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A week early but let's get it started...offensive gameplan and playcalls for Wisky?

BigOHawk

BigOHawk

HB Heisman
Oct 27, 2001
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Offensive coordinators, armchair or not, feel free to chime in!

I'm guessing the staff has spent a fair amount of time in the offseason and preseason game planning and thinking about how to score against the Wisky 3-4. Nate S. mentioned it during July/August (challenging teammates to get the trophy back) and we all know have about 1 total offensive TD vs. them in the last three games.
I'm curious if Nate will even be able to relax for this game..he has redemption on his mind, family and friend in Kinnick, national night game, etc, etc.
I've talked before on this board about beating a 3-4 and case in point was OSU vs. Oregon a few years back. Now, Oregon D isn't exactly Wisky but the concepts are similar. OSU went shotgun a lot, jet sweep, counter to the backside and lots of double teaming the NT with the TE in motion.

I'm not the X's and O's guy some of you are so feel free to contribute here! Iowa gets 2 weeks of rest after this game so I'd wager they will empty the tank and hopefully the playbook as well.
 
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I'm hoping to see our RB's get some screen passes. I don't recall seeing one in our first two games, and I'm hoping that is by design (meaning BF is waiting to unveil that against Wisky).
 
They need to used different run blocking concepts in between the tackles and not try the zone so much against them. I know of at least one play they did this against ISU and got 12 yards. I believe it was some iso blocking and Young right up the middle which is the weak spot in the run game for the 3-4. Just as ISU did, Wisconsin will crash hard to whatever side the OL starts going except they are even better at it. Need to use some misdirection too. And importantly they need to properly ID who is rushing on passing plays which they have also struggled with the past few seasons against Wisconsin.
 
One thing that could help Iowa is that they have played tougher competition so far than Wisconsin has.
 
BigOHawk said:
Offensive coordinators, armchair or not, feel free to chime in!

I'm guessing the staff has spent a fair amount of time in the offseason and preseason game planning and thinking about how to score against the Wisky 3-4. Nate S. mentioned it during July/August (challenging teammates to get the trophy back) and we all know have about 1 total offensive TD vs. them in the last three games.
I'm curious if Nate will even be able to relax for this game..he has redemption on his mind, family and friend in Kinnick, national night game, etc, etc.
I've talked before on this board about beating a 3-4 and case in point was OSU vs. Oregon a few years back. Now, Oregon D isn't exactly Wisky but the concepts are similar. OSU went shotgun a lot, jet sweep, counter to the backside and lots of double teaming the NT with the TE in motion.

I'm not the X's and O's guy some of you are so feel free to contribute here! Iowa gets 2 weeks of rest after this game so I'd wager they will empty the tank and hopefully the playbook as well.
Click to expand...
TRAP GAME
 
It is fun to discuss offensive strategy but imo it's forgone that we'll at best see a better version (execution wise) of the O we saw against ISU -- that said, the heights attained will be approximately what we reached against PSU last year. We'll hopefully put up about 20-points via the offense.

Wisky plays us so frequently and knows KF's offense better than KF does, it's fruitless to expect any more offensively. This game will have to be won by the Iowa D by managing to sufficiently hold off a relentless Wisconsin's offense for 60 (not 59) minutes.
 
Iowa has a bye week after Wisconsin. KF, BF and friends had better bring everything they've got against the Badgers. And if they haven't been game planning for Wisconsin for at least the last eight months, they haven't been doing their jobs. The season will turn on the outcome of this game, and I know there are millions of Hawkeye fans who would agree that it's time to turn the tables on the Badgers. An aggressive, attacking offense MUST be Iowa's approach from the opening snap. No fear. Go after Wisconsin like they're that team from Ohio.

Kinnick will be insane; we know that. KF and staff owe it to all of us to do whatever it takes to beat the Badgers.
 
LGs.png
 
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BigOHawk said:
Offensive coordinators, armchair or not, feel free to chime in!

I'm guessing the staff has spent a fair amount of time in the offseason and preseason game planning and thinking about how to score against the Wisky 3-4. Nate S. mentioned it during July/August (challenging teammates to get the trophy back) and we all know have about 1 total offensive TD vs. them in the last three games.
I'm curious if Nate will even be able to relax for this game..he has redemption on his mind, family and friend in Kinnick, national night game, etc, etc.
I've talked before on this board about beating a 3-4 and case in point was OSU vs. Oregon a few years back. Now, Oregon D isn't exactly Wisky but the concepts are similar. OSU went shotgun a lot, jet sweep, counter to the backside and lots of double teaming the NT with the TE in motion.

I'm not the X's and O's guy some of you are so feel free to contribute here! Iowa gets 2 weeks of rest after this game so I'd wager they will empty the tank and hopefully the playbook as well.
Click to expand...


B. Smith on a deep post. Give him some confidence and get the game started for NS and the offense. Catch it or not, the defense has to pay attention.
 
Watching the ISU game which plays a lot of the same defensive concepts, Iowa needs to use gap blocking techniques early in the run game to take Wisconsin out of its gameplan defensively, including some trap and pin and pull too. I would also run lots of slants out of play action with our guys appearing to run the zone scheme. Double moves by WRs should be run on the deeper passing schemes - I like the post corner routes if possible. It may be a good idea to send Noah Fant out there at WR to get some beef out there and block some LBs and safeties - would be a good idea to use the crack replace a bit too.
 
