Kirk's idiocy is the gift that keeps on giving

[hawkeye4life68]

unfortunately for Iowa fans we can't exchange him.

In the laundry list of bizarre things Kirk's teams do game in game out our inability to manage the clock and preserve timeouts is at the top of the list.

How you let 15+ seconds just bleed off the clock before using a timeout end of first half is beyond comprehension. We end up in FG range but don't even have enough time to spike. Would be nice to end a game with our timeouts so we can get the ball back for a final drive only needing a FG to win but alas we've only got one because..............well, Kirk is our coach. 2010 all over again when we only needed a FG to win but only have one TO on the final drive.

You would think that given the way Kirk wants to play and that we are going to be in all these close games that we would be masters at using the clock. Instead we are inept in ways that cannot even be imagined. When Iowa has the ball under 2 in a half you might as well throw a tent over the whole thing cause the circus has come to town.

When you are Iowa there is a fine line between losing and winning and Kirk's incompetence continually puts us on the butt end of that line.

 

[Bigtenchamp]

for a guy who tries so hard to prevent mistakes he sure doesn't seem to see how he is making so many.

 

[PhoenixHawk]

A guy posted this on another site to explain why we lost the one in the second half:

On the previous 2 point conversion, we had the ball spotted even with the left upright. We wanted the same on the second 2 pt attempt. The jackhole referees weren't doing it, so Kirk ran out there to yell at them for failing to do their job, and they charged him, erroneously, with a timeout.

Then he went apeshit for a few minutes because they charged him a timeout. Then, after the timeout, the same jackhole refs tried putting the ball on the hash after surely being told to put it even with the upright.

Poor handling by the officiating crew.

 

[SterlingWarriorHawk]

So the alternative was to take the timeout to stop the clock while wisky had 2? Yes, it was 4th down and if the team doesn't convert the ball is turned over with the opposition sitting on 2 time outs. Plus, they are in great field position. Unfortunately, I don't agree with your logic with the given situation.

 

[okeefe4prez]

The only mistake with calling the TO with 8 seconds to go is you know Noodle Arm ain't gonna get it to the endzone and if he throws too early or takes a bag, Wisconsin is in position to heave one deep. You call that timeout with 2 or 3 seconds left, not 8.

 

[SterlingWarriorHawk]

What? I agree with you and that is what I screamed at the tv when the timeout was announced.

 

[IAHAWK1982]

You have unfortunately picked the wrong situation to grip at KFs clock management. He did the right thing by not calling the time out earlier. If Iowa had failed on the 4th down play it would have left Wisconsin with the ball at mid field with around 20 seconds left. Enough time to at least get a decent FG attempt in.

 

[RocknRollface]

A guy posted this on another site to explain why we lost the one in the second half:

On the previous 2 point conversion, we had the ball spotted even with the left upright. We wanted the same on the second 2 pt attempt. The jackhole referees weren't doing it, so Kirk ran out there to yell at them for failing to do their job, and they charged him, erroneously, with a timeout.

Then he went apeshit for a few minutes because they charged him a timeout. Then, after the timeout, the same jackhole refs tried putting the ball on the hash after surely being told to put it even with the upright.

Poor handling by the officiating crew.

Im a huge Ferentz critic but that BS was on the refs.

Not enough supervision for college referring. This kind of garbage is not tolerated in the NFL because it's bad for business but for some reason it's ok in college.

 

[hawkeye4life68]

You have unfortunately picked the wrong situation to grip at KFs clock management. He did the right thing by not calling the time out earlier. If Iowa had failed on the 4th down play it would have left Wisconsin with the ball at mid field with around 20 seconds left. Enough time to at least get a decent FG attempt in.

That is the type of mentality that dooms Iowa in these games. Down 16-3, looking very bad doing it, and not getting the ball second half to start ALL other teams attack the field in that same type of situation and try to get points and don't worry about giving the ball back at that part of the field and giving up a FG at worse.

 

[RocknRollface]

You have unfortunately picked the wrong situation to grip at KFs clock management. He did the right thing by not calling the time out earlier. If Iowa had failed on the 4th down play it would have left Wisconsin with the ball at mid field with around 20 seconds left. Enough time to at least get a decent FG attempt in.

