Those Hawkeye fans who hate the offense

[dahlhawk]

Just got home from Minny watching the same s**t show with the Vikes as I witnessed yesterday! Frickin depressing!

Man I'm a Viking fan as well and I was wishing for a Viking win to clense the pallet. Man hard to believe two shit shows in one weekend, and worse we lose the only reason to be optimistic about the season for the season! Sad ending for a weekend I was so looking forward to.

 

[dahlhawk]

This is the "root" of the problem. While many say, "We need to pass downfield to open up running lanes!", that has never been our M.O.

We run well enough, then pop the opponent with play-action. And make no mistake, play-action is useless with 1) no running lanes and 2) no consistency when guys DO get open downfield, in the seam, over the middle, etc.

The OL isn't opening the running lanes, and receivers are dropping passes. Not exactly a mystery.

In some cases, those drops have been uber-critical, as in, converting 3rd-and-long, or field-flipping potential.

And of course, punting from your own 10 with a punter who can't--from there--get it past our own 40 or 45 with any appreciable hang time.

All of that is pretty much a recipe for disaster.

And not to pile on the defense, because they have pretty much kept us in the game the past two weeks, but giving up drives like MSU had to open the game doesn't help a struggling offense. Subsequently wasting decent kickoff returns is doubly depressing.[/QUOTE


There was a coach before this one that played to the weakness of his opponents. A coach that was unpredictable and a bit of a gambler. A coach that laughed and snarled. Hard to believe that the current coach was his student.

 

[Iahwk06]

You guys can talk all you want about new coaches, but the only two that that matter even a little bit both have the same last name and aren't going anywhere for a very, very long time.

Brian will be the head coach when Kirk's contract is up and that's the way it's going to be for the next 20 years after that. Laugh if you want but write it down, my friends.

What most people fail to realize is that the hard core football fans like us represent about 1% of people who follow the program. All the rest of the 99% want (including most of the old guard donor base) is a coach who's looked at as a gee golly nice guy [check], has at least a .501 record [check], and doesn't bring any scandal whatsoever on UI property [check].

We can either get used to it and not care moving forward (which is more and more what I do), or we can get pissed and rant and rave. Neither of them is going to change a goddamn thing.

This is going to be Iowa football for at the very least the next two and a half decades, folks. Sorry if that's not what you want to hear.

I agree.....it’s been heading that way since Brian came back

 

[DDThompson]

Look, we all want Iowa to be a good football team, right?

I'm not sure about this. There's quite a few that wouldn't be happy about that because their happiness comes by bitching and hating on coaches and players.




On a side but similar note:

I think with the modern kids on social media that we would get more 4- and 5-star players if we had more 4- and 5-star posters on social media.

 

[BigD]

You guys can talk all you want about new coaches, but the only two that that matter even a little bit both have the same last name and aren't going anywhere for a very, very long time.

Brian will be the head coach when Kirk's contract is up and that's the way it's going to be for the next 20 years after that. Laugh if you want but write it down, my friends.

What most people fail to realize is that the hard core football fans like us represent about 1% of people who follow the program. All the rest of the 99% want (including most of the old guard donor base) is a coach who's looked at as a gee golly nice guy [check], has at least a .501 record [check], and doesn't bring any scandal whatsoever on UI property [check].

We can either get used to it and not care moving forward (which is more and more what I do), or we can get pissed and rant and rave. Neither of them is going to change a goddamn thing.

This is going to be Iowa football for at the very least the next two and a half decades, folks. Sorry if that's not what you want to hear.

I couldn't have said it better myself. I too am getting sick of it and am beginning to lose interest. It's almost comical to watch fans following the recruiting process just to see the same damn thing over, and over, and over, and over, and over again.

This is not fun nor entertaining college football. If Kirk really loved this university he would step down and let some new blood give it a try. He appears to be a good person with a good family. He has been very fortunate to coach when he did as major programs all around him over the past ten years or more have been a shadow of what they used to be. Programs like Nebraska, Michigan, and Notre Dame. Those programs have been down for a long time. This has allowed KF to pick up a recruit here and there that he might not have gotten otherwise. Yet this was the time for him to make a little hay and put it in the barn but it never really happened on a consistent basis. Somehow Wisconsin seemed to figure it out. Until age and medical problems caught up with Hayden Fry there were the B1G three and then the rest. Those days seem behind us now. I appreciate what KF did to rebuild the program but it seems like stagnation has set in. He can develop a player here and there the will play in the NFL but he seems unable to put all the pieces together all at the same time.

 

[BigD]

I'm not sure about this. There's quite a few that wouldn't be happy about that because their happiness comes by bitching and hating on coaches and players.




On a side but similar note:

I think with the modern kids on social media that we would get more 4- and 5-star players if we had more 4- and 5-star posters on social media.

I agree that you will have some people who will gripe no matter what happens. Then there are those of us who just want to see KF trend upward and hold that momentum on a consistent basis even when we are playing Ohio State, Michigan. Penn State, and Wisconsin all in the same season. I guess we will see what we are made of soon enough won't we.

 

[earlkoppelman]

All the bad, boring football over the years and last game was the last straw for you? I call BS.

