those who think our D cant reload.

[cmhawks99]

Pretty convenient that you left out the passing stats. Almost made me forget when Brett Basanez shredded the pass D on 2 consecutive drives at the end of the game in 2005 in large part because we had no pass rush. It was a lot like that last drive the Cats put together in the 2010 game. Our D is all about the pass rush - if some stud steps up and has a good year we have a good defense, otherwise 6 or 7 wins is the best you can hope for.

I’ve always enjoyed poorly prepared, illogical fans like you…..it is oh so easy to run you in the ditch because you don’t bother knowing the facts.

Iowa’s pass efficiency Defense (even last year) has been one of the 20 to 30 best for several years running (top 10 a couple years)besides the fact t that if you can stop the run and “forceâ€￾ teams to be one dimensional you win way more often than you lose. Every NFL-D is still predicated o stopping g the run first and foremost.

Anything else…..

Chad,

 

[olddude]

I’ve always enjoyed poorly prepared, illogical fans like you…..it is oh so easy to run you in the ditch because you don’t bother knowing the facts.

Iowa’s pass efficiency Defense (even last year) has been one of the 20 to 30 best for several years running (top 10 a couple years)besides the fact t that if you can stop the run and “forceâ€￾ teams to be one dimensional you win way more often than you lose. Every NFL-D is still predicated o stopping g the run first and foremost.

Anything else…..

Chad,

It's just to easy sometimes is'nt it.

 

[cmhawks99]

I’ve always enjoyed poorly prepared, illogical fans like you…..it is oh so easy to run you in the ditch because you don’t bother knowing the facts.

Iowa’s pass efficiency Defense (even last year) has been one of the 20 to 30 best for several years running (top 10 a couple years)besides the fact t that if you can stop the run and “force” teams to be one dimensional you win way more often than you lose. Every NFL-D is still predicated o stopping g the run first and foremost.

Anything else…..

Chad,

I did a quick search and in all honesty our defense has progressively gotten statistically better over the years, so those who say we don’t change, improve, “fix” , etc have proven to once again be clueless….

In 2010 our Pass Efficiency D was 10th & we were 11th in Int’s…

In 2009 it was 3rd and 5th respectively…

In 2008 it was 5th and 4th respectively….

We have a very good D, period! No matter what someone who is clueless might say.

Chad

 

[okeefe4prez]

I’ve always enjoyed poorly prepared, illogical fans like you…..it is oh so easy to run you in the ditch because you don’t bother knowing the facts.

Iowa’s pass efficiency Defense (even last year) has been one of the 20 to 30 best for several years running (top 10 a couple years)besides the fact t that if you can stop the run and “forceâ€￾ teams to be one dimensional you win way more often than you lose. Every NFL-D is still predicated o stopping g the run first and foremost.

Anything else…..

Chad,

Iowa's defensive efficiency is a result of O'Keefe's ball control offense. Simple as that. O'Keefe doesn't hang the defense out to dry.

As for stopping the run first, I agree stopping the run is important, but about the same time Norm made it to his last Rose Bowl, the pro game made a fundamental change to beat run stopping defenses, which is the dink and dunk passing game that has gradually evolved into the spread that Iowa has been absolutely atrocious at shutting down. A good coach like Fitz will sit there and gladly average 5 or 6 yards a pass and as long as Norm continues to play the CBs 8 yards deep, opposing offenses can run a relatively low risk ball control offense that mitigates our run stopping defensive mentality (a mentality that has nevertheless gotten punked by good rushing B10 teams on multiple occasions, e.g. 2010 Wisconsin and 2009 OSU but that in Norm's defense, worked really well against GT).

The fact is, the bend but don't break scheme was fine back in the late '80's when Norm last led a Rose Bowl defense because it was reasonable to expect QBs to have problems hitting a majority of their passes on a given drive, but with the way teams like Northwestern and Indiana play today, you've gotta do something to bust up the spread passing game. OSU doesn't continually lose to NU and have problems with Indiana and I don't think it's because their athletes on D are so much better than ours, OSU goes and hits guys like Persa in the mouth early and often while we just sit back and let him toss the rock all over the field to the tune of 45+ plays a half. You might be able to keep the score lower by making the offense throw it 6 yards a play every time (as you will shorten the number of possessions) but in the clutch, your defense will be gassed and you will need dropped passes in order to win games against spread teams. Norm had a nice gameplan against Mizzou - it looks like he is adjusting, but again, without the dominant offensive attack O'Keefe put together and the clutch 4th down play action pass, the Hawks lose that game.

