Parallels to NW Last Year

[WinOneThisCentury]

Our offense was terrible against Purdue today. Holy crap...just plain bad. I've defended BF as I think he's installed a passing game that is at a higher level then we have had. What I can't defend any longer is the play selection. Simply awful. Seriously...you run basically the same quick throw to Rigani on 3rd and four in the flat and Purdue is lined up with 3 against our two. It didn't work the first time...you lost two yards...and it didn't work the second time...you lost two yards. Stupid. Third and one...and Purdue has every gap filled and guys already at the LOS...you don't get out of the handoff to our FB. Stupid.

To the thread title...this team reminds me of NW last year at this time...struggling mightily on offense...defense was very good and keeping things close...and Thorson's senior leadership...made plays. Can we get better on offense...we have a senior QB...can we make enough plays? The season is now set up for a NW like run from last year. Will the offense improve?

 

[koralakers]

Our problem is what it always is, we almost NEVER have a QB who can pick up a 3rd and six every time with his legs OR arm. In the rare occasion we do (Banks, CJB), we never lose. Watching other college games it’s uncanny how many times over a 3-hour game these mobile QBs pick up crucial first downs with their legs

 

[uihawk82]

What worries me is that when a Fitzie team gets pounded by 50+ to 3 his wildcats will really hunker down and give the hawks a bad nightmare this saturday.

Yes, Barnett and others have built NW to be like Iowa. Iowa usually has the better talent but KF just keeps getting beat by Fitzie. And I wouldnt be surprised if our offense only scores about 13 points and we lose

 

[koralakers]

What worries me is that when a Fitzie team gets pounded by 50+ to 3 his wildcats will really hunker down and give the hawks a bad nightmare this saturday.

Yes, Barnett and others have built NW to be like Iowa. Iowa usually has the better talent but KF just keeps getting beat by Fitzie. And I wouldnt be surprised if our offense only scores about 13 points and we lose

YES! This is EXACTLY the type of game Fitz will coach circles around KF and pull off another UGLY 12-10 type game. In fact I'll be surprised if Fitz doesn't pull it off. Already prepared for it.

 

[Jonrn]

Our problem is what it always is, we almost NEVER have a QB who can pick up a 3rd and six every time with his legs OR arm. In the rare occasion we do (Banks, CJB), we never lose. Watching other college games it’s uncanny how many times over a 3-hour game these mobile QBs pick up crucial first downs with their legs

The thing is I think Stanley could if they would actually call designed runs for him instead of running wildly avoiding blitzing LBs

 

[#1DieHardHawk]

I'm not one to question play-calling very often because so much of it is 50-50 hindsight - a great example being the draw play on 3rd and long. If it works everyone is screaming what a great call it was. When it doesn't, everyone is screaming WTF!

That said, handing it off to the FB when the line is stacked is more than annoying. To me, that's on Nate. It's up to him to make the call at the line based upon what the defense does. It's been a long term problem. I can't even recall when we last had a QB that was savvy with audibles (90% of the time it's "zone right" which is a secret to exactly .... no one).

Speaking of long-term problems, yesterday I paid close attention to the snap count and cadence. As is the norm anymore, Purdue completely had our count figured out and we didn't alter it one iota the entire game. Their plan was to attack the LOS to disrupt the zone blocking (a la, just about every team we face...). How about a hard count? A quick count? Make teams pay for timing the snap for God's sake.

 

[Northside Hawk]

I'm not one to question play-calling very often because so much of it is 50-50 hindsight - a great example being the draw play on 3rd and long. If it works everyone is screaming what a great call it was. When it doesn't, everyone is screaming WTF!

That said, handing it off to the FB when the line is stacked is more than annoying. To me, that's on Nate. It's up to him to make the call at the line based upon what the defense does. It's been a long term problem. I can't even recall when we last had a QB that was savvy with audibles (90% of the time it's "zone right" which is a secret to exactly .... no one).

Speaking of long-term problems, yesterday I paid close attention to the snap count and cadence. As is the norm anymore, Purdue completely had our count figured out and we didn't alter it one iota the entire game. Their plan was to attack the LOS to disrupt the zone blocking (a la, just about every team we face...). How about a hard count? A quick count? Make teams pay for timing the snap for God's sake.

The only explanation I have is that we frequently shift our TE's from one side of the line to the other. We will frequently bring a WR or TE part of the way across the formation, then motion them back.

