QB expectations.

[Westernhawk]

There were several drops that should have been completions.

Yes, absolutely. The drops stood out the most to me.

 

[Westernhawk]

If you take away Diaz, Von & the TE depth on this years team, don't you pretty much have the teams of Petras & Deacon Hill? Eeeek!

I think there is more WR depth than what you mentioned. I think it will likely prove to be better than the teams you mentioned, but we'll see I guess.

Even though NIU was turrible, I have to remind myself that Iowa is frequently dreadful in game one of each year. They ran the game like a practice. I choose to be optimistic. If Iowa wanted to it could've been 60-0 with zero rushing yards for NIU.

 

[Westernhawk]

Keep Heck in play.

I hope they get a lead this Saturday and can run it like a practice (like last week). I doubt it, but that would be useful.

 

[#1DieHardHawk]

If I were Kirk and/or Tim, I would "flip the script" for this game, by starting Hecklinski and bringing Brown off the bench with the same substitutions that played out last week. If you are truly trying to determine who steps up under fire, that really gives you the best apples to apples evaluation.

Obviously, it's a different team and one can never predict how the variables play out, but nevertheless, I'd like to see what Heck does if given the reigns from the start.

On a side note, we need our back-up RBs to step up until Phillips is back. For whatever reason, Williams looked kinda lost, which is a bit surprising. He wasn't reading the blocks at all. It should come with time, but the game hasn't "slowed down" yet for McNeil. He needs to learn how to let things develop in front of him, and to use a varied pace so he can switch gears as he navigates. Right now, he's going a thousand mph when he gets the ball.

 

[BuiltLikeWilt]

Brown exceeded my expectations, which were admittedly low. Heck did not, but as others have noted, he had drops and was not playing behind the full first team line, nor did he have the benefit of the scripted plays.

Overall, I came away understanding better why the coaches are having trouble seeing much separation. I also believe both guys are at least competent, which I was worried about. Both guys have lots of room for growth and should do so as they collect game experience. For me, just pick the guy you think has the highest ceiling and roll with him.

I'm pretty sure Heck got to play with the first team line, but he didn't get Moulton as much and still had all the receivers and TE's rotating through his possessions. neither was never really pressured .

 

[HawkeyeTech]

Sorry, I watch a LOT of college football, and if you think that after 2 years, the coaches will be able to suddenly "correct what they did wrong" by next week, I would suggest YOU don't know football. My point was that Iowa fans' expectations are ridiculously low for what they think is good quality QB play.

I didn't say the QBs played terrible, but other than the opening drive, both QBs' play was objectively subpar compared to what you could expect from BTen starting QBs playing vs one of the worst teams in all of college football.

I admit to being sick and tired of seeing MAC QBs making throws that many Iowa QBs haven't been able to make in recent years. The issue isn't whether I've watched ENOUGH college football -- the issue perhaps is that I've watched TOO MUCH football and have seen what is possible from the QB position.

So from that reply I imagine you wanted Gronowski benched after his first game last year.

 

[NorthKCHawk]

I'm pretty sure Heck got to play with the first team line, but he didn't get Moulton as much and still had all the receivers and TE's rotating through his possessions. neither was never really pressured .

Winters and Pieper left with heat issues relatively early. Not sure how much he played with them or Moulton. Again, its hard to compare, but both looked good at times and not good at times, but Brown seemed to get a bit more help from the cast around him.

That pass Heck made layered over the defender was an NFL throw. He has all the tooks. That said, Brown is a better athlete than I thought and has a strong arm.

 

[BuiltLikeWilt]

Winters and Pieper left with heat issues relatively early. Not sure how much he played with them or Moulton. Again, its hard to compare, but both looked good at times and not good at times, but Brown seemed to get a bit more help from the cast around him.

That pass Heck made layered over the defender was an NFL throw. He has all the tooks. That said, Brown is a better athlete than I thought and has a strong arm.

I'm not lobbying for either, but Heck had Diaz wide open for a big gainer and made him have to spin around backwards to even get a chance to catch it. That's really the only real bad pass either made other than the duck in the endzone imo

 

[MelroseHawkins]

I think there is more WR depth than what you mentioned. I think it will likely prove to be better than the teams you mentioned, but we'll see I guess.

