It's now 100% clear this offens is all Greg Davis

[QuadCityHawkeye]

In the past everyone said that KOK ran the offense Ferentz told him to. I even said after the first year of Greg Davis that things changed and it was Ferentz's offense anymore. Some people still thought it was the offense of Ferentz. I think it's pretty obvious now this is all Greg Davis with new routes, formations, and audibles. This is the same stuff that happened at Texas and now it's here in Iowa with less talent on the field. I posted when Davis was hired it would get Ferentz fired. Unless Ferentz takes back the offense it's going to.

 

[DJL]

I do agree that the routes, formations, and audibles may be different BUT, I think the same KF conservative approach still applies. Control the ball, don't turn it over, punt and play field position. In theory, make less mistakes and win. You can do that 50 different ways, but at the end of the day, you are handcuffing your OC. Not that I think GD is a mastermind who can't be unleashed, but I would say it's fair to say that both KF and GD share the blame for this dumpster fire.

 

[ArvadaHawk]

QC, this offense isn't even close to what GD ran at Texas, at least, it isn't being executed in that format. I think you have to put the ultimate blame, if that is what we're going to do, on KF. He is the HC and is paid more than quite generously to be ultimately responsible. In my opinion, what we have is an offense that has horizontal routes to open up deep patterns. I think this is an okay philosophy, if your qb wasn't checking off to these horizontal routes as a primary function. Bring in KF and JR. There just seems to be no plausible reality to think that KF isn't making it known that he wants safe passes; which JR is interpreting as "take the check downs." I have seen in back to back games where, on third down, JR threw underneath, missing a wide open target that would have been a touchdown, to try and secure the first down instead. Both times, the pass fell incomplete and we attempted a fg. It is this conservative play that a) keeps JR as KF's preferred qb, and b) consistently gets you fg's instead of tds. All 3 have culpability, here. But KF is in charge.

 

[QuadCityHawkeye]

Clock management is obviously Ferentz, but I don't think the majority of these plays even have a chance. KOK never called multiple 3 yard outs and got away from the run like Iowa has under Davis. KOK had his faults, but that offense he ran (or didn't run) was totally different then the one out there under Davis. Also, QB's are regressing under Davis when they mostly got better under KOK. Everything just seems different and even Ferentz has publicly said Davis needed to become a better Iowa coach in the past. The zone blocking scheme is still there, and I supposed you can still call this a pro-style offense, but the play designs are nothing like we saw in the past prior to Greg Davis. We have one of the best WR group in the last 10 years at Iowa and rarely throw deep, and the tight ends just become invisible at times. Running the ball and throwing to TE's were a staple under KOK and now that's not happening. I really do think Ferentz let Davis totally re-design the offense and it didn't happen for the better.

 

[theboat]

Let me first say that I think Greg Davis might be the 2nd most clueless college football coach in the last few years. Only trumped by his boss who seems to think it is working.

That being said, it doesn't matter if you have a Lamborghini, a F-150, a Mini Cooper, or an old VW bug if the governor is set for all of them to max out at 10 miles/hour. We all know who the governor is. (I still think Greg Davis would fail miserably if he had free reign, because he is a fricking moped. )

 

[hawkfan340]

Honestly, the KOK game plan was a logical one for Iowa, given that we are always going to need to be maulers in the trenches due to our recruiting base. Run the ball with authority, burn them over the top if the safeties cheat, force the LBs to stop the run and cover the deep middle at the same time. It wasn't flashy, but it made sense. Sense given the identity of Iowa being big, 'tuff, som-of-a-beeches in the trenches and in the backfield.

The GD marriage with this identity is one of the dumbest decisions in the history of football. My gawd, it was idiotic from the get-go and it still is now.

 

[drew003]

The zone running game is KF's offense. The passing game is Davis' routes and terminology. Davis calls the plays. But this is KF's "playcalling" in overall philosophy.

