JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
Some people may not like that title on a night where Iowa beat Northwestern 41-31. However, if you watched the game, I think you know where I am coming from.
This may be one of the strangest statistical games I can recall.
The losing team:
-Had 29 first downs to 17 for the winner
-Ran 92 plays to just 50 for the winner
-Gained 495 yards to just 379 for the winner
-Converted 16 of 22 third downs to just 1 of 7 for the winner
-Had a 38:23 in time of possession to just 21:37 for the winner
Those numbers, either way, are typically harbingers of a win or a loss. Iowa's stats usually add up to a loss where Northwestern's add up to a win.
However, that was not the case in Kinnick Stadium on this night, as the Iowa seniors tasted their first victory against Northwestern.
The Hawkeyes scored a field goal on their opening drive and then the Wildcats marched right down the field before Broderick Binns corralled Dan Persa. Persa was still on his feet and falling down when he made an uncharacteristic mistake; he tried to make a play with a weak throw and Tanner Miller stepped in front of it at the two and ran it back 98 yards for a score.
Iowa led 17-7 at the half, with the offense matching the defense's interception.
Then Northwestern went all Northwestern, rallying back to tie things up at 17 late in the third quarter.
Iowa's offense was floundering for most of the first three quarters and seemed to abandon their running game at times. Northwestern was not overplaying the run in this game, and Iowa finally went to the ground in the fourth quarter.
Perhaps it was a set up...some old school Muhamed Ali rope-a-dope...whatever it was, the Hawks ran the ball with success on their first fourth quarter touchdown, then went back to the ground early on their next drive before James Vandenberg hooked up with Keenan Davis on a deep pass and followed it up with a toss to Marvin McNutt on a 37 yard scoring strike.
Later in the quarter, the Hawks called a waggle bootleg play on fourth and short and Vandenberg took the ball down to the one yard line where Marcus Coker took over and walked in on the next play.
Iowa's offense came alive when it was needed, scoring 24 fourth quarter points (with 10 of those points coming on short fields after failed Northwestern onside kick attempts).
It wasn't perfect, but the entire football team can take this positive momentum into next week's home game against Indiana.
Iowa didn't use much of the no huddle up tempo look tonight, but it's not as if Iowa has re-written any football rules with that wrinkle.
That's what it is; a wrinkle. It's not a gimmick, as Iowa runs it's usual personnel groups out of the no huddle more often than not. However, it is an effective wrinkle and one that needs to stick around.
That being said, the foundation of this offense, the Iowa offense under Kirk Ferentz, is the running game setting up the play action passing game. That's where Iowa is most dangerous and in the second half, Iowa's play calling zigged when Northwestern's calls zagged.
It wasn't perfect and I am not going to make the same mistake I did a few weeks back and pronounce that this team is has found its identity.
The identity of this year's offense may not be found until November, if at all. It really seems to be a 'Scratch Where it Itches' kind of football season and hopefully the offense can do enough each week. This week, it scored 34 points and that was enough.
Given all of those lopsided statistics above, this comment may surprise you; I was pleased with the Iowa defense in this game. To start with, Iowa was without James Morris and Tom Nardo, two of its best players on defense. Anthony Hitchens has played a lot this year, and he was out as well.
Dan Persa is just in total control of the Northwestern scheme. He is accurate and mostly poised. His backup, Kain Culter, may haunt Iowa in seasons to come once Persa is gone, too.
This defense bowed when it had to. It was a 'classic' bend don't break effort by Iowa. There was the pick six from the redzone and there was another redzone trip by Northwestern where they were backed up out of field goal range and had to punt. The Iowa defense also bowed up on another near redzone trip, forcing a 47 yard field attempt that was wide right.
They weren't great and they are not going to be great. But they were good enough when they had to be and on this day, they had a willing accomplice on offense, at least in the fourth quarter.
The hapless Indiana Hoosiers come to town next week and I am not going to say Iowa will roll them, but they should beat them.
I doubt this Iowa team will be looking past anyone this year, because they cannot afford to do that. They aren't good enough to do that, but they are good enough to take care of business with the opponent at hand at least for the next two weeks.
That's two more weeks to iron out some kinks and gain some consistency on offense. If Iowa can't get consistent on offense, the month of November will be painful.
Tonight was a start...it's been a crazy season and it will likely be a Rolaids campaign all the way through.
Iowa has owned Penn State and put forth a lackluster effort last week in Happy Valley. Northwestern has owned Iowa and the Hawkeye defense showed great effort all night, even if they struggled to get off the field. The offense looked like what we know it can look like, for a quarter.
