Schwartz: The Ferentz Era Continues

ferentz4life said:
So the resurrection of Kirk happens with at least a 6-6 record? Wow
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Just keep talking out the side of your mouth 4life. Completely laughable. If this year doesn't feel different to you, than what kind of fan our you? Let's not enjoy being 5-0 folks let's all be like 4Life and wait for the wheels to fall off. Seriously **** that I enjoy what I see!!

i was like many I gave up on KF, but I got to give credit when credit is due. This season feels different and I'm enjoying it.
 
Floridahawkeye1 said:
Just curious. Did this journalist, Schwartz, ever participate in college sports?

Does he really understand the effort it takes to coach a football team? A basketball team? Hockey team?

Happy, in a way, he admitted his mistakes, but until he coaches at a major university, or anywhere for that matter, he should not declare much of anything regarding coaching.

Can he have a personal opinion? Of course. Should he be viewed as a sports expert that folks should follow or believe?

You can watch a thousand games and talk to a thousand players, but don't pass yourself off as an expert in college coaching. Please!

For those of us who think we are better coaches, apply for the job then. Some fans were after Bob Stoops recently also. Even Nick Saban. Seriously?
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That's just idiotic. And Saban? That's just a really weird lie.

As for the rest, that line of thinking doesn't make sense. That would disqualify %95 of the media from having an opinion about coaches.

It's not that hard to tell if someone is succeeding at their job. The results are what they are.

Losing to teams as bad as ISU, blowing big leads to Nebraska, getting embarrassed in a bowl against a 6-6 team and going 500 in the conference over 5 years is not how you're supposed to do it and it doesn't take a former coach to know that.
 
I will admit that I thought KF was done. He appeared tired if not burned out. While the 5-0 start is awesome, I am not ready to say we are seeing the beginning of Kirk 3.0. Too much of the season left. But I will say KF appears and sounds like he has found some life in the last few months. It seems to have coincided with Sally Mason's imminent departure... Whatever I'm just glad that whatever changed is producing results.
 
6-0 Make it happen!!! Reminds me of an old song I once heard....... "One game (day) at a time sweet Jesus." :)
 
Look, we have a good start, and a record that shows unblemished....I think we have a team that has some chemistry and attitude....we have barely won a few of our games, but we did win them...it's still early in the season to say how "magical" it is, but the possibilities are there...we have a schedule that is favorable in what is "perceived" as a weak division, we do have the potential to have a strong final record and even a potential good bowl game...but it is too soon to annoint this team and KF3 yet.

Not to say that it can't or won't happen. I like the attitude of team, the play on the field, and most importantly, the change away from ultra boring and conservative coaching we have seen in recent years....The product assembled is exciting...

The key will be when we as fans see with our eyeball test whether we are a team that can "compete" with ANY other team out there...

We are at the beginning of a potential return to relevance, and between player personnel and play calling decisions, and on field leadership, I as a fan like it, but I'm not all in yet....but it is a nice feeling to be able to get enthused to see and read the post game articles, media reports, blog entries, and thread posts....as well as to be appropriately ranked.
 
ferentz4life said:
So the resurrection of Kirk happens with at least a 6-6 record? Wow
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Who said that? no one. Obviously if we lose 6 of the next 7 it would be awful.

But remember, almost no one had this team over 8 wins, and most had them at 7 or fewer.

Expectations have increased for all of us, but the reason for that should be given props.
 
Anyone else find it ironic that the guy killing ferentz in this thread has the username ferentz4life?
 
HawkPrdatr40 said:
lol.. Give me a break~

I will bet you anything you wish to wager that Iowa doesn't finish under 500 like any of these teams!! It's a Ridiculous comparison!!
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I have to agree... Can't really compare this year to last year, even. Last year's team, even with the 6-2 start, had a horrible, and I mean HORRIBLE loss at home to a bad ISU team. Last year's team never beat anyone with a winning record (I think), excluding FCS opponents. This year's team has already trumped last year, to this point in the season.

Not to mention, 5-0 for the first time since '09.

I'll admit that I was very wrong about this year's Iowa team. My prediction was "anywhere from 5-7 to 7-5", and at this point, although I still don't think this team has the overall talent of some of KF's best teams from years past, it's looking more like a 9-3 floor, maybe better, given the manageable schedule.

If Iowa loses 5 of 7 or something to close it out, I'll eat these words. Iowa may lose @NW, and they may lose some other game they should probably win, but I don't get the vibe this year that a total meltdown is coming. 9-3 minimum.
 
HawkPrdatr40 said:
Just keep talking out the side of your mouth 4life. Completely laughable. If this year doesn't feel different to you, than what kind of fan our you? Let's not enjoy being 5-0 folks let's all be like 4Life and wait for the wheels to fall off. Seriously **** that I enjoy what I see!!

i was like many I gave up on KF, but I got to give credit when credit is due. This season feels different and I'm enjoying it.
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the 2nd half of the WI felt a lot like the last five years of just holding on to win. Defense played very well, and we had some luck (the fumble at the goal line...WI scores, and the game is over).

I will give him credit for these changes:

Special teams actually look somewhat special again. Helps we have such a weapon on kickoffs, and he's doing well with FG's too (minus the missed chipshot...but they happen from time to time). We are also returning punts again. It's been years since we've been aggressive there.

