Not angry, but disappointed in two things.

[phdsvp]

You can't be that mad. I think it's pretty obvious that Wisconsin is the best team Iowa's played all year. They're just a better team this year than Iowa is. No one should really be surprised by this. But there are two things that are difficult to get over:

1. Iowa's seniors were awful today. Both RBs, WR, C...c'mon, man. MVB was probably the worst offender. All of these years in the Iowa program, and he's just a below-average B1G WR and one of the worst punt returners I've ever seen. He hasn't caught more than 3 balls in a game this year. Let him start on Senior Night, but the vast majority of his snaps need to go to freshmen, and please find someone else to return punts.

2. Wisconsin is visibly bigger and stronger than Iowa at every position. Chris Doyle gets a lot of credit for conditioning, but this should never, ever happen. No excuses.

 

[okeefe4prez]

Point 2 is fair, but this is pinned squarely on the o-line. They look completely lost out there. The RBs can't do anything. Stanley can't do anything. Moderately competent o-line play would have kept us in this game.

 

[phdsvp]

Point 2 is fair, but this is pinned squarely on the o-line. They look completely lost out there. The RBs can't do anything. Stanley can't do anything. Moderately competent o-line play would have kept us in this game.

Stanley has hit multiple receivers in the hands, and they've dropped it. That's been inflamed by MVB being completely unable to receive punts at the level of a high school sophomore. The OL has sucked, I agree, but that's because the Wisky DL is just bigger and stronger.

 

[mrolympia]

to be fair, he did keep throwing to the second coming of herb grigsby so that's on stanley

 

[phdsvp]

to be fair, he did keep throwing to the second coming of herb grigsby so that's on stanley

At least that dude is young and can get better.

 

[okeefe4prez]

At least that dude is young and can get better.

Higby for Heisman campaign in the works?

 

[PCHawk]

Is there a stat for number of drives started inside your own 10? If so we have to be leading the nation.

 

[phdsvp]

Is there a stat for number of drives started inside your own 10? If so we have to be leading the nation.

This happens when your punt returner is mentally unable to understand how to return punts.

 

[ArvadaHawk]

Is there a stat for number of drives started inside your own 10? If so we have to be leading the nation.

we have had horrible avg starting field position this season. so often that you might think we'd figure out a way to overcome it....or something....maybe.

 

[#1DieHardHawk]

There is a well known truism in research called "regression to the mean." Iowa's offense played above it's head last week and everything seemed to go right. Today it played well below and everything seemed to go wrong. At the end of the day, our offense is somewhere in between.

Sadly, I agree about MVB. He's been a great Hawkeye, but he's simply not the same player. Obviously, his injuries to his foot have caused him to regress in more ways than one, including mentally.

Punting and punt returning were huge issues in the game today. Sorry, but I just don't get why a P5 program can't find a punter that can at least exceed what you might see at Kirkwood, and, whoever is coaching the returners needs to find a different position to coach. Failure to field the ball in the absence of an inordinately short or long kick is inexcusable.

 

[Iceman]

Real concerned about consistant exacution. Iowa's team offense is bipolar.

 

[trj]

This happens when your punt returner is mentally unable to understand how to return punts.

Think about who the punt returners have been. JJ and MVB. If they can't get it done who are you going to ask?

 

[phdsvp]

Think about who the punt returners have been. JJ and MVB. If they can't get it done who are you going to ask?

I wouldn't be starting MVB at WR right now, much less punt returner. Go get a walk-on or a freshman. Someone who has the potential to improve rather than someone who never did and never will.

 

[HaydenHawk56]

Too bad Tim Dwight can't return punts for Iowa right now.

 

[trj]

I wouldn't be starting MVB at WR right now, much less punt returner. Go get a walk-on or a freshman. Someone who has the potential to improve rather than someone who never did and never will.

Who are you going to ask to return punts if you can't get anything out of those 2?