Weak running game today and for 2019

lightning1 said:
Who won the game again????
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That' is what I said we overcame. Winners win.
The end.
The history of man shows it's the ability to over come that usually decides who wins.
Something else and maybe lost on most people is that the ability to adapt is the ultimate sign of intelligence.
We won. The end.
Let's enjoy it, then we can worry about the 2019 season in a week or two.
 
4thngoal said:
That' is what I said we overcame. Winners win.
The end.
The history of man shows it's the ability to over come that usually decides who wins.
Something else and maybe lost on most people is that the ability to adapt is the ultimate sign of intelligence.
We won. The end.
Let's enjoy it, then we can worry about the 2019 season in a week or two.
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Thanks. But respect the freedoms that this nation has and allow people to discuss whatever they want, when they want. If you don't want to discuss next season or this season, etc..move along.
 
GotTimDodge said:
I don't think it's that Iowa's O line is not talented or good,
but it's more that opposing D lines are just getting that much bigger, faster, and stronger.

Iowa's O line is not evolving, I guess would would be the term, at the same rate opposing teams D lines are.

And also, not many O lines in the country are gonna stop MSU D line, our 5 O line can't block 8 guys, and why do we run to the short side of the field? Someone had a reason once.
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Because it allows the large side of the field for running after the cutback lane opens up. That's the theory, anyway. It's ineffective if the back side defenders play assignment football and contain. Or if the DE on the short side gets up field before the OL gets him moving laterally.
 
Lightning is absolutely right. Cut back runners with vision like Fred Russel (man I loved watching him run) thrive in our system, and if you take the vision and add power like Shonn Greene, it is truly something special. Right now we have backs that are good, but they just don't have that trait of being patiently quick that is best suited for our scheme. We need a back who is patient to wait for the hole, but then bam, is lightning quick to get through it before it closes up. You can't guess at which hole will open, you have to react. It is rare to have a back like that and we don't have one. I think Toren is too slow to react, IKM doesn't seem patient enough thus why Sargent is our best bet right now and he is good but not elite.

It just goes to show that we should be very thankful for what we have, the stability and consistency over time that we have enjoyed. Sure, we average about an 8-4 team year in and year out, but every 4-5 years we are treated with either something special or the hype that we will be, which is fun too. It is just much harder to play by the rules and get the elite recruits to Iowa, so to be about a 20th place program is not too shabby. I think it would be hard pressed to think anyone would have done more over the past 20 years here than Ferentz, and Fry before that. Saban is the best but he knew he couldn't do it at MSU and thus why he left, so he would have left us too. So who else would you take? Sorry, off topic.
 
NikeHawk21 said:
OL recruiting has been down in recent years in my opinion. Paulsen’s didn’t really pan out so that didn’t help. The last few classes have been much better though.
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Agree.
The last couple years the upper classmen have been replaced by fresh & sophs who are more talented.
 
NCHawker said:
with IKM in and more reps, I expect the running game to return to about average or better... efficient is good enough for me
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yes, efficient is will be good enough with a seasoned senior QB. However, Ivory runs with his eyes closed and missed more lanes this year than all others combined. He could be very dynamic if he figures that out...and stays healthy.
 
As for the bowl performance, -15 rushing yards is insane. That defensive front was incredible and they were committed to the box. To counter their defensive aggression, imagine having two freak athlete TEs, lined up on either seam, waiting to slip in behind blitzers... :rolleyes:

The O Line performance is truly concerning. They were really good in pass pro all year, but below average versus the run. Considering our offensive style, skill personnel, and play calling, we need better run push. This is the single most fundamental thing for a team like Iowa. It helps us score, control the ball, makes our defense that much better, etc.

I agree we need more talent at running back. I really like Sargent and Young, but I just don't see it with IKM. In terms of speed, moves, power, aggressive running ... what are his strengths? But he still gets so many carries.
 
A point my buddy made with running backs is that if you’re playing 3 RBs, you don’t have 1 RB. And that’s too accurate.

Frankly, IKM just isn’t it, he hasn’t showed much in the snaps he’s taken. Of the 3, I like Torren Young the most. A bruiser who can run out and inside and goes through tackles. With that said, I do like Sargent, But as a back to spell a primary Young.
 
cecilB said:
yes, efficient is will be good enough with a seasoned senior QB. However, Ivory runs with his eyes closed and missed more lanes this year than all others combined. He could be very dynamic if he figures that out...and stays healthy.
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Yup I still have hope for all our rb's and all the ones coming in.
The two points you bring up are not exclusive. They are the same side of the coin. AK stayed pretty healthy and durable and had vision. Did one help the other?
I don't think it's a physical thing. Size or even speed.
It is a blocking thing. Everyone needs to get better at that. But it's also a vision thing.

