Iowa-Ohio State: Post Game Notes

Im sure Kirk says we have some things to clean up.....you know, the things that hes said we will clean up since the Arizona and Wisky games
 
Wow. Jon, both of us have really been big supporters of the D all year, but you have to admit we've got a bad trend going here. If this was an isolated game, it would be different, but its not.
 
The trend of the offense losing games due to being conservative and not being able to put drives together late to run clock and ice games? It can't always be the D. The offense at some point needs to get it done and they haven't when it counts wether it is a good team or Indiana. Very easily could be 7-5 with tons of talent on this team.
 
Ohio State did not score on its first possession. Iowa has allowed just seven opponents (Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana and Northwestern, 2010) to score on their opening drive in its last 37 games.

That is a glaring factoid. That, and the number of late 4th quarter scores allowed this season.
 
udalehawk13 said:
The trend of the offense losing games due to being conservative and not being able to put drives together late to run clock and ice games? It can't always be the D. The offense at some point needs to get it done and they haven't when it counts wether it is a good team or Indiana. Very easily could be 7-5 with tons of talent on this team.
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Completely agree, blaming all of these losses on the defense, and specifically the d-line is ludicrous. Our offense has been sub par except for perhaps two games. I don't think it can all be put on the play calling but our lack consistency with the play of the o-line.
 
Interested in what others think...but it seemed to me that we were far more effective on offense when Coker was in the game. I love me some A-Rob, but it just wasn't working in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Coker had a great 1st quarter and then sat on the sideline. The coaches finally made the switch after the Prater INT and BOOM...2 carries by Coker and we are in the end zone! I haven't looked at the stats, but the offense just had a different feel when Coker was in the game.

Anther telling sign (to me) was the "fire" that Pryor had in his eyes every time they showed him on the sideline. He was visibly upset early in the game when they opted for the FG instead of letting him go for it on 4th and goal. And when they stopped Iowa's drive in the 4th quarter you saw him pumping his fist and running to get his helmet as if saying "let's go to work"...even though his team was trailing in the 4th quarter on the road. You almost knew he was going to lead them to a score based on how he was carrying himself. I just don't see that consistent fire from anyone on this Iowa team and that bothers me. I understand that emotion and attitude don't win games on their own, but you rarely see successful teams as emotionless as the Hawkeyes appear to be. After all, at this level it is not a job for them, they are young men playing a game...have some fun...show some emotion!
 
leroy3d said:
Completely agree, blaming all of these losses on the defense, and specifically the d-line is ludicrous. Our offense has been sub par except for perhaps two games. I don't think it can all be put on the play calling but our lack consistency with the play of the o-line.
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Dude, the bottom line is that the offense put the ball in the endzone to take the lead, only to see the defense, once again, give up a looooooong, tiiiiiiiiiiime consuming drive. Where will it end, I suppose if Iowa's offense put up 28 but the defense gave up a late drive for 29, someone would still say, well if the offense would have scored more!? What! Seal the deal, that's what the defense is suppose to do and hasn't done it in all 4 losses.
 
Before this season started I would have told you that there isn't another coach in the country who I would rather have at Iowa than Ferentz. Four gutwrenching losses later I haven't changed my mind. He's a great coach, a great person, and a perfect fit for the Hawkeyes. With that said, he's gonna need some time to sit back and reflect on this season. I still honestly believe the only team that has beat Iowa this year is Iowa. For that to happen once or twice in a season is one thing, but for it to happen four times is absolutely unacceptable and the blame has to fall on the coaches. Ferentz is at the top of the chain of command and he needs to figure out how to correct this ship.

I'm not sure I have ever seen more talent and potential on a Hawkeye football team. Talent and potential doesn't win football games. The way this team has lost and the mistakes it has made is what really boggles my mind. Ferentz usually has a football team that excels in defense and special teams. The defense hasn't stepped up and made a stop when it matters, and outside of Donahue the special teams play has been horrendous. They can have all the talent in the world, but somewhere along the line these guys forgot what it is that wins them football games.
 
Not saying that the defense had nothing to do with this loss but OSU kicked a FG to make it 17-13 Hawks with 7 minutes left in the 4th qtr., the offense goes 3 plays and out giving OSU plenty of time to put together the game winning drive. In fact they left almost 2 minutes on the clock for us to come back and at least get a game tying FG, which could have been a game winning FG if not for the missed FG in the 1st half. So it looks to me that there is plenty of blame to go around.
 
It seems nobody is talking about the elephant in the room. We went the entire year without our defensive coordinator. The defense was not the same the enitre year without Norm.
 
PatrickAdamovicz said:
Dude, the bottom line is that the offense put the ball in the endzone to take the lead, only to see the defense, once again, give up a looooooong, tiiiiiiiiiiime consuming drive. Where will it end, I suppose if Iowa's offense put up 28 but the defense gave up a late drive for 29, someone would still say, well if the offense would have scored more!? What! Seal the deal, that's what the defense is suppose to do and hasn't done it in all 4 losses.
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The defenese also came up with the INT that set up the offense in good position to take the lead.. Things go both ways, and I think both units are at fault to some degree. It's not necessarily just one unit or the other to take 100% of the blame.

Like at NW, even though the D gave up the drive that made it a 3 point game with 6 minutes left, the offense could STILL have put together a drive and put some more points on the board, and chewed up the clock. It didn't. NW got the ball back again right away and the defense couldn't hold. The fact that they were on the field for back-to-back drives with only a short break in between saw a tired D on the field. It wasn't much different last night when OSU scored the final TD - I think it was a tired defense out there trying to stop them late in the 4th. I knew we were toast at that point.
 
PatrickAdamovicz said:
Dude, the bottom line is that the offense put the ball in the endzone to take the lead, only to see the defense, once again, give up a looooooong, tiiiiiiiiiiime consuming drive. Where will it end, I suppose if Iowa's offense put up 28 but the defense gave up a late drive for 29, someone would still say, well if the offense would have scored more!? What! Seal the deal, that's what the defense is suppose to do and hasn't done it in all 4 losses.
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How were those last two three-and-outs? Listen, I'm agreeing with you that the defense once again did not get it done in the fourth, but you can just as easily call out the offense- seal the deal, put the game away.

I'm not ready to call out one specific area... offense/defense coaching, scheme, execution, special teams- because at times the parts look great. But what none of these areas have really shown is the ability to week to week sustain success.
 
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