RobHowe
Administrator
Iowa Football Freshman Preview: Carson May
- Thread starter RobHowe
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Kid dominated his level of play. Just dominated it. I'd read awhile ago that a lot of Okie state fans were bummed out they didn't get him. They must have been late to offer. The last 3 qbs we've signed have all looked the part. What if anything can Iowa do with them. We brag about coaching up and developing all these other positions but not QB.
I was bummed when KOK stepped down that we didn't go outside and hire a real QB coach. Just handing it over to BF seemed like the lazy thing to do. So if say Labas or May doesn't turn into much the common denominator will be overwhelming. It's one thing to say Petras didn't develop and they stuck with him. But you can't go cycle after cycle of guys especially guys that were 4 star kids.
I was bummed when KOK stepped down that we didn't go outside and hire a real QB coach. Just handing it over to BF seemed like the lazy thing to do. So if say Labas or May doesn't turn into much the common denominator will be overwhelming. It's one thing to say Petras didn't develop and they stuck with him. But you can't go cycle after cycle of guys especially guys that were 4 star kids.
Not so bummed that KOK retired as he was old but I totally agree that Kirk could have really brought in an up and coming QB coach or just someone who had some bona fides as a qb coach. We got nothing from what I and most of us know of. Brian's main QB coaching will probably be "you got to negotiate the safeties"
Exactly. What's the main critique on Petras? That his fundamentals are inconsistent and footwork is always sloppy. That affects his accuracy. Is BF really qualified to coach up QBs on the fundamentals of how they should drop back set and throw? You're right the best BF can do is show him on the white board and on tape where to go with the ball.
I would have even rather had Drew Tate for the gig who just took an assistant job up at UNI. Obviously he's green behind the gills with being a D1 coach period in a lot of ways but as far as teaching QBs the day to day ways to get better and stay consistent with playing the position I think he could be a Godsend to this program.
It would have been really interesting to sit with KF an hour or so and pick his brain on what his line of thinking is on it all because what he did seems to be doubling down on what hasn't worked... We've been winning games despite our QB not because of him. Not something to be proud of
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
Two things. Iowa has an alleged QB guru behind the scenes helping Brian as a volunteer. He is prohibited from directly coaching players, but ask Nebraska how hard that rule is enforced. Its a gray area. Legally though, he can assist BF in looking at tape and what to work on with the QBs in practice. He and BF are friends and I suspect he will have BF's ears on the QB race and development. I also imagine KF is paying him under the table somehow.
Second, you don't have to have been a QB to coach QBs. Indeed, very few coaches in football actually played whatever position they coach. Many didn't play at all. Coaching is about study and drive and ability. I believe Iowa has not developed QBs at an appropriate level because KF has not put sufficient resources into doing so. Iowa has needed a young QB guru in training who goes around to the other QB gurus and learns how to better teach fundamentals and reading defenses. KFs approach has been to just keep practicing harder. Developing QBs takes more coaching than any other position, and KF doesn't seem to get that from what we can see on the field and hear from our QBs once they leave the program.
Second, you don't have to have been a QB to coach QBs. Indeed, very few coaches in football actually played whatever position they coach. Many didn't play at all. Coaching is about study and drive and ability. I believe Iowa has not developed QBs at an appropriate level because KF has not put sufficient resources into doing so. Iowa has needed a young QB guru in training who goes around to the other QB gurus and learns how to better teach fundamentals and reading defenses. KFs approach has been to just keep practicing harder. Developing QBs takes more coaching than any other position, and KF doesn't seem to get that from what we can see on the field and hear from our QBs once they leave the program.
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
That all said, I think most fans think their QBs are average to dogshit. Especially in the West. There is a reason only about 10 QBs are drafted a year. Most college QBs are not awesome.
Ah yes the mysterious hiring of that Budmayr coach. Or whatever it is he is since he's not on the payroll. I suppose they are putting a lot of chips in that basket that he can mentor BF. I'd still be happier about it if they'd just have a QB coach on the payroll that can be hands on with the players as day to day as they can be. We don't need a QB guru helping BF we need one helping the QBs.
