It’s the offense stupid

BigD said:
youtu.be

Iowa Football's offensive future | State of Hawkeye sports | Week 195 - Brada's Branded Thoughts

Adam Dobbins of Nebraska Hawk's Nest joins the podcast to discuss everything from Brian Ferentz and Spencer Petras to NIL and Fran McCaffery.Plus, more on Ch...
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Was surprised to hear in this interview that Chuck Long was using the nepotism word toward the coaching staff.
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Yeah that was probably the eye brow raising thing I heard from it too. Long must not be applying for any spots on KFs staff anytime soon.... Dude isn't wrong he just said what I'm sure literally everyone in the industry also thinks about it. You just don't hear someone in Longs shoes say that sort of thing. You sure won't hear another announcer be it Big 10 network or ESPN do it either. Good for Chuck calling a spade a spade.
 
Hawkfnntn said:
Yeah that was probably the eye brow raising thing I heard from it too. Long must not be applying for any spots on KFs staff anytime soon.... Dude isn't wrong he just said what I'm sure literally everyone in the industry also thinks about it. You just don't hear someone in Longs shoes say that sort of thing. You sure won't hear another announcer be it Big 10 network or ESPN do it either. Good for Chuck calling a spade a spade.
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Couldn’t agree more.
 
Something like Chuck Long firing shots makes me think maybe there’s a chance he could stir up some donor discontent and get Brain bounced out. We probably need to see some of that old money die off to get it done.

I’m talking the ones who were in their 50s back in the 90s when Kurt took over and are ride or die with whatever he’s says or wants to do. They have to be reaching senility by now and hopefully their heirs aren’t so attached to nostalgia.
 
Fryowa said:
Something like Chuck Long firing shots makes me think maybe there’s a chance he could stir up some donor discontent and get Brain bounced out. We probably need to see some of that old money die off to get it done.

I’m talking the ones who were in their 50s back in the 90s when Kurt took over and are ride or die with whatever he’s says or wants to do. They have to be reaching senility by now and hopefully their heirs aren’t so attached to nostalgia.
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You can bet that Chuck has the ear of a lot of donors.
 
Fryowa said:
Something like Chuck Long firing shots makes me think maybe there’s a chance he could stir up some donor discontent and get Brain bounced out. We probably need to see some of that old money die off to get it done.

I’m talking the ones who were in their 50s back in the 90s when Kurt took over and are ride or die with whatever he’s says or wants to do. They have to be reaching senility by now and hopefully their heirs aren’t so attached to nostalgia.
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I agree. Chuck would have many loyal fans/boosters that'd follow him to the ledge. How many and how influential are they are the next questions. It'd suck to see a public rift of sorts but man at some point the rubber is going to meet the road with BF sitting in the desk he is. It just is
 
Hawkfnntn said:
I agree. Chuck would have many loyal fans/boosters that'd follow him to the ledge. How many and how influential are they are the next questions. It'd suck to see a public rift of sorts but man at some point the rubber is going to meet the road with BF sitting in the desk he is. It just is
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I actually think it’d be refreshing to see someone with at least a smidge of influence come out and call for him to hit the road. There’s nothing wrong with calling a spade a spade.

BF sucks ass at his job, he was hired by his dad, and there’s a loooooong, verifiable history going back decades of his peers getting fired for better performance than Brain has produced. He literally has zero defensible legs to stand on if he were to have to justify keeping his job.
 
Fryowa said:
I actually think it’d be refreshing to see someone with at least a smidge of influence come out and call for him to hit the road. There’s nothing wrong with calling a spade a spade.

BF sucks ass at his job, he was hired by his dad, and there’s a loooooong, verifiable history going back decades of his peers getting fired for better performance than Brain has produced. He literally has zero defensible legs to stand on if he were to have to justify keeping his job.
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It'd be more then welcomed by many I would bet. It's just too bad in the sense that I bet BF is a good Oline coach. He has been around the game his whole life. But at some point how you got the job and the job you've done since having it matter. He only got the gig because of who he is. His resume to get the gig to begin with wasn't deserving.

What's Iowas O been ranked in the 5 yrs he's been doing it? Bottom 20 most every one of them I bet? I just know that we were like 100th or worse in points yards and yards/play last yr. What OC can do that for multiple yrs and keep his gig? (I preface that comment with it being at programs with any semblance of expectations of winning obviously) Winning needs to be taken in context and when you lose because of him and only win despite him that shouldn't look good on a resume
 
Fryowa said:
BF sucks ass at his job, he was hired by his dad, and there’s a loooooong, verifiable history going back decades of his peers getting fired for better performance than Brain has produced. He literally has zero defensible legs to stand on if he were to have to justify keeping his job.
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BF operates in Kurt's parameters. I think he is decent and he performed great as a position coach, but the line is fucking atrocious now. The biggest reason I don't want BF gone is I am totally certain that Kurt would say "fine, you guys don't want my kid, let me get out the rolodex and get Greg Davis in here and if he says no I will hire Gary Moeller." You think to yourself "no way can it get worse." But trust me, it can. And will if BF gets rolled.
 
