We should completely abandon the passing game, and run the ball 40-50 times a game. If you run it that much, the play action game will be what gets these WR open.
I get why you're saying that but it's way too simplistic.
Season-to-date, it's already been 57% - 43% rushing. They've already been riding that "strength". Result - currently ranked 86th in the country, which is a little less impotent than the 98th ranked passing attack.
Hawks went 50/50 vs NDSU and they destroyed Iowa's rushing attack. Now you wanna go even
more rushing against teams with D's of equal (and much better) rushing defenses?
The more rushing Iowa does the more likely they will be in 3rd & 5+ situations. This means fewer 1st downs / more 3 & outs, which puts even more pressure on a suspect defense to win the game. This defense is not good enough on the DL, OLB and at safety to pull it off.
Still, the situation is what it is and running the ball must now be Iowa's primary offensive strategy. However, the answer is not in quantity. Sure, you'll need to run more but there's no success going much above 60 or 62%. The success will come from power and creativity.
Dump the single-back sets entirely and go exclusively single-I / 2-TE sets with healthy doses of power-I sweeps and quick pitches added to utilize the field with Wadley. If they continue to insist on a between-the-tackles base rushing attack, Iowa is gonna get stuffed.
As for play-action. Again, sounds good in theory but, long-developing plays where CJ needs protection hasn't exactly been the recipe for success for this season. Even when he does have some time and there's some competent execution, it's pretty obvious there's something off between CJ and the WR's -- trust? overthinking and holding too long? little separation by the WR's?
Again, you'll get more results form twin TE's and a short, quick-hitting passing game (slants anyone?) that can transition the passing game into a possession game intended to guarantee 5 yards on 1st down.
Imo, this schematic strategy is what
this Iowa team should've been running from the git-go. Even when healthy, they simply don't have the speed nor pass protection for downfield, long-developing pass plays. This is a slow, unathletic offense that just needs to power-plow down the field and overwhelm you on the edge with Wadley hiding behind a swinging-fence of big uglies, waiting to burst through the seam.
Unfortunately, this means variation, creativity and schematic adjustment to personnel. Not exactly a well-know trait of derKirkFeravis.
We'll know within the first 2 series on Saturday ... 2 straight attempts to bulldoze into Fitz's 8 man box, followed by a well-known 6-yard hitch that is either incomplete or immediately tackled short of the sticks and the writing for 2016 will pretty much be on the wall.
Go Hawks! Good luck!
