Iowa's 2-minute offense & Ken O'Keefe

H

hawkeye28

Active Member
First off, this is my first post (just signed up today) - die hard Hawkeye fan since the Timmy Dwight days my freshman year in 1997. My apologies if this topic has been rehashed in other threads, but thought it was timely with last week's debacle.

I've never been a big Ken O'Keefe fan. After Saturday's loss, I was emotionally exhausted because so much was at stake with that game and if a timeout was called after the kneel down, who knows what could have happend.

My question to all you gurus out there who know this team in and out ... why do we literally SUCK (I hate using that word, but that's the word to use since 1999) at the 2-minute offense?

Other than Michigan State (2009), the Drew Tate miracle in the Capital One Bowl, and Purdue (2002), I can't remember many more games where we grew a pair on offense and won the game because of a solid 2-minute offense. And the MSU game last year, the play was called by McNutt during the tmeout when he said he knew he could beat the guy.

Take Wisconsin (2009) for example. We are down 10-0 and we have 2 timeouts with 1:35 on the clock at our own 15 or 20 yard line (I think WI got the ball at the half too). What do we do ... we run the ball 2x and kill the clock, kneel down, and go in with 0 pts on the board ... Go get a freakin' field goal and put some points on the dang board! There are countless other examples like this - and not just at the end of games ... many times, it's pre-halftime conservatism and we just settle.

Heck, from 1999-2001, I don't think O'Keefe knew what a 2-minute offense even looked like. Luckily, Brad Banks showed him in 2002 (Banks should have been playing in 2001, but that's another story).

Another 2009 example was the Ohio State game ... we had a little under a minute and 1 timeout to get 40-45 yards to ATTEMPT a field goal to win the game. We had all the momentum with the strong defense and 14+ pts in the 4th quarter, but we run the ball on first down and then "hope" we can finish the deal in OT. The ROSE BOWL was on the line!!!

So back to last Saturday's game ... maybe Stanzi didn't know what to do after the kneel down because the coaching staff didn't prepare the team on what they should be doing in hectic situtations like this ... I don't know. It's just maddening that for the last 10+ years, when it comes down to the offense winning the game, we are usually on the losing end of the stick.

Sorry for my first post to be so long ... I just needed to rant. We have to win Saturday, otherwise even an Outback Bowl bid could be in jeopardy (if Northwestern or OSU don't go our way).

Your thoughts?

GO HAWKS!!!

-Tim
 
That 2009 Ohio State chicken move was all Ferentz*--don't doubt that for a second.

*He's a great coach and man. I hope my daughter marries someone like him. He's the best we could ever hope to get and keep. I'm just sayin, 2009 OSU, play for OT--bad call in the midst of many correct ones.
 
I was actually pleasantly surprised at the end of the first half on Saturday when we moved the ball on a short field and scored to end the half. I agree that it hasn't happened often, but thought the end of the half was a step forward, and a reflection on the confidence KOK has in his guys.

One mistake, imo, on that drive that was scary was the burning of a timeout with the clock stopped between first and second and goal. I believe that unless it is absolutely necessary (facing too many men, or the like) you NEVER burn a timeout with the clock stopped in the two minute drill (you recall Stanzi threw first down into the first row). At the time, I said that was poor game management, and seeing how the game ended, I guess the old adage, you play how you practice holds true.
 
Good stuff, ESOXHAWK. AlbertYoungIsGood - I agree, Kirk's positives out weigh the negatives ... probably a 95/5 ratio. If we had that 2-minute efficiency fixed before the season started, we're #1, #2, #3 in the country and undefeated.

I forgot to point out the 2-minute drive vs. PSU in 2008.

Re: OSU 2009, so who decides on whether to sit on it or move forward? Does Kirk give reigns to O'Keefe or do they both consult? It just seems like there is no rhyme or reason for some of the last minute game managment when the offense on the field. Defense is another story - we usually can hold our own.

One more nit pick while we're at it ... remember PITT 2008? Did Stanzi have the entire first half or did he come in after JC in the first half? Anyways, I heard that Stanzi wanted to move the ball right before half and did some audibles that O'Keefe didn't like and that's why Mr. Inconsistent (JC) played the entire 2nd half and BOTCHED yet another 2-minute drive at the end of the game.
 
Dan Marino has the NFL all-time record for 4th quarter comebacks, which is defined as leading your team to a victory from behind at any time in the fourth quarter. We're not talking about the last two minutes here; it can be at any time in the fourth quarter. He has 36 of them in 240 career starts-- quick math, that's one in every 6+ games. This is the gold standard for NFL quarterbacks.

Ricky Stanzi has 27 career starts. He has led two 4th quarter comebacks, one every 13.5 games. Both were in the final minutes of the game.

