WTF BTN and FS1 Analysts!!?

[eyekwah]

Seeking accolades from any form of the media is a waste of time. I believe KF has been excellent because he is a good strategist. He knows the setting he is in, small state and only a few D1 athletes. He and his assistants understand how to be competitive with the athletes they can recruit. You must have a system and you must find athletes that fit into it.. But that is only part of the strategy.

You must approach each season by the effort that started 4 or 5 years ago. The development must be accompanied by knowing how to minimize the risks of injuries and having energy for each and every game. For programs like Iowa, Northwestern, Wisconsin your offense uses the clock for the advantage of the team. Having a time advantage keeps the defense off the field and the other team's offense as well. A twenty play drive might take 8 minutes off the clock while a no huddle 6 play drive only a couple. Generally Iowa has fewer than 70 offensive plays per game but wins the battle of time of possession. Being able to run the football is critical. Vanillla yes, but effective.

The bend but not break defense strategy can effectively curtail an offense. It forces the opponent to run more plays and eats up clock. It also creates more chances that the offense will turn the ball over.. Iowa manages the game by dictating its style on the game. Not bad strategy to play the game on your terms.

Some here don't like the style, but you will always be competitive.

 

[Fryowa]

Unfortunately, once the narrative is built it’s hard to change it.

In my opinion Iowa’s offense was far from “archaic” on Saturday.

-ISM motions across the formation for a big gainer in the flats.

-ISM takes a jet sweep handoff for big gain.

-Iowa shows a read option look and Stanley pulls the ball for a big gain.

-Shotgun sets with two RBs flanking the QB.

-The route combination on Ragaini big gainer was high level. I think ISM running one defender off and Nico running a great route.

-Four goaline fades, one of the more exciting plays in football.

-On the FG drive Iowa ran an NFL rub play to try and get Beyer in the flats. Kid made a heck of a play and tackle.

Iowa’s offense showed a few wrinkles and that was just game 1. This is not exactly the Iowa offense of old, which I would agree was archaic at times.

I agree with your post and am not advocating that Iowa does something crazy with their offense, but if you watch some SEC or PAC12 games where they go full on air raid and run out of the wildcat, you can see how people from the outside can call Iowa boring.

Hell, a lot of times in the SEC you don’t know who’s going to line up at QB let alone take the snap, and there are five pass options at any given time. Sorry, but watching Alabama play Clemson is orders of magnitude more exciting football than Iowa vs Michigan State or whoever.

 

[LicThawk]

It might be more boring, but who doesn't like seeing Iowa just seemingly hit harder on every play than 80% of other teams in football.

 

[Gibsonian]

Watching Iowa play is much more exciting than watching any SEC or PAC12 team by far. No comparison. You enjoy your bama games, I'll watch the Hawks.

 

[SteveGarvey1]

Urban was actually quite candid about the butt-kicking, he was quite positive about Iowa's program.

Sounded to me like Urban's favorites to win the B1G West were Wisconsin, Iowa, and Northwestern, in that order.

 

[NikeHawk21]

I agree with your post and am not advocating that Iowa does something crazy with their offense, but if you watch some SEC or PAC12 games where they go full on air raid and run out of the wildcat, you can see how people from the outside can call Iowa boring.

Hell, a lot of times in the SEC you don’t know who’s going to line up at QB let alone take the snap, and there are five pass options at any given time. Sorry, but watching Alabama play Clemson is orders of magnitude more exciting football than Iowa vs Michigan State or whoever.

People will choose to believe what they want.

There are certainly offenses much more exciting and exotic than ours in those conferences.

I’ve watched a lot of Georgia and they don’t run anything that much more exotic than we do, they just have much better skill players at RB and WR. That Mississippi State team we saw in the bowl game was pretty limited offensively with their QB and didn’t run anything that exciting.

I don’t care to get in a huge discussion about it because I simply don’t care that much about it. I think Iowa’s offense has evolved but I just want to see more wins and trips to Indy.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

The score was 10-7 at half against an awful MAC team. The first half was not good football. Iowa plays boring football, period. That is the style of football that KF plays. Iowa and Alabama are nothing alike other than the style of offense they play. Completely different level of athlete at Alabama, which makes it much more exciting to watch. Iowa has very few big plays, and takes a long time to drive the length of the field and score more often than not because they have very few plays over 20 yards. As far as the receivers and spreading the ball around. It will be interesting to see who gets open against a decent defense. They struggled getting open in the first half, but did better in the second. I'm not quite as optimistic as to what we have at receiver. Martin looks promising, but we really don't have a guy that can stretch the defense, and Stanley's long ball doesn't look any better than last year so far. Time will tell I guess.

