Team Chemistry - This Years Senior Class

[SpecialKHawk]

I took this post as evaluating the football players and play on the field. The group is full of great kids who worked and played hard but did not get the results on the field. This can be the case for many programs across the country. The competition is against the best of the best from high school. You have to be some kind of player to get to this point.

 

[DTF]

There are some players I wish were staying and some who are staying that I wish were going. I don't like how unathletic (not compared to the average person, chief) some of the defensive players were. That's not on them, that's on Kurt. I wish he knew how to evaluate performance...

Chemistry only matters when you're a good team that wants to be great. Chemistry doesn't turn a 4 win team into an 8 win team. Change in offensive scheme or QB on the other hand...

 

[HawkeyeMHA]

I'd like to have Ferentz and Hyde back. Pretty sure MacMillian is a RS JR so he's got another chance. Really feel bad for that guy. He was on the way up back in 2010.

Yes on McMillan. I believe he started as a freshman, not 100 percent sure though but I thought he was going to be really good. After his sports hernia he has never really regained his form

 

[HawkeyeMHA]

I don't believe the issue with the seniors is lack of leadership but rather lack of talent.

 

[TychoBrahe]

I don't believe the issue with the seniors is lack of leadership but rather lack of talent.

For various reasons, this year's senior class just hasn't made that much of an impact, aside from Hyde and Ferentz. Davis I'd take back as a #2 receiver, where he did a pretty good job, but he just hasn't shined as a #1 (I actually view KMM as that guy now). Hyde is pretty solid, though not as dominant a DB as we're used to (think Spievay and Godfrey), and J Ferentz has been a steady player.

So that's three guys, but there's another 22 guys you need to field a team, and that's the problem. I don't doubt the commitment and effort of the other seniors, but the talent just wasn't there, and I doubt that would be news to those players--they know this is not that talented a team.

When a team doesn't have the talent it can get by on chemistry and drive, but this team didn't have that, and that comes down to a) coaching and b) injuries. But even without the OL and RB injuries, this is still a 7-5 team at best, which gets us back to a) coaching. I'm not sure that's there at this point, so I am almost ready to assume that ANY team we now field is likely to under-achieve, whether it's a good team like 2010 or a below-average team like 2012.

 

[PhoenixHawk]

I would have like to see Staggs in the game more. Considering the lousy WR play we had this year, I think he should have seen the field more since I don't think he ever dropped a catch (a rarity this year).

 

[RenoHightower]

That is easily the weakest senior class that I can ever remember at Iowa. Even in some of the truly terrible seasons, there were at least a handful of players (Kevin Kasper, Matt Bowen, etc) that you looked at and thought "Man, that guy is going to be tough to replace next year." There is literally not one single senior that you can honestly say that about this year. Really telling as to where this program is at right now.