It's the offense, baby.

[homes]

As maligned as the defense has been this year (and with good reason), it's the offense that has failed in the 3 losses this year.

In the 5 wins, Iowa has averaged 39 points per games. In the 3 losses, they've averaged 16 points per game (not counting the 17 points they scored in OT against ISU, for if they'd scored consistent with points scored in their wins there wouldn't have been an OT).

In their 5 wins, they've given up an average of 20 points per game. In their 3 losses, they given up an average of 20 points per game (again not counting the 20 points given up to ISU in OT, to be consistent - OT points shouldn't count anyway towards season statistics in my opinion, but that's a different discussion).

The offense has failed to deliver in the losses. While the defense has their issues, the failure to be consistent on offense is leading to their losses. Yesterday was a classic example. The defense was not great, but the O left, at a minimum, 6 points on the field, and more like 17.

So, you can call for Parker's ouster, and I do think him not being on the sidelines makes a difference, but the defense has been consistent at least this year; it's the offense's inconsistency that is leading to all the angst among us fans. Sounds familiar.

 

[hawkeyebob62]

Not the offense. Just the QB.

 

[H8IAST8]

Vandy didnt drop 2 balls and get alligator arms on the other.

 

[TChawk]

Not the offense. Just the QB.

Talk about a flat out clueless post...wow just wow how little some Iowa fans know.

 

[gohawkz]

Talk about a flat out clueless post...wow just wow how little some Iowa fans know.

Not the offense. Just the QB.

Wow, you have no clue.

 

[briankaldenberg]

It's almost ALWAYS the offense. I don't care if you miss two fg's and turn the ball over. You still should score 30+ on Minnesota.

We can't recruit the level of athletes to run our scheme effectively. We barely ever produce offenses that are in the top 50 in the nation in both scoring and yards. Our offense provides little deception and does not spread the field... nor does it really incorporate the threat of the QB running. It requires better athletes than we can consistently recruit.

 

[Cover3]

You're talking about an offense that essentially only saw the ball for three quarters yesterday. You've got to expect the onside kick, and then on D you've got to take a chance so they either turn it over or score with 6 minutes left. Our special teams, defense, and coaching was busy blowing our lead while the offense (which had gotten on track somewhat) didn't see the ball for eleven minutes.

 

[hawkeyebob62]

Talk about a flat out clueless post...wow just wow how little some Iowa fans know.

You mean the rockets off receivers' knees, not spotting blitzes as a new hobby and throwing 2 to 5 yards on 3rd-and-8. Ypu're right. He played lights-out.

 

[leroy3d]

When we were in the redzone our blocking broke down, with the running backs, with the offensive line. This put our QB in a 3rd in long, which is very hard to pick up in the redzone. You have to know your blocking assignments in the redzone.

 

[hawkeyebob62]

Vandy didnt drop 2 balls and get alligator arms on the other.

No, he threw "jakers" off receivers' knees, missed a wide-open McNutt but the length of an end zone and made "blitz" the word of the day for the state of Minnesota.

 

[1977Hawkeye]

I agree with the fact that our offense has been, at best, average to mediocre under Ferentz. Particularly on the road. The offense moved the ball really well between the 20's yesterday, but to only be able to manage a 7-7 tie against maybe the worst team in the conference, in a first half that we dominated in the trenches, is inexplicable. When defending the defense, Jon always likes to say "they only allowed X amount of points". Same goes for the offense here - the yardage was nice, but it's about points. And 7 points in the first half isn't going to cut it.

That said, it's not an either-or situation. The defense can share some of the blame as well. It's not ALL on the offense. We win the ISU game if we can stop ANYTHING at all in the 2nd half and in overtime.

Our defense is always really soft on the edges, and against mobile QB's. We drop back into coverage, and an 8-10+ yard QB run is nearly always available. As are the 10 yard cushions to the WR's on the outside. Opposing QB's can take the underneath stuff all day long and dink & dunk their way down the field on us at will if that's what they want to do. We seem to make mediocre QB's look like John Elway back there.

I'm not in the "fire KF" camp just yet, but I DO think it's time for this coaching staff to prove that it can adjust to the game. The game isn't 3 yards and a cloud of dust anymore.

 

[Herkyalert]

The end of the game was the most disgusting series I have ever seen in Iowa football.

Jason White on the field. Brad Herman being thrown to.

Then you have a terrible Minnesota defense who had 5 sacks all season pressure your QB because he cannot pick up a blitz. Offensive line breaks down in the red zone.

Just a pathetic effort today and you can blame the coaches and the kids.

This loss stings more than the Western Michigan one did a few years back.