Nope, he's no Dan Marino. Neither is anyone else. Brett Favre, for instance, has 27 such combacks in 291 career starts. One every 10.5 games or so.

We are probably spoiled because we saw him do it against Penn State and Michigan State, and I'll bet we'll see him do it again. But it's not exactly easy or common. In fact, it's quite rare, even among the best quarterbacks to ever play the game.
 
Looking at these screen names, I should have been 363NRiversideDr (Phi Psi Alumn).

My rant is from a lot of the same old since 1999. But looking at Stanzi's body of work (forget the coaching staff), I completely agree with you OliveCourt.

I'm a huge Stanzi fan. Not saying he'll be the next Tom Brady, but his height, build, and throwing motion reminds me of Tom Brady. I know he's not being looked at as a 1st or 2nd rounder, but he's around the 4th or 5th best QB in next year's draft, and someone who needs a QB in the 3rd or 4th round next year is going to get a guy who quite possibly can be a player at the next level. He throws a nice ball and when he's on, the deep ball is money. And him cutting down the INTs from last year to this year says something as well.

It's been a while since we've had a Hawkeye QB in the NFL and I think Stanzi, in the right situation, could have a chance at starting.
 
I re-watched the 2nd half of Saturday's game and a couple interesting things about Iowa's final drive.

1) After Stanzi executed the QB sneak he signals to the sidelines and the offense to spike the ball. The offense is initially lined up and Stanzi is under center, however...

2) The coach(es) from the sideline signal a play into Stanzi. Stanzi puts his arms out to his side in frustration and seems to be saying what freagin play do you want me to run.

3) Mass confusion ensues. Stanzi steps back into shotgun fromation and the WRs start running around to get lined up. The timeout is called.

If you watch the re-watch the game, Stanzi was definitely not at fault.
 
What about Indiana last year? Or Penn State? I know that the D and special teams did a lot of the work, but if credit goes to the QB then he should get credit here too. I guess my count would be 4 comebacks in the 4th quarter which would make it one every 6.75 games

olivecourt said:
Dan Marino has the NFL all-time record for 4th quarter comebacks, which is defined as leading your team to a victory from behind at any time in the fourth quarter. We're not talking about the last two minutes here; it can be at any time in the fourth quarter. He has 36 of them in 240 career starts-- quick math, that's one in every 6+ games. This is the gold standard for NFL quarterbacks.

Ricky Stanzi has 27 career starts. He has led two 4th quarter comebacks, one every 13.5 games. Both were in the final minutes of the game.

Nope, he's no Dan Marino. Neither is anyone else. Brett Favre, for instance, has 27 such combacks in 291 career starts. One every 10.5 games or so.

We are probably spoiled because we saw him do it against Penn State and Michigan State, and I'll bet we'll see him do it again. But it's not exactly easy or common. In fact, it's quite rare, even among the best quarterbacks to ever play the game.
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O'Keefe is a decent coordinator until crunch time. He is not aggressive at all which drives me nuts but that is Iowa's style and we have to deal with that. I just don't think that he has the instincts to pick plays quickly at the end of the game. He always plays not to lose rather than to win which is a terrible strategy.
One would think that he would have a sheet for the two minute drill to quickly look at the plays. It is something that we will never get better at and the same mistakes over and over again prove that point.
 
I hate to think about these past 2 minute drill problems, but I will never forget in 2001 when we played ISU at the end of the year due to 9/11. We had a senior QB, senior RB, Senior FB, veteran wideouts and a host of juniors on the o-line. Trailing by 3 with around 3 or so minutes left ISU kicks off, we get the ball at the twenty...and proceed to go 11 yards in about 2 minutes. This is the game where Podalak litterally had to excuse himself from the radio booth. The series went:
1. Off tackle for a yard...followed by a huddle - clock continues to tick.
2. Bubble screen for about 8 yards...followed by a huddle - clock continues to tick
3. Off tackle for one yard for the first down - clock continues to tick
4. Interception.

I've never seen anything like it at the college level. In a hurry up situation a team takes about 2 minutes to go 11 yards.

I think later that year in the Alamo Bowl we had a decent 2 minute drive going with the game tied until McCann takes a big sack with about 25 seconds left leading to 4th down. Rather than waiting for the clock to wind down to about 3 seconds so that the game winning kick would be tried as time expired, we called timeout immediately and allowed Tech one shot at the endzone for its last possession which fortunately fell incomplete.