Going for it on 4th down. He started this last year, maybe because our kickers were really bad to start the year....but it's continued now. Though a lot of times it seems like the wrong decision haha. But glad he's not punting on 4th and inches anymore. Just wish the play calling would be better on those 4th and 2's

He seems to be a little more involved on the sidelines.


Where I don't see changes, and will probably hurt us:

Schemes are too predictable. Huard did his homework as an analyst. When we gain 4 yards on 1st down, 80% of the time it's a run on 2nd. When we don't get the 4 yards, 80% it's a pass. If he is able to pick up these stats, then you know other teams do too. It might be why we couldn't do a damn thing in the 2nd half. It's easy to beat up a FCS team, or North Texas....not quite the same against big10 teams

I just worry that with players being hurt, and conference season starting....we're going to drop some games because of these issues above. Teams knowing what we're gonna do....poor clock management (which still exists)......

He's made some nice changes to get some parts of the program competitive again. I'd like to see more (like giving Wadley another chance...Canzeri has fumbled three times now in the 4th Q of games), and quit hoping for luck.
 
DBAHawkFan said:
the 2nd half of the WI felt a lot like the last five years of just holding on to win. Defense played very well, and we had some luck (the fumble at the goal line...WI scores, and the game is over).

I will give him credit for these changes:

Special teams actually look somewhat special again. Helps we have such a weapon on kickoffs, and he's doing well with FG's too (minus the missed chipshot...but they happen from time to time). We are also returning punts again. It's been years since we've been aggressive there.

Going for it on 4th down. He started this last year, maybe because our kickers were really bad to start the year....but it's continued now. Though a lot of times it seems like the wrong decision haha. But glad he's not punting on 4th and inches anymore. Just wish the play calling would be better on those 4th and 2's

He seems to be a little more involved on the sidelines.


Where I don't see changes, and will probably hurt us:

Schemes are too predictable. Huard did his homework as an analyst. When we gain 4 yards on 1st down, 80% of the time it's a run on 2nd. When we don't get the 4 yards, 80% it's a pass. If he is able to pick up these stats, then you know other teams do too. It might be why we couldn't do a damn thing in the 2nd half. It's easy to beat up a FCS team, or North Texas....not quite the same against big10 teams

I just worry that with players being hurt, and conference season starting....we're going to drop some games because of these issues above. Teams knowing what we're gonna do....poor clock management (which still exists)......

He's made some nice changes to get some parts of the program competitive again. I'd like to see more (like giving Wadley another chance...Canzeri has fumbled three times now in the 4th Q of games), and quit hoping for luck.
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Damn, this is an outstanding post. Well done.
 
DBAHawkFan said:
the 2nd half of the WI felt a lot like the last five years of just holding on to win. Defense played very well, and we had some luck (the fumble at the goal line...WI scores, and the game is over).

.....
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You don't think that our play calling was dependent upon these three facts:
a) Wisconsin's D is pretty solid.
b) We were minus our starting right tackle. That's where the Schobert came from for his sacks.
c) We were minus our best deep threat so Wisconsin could load the box.

I think these three had an impact on our play calling.
 
Knight78 said:
You don't think that our play calling was dependent upon these three facts:
a) Wisconsin's D is pretty solid.
b) We were minus our starting right tackle. That's where the Schobert came from for his sacks.
c) We were minus our best deep threat so Wisconsin could load the box.

I think these three had an impact on our play calling.
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d) 25+ mph winds play a pretty big factor as well.
 
Seth53 said:
Didn't seem to bother Stave at all.

Not having Smith, and Schobert, were the biggest reasons we couldn't go vertical.
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Maybe, but Stave wasn't exactly great. The long pass interception was either the wind or a bad pass.

CJ was off, for sure. But Wind absolutely effects playcalling...a lot.

What's weird is even with all the things listed above and CJ not having his best...we still went vertical more than we did most of the last 2 years.
 
Uh, folks? Iowa ran the ball as much as possible to :
Stop throwing picks
Keep clock ticking
Stop Shobert from sacking CJ
No Smith to go to
Canjeri running well
Wind was horrible to throw accurately

Yep, we could have easily lost.
Canjeri fumbled again - we got the bounce.
CJ could not escape Shobert.
Line could not stop Shobert
CJ was off on his throws.
WI turned it over instead of scoring six
WI had excellent field position entire second half.

But, WE WON !! Go figure.

Now, Illini want a piece of us...a RANKED team.
Big ten games are wars.
Go Hawks
 
HawkeyeWalker said:
d) 25+ mph winds play a pretty big factor as well.
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e) as others have mentioned, 2nd half field position. The Iowa 2nd half drives started at the 23, 11, 22, 5, 5, and 16, respectively. Coach Ferentz mentioned that factor specifically in the post-game interview as contributing to their conservative nature in the 2nd half.

Now some other coaches and teams in similar situations may have been very aggressive, and you could argue that the observed sphincter-tightening signals a return to old (and frustrating) tendencies. But in this case, I was okay with it. I did not think Stave could score on Iowa's D, and I think the coaches felt the same. Had Wisconsin actually scored on their last goal-line situation, I felt pretty confident that the O could move the ball down into scoring range themselves.
 
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