He did call a timeout, that was the stupid thing.

The team sat there on the field and let the clock run then called a TO when they had plenty of time to just get a play in and snap the ball around 10 seconds.

then you use the TO.

 

[bigjim]

There were alot of dumb mistakes by Kirk and his staff today. And once again it cost us a gm!

 

[PCHawk]

He did call a timeout, that was the stupid thing.

The team sat there on the field and let the clock run then called a TO when they had plenty of time to just get a play in and snap the ball around 10 seconds.

then you use the TO.

That's what I was thinking. Just call a play and snap the ball with 8 seconds left. If you get the first down you call a timeout and attempt a field goal. If you don't get it, they get the ball at mid field for a hail mary attempt. Pretty simple logic for anyone not named Kirk or Les.

 

[hawkfan340]

The only mistake with calling the TO with 8 seconds to go is you know Noodle Arm ain't gonna get it to the endzone and if he throws too early or takes a bag, Wisconsin is in position to heave one deep. You call that timeout with 2 or 3 seconds left, not 8.

This. Of all the boneheaded, WTF clock management decisions Kirk has ever done, this had to be the dumbest one I've ever seen (although fortunately it ended up being harmless.) You wait until there it time for 1 play and heave it to the end zone. You don't give the opposition a chance to get the ball back to try their own hail mary.

 

[hawkfan340]

Also, I have no doubt the refs effed up the two point conversion deal, but Kirk can't lose his **** there. This is the most important play in like four years, so you better keep it together and get your team focused on making it a success.

 

[docholihawk]

The only mistake with calling the TO with 8 seconds to go is you know Noodle Arm ain't gonna get it to the endzone and if he throws too early or takes a bag, Wisconsin is in position to heave one deep. You call that timeout with 2 or 3 seconds left, not 8.

Same thing I said to my buddy when we were watching the game.

 

[cincyhawk]

The unacceptable thing on the 2-pt conversion TO loss is that after being given the TO Kirk and staff were too busy fighting worn the refs to bring the team over and talk over the play to come.

The inexcusable thing about the first half clock management is that there was absolutely 0 sense of urgency from the offense until things looked like they were getting out of hand. Even the players talked about how there wasn't a sense of urgency in the first half.

 

[eveningnewsteam]

This. Of all the boneheaded, WTF clock management decisions Kirk has ever done, this had to be the dumbest one I've ever seen (although fortunately it ended up being harmless.) You wait until there it time for 1 play and heave it to the end zone. You don't give the opposition a chance to get the ball back to try their own hail mary.

It was a definite wtf moment. KF probably thought it was 3rd down

 

[knighthawk13]

So the alternative was to take the timeout to stop the clock while wisky had 2? Yes, it was 4th down and if the team doesn't convert the ball is turned over with the opposition sitting on 2 time outs. Plus, they are in great field position. Unfortunately, I don't agree with your logic with the given situation.

If Wisconsin had gotten the ball back, they would have sat on it. Kirk should have saved the TO and ran the play with about 12-14 seconds left. If they don't make it, Wisconsin has time for one play only. If we complete the pass in FG range, we have a TO left and can get 3.

 

[doclee]

Congrats! You have just produced a thread focused on, most likely, the most inconsequential occurrence in the entire very good, hard fought, classic Iowa/ Rodent football game. I can only think of about 500 other things that would have been worth discussion. Nice waste of time!

 

[SterlingWarriorHawk]

If Wisconsin had gotten the ball back, they would have sat on it. Kirk should have saved the TO and ran the play with about 12-14 seconds left. If they don't make it, Wisconsin has time for one play only. If we complete the pass in FG range, we have a TO left and can get 3.

You are assuming they would sit on it. I stated the facts in the scenario. If we don't get it? Do they sit on it? We don't know that. What we do know is that the coaching staff got caught in between what to do. That scenario plays out frequently in Iowa football. Go? Punt? Regardless what this staff does, a huge majority of the fan base wouldn't agree with the decision regardless the outcome.