Kirk Ferentz Believes Hawkeye Offense Will Make Strides in '18

[revkev73]

Grade school punting, no wide receivers, garbage bowl, 60 yards vs Wisconsin...yet a nice bonus

 

[HawkGold]

How many times did Stanley Audible into those fronts for a one or two yard gain? ALOT. He had some really bad games throwing the ball to his targets. He deserves some criticism too . It’s not all on Brian or daddy. I liked Stanley’s progress this season and I’m looking forward to next season

Dean, it's not on Stanley. The running game had no teeth a lot of the time. D's were teeing off on him. Some of those things won't change much. It's 100% on Dad.

 

[revkev73]

If the offense can start contributing...the defense will suddenly appear to be all world...defense tires out because of the inept, predictable offense...that can't stay on the field...case in point...Wisconsin

 

[hawkeyebob62]

Effective WRs + a mid to deep passing game is how you punish defenses for doing this. You have to make them play with big plays. Not small ones. They have to fear that selling out to stop the run could lead to a long TD throw.

Plays like the deep balls to Fant against Nebraska, and even the mid-range play to Easley in the Pinstripe Bowl, are huge for opening things up. And if Smith-Marsette shows improvement in the catch department? It would be a huge positive.

Downfield "threat" doesn't just open the running lanes, it helps open the swing/horizontal passing lanes that can be exploited for big gains. To say nothing, of course, about the positive effect it can have on TE routes to the hashes and across the middle.

 

[AreWeThereYet]

A. Nelson is arguably the best pass rusher in the conference (if you don't believe me, PFF had high ratings for him all season and the vaunted Nick Bosa only had 1 more sack). Hesse is going to be a 4 year starter with tons of experience. No DE on the team sets the edge better than he does, and it shows. M. Nelson was playing very well by the end of the year, and Lattimore has shown flashes. Epenesa probably needs no explanation due to his natural talent and the fact that this board drools all over him, and Sam Brincks has proven to be a solid depth player (to the suprise of many). Add in Nixon who is sure to play right away, and that's a pretty salty defensive front.

Maybe great was a bit of an overstatement, but they're pretty damn good for sure.

Could use a big defensive tackle that can soak up those doubleteams.

 

[smitharooney]

Dean, it's not on Stanley. The running game had no teeth a lot of the time. D's were teeing off on him. Some of those things won't change much. It's 100% on Dad.

Wait a minute. Do you think I’m Deanvogs????

 

[hawkeyebob62]

To be fair the defense did a damn good job given their terrible field position. They had to jump straight to “don’t break,” and they did an impressive job a lot of the time. That said we need a good punter PERIOD ASAP.

FIFY

 

[hawkeyebob62]

Grade school punting, no wide receivers, garbage bowl, 60 yards vs Wisconsin...yet a nice bonus

I agree on grade school punting...except the punting was (too) often an insult to most accomplished grade school punters...

 

[HawkGold]

Wait a minute. Do you think I’m Deanvogs????

Yes

 

[smitharooney]

Yes

sorry can't help you there

 

[Joshbrown]

Yes

Why do you think that?

 

[HawkGold]

Why do you think that?

Style and four letter word use.

 

[Kennyfromminne]

Style and four letter word use.

I was thinking the same thing

 

[smitharooney]

Not sure me and Dean share the same view points on the overall state of the programs

 

[Joshbrown]

Style and four letter word use.

Style?
Elaborate

 

[Stanzi]

I think the basketball disaster is part of Kirk's master plan. The basketball team is so bad that we will see a 7-5 football season as a huge success.

 

[HawkGold]

Style?
Elaborate

Deans accent.