 

[goods10]

GO AWAY TROLL

 

[okeefe4prez]

I did a quick search and in all honesty our defense has progressively gotten statistically better over the years, so those who say we don’t change, improve, “fixâ€￾ , etc have proven to once again be clueless….

In 2010 our Pass Efficiency D was 10th & we were 11th in Int’s…

In 2009 it was 3rd and 5th respectively…

In 2008 it was 5th and 4th respectively….

We have a very good D, period! No matter what someone who is clueless might say.

Chad

Chadwick, we have a statistically good D. However, a good D doesn't fold to Northwestern or need a dropped pass to beat Indiana. Remember our last trip to Illinois? That "good D" made Juice look like John Elway. Remember 2005 and 2010 against Northwestern? Remember those punkings Indiana laid on us? Good defenses don't fold in the clutch. Our D is statistically good due to Ferentz's overall style of shortening the number of possessions per game, but the stats don't tell the whole story. If we ran an Oregon style offense that left the D on the field for 3 more possessions a game, they would statistically be a very pedestrian defense. I don't see why you guys can't grasp that.

 

[kicker22]

Iowa's defense will be in the bottom 10 nationally. Book it.

Care to elaborate? I'm sure most of us would love to hear your reasoning. Book it.

 

[okeefe4prez]

GO AWAY TROLL

Look pal, sorry to say it, but we've got a massive hole in our defensive philosophy and it has cost us a LOT of games in the past few seasons. I guess anyone who doesn't say everything is totally hunky dory in IC and that Iowa is a top 5 program is a troll, huh?

 

[kicker22]

Okeefe4prez, I agree with you to an extent, however I think its the constant Northwestern *** kissing that turns alot of posters against you.

 

[olddude]

Whatever, I dont have niether the time or patience. If you honestly think our O is the reason for our sucess in the last 10 years, you are beyond help.

 

[cmhawks99]

Look pal, sorry to say it, but we've got a massive hole in our defensive philosophy and it has cost us a LOT of games in the past few seasons. I guess anyone who doesn't say everything is totally hunky dory in IC and that Iowa is a top 5 program is a troll, huh?

Hey PAL....hmmm, that's fun....As far as that Illinois game goes, yeah I remember it; Juice threw for 272 and 2 Int’s on less than 60% passing. They only had 330 yards of total O! Stanzi threw for 191 at a 37% clip and two Int’s! I also remember the year before when we held Rose Bowl bound Illinois to 9 points, you?!?!

See here is what bemuses me the most about chaps like you. I watch 150 games a year College and High School….all the foolish Iowa fans who whine and complain about CB’s 8 yards off the ball, not blitzing, yada, yada, yada……….just don’t have a clue! They couldn’t identify a football if it slammed them in the head.

I see similar stuff from EVERY great Defensive team! I also see teams like us that that don’t blitz much and teams that blitz a lot and get beat…..it is what it is. Iowa’s defense to the people who matter has proven to be very, very, very good for many years. You saying they aren’t only makes you look dim and like a whole lot of other cats who watch games with blinders on.

For the record I’m no homer, and you trying to dismiss me or guys like me as such just shows you have no debating skills either. We drop the ball sometimes, but we have a very good program overall. We routinely win Bowl games against higher ranked teams (best Bowl record in the Big 10 over the last 10 years) and have been to 2-BCS/Rose Bowls since 2002, that’s pretty good.

Chad

 

[okeefe4prez]

Hey PAL....hmmm, that's fun....As far as that Illinois game goes, yeah I remember it; Juice threw for 272 and 2 Int’s on less than 60% passing. They only had 330 yards of total O! Stanzi threw for 191 at a 37% clip and two Int’s! I also remember the year before when we held Rose Bowl bound Illinois to 9 points, you?!?!

