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BigD
Well-Known Member
Holy crap listening to Lester just feels like we took this offense from learning general math to learning calculus . It will be fun for the offense once they start to get it down.
Lester also mentioned trying to make the offense fun for the fans to watch. WTF would that be like???? All eyes will be tuned in this fall.
Lester also mentioned trying to make the offense fun for the fans to watch. WTF would that be like???? All eyes will be tuned in this fall.
BigD
Well-Known Member
Another advantage for the offense is they are practicing against one of the best defenses in college football. I thought it was funny when he mentioned that Phil was bringing it in practice. Also interesting that they did have a couple of prolonged drive and that one resulted in a score. Also interesting to hear him say that many plays are designed for the offense to score on those plays.
Kirk is going to have to set him straight. We only move the ball into good punting field position.
Kirk is going to have to set him straight. We only move the ball into good punting field position.
HuckFinn
Well-Known Member
Good grief! Read Lester’s transcript. I know. Nothing has been seen on the field against an opponent. But I predict we have found an O coordinator for real. Ability to articulate what is expected is key. If he speaks this way to players, and I am sure he does, that is huge.
And to be clear, he put to bed any assumptions that nothing will change. Sounds to me like everything will change.
And to be clear, he put to bed any assumptions that nothing will change. Sounds to me like everything will change.
Fryowa
Administrator
Kirk has already said that the basic framework and constraints are going to be the same and it's not negotiable. The basic framework and constraints are what got Iowa into the place it is now offensively.
Fryowa
Administrator
I do like that he seems to know a whole lot more about football than his predecessor and he can speak intelligently about specifics which Brian couldn't do even at an elementary level.
If KF will hamstring Lester we won't know until September. I know where I'd put my money if I were a betting man, though.
If KF will hamstring Lester we won't know until September. I know where I'd put my money if I were a betting man, though.
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RobHowe
Guest
The foundation is conservative, risk-averse football, for the most part. As Fry said, that ain't changing.
The question that needs to be answered - can Tim Lester unlock a productive offense with the constraints of complementary football geared to land acquisition and erroring on the side of caution?
KOK had his moments and is by far the best to do it under KF. The other two guys couldn't figure it out.
The question that needs to be answered - can Tim Lester unlock a productive offense with the constraints of complementary football geared to land acquisition and erroring on the side of caution?
KOK had his moments and is by far the best to do it under KF. The other two guys couldn't figure it out.
Situational play calling to me is what really needs tweaked. They can't keep doing the predictable run, run, throw 3 yards short of the sticks and punt offense. 3rd downs they need to be more aggressive on to try and convert. I'd settle for that and that alone. They don't need to go stretching the field going deep all that more often (as fun and nice as that'd be) But they do need to keep the chains moving and that means when it's 3rd and 8 not running a draw play or screen pass with little chance of converting it. Try and throw a 10 yard pass or more on it more often.
BigD
Well-Known Member
Yep, that’s the million dollar question. What Lester wants to do and what Kirk will allow him to do.
It’s been tossed out there that if Lester is successful with his approach it will look that much worse on Kirk for waiting so long to make the change at OC.
Fryowa
Administrator
See this is a great example of why I don't think it means two hills of beans who the OC is at Iowa (yes, I still think BF had to go for a whole lot of reasons).
KF treats 3rd down like "4th down light."
He knows if it's 3rd and 8 the chances of converting are less than 50% statistically, which is true. Thus, since the chances might be 48%, he knows we have a good punt game and an elite defense, so the safe play is a 3 yard out route or run up the gut because if it gets stuffed they can kick the ball, hope for a likely stop on D, and try again. Rinse and repeat ad nauseum.
Those 3 yard throws to the sidelines and A gap runs don't result in turnovers typically, and turnovers are Kirk's biggest pet peeve in the entire game. KF is absolutely TERRIFIED of turnovers. That leads to him not allowing TO-prone plays more than a couple times a game.
So...
Tim Lester could be the best in the biz, and can say anything in the pressers, and KF can talk all he wants about offense adapting, but until Kurt lets an OC take the keys and drive it's all a bunch of conjectural bullshit. Let's not kid ourselves, folks...we all know in our hearts what the offense is going to run next year. That's bad enough, but we're going to be running the KF Saturday Night Special with a QB with 2 bad knees and almost no playing time in the past 3-ish years, a QB who can't move and has as many sacks and INTs as he does positive yard plays, and a QB who can move and make plays but who isn't allowed to play and will likely transfer. Oh...and those QBs are playing behind an OL towards the bottom of the Big Ten. The reason for the shortcomings at those skill positions is because Farence let his kid keep a job he wasn't qualified for for waaaaaay too long, and now we're a goldmine of negative recruiting and pretty much a meme at this point.
Tim Lester is getting paid a whole bunch of money to do two things. 1) Run the 7 plays KF has had on a note card in his back pocket for 2 decades, and 2) tell everyone how his plan is to bring a spark to the offense and make some headway so the heat comes off Brain and Kerk. I don't hold it against him, I'd take that money and snow job reporters all day long if someone was going to pay me that kind of cash.
Till it changes there's no reason to assume it will... KFs only got 25 yrs of history to look at with 3 different OCs and similar results. So I get this mindset and nobody is pulling the football away from me either. Color me hopeful with no expectations.
Hell if they'd be more aggressive and creative on early downs they'll have less 3rd and longs to have to try and make decisions on. But that's so anti KF He's just so predictable. Only time they are aggressive is if they just had a big momentum play of some kind happen and they are at midfield or closer. Beyond that they damn near aren't even trying to move the ball let alone score. Everything Lester says is great nice fine and dandy.
But coach speak in April is just that. Last I saw Hill is still the # 2 qb and taking all the 1st team reps with Cade being out. That right there caps our ceiling out at a very low place... I don't think our #2 qb for next yr is on the roster yet. That's my hope anyway