It's another brick in the foundation on whatever this season will look like...and six games into it, I still have no idea what that will be.
This may be one of the strangest statistical games I can recall.
The losing team:
-Had 29 first downs to 17 for the winner
-Ran 92 plays to just 50 for the winner
-Gained 495 yards to just 379 for the winner
-Converted 16 of 22 third downs to just 1 of 7 for the winner
-Had a 38:23 in time of possession to just 21:37 for the winner
Those numbers, either way, are typically harbingers of a win or a loss. Iowa's stats usually add up to a loss where Northwestern's add up to a win.
However, that was not the case in Kinnick Stadium on this night, as the Iowa seniors tasted their first victory against Northwestern.
The Hawkeyes scored a field goal on their opening drive and then the Wildcats marched right down the field before Broderick Binns corralled Dan Persa. Persa was still on his feet and falling down when he made an uncharacteristic mistake; he tried to make a play with a weak throw and Tanner Miller stepped in front of it at the two and ran it back 98 yards for a score.
Iowa led 17-7 at the half, with the offense matching the defense's interception.
Then Northwestern went all Northwestern, rallying back to tie things up at 17 late in the third quarter.
Iowa's offense was floundering for most of the first three quarters and seemed to abandon their running game at times. Northwestern was not overplaying the run in this game, and Iowa finally went to the ground in the fourth quarter.
Perhaps it was a set up...some old school Muhamed Ali rope-a-dope...whatever it was, the Hawks ran the ball with success on their first fourth quarter touchdown, then went back to the ground early on their next drive before James Vandenberg hooked up with Keenan Davis on a deep pass and followed it up with a toss to Marvin McNutt on a 37 yard scoring strike.
Later in the quarter, the Hawks called a waggle bootleg play on fourth and short and Vandenberg took the ball down to the one yard line where Marcus Coker took over and walked in on the next play.
Iowa's offense came alive when it was needed, scoring 24 fourth quarter points (with 10 of those points coming on short fields after failed Northwestern onside kick attempts).
It wasn't perfect, but the entire football team can take this positive momentum into next week's home game against Indiana.
Iowa didn't use much of the no huddle up tempo look tonight, but it's not as if Iowa has re-written any football rules with that wrinkle.
That's what it is; a wrinkle. It's not a gimmick, as Iowa runs it's usual personnel groups out of the no huddle more often than not. However, it is an effective wrinkle and one that needs to stick around.
That being said, the foundation of this offense, the Iowa offense under Kirk Ferentz, is the running game setting up the play action passing game. That's where Iowa is most dangerous and in the second half, Iowa's play calling zigged when Northwestern's calls zagged.
It wasn't perfect and I am not going to make the same mistake I did a few weeks back and pronounce that this team is has found its identity.
The identity of this year's offense may not be found until November, if at all. It really seems to be a 'Scratch Where it Itches' kind of football season and hopefully the offense can do enough each week. This week, it scored 34 points and that was enough.
Given all of those lopsided statistics above, this comment may surprise you; I was pleased with the Iowa defense in this game. To start with, Iowa was without James Morris and Tom Nardo, two of its best players on defense. Anthony Hitchens has played a lot this year, and he was out as well.
Dan Persa is just in total control of the Northwestern scheme. He is accurate and mostly poised. His backup, Kain Culter, may haunt Iowa in seasons to come once Persa is gone, too.
This defense bowed when it had to. It was a 'classic' bend don't break effort by Iowa. There was the pick six from the redzone and there was another redzone trip by Northwestern where they were backed up out of field goal range and had to punt. The Iowa defense also bowed up on another near redzone trip, forcing a 47 yard field attempt that was wide right.
They weren't great and they are not going to be great. But they were good enough when they had to be and on this day, they had a willing accomplice on offense, at least in the fourth quarter.
The hapless Indiana Hoosiers come to town next week and I am not going to say Iowa will roll them, but they should beat them.
I doubt this Iowa team will be looking past anyone this year, because they cannot afford to do that. They aren't good enough to do that, but they are good enough to take care of business with the opponent at hand at least for the next two weeks.
That's two more weeks to iron out some kinks and gain some consistency on offense. If Iowa can't get consistent on offense, the month of November will be painful.
Tonight was a start...it's been a crazy season and it will likely be a Rolaids campaign all the way through.
Iowa has owned Penn State and put forth a lackluster effort last week in Happy Valley. Northwestern has owned Iowa and the Hawkeye defense showed great effort all night, even if they struggled to get off the field. The offense looked like what we know it can look like, for a quarter.
It's another brick in the foundation on whatever this season will look like...and six games into it, I still have no idea what that will be.