See here is what bemuses me the most about chaps like you. I watch 150 games a year College and High School….all the foolish Iowa fans who whine and complain about CB’s 8 yards off the ball, not blitzing, yada, yada, yada……….just don’t have a clue! They couldn’t identify a football if it slammed them in the head.

I see similar stuff from EVERY great Defensive team! I also see teams like us that that don’t blitz much and teams that blitz a lot and get beat…..it is what it is. Iowa’s defense to the people who matter has proven to be very, very, very good for many years. You saying they aren’t only makes you look dim and like a whole lot of other cats who watch games with blinders on.

For the record I’m no homer, and you trying to dismiss me or guys like me as such just shows you have no debating skills either. We drop the ball sometimes, but we have a very good program overall. We routinely win Bowl games against higher ranked teams (best Bowl record in the Big 10 over the last 10 years) and have been to 2-BCS/Rose Bowls since 2002, that’s pretty good.

Chad

Geez, I guess I must have missed those 2 Rose Bowls bince 2002. But no, you're not a homer. Not at all. Glad you watch a lot of high school football, though. I'd definitely brag about that.

 

[cmhawks99]

Iowa's defensive efficiency is a result of O'Keefe's ball control offense. Simple as that. O'Keefe doesn't hang the defense out to dry.

As for stopping the run first, I agree stopping the run is important, but about the same time Norm made it to his last Rose Bowl, the pro game made a fundamental change to beat run stopping defenses, which is the dink and dunk passing game that has gradually evolved into the spread that Iowa has been absolutely atrocious at shutting down. A good coach like Fitz will sit there and gladly average 5 or 6 yards a pass and as long as Norm continues to play the CBs 8 yards deep, opposing offenses can run a relatively low risk ball control offense that mitigates our run stopping defensive mentality (a mentality that has nevertheless gotten punked by good rushing B10 teams on multiple occasions, e.g. 2010 Wisconsin and 2009 OSU but that in Norm's defense, worked really well against GT).

The fact is, the bend but don't break scheme was fine back in the late '80's when Norm last led a Rose Bowl defense because it was reasonable to expect QBs to have problems hitting a majority of their passes on a given drive, but with the way teams like Northwestern and Indiana play today, you've gotta do something to bust up the spread passing game. OSU doesn't continually lose to NU and have problems with Indiana and I don't think it's because their athletes on D are so much better than ours, OSU goes and hits guys like Persa in the mouth early and often while we just sit back and let him toss the rock all over the field to the tune of 45+ plays a half. You might be able to keep the score lower by making the offense throw it 6 yards a play every time (as you will shorten the number of possessions) but in the clutch, your defense will be gassed and you will need dropped passes in order to win games against spread teams. Norm had a nice gameplan against Mizzou - it looks like he is adjusting, but again, without the dominant offensive attack O'Keefe put together and the clutch 4th down play action pass, the Hawks lose that game.

I just now came back and read this whole post……….honestly you just aren’t a very knowledgeable fan. Right off the bat tOSU plays defense very similarly to what we do and if you don’t believe it go listen to their fans. They say the same stupid crap you are. You have almost zero understanding of what kind of defense teams are really playing i/e: most ALL teams play a bend don’t break style to some degree especially in the NFL (Chicago Bears anyone) and I’ve seen teams, (lots of them) switch it up and go full bore and get absolutely toasted. That’s’ why few do it very often and NONE do it all the time……it hurts my head to read what you write. You are dangerous to yourself and others.

You also have absolutely NO perspective when it comes to historical football and how some teams struggle with the most alarming teams….

Here is an example I know you have zero knowledge of………….

Since 1981 Iowa is 19-8-1 vs Wiscy yet OSU is only 14-11-1 against them…

Also since 1981 Iowa is 14-10 vs Illinois (5-1 since 2001) while OSU is only marginally better at 17-11.

Yet Iowa for whatever reason is only 4-17 vs OSU, hmmmm, go figure. Iowa can handle Wisco, beats Illinois more often than not but can’t beat OSU. While those same said teams play the snot out of tOSU. Sometimes it doesn’t make sense but if you can’t grasp that then there is no help for you.

If you want to talk about statistics not meaning much go look at last year’s top 10 total defenses…..

Texas was 6th and went 5-7 while giving up 34, 30, 39 and 33!