All this shifting is asking for a penalty if we are carless. In fact, I don't believe Beyer was set on the Sargent run that proceeded his TD run and Beyer ended up throwing the key block to spring him.

It wasn't called, thank goodness.

 

[NikeHawk21]

Our problem is what it always is, we almost NEVER have a QB who can pick up a 3rd and six every time with his legs OR arm. In the rare occasion we do (Banks, CJB), we never lose. Watching other college games it’s uncanny how many times over a 3-hour game these mobile QBs pick up crucial first downs with their legs

Iowa is #27 in the country in 3rd down conversions. That’s not our issue.

Our problem is we can’t create big plays and we aren’t good enough to sustain long drives and convert them into TDs.

 

[#1DieHardHawk]

The only explanation I have is that we frequently shift our TE's from one side of the line to the other. We will frequently bring a WR or TE part of the way across the formation, then motion them back.

All this shifting is asking for a penalty if we are carless. In fact, I don't believe Beyer was set on the Sargent run that proceeded his TD run and Beyer ended up throwing the key block to spring him.

It wasn't called, thank goodness.

The shifting is designed to help Stanley read the defense. You can still employ a hard count after the players are set. Watch Aaron Rodgers. The Packers do plenty of shifting and motion, but he'll keep the defense on its heels due to his cadence and tempo changes. Our QBs have been robots at the line forever. No creative thinking whatsoever, and defenses are more than aware of it.

 

[teachercoach]

Iowa is #27 in the country in 3rd down conversions. That’s not our issue.

Our problem is we can’t create big plays and we aren’t good enough to sustain long drives and convert them into TDs.

Finishing drives was the issue yesterday. 3 of 1st 4 drives end in FG.
1st drive - 15 plays
2nd drive - 8 plays
3rd drive - start at own 8
4th drive - start at midfield

Could have been 21-0 w/ a min left in 1st half and everyone is happy

 

[Northside Hawk]

The shifting is designed to help Stanley read the defense. You can still employ a hard count after the players are set. Watch Aaron Rodgers. The Packers do plenty of shifting and motion, but he'll keep the defense on its heels due to his cadence and tempo changes. Our QBs have been robots at the line forever. No creative thinking whatsoever, and defenses are more than aware of it.

I love Rodgers as much as fhe next guy, but you're talking Mount Rushmore of the greatest QB's to ever play the game. Aaron has had years and years of experience to hone his craft.

That said, switching up your cadence once in a while can't hurt. I see high school JV quarterbacks do it every week, varsity QB's.

In my youth, Bob Griese may have been the best at it. He stole plenty of yards by drawing the defense offside, and by keeping them honest on other plays it helped get Csonka and Mercury Morris in gear.

 

[Northside Hawk]

Finishing drives was the issue yesterday. 3 of 1st 4 drives end in FG.
1st drive - 15 plays
2nd drive - 8 plays
3rd drive - start at own 8
4th drive - start at midfield

Could have been 21-0 w/ a min left in 1st half and everyone is happy

We miss Noah and TJ in the red zone. Sorely. And we dont utilize B. Smith on fades and jump ball type situations often enough.

Brandon has improved so much in his time here. Remember early last year when he would hug the sideline on his up route, giving Nate no margin for error and bringing the INT into play?

Now he uses his body well and runs much better routes. I hope he misses jNW at the most and uses the bye week to his advantage.

 

[WinOneThisCentury]

I guess the one thing that I failed to consider in the comparisons that are shaping up for a NW like run to the Championship game was that NW developed a running game late in the season. Bowzer from Sha-Na-Na was pretty solid in the run game (little boomer joke there). They ran the ball on Iowa late in the game in Kinnick.

I'm just not sold we can get a running game going consistently. I have to go back and watch some of the game yesterday again...but it was clear BF was determined to run the ball based on personnel groupings and the tight formations. Purdue committed the resources to stop it...and we didn't make them pay in the passing game enough.

Looking back at the game, I thought we executed well in 31 and in spread formations in the passing game...yet we never just kept those personnel groups and attacked their defense with the passing game. We always went back to personnel groups that, basically, weren't effective. Now...I haven't watched again...but that's what's in my head.

Bottom line...I thought Brian Ferentz sucked yesterday...and he single handedly kept Purdue in the game.

 

[#1DieHardHawk]

I love Rodgers as much as fhe next guy, but you're talking Mount Rushmore of the greatest QB's to ever play the game. Aaron has had years and years of experience to hone his craft.

That said, switching up your cadence once in a while can't hurt. I see high school JV quarterbacks do it every week, varsity QB's.

