Desperation is the true mother of invention.

[Hawk_4shur]

RE: Throwing short of the sticks. I wish that comment would go away. Has it occurred to anyone that the choices are 1. Throw short of the sticks and let the receiver make a play, or 2. Have one of our inaccurate QB's throw into a tight window pass the sticks (or no window) for an incompletion or an interception? It's a poor offense. It even poorer on 3rd down.

RE: Desperation. I don't think KF, BF or Barta are desperate. Desperation would have led to major changes. They think they have made the correct decision (perhaps foolishly).

RE: New guys. Fingers crossed.

RE: KF giving BF rope. What rope? BF calls the plays, which means he calls the formations. We theorized that KF would let BF replace SP and we found out why. What in the world would BF do with more rope (except hang himself from a taller tree). He has all the freedom he needs to bust into the Top 100 for offense!

The only thing I except (actually hope) to see different is that more plays actually work, because the line blocks better, the QB throws better and the WR's get open more often and catch the ball.

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

I think that what we saw the Iowa O do in the first 2 games of 2020 was schematically part of what Brian was hoping to do offensively.

It was much more of a pro-emphasis on passing first to set up the run. The caveat of that approach is that so much responsibility was flowing through Spencer ... and he just wasn't ready for it.

In 2020, the Brandon and Ihmir were veterans ... and Goodson was a talented and elusive back. If there were much caveats to that O ... it was youth at QB, some issues at OT, and youth/inexperience at TE.

There are a BUNCH of "ifs" heading into the 2023 season ... but there are reasons to believe that there could be some firepower there too.

• If healthy, Ragaini is a consistent and reliable WR for the QB.
• Vines has speed and demonstrated some flashes of promise last season.
• If Brecht continues to give football the full "college try" ... he's a big body on the outside ... something our offense has been lacking. He played quite a lot in '22 ... hopefully he can use that experience to continue to improve.
• Anderson has a chance to be an Ihmir-type WR for us ... and Ihmir could be quite the playmaker for our O.
• Lachey and All ... that is one hell of a duo. Both guys are big bodies who can move.
• There is a lot of reason to like our depth at TE. Ostrenga saw quality snaps ... Stilianos has a year in our system under his belt ... and Large might just have a huge chip on his shoulder.
• Iowa's O often seems at its best when our multi-TE sets dictate our opposition's defensive personnel. I think that we have the TE personnel to stress opposing Ds.
• Obviously, McNamara has experience and confidence ... the latter being a quantity that has been lacking from our O since '19 or '20.
• Big IF ... but IF the Iowa OL can show real improvement ... then the QB can have time to make plays. If the QB can make plays ... then we're seeing the Iowa O stay on schedule and/or take advantage of its play-action opportunities.
• Obviously there is plenty to like about our RB-room. Williams is rock-solid, Jaz is an up-and-comer, ... and Kaleb is cash-money! If those guys benefit from some good blocking ... again, maybe a BIG IF, then we could see a competent running game! When the Hawks are competent in BOTH rushing and passing the ball ... we then typically have some of our best years!

Say what you will ... if the "IFs" are satisfied, then I think that the Iowa O could surprise.

 

[83Hawk]

I think that what we saw the Iowa O do in the first 2 games of 2020 was schematically part of what Brian was hoping to do offensively.

It was much more of a pro-emphasis on passing first to set up the run. The caveat of that approach is that so much responsibility was flowing through Spencer ... and he just wasn't ready for it.

In 2020, the Brandon and Ihmir were veterans ... and Goodson was a talented and elusive back. If there were much caveats to that O ... it was youth at QB, some issues at OT, and youth/inexperience at TE.

There are a BUNCH of "ifs" heading into the 2023 season ... but there are reasons to believe that there could be some firepower there too.