Well maybe.Many little things can make a big "NO MAS" Maybe.Adds up no? Like CAP off toothpaste? Maybe.To me at 300 am in Calif.loss of Sat.fun watching very tough HAWK PLAYERS working hard.Not sure its not over for me.BB will.be cool.And am.huge volleyball fan.And wrestling.Oh what is Riding? I hear that term .Not kidding. Illini next then needed Rand R.

 

[hawkeyebob62]

That coach also ran the Statue of Liberty two plays in a row one time. Nobody's perfect.

 

[SCHawkeye2]

This offensive line isn't as good as it was expected to be is a big part of the problem. Over 50 running attempts in two games and barely 100 yards!!!

I think we need to remember the current offensive line is the product of 5 years of Brian F as offensive line coach. His recruits and his coaching. I think most would agree this years line play is glaring evidence the OL did not improve under his tutelage (and may have regressed) in both talent and execution.
However, due to his promotion he has walked away from this train wreck of an OL.
Imagine what he can do to the whole offense after 5 years in that position.

 

[homes]

There is always a lot of discussion and comment about the lack of execution as the explanation for plays not working. While I believe that is true, watch Jon's film analysis as proof of that, I also wonder if the lack of execution is a product of the schemes not being a good fit for the players, primarily the offensive line. In other words, lack of execution isn't just a player problem. Don't know, just postulating.

 

[hawkeyes87]

On a side but similar note:

I think with the modern kids on social media that we would get more 4- and 5-star players if we had more 4- and 5-star posters on social media.

Does this site count as social media? Are you sure?

Good to know! I went home to see the family last month and my 10 year old nephew was giving me crap- "you don't text??" Then my niece stood up and added "he doesn't do twitter, he doesn't do facebook, he doesn't < and so on >". I felt a little bit bad. But now I have something!

 

[earlkoppelman]

Does this site count as social media? Are you sure?

Good to know! I went home to see the family last month and my 10 year old nephew was giving me crap- "you don't text??" Then my niece stood up and added "he doesn't do twitter, he doesn't do facebook, he doesn't < and so on >". I felt a little bit bad. But now I have something!

Very funny.i do not like social media.loved radio talk shows.more real somehow.but social more info so cool at times and quite useful.

 

[Ozhawk]

... Maybe we should cast aside the petty squabbles about what's wrong with either unit and concentrate on how to make the team better

This is hilarious. Please fill us in on how we, as message board members, can make this team better. Is there some sort of suggestion box at the football complex where we can drop ideas for the coaching staff? Good grief do you live in some sort of fantasy world where message board members somehow translates to being a member of a coaching staff?

 

[hawkinn3]

I'm a huge fan of 3 yard losses on first down runs so I LOVE this offense.

 

[earlkoppelman]

I'm a huge fan of 3 yard losses on first down runs so I LOVE this offense.

 

[westender]

This offensive line isn't as good as it was expected to be is a big part of the problem. Over 50 running attempts in two games and barely 100 yards!!!

Tougher when teams are basically run blitzing us all the time. Until that gets softened up or neutralized will be issues.

On one play in MSU game I recall distinctively also, Stanley was back to pass and Alaric Jackson was one on one blocking and his guy just drove him right back into Stanley. No moves just straight on bull rush. I am sure he has been trained on how to not let that happen and he just lost leverage. I am sure everyone is going to make mistakes, but AJ is a rookie out there at tackle basically. Nearly rookie tackle, nearly rookie QB, etc.

Most all predicted 7-5 or 8-4 so let's just see where we end up at end of year. My guess is it will be right in that window.

 

[LicThawk]

How frustrating it must be as an Olineman knowing the entire defense is running full speed at you toward the backfield every first and second down.

 

[HawkeyeDenis]

Tougher when teams are basically run blitzing us all the time. Until that gets softened up or neutralized will be issues.

On one play in MSU game I recall distinctively also, Stanley was back to pass and Alaric Jackson was one on one blocking and his guy just drove him right back into Stanley. No moves just straight on bull rush. I am sure he has been trained on how to not let that happen and he just lost leverage. I am sure everyone is going to make mistakes, but AJ is a rookie out there at tackle basically. Nearly rookie tackle, nearly rookie QB, etc.

Most all predicted 7-5 or 8-4 so let's just see where we end up at end of year. My guess is it will be right in that window.

Yes I have seen a bunch of plays where the defender has just gone past a lineman that was going to block a linebacker or another defender 2 yards away from the LOS. There's talent on this team, it's just young talent unfortunately.
I predicted 6-6.

 

[STILLBUSTER]

How frustrating it must be as an Olineman knowing the entire defense is running full speed at you toward the backfield every first and second down.

What a coincidence! Most of the time, over the last 17 years, Iowa's offense is also running straight at the entire defense.

It's like a mini Hadron Collider, right in Kinnick. Just the Ferentz's contribution toward answering those fundamental questions, like, "What spectacular collisions occur when you repeatedly slam accelerating bodies into each other in an extremely confined space." They're givers, ya know.

 

[LicThawk]

What a coincidence! Most of the time, over the last 17 years, Iowa's offense is also running straight at the entire defense.

It's like a mini Hadron Collider, right in Kinnick. Just the Ferentz's contribution toward answering those fundamental questions, like, "What spectacular collisions occur when you repeatedly slam accelerating bodies into each other in an extremely confined space." They're givers, ya know.

It's like the opponent's defense is more offensive then our own. They are delivering the blows.