STILLBUSTER
Well-Known Member
MSU v Iowa
While I don't think MSU will be able to bully the defense the way Wisky did, especially in the red zone, I completely expect MSU (Cousins) to abuse the LB's, even more so with Hunter being questionable. (KF said, "We’ll see how the week goes. He got nicked up a little bit." He usually tends to understate injury situations so I take that as code for, he probably won't play.)
That said, the bar has been set very high by Tolzein. I didn't have much respect for him but that cat made HUGE plays. He had 2 kill-shots: turning the bad snap into a 3-yard gain (to set up the fake-punt) and the same drive, next series, the dart to Ball, across the middle on 4th & 2 with Nielson all over him. Cousins is a more talented QB but, hopefully, the d-line can be a bit more disruptive to knock him off his game.
Unlike Wisky, where the offense seemed to be able to score with ease (when it wasn't stepping on it's own toes at the most inopportune times), I expect MSU to physically punish Iowa's offense.
Iowa v Iowa
On "Press Pass" (B11 Network), they did a segment on head-head, including Iowa's d-line against MSU's RB's. Anthony Herron made the comment that the Hawkeye d-line would be "angry". It got me thinking about a couple things.
1) KF talked about having "moved beyond anger years ago" in "On the Side" this week. He's also well known (and praised by fans, media and players) for his even keel. As teams take on the persona of their leaders, I really wonder if Iowa is capable of "getting angry" -- at least angry enough to never be bullied like Wisky did to them again?
Does Iowa have that "killer instinct"? I'm not talking about foaming-at-the-mouth crazy but the attitude that when you smell / taste blood, you take care of business. While this has been a hot topic post-Wisky, it has been a concern for years. There have been too many opportunities (most recently, PSU, this season, the offense right after the interception v Wisky) where Iowa comes out with a limp-wristed, routine, "we do what we do" effort, when the situation calls for ramping it up a notch.
I guarantee MSU will be going for the throat from the get-go. They've demonstrated (a couple fake punts, last year's hook / lateral) that they are playing to win and will utilize all their weapons to do so.
2) The B11 (shared) title and a BCS bowl are still very much in play. While Iowa needs a little help -- Wisky must lose another, which is a realistic possibility against either Michigan or NW -- they still have most of their destiny in their own hands -- they need to win out. What's more, the path is somewhat favorable because their greatest challenges are in Kinnick.
However, I've had this nagging feeling since Wisky. I've not done any historical research but my recollection over 30 years of watching and rooting for Hawkeye sports is that when Iowa controls it's own destiny, it stumbles.
(Recent examples: Arizona, after a gritty comeback, give up a TD, then, with the ball in your hands, take consecutive sacks. Wisky, with the ball in your hands, the "spike-it / time-out" controversy. #3 seed b-ball, loses a dbl-digit lead to directional Louisiana. Western Michigan with a bowl game on the line.) Perhaps this is related to point #1, above. Perhaps it's just the "f^@&-ing Iowa" clause.
3) I expect the Wisky hangover is probably the worst Iowa has experienced in 2 seasons. Not saying they won't overcome it but it has to add another factor to MSU prep week. I will predict that whoever scores first will win the game.
While I don't think MSU will be able to bully the defense the way Wisky did, especially in the red zone, I completely expect MSU (Cousins) to abuse the LB's, even more so with Hunter being questionable. (KF said, "We’ll see how the week goes. He got nicked up a little bit." He usually tends to understate injury situations so I take that as code for, he probably won't play.)
That said, the bar has been set very high by Tolzein. I didn't have much respect for him but that cat made HUGE plays. He had 2 kill-shots: turning the bad snap into a 3-yard gain (to set up the fake-punt) and the same drive, next series, the dart to Ball, across the middle on 4th & 2 with Nielson all over him. Cousins is a more talented QB but, hopefully, the d-line can be a bit more disruptive to knock him off his game.
Unlike Wisky, where the offense seemed to be able to score with ease (when it wasn't stepping on it's own toes at the most inopportune times), I expect MSU to physically punish Iowa's offense.
Iowa v Iowa
On "Press Pass" (B11 Network), they did a segment on head-head, including Iowa's d-line against MSU's RB's. Anthony Herron made the comment that the Hawkeye d-line would be "angry". It got me thinking about a couple things.
1) KF talked about having "moved beyond anger years ago" in "On the Side" this week. He's also well known (and praised by fans, media and players) for his even keel. As teams take on the persona of their leaders, I really wonder if Iowa is capable of "getting angry" -- at least angry enough to never be bullied like Wisky did to them again?
Does Iowa have that "killer instinct"? I'm not talking about foaming-at-the-mouth crazy but the attitude that when you smell / taste blood, you take care of business. While this has been a hot topic post-Wisky, it has been a concern for years. There have been too many opportunities (most recently, PSU, this season, the offense right after the interception v Wisky) where Iowa comes out with a limp-wristed, routine, "we do what we do" effort, when the situation calls for ramping it up a notch.
I guarantee MSU will be going for the throat from the get-go. They've demonstrated (a couple fake punts, last year's hook / lateral) that they are playing to win and will utilize all their weapons to do so.
2) The B11 (shared) title and a BCS bowl are still very much in play. While Iowa needs a little help -- Wisky must lose another, which is a realistic possibility against either Michigan or NW -- they still have most of their destiny in their own hands -- they need to win out. What's more, the path is somewhat favorable because their greatest challenges are in Kinnick.
However, I've had this nagging feeling since Wisky. I've not done any historical research but my recollection over 30 years of watching and rooting for Hawkeye sports is that when Iowa controls it's own destiny, it stumbles.
(Recent examples: Arizona, after a gritty comeback, give up a TD, then, with the ball in your hands, take consecutive sacks. Wisky, with the ball in your hands, the "spike-it / time-out" controversy. #3 seed b-ball, loses a dbl-digit lead to directional Louisiana. Western Michigan with a bowl game on the line.) Perhaps this is related to point #1, above. Perhaps it's just the "f^@&-ing Iowa" clause.
3) I expect the Wisky hangover is probably the worst Iowa has experienced in 2 seasons. Not saying they won't overcome it but it has to add another factor to MSU prep week. I will predict that whoever scores first will win the game.
