The run game
- Thread starter NCHawker
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GesterHawk
Well-Known Member
Oooo snap!!
HawkeyeMHA
Well-Known Member
Run game is not so good. How many yards did we have against purdonts?
175 rushing yards, most all year.
ArvadaHawk
Well-Known Member
Go back and watch the film. Iowa rb's are still missing cutback lanes. I am starting to think that some of the running woes are simply the backs that are on the team. And the OL does needs some work. I think #65 is still struggling a bit.
SpiderRico
Well-Known Member
I think it's due to two things right now:
1. Our biggest "homerun" threat, Canzeri, has been dinged up since fall camp. Hopefully the bye week will allow him to heal up and become more explosive.
2. The interior of our offensive line (the guards mainly, not Blythe) has been not very good in the run game....or at least not very consistent. Walsh has been getting absolutely owned on several running plays this year. In the past, KF would have been subbing him out for someone else, but out lack of depth there has not allowed us to do that.
I don't think much of it at all has been due to the opposition stacking the box. KF has been on record several times saying that with our running scheme, the opposition could put all 11 in the box and he believes that if it's blocked right, we can still be successful running the ball. I tend to believe him. Our best years running the ball, teams always stacked the LOS and we would still be successful. Which comes back to KFs favorite word....execution. Which is especially true when you don't have a "big time" running back. We don't have RBs that can make the first guy miss typically, so if something breaks down with the blocking, the play gets blown up. But when we had guys like Russell, Jermelle Lewis, Shonn Greene, etc.....those guys could still get big yardage even if the play wasn't blocked to perfection or if someone shot the gap and got penetration. Weisman and an injured Canzeri certainly can't do that.
1. Our biggest "homerun" threat, Canzeri, has been dinged up since fall camp. Hopefully the bye week will allow him to heal up and become more explosive.
2. The interior of our offensive line (the guards mainly, not Blythe) has been not very good in the run game....or at least not very consistent. Walsh has been getting absolutely owned on several running plays this year. In the past, KF would have been subbing him out for someone else, but out lack of depth there has not allowed us to do that.
I don't think much of it at all has been due to the opposition stacking the box. KF has been on record several times saying that with our running scheme, the opposition could put all 11 in the box and he believes that if it's blocked right, we can still be successful running the ball. I tend to believe him. Our best years running the ball, teams always stacked the LOS and we would still be successful. Which comes back to KFs favorite word....execution. Which is especially true when you don't have a "big time" running back. We don't have RBs that can make the first guy miss typically, so if something breaks down with the blocking, the play gets blown up. But when we had guys like Russell, Jermelle Lewis, Shonn Greene, etc.....those guys could still get big yardage even if the play wasn't blocked to perfection or if someone shot the gap and got penetration. Weisman and an injured Canzeri certainly can't do that.
hawkinn3
Well-Known Member
We ran the ball better against Purdue because we tried the very tricky move of running away from the FB's block. This is where Iowa's predictable tendencies can help us. Guarantee Purdue drilled into the D all week that we will run wherever the FB goes and don't worry about cutbacks. We hood winked them and it gives me hope little wrinkles like this will continue.
IAHAWK1982
Well-Known Member
I would like to see how many times we have run to the right versus the left. It seems like Hawks have been running more to the right side. I also wonder how many times we have run to the short side.
biasedHAWKEYE
Well-Known Member
Iowa stretched the field early vs. Pitt, though...Rudock threw the same # of deep balls as CJ...if not more.
Everybody wants to talk about the running backs. I'm sorry but what I'm seeing is an O-line that, aside from B-Scherff, has been remarkably below average.
I compare this line to the one we had in 2003. In the early parts of that season, even though we were winning, after a season of an almost legendary offensive line, it was often "Robert Gallery and pray for rain." It seemed that, way too often, the first thing running back Fred Russell had to do when he took a hand-off was double-juke the defensive players that were constantly in the backfield. I see the same thing in 2014.
We are not getting a push off the line, and our running backs don't have the space they need to choose their zone lanes and hit the holes. As if that weren't enough, zone blocking schemes require a lot of teamwork and trust between the five men (plus tight ends) on the line. It is a thing of beauty when you see it. And before the year is out, we may yet see it. But we seem light-years from that right now.
