This is how you lose

[311hawk]

1) Blocked Punt
2) 100 yard kick off return
3) Pick 6 on a WIDE OPEN slant, volleyball style set
4) Dropped TD by DJK
5) Blocked extra point


That is 29 points right there fellas.

I know we caught a couple breaks with the McNutt TD and our own interception return but come on.

I hope we get a rematch in the rose bowl.

 

[Hawkize1]

6) not Audiblizing into a blitz beater 3 times on the last drive.

We all knew it was coming, isn't there a play in the playbook that would beat a blitz big? C'mon the tight end has to be open on a quick hitter? Shades of Michigan last year, with Moeaki.

 

[stevoskin]

Very good point, i was waiting for someone to post this. If you think about it, we blew them out statistically, these are all plays that can be prevented easily. Say Mcnutt doesn't let that ball go right through his hands and we stop the kickoff return...final score would then be 27 20. Thats what people predicted for a score. Stupid mistakes = loss. We beat ourselves, Arizona didn't beat us.

 

[tm3308]

6) not Audiblizing into a blitz beater 3 times on the last drive.

We all knew it was coming, isn't there a play in the playbook that would beat a blitz big? C'mon the tight end has to be open on a quick hitter? Shades of Michigan last year, with Moeaki.

Or perhaps the old jailbreak?

 

[Rawkhawk73]

1) Blocked Punt
2) 100 yard kick off return
3) Pick 6 on a WIDE OPEN slant, volleyball style set
4) Dropped TD by DJK
5) Blocked extra point


That is 29 points right there fellas.

I know we caught a couple breaks with the McNutt TD and our own interception return but come on.

I hope we get a rematch in the rose bowl.

Why does everyone act like if we didn't make those mistakes that we win? You can't take away our miscues, but assume their's stay.

They blocked punt that resulted in a touchdown for them, but we recovered a muffed punt that resulted in a touchdown for us.

We threw a pick six, they threw a pick six.

Look, we all knew the weaknesses coming into the season were going to be, in no particular order: 1) Offensive Line 2) Linebackers 3) Cornerback

Arizona did what good teams do and exposed those weaknesses.

 

[DJL]

Or perhaps the old jailbreak?

Agreed, anything other than the 5 to 7 step drop, and wait to be sacked. What I loved about Stanzi last year is that he would make mistakes, shake them off, and do what it took to win. I know this isn't all on him, but I have noticed, he seems a little afraid of making mistakes this year. He didn't seem to have that same bounce in his step. Now that could be because he had 6 Arizona guys on top of him, but what about changing the play at the line, taking a 3 step drop and letting the ball go? Obviously we lost the game because of ST play, but we still had a chance, and didn't take it at the end.

 

[iahawk72]

I guess I still haven't had someone explain to me how the LBs and CBs played a significant role in us losing this game? Iowa's defense only allowed 1 legitimate touchdown drive albeit it was the game-winning one. They held UA to 2 FGs in their other two drives.

Iowa's defense played the same defense they have played since day 1 with Norm as the DC. They gave up yardage underneath and stiffened in the redzone. The last UA scoring drive being the exception but it is unreasonable to expect any defense not to give up a touchdown to good teams.

I will say it again, Iowa's defense did their part in this game. They carried their weight. The same can't be said of special teams and the offense.

I agree with the offensive line being weakness in this game and it was pretty obvious not only in the pass blocking at the end of the game but also in running game as well. Throw in little but costly mistakes from McNutt and DJK, the injury to Hampton, the quickness that ARob lacks and you see where and why the offense struggled.

At the end of the day the biggest disappointment for me in this game are the 3 TDs we gave them because we didn't execute basic football fundamentals. The blocked punt, KOR for touchdown and the Pick 6 that went through McNutt's hands. Execute those three plays and Iowa would have greatly increased their chances of winning this game.

iahawk72

Look, we all knew the weaknesses coming into the season were going to be, in no particular order: 1) Offensive Line 2) Linebackers 3) Cornerback

Arizona did what good teams do and exposed those weaknesses.

 

[homerHAWKeye777]

It's a team sport.

