IowaLaw's Post Game Review: Michigan

[HaydenHawk56]

Remind you of anyone.

 

[iloveyoularrystation]

The way Eppy is playing it reminds me of Clayborns senior year. Playing to stay healthy waiting for the NFL draft.

Clayborns senior year he had nerve damage in his arm, and played through it the entire year rather than taking the year off, having surgery, and saving himself for the draft. this year might look like that but just to be fair to Clayborn, that's what happened.

 

[Caddy]

That’s fine. I’m arguing against the refs “judgement”. I think he could have caught it but we or the ref will never know because he wasn’t allowed to jump. The ball landed about 9 feet out of bounds, hardly in the trombone section. Every coach on the Iowa sidelines including KF was going nuts. Also, if it’s holding, I’m not sure the ball has to be catchable.

Martin couldn't have come close to catching that ball. It landed 5 yards out of bounds. A flag could have been thrown anyway, but that is on Stanley for not getting the ball to at least be catchable.

 

[peerok]

Stanley certainly didn't play well, but in all fairness, not many QBs are going to look good when you can't establish the run and can't pick up a blitz the entire game.

 

[hwk23]

Stanley certainly didn't play well, but in all fairness, not many QBs are going to look good when you can't establish the run and can't pick up a blitz the entire game.

Also I’d add going against a superior secondary that is allowed to hold when they need to.

 

[revkev73]

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.

No evaluations of the coaching? The Elephant in the Room?

 

[Healzya]

I don't understand AJE bull rushing constantly either. That's not how he played last year so I am guessing the coaching staff is having him do it so he can keep outside contain and watch the inside run instead of straight rushing the passer.

 

[BlackNGold1982]

Okay I’ll bite - Nate holding onto the ball too long?? ;-)

Remind you of anyone.

 

[IowaLawWasRight]

phd - while it's true that some guys get drafted more on potential than actual performance (i.e. Ryan Leaf was drafted and Brad Banks was not), I think AJE's draft stock has taken a huge hit so far this year. If he finishes with 4 sacks and 1 forced fumble that he's on pace to get, my guess is he'd be a 3rd or 4th rounder and come back for his senior year.

uihawk/jonrn - the more you watch Iowa football, the more you'll agree with you're only agreeing with IowaLaw.

hwk - our WRs are by no means world beaters, but they were getting open enough to have put points on the board if Nate Stanley and his happy feet weren't looking to either check down or take a sack. They are mid-level Big 10 WRs, which is a huge improvement over years past.

peer - I'm not sure Iowa "couldn't establish the run." It would be more accurate to say the coaches "wouldn't" establish the run. Toren Young had 8 carries and averaged 5 yards per run. At that clip, if he got 20 carries, he would have had 100 yards. Instead, the staff thought it would be better to let the game rest on Nate's timid, slow moving shoulders.

 

[uihawk82]

That’s fine. I’m arguing against the refs “judgement”. I think he could have caught it but we or the ref will never know because he wasn’t allowed to jump. The ball landed about 9 feet out of bounds, hardly in the trombone section. Every coach on the Iowa sidelines including KF was going nuts. Also, if it’s holding, I’m not sure the ball has to be catchable.

You are right there I am almost sure. Holding is holding because if he wasnt holding Martin might have been more open leading to a QB seeing an open receiver and a well thrown TD throw.

Holding is holding.

 

[uihawk82]

When the ball is declared uncatchable, there is no call to be made.

The player guarding Martin could have tied a rope around Oliver's ankles and there would have been no flag.

That was on Stanley who was obviously trying to throw it away but also took defensive holding/pass interference out of play as well.

I am not sure if you have the rules right there. Holding is holding and if he is holding even before the ball is thrown it is holding. If he is holding and keeping the receiver from getting open even as the QB is throwing the ball it is holding.

Penalty on Mich

 

[Northside Hawk]

I am not sure if you have the rules right there. Holding is holding and if he is holding even before the ball is thrown it is holding. If he is holding and keeping the receiver from getting open even as the QB is throwing the ball it is holding.

Penalty on Mich

Again the ball was declared uncatchable in the judgement of the official. It is at that point and only at that point when any further holding is moot. And as is the case with the inadvertent whistle, it doesn't matter if the official is wrong or not. He was wrong in that case, but it was not reversible or reviewable.

I wasn't talking about before the declaration or before the ball was thrown.

Holding isn't always holding. Two instances where it isn't are when a ball is tipped en route, or when an official judges the ball uncatchable. Holding is holding in virtually any other case, including the scenarios you mentioned.

Am I missing anything else?

 

[HuckFinn]

phd - while it's true that some guys get drafted more on potential than actual performance (i.e. Ryan Leaf was drafted and Brad Banks was not), I think AJE's draft stock has taken a huge hit so far this year. If he finishes with 4 sacks and 1 forced fumble that he's on pace to get, my guess is he'd be a 3rd or 4th rounder and come back for his senior year.

uihawk/jonrn - the more you watch Iowa football, the more you'll agree with you're only agreeing with IowaLaw.

hwk - our WRs are by no means world beaters, but they were getting open enough to have put points on the board if Nate Stanley and his happy feet weren't looking to either check down or take a sack. They are mid-level Big 10 WRs, which is a huge improvement over years past.

peer - I'm not sure Iowa "couldn't establish the run." It would be more accurate to say the coaches "wouldn't" establish the run. Toren Young had 8 carries and averaged 5 yards per run. At that clip, if he got 20 carries, he would have had 100 yards. Instead, the staff thought it would be better to let the game rest on Nate's timid, slow moving shoulders.

Your view on AJE’s draft status is really dumb.

 

[Northside Hawk]

Your view on AJE’s draft status is really dumb.

I'm already hearing the horsefeathers. Eppy's stock is dropping. Eppy is protecting himself for the draft. Eppy might full a Fant and skip a potential bowl game.

The only one of those that is even remotely possible is the last one as that seems to be a growing trend. As for the others, it's hogwash. NFL people know what he can do. And if you play football afraid to get hurt that's exactly when you are going to get hurt.

If Eppy starts getting handled one on one on a consistent basis by average offensive tackles, then we may have a cause for concern. I don't think we've reached that point yet. I saw Matt Roth get handled one on one on occasion his senior year and it didn't hurt his NFL stock too much. Sometimes Eppy's assignment in a certain defense sets up someone else to make the play. Sometimes the other player wins the battle.

I'd love to see Urban Meyer focus on Eppy in one of his sitdowns with Gerry DiNardo. I have a feeling Urb knows anything or two about football.

 

[hawkfan2679]

Again the ball was declared uncatchable in the judgement of the official. It is at that point and only at that point when any further holding is moot. And as is the case with the inadvertent whistle, it doesn't matter if the official is wrong or not. He was wrong in that case, but it was not reversible or reviewable.

I wasn't talking about before the declaration or before the ball was thrown.

Holding isn't always holding. Two instances where it isn't are when a ball is tipped en route, or when an official judges the ball uncatchable. Holding is holding in virtually any other case, including the scenarios you mentioned.

Am I missing anything else?

Late to the party on this, but from what I understand...

Before ball is thrown - Defensive holding (catchable or not doesn't matter because ball not thrown)

After ball is thrown - Defensive pass interference (catch-ability (?) comes into play)

 

[eveningnewsteam]

Didn’t expect to, but I kind of agree with the entire OPs post