Oh No Now We Suck Again Original

March 19, 2022 Post a Comment

Most Hawkeye fans I've talked to since well-nigh 3pm Sabbatum have been pretty frustrated, disappointed and downright upset with the loss to #ten Wisconsin on Sabbatum. Information technology'due south Monday. It is, in fact, overreaction Monday. And just when yous think you've figured me out, I'thousand throwing you a bend ball. I'm not going to exist similar the rest of you and overreact on the negative side. No, I actually walked out of Kinnick feeling somewhat OK with things. Perhaps I'g fully into the apathy stage of grieving, merely I estimate I just kind of saw mostly what I expected Saturday. In some areas, information technology was better than I expected. Then I'm overreacting positively. Deal with it.

ane. Passing Game Woes

Let'south become ahead and become this ane out of the way. the passing game sucked on Saturday. Simply what, exactly, were you expecting? Sure, it looked like there might be some signs of life (or light?) last week. Simply we've known for a while now that this WR grouping struggles to become separation and has had problems with drops even when they practise find themselves open. Add in the injury to George Kittle (though he did trot out there for a bit, noticeably limping), a very stingy Wisconsin defense and I substantially saw what I expected to see out of the passing game. Not a lot. News flash: we ain't gonna see much more than that the residuum of the mode (save the Illinois game, because Illinois is, well, Illinois). All we tin hope for at this point is enough of a passing game to proceed defenses honest confronting the run. I really liked some of the short passing game on early downs to open upward the run a piffling on 1st downwards. But we aren't going to run into big plays downward the field like we saw in the Big Ten Championship the rest of this year. Pitiful.

ii. O-Line Chemical science

One of the offensive vivid spots given my admittedly low expectations was the performance of the offensive line confronting that nasty Wisconsin front 7. There were some letdowns, but they only gave up two sacks and 5 hurries. That's basically what they were able to practice to OSU (more on them later). The run game left much to exist desired, only I didn't meet the offensive line as a liability on Saturday, which is what I had expected. I thought we'd hear Cichy and Watt's names called all day as CJ was beaten to a pulp. If the line can continue to build on that chemistry, continue CJ relatively clean and open a few more holes, I am charily optimistic for what this squad can practice against anybody left on the schedule non named Michigan.

3. Would You Look at That!

Wisconsin v Iowa — Iowa really looked competent running a bustle up offense at the cease of each half. Possibly more of that and less of everything else?

Iowa got the ball back with 54 seconds left in the starting time half following the Corey Clement fumble at the goalline. When they came out for the showtime play, I think most Hawk fans expected them to run, run, run until there was no clock left. Instead, nosotros got a glimpse of what KF, and honestly about coaches, tries to practice at the end of the one-half. Iowa ran on first down, but was able to choice up a clamper of yardage and suddenly we saw the law-breaking go into a hurry up. It wasn't perfect, but nosotros watched them execute and manage the clock well enough to get a field goal at the end of the half and go the game to seven-half-dozen. That's the aggressiveness Eagle fans crave. I call back it's been there, but express by a lack of executing on that initial commencement down run to get them in a position to make something happen.

4. Run Defense Hither to Stay?

I'll admit, I walked into Kinnick on Saturday expecting to leave early. I had no incertitude in my heed that the offense would struggle, specially throwing the ball, and that Wisconsin would have no trouble running all over Iowa. I was pleasantly surprised with what I saw out of Iowa'due south rush D. In all honesty, I thought the defense looked pretty good in general. They did a damn fine job containing Wisconsin for much of the game because the amount of time they were forced to be on the field. The law-breaking couldn't get anything going and had very few sustained drives. The problem came with big plays at critical times. Namely, 3rd downs. Wisconsin finished 8-17 (47%) vs. Iowa'due south 2-13 (15%). And that run defence would've looked even better had they non given up a 33 k scamper on Wisconsin'due south concluding drive following the missed FG with just over 5 minutes to go. Definitely room to improve, but the defense didn't lose the game for Iowa, it kept them in it (gee, that sounds familiar).

5. ii-Minute Offense Looks Like a Keeper

As cruel of a day as it was for the passing game, I think GD may have constitute something to build on with that 2-minute offense. CJ seemed pretty comfortable only dumping it off underneath to Akrum Wadley and that's a guy I'd similar to run into worked into the passing game. It solves a lot of problems at once. For starters, CJ takes fewer hits on quick passes (I take a PhD in football game). More than importantly, information technology gets i of the biggest playmakers the brawl in space. And finally, it sets up the defense to create just a niggling flake of space downfield for some double motion type routes with guys that usually wouldn't be able to. In a like vein, I really like the trivial WR quick screen they've been working in more than with Smith blocking (which he does well) and McCarron getting it on the border. I'd dearest to come across variations off that where Smith goes for the block and then releases. Or peradventure you find a fashion to run that type of play with someone like Wadley who is more dangerous in infinite. In a season such as this, I'chiliad happy with anything that looks like could give me a glimmer of hope.