Take for example playing pool.
I'm pretty ok at it, my gf is pretty good at it, but we are not college educated. We couldn't even pretend to explain the math (even though I am pretty good at math), behind it. We just see the angles. Know the cuts. How much spin to put on the ball. When to shoot harder and when not to.
I can't really explain it better than that, except that we also both play music by ear.
Brains only takes you so far, knowing is different.

As someone said to me in a thread awhile back.
One hand washes the other.
I totally agree.
The frustrating part is when you understand that it's human nature to always be right. To be "one up" on another. Because those who just know or see it, don't usually play well with that kind.
They are problem people. Because they do it differently. We know that most people fear different. So......
Which hand really is not washing the other??
 
revkev73 said:
Was anyone else thinking...why doesn't Iowa run some quick slant plays?
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You are not the only one. I think slants to an isolated wideout (like Brandon Smith), with a really quick power play action fake, would have been really successful.

I watched most of the Bama Oklahoma game. Alabama had a late touchdown drive, that sort of iced the game. OU was scoring, threatening Bama's lead. But then Alabama would come back with beautiful drives of their own and deflate OU's momentum. This drive featured slant after slant. Bama's WRs are so talented and fast and Tua was so good that they make it look easy.
 
IowaTeddy said:
You are not the only one. I think slants to an isolated wideout (like Brandon Smith), with a really quick power play action fake, would have been really successful.

I watched most of the Bama Oklahoma game. Alabama had a late touchdown drive, that sort of iced the game. OU was scoring, threatening Bama's lead. But then Alabama would come back with beautiful drives of their own and deflate OU's momentum. This drive featured slant after slant. Bama's WRs are so talented and fast and Tua was so good that they make it look easy.
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They seem to be a better option than those floaters off to the sidelines, which, when caught, allow for about 2 yards and a mashed Iowa receiver.

Quick slants have risk but they do stymie a dangerous pass rush, get the ball, pass it. They don't work if the receivers are afraid to run them, or can't run good routes, or the coaches are afraid to call them. With a top level TE available, why not slant him, over and over. Puzzled.
 
I think you guys are all on top of it with respect to slanting and utilizing our 2 tight ends. I still think though that the limitation here is Stanley. He is wildly unpredictable when it comes to throwing it short to backs or slants or dropping a ball over the linebackers and in front of safeties and I don't think the coaches trust him at all. Penn St. was a good example with the Hockenson miss and the interception on the slant. Sure, Noah wasn't paying attention but Stanley knew he was going there before they snapped the ball. I am not throwing off on Stanley, because he does have the ability to throw the deep ball (I said ability, not that he is accurate with it) that makes our play action viable.

Of course I don't know for sure, but I have watched Iowa football for long enough like many of you and can predict many things during the game. If I know that, they certainly know that too, and I do believe the coaches work hard to put our players in the best position to win football games. And saying that, I think it is as simple as playing the percentages in the gameplan, like, we are confident our defense will not give up 21, so how can we create ways to score 28. And I think they look at our offense, of what we have now, that we can create 4-5 opportunities a game to score, and if we execute we win 90% of the time. And 90% in college football is 11-1 or 10-2 or even 9-3, and everyone is happy or content and everyone keeps their jobs.

Just look at the MSU game. We were so out-talented at so many positions, it was laughable. However, if our gameplan in a normal Iowa year is: 1. Make their offense go on big drives 2. Don't turn the ball over on offense 3. Execute the big plays when we have the chance 4. Stop the run and get them into third and long and let our defensive ends do their thing 5. and win the field position battle (which is a huge problem right now and has been), then add it up. We win this game something like 27-6 or even more, and they have better players. That is the formula. And look back on our season; the Groenwig fumble and Beyer touch with Wisconsin, the goalline interception, Hockenson miss, and quarterback runs for Penn St., the two big pass plays and questionable calls against Purdue, and the missed field goals, 2 fumbles against NW and not only are all those games wins, they probably look like a blowout. And of those plays, all of them are high percentage plays for us. It is a winning formula and looks great in hindsight, it is just frustrating to watch play out in real time.
 
lightning1 said:
Thanks. But respect the freedoms that this nation has and allow people to discuss whatever they want, when they want. If you don't want to discuss next season or this season, etc..move along.
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People are able to say whatever they like, it doesnt give them immunity from being called out on a stupid take
 
Mississippi State sold out against the run. Add that to what is probably the best defensive line Iowa faced all year. I don't think this game transposes to what Iowa's 2019 running game will be like.
 
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