Updated Hawkeye NCAA Stats & Rankings











Iowa has better QB play this season, which gives them a chance in every game IMO.

Like I said. We haven't seen a QB get ~200 yards since Deacon Hill lit up Maryland for 220 yards against Maryland. Petras had 3 games of 200+ yards going back as far as 2022.

So, I'll take Gronowski's 198 yards, even if 130 of it came on the ground.

That being said.....can we just please have some sort of passing game? Please? I'd even settle for tight ends and runningbacks getting 140 yards and maybe another 20-30 total yards to receivers? I mean, 170 yards with some regularity just might be enough to be interesting. You know, basically just a little bit better than Petras.

This less than 100 is really effing frustrating.
 


If you told me Iowa was that high in the red zone this year I'd be shocked, especially with some of the unexpected kicking 'woes'.
Same for 3rd down conversion percentage.

Not like they're stellar or anything. But anything above average in those two I wouldn't believe if you didn't have the numbers to show me.

Once again, I think they have a quite good team....with little to no passing threat.

Really effing frustrating.

Runningbacks, special teams...

And once again, we just see this absolute stark evidence of how good Phil Parker is. This year's defense could be way worse than it is. There are more 'holes' in terms of the fewest numbers of consensus "studs" than in the past. Very light on takeaways from years past. And yet, they still can find a way to near the top in some fairly important categories. Not saying they're "great" or don't have issues. But, once again...if they had slipped in any significant way from well above average in any of the last 5-6 years (including this one)....can you imagine the misery that would have been Iowa football?

Kirk Ferentz owes a large chunk of the back end of his career to Phil Jr. And the Parker family as a whole deserves more than we'll ever give them. And credit to Kirk for bringing him up and keeping him. And giving him at least enough of whatever he's needed to do his job. A fish stinks from the head down. But when they don't stink, they deserve credit.
 


If you told me Iowa was that high in the red zone this year I'd be shocked, especially with some of the unexpected kicking 'woes'.
Same for 3rd down conversion percentage.

Not like they're stellar or anything. But anything above average in those two I wouldn't believe if you didn't have the numbers to show me.

Once again, I think they have a quite good team....with little to no passing threat.

Really effing frustrating.

Runningbacks, special teams...

And once again, we just see this absolute stark evidence of how good Phil Parker is. This year's defense could be way worse than it is. There are more 'holes' in terms of the fewest numbers of consensus "studs" than in the past. Very light on takeaways from years past. And yet, they still can find a way to near the top in some fairly important categories. Not saying they're "great" or don't have issues. But, once again...if they had slipped in any significant way from well above average in any of the last 5-6 years (including this one)....can you imagine the misery that would have been Iowa football?

Kirk Ferentz owes a large chunk of the back end of his career to Phil Jr. And the Parker family as a whole deserves more than we'll ever give them. And credit to Kirk for bringing him up and keeping him. And giving him at least enough of whatever he's needed to do his job. A fish stinks from the head down. But when they don't stink, they deserve credit.
Phil isn’t related to Norm.
 


Phil isn’t related to Norm.

Well, you know what they say. When you assume...
Except in this case, it's only me that's made an ass of.
I've said repeatedly I don't know much about football...other than what I see on the field. I'm not terribly obsessed about it Sunday-Friday....other than being angry/happy about last Saturday and anxious about next Saturday.

I stand by the gist of my comment.
 


Well, you know what they say. When you assume...
Except in this case, it's only me that's made an ass of.
I've said repeatedly I don't know much about football...other than what I see on the field. I'm not terribly obsessed about it Sunday-Friday....other than being angry/happy about last Saturday and anxious about next Saturday.

I stand by the gist of my comment.
Was just giving the information. No ass made of anyone, I thought the same thing when Norm was still here. It’s an easy one to mix up.
 




I would love to see a stat on Iowa’s offensive average yardage on first down. The last two or three years my memory is of a plethora of negative plays on down 1. I recall very few if any of those this season. If my assumption has some validity, that is a really big deal.
 


From the preseason expectations compared to the current stats, the biggest surprise to me is we rank 98th in net punting. Prior to the Penn St. game -- -- in which he launched 2 beauties averaging I think 53 or 57 yards for the game -- Iowa's punter has really struggled after the first couple games. In warm-ups he regularly launches those 50-60 yders, but in the several previous games he'd uncork a 38 yder, a 40 yder, etc. -- very uncharacteristic compared to his work last season. I don't think anybody would have guessed before the season we'd sit at 98th in that stat line.
 


This is the first time in a long time I have zero confidence in Iowa's kicker. It's time to try someone else.

He's in that weird zone where as the FG attempts get shorter he misses more. You can't have that. Stevens is 7 of 11 within the 30-49 yard range (which is obviously where almost all of your critical FGs are), but 3/3 over 50 yds (I excluded the blocked one the other night). He missed one that would've won the Indiana game and if that happens we're a top 10-15 team right now. If he makes the other one at Penn State that game doesn't come down to heart attack land at the end. Lastly, that shit starts affecting play calling and decision making at the OC level and that is BAD. We do not need to have Lester/KF's play calling and "do I/don't I" choices being influenced because they don't think our guy will hit a 41 yarder.

