IowaLaw's Post Game Report: Miami

[IowaLawWasRight]

PC Hawk - you are correct that the use of the fullback was on short yardage plays, but don't you have more faith that, worst case scenario, Sargent or Young could pick up just as much yardage as the fullback, but also have a far greater chance of breaking one deep? Iowa only runs a limited number of plays in a game (far less than most teams). Why waste plays where the best possible outcome might be a 2 yard gain?

Hawk Gold - You are on to something. Running away from punts and letting them roll for a loss of field position seems to be something that is coached in the program. Ultra conservative.

WinOne - You seem unsure of the meaning of "empty stats" for a QB, so let me explain. If a qb stands back in the pocket, then safely dumps the ball 3 feet away from him to his running back and that RB proceeds to break 8 tackles and run the ball 99 yards for a touchdown, the QB still gets credit for a 99 yard touchdown pass. If a different QB threads the needle and hits his man between double coverage 40 yrds down the field only to have it bounce of the WRs hands, that QB gets credit for an 0-1 stat. Stanley's stats against Miami were much more a result of the former than the latter, with his biggest plays (the Nico catch of a severely under thrown ball and the Oliver Martin 360 turn against his body to come back for a ball that was thrown to his wrong shoulder) being results of great plays by the WR, not great throws.

4thngoal - Agreed. It would have been great not only for the 1st stringers preparation but also to get our backups much needed experience. Both can be achieved against inferior opponents by putting forth our best effort. Going for the jugular. We don't know when the injury bug will strike...and we don't have many cupcakes on the schedule who are more likely to give our 2nd team QB, etc. reps than Miami.

Grady - You are mistaken. Stanley does have the freedom to audible. He's had it since his sophomore year. The problem is, Stanley is the most timid QB Iowa has had in a decade. When he does audible, 9 times out of 10 it's to call a run up the middle for a 2 yrd gain...not to catch the defense off guard with a fly pattern. That's on the QB, not the coaches.

 

[Jonrn]

AJ was beating his man to the outside all game the Miami qb just did a good job of stepping up to avoid him and got rid of the ball quick. Some stunt calls would’ve been nice.

The punt returner choice I will never understand.

Gabbert has some gifts. He had a knack for avoiding pressure. Other big ten QBs and Purdy won’t be so lucky. Gabbert will be a grad transfer to a major school. I could see him at a mid level sec school or at Michigan

 

[WinOneThisCentury]

Really, the most frustrating part of the 1st half was Iowa's inability to audible at the LOS. Miami was gambling on defense on every single play: their defensive backfield consisted of undersized CBs who were playing push coverage at the LOS with only 1 single safety playing exactly 10 YDS OFF THE LOS in the middle of the field. Seriously. Every play. Possession after possession. With a 3rd year QB, running a pro-style offense, Iowa coaches HAVE to give the QB in that situation the freedom & ability to audible to fly routes for both WRs down the sideline. Iowa ran the play once the 1st half, and #6 was obviously held but no call. They ran it again on 3rd and 1 in the 2nd half and got a holding call. Iowa will not see a more favorable defense all season for completion of long passes. I really don't know who's responsible for not taking advantage of that, the coaches or the QB.

We ran at least 5 go routes in press coverage in the Miami game. Sure, you could have done it more...but that doesn't get your team better in the running game and the short passing game. You have to set up these things...not just run them over and over. It's a much lower percentage play, and when you can run the ball and wear a team out...you have to pound...which is what we did...but it wasn't predictable or overdone.

We ran a much wider scope of our offense than I can remember in a first game. Seriously...this has been one of my arguments about the BF/KOK/KF offense. They have always taken the approach to save formations/play calls for later games...when they are needed. Win against inferior opponents with your power game, size, strength and depth. Philosophically, I think this was a different opening game and Brian Ferentz's influence. My argument is that if you don't practice your 3 and 4 wide sets in game situations in the non-conference...you are less likely to perform them well when you finally go to them. Get used to running your show. You will be more experienced when it comes time to use them...and your players will be more confident. So a team knows your formation...you still have to diagnose the play from one of several outcomes.

Stanley threw 30 passes in the first game...and it was a broad mix of formations and routes. I just don't remember that in a first game when we were an overwhelming favorite and clearly could have pounded Miami into submission.

 

[WinOneThisCentury]

PC Hawk - you are correct that the use of the fullback was on short yardage plays, but don't you have more faith that, worst case scenario, Sargent or Young could pick up just as much yardage as the fullback, but also have a far greater chance of breaking one deep? Iowa only runs a limited number of plays in a game (far less than most teams). Why waste plays where the best possible outcome might be a 2 yard gain?

Hawk Gold - You are on to something. Running away from punts and letting them roll for a loss of field position seems to be something that is coached in the program. Ultra conservative.

WinOne - You seem unsure of the meaning of "empty stats" for a QB, so let me explain. If a qb stands back in the pocket, then safely dumps the ball 3 feet away from him to his running back and that RB proceeds to break 8 tackles and run the ball 99 yards for a touchdown, the QB still gets credit for a 99 yard touchdown pass. If a different QB threads the needle and hits his man between double coverage 40 yrds down the field only to have it bounce of the WRs hands, that QB gets credit for an 0-1 stat. Stanley's stats against Miami were much more a result of the former than the latter, with his biggest plays (the Nico catch of a severely under thrown ball and the Oliver Martin 360 turn against his body to come back for a ball that was thrown to his wrong shoulder) being results of great plays by the WR, not great throws.

