I stomached through re-watching the ISU game. I'm not not as down as I was having seen it again. The talent is not that bad (it's not great, but not as horrendous as some think). The offense is still predicatable and slow, and they desperately need to re-think the redzone philosophy. This is long and the replay cuts out a couple of drives (e.g. the series where Garmon gets a false start and JVB trips over the center), but here it is:
First quarter:
Iowa's first possession was very good - marched right down the field using run and pass. Then we get to the dreaded 10 yard line and proceed to run off-tackle left followed by off-tackle rigth. On 3rd down JVB stares down a receiver on a slant; all he had to do was look that off and dump it to Bullock on the swing route for 6. The LB on Bullock sat in the passing lane of the slant b/c JVB stared right at the receiver. Fortunately JVB essentially threw the ball away over everyone's head and we get the field goal. Good driver; stalled with predictable/unimaginative play calling on 1[SUP]st[/SUP] and 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] down, and a bad read by JVB on 3rd.
On ISU's second drive we get a horrendous break. ISU fans point to them fumbling their second drive in the red zone but they only had the ball in the red zone b/c their punter defied all laws of physics and managed to hook a punt around Alvis who was standing with outstretched arms less than a foot away. How in the name of God did Alvis not get a hand on that ball? What was a sure fire blocked punt giving us great field position (or a TD) with huge momentum ends up with a roughing the kicker. Horrendous break after a great individual effort play by Alvis.
Still, we get the fumble and the ball back on our own ten.
Second drive opens with five wide and a quick slant to Derby who lined up on the outside. Can we throw that freaking play out of the book? Zero reason to line up Derby as a receiver and run him on a quick slant. The much smaller/quicker ISU DB easily broked up the pass. Totally wasted down. The next play is my new all time favorite: single back, Derby lined up as TE on the right, we send him in motion all the way out to the sideline and proceed to run right at where he used to be (only now he's not there and ISU didn't shift). The play gets blown up, loss of 4. Let's throw that out of the playbook also. Two bad plays that in my opinion are entirely on the coaches, not the players. On third down Bullock drops a fairly well designed screen play, but looking at the ISU defenders in the area I don't think he would have gotten the first down anyway. The drive results in a punt - probably would have even if Bullock caught it. Complete wasted drive due to two play calls that should never, ever be called again.
Third drive after ISU field goal: On first down a nice gain of 5-6 is negated by an illegal chop block that occurred on the opposite side of the play which had no bearing on the play's success. Still an obvious call and a bonehead play by the right tackle. Now we have 1st and 20 from our own ten...The Hawks come back with a great screen pass and get the penalty yards back and manage a first down.
On first and ten JVB hits Shumpert on a nice 13 yard gain - Shumpert bobbled the ball at first but hung on. He really struggled and probably needs to ride some pine after this game. Next play on 1st and 10 JVB hits Davis on a great fade; the ISU defender just manages to get a hand in to knock it away, but you'd like to think Davis should make that catch. Would have been a 25-30 yard gain. After a 5 yard run. JVB throws a bad pass to an open Manley on a 5 yard hitch that goes incomplete. JVB threw a dart too far inside allowing the ISU defender an easy opp to break it up. Would have been a very tough catch. Had JVB hit Manley in the chest it's first down Iowa. Still good, play call and good route. Bad throw by JVB that stalls out a decent drive. This little hitch on third and short is a great play; Manley runs the route well, but JVB consistently missed the throw stalling a couple of drives in this fashion.
Next possession, next horrendous break: Donnatel picks off Jantz and returns it to the 50, but Hyde gets called for a chop block. I can't see the play on TV so see if it was a good call, but I've never seen a chop block on an INT return before. In any event, instead of 1st and 10 at the 50 with 1:41 to go we get put back at the 35. After a nice screen pass that gets us to the 45 JVB makes a horrendous read and a worse throw on a go route. If JVB puts the ball high and outside like he should at worst its incomplete. The throw was as bad as the read.
End of first half: zero talent diffence between these teams. None IMO.
Second half, 1st drive: we start with the ball; on 3rd and 2 we go to the predictable double tight, I, off tackle right. ISU stuffs the play but Bullock makes a great second effort to get the first down. After a gain of 1, on 2nd and 9 JVB gets a passed tipped at the line that is headed towards a fairly open CJ. Tough break, it happens. The 3rd and 9 pass over the middle to CJ gets batted on a nice defensive play leading to a punt. Tough break on the 2nd down play essnetially kills the drive.