There are a ton of these examples. Does this mean I want Ferentz gone? No freaking way. It's just hard to understand how this hasn't been corrected over the years.
 
hackman23 said:
O'Keefe is a decent coordinator until crunch time. He is not aggressive at all which drives me nuts but that is Iowa's style and we have to deal with that. I just don't think that he has the instincts to pick plays quickly at the end of the game. He always plays not to lose rather than to win which is a terrible strategy.
One would think that he would have a sheet for the two minute drill to quickly look at the plays. It is something that we will never get better at and the same mistakes over and over again prove that point.
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A few years ago I sat right behind the Purdue bench at Kinnick. First row. They had a duffle bag marked 2 minute. In it were wristbands with plays on them. When it got to two minutes, student managers gave all the offensive players the wristbands. I am to assume that plays were coded for quick recognition with a hand signal or code word or number. Seemed like a very good idea. Wonder if Iowa uses anything like this?
 
Mac50702 said:
Yeah, Pioli will be sniffing around.
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I highly doubt Stanzi will be able to do anything more in the pros than Matt Cassell. He'll be doing very well for himself if he can have a Todd Collins type career. Yeah, I remember boards in 2004 speculating on whether Drew Tate would be drafted in the second or just the third round, then people wondering which team would draft Brad Banks. Ohio State fans thought Craig Krenzel would have been in the pro bowl by now.
Yeah, I know, Stanzi "pro-type" and all that. I love the guy, glad he's here, winner...but his upside is Kyle Boller.

Time will tell.
 
AIRHAWK said:
A few years ago I sat right behind the Purdue bench at Kinnick. First row. They had a duffle bag marked 2 minute. In it were wristbands with plays on them. When it got to two minutes, student managers gave all the offensive players the wristbands. I am to assume that plays were coded for quick recognition with a hand signal or code word or number. Seemed like a very good idea. Wonder if Iowa uses anything like this?
Click to expand...

I've never seen them use wristbands, but they have a scaled back playbook and they only use a couple formations. I did a blog post last year after the MSU game, breaking down the final drive by formation, play/route concepts, and coverages...in watching that drive it surprised me how simplistic our 2 minute package was.
 
Regarding the McNutt calling play in the OP, that is what good coaches do. They ask their players what they think will work !!! If KOK had called his own play without regard to player input, THEN you have indication of bad coach.

You can blame KOK if you want but many times, it is Kirk deciding how to approach last few minutess. He definitely made the call against OSU last year and is probably responsible for many of other situations you mention too. I dont necessarily like it but blame the right person.
 
hawkfan8691 said:
What about Indiana last year? Or Penn State? I know that the D and special teams did a lot of the work, but if credit goes to the QB then he should get credit here too. I guess my count would be 4 comebacks in the 4th quarter which would make it one every 6.75 games
Click to expand...

Yep, you're right. Under the criteria that is used for the NFL QBs I cited, these would count as 4th quarter comebacks. I honestly forgot we were losing going into the 4th against those teams because we ended up winning pretty handily. You'd almost think our coaches and quarterback know what they're doing at the end of games...
 
O'Keefe's MO is to make sure the team has a lead and then rely on the defense to hold it. Always has been, always will be. The guy's play calling is precise in the clutch - I think a great example is the Texas game where we called that end around pass - if that play worked, we would have won the game - just another example of poor execution by youngsters and certainly not the staff's fault.

Also ran a great 2 minute drill up in East Lansing in 2008 and against NU at home that same year. Just had execution problems. The LSU game was great coaching, though. Saban was all like "cover the sidelines" and the idiot didn't realize the clock was running so we threw that pass right down the seam and won the game easily. Michigan 2005 was another great 2 minute drill, O'Keefe marched us down the field and then played it safe and went for the FG, which you should always do at home - never go for the win at home. Unfortunately, the defense let us down by giving up a TD in OT, but that wasn't O'Keefe's fault.
 
SLarew said:
Regarding the McNutt calling play in the OP, that is what good coaches do. They ask their players what they think will work !!! If KOK had called his own play without regard to player input, THEN you have indication of bad coach.

You can blame KOK if you want but many times, it is Kirk deciding how to approach last few minutess. He definitely made the call against OSU last year and is probably responsible for many of other situations you mention too. I dont necessarily like it but blame the right person.
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We're so lucky MSU blitzed their LB on that play. But O'Keefe knew they would - I would NEVER want to play chess against the guy - the guy is in his opponent's head.
 
"Michigan 2005 was another great 2 minute drill, O'Keefe marched us down the field and then played it safe and went for the FG, which you should always do at home - never go for the win at home."

Oh my, that was AWFUL. I think KOK is better at his job than 90% of fans think he is. (great play calling and game plan--really--against Wisky) but wow, 05 Michigan, really bad. We threw down the field with ease, get near the end zone, then didn't throw into it.
 
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