Even though NIU was turrible, I have to remind myself that Iowa is frequently dreadful in game one of each year. They ran the game like a practice. I choose to be optimistic. If Iowa wanted to it could've been 60-0 with zero rushing yards for NIU.

You are correct about the WR depth. Much better. Agree that not flopping the first game is very promising.

 

[HuckFinn]

If I were Kirk and/or Tim, I would "flip the script" for this game, by starting Hecklinski and bringing Brown off the bench with the same substitutions that played out last week. If you are truly trying to determine who steps up under fire, that really gives you the best apples to apples evaluation.

Obviously, it's a different team and one can never predict how the variables play out, but nevertheless, I'd like to see what Heck does if given the reigns from the start.

On a side note, we need our back-up RBs to step up until Phillips is back. For whatever reason, Williams looked kinda lost, which is a bit surprising. He wasn't reading the blocks at all. It should come with time, but the game hasn't "slowed down" yet for McNeil. He needs to learn how to let things develop in front of him, and to use a varied pace so he can switch gears as he navigates. Right now, he's going a thousand mph when he gets the ball.

I think McNeil will emerge.

 

[NCHawker]

Commentators and fans alike seemed pleased overall about yesterday's QB play. I hate to be a kill-joy after a pleasant 40-0 win, but this is such a sad commentary of how low expectations are for Iowa's QBs. After yesterday's opening drive vs one of the worst teams in college football, starter Brown's stats for the remainder of the game were 8-15 for 90 yds. Hecklinski's game stats were 7-16 for 76 yds. A combined 15-31 for 166 yds. In modern college football, those are pretty pathetic numbers.

Brown started hot, then looked weak. Hecklinski made some horrible throws across his body, and his body language looked like he's lost all confidence.

Hoping for the best going forward, but other than yesterday's opening drive, objectively the QB play did not inspire confidence despite the 40-0 final score.

This is the last of the shadow of the poor reputation that Iowa allowed its self to attract. I always said that KF needs to be aware of thereputational risk of letting the offense rot. This was the best that Iowa could get when Tim came in. Watching the top teams in USA ...there is a big difference betweek what I see and what I see out of Iowa's passing game.

 

[NCHawker]

I think McNeil will emerge.

i always thought he had the highest ceiling... but after last week. He could not find daylight. DIsapointing

 

[haydensly]

This is the last of the shadow of the poor reputation that Iowa allowed its self to attract. I always said that KF needs to be aware of thereputational risk of letting the offense rot. This was the best that Iowa could get when Tim came in. Watching the top teams in USA ...there is a big difference betweek what I see and what I see out of Iowa's passing game.

This is the last of the shadow of the poor reputation that Iowa allowed its self to attract. I always said that KF needs to be aware of thereputational risk of letting the offense rot. This was the best that Iowa could get when Tim came in. Watching the top teams in USA ...there is a big difference betweek what I see and what I see out of Iowa's passing game.

You are correct, we don't have the passing game of the top teams. I will also note that very few of those teams have the kind of offensive line play that we are consistently getting now with George Barnett having time to rebuild that room. We'll probably never be a top rated passing team but I do think we have much room to improve under Lester and that we will.

 

[SwirlinLingerie]

This is the last of the shadow of the poor reputation that Iowa allowed its self to attract. I always said that KF needs to be aware of thereputational risk of letting the offense rot. This was the best that Iowa could get when Tim came in. Watching the top teams in USA ...there is a big difference betweek what I see and what I see out of Iowa's passing game.

Not sure I see that. Three years removed now from BF is a lifetime in this day and age of the transfer portal. Maybe they aren't lighting the world on fire, but the Hawks now have a QB who started a few games in the SEC a couple years back and another one who put up huge numbers in Georgia. Last year, they paid big money for a transfer starter at QB who was wanted by some big time programs.

Jimmy Sullivan was recruited and offered by schools like Illinios, Minnesota and Michigan State. They also have a freshman at the position who is a 4 start recruit and the 11th best QB in his high school class.

