This can go many ways based on each person's feelings to players. Ricky Stanzi is a great leader, Adrian Clayborn was an All-American, Christian Ballard is a jack of all trades on DL, Tyler Sash was 3 yr starter at Safety, and DJK was a game changer. But I don't think it is any of them. I think the loss of these players actually makes the loss of Ryan Donahue even bigger. This is the 2nd best punter in Iowa history. He is a field changer when the offense sputtered he could bomb a 60 yd punt to keep the other team from having a short field. Special Teams can sometimes be overlooked but I just hope the offense and defense can be good enough to make up for this loss as I am not sure the incoming punters have nearly the ability Ryan Donahue had.
Who is the biggest loss from 2010 team/Who's shoes are biggest to fill
- Thread starter Foval21
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I think you're right about Donahue. I hope that maybe the impact will be reduced if we have a great gunner that can limit returns and even get TFL's or turnovers. Then maybe we don't need to have a great punter.
However, it seemed like we had or nearly had a safety about 10x under Donahue, when he got the ball inside the five.
However, it seemed like we had or nearly had a safety about 10x under Donahue, when he got the ball inside the five.
Donahue had a much better 09 punting IMO.
Maybe not yardage wise, but in 2010 he missed just about one opportunity each week to pin someone inside the ten instead kicking it 7 yds deep into the end zone.
He was always just as likely to shank one for 5yds as he was to hit a 60 yd punt.
As for an answer to the initial question...Iowa had a 3 yr starter at QB.
That won't be replaced.
Maybe not yardage wise, but in 2010 he missed just about one opportunity each week to pin someone inside the ten instead kicking it 7 yds deep into the end zone.
He was always just as likely to shank one for 5yds as he was to hit a 60 yd punt.
As for an answer to the initial question...Iowa had a 3 yr starter at QB.
That won't be replaced.
hawkfarmer
Well-Known Member
Really? Did you watch any games this year? He had 1 maybe 2 shanks (not including the block at Arizona which wasn't his fault)
He also had multiple punts that bounced inside the 10 and could have been downed, but coverage was just a tick to slow or in the wrong place.
Donahue was big, don't under sell him. I think you will see how important he was in a year or 2. Not sure on Guthrie, but watching Mullings was not impressive at all.
HawkPhreek
Well-Known Member
Well seeing how Iowa kicking game woes in the past Donahue is big loss, but I will go with Sash. Especially since Greenwood is gone.
homerHAWKeye777
Well-Known Member
I think that Donahue is possibly "the answer" there.
However, I think that folks are underestimating the departure of Clayborn and/or Klug in their roles as leaders. Also, those guys are great players too.
Many folks knock them because of the reduction in their production ... however, those same folks don't consider strategically why there was such a drop (i.e. Iowa's lack of experience/talent at LB in the latter part of the season).
However, I think that folks are underestimating the departure of Clayborn and/or Klug in their roles as leaders. Also, those guys are great players too.
Many folks knock them because of the reduction in their production ... however, those same folks don't consider strategically why there was such a drop (i.e. Iowa's lack of experience/talent at LB in the latter part of the season).
Hawkfromnorwalk
Well-Known Member
Stanzi just because QBs are usually the leader on the field. JVB is good skills wise but one has to wonder how good he will be filling the leadership role.
Stanzi: Got his numbers up last year, but he clearly wasn't perfect, seeing as the offense seemed to bog down during the 4th quarter. That '08-'09 4th quarter magic wasn't there last year. Not entirely his fault, but still. What we WILL miss, however, is simple experience. Vandenberg still hasn't been consistently tested. He did well against tOSU on the road, and has shown he's got good skills, but without experience, it won't matter.
Clayborn and Ballard; Great players, but the DL last season had a tough time getting pressure, and it did come back to bite us a bit. Had a lot to do with the lack of LB support, so again, it wasn't entirely their fault that the defense struggled late in games. Numbers wise, we won't lose too much, but we will lose experience.
Sash and Greenwood: Great safeties (one or the other has led the conference in interceptions per season for the last three years or something). Their loss will hurt a lot.
DJK, Reisner and senior WRs: DJK will be missed most, because he and McNutt forced defenses to cover two good receivers. McNutt will be back, but we need another serious threat at WR.
Donahue: Definitely will miss him. When the offense gets bogged down, and our defenses may not have the ability to fight off sustained drives, it'll come down to our punter to bring the field position battle into Iowa's favor.
Clayborn and Ballard; Great players, but the DL last season had a tough time getting pressure, and it did come back to bite us a bit. Had a lot to do with the lack of LB support, so again, it wasn't entirely their fault that the defense struggled late in games. Numbers wise, we won't lose too much, but we will lose experience.
Sash and Greenwood: Great safeties (one or the other has led the conference in interceptions per season for the last three years or something). Their loss will hurt a lot.
DJK, Reisner and senior WRs: DJK will be missed most, because he and McNutt forced defenses to cover two good receivers. McNutt will be back, but we need another serious threat at WR.
