Philosophy, Our Dline, KOK, Beilema, Fitzgerald,

briankaldenberg

briankaldenberg

Well-Known Member
Philosophy - When will people stop defending this defense vs the spread offense (The ball control spread offense). This defense, this defense for years.... has always struggled against the spread. You can point to points, but guess what I'll point to the win/loss column. This defensive philosophy is a ball control spread offense's feast. It's what Dan McCarney did, It's what Pat Fitzgerald does, it is what Indiana has done, but just has come up a bit short several times the last few years. It's what Purdue did under their previous coach even though Tiller suffered some heartbreakers to us.

Converting 6-7 yard passes at an 80% clip is just as good as running the football. It allows these disadvantaged teams to move the ball, eat up clock, and keep the field position at even or even better situation.

It's non-stubborn football. Its not trying to ram the ball down throats when you don't have the personel. Instead it's turning the tables and taking advantage of the other teams stubborness. We dominated run-happy Minnesota for years under Mason, run-happy Wisconsin we've played very well against the last 8 years... we've owned run-happy Penn State. We always played very well against run-happy Lloyrd Carr. Why? Because they stubbornly waste downs trying to smash the ball right into what our whole philosophy is set up to defend.

Yet - Dan McCarney with a ball control spread absolutly owned Ferentz with less talent almost every single year. Fitzgerald... owns with less talent. Indiana could very easily have won 4 of the last 5 against us if it wasn't for a 1 in a million Sash pick six last year and a dropped TD this year.

The bottom line is our defense has a gleaming weaknesss and it is ball control spread offenses. Our defense plays behind the offense and allows 5 yard gains. We stand by the motto that we force teams to play left handed.... well guess what, forcing NW to throw 5 - 7 yard passes is basically forcing them to their strong hand... yet we continually do it over and over again.

This isn't a fluke anymore. There's enough evidence now to make this call. We have a philosophical problem with ball control spread offenses.


Our Dline - This is a good dline. This dline is doing it's job and stopping the run pretty well and pressuring the QB at times. This dline forces teams to get the ball out quick... but when we play teams that NW to get the ball out quick as a philosophy then this dline's impact on the game is minimized.

This dline cannot be held responsible for 4-6 second plays that develop into wide open players 8 yards down the field without a defender near by.


KOK - There's no excuse for scoring less than 20 points vs both Indiana and NW. No excuse for it. Not with a senior QB. Not with a good online, possibly Iowa's best ever WR, another very very good WR (McNutt). And a very servicable running back and tight end. NO EXCUSE FOR IT.

Beilema - Love it, absolutely love it. Outside chance to go to the BCS Title game and you hang 83 on Indiana. You run up the score because you're getting no respect. It was Alabama or bust for 1-loss teams as far as the media was concerned. LOVE IT. Play to win.

Fitzgerald - Great coach. Smart coach. Wins with less. I hate him.
 
Agree.

I'd still argue our DL is the best in the country, but they're being schemed against. Quick passes, march down the field....makes them seem like they're not doing their job.

we need to put our players in better positions to win, instead we play tight
 
Dead on.

Except for Bielema. Running up a score with starters is one thing. If Indiana can't stop 2nd and 3rd stringers. Too bad for them.

And KF needs to read the 2-minute clock management book.
 
Just said similar thing to my brother. We need to seriously re-evaluate how we game plan and prepare for Northwestern. For just 1 week, we need to be a different Iowa team. We play right into NW's hands every year.
 
While the D doesn't seem to be as dominante as it should be, the offense and special teams need alot of blame, not converting on several third downs, I dont know how many 3 and outs and poor punts the last few weeks put the D in bad situations. It doesn't matter if its a control spread or ram it down your face, the D will tire out as the game goes on and we've seen that happen alot lately giving up points at the end of these games.
 
it's not just NW, it's all teams.

I like the fact that over the past x amount of years Iowa has been in nearly every ball game. But it's time for this staff to start taking the next step and creating some cushion in these games we're ahead.

Just cause Penn St couldn't do anything with us having a 17-0, doesn't mean NW can't come back or other teams.

Id like Iowa to name a DC, and show a ability to adapt on defense. No more allowing 7 yard curls every single play, especailly against teams that run a 7 yard curl as their running game.

The rest of the big 10 has figured us out, and going forward we're going to need an edge to pull out these games.

It's time we start playing with a little swagger, instead of a puckered @$$XXXX
 
TecmoSuperHawk said:
Just said similar thing to my brother. We need to seriously re-evaluate how we game plan and prepare for Northwestern. For just 1 week, we need to be a different Iowa team. We play right into NW's hands every year.
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That's what I think. Our philosophy works beautifully against some systems, not so much against others. Our system does NOT work against NW.. I think that is being proven out by having lost 5 of 6 to them.

We need to gameplan a little differently IMO to beat teams like NW, otherwise, why would past results be any different in the future if we keep doing the same stuff no matter the opponent? Otherwise, teams like NW and Indiana will keep ruining our season every stinking year.

Keep doing what you're doing against teams like MSU or Wisconsin - we've had great success against them. It's the other teams I think we need to change things up a little to beat more consistently.
 
Our defense is slow, out of shape and don't wrap up when tackling, even on QB's.

Considering our LB's are so banged up, I don't understand why we don't play a little more nickel coverage...at the very least it makes us quicker against a team like NW and Indiana for that matter.
 
tarhawk86 said:
Best logical post at an emotional time. Spot On. The problem is we will never change.
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All in all, we are lucky to have a football team that has winning seasons, competes in almost every game, takes us to bowl games.

How many times have we lost by more than 10 points in the last 8 years?

I agree, problem is we will never change. But as we all know, the grass isn't always greener on the other side.

I'd like to see some changes in our offensive philosophy and our defensive approach with certain teams we play. But we're spoiled as football fans right now. Even after this loss we will still be ranked in the top 25. Think how many fans of other schools who would gladly take our situation and record as is right now with a chance to finish the year 9-3.
 
1977Hawkeye said:
That's what I think. Our philosophy works beautifully against some systems, not so much against others. Our system does NOT work against NW.. I think that is being proven out by having lost 5 of 6 to them.

We need to gameplan a little differently IMO to beat teams like NW, otherwise, why would past results be any different in the future if we keep doing the same stuff no matter the opponent? Otherwise, teams like NW and Indiana will keep ruining our season every stinking year.

Keep doing what you're doing against teams like MSU or Wisconsin - we've had great success against them. It's the other teams I think we need to change things up a little to beat more consistently.
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Our philosophy works against most of the teams we play, which is why we have better than a .700 winning% since 2001, like Jon says. It's also a big reason why we have a .170 winning% against Northwestern over the last 6 years. We play right into their hands, whereas most teams play into our hands because they end up forcing deep passes and our secondary makes plays.
 
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