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This is the first time in a long time I have zero confidence in Iowa's kicker. It's time to try someone else.

He's in that weird zone where as the FG attempts get shorter he misses more. You can't have that. Stevens is 7 of 11 within the 30-49 yard range (which is obviously where almost all of your critical FGs are), but 3/3 over 50 yds (I excluded the blocked one the other night). He missed one that would've won the Indiana game and if that happens we're a top 10-15 team right now. If he makes the other one at Penn State that game doesn't come down to heart attack land at the end. Lastly, that shit starts affecting play calling and decision making at the OC level and that is BAD. We do not need to have Lester/KF's play calling and "do I/don't I" choices being influenced because they don't think our guy will hit a 41 yarder.

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I am with you 100%. He has a good year every other year. The other years, he has struggled. I hope he can get his head straight moving forward but I don't have any confidence when he lines up for a kick right now. But if you are Lavar Woods, not sure you can trust the guy behind him who is completely untested. Maybe if Stevens tanks in the final game at Nebraska like he did two years ago, you give that guy a try.
 


I am with you 100%. He has a good year every other year. The other years, he has struggled. I hope he can get his head straight moving forward but I don't have any confidence when he lines up for a kick right now. But if you are Lavar Woods, not sure you can trust the guy behind him who is completely untested. Maybe if Stevens tanks in the final game at Nebraska like he did two years ago, you give that guy a try.
Next game the Hawks lose all the playoff talk is officially out the window. Iowa is going to probably lose 2-3 more so it's really a non-issue anyway and we're pretty much locked in for a bowl game already. I say the next time we lose it's time to retire Stevens and start cycling in the new guy. Nothing to lose at that point and everything to gain by seeing how the rest of the kicker room performs in front of crowds and cameras.
 


Drew Stevens is now the all time leader in FGs for Iowa. Passing Kaeding. I’d personally prefer Kaeding over Stevens but maybe he can get back on track for the rest of the season. Kids got a hell of a leg. Wouldn’t have surprised me if he would have hit that 66 yarder that was blocked. That would have been a ncaa record, which makes Kirk’s choice to attempt it was definitely out of character.
 


I know Gronk has his critics. And trust me, at times, I get frustrated to, but as mentioned, he is finding ways to make things happen. Eventually, (I hope) those throws will be made. Each week we have a few new wrinkles and we are making those plays.

Beyond the idea of using his legs to make plays, I think you have to also look at some of the intangibles such as his ability to move the pocket or escape pressure. Obviously, I think he is gaining confidence at this level which hopefully lets him play looser. I also think with his growing confidence, he has the offense believing.

My hope is week by week, we continue to get better. We are 5-2 and honestly until this last game, his overall play hasn't been the greatest. But my hope as he continues to settle in, those throws he has missed eventually are completed and that only makes us more dangerous.
 


Drew Stevens is now the all time leader in FGs for Iowa. Passing Kaeding. I’d personally prefer Kaeding over Stevens but maybe he can get back on track for the rest of the season. Kids got a hell of a leg. Wouldn’t have surprised me if he would have hit that 66 yarder that was blocked. That would have been a ncaa record, which makes Kirk’s choice to attempt it was definitely out of character.
Yeah, it's a strange situation that he has a better success % at 50+ yds than closer in. He does seem to have a shorter, more abbreviated leg swing on the long kicks -- more of a 'punch' swing than a full follow-thru. I suspect he'll get those 40 yders figured out, but kicker confidence can be a fleeting thing.
Watching Iowa's backup kicker warm up pregame and pre-2nd half, it looks like he's increased his range considerably. He was hitting 55 yders pregame. Of course Stevens can hit 60 yders with no opponent, but can't do it in games because his initial trajectory is so low.
The bizarre thing about KF going for that 66 yd FG: when timeout was called just prior to the kick, Stevens had a free practice kick and while it was on-line, it fell a good 5-7 yds short...and that was a free kick without any rush. Everyone sitting around me, including the Penn St. fans behind me, all agreed after seeing that, KF would just punt the ball. And even if he DID kick it, there was a chance the PSU returner standing in the EZ might have returned it for a TD vs Iowa's FG unit.
 


Didn't something like this happen a few years back? I wanted to say it was Miguel Recinos who wavered and Duncan came in? Or the other way around? Looking up stats:
Recinos: 2015-2018
Duncan: 2016-2020
Duncan redshirted in 2017 and didn't see action in 2018 so it doesn't make sense.

I remember some contention right around the end of the season. Going in to the Nebraska game where Recinos kicked the game winner. But that was 2018. I don't see any stats for Duncan that year. Shudak was around too, but mostly kicking off until 2021. I also thought of Marshall Meeder.

I must be absolutely punch drunk after just booking a hotel in downtown Iowa City for next month on a non-football weekend even. I could have stayed in Coralville for two weeks for the same cost. I used points, but I still feel like I won't be able to sit down for 3 days.

I just remember a trusted Iowa kicker getting a little squirmy and having to go with someone "new" or switching off depending on distance. I dunno. Maybe it was from 20 years ago. I didn't think it was that long ago. I really want to feel like it was Recinos/Duncan. But there's no stats to back that up at all. So that ain't right.
 




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