Iowa's Final Possession

[rodthompson]

Forgive me if this has been already discussed, but did anyone else think it was nuts that Ferentz and O'Keefe just went in to an empty backfield shotgun formation immediately.

They only had one timeout left at that point with less than 3 minutes to go. Especially with how poorly the defense was playing, you had to know that was your last possession of the game. All you needed to do was to get in to field goal range for a chance to win. Coker had been running amok all game. Why abandon the run? It was mind boggling to me. The way they lined up was like there was 30 seconds left and it was a last gasp. There was plenty of time on the clock to run your normal offense.

 

[Hawkfromnorwalk]

Like Stonehenge and the statues on Easter Island, Iowa's final possession decision making will forever be a mystery.

 

[TritonHawkeye]

It has been noted a few times. It was for me a WTF moment.

You can run a hurry up in college and still run the ball because of the clock stoppage after 1st downs.

 

[NeilDiamond]

The general consensus here is that all the coaches are idiots, should be fired and replaced by anyone of us.

 

[hoffahawk]

The general consensus here is that all the coaches are idiots, should be fired and replaced by anyone of us.

Yes, some, and Hell No.

 

[DuffMan]

Forgive me if this has been already discussed, but did anyone else think it was nuts that Ferentz and O'Keefe just went in to an empty backfield shotgun formation immediately.

They only had one timeout left at that point with less than 3 minutes to go. Especially with how poorly the defense was playing, you had to know that was your last possession of the game. All you needed to do was to get in to field goal range for a chance to win. Coker had been running amok all game. Why abandon the run? It was mind boggling to me. The way they lined up was like there was 30 seconds left and it was a last gasp. There was plenty of time on the clock to run your normal offense.

There are a couple of factors here. The first is it takes about 20-30 seconds of game time to run a running play. 4-5 seconds for the play, another 5-10 to get everyone off the pile and the ball set, 5 second to call a play and get going. Even if Coker rips off a couple of 5+ runs there now you are under 2 min to go.

The second factor is at some point in that drive you are going to have to go to a pass personnel group, and it takes tons of time (or our final time out) to change personnel groups. It makes more sense to start with a passing personnel group on the field.

Bottom line there really wasn't enough time to run our normal offense there.

 

[BlackHawk]

With the way we are relegated to 5 yard passing plays when confronted with a blitz, running on first down was the right call.

 

[David79]

wait, I thought that is what everyone wanted on this board? Go five-wide and run the no-huddle, or is that people only want that when it works?

 

[BlackHawk]

wait, I thought that is what everyone wanted on this board? Go five-wide and run the no-huddle, or is that people only want that when it works?

249 yards through three quarters...

 

[rodthompson]

I just think you have to at least represent you might run the ball. In my opinion I don't believe we go 3 and out there if we do.

Again, I think everyone had to know this was our last possession of the game. That type of play calling to me was if you some last ditch effort with about 30 seconds left and no timeouts. It's one thing if running the ball hadn't produced much all day, but obviously that wasn't the case.

 

[DuffMan]

I just think you have to at least represent you might run the ball. In my opinion I don't believe we go 3 and out there if we do.

Again, I think everyone had to know this was our last possession of the game. That type of play calling to me was if you some last ditch effort with about 30 seconds left and no timeouts. It's one thing if running the ball hadn't produced much all day, but obviously that wasn't the case.

We don't go 3 and out if we run the ball, we easily pick up a first down. The problem is we eat up 1+ min on the clock doing so, so now we have the ball at our own 35 or 40 with around a min and a half and only one time out.

 

[BlackHawk]

We don't go 3 and out if we run the ball, we easily pick up a first down. The problem is we eat up 1+ min on the clock doing so, so now we have the ball at our own 35 or 40 with around a min and a half and only one time out.

How much time do you need to go 30 yards and kick a field goal?

 

[rodthompson]

I agree with BlackHawk here, there was enough time to get down field and at least give Meyer a shot, although he'd been struggling all day so who knows.


Going to some spread shotgun look was way too early at that point.

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

We don't go 3 and out if we run the ball, we easily pick up a first down. The problem is we eat up 1+ min on the clock doing so, so now we have the ball at our own 35 or 40 with around a min and a half and only one time out.

Which is a pretty damn good situation to be in when you only need a FG for the win.

 

[hawkfarmer]

It doesn't really matter if Herman and White catch the passes thrown to them. guaranteed 5-8 yards on each one.

 

[DuffMan]

We don't go 3 and out if we run the ball, we easily pick up a first down. The problem is we eat up 1 min on the clock doing so, so now we have the ball at our own 35 or 40 with around a min and a half and only one time out.

Which is a pretty damn good situation to be in when you only need a FG for the win.

completely disagree.

 

[DuffMan]

It doesn't really matter if Herman and White catch the passes thrown to them. guaranteed 5-8 yards on each one.

truth

 

[storminspank]

Iowa had plenty of time to run the ball in the final series. That much is completely undebatable.

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

completely disagree.

Why? How long do you think you need to move the ball 35 yards in college?

 

[DuffMan]

Iowa had plenty of time to run the ball in the final series. That much is completely undebatable.

I'm not saying you can't make an argument that we could have run the ball there. I'm saying there is a very strong case to do what we did as well. given the distance we had to go and the time we had left I have no problems with going 5 wide .