What do you think?

[travismullen]

Looking at it objectively, I think Iowa fans should feel good about yesterday's game, minus McCall's season ending injury.

I'm not sure there is another team in the conference that would have fared any better than the Hawkeyes given the torrential rains and the weather delay. I think any RB could have fumbled two series in a row, just as Coker did and they would not have been scrutinized as heavily as Coker has been by some- mostly due to the high expectations placed on him.

I do think Vendenberg fared better than most QBs would have under the same set of weather circumstances.

It's time to feel good, Hawk fans. The team was not able to give it their all or play with the momentum they would have liked to, and they get to go play a rival next week who had to give it their all and have a little luck to eek out a win.

I know that the in-state rivalry game can be a fingernail biter, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say the boys'll be hungry to play next week and the black and gold walks out of Jack Trice with a 40-14 win.

So, what do you think? Do you think other teams in the conference would have done better given the circumstances?

 

[hawkfarmer]

I unfortunately was unable to watch the game as I was out of town and I thought I was going to be able to. Anyway I was hoping everyone could explain the top 5 or 10 things I needed to know about the game. Obviously from comments Coker struggled and McCall looked good but broke an ankle. What happened on the fumbles? Did the D look good. Did the young guys get in? Backups? Thanks in advance, and sorry for hi-jacking the thread but I think it goes along with the topic.

 

[Ikeasaurus]

Here is my "impulse" reaction to the game. Keeping in mind it was a low caliber opponent.

The defense looked to be clearly one of the quicker I've seen in several years. They seemed to quietly dominate most of the first half of the game with a few medium range plays given up, it's still a bend don't break defense.

Good upfield rush by D-Linemen, it was clearly wet, but they need to be under control and break down their feet when approaching the QB or RB's.

Prater and Hyde seem to be really in sync with one another and putting the secondary on their shoulders.

LB's showed the athletic ability and coverage skills that are the constant in whether Iowa's D is good or great. Morris showed nothing that indicated he isn't continuing to move towards the great player category.

Great to see Bernstein making plays that mattered or made a difference.

Vandy did not look like the usual first game starter at QB, taking into account it was not his first or biggest career start.

McNutt = Bigger, Faster, Stronger, and definetely 100% aware of his athletic advantage over anyone who will be covering him this year.

K Davis looked hungry and much less tentative.

Coker funbled, but not passing judgement yet.

Lots of backups got lots of quality time.

Love having Nielson back on the field and healthy, very important to D's success this year.

 

[homerHAWKeye777]

I think that the good news is that even in game 1, we already had some positive emerging stories. Here are a few examples ...

- Bernstine's play was terrific. I'm both happy and proud of him.

- McNutt proved that even he has improved some. That's impressive!

- Davis did some good things. If he keeps it up ... our passing game could be REALLY good this year!

- Even against a stacked box, the RBs still had holes. The OL hasn't even gelled yet ... thus, that's definitely a promising sign.

- Vandenberg played well and made a lot of good decisions. In past years, in that sort of rain, our passing game would have suffered a lot more. I honestly believe that our passing game was surprisingly good given that it was the first game of the year AND given the elements. I can't wait to see him pass the ball in good weather!

- Nielsen's level of play was really good. Morris and Kirksey were fun to watch too. I'm feeling a lot better about our LB situation right now (knock on wood).

- I personally felt that Collins looked GREAT on special teams!

- I was really pleased with how Daniel did his job. He played well.

- Alvis was looking like he might just be able to live up to the hype. Both he and Daniel need to calm down a bit and remember technique when they're trying to finish plays ... however, they were both doing good things.

 

[tm3308]

McNutt, Vandy, Bernstine, and McCall were all guys that really stood out to me.

McNutt: Looked faster and quicker than ever before (seems like I was saying this last year, too). Also looked MUCH more intense than I've ever seen him. He's always been more laid-back, but yesterday he was chomping at the bit to kick the tires and light the fires.

Vandy: Very impressed with his play, especially given the conditions. 13/21, 216 yards and 2 TDs is pretty solid even in good weather. Good zip on the ball, deadly accurate, great footwork and pocket presence. Had a couple underthrows on the fade routes to Davis, but that's not surprising given the weather. Something tells me those passes are on the money this weekend.

Bernstine: Really pleased with his play. Played fast from start to finish, and delivered a couple really good licks. I wouldn't mind seeing a little more of Sleeper this season, just because he's a guy that's intrigued me ever since he first appeared at #1 on the depth chart. But I won't be shocked if Bernstine takes that spot away from Sleeper, nor would I mind. He played like a starter yesterday.

McCall: Obviously this doesn't matter for this year now, but he blew me away. Good vision, aggressive, runs angry. And what was shocking to me, was the he was explosive on a day like yesterday (and he got hurt before we got a break from the rain). I couldn't imagine just how explosive he could be on a nice day. If he can come back from his injury at 100%, I think we're going to have a special on on our hands.

 

[ICAlumni]

Forgot one of the most important players - Meyers. Our kicking looks excellent now. He's confident with a live leg and only a soph.

 

[HawkAttack]

I thought JVB and McNutt looked amazing, particularly when you factor in the rain. I think JVB is going to be special and McNutt may turn out to be the all-time best WR to play for Iowa.

 

[HawkeyeDenis]

Most years I am concerned after the first game this year not so much.

-McNutt is looking to stronger than he did last year. He'll probably break the TD record before the B10 season starts.

-Keenan is a solid secondary target.

-Coker didn't have the best day, but there no need for concern.

-Vandy. Accurate. Good reads. Solid leader. Passionate and focused.

-Defense; Fast, hard hitting swarms to the ball. It wouldn't surprise me if Iowa leads the B10 in INT's this year. The safeties looked great. D'line is disruptive. Double teams were only occasionally effective against them. My overall impression; Speed and solid hitting.

-Overall I thought that it was a good first outting. If the most improvement happens between week one and two then there is a lot to be optimistic about. The combination of McNutt, K Davis and Vandenburg is going to be as good as any combination in the B10.

Not sure if TTU was a good enough test for Iowa. They were outmatched in nearly every position. The weather hampered the first and third quarters and the subs were in for the last quarter.