The conservative QB coaching is KF. KF coaches the risk out of QBs. He'd rather not move the football and punt then increase risk for turning the ball over, or taking negative plays.

Davis is a pawn. He'd recruit a mobile QB, run 3-4 WR sets, zone-read, quick screens, and potentially scrap the zone blocking heavy sets all together.

 

[ProfessorHawk]

I go back and forth on this. How the heck do we know it isn't Kirk holding back Davis, forcing him to toe the company line of low-risk offense?

Then again, we wanted to see Jake throw downfield, and how did that work? Is there a reason they don't want him throwing across the middle?

 

[DJL]

I go back and forth on this. How the heck do we know it isn't Kirk holding back Davis, forcing him to toe the company line of low-risk offense?

Then again, we wanted to see Jake throw downfield, and how did that work? Is there a reason they don't want him throwing across the middle?

Did he throw downfield Saturday? I must have missed that.

 

[ProfessorHawk]

I was in section 131. Ball was headed right towards me on that interception, maybe 15 yards downfield.

Not miles downfield, but then it was "technically" downfield. I wonder if that doesn't happen more than we know in practice.

 

[trj]

The zone running game is KF's offense. The passing game is Davis' routes and terminology. Davis calls the plays. But this is KF's "playcalling" in overall philosophy.

The conservative QB coaching is KF. KF coaches the risk out of QBs. He'd rather not move the football and punt then increase risk for turning the ball over, or taking negative plays.

Davis is a pawn. He'd recruit a mobile QB, run 3-4 WR sets, zone-read, quick screens, and potentially scrap the zone blocking heavy sets all together.

This is the correct answer.

 

[DJL]

I was in section 131. Ball was headed right towards me on that interception, maybe 15 yards downfield.

Not miles downfield, but then it was "technically" downfield. I wonder if that doesn't happen more than we know in practice.

I guess further down the field than the typical 3 yard check down. Not really sure what happened. Either the receiver and QB weren't on the same page (which happens) or it was a terrible throw.

 

[HomerChampless]

This season's offense is Davis' but the QB is Ferentz's. There's a tug of war between KF and Davis over Iowa's offense. If Ferentz had his way to call offensive plays, Iowa's offense would pound Weisman

 

[hoffahawk]

I think they are both to blame but I know for a fact KF wasn't the guy that called 3 straight running plays to Damon Bullock in the second half followed by a punt.

 

[HawkeyeWalker]

This season's plays are Davis' but the QB is Ferentz's. There's a tug of war between KF and Davis over Iowa's offense. If Ferentz had his way, Iowa's offense would pound Weisman

And while a heavy MW dose is not ideal, it would better than the "hybrid" sh!tshow of an offense we see now. This offense is worse than 2012 so far, and that's a joke, a bad one.

We have the WR bodies/skillset (a whole squad of them) we've always wanted, and we can't(due to zero running game) or won't(too risk averse) throw to them

GD needs to go, if he doesn't, KF and GD need to go.

I can handle boring/power/conservative offense.....I CAN'T handle this mishmash hybrid crap.

So. Dammn. Mad.

 

[RocknRollface]

The zone running game is KF's offense. The passing game is Davis' routes and terminology. Davis calls the plays. But this is KF's "playcalling" in overall philosophy.

The conservative QB coaching is KF. KF coaches the risk out of QBs. He'd rather not move the football and punt then increase risk for turning the ball over, or taking negative plays.

Davis is a pawn. He'd recruit a mobile QB, run 3-4 WR sets, zone-read, quick screens, and potentially scrap the zone blocking heavy sets all together.

This is exactly right. To think that a zone blocking scheme with the QB under center as much as possible is coming from Davis is crazy.

The route designs are different than Koks but we still don't attack the middle of the field very often, which is a Ferentz thing. All of our passes go to the sidelines. That's a KF thing.

We checked into runs %90 of the time before Davis got here, again Ferentz thing.

