Is Northern Iowa supposed to be really good, good, just average??

uihawk82

Well-Known Member
I just want to know considering ISU only beat them 16-10. If UNI is not supposed to be a top team in their level of play then I guess I can see them playing ISU close but if not then what is the deal with ISU?

Did anyone watch this game? Any thoughts?
 
Heard Northern Iowa returned a huge number of starters. That can turn into early season success, even if they aren't a great team.
 
They're not supposed to be good at all. They're ranked 21st, but they're never ranked that low. It sounds good, but there really aren't that many teams to rank. Even when they're 4-4, they're ranked higher than 21.

My neighbor, a very level-headed sports fan, is around 50 and has had season tickets to UNI games since college. He said that they're going to be so bad that he and his friends dropped their tickets this year because he's finally given up. Said he's going to some Iowa and ISU games this year and will take in a couple of UNI games, even though it makes him sick how bad it's gotten. I used his tickets last year and the sentiment seemed to be the same throughout the crowd. It was very frustrating to watch.

I was shocked at how the game played out today. Wasn't sure which side of the 31.5 point spread I'd bet. I watched the game and ISU just didn't show up. They had no emotion, did not play physically, and looked like they really were only 6 points better than UNI. It's almost like they'd been practicing for a different opponent for the past month. Is UNLV in two weeks their super bowl?
 
I was at the game.

The shocking thing to me was that ISU's wideouts and tight ends couldn't get open. Uni had the speed, and the size, to keep up with ISU stride for stride. They did a decent job at keeping Bryce Hall bottled up as well.

For some unknown reason, Campbell wasn't able to use his massive oline to move the smaller Panthers methodically down the field. After watching that game today - Iowa can cover ISU. If they can be as stout against the run as UNI, then they'll win Saturday. Because there's no way UNI's back 7 are as good as Iowa's.

Final thing. UNI took ISU 3 and out with 1:03 to play, and if it wasn't for a great coffin corner punt that forced them to start at their ten and a bone headed clock management move by throwing short of the sticks in the middle of the field to start that drive, UNI might have won that game. They were driving and got all the way to the ISU 33 before the clock expired. All they needed was those six seconds they wasted, and this could have been an entirely different conversation.
 
The little bit I saw was that UNI matched up well on the line and defense and no ability to match at skill positions. ISU wasn't geared for tearing up fur but wanted feathers.
 
I was at the game.

The shocking thing to me was that ISU's wideouts and tight ends couldn't get open. Uni had the speed, and the size, to keep up with ISU stride for stride. They did a decent job at keeping Bryce Hall bottled up as well.

For some unknown reason, Campbell wasn't able to use his massive oline to move the smaller Panthers methodically down the field. After watching that game today - Iowa can cover ISU. If they can be as stout against the run as UNI, then they'll win Saturday. Because there's no way UNI's back 7 are as good as Iowa's.

Final thing. UNI took ISU 3 and out with 1:03 to play, and if it wasn't for a great coffin corner punt that forced them to start at their ten and a bone headed clock management move by throwing short of the sticks in the middle of the field to start that drive, UNI might have won that game. They were driving and got all the way to the ISU 33 before the clock expired. All they needed was those six seconds they wasted, and this could have been an entirely different conversation.
After reading this I'm encouraged.
 
Nothing to take away from this game, remember 2009? UNI isn't all that good but they didn't play the same Cyclone team the Hawkeyes will be facing next Saturday. I mean the names and numbers might be the same but the focus and motivation will be different.
 
After reading this I'm encouraged.
I was laughing. What gamesmanship to be giving the ball back and letting UNI drive for a possible game winning TD and PAT to protect the playbook from a team you play every year!

And if you remember the 2009 Iowa team that needed 2 blocked field goals to beat UNI that went to the Orange Bowl? They only blew out ISU and Indiana. Now, Iowa this year is better than any of Iowa's opponents that year, already. Iowa State, not so much.
 
I was at the game.

The shocking thing to me was that ISU's wideouts and tight ends couldn't get open. Uni had the speed, and the size, to keep up with ISU stride for stride. They did a decent job at keeping Bryce Hall bottled up as well.

For some unknown reason, Campbell wasn't able to use his massive oline to move the smaller Panthers methodically down the field. After watching that game today - Iowa can cover ISU. If they can be as stout against the run as UNI, then they'll win Saturday. Because there's no way UNI's back 7 are as good as Iowa's.

Final thing. UNI took ISU 3 and out with 1:03 to play, and if it wasn't for a great coffin corner punt that forced them to start at their ten and a bone headed clock management move by throwing short of the sticks in the middle of the field to start that drive, UNI might have won that game. They were driving and got all the way to the ISU 33 before the clock expired. All they needed was those six seconds they wasted, and this could have been an entirely different conversation.
You went to the ISU game instead of Iowa’s first game back with fans against a B1G team?
 
I was laughing. What gamesmanship to be giving the ball back and letting UNI drive for a possible game winning TD and PAT to protect the playbook from a team you play every year!

And if you remember the 2009 Iowa team that needed 2 blocked field goals to beat UNI that went to the Orange Bowl? They only blew out ISU and Indiana. Now, Iowa this year is better than any of Iowa's opponents that year, already. Iowa State, not so much.
All I'm saying if the poster actually saw the game and reported that ISU appeared to struggle with an undersized UNI D line I find that encouraging. Maybe you don't which is fine with me.
 
You went to the ISU game instead of Iowa’s first game back with fans against a B1G team?
Free tickets and I graduated from UNI after transferring from Iowa to follow my then fiancé. We do dumb things when we're young. I know a guy who does gameday headset telecommunications for ISU and I get the UNI tickets and free parking pass every time they play each other.
 
All I'm saying if the poster actually saw the game and reported that ISU appeared to struggle with an undersized UNI D line I find that encouraging. Maybe you don't which is fine with me.
They did have trouble. That's what was funny. ISU outweighed the UNI guys by at least twenty to thirty pounds a piece on the line. It didn't show up in the stats, but UNI's Dline graded out way higher than ISU's oline Saturday.
 
The Dan McCarney special.

IIRC, we had absolutely murdered some mid major the previous week.
Ah, yes, week is we beat Ball State 56-0 while Clones lost to UNI.

I worked in Des Moines at the time. I ran my mouth that week, like, a LOT. I wouldn't go as far as calling it mean spirited, but I managed to push things far enough that I'm pretty sure there was more than one Clone fan whose first thought was of me as they admired the scoreboard. I had a well deserved very long week after that game.

Looking back on that 2002-04 run, I see a plucky bunch of overachiever. At the time though, going into that 2005 season, I was pretty self assured a new national power had been birthed. I flapped my trap accordingly.
 
I love how the clowns are saying they were not playing with their entire playbook. That's ridiculous. The expectations out of Lames are that they are playing for the natty. You don't do that by beating UNI by 6. They were in danger of losing that game. You don't do that when you are national contenders. You do everything you can to win that game by at least 17 to show everyone that there was no doubt. I'm not guaranteeing a win for Iowa, but the clowns are not that good.
 
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