Florida was 9th and went 8-5 while giving up 31, 33, 31, 36 and 31! They also gave up 24 to the same PSU we gave up 3 to. They run some spread by the way. All the top 10 had teams that gashed them. TCU gave up like 250 yards rushing to Wiscy who we gave up 140 to…and you said we struggled against them. You are so off on most of what you say that even the stuff that makes “some” sense can’t be taken serious.

Honestly when it really comes right down to it scoring D is all that really matters and EVERY year Iowa is at the top of the nation in that category. Even when our O can’t move the ball to save our life we hold teams down to the bare minimum of their chances. The scouts would agree so I guess you’ll just have to watch whatever mythical game you watch and keep it to yourself because your claims are completely unfounded.

Chad

PS….if you want I’ll list the spread teams Norm has faced in the last 10 years and then you can go back and see how far we held them below their averages. Beware it will make you look stupid.

 

[cmhawks99]

Geez, I guess I must have missed those 2 Rose Bowls bince 2002. But no, you're not a homer. Not at all. Glad you watch a lot of high school football, though. I'd definitely brag about that.

BCS Bowl = Rose Bowl...but no your not a buffoon, no not at all....

Chad

 

[okeefe4prez]

PS….if you want I’ll list the spread teams Norm has faced in the last 10 years and then you can go back and see how far we held them below their averages. Beware it will make you look stupid.

I know we hold them below their averages, but it is because of the offensive philosophy and the 18 play clock shredding touchdown drives our defense gives up that reduce the number of possessions per game, not because of some brilliant defensive strategy. And for the record, the "average" includes 4 cupcake non-con games, I would sure hope we are better than average. Look, I have faith in Norm having learned something in that Mizzou game, the LB coming off the slot guy on the blitz was a nice added touch that we hadn't seen a lot of against spread teams - I'm thinking back to those days of Norm dialing up the quicksand blitz where he would blitz the slowest guy from the back 7 who looked like he was running in quicksand and wouldn't get any heat, but would leave a massive open spot in the middle of the field. Gabbert got his yards, but Norm hit him in the mouth and he gagged in clutch time.

I can't count the number of times our D gagged on third downs last year, but it was absolutely ridiculous and at some point, the guy's gotta take a risk because in the second half, if you're gonna give up 7, you might as well not run your defense out of gas doing it. That's what opposing coaches have figured out. It's just that 2009 was an anamoly because we had two sick LBs who had a great nose for the ball and they made plays in the clutch. You can't rely on that to win every game when your D is pinned up against the wall. You'll eventually get toasted. See, e.g., 2010 Arizona, NU, OSU, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Indiana games (thank god Indiana dropped that ball).

 

[okeefe4prez]

BCS Bowl = Rose Bowl...but no your not a buffoon, no not at all....

Chad

Umm, no, not really. Rose Bowl = Rose Bowl. In no year of the Ferentz era would we have qualified for the Rose Bowl. I know it sucks, but Wisky's been to like 4 bince our last one and even NU has been there more recently than Iowa. With the sick o-line I think we will have, we will have a great shot at getting there this year, though. If our o-line owns the trenches, the D ain't gonna have to do too much to win ball games because they'll only be on the field for 23 minutes or so a game.

 

[DexterMorgan]

I can't count the number of times our D gagged on third downs last year, but it was absolutely ridiculous and at some point, the guy's gotta take a risk because in the second half, if you're gonna give up 7, you might as well not run your defense out of gas doing it. That's what opposing coaches have figured out. It's just that 2009 was an anamoly because we had two sick LBs who had a great nose for the ball and they made plays in the clutch. You can't rely on that to win every game when your D is pinned up against the wall. You'll eventually get toasted. See, e.g., 2010 Arizona, NU, OSU, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Indiana games (thank god Indiana dropped that ball).

Hard not to agree with this.

 

[cmhawks99]

I know we hold them below their averages, but it is because of the offensive philosophy and the 18 play clock shredding touchdown drives our defense gives up that reduce the number of possessions per game, not because of some brilliant defensive strategy. And for the record, the "average" includes 4 cupcake non-con games, I would sure hope we are better than average. Look, I have faith in Norm having learned something in that Mizzou game, the LB coming off the slot guy on the blitz was a nice added touch that we hadn't seen a lot of against spread teams - I'm thinking back to those days of Norm dialing up the quicksand blitz where he would blitz the slowest guy from the back 7 who looked like he was running in quicksand and wouldn't get any heat, but would leave a massive open spot in the middle of the field. Gabbert got his yards, but Norm hit him in the mouth and he gagged in clutch time.

