It's time we called a spade a spade

[tm3308]

I think the lack of pass rush can be attributed to the linebackers. They just aren't where they need to be like Edds and Angerer always were. Tolzien rarely needed much time to find open receivers underneath, whereas last year there was NOBODY open, and we got a lot of coverage sacks.

 

[H8IAST8]

Not knocking on Johnson, but we are hurting a MLB. KF should have started Morris.

 

[CJSHawk]

There is no doubt in my mind that this year's defense is no where near the defense we had last year. We desperately miss Edds, Angerer, and Speivey. Good defenses don't give up the kinds of scoring drives we gave up today. We were exposed today!

 

[EddyP]

posting a dissenting view on this website is not welcomed.. I have found this out

No, posting an idiotic thread about firing Ferentz will though. Keep going, you're almost to 50!!!

 

[coshawk]

Dline and LBs can thank the coaching staff for putting them in an impossible situation. When Wisconsin went to the 5 wide, it appeared Iowa went to Man Under Cover 2. Everybody mans up except the two safeties who have deep, leaving the DLine 4 on 5. LBs having to cover WRs and RBs with only deep help. It is virtually impossible to make this work in our favor. Even if all four DLs beat their man, it still takes longer for them to get to the QB than it does for the WRs to beat a LB. At that point we would have been better to give up the deep ball and had 3 TOs and 3:30 to work with. Refusing to adjust or yes I'll say it blitz cost us. After the 4 and 4 the defense was gassed they had been on the field way to long. The coaches put the D in bend don't break and we were broke. I'd expect to see plenty of 5 wide next week too, and Cousins will pick us apart the same way.

 

[skinnykilmer17]

I think the lack of pass rush can be attributed to the linebackers. They just aren't where they need to be like Edds and Angerer always were. Tolzien rarely needed much time to find open receivers underneath, whereas last year there was NOBODY open, and we got a lot of coverage sacks.

Nielsen is no Edds or Greenway. Which is nothing to be ashamed of, but I thought he really struggled in coverage today. I feel our back seven aren't very big or terribly physical. I am a huge Tarpinian fan but I didn't think he would survive an entire year injury free. Undersized is OK if you are in the Pac 10 or SEC but not so much in the Big Ten.

But our coaches don't do our dline any favors by refusing to blitz anyone. That is asking a lot of your dline when the oline doesn't have to worry about chaos.

 

[EddyP]

Let's be honest here......special teams didn't lose this game, calling the time out didn't lose us this game, Stanzi's ill-advised pass to Robinson didn't lose this game......our defense lost us this game, period, end of story.

This defense is not a top 10 defense. Our front four gets no pressure on the quarterback, our linebackers constantly get blocked out of the play, our corners give up big plays and our safeties are not tackling well. I can say with 100% certainty that not only is this defensive line not the best in the country, it's not even close to the best in the Ferentz era. I don't know if they read their press clippings too much or what, but a unit that returned all 4 starters from a dominant defensive line a year ago should not be playing this poorly.

I know that Jon considers this blasphemy, but I've been saying it all year. I pointed out issues from the Arizona game in particular and many people, Jon in particular, wanted to sweep it under the rug.

Well, here we are, and Hyde is still cheating up and getting burned by not playing assignment football, the defensive line is still not getting penetration and not "eating up" blockers which means the linebackers are still getting blocked out of the play.

The offense, particularly the offensive line, has made MARKED improvement from game 1 to game 6 and are more than holding up their end of the bargain. The defense is not, hence, we are 5-2 and looking at most likely an 8-4 season, unfortunately. It's unfortunate in my opinion because for the first time in 8 years, we finally have an offense capable of moving the ball with regularity and putting points up and now can't count on the defense to do their part.

I agree with you that the D is the problem right now and I don't really know why that is but if they are as good as they are suppose to be 30 points should be good enough to win any game they play this year. It is almost like people expect Stanzi to pull the rabbit out of the hat every game like last year. They had a minute to drive down the field and attempt a field goal. This is on the D no doubt.

 

[hawkdrummer1]

Uh, no.

1. Wisconsin's O-line is the best we've seen in years....or that we likely will see...in several years.

2. Special teams cost us the game. Doesn't take a football genius to see that. It changed the entire flow of the game.

3. As we've seen so many times...when taken out of our comfort zone...the offense, the offensive coaches...and by extension the offensive coaching....***** the bed. 95% of America expected a spike to stop the clock at the end. High school QBs knew that was the obvious move. What the hell happened?...and more importantly...what kind of coaching and practice would lead up to that.

I can live with being out-played by the other team...having them "Beat us". That happens...they were better today. It happens.

What's hard to swallow is "losing the game". Which is exactly what Iowa did today. And it sucks.

 

[TChawk]

Uh, no.

1. Wisconsin's O-line is the best we've seen in years....or that we likely will see...in several years.

2. Special teams cost us the game. Doesn't take a football genius to see that. It changed the entire flow of the game.

3. As we've seen so many times...when taken out of our comfort zone...the offense, the offensive coaches...and by extension the offensive coaching....***** the bed. 95% of America expected a spike to stop the clock at the end. High school QBs knew that was the obvious move. What the hell happened?...and more importantly...what kind of coaching and practice would lead up to that.