Well duh, that's the whole f'ing point. Yes, we all know Alabama gets different players but they play a similar style.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

We were playing an inferior opponent that we should have been able to do whatever we wanted to do. Lets see what we do when we play a solid defense. Anyone can look like a great play caller against an inferior opponent like we faced. Let's see what happens against a decent team. I have a feeling we are going to see what we have in the past. Hopefully I'm wrong, but with the loss of those 2 tight ends I see us struggling against conference teams.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

Seeking accolades from any form of the media is a waste of time. I believe KF has been excellent because he is a good strategist. He knows the setting he is in, small state and only a few D1 athletes. He and his assistants understand how to be competitive with the athletes they can recruit. You must have a system and you must find athletes that fit into it.. But that is only part of the strategy.

You must approach each season by the effort that started 4 or 5 years ago. The development must be accompanied by knowing how to minimize the risks of injuries and having energy for each and every game. For programs like Iowa, Northwestern, Wisconsin your offense uses the clock for the advantage of the team. Having a time advantage keeps the defense off the field and the other team's offense as well. A twenty play drive might take 8 minutes off the clock while a no huddle 6 play drive only a couple. Generally Iowa has fewer than 70 offensive plays per game but wins the battle of time of possession. Being able to run the football is critical. Vanillla yes, but effective.

The bend but not break defense strategy can effectively curtail an offense. It forces the opponent to run more plays and eats up clock. It also creates more chances that the offense will turn the ball over.. Iowa manages the game by dictating its style on the game. Not bad strategy to play the game on your terms.

Some here don't like the style, but you will always be competitive.

Good points. Another key for Iowa and important to Iowa is finding depth, especially on the lines. When Iowa hasn't been as good in previous years, the depth issue surfaced such as the defense tiring out, etc.. I suppose it can be a challenge for a developmental program to develop and always have depth secondary to the players having to be molded for positions. Iowa has been able to find that balance relatively well the past couple years.

 

[dirtwrap]

This year get used to it. A couple of posters have alluded to the defensive play count, which I believe is the number one driving analytic to both offensive and defensive style. Here are some stats:

Miami ran a total of 52 plays, which is ideal for us. Of those 52 plays:

Defensive Line:
AJ played 51 snaps
Gholston played 51 snaps
Reiff played 40 snaps
Lattimore played 33
Nixon played 18
Shulte played 8
Shannon played 3
Waggoner played 3
Van Valkenburg played 3
Jones played 3

Linebackers

Welch 51
Colbert 49
Niemann 42
Wade 5
Benson 3
Doyle 3

Defensive Back

OJ 51
Merriweather 51
Hankins 51
Stone 51
Everybody else 19 total

We played Miami of Ohio, a game that we had in control from the mid third quarter on. Maybe not to the coaches, but everyone watching knew that. And of that, we played our entire secondary, our defensive ends, and 2 linebackers that entire game! We have a little bit of rotation at DT and we play some other people a few plays at LB and secondary due to packages, but thats it.

Our pass rush is going to be completely dependent on the play count. The coaches know this, AJ knows this, they all know this. So they cannot go out and burn themselves out because the drop off is too great. And that is my greatest concern right now, that I have to believe that if there was any sort of qualified depth we would have seen it here. Lets hope I am wrong, but it doesnt change the fact that we do not in any way want to get into shootouts and controlling the ball and clock on both sides is going to be paramount.

 

[CP87]

The check with me system is fine if

• The initial play gets into the huddle early
• The offense uses few shifts and formations
• Or the team runs no-huddle
• And the OC is decisive and creative with his audibles
• And the signallers on the sideline are on point with their communication
• And the players on the field all know the signals by heart

It can be overly complex to execute otherwise. When everything above is working, it allows younger QBs to perform above their ability to read defenses, and takes some of the risks associated with audibles out of the equation.

Let's be real here, though. Audibles need to really be one of three options or less depending on the read, with only one protection or formation swap. If the whole playbook is open on every play, all you'll get is a confused mess.

I'm a big fan of Mike Leach's 10 plays with infinite execution details offense. It is flexible, yet simple enough that you can run it with pretty much anybody. The flaw is that it tends to rely too much on short passes instead of runs, so it doesn't chew enough clock or isn't reliable for cold weather teams in October/November. You could do something similar with more runs (Oregon's offense from the mid 2000's), too. Or you can do it pro style. If you have Brady or Manning as a QB, you might be able to do it with any play without the check with me, but those guys are super rare. One or two options, a formation flip, and a hot route are the limits for a system like Iowa's in college, I think.