In my youth, Bob Griese may have been the best at it. He stole plenty of yards by drawing the defense offside, and by keeping them honest on other plays it helped get Csonka and Mercury Morris in gear.

No one's comparing Stanley to Rodgers.

The point is that the coaches either are oblivious to the fact that defenses have caught on to our predictable counts, or are so risk averse that they'd rather allow the play to be blown up rather than take a chance that one of our own players might flinch. It's a pretty simple and obvious strategy to counter what the defenses are doing to us right now.

 

[Northside Hawk]

I guess the one thing that I failed to consider in the comparisons that are shaping up for a NW like run to the Championship game was that NW developed a running game late in the season. Bowzer from Sha-Na-Na was pretty solid in the run game (little boomer joke there). They ran the ball on Iowa late in the game in Kinnick.

I'm just not sold we can get a running game going consistently. I have to go back and watch some of the game yesterday again...but it was clear BF was determined to run the ball based on personnel groupings and the tight formations. Purdue committed the resources to stop it...and we didn't make them pay in the passing game enough.

Looking back at the game, I thought we executed well in 31 and in spread formations in the passing game...yet we never just kept those personnel groups and attacked their defense with the passing game. We always went back to personnel groups that, basically, weren't effective. Now...I haven't watched again...but that's what's in my head.

Bottom line...I thought Brian Ferentz sucked yesterday...and he single handedly kept Purdue in the game.

Sha Na Na had a syndicated show, usually on after the local news, that was appointment TV when I was in middle school. This was when Grease was popular and their career was rejuvenated.

 

[Northside Hawk]

No one's comparing Stanley to Rodgers.

The point is that the coaches either are oblivious to the fact that defenses have caught on to our predictable counts, or are so risk averse that they'd rather allow the play to be blown up rather than take a chance that one of our own players might flinch. It's a pretty simple and obvious strategy to counter what the defenses are doing to us right now.

I can see how getting too risk adverse can make players, and quarterbacks, uptight. Sometimes you have to take a risk to make a play.

It's the same as getting up in the middle of the night and trying so hard to be quiet that you end up bumping into something or knocking something over and waking up your wife anyway.

 

[dirtwrap]

With this team offensively, everything is 1 dimensional:

The running backs cant break tackles, make a guy miss, or take it to the house even if there is a huge hole.

The quarterback cannot evade a rush, of any kind. If his throwing options are covered, he gets sacked or throws it away.

The receivers are not dangerous in the open field. Very few yards after catch.

Bottom line is nothing with this offense is easy. Everything has to work as designed otherwise it is zero yard play or negative play. It is extremely difficult to score a lot of points like this. If you look at every good team and take away the successful broken plays, their offense wouldn't be any good either.

That is why a mobile quarterback is so dangerous and what we are severely lacking. And Stanley, while he is a good quarterback, his positive attributes don't outweigh his deficiencies. When a guy like Clifford or Coan or Fields can hit the deep open receiver as good or better than Stanley, that is a problem. Stanley would have to have the intelligence and accuracy of a Brady or P Manning to match up with those guys with legs.

 

[trj]

The shifting is designed to help Stanley read the defense. You can still employ a hard count after the players are set. Watch Aaron Rodgers. The Packers do plenty of shifting and motion, but he'll keep the defense on its heels due to his cadence and tempo changes. Our QBs have been robots at the line forever. No creative thinking whatsoever, and defenses are more than aware of it.

That’s a little unfair. Aaron Rodgers is a master at the hard cadence. It is one of the many things that makes him great.

 

[hawkeyes87]

It's been a long term problem. I can't even recall when we last had a QB that was savvy with audibles (90% of the time it's "zone right" which is a secret to exactly .... no one).

Very true.

It was hilarious yesterday hearing the announcer talk about how Nate calls his own audibles- no check-with-me or cards or whatever.

Yeah great. What do they have, maybe 2 audibles?

So many plays are "Why would you run that against that alignment! It had no chance!"

 

[MoseSchrute]

The point is that the coaches either are oblivious to the fact that defenses have caught on to our predictable counts, or are so risk averse that they'd rather allow the play to be blown up rather than take a chance that one of our own players might flinch. It's a pretty simple and obvious strategy to counter what the defenses are doing to us right no

They can't be oblivious, it's the avoidance of risk that wins out on this. No penalties is one of the cornerstones of Ferentzball. They'd rather just keep things systematic even if it does make it easier for the opponent.