The Hawks D holds; we proceed to get the ball at our own 8. We run the ball twice setting up the dreaded 3rd and a long 2. Of course, we go double-tight off tackle and gets stuffed. This is 100% on the coaches. ISU stuffed the play last time on 3rd down but Bullock made a great play just to get it, and we go right back to it? With a player like Bullock - a Mike Saunders clone, we should swing pass teams to death on 3rd and 2-3. Horrendous play call that kills the drive. We need to completely rethink our short yardage scheme.
Next series the Hawks recover a fumble at their own 10 and proceed to march down field to get a first and goal at the 4. We all know how that drive ended. Horrendous, HORRENDOUS play calling on 1st and 2nd down (the first down run was with Garmon b/c Bullock's helmet cam off). We are not a power running team, yet insist on trying to power the ball into the endzone. The 3rd down call was equally as incompetent (play action on 3rd and goal from the 4? Who is falling for that?) JVB and Weisman both make great individual plays to make something out of nothing, but Weisman can't haul in the pass. Not unexpected since he's a big blocking fullback who has never caught a pass before. Great drive stalled by horrendous play calling on 1[SUP]st[/SUP] and second down – the exact same play calling from our previous trip into the redzone.
Next drive Hawks get 3rd and 3 deep in their own territory. They run the quick hitch with Manley again; again he gets open and again JVB throws a laser way too far inside allowing a defender to get in to break up the pass. A good pass would have been a first down. Good play call, good route by Manley. Bad throw by JVB.
After the Morris INT, JVB has to throw the first pass away (good play on his part), but throws a horrible pass on 2nd down missing a fairly open Manley over the middle. CJ and Shumpert proceed to drop perfectly thrown balls on 3rd and 4th down. Shumpert again just doesn't have it. No other way to put it.
The Hawks gete on more crack - JVB leads them on a nice drive that ends with the bad pick. The replay shows the read and the pass were both worse than I saw live. Just a bad, bad play to end the game.
What is the point of this long rant? They really aren't that far off - they need to catch the ball, clearly, but some of that can be solved by finding a better 3rd receiver which who knows if we have or not – I know we have some young receivers that were fairly good recruits for us waiting in the wings. Some of it can be solved by some better throws from JVB – the relatively easy 5 yard hitch that JVB missed 3-4 times this game. This is an easy throw; it’s not a talent issue, rather it’s in his head.
I don't see a huge talent disparity. I don't see a huge talent gap. I see horrendously stubborn red zone play calling, stubborn playing time decisions (Shumpert) and an average QB.
First quarter:
Iowa's first possession was very good - marched right down the field using run and pass. Then we get to the dreaded 10 yard line and proceed to run off-tackle left followed by off-tackle rigth. On 3rd down JVB stares down a receiver on a slant; all he had to do was look that off and dump it to Bullock on the swing route for 6. The LB on Bullock sat in the passing lane of the slant b/c JVB stared right at the receiver. Fortunately JVB essentially threw the ball away over everyone's head and we get the field goal. Good driver; stalled with predictable/unimaginative play calling on 1[SUP]st[/SUP] and 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] down, and a bad read by JVB on 3rd.
On ISU's second drive we get a horrendous break. ISU fans point to them fumbling their second drive in the red zone but they only had the ball in the red zone b/c their punter defied all laws of physics and managed to hook a punt around Alvis who was standing with outstretched arms less than a foot away. How in the name of God did Alvis not get a hand on that ball? What was a sure fire blocked punt giving us great field position (or a TD) with huge momentum ends up with a roughing the kicker. Horrendous break after a great individual effort play by Alvis.
Still, we get the fumble and the ball back on our own ten.
Second drive opens with five wide and a quick slant to Derby who lined up on the outside. Can we throw that freaking play out of the book? Zero reason to line up Derby as a receiver and run him on a quick slant. The much smaller/quicker ISU DB easily broked up the pass. Totally wasted down. The next play is my new all time favorite: single back, Derby lined up as TE on the right, we send him in motion all the way out to the sideline and proceed to run right at where he used to be (only now he's not there and ISU didn't shift). The play gets blown up, loss of 4. Let's throw that out of the playbook also. Two bad plays that in my opinion are entirely on the coaches, not the players. On third down Bullock drops a fairly well designed screen play, but looking at the ISU defenders in the area I don't think he would have gotten the first down anyway. The drive results in a punt - probably would have even if Bullock caught it. Complete wasted drive due to two play calls that should never, ever be called again.