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I am on record saying the first play from scrimmage will be a flea flicker. Totally back them off from attacking the LOS every play.

Hopefully that makes it 14-0 good guys, after returning the opening kickoff for a TD and defensively forcing a 3 and out.
 
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For starters, the 3-4 is probably harder to deal with than the 4-3, if for no other reason that it isn't the favored choice of too many teams. If you have excellent DL's (Wisky will), they tie up the OL and let the LB's run free to make plays. I can see Iowa using some double TE formations to block the LB's.

Then, of course, the Wisky's back 4 are all probably tough as nails on run support. It would be nice if Iowa had a WR that couldn't be defended by 1 guy. They don't.

Add to all that, Iowa is not going to fool Wisky with anything. They are very disciplined and well-coached. They will not come into this game "flat" like OSU did and they certainly are not going to be intimadated by the night crowd at Kinnick.

Oh, and Wisky has a Heisman candidate in the backfield and a veteran QB.

Iowa is going to need some turnovers, some key penalties, very goos special team play and a huge defensive effort to get this game, and it still might not be enough.:(
 
soybean said:
This thread is why I hate the UNI game.
Click to expand...
Uni is a team that lost by a fg against a tough opponent playing on the road out west which is always difficult. They held montana scoreless in the 2nd half while scoring 23 unanswered. Uni certainly could stun Iowa given the current circumstances and yet I think most are willing to accept a loss to uni if the boyz work extra this week to guarantee a W against WI. :)
 
If we lose to UNI, I am holding all of you responsible. I'm serious. I have a notepad and everything and I will not hesitate to jot your names down.
 
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We ran a lot of zone blocking against Wisconsin and it failed miserably. We ran much more power run game vs Nebraska's 3 man front and owned them. Granted, huge difference is team quality, but I'd start with that.

Wisconsin was fairly aggressive on D and really went after the gaps on running downs while disguising where the pressure was coming from in passing situations. This gave our offensive line fits.

Given that, I'd look for some quick hitter passes over the short middle (TE's and slot receiver running slants), especially on first down. Try to punish them for aggression. The 3-4 with a 4th rushing coming from who-knows-where is very effective IMO. I don't really know how to teach the O-line to combat that unknown pass rusher, but I'm hoping tackles with another year under their belt will do better. We need a way to shut that down or to exploit it.

In general, teams have had a lot of success defensively by playing aggressive. MSU, Wisconsin, ISU (this year), etc seem to blitz (on runs and passes) and play man D on our receivers with impunity. This has been an issue for a decade. We need to find a way to thwart that aggression, perhaps with constraint plays, breaking of tendencies and better recognition.
 
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BigOHawk said:
Interesting article..
http://bisonmedia.areavoices.com/a-manifesto-on-attacking-the-3-4/
Click to expand...

Nice. Thanks for sharing. I wish there were some diagrams in there to help visualize (though the text is pretty descriptive and informative).

It seems like the 3-4 is the oddball D that's been effective because it's different. As more and more teams adopt it, it becomes less of the one-off prep and something more routine. I don't think it's unstoppable, even when well executed. It just requires some changes to adapt. I'm hoping that, between tape of the Wiscy game last year, the Nebby game, and ISU game this year (not a 3 4, but still a 3 man front) we can come up with a solid plan to take them to school.

I would love it if Iowa could shred that D next week.
 
Everything and the kitchen sink. We need to catch them off guard and do what we did to OSU.
 
TKingpin said:
I think BF is holding back a whole litany of plays designed to beat that 3-4 defense.

A veritable plethora of offensive production, pregnant with possibilities!

Keep the faith! Kinnick. Night Game.
Click to expand...

I don't know that Iowa has been hiding some secret offense just waiting to pounce it on Wisconsin. I would think there are some formations and specific plays which haven't been shown, but that's common for most-every opponent based on what that team does. The one thing that I thought we would see more of is throwing to the backs. That hasn't happened much at all.

To me, it comes down to whether or not Iowa can protect the passer. The Wisconsin D is going to get you into some 3rd and 5 or longer situations pretty much every drive. In the past number of years, in those situations Iowa hasn't been able to protect at all. Even if Iowa can protect Stanley, it won't matter if he's throwing the ball into the turf on easy slant throws or throwing it a yard behind Fant when Fant is running a crossing route with no one around him.

At this point, Iowa just isn't very good on offense. When your most dangerous weapons are tight ends, that doesn't say much for your offense.
 
TKingpin said:
I think BF is holding back a whole litany of plays designed to beat that 3-4 defense.

A veritable plethora of offensive production, pregnant with possibilities!

Keep the faith! Kinnick. Night Game.
Click to expand...

maybe so let's hope we don't have the dropsies that game.
 
David1979 said:
One thing that could help Iowa is that they have played tougher competition so far than Wisconsin has.
Click to expand...
I doubt that will make any difference. The key for Iowa will be the Interior OL matching or exceeding Wisconsin’s physicality at the LOS. We have not come remotely close over the last few years. Throw in in LB and Safety ID as far as run/pass blitzing.
 
Got to go vertical to loosen up their D. They played all 11 guys almost every play last year 10 yards from LOS. Also D backs need to turn their heads and look for the ball on pass plays. Hornibrook throws it every time if he sees a DB with their back to him.
 
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