Last 3 or 4 plays...

Stogy

Well-Known Member
I'm not a great football guru here, but on the last 3-4 plays - Arizona blitzing - I heard both Dolph and Eddy say Arizona would do this. Were we not good enough to handle it, or did the coaching staff not see this. The way Dolph and Eddy talked about it on the radio and the way Iowa looked, it seemed they were unprepared. Anyone else see this?
 
It looked pretty bad, to say the least. AZ was pinning their ears back. Probably should have put Staniz in shotgun. Probably should have left a tight end in to help. Probably should have tried a screen pass or tried moving the pocket. The only problem is that everyone at the game watch I was at was saying these things when the drive started, not after the fact. Wonder what was going through O'Keefe's head?
 
It seems like you would make an adjustment at some point. The were coming up the middle,
twisting and stunting all night. How many screens did we throw....was the interception to McNutt a screen??? Did not see the live play.

Seems like to me what did not adjust this game.
 
It appeared that everyone knew the blitz was coming on that last drive. Iowa was simply powerless to stop it.
 
The last 4 plays I think everyone saw blitz coming so either shorten the routes slants something, but you have to get rid of the football you cannot take 4 straight sacks without the ball leaving the QBS hand. We were powerless is appeared for sure.
 
I try real hard not to be an arm chair monday morning qb, but when iowa first took possession of that final drive my son and i both said that Az was going to bring the house and Iowa should
A. hard count them to draw them off sides and or prevent them from jumping the count.
B. Screen /Draw or shovel pass them. When they pinned their ears back a screen or shovel pass where we overload and give the ball carrier a convoy would have taken great dicipline to stop.
C. Rolled the pocket. Had Stanzi been able to buy 4- seconds he would have had open targets with running room.

Hind sight is 20/20 and no one was screeming at us, but I think Iowa could have scorched them had they played that differently.
 
I thought on the 2nd down play the sack was on Stanzi. He had time to get rid of the ball. Something must have been open for him to hold onto the ball there. The last three (including the one that didn't count) the line was just overwhelmed.
I was also disappointed with the very last play call the hook and ladder to the short side of the field. Who was Robinson supposed to lateral to? Throw a Hail Mary and hope for a penalty to get field position for a second Hail Mary. This is probably needless carping and neither strategy was going to pay off, but I was just wondering why that play was called.
We don't get to see the players practice. The coaches may have confidence in them to pick up the blitz even when they haven't on the last couple of plays. I was surprised by the O-lines struggles, but looking back I obviously had too much confidence in such a young group. Ferentz, MacMillan, Gettis, and Zusevics were all getting their first real road action. This was the highest level of competition they have faced. They will learn from this and improve.
Iowa adjusts from week to week. Blitz pick up will be addressed. Teams will come at the Hawks until they prove they can block it. But this staff knows how to win games, Iowa had a decent game plan early, circumstances just took they away from what they wanted to do. Play-action isn't so effective when the defense doesn't care if you run the ball- tick, tick, tick.
 

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