Read the end of last season JVB Hawk Stock Report...

[hawkeyegamefilm]

His regression is not as dramatic as you would like to believe.

I don't know how closely you watched last year but the drop off in QB decision making and overall production from last year has been irrefutable. Vandenberg lit up bad defenses last year. He lit up Purdue, Indiana, Northwestern, LA-Monroe, & Northwestern & had an absurdly high QB rating against those teams. This year he can't even be consistently effective playing a game manager role against the likes of UNI, NIU or Central Michigan. It wasn't all McNutt either, all 3 WRs were huge contributors in the Pitt comeback. I think the red-zone woes this year are primarily due to the loss of McNutt but the between the 20's production is more than just losing McNutt. Marvin didn't throw himself 80 completions last season, nor did he throw the other ~150 completions last season. Vandenberg has missed basic throws this year that were clockwork last season. He can't even hit a deep comeback most of the time this year, and it was a throw that was consistently routine a year ago. The regression is very pronounced.

As for unrealistic expectations, coming out and playing reasonably well against Ohio St as a RS Freshman justifiably set the bar very high. He flashed the ability to put balls into spaces Stanzi never could have. Vandenberg's arm strength is what set him apart from Stanzi. The throws you mentioned highlighted that. He also flashed some very bad throws in that game and some bad habits he has struggled to lose. He threw a jump ball into triple coverage that miraculously ended up in Moeaki's hands, and he's made at least as many, if not more, bad decisions this year as he did in '11. He threw too many short passes with way too much zip on them against OSU in '09, and his velocity control has been worse this year than in '11. The expectation that he'd cut down on the bad and increase the good is hardly setting the bar too high. Facts are facts, JVB has noticeably regressed, and not just statistically either.

 

[BQuastU]

Meh. He went from average to bad, I certainly won't argue with that.

I don't know how closely you watched last year but the drop off in QB decision making and overall production from last year has been irrefutable. Vandenberg lit up bad defenses last year. He lit up Purdue, Indiana, Northwestern, LA-Monroe, & Northwestern & had an absurdly high QB rating against those teams. This year he can't even be consistently effective playing a game manager role against the likes of UNI, NIU or Central Michigan. It wasn't all McNutt either, all 3 WRs were huge contributors in the Pitt comeback. I think the red-zone woes this year are primarily due to the loss of McNutt but the between the 20's production is more than just losing McNutt. Marvin didn't throw himself 80 completions last season, nor did he throw the other ~150 completions last season. Vandenberg has missed basic throws this year that were clockwork last season. He can't even hit a deep comeback most of the time this year, and it was a throw that was consistently routine a year ago. The regression is very pronounced.

As for unrealistic expectations, coming out and playing reasonably well against Ohio St as a RS Freshman justifiably set the bar very high. He flashed the ability to put balls into spaces Stanzi never could have. Vandenberg's arm strength is what set him apart from Stanzi. The throws you mentioned highlighted that. He also flashed some very bad throws in that game and some bad habits he has struggled to lose. He threw a jump ball into triple coverage that miraculously ended up in Moeaki's hands, and he's made at least as many, if not more, bad decisions this year as he did in '11. He threw too many short passes with way too much zip on them against OSU in '09, and his velocity control has been worse this year than in '11. The expectation that he'd cut down on the bad and increase the good is hardly setting the bar too high. Facts are facts, JVB has noticeably regressed, and not just statistically either.

 

[thetrza]

I think he is still upset about the last possession of regulation time in the 2009 game at Ohio State. Iowa still had two timeouts or something and a chance to get in field goal range, but let the game go to overtime.

 

[homes]

I don't know how closely you watched last year but the drop off in QB decision making and overall production from last year has been irrefutable. Vandenberg lit up bad defenses last year. He lit up Purdue, Indiana, Northwestern, LA-Monroe, & Northwestern & had an absurdly high QB rating against those teams. This year he can't even be consistently effective playing a game manager role against the likes of UNI, NIU or Central Michigan. It wasn't all McNutt either, all 3 WRs were huge contributors in the Pitt comeback. I think the red-zone woes this year are primarily due to the loss of McNutt but the between the 20's production is more than just losing McNutt. Marvin didn't throw himself 80 completions last season, nor did he throw the other ~150 completions last season. Vandenberg has missed basic throws this year that were clockwork last season. He can't even hit a deep comeback most of the time this year, and it was a throw that was consistently routine a year ago. The regression is very pronounced.

