IowaLawWasRight
Well-Known Member
Ouch. In what some were touting as Iowa's biggest game since the Big 10 Championship, you would think boy wonder Brian would have spent extra time this week drawing up a game plan to catch Michigan off guard. In stead, we scored a grand total of 3 points in a 10-3 loss.
1. Defense. The game ball this week undoubtedly goes to the defense. Geno Stone stepped up like Iowa DBs have in years past in big games. Shea Patterson was held to just 147 yards passing to those 5 star WRs. The RBs were stuffed for the most part as well (aside from Tru Wilson, who only got 4 carries for some reason). The defense can hold Top 25 teams to 10 points in spite of one of the worst offensive performances since Beathard's last game. That's saying something.
2. Stanley. Welp, I've been saying it for years. Stanley is a stat machine when it comes to torching cupcake opponents...but in tight games where his leadership and grit are tested, he folds like a wet napkin. 23 of 42 for 260 yrds, 0 TDs and 3 interceptions will result in a loss 90% of the time, regardless of opponent. But perhaps more disappointing was the decision making. Standing back there like a statue during blitzes. Taking 8 sacks rather than throwing the ball away with the game on the line. An intentional grounding penalty and a delay of game penalty is amateur randying around, especially for a 3 year starter who has played more games than nearly any Iowa QB in the Ferentz era. Stanley will have stats that keep him in the record books, but he will be quickly forgotten like a Jake Rudock.
3. Nico Ragaini. I've been calling for Nico's benching since week 1. However, this week he stepped up his game perhaps more than anyone else. The Hawks put a second guy back there to help, and Nico FINALLY stopped running away from punts. Not only did he catch punts, he even ran balls back after the catch. Michigan has a big legged punter who outkicked his coverage and Nico made them pay. 4 returns for 54 yards is his best game as a Hawk, and 6 receptions for 46 yards kept Iowa in the game.
4. Epa-no-show. Iowa needed their all American DE show up to pressure Michigan's QB. Instead, he was mostly shut out of the game. Was he double teamed? Sometimes, but not much. Every time I focused on AJ, he would bull rush a single tackle, then run entirely to the outside of the pocket, taking himself out of the play. AJ picked up just his second sack of the year (he had 10.5 last year and 4 forced fumbles), he had just 2 tackles all day and was out shined by his DL peers Golston (8 tackles, 2 for loss) and Lattimore (4 tackles and bottled up the middle).
5. Goodson. Goodson is the future of Iowa football. He may even find himself the starter next week. He led the team with 62 yrds receiving. More impressively, he made catches only a WR could make and showed moves we have not seen since Wadley Iowa got away from the run early (even though Young was averaging 5 yrds per carry), and it's unclear how the game would have turned out with a heavier dose of Goodson and Young.
6. Sleep Dalton. Iowa's feel good newcomer of the year story pulled a Stanley in his first game at a big time stadium against a big time opponent. Coming into the game as the Big 10's punting leader, Sleep Dalton shanked at least 2 punts when it counted most. He ended up averaging just 38 yards per punt (very Rastatter-esque), while also giving up a touch back and a huge punt return for a net punting average of way less than that. In a 7 point loss, punting can be the difference in a win and a loss.
1. Defense. The game ball this week undoubtedly goes to the defense. Geno Stone stepped up like Iowa DBs have in years past in big games. Shea Patterson was held to just 147 yards passing to those 5 star WRs. The RBs were stuffed for the most part as well (aside from Tru Wilson, who only got 4 carries for some reason). The defense can hold Top 25 teams to 10 points in spite of one of the worst offensive performances since Beathard's last game. That's saying something.
2. Stanley. Welp, I've been saying it for years. Stanley is a stat machine when it comes to torching cupcake opponents...but in tight games where his leadership and grit are tested, he folds like a wet napkin. 23 of 42 for 260 yrds, 0 TDs and 3 interceptions will result in a loss 90% of the time, regardless of opponent. But perhaps more disappointing was the decision making. Standing back there like a statue during blitzes. Taking 8 sacks rather than throwing the ball away with the game on the line. An intentional grounding penalty and a delay of game penalty is amateur randying around, especially for a 3 year starter who has played more games than nearly any Iowa QB in the Ferentz era. Stanley will have stats that keep him in the record books, but he will be quickly forgotten like a Jake Rudock.
3. Nico Ragaini. I've been calling for Nico's benching since week 1. However, this week he stepped up his game perhaps more than anyone else. The Hawks put a second guy back there to help, and Nico FINALLY stopped running away from punts. Not only did he catch punts, he even ran balls back after the catch. Michigan has a big legged punter who outkicked his coverage and Nico made them pay. 4 returns for 54 yards is his best game as a Hawk, and 6 receptions for 46 yards kept Iowa in the game.
4. Epa-no-show. Iowa needed their all American DE show up to pressure Michigan's QB. Instead, he was mostly shut out of the game. Was he double teamed? Sometimes, but not much. Every time I focused on AJ, he would bull rush a single tackle, then run entirely to the outside of the pocket, taking himself out of the play. AJ picked up just his second sack of the year (he had 10.5 last year and 4 forced fumbles), he had just 2 tackles all day and was out shined by his DL peers Golston (8 tackles, 2 for loss) and Lattimore (4 tackles and bottled up the middle).
5. Goodson. Goodson is the future of Iowa football. He may even find himself the starter next week. He led the team with 62 yrds receiving. More impressively, he made catches only a WR could make and showed moves we have not seen since Wadley Iowa got away from the run early (even though Young was averaging 5 yrds per carry), and it's unclear how the game would have turned out with a heavier dose of Goodson and Young.
6. Sleep Dalton. Iowa's feel good newcomer of the year story pulled a Stanley in his first game at a big time stadium against a big time opponent. Coming into the game as the Big 10's punting leader, Sleep Dalton shanked at least 2 punts when it counted most. He ended up averaging just 38 yards per punt (very Rastatter-esque), while also giving up a touch back and a huge punt return for a net punting average of way less than that. In a 7 point loss, punting can be the difference in a win and a loss.
