Is Kirk right?

[SwirlinLingerie]

That's what I suggested around the 8 minute mark on Saturday. And again when they got the ball back at 3:32 left.
Despite not doing so, It still almost worked if it weren't for that pesky replay official. Even then without the punt return, they would have had around 2.5 minutes instead of 1.5 minutes. Slightly less harried to gain enough yards for a 73 yard field goal attempt.

But, I think you know what I mean.
I go back to the 3 legged table. If one leg is broken, it might still function as a table. Even quite well if you stick some cardboard coasters under. But at some point, that leg is bound to completely fail. And at that point, you no longer even have an unstable table. You have pieces of a table on the floor. And your floor will be covered in spilled food and broken glassware. The sensible thing to do is to prevent that from happening and fix the broken leg. I'm fine with a repaired leg of the Kirk Ferentz table.

That's why it's mind boggling to me that they haven't played around with a wildcat formation. At this point, I'd be rotating platoons of wildcat. DeJean, whatever running back can handle direct snaps the best, and Lainez. I'm sure it'd be awful, too, but at least you have an additional guy blocking for a runner that way. Right now, Iowa is trying to block 11 with 9, and the QB can't run, is wildly inaccurate, and can't even protect the ball.

 

[dahlhawk]

After all the complaining I do, I was still entertained. That is what this is all about.

But are you really?

 

[dahlhawk]

That's why it's mind boggling to me that they haven't played around with a wildcat formation. At this point, I'd be rotating platoons of wildcat. DeJean, whatever running back can handle direct snaps the best, and Lainez. I'm sure it'd be awful, too, but at least you have an additional guy blocking for a runner that way. Right now, Iowa is trying to block 11 with 9, and the QB can't run, is wildly inaccurate, and can't even protect the ball.

I honestly don't think they have a choice. DeJean is the only chance for any big play from the offense. I know in my heart if he Wildcatted that last series he would have picked up enough yards for the field goal try. With Hill such an admitted reclamation project and novice, is using trick plays or gimmick plays really that crazy? Fry used them, Michigan with all their talent use a half-back pass against us to break our defense. Why is this such a forbidden option for Iowa?

 

[NCHawker]

Not sure which thread about offensive incompetence this should go in, so I will just put it in the top one.

In the chart below you see the national rank of efficiency ratings for the D, ST, and O going back as far as they are available (2007). This offensive stretch we are in is unprecedented. We have dipped before, but we haven't been screaming towards the earth over a span of 3 years like this:

View attachment 10400

This was posted by HawkeyeGamefilm on twitter: https://twitter.com/hawkeyegamefilm/status/1716437487092916610

I'll explain it as a callous disregard for offense. A blind spot, Maybe laziness about offense. He just does not give it much thought or priority. Well I said it 4 different ways. There is also the talent. The system does not lend its self to being a place where good QBs and WR want to play. Cade being one exception

 

[SCHawkeye2]

I'll explain it as a callous disregard for offense. A blind spot, Maybe laziness about offense. He just does not give it much thought or priority. Well I said it 4 different ways. There is also the talent. The system does not lend its self to being a place where good QBs and WR want to play. Cade being one exception

I agree, with the exception of the comment about McNamara. We know what his history was. But… He was beaten out for the starting job at Michigan. He was injured badly. I am sure the reason for his transfer to Iowa was more about the possibility of playing and NIL money than attraction to the Iowa program.
Prior to the season, he was treated as if he was the second coming. There was little in his limited performance that lived up to the pre-season hype. I’m sure he would be better than Hill at this point, but I’m not sure he would have been the game changer many folks thought he would be.

 

[Teddy]

I'll explain it as a callous disregard for offense. A blind spot, Maybe laziness about offense. He just does not give it much thought or priority. Well I said it 4 different ways. There is also the talent. The system does not lend its self to being a place where good QBs and WR want to play. Cade being one exception

Clearly hyperbole. Just look at the Iowa starters in the Ferentz era at both positions. However, beginning in 2021 something really changed for the worse. That roster had Bruce IV and K Johnson and Charlie Jones yet struggled in the air. Petras certainly didn't live up to his HS recruiting profile.

If you go back and look at the team statistics, the ball distribution in particular, only 4 years ago, no one would think it was the same HC and OC. The difference between the Stanley years and the now cruel, limited and impotent offense are astounding.