Looking at game stats in paper...was PSU really the better team?

[HaydenHawk56]

I listened to Jon's podcast and he came to that conclusion with the zero offensive TDs. But man...iowa actually out rushed...out passes...more total yards...more first downs.. and owned time of possession. Add in you got safteys...a pick 6...a trick play td... and were perfect in field goals...if they are better it is not by much. Teams don't lose games with those stats and yet we did.

 

[lightning1]

PSU is the better coached team. The better prepared team. In 2 of the 3 phases of the game, at least.

 

[Stanzi]

No they weren’t but Stanley might as well have been playing for PSU.

 

[uihawk82]

Too many mistakes, Off Line blocks pass pro better maybe we get more yards, Nate was off but coaches need to see that early and get him some safe passes to wide open receivers (usually a swing pass to running backs or a sit down route to a stationary receiver). Wasted opportunities and both safeties with a little luck ball bounces around and we recover for 2 TDs

PSU's defense won the game and I dont know that they are that much more well coached or skilled or better.

 

[1hawkeye1]

Ped st is better than Iowa. Let it be written.

 

[#1DieHardHawk]

PSU has better athletes (as usual) and a QB with off-the-charts intangibles.

One of my criticisms for a long time is that we tend to recruit robotic QBs. Call it whatever you want - grit, moxie, determination, mental toughness, etc. - our QBs rarely have it. In the Kirk era, probably only Tate came close. His only issue is that he tended to ad lib a little too much. McSorley is the right combination of those qualities but still playing within the scheme.

 

[Xerxes]

It was kinda like last year’s game. Very, very bizarre. Almost inexplicable. Normally when a team dominates like PSU did last year, it wins the game by 3 or 4 TDs. They needed a last second TD to win because of turnovers and an easy FG miss.

Normally when you block a punt, get 2 safeties, have a pick 6, and out gain a team with a hobbled QB you win. Iowa didn’t because their QB refused to make simple throws, had 2 brutal turnovers that caused a negative 14 point swing and tried a 4th down gamble that was one of the worst coaching decisions I’ve ever seen to gift PSU 3 more points and momentum. It also didn’t help that PSU’s kicker who has struggled had the game of his life.

 

[tksirius]

 

[trj]

How a team can ruin great field position that many times is beyond me. Just shows you how bad Stanley really was.

This “we were the better team” sentiment is starting to become nonsense. A loss, is a loss. Unless, these losses makes Iowa a better team in 2019, they are just another loss to a team with a pulse.

 

[AreWeThereYet]

I listened to Jon's podcast and he came to that conclusion with the zero offensive TDs. But man...iowa actually out rushed...out passes...more total yards...more first downs.. and owned time of possession. Add in you got safteys...a pick 6...a trick play td... and were perfect in field goals...if they are better it is not by much. Teams don't lose games with those stats and yet we did.

It's kind of hard to win when there are no offensive TD's and the quarterback is goes into meltdown on critical plays. All the stats say is the offense had some things going. You have to use your eyeballs to tell why things are a mess.

 

[KCHawkeye]

There one stat that is more important. Scoring.

 

[Caddy]

We are not a good team, period. A good team would have absolutely buried PSU yesterday before the half. The game would have been over. PSU was so much quicker than us it was sad. Difference in recruiting 4 and 5 star athletes, and 2-3 star athletes and walk ons. Sure we might look decent against the Minnesota, Indiana, crap teams in the West division, but won't beat a team with a pulse, and that PSU team is very average. One offensive td in the last 2 games is sad. Stanley just isn't going to get it done. Very inflated stats against bad teams. Against good teams, he chokes over and over.

 

[HawksMN]

We are not a good team, period. A good team would have absolutely buried PSU yesterday before the half. The game would have been over. PSU was so much quicker than us it was sad. Difference in recruiting 4 and 5 star athletes, and 2-3 star athletes and walk ons. Sure we might look decent against the Minnesota, Indiana, crap teams in the West division, but won't beat a team with a pulse, and that PSU team is very average. One offensive td in the last 2 games is sad. Stanley just isn't going to get it done. Very inflated stats against bad teams. Against good teams, he chokes over and over.

Emotion was on our side, and when up 12-0, should have beat their average brains in. I really foresaw the Hawks laying wood to that mediocre team. Boy was I wrong.

 

[DDThompson]

Yes. PSU is the better team.

They tried to give us the game and we said, “no, not like that. You have some back”

So they decided to fight back and take back the mistakes we gave them.

 

[Win5002]

nope, play PSU on a dry field and I think Iowa wins 7 or 8 times out of 10.

As big of a punch to the gut Saturday was if Iowa gets to Indy which if they are the team we thought they were gelling into they will, I give them a solid chance against whoever represents the East. I think a lot of it is Stanley doesn't play well in bad weather because he was inaccurate both games.

Its one thing to make one poor decision a game in respect to a turnover(I know this isn't ideal either) but when he is accurate they can overcome that and they would have overcome his turnovers if he was just accurate the rest of the time.

 

[SteveGarvey1]

I'd say Penn St. was about six points better than us on Saturday.

 

[ChosenChildren]

Iowa is better than average, but not a championship team. No poise from the coaches or the players on the road. It is really too bad, because we are squandering a very good defense in these big games.

 

[dahlhawk]

It was kinda like last year’s game. Very, very bizarre. Almost inexplicable. Normally when a team dominates like PSU did last year, it wins the game by 3 or 4 TDs. They needed a last second TD to win because of turnovers and an easy FG miss.

Normally when you block a punt, get 2 safeties, have a pick 6, and out gain a team with a hobbled QB you win. Iowa didn’t because their QB refused to make simple throws, had 2 brutal turnovers that caused a negative 14 point swing and tried a 4th down gamble that was one of the worst coaching decisions I’ve ever seen to gift PSU 3 more points and momentum. It also didn’t help that PSU’s kicker who has struggled had the game of his life.

Should have been played on Halloween, given Nate the Jason mask.