I can't count the number of times our D gagged on third downs last year, but it was absolutely ridiculous and at some point, the guy's gotta take a risk because in the second half, if you're gonna give up 7, you might as well not run your defense out of gas doing it. That's what opposing coaches have figured out. It's just that 2009 was an anamoly because we had two sick LBs who had a great nose for the ball and they made plays in the clutch. You can't rely on that to win every game when your D is pinned up against the wall. You'll eventually get toasted. See, e.g., 2010 Arizona, NU, OSU, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Indiana games (thank god Indiana dropped that ball).

Honestly I see you are at least attempting to be reasonable now, but you are still missing it. First let me say I’m not anti-KOK like many an Iowa fan and I agree with you that he is waaayyyy better than our myopic fan base admits or can see is a better way of saying it. But just like they see what they want to you are doing the same, just instead of the O you are using the D as your scapegoat.

Lets break this down…………2009 wasn’t the anomaly but rather 2010 was……..we got down to our 9th, 10th and 11th Lbers using a RS frosh, 3 true frosh and a journeymen walk-on SR to play extensive minutes and even start in multiple instances. Over the last 8 to 10 years we have, for the most part had stellar Lb play which is paramount to our scheme and why our Lbers look good in the NFL. They can cover and play the passing lanes.

2nd….Iowa blitzes more than the average Iowa fan and it seems you are included realizes and in fact did so multiple times vs NW and it KILLED us.

3rd …..in said NW game, as was the case in most all of those games, we had guys on top of the play time and time again and they did NOT make the play. That’s on them not the coaches.

4th….over the years there have been plenty of subtle changes on O & D both that the fans just don’t see.

5th ……Iowa’s system offensively and defensively has routinely put them in position to win a lot of football games. 2nd most wins in the Big 10 since 2001, most Bowl wins and somewhere just under a 70% win clip….

In closing this is a game with 3 major entities and although fans love to compartmentalize it all you can’t. Just as you succinctly pointed out good defense starts with the right offensive system, a good football team also needs to not turn the ball over in bad situations and the Special teams play needs to do their part. That Az game wasn’t anymore on the D than it was the O and special teams play, the same goes with all our losses really.

Honestly you can’t give up 30 yard KO returns 3 to 5 times a game and expect to win……our special teams play last year was as spotty as I remember it. Our blitz pick up on the O-line in crunch time was also heinous. There was plenty of blame to go around. As a general rule I’ll live with our defense if we can shore up our other failings.

Chad

 

[cmhawks99]

Umm, no, not really. Rose Bowl = Rose Bowl. In no year of the Ferentz era would we have qualified for the Rose Bowl. I know it sucks, but Wisky's been to like 4 bince our last one and even NU has been there more recently than Iowa. With the sick o-line I think we will have, we will have a great shot at getting there this year, though. If our o-line owns the trenches, the D ain't gonna have to do too much to win ball games because they'll only be on the field for 23 minutes or so a game.

100% NOT true......In 2002 we would have and a BCS Bowl IS a Rose Bowl. Now you can choose not to acknowledge it just so it fits your paradigm but that doesn’t make it not so. Personally I have loved playing in the Orange Bowl but that’s just me.

Chad

 

[Xerxes]

100% NOT true......In 2002 we would have and a BCS Bowl IS a Rose Bowl. Now you can choose not to acknowledge it just so it fits your paradigm but that doesn’t make it not so. Personally I have loved playing in the Orange Bowl but that’s just me.

Chad

Maybe where OK4P is coming from is that Iowa has never been able to secure the B10's automatice BCS spot.

Both BCS games were at large choices. Its a tough pill to swallow to type this but Iowa hasn't won an outright B10 championhip in over 25 years. Only 1 time during that span have they been the B10 rep its top bowl game when they won a 4 team tiebreaker in 1990.

Yikes.