Third drive after ISU field goal: On first down a nice gain of 5-6 is negated by an illegal chop block that occurred on the opposite side of the play which had no bearing on the play's success. Still an obvious call and a bonehead play by the right tackle. Now we have 1st and 20 from our own ten...The Hawks come back with a great screen pass and get the penalty yards back and manage a first down.
On first and ten JVB hits Shumpert on a nice 13 yard gain - Shumpert bobbled the ball at first but hung on. He really struggled and probably needs to ride some pine after this game. Next play on 1st and 10 JVB hits Davis on a great fade; the ISU defender just manages to get a hand in to knock it away, but you'd like to think Davis should make that catch. Would have been a 25-30 yard gain. After a 5 yard run. JVB throws a bad pass to an open Manley on a 5 yard hitch that goes incomplete. JVB threw a dart too far inside allowing the ISU defender an easy opp to break it up. Would have been a very tough catch. Had JVB hit Manley in the chest it's first down Iowa. Still good, play call and good route. Bad throw by JVB that stalls out a decent drive. This little hitch on third and short is a great play; Manley runs the route well, but JVB consistently missed the throw stalling a couple of drives in this fashion.
Next possession, next horrendous break: Donnatel picks off Jantz and returns it to the 50, but Hyde gets called for a chop block. I can't see the play on TV so see if it was a good call, but I've never seen a chop block on an INT return before. In any event, instead of 1st and 10 at the 50 with 1:41 to go we get put back at the 35. After a nice screen pass that gets us to the 45 JVB makes a horrendous read and a worse throw on a go route. If JVB puts the ball high and outside like he should at worst its incomplete. The throw was as bad as the read.
End of first half: zero talent diffence between these teams. None IMO.
Second half, 1st drive: we start with the ball; on 3rd and 2 we go to the predictable double tight, I, off tackle right. ISU stuffs the play but Bullock makes a great second effort to get the first down. After a gain of 1, on 2nd and 9 JVB gets a passed tipped at the line that is headed towards a fairly open CJ. Tough break, it happens. The 3rd and 9 pass over the middle to CJ gets batted on a nice defensive play leading to a punt. Tough break on the 2nd down play essnetially kills the drive.
The Hawks D holds; we proceed to get the ball at our own 8. We run the ball twice setting up the dreaded 3rd and a long 2. Of course, we go double-tight off tackle and gets stuffed. This is 100% on the coaches. ISU stuffed the play last time on 3rd down but Bullock made a great play just to get it, and we go right back to it? With a player like Bullock - a Mike Saunders clone, we should swing pass teams to death on 3rd and 2-3. Horrendous play call that kills the drive. We need to completely rethink our short yardage scheme.
Next series the Hawks recover a fumble at their own 10 and proceed to march down field to get a first and goal at the 4. We all know how that drive ended. Horrendous, HORRENDOUS play calling on 1st and 2nd down (the first down run was with Garmon b/c Bullock's helmet cam off). We are not a power running team, yet insist on trying to power the ball into the endzone. The 3rd down call was equally as incompetent (play action on 3rd and goal from the 4? Who is falling for that?) JVB and Weisman both make great individual plays to make something out of nothing, but Weisman can't haul in the pass. Not unexpected since he's a big blocking fullback who has never caught a pass before. Great drive stalled by horrendous play calling on 1[SUP]st[/SUP] and second down – the exact same play calling from our previous trip into the redzone.
Next drive Hawks get 3rd and 3 deep in their own territory. They run the quick hitch with Manley again; again he gets open and again JVB throws a laser way too far inside allowing a defender to get in to break up the pass. A good pass would have been a first down. Good play call, good route by Manley. Bad throw by JVB.
After the Morris INT, JVB has to throw the first pass away (good play on his part), but throws a horrible pass on 2nd down missing a fairly open Manley over the middle. CJ and Shumpert proceed to drop perfectly thrown balls on 3rd and 4th down. Shumpert again just doesn't have it. No other way to put it.
The Hawks gete on more crack - JVB leads them on a nice drive that ends with the bad pick. The replay shows the read and the pass were both worse than I saw live. Just a bad, bad play to end the game.
What is the point of this long rant? They really aren't that far off - they need to catch the ball, clearly, but some of that can be solved by finding a better 3rd receiver which who knows if we have or not – I know we have some young receivers that were fairly good recruits for us waiting in the wings. Some of it can be solved by some better throws from JVB – the relatively easy 5 yard hitch that JVB missed 3-4 times this game. This is an easy throw; it’s not a talent issue, rather it’s in his head.
I don't see a huge talent disparity. I don't see a huge talent gap. I see horrendously stubborn red zone play calling, stubborn playing time decisions (Shumpert) and an average QB.
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