The Hawks also beat out DeBoer and Alabama - Alabama! - for a WR in the transfer portal this off-season. They have NFL talent throughout the line.

We are in Year 3 of the Lester era. That's a lifetime to find a QB in this day and age. And by all accounts, the Hawks are building talent on that side of the ball. If Iowa struggles at QB this year, that's on Lester. If the offense takes a kid three years to pick up, then it is a shitty offense for college.

 

[NorthKCHawk]

Not sure I see that. Three years removed now from BF is a lifetime in this day and age of the transfer portal. Maybe they aren't lighting the world on fire, but the Hawks now have a QB who started a few games in the SEC a couple years back and another one who put up huge numbers in Georgia. Last year, they paid big money for a transfer starter at QB who was wanted by some big time programs.

Jimmy Sullivan was recruited and offered by schools like Illinios, Minnesota and Michigan State. They also have a freshman at the position who is a 4 start recruit and the 11th best QB in his high school class.

The Hawks also beat out DeBoer and Alabama - Alabama! - for a WR in the transfer portal this off-season. They have NFL talent throughout the line.

We are in Year 3 of the Lester era. That's a lifetime to find a QB in this day and age. And by all accounts, the Hawks are building talent on that side of the ball. If Iowa struggles at QB this year, that's on Lester. If the offense takes a kid three years to pick up, then it is a shitty offense for college.

I agree with this. Lester openly stated he did not want to go into the portal for a QB, and was happy with what he had. If one of these guys does not emerge as at least a serviceable QB in the Big10, that is on him. After the dark years of BF, we have definitely given Lester a long and romantic honeymoon period. He has turned around the Iowa offense quickly. But, we have gone from the worst in the country to average and one dimensional. More is needed and he knows that. If the offense regresses because of poor QB decisions and development, Lester will be in the crosshairs along with his boss.

 

[kicker22]

Honestly I was impressed with the QB play. Not thinking it's great, but we were targeting receivers, getting rid of the ball quickly and moving the chains before the game got out of hand. Diaz is going to be an absolute beast and could revive our receiving room, but ultimately I walked away pleasantly surprised and ok with it. They have room to grow and I hope they continue to improve, but the fact that we completed 7 passes to a single receiver and nearly 50% of our completions were to wideouts that left me pleasantly optimistic.

 

[#1DieHardHawk]

I think McNeil will emerge.

I think he will too. He just needs the game to slow down for him, and that generally comes with time. Right now, he's trying to play too fast and when that happens you lose awareness.

 

[NorthKCHawk]

Honestly I was impressed with the QB play. Not thinking it's great, but we were targeting receivers, getting rid of the ball quickly and moving the chains before the game got out of hand. Diaz is going to be an absolute beast and could revive our receiving room, but ultimately I walked away pleasantly surprised and ok with it. They have room to grow and I hope they continue to improve, but the fact that we completed 7 passes to a single receiver and nearly 50% of our completions were to wideouts that left me pleasantly optimistic.

I would love to counter that we were playing Simpson College, but we have played plenty of tin can opponents and barely looked functional on offense in the last 5 years. So, I too liked what I saw from a playcalling perspective, and skills players around the QBs. I thought both QBs looked very good at times and very inexperienced and nervous at times. But, it certainly looked like an offense that has the potential to grow into something resembling an explosive offense if these QBs keep developing week to week.

 

[kicker22]

I would love to counter that we were playing Simpson College, but we have played plenty of tin can opponents and barely looked functional on offense in the last 5 years. So, I too liked what I saw from a playcalling perspective, and skills players around the QBs. I thought both QBs looked very good at times and very inexperienced and nervous at times. But, it certainly looked like an offense that has the potential to grow into something resembling an explosive offense if these QBs keep developing week to week.

Agreed, I think/hope it also benefits our QB room knowing we have a history of taking our foot off the gas once the game gets out of hand and think that had something to do with a decline in the overall production and stat line. We also know that our offense has been known to struggle and that could be the case over time, but I think we're continuing to move in the right direction.