Week #3: Iowa St

[Hawkeye]

I think we win the next 2 Minnesota didn't look good today but we can't look past the directional Michigan MAC team...should be 3-0 but 2-1 is better than 1-2, take it where we can get it and grow and be better each week

 

[Clemenza]

How was that an "ugly win?" Iowa dominated 3.5 quarters of this game. If it weren't for that flukey onside kick the score wouldn't have made this appear to have been such a close game (which it wasn't). We dominated on offense -5 yards per carry for Hawk RBs and we were basically telling ISU we were going to run the ball and they still couldn't stop it. As I predicted, some nice play action passes to open things up a bit for Jake. Defensively, there were a few late mistakes; however, we dominated ISU for most of the game and only until the last 5 minutes of the game when Iowa starting that playing-not-to-lose nonsense did ISU connect on some long passes.

The only thing that continues to worry me is special teams. I just don't feel like Iowa gets it there. I don't think Kevonte returned a single punt yesterday and I feel like kickoffs are always an adventure with Iowa on both sides.

Regardless, Iowa won the game.....2-1.....could possibly be 4-1 here within a few weeks. For a team with a brand new QB and several new players on the field (especially on D), I'll take it.

 

[Aaronhawkeye44]

I agree with Clem, Iowa completely dominated this game for 3.5 quarters. Special teams will be the death of me. Iowa continues to improve each week, if the receivers would have caught the damn ball in the first half Iowa would have been up 3-4 tds at half.

 

[Hawkeye]

I do not think we run back punts anymore, all of them are fair caught, why not put Powell or Cotton back there? KMM can likely catch and run but they won't let him. Why oh why are we never ready for trickery on special teams, fake punts, onside kicks, etc...we suck at that.

We need to continue to dominate, next game, MN game, everywhere we can, just get at it and go...and hey we got sacks now! Loved that

 

[Clemenza]

Even with that onside kick.....I don't get the Iowa strategy at all there. Iowa puts ONE guy back to catch the ball.......a backup TE......and every other guy puts his head down to block? Never seen that strategy with defending onsides. All it takes is a slip, which is exactly what happened w/Hamilton, and ISU has a free shot at the ball. Maybe that's the norm, just looked funny to me.

 

[hoopsalot25]

Clem,

That was an ugly win because given that Iowa dominated the game on offense and defense, the score board doesn't reflect that dominance. Iowa's offense couldn't punch the ball into the end zone like it should have at will Saturday. Add to that a couple of defensive break downs and now Iowa has to recover an onside kick. As you said, putting one guy back to catch the ball and then having everyone in front headhunt turned into a disaster. The first guy closest to the ball could have easily made that catch and then got down...and the game would have been over.

I think it was Aaron that also said, had the WRs caught some passes...this game would have turned into a route. And the bench gets to play most of the second half. But no, Iowa is the only team in the country that has played 15 consecutive games using only ONE QB!!!

I'll take the ugly win!! Only 4 more to go!! Would love to see this team win more than four more games though!

Go Hawks!!

 

[Clemenza]

Maybe "ugly final score," I'll give you that. An ugly win is when your team plays terrible but manages to somehow win the game. I don't think Iowa played terrible at all here. Just got a bit too conservative at the end and muffed an onside kick, beyond that they played stellar most of the game save for a few dropped passes....which every team has happen every week, including the "Big Boys."

 

[HawkeyesRuleURFace]

I JUST WANT TO BLOW SOMEBODY OUT ONE TIME!!!

 

[Hawkeye]

I am going to start small first, I would like the following:

1. KMM or someone to run a punt back even if it gets only 2 yards
2. No more miscues on special teams that allow a fake punt or the opposing team getting an onsides kick

If we can do those 2 things, then I am hoping to get the blowout...for the record, I do agree, we should have had a larger margin of victory. I really don't understand the fair catch punt thing though.

 

[gengljer]

As bad as our special teams are...Worst in the country(aside from kicking FG's)... Just fair catch the punt. Anything more than that is a complete disaster in waiting. The only thing we have done special teams well in the past is return kicks for TD's..albeit Cotton's against MSU last year was called back. Since Tim Dwight..Ed Hinkel...Iowa really hasn't had a threat at punt return. One more thing..blocking FG's...ala twice to beat UNI...

How many onside kicks have we lost in the past 5 years? How many teams have converted fake punts against us? UGHHH..Wisconsin...

 

[Clemenza]

I am also nitpicking a bit here, but has anyone else noticed a complete lack of north/south patterns by TEs/WRs? I realize we have a new OC, but Moeaki/DJK/McNutt/etc. often had fly pattern routes and I don't see that at all any more. Every single catch on Saturday was either a post or a stop pattern. KMM was able to gain some YACs but that was on him and not the pattern itself. I think there was one fly pattern called to Tavean (sp?) but it was overthrown a bit.

I really think with all these run plays and the fact that Jake has a gun, we could get away with some longer north/south passes. I have a hard time understanding these short-ish patterns where the receiver catches the ball and either runs out of bounds or crumples to the ground without looking to run.

 

[Hawkeye]

oh heck there are a lot of routes missing, McNutt used the slant pattern to perfection a lot, really didn't see that, we go out and get speed in Powell, how many catches does he have? Can we put him at punt return?

I am not sure if they have gone to that due to Jake being young, but there are a lot of patterns I am sure he saw at Aquinas that we are not using, I know he looks a bit tentative due to the INT's though

 

[gengljer]

Just watched the game...finally. Total domination on both sides through 3 1/2 quarters. 4th down completion for a TD..ughh..how many 4th down conversions have we gave up in the years. Then completely pathetic onside kick coverage. Stupid alignment. One guy by himself is not smart at all. For a team that gives up too many onside kicks, hire a guy to sit in the video room and review every onside kick ever attempted, high school to the pros and DEVELOP the proper defense for onside kicks.

But all in all, the better team won, and again, we had to stress over it until the final gun. Remember Missouri bowl game? Everyone in the country watching knew we were running it what did we do, play action fake to the TE. We easily could have done that there and kept this game from even being in doubt. I'm talking about the punt that gave them the ability to score again.

Oh...one thing that needs cleaning up...4 yard routes when it's 3rd and 5...CJ actually fought 2 yards for a first down when all he needed was a deeper route. I think I saw that several times througout.