The thing people need to realize is that there are deep routes being run and coming open most of the time. That fact is Rudock doesn't want to throw to them.

playing Rudock....Ferentz decision.

If Davis was calling the shots on O you would see the offense that Bethard came in and ran. Zone read spread. That's what Davis did at Texas.

Ferentz is is wasting this season for no good reason.

 

[DJL]

And while a heavy MW dose is not ideal, it would better than the "hybrid" sh!tshow of an offense we see now. This offense is worse than 2012 so far, and that's a joke, a bad one.

We have the WR bodies/skillset (a whole squad of them) we've always wanted, and we can't(due to zero running game) or won't(too risk averse) throw to them

GD needs to go, if he doesn't, KF and GD need to go.

I can handle boring/power/conservative offense.....I CAN'T handle this mishmash hybrid crap.

So. Dammn. Mad.

CJ will get the ball to them. He was only in for one drive, threw 3 passes, and the only incomplete one was a perfect pass to one of those weapons. He will make more mistakes, but everyone would have a lot more fun watching the game, and Iowa would score more points. This is only the 50th time I've made a case for CJ today. Probably a little delusional, but we need to do something. #FreeCJ

 

[RocknRollface]

And while a heavy MW dose is not ideal, it would better than the "hybrid" sh!tshow of an offense we see now. This offense is worse than 2012 so far, and that's a joke, a bad one.

We have the WR bodies/skillset (a whole squad of them) we've always wanted, and we can't(due to zero running game) or won't(too risk averse) throw to them

GD needs to go, if he doesn't, KF and GD need to go.

I can handle boring/power/conservative offense.....I CAN'T handle this mishmash hybrid crap.

So. Dammn. Mad.

Its infuriating.

Plenty of speed at the WR/TE/RB positions and a QB who can run the option and throw the ball a mile all sitting on the side lines.

They come in and make plays then we don't see them again for an entire game.

KF is just wasting this season for no reason

I can't see another coach in the country having Bethard, Willies, Powell Canzeri not being used while we can't move the ball against the worst D in the country.

What are the priorities here? I don't get it.

 

[drew003]

CJ will get the ball to them. He was only in for one drive, threw 3 passes, and the only incomplete one was a perfect pass to one of those weapons. He will make more mistakes, but everyone would have a lot more fun watching the game, and Iowa would score more points. This is only the 50th time I've made a case for CJ today. Probably a little delusional, but we need to do something. #FreeCJ

We have two options--(1) see what CJ can do, or (2) go full out Ruddock shot-gun, tempo, short passing attack.

We have three games of empirical evidence that what we are doing now with Ruddock does not work. Even our scoring drives are painful. It is complete insanity to think that if we just keep grinding that we will perfect our execution of this offense against better competition. We couldn't run the offense against Ball St. and Iowa St.

We need a schematic change or emphasis shift for this years team. The defense is good enough we can win 8-9 games and potentially the Big 10 west if we just have league-average offense. KF owes it to the team to try and create league-average offense, his preferences be damned.

 

[DJL]

Its infuriating.

Plenty of speed at the WR/TE/RB positions and a QB who can run the option and throw the ball a mile all sitting on the side lines.

They come in and make plays then we don't see them again for an entire game.

KF is just wasting this season for no reason

I can't see another coach in the country having Bethard, Willies, Powell Canzeri not being used while we can't move the ball against the worst D in the country.

What are the priorities here? I don't get it.

Low risk, don't turn the ball over, or take big risk, keep the other team in front of you on defense, and hope they make a mistake. This philosophy means that most games will be close. If the ball bounces right, and you have a strong leader on offense, and a great defense, you will have some success. If you lose your 3 leaders on defense, and nobody has faith in your QB, the system doesn't work. The D has been fine, about what I expected. But the offense has to pick them up this year. That means they have to take more chances. But that's not going to happen.