Miller: Getting Defensive

[olivecourt]

Iowa played a top 10 offense and gave up 28 points.

Also gave up 31 to Wisconsin.

And gave up 20 to Arizona.

My point? Iowa's defense has been "had" several times this year.

I'm just saying, I feel sometimes your not always looking at things with an unbias opinion.

Then show us how Ohio State is a better defensive team when we both gave up 31 to Wisconsin. Show us how Florida State is better than Iowa when they've given up game-winning drives two weeks in a row. Show us how Nebraska wasn't "had" giving up 14 fourth quarter points against Iowa State-- a team we destroyed-- and leaving a guy wide open on a fake extra point.

When you harp on every negative play that Iowa's had and ignore the mistakes made by other teams, that's just as biased as pretending Iowa has the greatest D since the invention of the forward pass (which I don't think anyone on here is saying). We're just saying that when you look around the country, it's tough to find even 5 teams that play better defense year-in and year-out than Iowa does.

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

People are missing my point with my top ten.

Most of those teams have faced better offenses.

Ball State? Iowa State? EIU? Penn State?

When we face a decent offense, Wisconsin 31, Michigan 28 and Arizona 20.

Ohio St. faced one decent offense - gave up 31 points
Alabama faced two decent offenses - gave up 35 to So Car, gave up 20 to Arkansas, also gave up 24 and 430 yards to LSU which ranks 74th in ppg
Florida St - gave up 47 to Oklahoma, 28 to NC St, 37 to UNC who ranks 67th in scoring offense
Arizona -faced two good offenses and gave up 27 and 42 and also gave up 29 to an average Oregon St team

So what was your point now?

 

[ICHawk24]

Football Outsiders opponent-adjusted statistical analysis has Iowa in the top 10.

As someone else just stated, I think Hawkeye fans get too close to the situation to realize what goes on with other teams. Every team has breakdowns. We all get overly critical of our own.

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

Also, we nearly gave up 19 to Indiana.

This is college football, not the NFL, it's much more high scoring. I feel that if you hold an opponent under 20, you should expect to win.

 

[iowahawkeyes89]

Then show us how Ohio State is a better defensive team when we both gave up 31 to Wisconsin. Show us how Florida State is better than Iowa when they've given up game-winning drives two weeks in a row. Show us how Nebraska wasn't "had" giving up 14 fourth quarter points against Iowa State-- a team we destroyed-- and leaving a guy wide open on a fake extra point.

When you harp on every negative play that Iowa's had and ignore the mistakes made by other teams, that's just as biased as pretending Iowa has the greatest D since the invention of the forward pass (which I don't think anyone on here is saying). We're just saying that when you look around the country, it's tough to find even 5 teams that play better defense year-in and year-out than Iowa does.

They're playing better teams...thats how.

 

[ICHawk24]

A revelation: defenses have their worst games of the year against good offenses. Defenses have their best games of the year against poor offenses.

Iowa held Iowa State 27 below their average.
Iowa held Arizona 11 below their average.
Iowa held Ball State 22 below their average.
Iowa held Penn State 21 below their average.
Iowa held Michigan 11 below their average.
Iowa held Wisconsin 4 below their average.
Iowa held Michigan State 25 below their average.
Iowa held Indiana 15 below their average.

So the defense held all 8 below their average, with only one team coming within 11 points of their average. MSU is a good team, but I don't see their 25 pt under performance being discussed.

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

They're playing better teams...thats how.

No they aren't, several people have showed you how you're wrong with actual facts and numbers.

 

[olivecourt]

They're playing better teams...thats how.

Ohio State's schedule:

Marshall
Miami (FL)
Ohio
Eastern Michigan
Illinois
Indiana
Wisconsin
Purdue
Minnesota

I'm dying to know how those are better offensive teams than Iowa has faced. Something tells me their stats will change a bit after they play Michigan.

 

[dee27]

Florida St has played one team in the top 25

 

[hoffahawk]

Iowa freaking bias? We are talking about one the best examples of consistent defensive execution of the past decade.

yeah, that's Iowa bias.

It's nothing more than my opinion does not align with yours or others, so I must be biased. And since yours doesn't align with mine, I think you are unrealistic

Miller: Getting Defensive


a clear double entendre.

