Miller: Have We Been Too Hard on Greg Davis?

JonDMiller

JonDMiller

Publisher/Founder
http://hawkeyenation.com/football/too-hard-on-greg-davis

Again, can't bring it in here or the formatting gets jacked up...but this spreadsheet I put together in 2012 and refreshed with recent numbers is at the crux of the question:

offensivestats.jpeg
 
We haven't been too hard on GD because we haven't played anyone yet. If Iowa doesn't figure some things out, these rankings will plummet against good defenses for 2014. Why does it seem that Ferentz fears playmakers? That is the question that is burning me. Year in and year out, Iowa missuses talent more than any team I know. Canzeri, Daniels, Powell, Beathard (heck Sokol), Willies... and that is just this year.



JonDMiller said:
http://hawkeyenation.com/football/too-hard-on-greg-davis

Again, can't bring it in here or the formatting gets jacked up...but this spreadsheet I put together in 2012 and refreshed with recent numbers is at the crux of the question:

offensivestats.jpeg
Click to expand...
 
**** poor rushing is all I see here. I'd love to see a comparison to Wisconsin over that same time. The only thing more consistent than our awful offense is routinely losing to the clowns, Western Michigan and other traditional football powerhouses.
 
All this proves is that Kirk is the problem. You could bring Oregon or Baylor's entire offensive personnel, suit them up in black 'n gold, and we'd score 22 points on Purdue.
 
Wonderfully clear and succinct analysis

I wonder if KF is refereeing the O coaches as they are all discussing, maybe arguing and trying to make the quilt of an offense come together. Like putting humpty dumpty back together.... A little zone blocking... some spread ... but only in the backfield....no large O-Line splits..... now bring in this receiver set... but not that guy when that guy is in the back field, now this motion with that. I imagine they are drawing up plays and blocking schemes ...in September! And I imagine that is why the players cant run the dang plays.

All speculation of course.

Seems like they could learn the game by now...especially if they practice as well as Jerry Dinardo says they do.
 
Who really needs offense when you can just shut out every team you play?

Earth to Kirk, Norm Parker is NOT your defensive coordinator anymore.
 
No. All the pieces and experience returning. More suitable athletes with better skills to execute his system. He uses the old parts and disregards / mismanages the new weapons. Year three and it's been horrific underperformance and regression. I'd like to see him fired, immediately.

I know KirkFer isn't capable of such a big boy move and I have zero say in the matter. The only solution to stemming my disgust and contempt for the consistent degradation of Iowa football by Kirk Ferentz and Greg Davis is to simply walk away. I will attempt to sell my remaining tickets this season. I will never return to Kinnick as long as Greg Davis is on staff and am unsure if I will as long as KirkFer still patrols the sidelines.

I've seen enough of the lack of productivity, the lack of results, the lack of performance commensurate with capability, the strategical and personnel mismanagement. I'm at a point where the only thing that would generate enough excitement and interest to spend the money and alcohol-free time to attend a live game would be a major overhaul of the staff.
 
Davis deserves little of the blame IMO.

if he was running things on O with autonomy than he would deserve the blame.

right now KFs run scheme, his conservative philosophy and his QB choice give him ownership of this mess.

seriously what can Davis do with a QB who refuses to throw down field?
 
NCHawker said:
Wonderfully clear and succinct analysis

I wonder if KF is refereeing the O coaches as they are all discussing, maybe arguing and trying to make the quilt of an offense come together. Like putting humpty dumpty back together.... A little zone blocking... some spread ... but only in the backfield....no large O-Line splits..... now bring in this receiver set... but not that guy when that guy is in the back field, now this motion with that. I imagine they are drawing up plays and blocking schemes ...in September! And I imagine that is why the players cant run the dang plays.

All speculation of course.

Seems like they could learn the game by now...especially if they practice as well as Jerry Dinardo says they do.
Click to expand...


Not speculation - you nailed it on the head! Someone mentioned taking Mangino or GD. Would not matter. KF would **** it up. Period.

Mangino over Davis, wouldn't make a difference. Mangino wouldn't be able to call the plays NOR play the players he wanted. KF would axe that by Tuesday's practice... Secondly, Mangino's style. He throws down field WAY too often. We aren't talking 30 yard bombs, no just the 10-15 yard types... Plus Mangino's trying to utilize underclassmen talent(totally uncalled for, btw), and is not conservative enough to teach young Bryan Ferentz the ropes of the game of football. KF would not allow his son to learn such aggressive techniques before he takes the ropes at OC for Iowa next season.

I feel sorry for GD. This is not his offensive style, nor his offense. If I were him, knowing it is my last season, I would pull out the guns(er....the more talented players KF calls too young), the Willies, the Powells(yes, too young being a senior), L Daniels, and call the plays I wanted. To actually MOVE the football And score.... Of course, I would bet with absolute certainty that KF would override the calls & players going in about every other play. Thus creating more mismanaged chaos than we already have. So, maybe it probably wouldn't matter... Stay with the status quo GD. It is a good pay check, even if it burns you up inside.
 