6. Here We Get Again

I've said information technology a number of times, and yet here I am again. I'm not going to blame the loss on officials, it wasn't on them and they didn't do anything to cost Iowa much of annihilation. But homo, zero penalties called on Wisconsin? Really? I had a view much worse than the officials and spotted Enough of penalties they could've called. Certain enough, upon DVR review, they should've been called. Like, oh I don't know, a simulated offset when you have a pair of guys on the right side of the line move half a second ahead of the residue of the offense on nigh every single play. Maybe a agree at the point of attack (I get it happens on every play and don't want it called all the time, just when it's at the point of assail and is the reason a play is made or not, call it). It was a lot of footling things, in my opinion, that didn't cost Iowa the game, but didn't help them in a game where they needed all the assist they could get. Oh, and there is no mode in hell in that location was enough video testify to overturn that Fant TD catch. NO. Fashion. IN. HELL. It was close and if they had called it no expert on the field, I'd take no qualms with them keeping it that way. But they didn't. You can't change it there.

vii. KF Apologist Time

Kirk took a lot of oestrus Saturday and into Sun based on a question he was asked in the post game presser. Specifically, the following:

It'due south been called inexplainable. I'm baffled by that.

For starters, the question is worded poorly. I think the answer you get from KF is partially due to some confusion about the scenario in question. Merely let'south enter a earth for a moment, where Kirk knew exactly the scenario in question and the response was well-worded. The man is all the same not wrong. You tin can barrack all you desire about the expert a FG does you in that scenario, but nosotros saw what happens in the worst case. Nosotros saw the FG missed, which is the same outcome as if they had gone for information technology on 4th down and not gotten it. Statistically speaking, there was very trivial chance Iowa picks upwards that offset down and goes on to score. Oh and if they practice, then they need the 2-betoken conversion to be good for any of it to affair. Very little chance (I'll permit HAWKEYES run the numbers on it if you desire to be more verbal). Now suppose the FG had been skilful, like any reasonable person would accept expected. Then y'all're downwardly 14-ix, aforementioned corporeality of time on the clock (OK, maybe five seconds less), roughly the same field position assuming a adequately common kickoff.

All-time instance from at that place, Iowa doesn't give up a 33-yard run to Cloudless and they become the ball down 14-9 with a couple minutes left. Worst instance, Wiscy scores a TD and the game is over. Somewhere in the eye is the consequence we got. Iowa down 17-nine (this is still our hypothetical earth where y'all make that FG) with a couple minutes to get and the Fant TD catch, which I SWEAR TO ALL THINGS HOLY SHOULD HAVE COUNTED, puts y'all down 2.

There are a meg different scenarios you tin throw out and second guess. The bottom line is this: nosotros saw the worst case scenario play out and it still nearly worked. If y'all want to call KF for not going for information technology in that situation, go for it, simply I'thousand not wasting my time listening to y'all. After Sunday, there is enough more to complain nearly with Kirk and visitor.

Oh, you lot thought you lot were getting out of here without any mention of that? Yous thought being a KF apologist, I was just going to ignore the biggest loss of the weekend? No. Not a gamble in hell. There are some things I will requite the staff the benefit of the incertitude on (like, you lot know, coaching, where the staff has nigh a one thousand thousand more years of experience and cognition than me), but when it comes to recruiting, I tin't do it.

Sunday nighttime, we learned that four-star running back and all-world recruiter in the class of 2017 Eno Benjamin was officially re-opening his recruitment. It was merely a matter of minutes earlier we learned that it wasn't exactly Eno walking away from his delivery from the Iowa staff telling him cheers, but no thanks. ARE YOU F(*$%^ING KIDDING ME?!?! This kid opened upwards the inundation gates to Texas. He nigh unmarried-handedly delivered you Chevin Calloway (more than to come...), Matt Hankins, Gavin Holmes, Peyton Mansell and Beau Corrales. He nigh got you lot in on guys similar Kobe Boyce. And you're going to pull his offer considering he wanted to have a free weekend to Tempe? Gimme a break.

You want to 2nd-judge the staff nearly decisions, don't waste material your fourth dimension talking to me near FG vs. going for information technology on 4th and five. There is a world of second-guessing and discussion to be had nearly this policy on official visits for committed players. Iowa Metropolis could be a dumpster fire.

I gotta cleanse the pallet. At least this didn't happen to Iowa Saturday:

Besides, Leonard Fournette is good at football.

And oh yes, ICYMI, I suppose the Cubs won....

DID You lot KNOW: Not one single homo has ever watched the Cubs in the Earth Series, on idiot box; 1947 was start year the WS was on Boob tube
— Jon Miller (@HawkeyeNation) October 23, 2016