KF question for Jon

E

EsoxHawk

Well-Known Member
Jon,
I agree with all of your pro-KF points and posts, that the Hawks can do no better, and could likely not see a run like the two we've experienced (02-04) and (08-10) even in the KF era. I believe that he is worth every penny he and his staff are paid.

My question is this, as you look at the body of work over the past 10 years (I give him a pass on 99, and 00, what does this staff need to work on? Stanzi watches film all off season and meticulously during the season to eliminate his 15 INT's, so what is on your list for the sideline contingent?
 


EsoxHawk said:
Jon,
I agree with all of your pro-KF points and posts, that the Hawks can do no better, and could likely not see a run like the two we've experienced (02-04) and (08-10) even in the KF era. I believe that he is worth every penny he and his staff are paid.

My question is this, as you look at the body of work over the past 10 years (I give him a pass on 99, and 00, what does this staff need to work on? Stanzi watches film all off season and meticulously during the season to eliminate his 15 INT's, so what is on your list for the sideline contingent?
Click to expand...

Why won't we see another run like the last two? Nobody saw the current run back when the season ended in '07. I'm sure as long as he sticks around there will probably be another good run out there.
 


Hawkfromnorwalk said:
Why won't we see another run like the last two? Nobody saw the current run back when the season ended in '07. I'm sure as long as he sticks around there will probably be another good run out there.
Click to expand...

Simply saying its possible, and agreeing with the point that Jon often makes that we are lucky to have what we've got.
 


Here is the only thing I would say...

I firmly believe that for the first time in the modern KF era that Esox uses as their sample, that opposing coaches are telling their QB's take the underneath stuff every down, do not go down the field. If you take chances we will lose the game, if you do the boring easy stuff we can win.

We've seen the bend but don't break defense break repeatedly this year against each good team we've played. In each instance, those teams showed a willingness to operate 15 play drives against Iowa.

So how do you counteract that? How do you throw enough of a wrinkle at the offenses to keep them off their toes enough to not be able to operate in this manner?
 


EsoxHawk said:
Simply saying its possible, and agreeing with the point that Jon often makes that we are lucky to have what we've got.
Click to expand...
Yes as Jon says, remember we are Iowa. This is as good as it gets. Be happy with our 20-8 record since 2008, be happy that we get to January bowl games. Iowa is never going to be able to compete agains't the OSUs, Floridas or Alabamas of the college football world. When we have a schedule in our favor and a very talented team, don't expect too much. The other teams we face are very good as well and dog gone it, we just might come out on the losing end once in a while. Remember, we are just Iowa.
 


Sadly that "this is the best run we'll see" mentality is a strictly Iowa mentality. There's no reason that a team that succeeds with perfectly average players can't continue to do so, or that a coaching staff that succeeds can't land the big players and strive for something better.

Since 2008, we've lost a grand total of eight games. Eight. Four came in one season. And none of those was by any more than 7 points, and definitely weren't 'un-winnable'.

There's no reason we shouldn't expect more from an Iowa team. I don't expect us to be like tOSU under Tressel and win 5-6 titles in a row, but at least a few trips to the Rose would be nice. Maybe even a trip or two to the NCG, if possible.
 


edr247 said:
Sadly that "this is the best run we'll see" mentality is a strictly Iowa mentality. There's no reason that a team that succeeds with perfectly average players can't continue to do so, or that a coaching staff that succeeds can't land the big players and strive for something better.

Since 2008, we've lost a grand total of eight games. Eight. Four came in one season. And none of those was by any more than 7 points, and definitely weren't 'un-winnable'.

There's no reason we shouldn't expect more from an Iowa team. I don't expect us to be like tOSU under Tressel and win 5-6 titles in a row, but at least a few trips to the Rose would be nice. Maybe even a trip or two to the NCG, if possible.
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According to Jon we should be happy with the way it is. We are never going to compete with the big boys so just enjoy our 8-9-sometimes 10 win seasons and January bowl games and shut up. After all, we are just Iowa.
 


BSpringsteen said:
Here is the only thing I would say...

I firmly believe that for the first time in the modern KF era that Esox uses as their sample, that opposing coaches are telling their QB's take the underneath stuff every down, do not go down the field. If you take chances we will lose the game, if you do the boring easy stuff we can win.

We've seen the bend but don't break defense break repeatedly this year against each good team we've played. In each instance, those teams showed a willingness to operate 15 play drives against Iowa.

So how do you counteract that? How do you throw enough of a wrinkle at the offenses to keep them off their toes enough to not be able to operate in this manner?
Click to expand...

This is sort of true. Iowa's defense succeeds against teams that (1) can't consistently convert on third and fourth downs to sustain long drives, and (2) settle for field goals when in the red zone.

#1 is most often true--only eight teams in the nation (Link) convert more than half of their third-downs (Wisconsin is one of the eight).

#2 is usually true for Iowa--Penn State in 2008, for example, had a 19-play drive and a 16-play drive that both ended in field goals. Last Saturday, drives like that were touchdowns. Similar for Ohio State last year.

I used to be a critic of bend-but-don't-break, but since most college teams can't consistently string together a series of third-down conversions, I think it works most of the time. Iowa's defense requires opposing offenses to make plays, and most college teams (except the elite ones) don't have the athletes to do it consistently.
 


Why is it that Iowa should be satisfied with 8-9 win seasons? Why can't the U of I football team compete for a national championship? I know why! It's called complacency. The mentallity of 8-9 wins is always going to be good enough. I don't understand this. Iowa is 1 of 119 division 1 football programs. Where is it written that Texas, Alabama, USC, Ohio State, Oklahoma, LSU, and Nebraska can only win the National Championship? Speaking of Nebraska...Explain that one to me? How can an otherwise desolate state with a small population base be a National Champion?
I can tell you why! They didn't settle for 8-9 wins being "good enough".
Why should Iowa?
We have turned into "little brother" to all the contenders. Snap out of this mentallity we can win the big game if we stop being satisfied with mediocrity.
 


Not knowing one person on the staff, I can guarantee you they all felt a national title run was in the cards this year. I am even more certain they go into every game thinking they can win. So it shouldn't be so ridiculous for the fans to share those same goals. That being said, we can be happy with a 9 win season and still be ticked off a little that we didn't go 11-1, particularly when you think of the way we tend to lose games (close, in it untill the end). Being happy with the season and being somewhat disappointed are not mutually exclusive feelings. We can be both.
 


What Hawkize wrote is dead on, especially about Nebraska. I love Ferentz and all but to think that many coaches wouldn't want the Iowa job if Ferentz left is just not correct. A historic stadium, darn good history, great facilities, rabid fans and an athletic dept that funds the football program well, oh and a history of paying the coach well, there would be many coaches wanting this job. Again, I want Ferentz here forever, but this isn't 1970.
 


And for anyone not to think that KF isn't trying to win a National Championship and win 12 games a year is stupid as well. I coached my sons 5th and 6th grade football team this year and I wanted to win every game. Are people trying to tell me that A Division 1 coach at Iowa isn't coaching to win every game. lol
 
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