If we are going to do anything but either win 14-10 games or lose, our O-line has to use the two bye weeks to make substantial improvement. Without it, it matters little who carries the ball.
WinOneThisCentury
Well-Known Member
Finally, someone with an intelligent thing to say about our running game. I was at the Georgia Tennessee game this week and had an opportunity to watch Todd Gurley. Wow...he never gives up on a play and believes he can get 5 yards on his own. The blocking he was getting (aside from the runs they showed on sports center) wasn't that great...but he would make cuts, sometimes across the entire line of scrimmage and still beat guys to the corner...and he's a big man. The fact was, he was seeing the field and reacting to it instantaneously or better yet instinctively, which is what good RB's do.
Go back and watch the Purdue film...there is a run by Weisman where he makes a cut late to a huge hole, but doesn't hit it until he's already there. I like Mark and think he's a good power or short yardage back, but getting ten yards on a run where had it been Parker, he may have housed it. Gurley would have housed it for sure. As much as I like Canzeri, he just doesn't seem to see the lane or isn't willing to commit to his cuts. With the stretch, there have been times where the pursuit is so strong a cutback completely against the flow is there...we haven't had one back do that ALL YEAR. I watched Gurley do it several times yesterday...where there was absolutely no hole whatsoever where the play was designed.
I'm not asking for Todd Gurley as he's the best RB in American...but we have issues at RB right now. The OL can improve, but they aren't getting any credit for what they have been generating. We need a playmaker in the backfield. I say give Parker a few more touches...and not just jet sweeps...let him run a stretch, cut it back and use his speed. Wouldn't that be a nice change of pace.
Agree that Iowa just doesn't have the running back talent on the team. Really no one who was even moderately highly recruited.
I agree that our O line has under performed so far this year; I know our scheme requires lots of coordination and practice time so hopefully that part of our game will mature. This process has been slowed down this year by the rotation of too many RB's early in the season. I also think, as some have pointed out in this thread, that our RB's are not top quality. That does not mean they are not D1 caliber backs and it certainly does not mean that we don't get 100% + effort out of them. I do not think that we can be satisfied that execution will overcome the number of men in the box on opposing defenses. Not only are there a lot of guys right up on the LOS, but their first step is consistently forward, with no respect for the pass, or even for a perimeter attack by our O. As usual, it is not a simple one direction answer to our run game problems. We too often have a lot of black and white thinking in a gray world.
hawkfan340
Well-Known Member
1a. Pitt game counts for the OP since his premise is that the down field passing over the past two games has opened up the run.
1b. YPC in second half of Pitt game hurt by Weisman running five consecutive dives inside the Pitt 8 yard line that ended with a TD. In this case YPC is not a great stat to indicate if the run game is effective.
2. Weisman/Canzeri/Bullock/Daniels YPC:
- 1st 3 games: 3.2
- Next 2 games: 3.6
- 1st 3.5 games: 3.3
- Next 1.5 games: 3.5
3. Weisman/Canzeri/Bullock/Daniels Rush YPG:
- 1st 3 games: 82
- Next 2 games: 130
- 1st 3.5 games: 84
- Next 1.5 games: 141
OP's argument holds water, imo.
Another factor, some on the OL had the flu during Purdue week, which might explain the slow start. Iowa had like 125 yards O in the 1st half and almost 300 yards in 2nd half against Purdue, which is really a pretty good half no matter who you're playing.
hawkfan340
Well-Known Member
I didn't hear about any illness, but I think Morehouse wrote that there was an airplane malfunction that caused the team to need to travel by bus to West Layfayette, and that they didn't arrive until 9:30pm the night before. Not a great situation with an 11am kick the next day.
I honestly do think that contributed to the slow start. Maybe contributed to the WR drops specifically, since lack of good rest can harm your focus.
Having slow bull FB play tailback is a killer. Need Weismann at FB not TB. He's lack of speed and TB skills kill the run game. The holes aren't open for long, they need to be seen and blown threw.
Watch NE, their top three RB's put Iowa's to shame. Most peer and better programs have Way better TB than Iowa. Recruit better, not since Coker has Iowa had a stud TB.
WinOneThisCentury
Well-Known Member
I'd say Shonn Greene. The Wegher / Robinson duo was good...but for an all out stud...go back to 2008.
