme is largely outdated, imo.
ThunderHawk
Well-Known Member
That's been a problem for years.
If we are only gonna rush 4, we need to at least get contact on the receivers at the LOS to disrupt these timing patterns that burn us so badly.
goods10
Well-Known Member
This post pretty much sums it up. I was about to write the same thing before reading this. I find it really hard to accept an offense that can't score on average more than what Iowa typically does. I do think that when the time comes where we have depth at RB we will see a huge difference in the Offense. As I was sitting there watching the Insight Bowl I was yelling and yelling to give the ball to Coker! Why are we not running the ball more!? They can't stop it! Well Coker is all we had there fore Iowa couldn't continuously hand him the ball. Give us two health RB and we will be just fine. IMO.
trj
Well-Known Member
With the type of athletes Iowa recruits I have no issues with the overall scheme/philosophy that is employed. As Jon and several others have mentioned I would just like to see some situational tweaks.
Iowa doesn't blitz much, but when they do they never get home. When Iowa blitz this year, Prater coming off the edge never got home. I'm not sure how you fix that? More stunts at the LOS? Your better athletes doing the blitzing?
Given that several DB(s) have playing experience there really isn't any reason for Iowa not to play more nickel/dime packages in 3rd and long situations moving forward.
Iowa doesn't blitz much, but when they do they never get home. When Iowa blitz this year, Prater coming off the edge never got home. I'm not sure how you fix that? More stunts at the LOS? Your better athletes doing the blitzing?
Given that several DB(s) have playing experience there really isn't any reason for Iowa not to play more nickel/dime packages in 3rd and long situations moving forward.
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Usually cuz we're rushing 3. Case in point- Missouri had 3rd and 19 in the first 1/2. We bring 3. Gabbert has all day to survey the field. Coverage breaks down as you would suspect with no pressure. The result- 25 yard strike in the middle of the field. Similar down and distant 2 other times in the game. Result was the same.
I understand the concept of keeping everything in front of you, but I don't understand letting QBs settling in which happens often.
Our D is built for the O's of 5+ years ago. We're not suited for short, quick passes between the 20's. As a result teams put up yards and keep our bend not break D on the field. As a result come the 4th quarter we're gassed. Conversely our O isn't helping us out because god forbid we try a mid range pass to the middle of the field. I understand TO's are bad, but so is not letting your offense ( or defense ) force the issue every now and again.
cabse5
Banned
Iowa's keep everything if front (10 yard cushion), zone pass defense doesn't stop anyone unless it's a run first offense with a terrible pass offense - like M. State, P. State before Magloin (sic?), or Nebraska.
Keep the run defense as it is.
Get some pressure on the quarterback 'cause Iowa's first line of pass defense is rushing the QB..
Mix up coverages. Force the QB to guess.
Get some athletes. Use their skills - means less zone defenses.
Shutting out the other's offense after a minimal number of first downs will keep the defense fresh and potentially give our offense more time of possession from which they can score more points.
Keep the run defense as it is.
Get some pressure on the quarterback 'cause Iowa's first line of pass defense is rushing the QB..
Mix up coverages. Force the QB to guess.
Get some athletes. Use their skills - means less zone defenses.
Shutting out the other's offense after a minimal number of first downs will keep the defense fresh and potentially give our offense more time of possession from which they can score more points.
I have no real issues with our current defensive philosophy overall (Bend, Don't Break). It is very effective against run-first and balanced teams, and if the offense was doing their part, I doubt there would even be a discussion.
There are a couple of things that I would like to see them tweak, though:
1) Blitz (or, at elast, show blitz) more often. Try to keep the other teams guessing a bit more (besides, Morris is one heck on a blitzer)..
2) We need to adjust better to the teams that aren't even going to pretend to try to run (such as NW and Missouri). Matching up LB's (especially young ones) on their WR's seems like a poor recipe for success. I would like to see us playing miore Nickel/Dime/4-2-5 against teams that are all about the short pass (at least when we don't have the super-althletic Greenway/Edds-type LB's out there).
There are a couple of things that I would like to see them tweak, though:
1) Blitz (or, at elast, show blitz) more often. Try to keep the other teams guessing a bit more (besides, Morris is one heck on a blitzer)..
2) We need to adjust better to the teams that aren't even going to pretend to try to run (such as NW and Missouri). Matching up LB's (especially young ones) on their WR's seems like a poor recipe for success. I would like to see us playing miore Nickel/Dime/4-2-5 against teams that are all about the short pass (at least when we don't have the super-althletic Greenway/Edds-type LB's out there).
STILLBUSTER
Well-Known Member
Mostly tweaks ...
#1: Stop spotting an opponent an advantage before the ball is even snapped by expecting LB's to matchup on WR. Unless you have Edds, Angerer or Nielsen speed and saavy it's an EPIC FAIL!!
#2: If you insist on LB's in coverage they better be using their advantage -- physical size and strength -- to jam the $h!+ out of the WR and throw off the route timing. If you're going to lose the coverage matchup, anyway, you can't be tentative by sitting back and allowing the WR to dictate.
#3: See #1 & #2: Knowing that most teams are more pass oriented these days, you try to gain speed by going smaller at LB with a hybrid safety / LB. Still have size for run support and a few quicker steps in pass coverage.
#4: Not saying wholesale coversion to 3-4 but you certainly need to gameplan around it more from week to week, depending on opponent and situation. This team can run the base 4-3 in it's sleep so you can always deviate for stretches at a time but still come back to it. Overall, there needs to be more changes in base alignment throughout the game and season.
Persa summed it up -- stop being so predictable and one-dimensional on defense. HELLO! At least make the opponent's scouting report a little more distracted / diluted. Make them actually have to put in some extra mental prep during the week they play Iowa, in addition to already knowing they're going to get physically punished.
#5: Since Iowa's blitz is usually impotent / gets burned, I could care less about it. Norm can pick & choose.
#1: Stop spotting an opponent an advantage before the ball is even snapped by expecting LB's to matchup on WR. Unless you have Edds, Angerer or Nielsen speed and saavy it's an EPIC FAIL!!
#2: If you insist on LB's in coverage they better be using their advantage -- physical size and strength -- to jam the $h!+ out of the WR and throw off the route timing. If you're going to lose the coverage matchup, anyway, you can't be tentative by sitting back and allowing the WR to dictate.
#3: See #1 & #2: Knowing that most teams are more pass oriented these days, you try to gain speed by going smaller at LB with a hybrid safety / LB. Still have size for run support and a few quicker steps in pass coverage.
#4: Not saying wholesale coversion to 3-4 but you certainly need to gameplan around it more from week to week, depending on opponent and situation. This team can run the base 4-3 in it's sleep so you can always deviate for stretches at a time but still come back to it. Overall, there needs to be more changes in base alignment throughout the game and season.
Persa summed it up -- stop being so predictable and one-dimensional on defense. HELLO! At least make the opponent's scouting report a little more distracted / diluted. Make them actually have to put in some extra mental prep during the week they play Iowa, in addition to already knowing they're going to get physically punished.
#5: Since Iowa's blitz is usually impotent / gets burned, I could care less about it. Norm can pick & choose.