I can live with being out-played by the other team...having them "Beat us". That happens...they were better today. It happens.

What's hard to swallow is "losing the game". Which is exactly what Iowa did today. And it sucks.

LOL HA HA NO!

The d was flat out terrible today...end of story...there is no way in bleep this "great" D should allow wisky to shred them like they did today.

Face it the D is average At BEST.

 

[kicker22]

I love this board always trying to point fingers. Blame the defense, blame the coaching, blame special teams, blame Stanzi. How about we quit blaming all the different parts and blame the team.
Special teams keeps 4 points off the board that ended up being huge. Defense makes a huge pick and all we can do is get a stupid field goal when a touchdown seals the game. Offense doesn't get it done at the end and we blame a coaching mistake. Breaking news for everyone, it wasn't one part of the team that lost it was the entire team and if that isn't enough the fan base starts in on them. Love our fan support but damn shut up already about pinning the blame on certain individuals or units. The team wins, its a team win, the team loses, guess what the whole team loses.

 

[EddyP]

It should never have come down to the last drive. Certainly special teams were not good and the last drive was not good either but it should never have gotten to that point if this D was legit.

 

[PlanoHawk]

I love this board always trying to point fingers. Blame the defense, blame the coaching, blame special teams, blame Stanzi. How about we quit blaming all the different parts and blame the team.
Special teams keeps 4 points off the board that ended up being huge. Defense makes a huge pick and all we can do is get a stupid field goal when a touchdown seals the game. Offense doesn't get it done at the end and we blame a coaching mistake. Breaking news for everyone, it wasn't one part of the team that lost it was the entire team and if that isn't enough the fan base starts in on them. Love our fan support but damn shut up already about pinning the blame on certain individuals or units. The team wins, its a team win, the team loses, guess what the whole team loses.

hey man, right on... lots went wrong today. but let's all remember that the great thing about a message board is that people get to beeeotch when they want to and speak their mind regardless of how much anyone agrees with them.

lots went wrong today, lots to be improved for the hawks. lets beat michigan state next week.

 

[bxy]

I appreciate your honesty. I like to get excited and drink the kool-aid but sometimes you need to call things as they are. We have been a good team and now expectations are high, and they should be. Bush league mistakes by below average team should not be tolerated. If we want to make the transition to an elite program this is how it has to be.

Some realities:
We were outcoached, out executed, and outplayed but mostly outcoached by a coach who outcoaches no one. We keep 3-5 players back from trying to block an EXTRA POINT to prevent a fake. In a key point of the game no one shadows the punter. Our special teams are a joke. Unprepared by Kirk Ferentz and special teams coaches. Bad snap / hold, penalty by Schumpert, kicking to their best returner every time.

Our defense is grossly overrated. Prater was awful.

Kirk is a good coach and a great man. However, he is not a top tier coach. He is as overpaid as it gets. He gets our less talented team very very competetive, but, even he says we can't make foolish mental mistakes.....Today, countless penalties, special teams, poor judgements, awful clock management. They wanted it more. This falls on the coaches. That game was a joke. Ferentz should be apologizing. We were unprepared and mentally outmatched by a Brent Bielema team. Unacceptable. Many similar mistakes against Arizona. We chalked it up to road game, heat, time change, etc. This time we are at HOME to a team we are better than on both sides of the ball. They beat us - especially mentally. They prepared more - wanted it more. This falls squarely on the coaching staff.

 

[Saginawbay]

Let's be honest here......special teams didn't lose this game, calling the time out didn't lose us this game, Stanzi's ill-advised pass to Robinson didn't lose this game......our defense lost us this game, period, end of story.

This defense is not a top 10 defense. Our front four gets no pressure on the quarterback, our linebackers constantly get blocked out of the play, our corners give up big plays and our safeties are not tackling well. I can say with 100% certainty that not only is this defensive line not the best in the country, it's not even close to the best in the Ferentz era. I don't know if they read their press clippings too much or what, but a unit that returned all 4 starters from a dominant defensive line a year ago should not be playing this poorly.

I know that Jon considers this blasphemy, but I've been saying it all year. I pointed out issues from the Arizona game in particular and many people, Jon in particular, wanted to sweep it under the rug.

Well, here we are, and Hyde is still cheating up and getting burned by not playing assignment football, the defensive line is still not getting penetration and not "eating up" blockers which means the linebackers are still getting blocked out of the play.

The offense, particularly the offensive line, has made MARKED improvement from game 1 to game 6 and are more than holding up their end of the bargain. The defense is not, hence, we are 5-2 and looking at most likely an 8-4 season, unfortunately. It's unfortunate in my opinion because for the first time in 8 years, we finally have an offense capable of moving the ball with regularity and putting points up and now can't count on the defense to do their part.

Would agree with this 100% OL had made big improvement and DL has not no rush at all. Maybe not having Norm all year is a bigger problem then we think. DB's and Safties are not playing well right now poor tackling again and poor assignment football.