I get the whole coaches don't NEED to have played the position they coach. Our staff is full of examples of that at other positions. Qb is a different animal. Like the QB position can almost be broke down 2 different ways. The mental side with the playbook/Xs and Os side of it all and then the physical fundamental side of it all. Petras might be the smartest dude we've ever had at learning the playbook and knowing what he's supposed to do on every play. But that doesn't mean he can consistently throw the ball on time and on target situationally. He's not unique in that either I'm only picking on him as the most recent and current example. But it's legit. If Budmayr can be hands on and help then great. We need all of it we can get.
And yet the last 3 draft enabled IA starting QBs have been selected:
Stanley
Beathard/Rudock
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
And I think just about every person on this board would have taken anyone of those 3 as the QB last year. This team may have run the table if it had a healthy Beatherd last season.
Stanzi was also drafted. Tate had a career after Iowa too. There have been some mild success stories in 20+ years under KF, and even a near miss Heisman candidate.
What has always struck me about Iowa's QBs is that they don't seem to get better. Tate and Stanley were about the same their sophomore seasons as their senior season. Rudock lost his job. Stanzi's career was all over the place, but his senior season was a big disappointment and his junior season, while the team was great, he was a turnover machine. Beatherd was hurt as he went along, but he didn't look great at times as a senior. I don't think anyone saw improvement out of Petras in year 2.
It just seems like there is a lack of progression in that room.
Yea - it probably hurts the argument I've seen here lately too that Iowa isn't recruiting well enough at QB. They're recruiting talent and just developing it enough to get drafted, but not good enough to play in the NFL.
Preach...
I don't see anything unfair with this take. Petras couldn't hold any of those others jock straps. Good luck finding a former starting QB for Iowa under KF we should put Petras in front of. I'd take Chandler over him. And this is where it gets worse. Some of those former QBs didn't have nearly the offensive weapons to play with that Petras has had/will have. Now granted some of them had a stud or two at times. But to me Petras is pretty much the bottom of the heap and I'll be shocked if he were to somehow flip that switch and have some drastic improvement this yr. Because when's it ever happened before? Banks doesn't really count because he wasn't the starter the yr prior to him being the man. What multiple seasons starting QB has had a great senior yr where their play improved?
I get that narrative, and narratives exist for a reason (there is usually some truth to them). But it can be really difficult to judge a QB's progression because it is so heavily influenced by the players around him.
The one I disagree with most strongly is Stanzi; he was unequivocally at his best as a senior.
That big statistical improvement is even masked somewhat. He had a QB rating of 170 through the first 8 games, but he dropped down to 120 over his last 5 games after losing his starting RB (A. Robinson) and both starting guards.
The biggest reason Stanzi is judged harshly for 2010 is because the defense failed to protect 4th quarter leads.
Imagine everything played out exactly the same that 2010 season, except...
- Iowa did not give up the fake punt vs. Wisc OR stopped Wisc on the 4th and 5 they converted on their game-winning drive
- Iowa did not give up 2 long TD drives to NW in the 4th quarter
- Iowa did not allow a 4th and 10 conversion on a Terrell Pryor scramble vs. OSU
- Iowa did not allow a go-ahead TD drive vs. MN in the 4th
NO ONE would be saying, "I know his stats are good and the team was 11-1, but my eyes are telling me he just was not as good as 2009 when he threw for 2417 yards with 56.3% completion and 17/15 TD/Int."
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
Fair take. Stanzi's stats were solid and he obviously got drafted, but the season as a whole was such a disappointment. Preseason ranked 9th and playoff contender to 7-5. Like it or lump it, the QB gets more blame and praise than he deserves. One could argue that a truly great QB finds a way to overcome. Then again, he did just that the year before despite throwing it to the other team a lot.
We would all kill to have another Stanzi in the QB room right now.
Yeah for as frustrating as it was for him to throw so many picks we also knew that he and that offense were apt to march right back down and score after that. With Petras we have no such confidence in that... To the point where it's almost a fluke when they convert a big play. (that play against PSU to Ragini comes to mind) Petras doesn't throw interceptions at a terrible rate but the guy can't convert a 3rd and 8 to save his life either. At some point you have to have confidence in your QB to make plays and through 2 full seasons of Petras I can't see how anybody would.
dahlhawk
Well-Known Member
This kid's highlights showed more touch on his passes than I've seen from any QB since CJ, plus he looks elusive and seemed to feel pressure. I could see him going through his progressions and making passes that were his second and third reads. He looks like the real deal.