Well, its Wednesday. I'm over this.

I think this last piece by Jon is the equivalent to having our " pound of flesh " or as close as an irritated fan can get. Time to detach and just look on in morbid curiosity....I know I can't not look.
 
HaydensHawk said:
We haven't been too hard on GD because we haven't played anyone yet. If Iowa doesn't figure some things out, these rankings will plummet against good defenses for 2014. Why does it seem that Ferentz fears playmakers? That is the question that is burning me. Year in and year out, Iowa missuses talent more than any team I know. Canzeri, Daniels, Powell, Beathard (heck Sokol), Willies... and that is just this year.
Click to expand...



The short answer to your question is NO!


According to your chart, since GD arrived, Iowa is in the top 50% in only 2 of 15 categories that are measured or 13%. Yesterday KF said GD was "INCREDIBLE". With those stats I am concerned who KF views as not incredible for an OC.

GD is not very good and KF hired him so it's his responsibility. The game of college football as we see it today quite simply has passed both of them by. Don't take that as neither one of them know nothing. They still know the game very well. But their willingness to adapt is no where to be found and it's not going to change.

I hope I'm wrong on this but it's only going to get worse as this season goes on. Iowa State gave everybody else the prescription to holding down Iowa at least when Rudock is at QB. Take away the run and the pass in the flats. They will not go deep. That's also assuming Willies and Powell are not in the game. "It's just where they're at right now". My goodness, whose job is it to see they get there?

So NO, the fans and some in the media are not any where close to being to hard on GD. I'm sure he's a good man, but at this stage of the game he's not a good OC. Stats don't lie after 2 and 1/3 years.
 
What is most surprising is that Kirk has always based his offense on running the ball to set up the pass but we have never had a very good running game. We average the 70th best running game in Kirk's era? The Kirk Ferentz era should be called the Norm Parker Era because his defense is what made Iowa so good in 02, 04 and 09. Give Norm a statue and Kirk a bus ticket.
 
Not sure if Jon or many others have heard Chuck Long repeatedly make comments this week to the effect of "There are some things that Greg Davis wants to do, and then there is what Kirk wants to do" and, "It's like there are 2 different offenses out there". This was the same sentiment that we heard with KOK. Chuck said that his comments weren't based on fact and just observation, but my guess is that the best QB in Iowa history might have some insight into the program that are forming those comments. Do I think Greg Davis is the right OC? No. But I don't think anyone will be the right OC under KF. He had to hire someone that was willing to run their offense under his thumb. Who else would go for that other than a 70 year old dude who was without a job at the time?
 
Travisam said:
Not sure if Jon or many others have heard Chuck Long repeatedly make comments this week to the effect of "There are some things that Greg Davis wants to do, and then there is what Kirk wants to do" and, "It's like there are 2 different offenses out there". This was the same sentiment that we heard with KOK. Chuck said that his comments weren't based on fact and just observation, but my guess is that the best QB in Iowa history might have some insight into the program that are forming those comments. Do I think Greg Davis is the right OC? No. But I don't think anyone will be the right OC under KF. He had to hire someone that was willing to run their offense under his thumb. Who else would go for that other than a 70 year old dude who was without a job at the time?
Click to expand...

I agree, GD proved that he is a bad OC without Vince Young around, so even if we let him do what he wanted it wouldn't work. However, Kirk controls the offense and the blame falls on him. The offense is there to eat clock and give the defense a rest, scoring is allowed if they run out of field before the goal line.
 
hawkinn3 said:
I agree, GD proved that he is a bad OC without Vince Young around, so even if we let him do what he wanted it wouldn't work. However, Kirk controls the offense and the blame falls on him. The offense is there to eat clock and give the defense a rest, scoring is allowed if they run out of field before the goal line.
Click to expand...

This wins.
 
The answer is NO.
Fact- Kirk and GD know more about coaching football than everyone on this message board combined.
Fact- Kirk conducts himself with about as much class as anyone could expect
Fact- fans watch games, compile statistics and draw conclusions
Fact- over a decent sample size of history, UI offense has struggled to achieve average results
Fact- UI did need to outscore a good FCS(UNI) to win game 1 - and it happened, barely
Fact- UNI, Ball St, ISU are not the Seahawk defense

Personally, one of my biggest disappointments is that there is really no hope that anything will be any better any time soon.
 
hawkinn3 said:
I agree, GD proved that he is a bad OC without Vince Young around, so even if we let him do what he wanted it wouldn't work. However, Kirk controls the offense and the blame falls on him. The offense is there to eat clock and give the defense a rest, scoring is allowed if they run out of field before the goal line.
Click to expand...

Yes, this wins big time.

It's Ferentz, people. All the way back to KOK...it's Ferentz. Take a quick look at KOK's history before IOWA. His offenses averaged 42 pts/game at Allegheny and Fordham. AVERAGED 42 points/game. KFz neutered him.

The blame rests squarely on Ferentz. He doesn't place a premium on offense, he believes ball-control is the name of the game. Or as we like to say..."playing not to lose".
 
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