As for unrealistic expectations, coming out and playing reasonably well against Ohio St as a RS Freshman justifiably set the bar very high. He flashed the ability to put balls into spaces Stanzi never could have. Vandenberg's arm strength is what set him apart from Stanzi. The throws you mentioned highlighted that. He also flashed some very bad throws in that game and some bad habits he has struggled to lose. He threw a jump ball into triple coverage that miraculously ended up in Moeaki's hands, and he's made at least as many, if not more, bad decisions this year as he did in '11. He threw too many short passes with way too much zip on them against OSU in '09, and his velocity control has been worse this year than in '11. The expectation that he'd cut down on the bad and increase the good is hardly setting the bar too high. Facts are facts, JVB has noticeably regressed, and not just statistically either.

I blame it on that bear.

 

[SpiderRico]

I go back to what i said in another thread comparing McGloin and JVB. Both are seniors. Both are 2 yr starters. Both are 7 games into a drastically new offensive system. Both lost their best playmaking receiver from the prior year. Both lost their security blanket running back. However, the results couldnt be anymore diametrically different than they are right now. JVB was considered the consensus best returning passer in the B1G, yet he has regressed to being the worst starting QB while McGloin is now the top QB.

So the $64,000 question is.....why?

 

[pmchawk]

Maybe... maybe Rudock is better/thinks better in game situations. He would not be the first and would not be the last.

Kirk cares about how well you practice not how well you do in a game.

 

[pmchawk]

So the $64,000 question is.....why?

That is a question Kirk should be asking. If he can't answer it there is a problem.

 

[thehawk]

I agree with some of that for sure...I have been screaming at the TV so many times this year when KD is in one on one on the outside, to audible to the fade...and he's barely done it. With McNutt, it was nearly automatic.

Does JVB not go to that route because he doesn't have confidence KD could make the play?

Is there something like the QB rating for receivers?

I don't know about his reads and routes, but KD drops more balls than I think is reasonable. He had at least two really bad drops just last game. He isn't fast enough to get good separation and isn't strong enough to be a go to guy either... Can't fight off defender and make the plays. And he is our best.

JVB and system change clearly need work, but it isn't the only problem in my opinion.

 

[dmShortSaledude]

That is the $64,000 question.... Especially when you ask people who know Greg Davis, what is his one best quality as an offensive coach, and the answer is that he is a fantastic QB coach. Exactly what KF has been lacking his Iowa career. Ironically, that is what is making us SO bad this season. Wtf?

 

[Biggusblockus]

JVBs problem is that he locks on to one guy. Last year he could get away with it as McNutt could get separation, ran decent routes and was physically strong and tall enough to get open. This season, when JVB locks on to the primary receiver and he is not open (which is usually), he starts to panic and get happy feet,doesn't go thru his progessions, eventually throwing it away or that classic 3 yard check-down on 3rd and 8.

I have said from the start that Greg Davis system requires a mobile QB. Not necessarily a dual threat QB, just a QB that is mobile, has a good pocket presence and can throw on the run if necessary. JVB is none of these things. JVB is the worst possible QB for GDs system. That is why he is struggling so much with it.

 

[ohhawk]

Two items from this article........TALKS HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE AND NEVER LETTING UP - 08.21.12 - SI Vault

1) "I wanted someone flexible enough to adjust to the personnel we have". So we hired Davis because he shows flexibility in adapting his offense to the personnel......mmm?

2) "that we really have to be detailed" could refer to the "system" that G. Davis in installing.....no? Why more detailed this year than any other?

My money is on the "system" for an explanation to our QB woes and I think someone got sold a bag of goods on the flexibility that Davis brings to the table.