• If healthy, Ragaini is a consistent and reliable WR for the QB.
• Vines has speed and demonstrated some flashes of promise last season.
• If Brecht continues to give football the full "college try" ... he's a big body on the outside ... something our offense has been lacking. He played quite a lot in '22 ... hopefully he can use that experience to continue to improve.
• Anderson has a chance to be an Ihmir-type WR for us ... and Ihmir could be quite the playmaker for our O.
• Lachey and All ... that is one hell of a duo. Both guys are big bodies who can move.
• There is a lot of reason to like our depth at TE. Ostrenga saw quality snaps ... Stilianos has a year in our system under his belt ... and Large might just have a huge chip on his shoulder.
• Iowa's O often seems at its best when our multi-TE sets dictate our opposition's defensive personnel. I think that we have the TE personnel to stress opposing Ds.
• Obviously, McNamara has experience and confidence ... the latter being a quantity that has been lacking from our O since '19 or '20.
• Big IF ... but IF the Iowa OL can show real improvement ... then the QB can have time to make plays. If the QB can make plays ... then we're seeing the Iowa O stay on schedule and/or take advantage of its play-action opportunities.
• Obviously there is plenty to like about our RB-room. Williams is rock-solid, Jaz is an up-and-comer, ... and Kaleb is cash-money! If those guys benefit from some good blocking ... again, maybe a BIG IF, then we could see a competent running game! When the Hawks are competent in BOTH rushing and passing the ball ... we then typically have some of our best years!

Say what you will ... if the "IFs" are satisfied, then I think that the Iowa O could surprise.

It will all hinge on the offensive line. We can only hope Kirk/Brian spend some time with them. The incoming from the transfer portal should help. I expect improvement there. Maybe not a big improvement, but any amount will be nice.

Just having Cade will make things better. Far more accurate and with greater pocket presence, he should be a significant upgrade over Petras.

I doubt the offense will suddenly be Top 60, but no reason to think they can't crack Top 100 which, because of the defense and special teams, should be good for another couple of wins.

I'll take that.

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

Just having Cade will make things better. Far more accurate and with greater pocket presence, he should be a significant upgrade over Petras.

If you go back over the past 3 seasons ... there have been so many plays that were perfectly set up ... only for an errant throw to be the cause of a missed easy TD.

So yeah ... if Cade can make a greater percentage of those throws ... and IF Iowa's OL can protect him ... the Iowa O can go back up to a scoring average closer to 30 ppg. If that happens ... and Phil's defense is holding serve ... then Iowa is setting itself back up for some special seasons.

This isn't a stretch.

 

[The Deplorable Sleeping Dog]

I will take the under on ‘all sell out’
Unless they work the Nebraska ‘sell out’ magic
Here is the playbook as I see it.
In spring we start to hear about ‘new wrinkles’ in the offense leaking out of Ft. Kinnick, even some whispers that the OL is holding their own against the DL and even winning some battles. Positive reviews of the newcomers and the ‘energy’ that they bring. Some raves about the PWO’s with the ‘May see the field’ this fall with the changes in the offense’.
At some point in time weight gains and/or lifting information will leak out supporting the OL progress.

Season will start, offense will be better but still not average, w/l record will be good and Barnett and/or Copeland will ‘pursue other opportunities’ and BF will stay another year for stability.

It’s CYA coaching style 101. If you need examples review a few of Nebraskas off seasons in the past decade or two. Shuffling the deck chairs.

I think you egregiously mistaken and unduly cynical. Time will tell. I could be wrong but I'm usually not.

 

[cidhawkeye]

I think you egregiously mistaken and unduly cynical. Time will tell. I could be wrong but I'm usually not.

I hope I am mistaken, I thought I was wrong once but I was mistaken.
We have already seen this playbook in action. Bringing in Budmyer and allegedly simplifying the reads and the offense in general, talking about Bostick, Vines and Wick looking good in fall camp, etc. you saw the results. As far as sell outs for all the games you may want to walk that one back. Not picturing that happening unless they go on a 2015 type of run

 

[RomanHawk]

Okay. My point was, it’s not just Iowa that does it, but people still love to complain about it.

Just because others do it doesn't mean it's not a low % decision. Even then, if it's done as a play with the receiver having speed and downfield momentum, and room for YAC, the % s are much better. But we run it with a stationary receiver, no room for YAC,......... It's really an abomination, a drive killer, and we do it often.