But The WildCat Play

Five [5} times in a row

dailyiowan.com

Notebook from Champaign: Wildcat is back for Iowa football, tight ends hit milestones

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A couple years ago, could Kirk Ferentz have pictured Iowa running out of the Wildcat formation to drain the clock at the end of a game against a Big Ten opponent? The short answer is no. But on Iowa’s final scoring drive of its 35-21 victory over Illinois, Tyler Goodson lined up...
dailyiowan.com dailyiowan.com

:cool:
 
I have not been a fan of Brian's hiring from the beginning, not a secret. Now he loses a key cog in the offense in Jones and he is really behind he 8 ball. He has to have a break-out year this year on offense to keep his job in my mind. Hiring family NEVER works in coaching. If there is no evaluation of Brian after this season then Kirk will look very bad indeed. Hopefully Brian is going to blow our socks off this year and this becomes unnecessary.
 
dahlhawk said:
I have not been a fan of Brian's hiring from the beginning, not a secret. Now he loses a key cog in the offense in Jones and he is really behind he 8 ball. He has to have a break-out year this year on offense to keep his job in my mind. Hiring family NEVER works in coaching. If there is no evaluation of Brian after this season then Kirk will look very bad indeed. Hopefully Brian is going to blow our socks off this year and this becomes unnecessary.
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The problem is we are calling 20 catches 300 yards and 3 tds a key cog to an offense... I don't disagree losing Jones is a step the wrong direction. It just stinks that the bar is set so damn low.

There's only a couple ways BF could 'blow our socks off. It'd take the Oline improving immensely so running game can dominate and play action can be ran well. Or 2 he shakes up the playbook and gets more creative with it and playmakers are doing more damage. Both of those scenarios would take competent QB play and is anyone betting on that happening either? A lot has to go right and so far we've seen nothing to think it'll change much...
 
I didn't listen to that interview, but Chuck had similar comments about nepotism in interviews with Iowa media this spring. I think there is a lot to unpack with those comments - more than just a former player/coach of the program speaking on his own behalf about frustrations with the offense.

What do you guys think? Chuck knows Kirk would have constraints on whoever is OC. So by repeatedly calling out nepotism, seems like he is making a larger point. I am only speculating, but I'm guessing Chuck might be speaking on behalf of a lot of former players who don't want to see Brian become the next head coach. Not so much because they don't think he can coordinate a good offense, but maybe for other reasons...like he doesn't deserve the opportunity more than other coaches with current/past ties to the program, and also due to how he has conducted himself, including behavior former players have outlined. Again, only speculating, but the nepotism comments seem to transcend Iowa's offensive woes in my opinion.
 
There is no question BF does not currently deserve to be the HC. There are 2 guys on staff and several others with ties to Iowa that are more deserving. But, the book has not closed on BF. He will be OC this year whether this board likes it or not. If Iowa shores up its offense and turns Petras into a serviceable QB in route to a double digit win season, who knows where things head. I DO NOT believe that KF has done enough to just call his shot on the next HC and I don't believe that BF has done enough to deserve it. But, strange things can happen if a school like Iowa sneaks into the playoffs. Statutes get built. Decisions get made. People get weepy and nostalgic. Story lines get written. Handing the reigns from father to son would be such an Iowa type of thing to happen.
 
HuckFinn said:
The best bet we have is for BF to move on.
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Yup. And the problem is nobody else is jumping up and down to hire him either.... Not for an OC job they aint... What would need to happen for KF to fire him? Throwing around racial stuff along with Doyle isn't enough so what is? Evidently neither is finishing 94th in points and 120th in yards after 5 yrs on the job. So it seems to me he's just as untouchable (predictably so) as KF is
 
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As others on this board have pointed out, just because you fire one guy doesn't mean the guy you hire is going to be better. Its a crap shoot. For every hot young play caller from FBS climbing the ladder and making waves, there are 3 Greg Davises. Look at KF's history at OC. He hired his best friend who was the epitome of mediocrity, at best. Then he hired an over-the-hill Texas cast off that literally no one else in the country was interested in hiring except KF, and then he hired his son, who had never called plays at any level, ever. The odds that the next guy would be better is belied by history.

You can wish all you want, but I suspect KF is going to ride out his career with his son at the offensive helm.
 
I think we get a repeat of last year; except, it is OSU doing the beat down instead of Michigan. Just good enough for KF to keep the status quo, bad enough for us to have this debate again, same time next year.

My advice to KF would be to continue to dominate your rivals(ISU, Minnesota and Nebraska) because it allows you to resist the push back of getting rid of your son.
 
trj said:
I think we get a repeat of last year; except, it is OSU doing the beat down instead of Michigan. Just good enough for KF to keep the status quo, bad enough for us to have this debate again, same time next year.

My advice to KF would be to continue to dominate your rivals(ISU, Minnesota and Nebraska) because it allows you to resist the push back of getting rid of your son.
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Good points but I think you/we need to add Wisky to the rivals list that KF needs to start beating again at a regular rate, at least beat them at home and steal a game once in a while in Madison like in 2015 and 2009.

And KF needs to be putting the hammer on jNW way more often. The loss in 2020 to them was just terrible as great defense was squandered with poor offense given great field position. And then there was a total lack of offensive play calling by BF in that game and offensive execution that was just hard to watch. That loss kept the hawks from a better bowl game and maybe a New Years Day 6 game.
 
I think some folks underestimate the relationship between the offense and defense. A ball control, clock running, conservative, no turnover and have a good punting game offense is very conducive to a dominant defense. Iowa's offense is designed to not put the ball in harm's way and generally leave the defense with 70+ yards of green at its back for the start of most series. KF has always bet on 19 year old kids not being able to execute for 10+ plays and score a touchdown on a regular basis. So, he creates long fields and has his defense keep the ball in front of them and wait for one kid on one play to make a mistake that the defense can capitalize on.
Parker is a great DC. But, he benefits greatly from the style of play the offense runs. If Iowa ran a Big 12 style offense and turned the ball over a lot and scored a lot of points, Parker's numbers would not be so stout. Teams know what Iowa is. They design game plans to try to minimize turnovers and score 21 points. That can beat Iowa most weeks. I am not saying BF and the offense do not have a lot of room to be better. They clearly do. But, save for 2002, 2004 and a couple Shonn Greene and Stanzi seasons, has Iowa's offense ever been all that good under KF? Its by design.
 
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