4thngoal - Agreed. It would have been great not only for the 1st stringers preparation but also to get our backups much needed experience. Both can be achieved against inferior opponents by putting forth our best effort. Going for the jugular. We don't know when the injury bug will strike...and we don't have many cupcakes on the schedule who are more likely to give our 2nd team QB, etc. reps than Miami.

Grady - You are mistaken. Stanley does have the freedom to audible. He's had it since his sophomore year. The problem is, Stanley is the most timid QB Iowa has had in a decade. When he does audible, 9 times out of 10 it's to call a run up the middle for a 2 yrd gain...not to catch the defense off guard with a fly pattern. That's on the QB, not the coaches.

God dammit Iowa Law, you got me on the empty stats thing. You are right...I have now taken Joe Montana off my top QB list...Taylor and Rice caught all those slants and their YAC was huge. All the short throws to Roger Craig out of the backfield are a piece of cake...Craig did all the work. Come to think of it...freaking Brady in the Super Bowl kept throwing short balls to Edelman...that bastard is overrated and 70% of his offense was short throws. It's just idiotic. Stanley threw the ball downfield several times...and executed the screen to Sargent perfectly...guess what...none of it seemed empty to me.

Iowa Law...here's what I want you to do...try to envision selling a screen pass with 270 to 290 pound guys running at you, then look them off to the right for a full count, and come back and throw a pass with touch to your running back to your left. But it's so easy and it's a short pass. Moron. He's a huge part of selling that play and why it was successful...and he did it under control and to perfection. Learn the damn game!

You are bitching about the throw to Ragaini...it was a 45 yard pass play...stop bitching...it still almost got in the end zone...my god, and it set us up inside the five. I'm not saying it was a perfect throw but it was 45 yards and put us in an almost certain scoring position. Iowa Moron...that's the good stuff...that's what we want to happen.

 

[DDThompson]

Some of you, and by some I mean just a couple of you,
don’t get the fact that by running fullback dives on 3rd and 1 early in the season against an inferior opponent

sets up PA and bootlegs later in the season against a superior opponent which you’ll love but piss and moan that BF needs to do that a lot more because it works every time.

 

[GesterHawk]

Some of you, and by some I mean just a couple of you,
don’t get the fact that by running fullback dives on 3rd and 1 early in the season against an inferior opponent

sets up PA and bootlegs later in the season against a superior opponent which you’ll love but piss and moan that BF needs to do that a lot more because it works every time.

It is also probably a slightly higher percentage play than giving it to the halfback.

 

[94HawkMA]

Solid start to the year after a ho-hum first half. 38-14 is more offense and less defense than expected. But what about the individual performances?

1. RB - Sargent appears to have elevated his game since last year's sub-par rushing attack. 14 carries for 91 yards is solid, but add in 4 receptions for 65 more yrds, and you are starting to approach Wadley territory. This game solidified Sargent as the starter, so hopefully he can build on it and become one of the Big Ten's better backs.

2. Epena-noshow - With all of the preseason hype (1st team All American / early Top 10 NFL draft pick), I was pumped to see what he could do with extended playing time in his first start. Instead, he spent most of the game randying around, and I'm left wondering if AJ's stats last year were more a result of getting to come off the bench when his man was worn down and playing exclusively on pass downs while resting on run downs. AJ finished with 1 tackle, 0 sacks, and zero pressure on a true freshmen QB who had all day to sit back and throw the ball. Sure, there were some double teams, but that's life when you're a "Top 10 pick."

3. Questionable Personnel Decisions - For starters, what does the staff do when they have the nation's #1 ranked returner coming back for his junior season in Smirth Marsette? Bench him, and replace him with freshmen Nico Ragaini, who appears to have mastered the ability to run away from punts and let them be downed inside the 20? Head scratcher. I'd also venture to guess that no team in the country gave more touches to their fullbacks this week than Iowa (2 rushes for 0 yrds and a fumble, plus a reception). Why? Then there's the decision to scratch the highly anticipated "cash" position that Amani Hooker made famous and revert back to the outdated 4-3 defense. Remember all the talk of going 8 men deep on the DL? Well, the starters played nearly ever snap, with Nixon and my man Amani Jones getting a hand full of snaps. Overall, the defense played well, but against an inferior opponent, not getting DJ Johnson reps at the cash position or playing your subs made little sense.

4. Stanley - Fresh off a summer of attending QB camps and growing an awkward goatee, Nate had a lot to prove. As has been the case for much of his career, his stats today looked better than his actual performance. 21-30 for 252 and 3 TDs is a fantastic game on paper, and for the most part it was. However, Stanley's ball placement remains awful, with many of his completed passes thrown well behind receivers who had to come back and make plays on the ball. Nate's still afraid to pull the trigger on passes to stretch the defense, as quite a few of his 21 of his completions were check down passes that anyone could complete (7 alone were to running backs behind the line of scrimmage). On the plus side, I liked the fact that he tucked the ball and ran a couple of times, which is an added dimension this team needs.

Overall, this was a game to build on. Playing at this level the next two weeks will get us Ws, but it will not beat the big boys.

Regarding AJ, I'm wondering if Iowa was just sitting in a base defense where the DL focus was mostly on gap control. The LB's are largely untested. In a base D, the DL protect them and prevent huge gaps. So, you don't see the penetration from the DE. We may see the same thing against Rutgers, but Iowa will have to take more risks down the road.

 

[94HawkMA]

Miami played 8-9 guys in the box for much of the game. The deep ball was there and Iowa could have hit more of those. I don't know if Stanley was asked not to audible, but with a new center, keeping things simple makes sense. Also, watch Iowa's blocking scheme over the years. The RB's are expected to beat the first unblocked LB or DB and then get what they can get. When a defense crowds the LOS, they will pay at some point since there will be no help if the RB breaks contain.