 

[The Deplorable Sleeping Dog]

Just because others do it doesn't mean it's not a low % decision. Even then, if it's done as a play with the receiver having speed and downfield momentum, and room for YAC, the % s are much better. But we run it with a stationary receiver, no room for YAC,......... It's really an abomination, a drive killer, and we do it often.

Iowa is not calling plays on 3rd down where the primary receivers are short of the line to gain. Our recently terrible QB play just leads to that conclusion because Petras usually feared a turnover and had very poor field vision to find, much less foresee, receivers coming open. Nate, CJ, Ricky, Vandy (jr) Drew and the other Nate had no problem throwing heaters into tight spots down field on 3rd down. Of course, BB just had a game all of his own.

The frequency with which Petras did it is partially explained by the line but primarily just an easily panicked QB looking to avoid a loss.​

 

[chuck285]

I see Iowa being a 8 or 9 win team. This will take the heat off Kirk and wonder boy and we'll see another year of this duo. Kirks next years meeting will be "I told you dummy's". Brian up for another raise...

 

[RomanHawk]

RE: Throwing short of the sticks. I wish that comment would go away. Has it occurred to anyone that the choices are 1. Throw short of the sticks and let the receiver make a play, or 2. Have one of our inaccurate QB's throw into a tight window pass the sticks (or no window) for an incompletion or an interception? It's a poor offense. It even poorer on 3rd down.

This really reflects the stinking thinking of the offensive coaching. They think it is low risk, but actually it's one of the key components of getting to 130th.

If it's ever run, it needs to be run with the receiver having speed and downfield momentum. Instead, we throw it to a stationary receiver with little or no chance for YAC. As a consequence, our success rate is about 20% so we might as well have punted on 3rd down. If we do succeed on one series of downs, we won't on the next series,,so the drive will get killed anyway.

We should throw long. It might be competed. Or it might be incomplete and we have to punt. Or it might get intercepted but a 40 yard pass is as good as a 40 yard punt. Or it could result in PI. There is a reason that we probably draw fewer PIs than any team in the country.

Additional reasons to throw long:
-defenses know on 3rd and 8 that we will throw short so they bring up their safety making it even harder
-we are letting our QB take the easy way out
-the only strength of our QB was having a strong arm
-our offense would be much more attractive to good WRs

The excuse "he doesn't have time to throw long" is more BS. If he lets it go early and puts air under the ball, he had plenty of time.

It doesn't take very much of this kind of thinking to get to 130th and we have a bunch of it.

 

[The Deplorable Sleeping Dog]

This really reflects the stinking thinking of the offensive coaching. They think it is low risk, but actually it's one of the key components of getting to 130th.

If it's ever run, it needs to be run with the receiver having speed and downfield momentum. Instead, we throw it to a stationary receiver with little or no chance for YAC. As a consequence, our success rate is about 20% so we might as well have punted on 3rd down. If we do succeed on one series of downs, we won't on the next series,,so the drive will get killed anyway.

We should throw long. It might be competed. Or it might be incomplete and we have to punt. Or it might get intercepted but a 40 yard pass is as good as a 40 yard punt. Or it could result in PI. There is a reason that we probably draw fewer PIs than any team in the country.

Additional reasons to throw long:
-defenses know on 3rd and 8 that we will throw short so they bring up their safety making it even harder
-we are letting our QB take the easy way out
-the only strength of our QB was having a strong arm
-our offense would be much more attractive to good WRs

The excuse "he doesn't have time to throw long" is more BS. If he lets it go early and puts air under the ball, he had plenty of time.

It doesn't take very much of this kind of thinking to get to 130th and we have a bunch of it.

Don't you think the paucity of available healthy receivers was part of the problem? You've got a wobbly QB, with poor field vision and maybe 1 or 2 scholarship receivers on the field. That's how you get to 130.

You make a good point about momentum. Give the guy a chance to gain yards. Like to see almost every downfield pass be at least 5 yards deeper than its variant last year. That release safe receiver could appear in a number of variations with the team we have so this season's throwing game has to get deeper more often and we'll find guys like All and Johnson headed more down field on 3rd down. They have moves and can break tackles. Anderson can too. More options, now let's hope they get used.