Donahue: Definitely will miss him. When the offense gets bogged down, and our defenses may not have the ability to fight off sustained drives, it'll come down to our punter to bring the field position battle into Iowa's favor.
tweeterhawk
Well-Known Member
DJK and Donahue will be big losses but my answer is Ballard. Big shoes to fill. It would have been Clayborn if he would have taken that next step from an outstanding '09 season.
To me, the answer depends on who we have to replace the departing player. If we have a very solid replacement,the dropoff might not be that huge. I do not know how we are fixed to replace Donahue.
Stanzi: Love me some ricky and QB is the most important position on the team but I have a lot of faith in Vandy.
Adrian: Unless Binns replaces him,and does not stay on the other side, we will miss Adrian mightily.
Ballard: again...no designated trained replacement.
DJK: Keenan Davis is groomed for this moment.
Sash: Bernstine is ready.
Greenie: Miller is ready.
Reisner: CJ and Hermann are ready
Hunter: no real replacement
Tarp: Morris is ready.
Klug: up for grabs.
Julian: McMillan and Gettis are ready
Morse: Rogers is ready.
Honestly, I think it is the defensive linemen..whoever Daniels and Binns do not replace...Daniel and whoever...must be ready.
Stanzi: Love me some ricky and QB is the most important position on the team but I have a lot of faith in Vandy.
Adrian: Unless Binns replaces him,and does not stay on the other side, we will miss Adrian mightily.
Ballard: again...no designated trained replacement.
DJK: Keenan Davis is groomed for this moment.
Sash: Bernstine is ready.
Greenie: Miller is ready.
Reisner: CJ and Hermann are ready
Hunter: no real replacement
Tarp: Morris is ready.
Klug: up for grabs.
Julian: McMillan and Gettis are ready
Morse: Rogers is ready.
Honestly, I think it is the defensive linemen..whoever Daniels and Binns do not replace...Daniel and whoever...must be ready.
dmShortSaledude
Well-Known Member
There is no question that Donahue had a much better year in 2009, than 2010. He had a shot to the nerves this year. His hands were an issue. He bobbled so many snaps I lost count. That is including the field goal holds. Most of our missed fieldgoals can be directly related bad holds by Donahue. I hate to pick on him, but watch the tapes.
That said, Ryan is right up there as being the top players missed.
My biggest "shoes to fill" are ones that were never filled in 2010 - LINEBACKER. We lost or injured our entire 2 deep this season. That's a B. Fill those shoes and 2011 will be a much, MUCH better year. Although we will need a punter...
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homerHAWKeye777
Well-Known Member
Another example of people looking at the raw numbers and not looking at the underlying "cause."
Here's a hint ....
2005: Abdul Hodge was the MIKE LB (a veteran one too) and was responsible for getting the front 7 properly situated. That very year Kenny Iwebema broke on the scene as a much hyped and productive DE.
AFTER 2006: Iowa broke in a new MIKE LB in '06 and then contended with a lot of continuity issues at the spot in '07. During those years, Iwebema's production was a shadow of what it was in '05.
Then, fast forward ....
2008: Angerer was a first year starter at MIKE LB and was still having to learn a lot on the job. Clayborn's production was decent ... but not "all world."
2009: Angerer had the MIKE spot down cold by then ... and had really elevated his game in pretty much all regards. Clayborn's production was ALL WORLD.
2010: Iowa had continuity issues at the MIKE spot through nearly the entire season. Clayborn's production was a shadow of what it was in '09.
Anybody see the pattern?
My point ... I wouldn't undersell Clayborn. There's a reason why Iwebema still ended up getting drafted in the 4th round (which surprised many Hawk fans given his seemingly mediocre stats).
PeoriaHWKI
Well-Known Member
I would have said STanzi because he improved numbers wise compared to 2009 but he didn't have any of the clutch performances he had in 2009 so would a mistake prone winner be more welcomed than a guy that doesn't get it odne in the clutch? I say yes so I don't think we will miss him as much in 2011. If we have more thna 5 losses than we might.
I can't remember when the D Line was bad at Iowa. Every 2 years we have holes to fill here and every year they answer soundly. No worries here for 2011.
Sash is the guy we are going to miss most. With Greenwood gone, the departure of TS will be greatly missed and I think leaves the biggest hole to fill.
I can't remember when the D Line was bad at Iowa. Every 2 years we have holes to fill here and every year they answer soundly. No worries here for 2011.
Sash is the guy we are going to miss most. With Greenwood gone, the departure of TS will be greatly missed and I think leaves the biggest hole to fill.
homerHAWKeye777
Well-Known Member
I'm torn. I've always been a big Stanzi fan ... however, Stanzi's play was a bit off once the weather turned cold this past season. In his defense, there were plenty of dropped passes. However, a big part of his effectiveness was his ability to stretch the field with the long ball. Once the cold midwestern winds blew .. the fact that his long-ball was so reliant on touch ended up taking away a whole element of our passing game.
In contrast, an advantage to Vandenberg's passing "style" is that he's a bit more capable of "rifling" in the ball. The bad part of that is that it can lead to more deflected balls ... however, once he develops good timing with the WRs, that becomes less of an issue. And, the strategically advantageous aspect of that is that it helps the passing game when the winds are blowing ....