Did you read the Mike Leach piece on The Athletic a month back? It is pure gold.

Some excerpts (it is a subscription site, so I won't share much, and I will add that it is WELL worth the small fee, signup now!):

Jorgensen: We didn’t really have playbooks.

Brink: Any high school, any junior college, no matter where you were, your playbook gets simpler when you get to Washington State.

Tuel: Literally as simple as humanly possible.

Apodaca: I remember I threw a pick or something, and I remember asking him what coverage that play is good against. And he goes, “Well, you should have just thrown it to this fucking guy because he’s standing there wide-ass open.”

Halliday: I said to Leach, “What do I need to do to get the ball there on time?” He was like, “Well, just throw it to the guy who’s fucking open.” I was like, “Yeah, no, I get that dude, but what do you want me to do to get there quicker?” And he was like, “I don’t give a shit what you do. Just throw it to the guy who’s fucking open.”

Tuel: This guy’s the guru. He is the Air Raid. I remember at BYU our first game, we’re watching the film the next day and he says, “How many plays did you change?” I said, “Probably two or three.” He’s like, “What do you mean two or three?” I said, “I called the play, and I ran the play. That’s kind of how it’s worked for me here.” He’s like, “Well, when Graham (Harrell) was playing, those guys were checking seven out of 10 plays. I was like, “Well, you never fucking told me that!” He’s like, “Well, you’re the one who sees it. I’m just giving you a suggestion.” I’m like, “Fucking A, good to know.” There are some things you just have to figure out going through it with him.

Brink: I swear we had more fun this season than any team in America. And part of that is the simplicity. You know exactly what you’re doing so you can just go out and play football. And who doesn’t love that?
​

 

[MelroseHawkins]

Did you read the Mike Leach piece on The Athletic a month back? It is pure gold.

Some excerpts (it is a subscription site, so I won't share much, and I will add that it is WELL worth the small fee, signup now!):

Jorgensen: We didn’t really have playbooks.

Brink: Any high school, any junior college, no matter where you were, your playbook gets simpler when you get to Washington State.

Tuel: Literally as simple as humanly possible.

Apodaca: I remember I threw a pick or something, and I remember asking him what coverage that play is good against. And he goes, “Well, you should have just thrown it to this fucking guy because he’s standing there wide-ass open.”

Halliday: I said to Leach, “What do I need to do to get the ball there on time?” He was like, “Well, just throw it to the guy who’s fucking open.” I was like, “Yeah, no, I get that dude, but what do you want me to do to get there quicker?” And he was like, “I don’t give a shit what you do. Just throw it to the guy who’s fucking open.”

Tuel: This guy’s the guru. He is the Air Raid. I remember at BYU our first game, we’re watching the film the next day and he says, “How many plays did you change?” I said, “Probably two or three.” He’s like, “What do you mean two or three?” I said, “I called the play, and I ran the play. That’s kind of how it’s worked for me here.” He’s like, “Well, when Graham (Harrell) was playing, those guys were checking seven out of 10 plays. I was like, “Well, you never fucking told me that!” He’s like, “Well, you’re the one who sees it. I’m just giving you a suggestion.” I’m like, “Fucking A, good to know.” There are some things you just have to figure out going through it with him.

Brink: I swear we had more fun this season than any team in America. And part of that is the simplicity. You know exactly what you’re doing so you can just go out and play football. And who doesn’t love that?
​

Sounds like he's creating good NFL draft material!! NOT!

What NFL GM is going to mess around with any players from Washington St? He is the polar opposite of Kirk Ferentz. Both are to the extreme to a fault.

 

[Adam]

It’s also pretend football because against the upper echelon, of college football, it doesn’t compete and that’s the real reason kirk/gary don’t play those games in September. The other reasons are hogwash

Awe shucks you mean we aren't one of the 4 best teams this year? Total shocker.

Your whole spiel is stupid. We are a fringe program. You only want us to punch out of our weight class because you want to watch us get rolled. Let's be honest that is your true desire.

No rational person would think that playing Virginia Tech or Auburn is going to change Iowa's perception. Win or lose in the non conference it only impacts that season. Winning the B1G west is the only thing that carries over. Until we smash Wisconsin and regain our edge on Northwestern, who we play in the non con is irrelevant.

You are just a bitter tool that hates everything and everyone related to Iowa football. Kindly show yourself the door.