 

[muttonman]

Jon points out good numbers, and I agree that overall this is a very good defense; in fact, as Jon says, this defense has carried Iowa's team in nearly every recent year (maybe 2002 would be an exception).

However, as other commentors have noted, in our two losses and our one near loss (Arizona, Wisconsin, and Indiana), we held a lead or tie going into the final minutes and with the game on the line. Normally, because of our defense, that would be a situation where I give Iowa overwhelming odds of winning and would be very comfortable leaving the game in the hands of the D to win.

However, this year, for whatever reason, our D was not able to line up toe-to-toe and stop a game winning drive -- 3 times, if you count a pass that should have been caught in the endzone.

You can argue about why that is (linebackers, not getting enough qb pressure, cornerback cushion, soft zone), but the fact is, our defense was not able to stop the opposing team's drive in crunch time, with the game on the line.

Now, I don't think this makes us a "bad" defense. We have a very good defense, but that doesn't make it wrong to wonder why it has not been able to stop the opposing teams when it matters most and the game is in the D's shoulders. Citing overall statistics here is not enough to explain it.

 

[DodgerHawki]

Wow, just holy wow...

I will say that my beef isn't as much that our defense has gotten beat in 'crunch' time as much as the scheme really limits just how good our defense can be. There will always be holes in the zone that can be exploited, no matter how good our personnel is. That is frustrating.

This year, we had an unusual convergence of experience & talent returning. The front 4 is comparable to the '02 unit (I wager to say better, if measured by the upcoming draft)...The pair of safeties are better than any pair I can remember...Prater will be 2nd team all-B10 and Hyde is slightly above average (and improving), imo...

Indiana should have been a team we could have just physically & athletically overwhelmed. They don't even pretend that they are going to run the ball & their QB is fairly accurate, but totally immobile. OSU overwhelmed them, primarily by not conceding the short passes. Our front 4 & secondary are superior to OSU. Yet, we are content to let IU play to their strengths, control the clock, shorten the game, & negate our front 4 (causing our depleted linebacking core to be even MORE of a factor). We could just as well of had our 4 draft picks up front watching from the sidelines....

The scheme is limiting the talent & abilities of this years' group, imo...particularly against teams that are content to dink & dunk & be patient...

so now our scheme, which has been a big reason why Iowa has enjoyed so much success the last decade, actually LIMITS how good our defense could actually be, if our coaches would just get their heads out and do whatever it is you are advocating they should be doing.

How many times does this need to be repeated: we don't have the athletes that Ohio State does, especially in the back 7. Our scheme isn't limiting anything. We have corners who have been struggling, so by all means let's put them on an island. Yes, that's the ticket.

 

[Rawkhawk73]

To the guys complaining about our scheme, you're just dead wrong. Last year, we had a shutdown corner in Spievey, the best tackling and cover middle linebacker in our history in Angerer and the best cover OLB in our history in Edds. As a result, we blitzed more than we probably ever have under Ferentz. This year, Hyde has replaced Spievey, Nielsen/DiBona has replaced Edds and Tarp/Morris has replaced Angerer. We are nowhere near as capable of covering as we have in the past. Therefore, you're seeing a lot less blitzing and a lot fewer sacks. I think it's amazing that our scoring average is as low as it is which is a credit to our scheme.

To the guys saying our defense is performing great, overall you are correct. Stats-wise, this will go down as one of the best defenses under Ferentz. However, I find it amazing how much unwillingness there is by people in this camp (JM included) to acknowledge that the stalwart of our team the last 10 years and the one group we could always fall back on has been extremely lackluster in it's ability to close out games in which we are tied or ahead in the last 5 minutes.

 

[Imlivingthedream]

this years defense hasnt been in the holes last years was for one reason..turnovers are way down. Prior to the INT last week, Iowa hadnt had a turnover for 15 quarters.

This years squad is good, but not nearly as good as last years. Take 3 NFL players off any defense, and the following year they arent going to be as good.

Wisconsin had 3 drives of 80 yards or longer---a "great" defense doesnt give up three of those in one game.

 

[olivecourt]

this years defense hasnt been in the holes last years was for one reason..turnovers are way down. Prior to the INT last week, Iowa hadnt had a turnover for 15 quarters.

Except our special teams are garbage, so opponents are starting out with much better field position after we score. It's been an absolute killer.