I hope that the TEAM doesn't point fingers, but rather EACH unit takes responsibility for their miscues. Each unit and their respective subunits had at least some miscues. EVERYBODY and I mean everybody needs to push forward and work on improving and cleaning up their game. AND, let me add, the above sentiment is applicable to the coaches too. Some decisions were made that I'm sure that they'd like to have back. Thus, they need to continue to refine things too.

However, I will say that I LOVED the fight in our Hawks. Furthermore, I do believe that the playcalling was strategically sound too. However, that's not to say that there weren't better decisions that could have been made.

But, in the end, the most important thing is for everybody to LEARN and then MOVE ON!

 

[hawkeyescott]

1) Blocked Punt
2) 100 yard kick off return
3) Pick 6 on a WIDE OPEN slant, volleyball style set
4) Dropped TD by DJK
5) Blocked extra point


That is 29 points right there fellas.

I know we caught a couple breaks with the McNutt TD and our own interception return but come on.

I hope we get a rematch in the rose bowl.

While all true, people seem to be forgetting that Tarp stripped Grigsby of the ball at the 10 with Arizona about ready to punch it in again then Iowa going down the field for a TD, if that doesn't happen that is 7 less for Iowa and 7 more for Arizona.

All I'm saying is while it could have been better and Iowa could have won without their self inflicted mistakes, it could have also been much worse if Arizona didn't make mistakes themselves. In the end everything almost evened itself out.

 

[IAHawkFan]

Why does everyone act like if we didn't make those mistakes that we win? You can't take away our miscues, but assume their's stay.

They blocked punt that resulted in a touchdown for them, but we recovered a muffed punt that resulted in a touchdown for us.

We threw a pick six, they threw a pick six.

Look, we all knew the weaknesses coming into the season were going to be, in no particular order: 1) Offensive Line 2) Linebackers 3) Cornerback

Arizona did what good teams do and exposed those weaknesses.

Well, in this case, I think it is fair to say that Arizona really didn't do anything to earn/cause our bad plays.

On the blocked punt, we had 2 people simply not block anyone. Arizona didn't do anything special or all that athletic. They simply ran in, unblocked, and blocked the punt. That would be on us.

On the Stanzi pick-6, McNutt was wide open. The throw could have been a bit better, but Stanzi wasn't hurried in any way. If McNutt catches the ball (as he should), no pick. If McNutt doesn't touch the ball and pop it up, no pick. Instead, McNutt, looking at a potential TD, looks downfield instead of at the ball. That would be on us.

On the return for a TD, we had a couple of people simply give up their lanes. Arizona barely had to block, and the guy went pretty much untouched. That is on us.

DJK drops a pass where he is wide open. The pass is exactly where it shouldbe. DJK simply drops it. That would be on us.

Not only were those plays unforced, but they were early an changed the whole outlook of the game. They forced us out of our normal offense/game plan, and gave Arizona almost every advantage. Do you believe that they would have been able to sell out and blitz as much as they did if they were behind, or the game was tied?

Arizona played a good game and took advantage of our mistakes, but we gave them an aweful lot. It is a completely different game, one more suited to us, if we simply take care of the damn basics. Does that guarantee us a win? No, but I would think that we would have been better playing our game...

 

[ThunderHawk]

This game was karma payback for all of the great escapes last year.

Now that the universe is in equilibrium we can get back to beating people down.

 

[SDK46]

The team who played better won.
The better team did not win.

 

[chadfrey]

The team who played better won.
The better team did not win.

What I have been thinking for the last couple of days.

Toss out all the coulda', shoulda', woulda' stuff. At the end of the day, or in this case the beginning of Sunday, the team who played better won. In college football, a team only has to be better than another once during the year. On this day, Arizona was better.

Despite shooting themselves in the foot with a howitzer for the first 30 minutes of the game, the Hawks battled back up the mountain and tied the game in the fourth quarter. Arizona then again executed and played better football for eight minutes. Iowa played well for less than half of this game. Arizona played well for more than half, and acceptable for all but a couple minutes.

I believe Iowa is a better team than Arizona - and if the two teams met again Iowa would win. However, Iowa did not play good football. Arizona played better than Iowa did. Arizona won and nothing will change that.

On Saturday and early Sunday Arizona was better than Iowa. Arizona made fewer mistakes. They played better football.

In the game of football the best team does not always win the game. This could be one of those times.

Hats off to Stoops. He had his team ready to go.