 

[cincyhawk]

We were playing an inferior opponent that we should have been able to do whatever we wanted to do. Lets see what we do when we play a solid defense. Anyone can look like a great play caller against an inferior opponent like we faced. Let's see what happens against a decent team. I have a feeling we are going to see what we have in the past. Hopefully I'm wrong, but with the loss of those 2 tight ends I see us struggling against conference teams.

You mean Nebraska, Minnesota, and Purdue looked better to you? Illinois, maybe? PSU? MSU, Wisconsin, Michigan, and OSU looked good in their wins, certainly. And if you can't get on board for Stanley after 56 tds, you're never going to get on board. I don't know that any Iowa QB ever would have excited you; we're not exactly QB U.

As for the offense - and keep in mind I did not like the Brian promotion - it was better, period. The playcalling was better, the execution was better, and the audibles were better. Iowa doesn't need to be in the top ten offenses to win - they just need to be a top 50 offense to win a lot of games. Nobody is predicting an undefeated season.

Sounds like he's creating good NFL draft material!! NOT!

What NFL GM is going to mess around with any players from Washington St? He is the polar opposite of Kirk Ferentz. Both are to the extreme to a fault.

He's not. That's not his goal. His goal is to win football games. And he does. I'd be curious to see what would happen if you gave him USC or PSU's resources.

 

[cincyhawk]

Did you read the Mike Leach piece on The Athletic a month back? It is pure gold.

Some excerpts (it is a subscription site, so I won't share much, and I will add that it is WELL worth the small fee, signup now!):

Jorgensen: We didn’t really have playbooks.

Brink: Any high school, any junior college, no matter where you were, your playbook gets simpler when you get to Washington State.

Tuel: Literally as simple as humanly possible.

Apodaca: I remember I threw a pick or something, and I remember asking him what coverage that play is good against. And he goes, “Well, you should have just thrown it to this fucking guy because he’s standing there wide-ass open.”

Halliday: I said to Leach, “What do I need to do to get the ball there on time?” He was like, “Well, just throw it to the guy who’s fucking open.” I was like, “Yeah, no, I get that dude, but what do you want me to do to get there quicker?” And he was like, “I don’t give a shit what you do. Just throw it to the guy who’s fucking open.”

Tuel: This guy’s the guru. He is the Air Raid. I remember at BYU our first game, we’re watching the film the next day and he says, “How many plays did you change?” I said, “Probably two or three.” He’s like, “What do you mean two or three?” I said, “I called the play, and I ran the play. That’s kind of how it’s worked for me here.” He’s like, “Well, when Graham (Harrell) was playing, those guys were checking seven out of 10 plays. I was like, “Well, you never fucking told me that!” He’s like, “Well, you’re the one who sees it. I’m just giving you a suggestion.” I’m like, “Fucking A, good to know.” There are some things you just have to figure out going through it with him.

Brink: I swear we had more fun this season than any team in America. And part of that is the simplicity. You know exactly what you’re doing so you can just go out and play football. And who doesn’t love that?
​

Don't have a subscription, but that's a great excerpt. He really it's the anti-Ferentz.

 

[CP87]

Sounds like he's creating good NFL draft material!! NOT!

What NFL GM is going to mess around with any players from Washington St? He is the polar opposite of Kirk Ferentz. Both are to the extreme to a fault.

But there is genius in that simplicity. Not so much in preparation for NFL, as you said, but the fact it has been so effective for so long proves the genius to it.

I am not sure how I would feel about Leach as the coach for my favorite team, but I think overall I would enjoy the experience.

 

[Fryowa]

We were playing an inferior opponent that we should have been able to do whatever we wanted to do.

You got a turd in your pocket?

 

[hawkeyebob62]

More like "Skull Kind of Empty kind of guy"

 

[GVGiant44]

I am commenting based on the original thread-line. But I personally am grateful our first three games are on FS1. I feel like we get MUCH better cred, much more professional and in-depth analysis and much better announcers there. The only person I care for on BTN broadcasts is Matt Millen - and we may get him once a year. It is a different group for this weekend, but still I think it is a marked upgrade from anything on either ESPN or the BTN.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

I am commenting based on the original thread-line. But I personally am grateful our first three games are on FS1. I feel like we get MUCH better cred, much more professional and in-depth analysis and much better announcers there. The only person I care for on BTN broadcasts is Matt Millen - and we may get him once a year. It is a different group for this weekend, but still I think it is a marked upgrade from anything on either ESPN or the BTN.

I bet you're on the call!