Why do we struggle against bad teams?

[FML]

We all know how Fry would just embarrass bad teams. And while Fry was a better coach, Ferentz is better at putting players in the league. Even our 2009 team, that was LOADED with NFL players, we had trouble putting away UNI and Arkansas State.
The media keeps trying to tell us Ferentz overachieves at Iowa. I don't buy it, and I think it's closer to the opposite.

 

[HaydenHawk56]

Because he plays conservative against good and bad teams. Usually the style keeps us in the games against good competition (not always winning them though), but also allows bad teams to hang around (and sometimes win and that clip seems to becoming a yearly norm).

 

[dobhawk43]

We seem to have trouble getting the players up for these low games.

 

[HomerChampless]

It's the defense. It's always been the defense. Either it's this year's Iowa defense that can't stop anyone or it's any year's Iowa passing defense that can't stop anyone.

Iowa coaches demanding the offense be conservative doesn't help matters. Also, there aren't many playmakers/game changers on Iowa's teams.

 

[silvanthalas]

It's the defense. It's always been the defense.

To get more specific: it's the defense failing because Ferentz never trusts the offense to simply put the game out of reach.

 

[1hawkeye1]

Anytime we get a lead, we just sit on it, daring the other team to catch us. We hope they make a mistake and hand it to us. Pathetic coaching style,if you call that coaching.

 

[TheCoolNewGuy]

Because, (this year specifically) we are one of those bad teams. Let's look at who we've beat...terrible teams. Let's look at who we've lost to, ISU (mediocre, PSU (mediocre), MU (bad). That puts us at the level of bad.