Eppy needs to start no matter what

[Hawkeyeinsoutherncalifornia]

The reason why I say this is he has natural ability to get to the ball carrier, rather it be a bull rush or a swim move, whatever.. all I know is he's got a knack to get to the carrier and even if he doesn't know the playbook yet he has intangibles you just can't coach or teach. He needs to be out there on every down as he is a tremendous athlete with a motor that won't quit. Having him come in on 3rd downs is such a gimme to the opponents defense.. it spells out rush the QB on the ends.. so again Iowa is basically giving up a play here as the D knows exactly what's coming.. I am no coach or never claim to be but common sense tells you when 94 comes in the offense knows what's coming and that's heat off the edge or the middle .. just my 2 cents!

 

[Tacticalhawk]

The reason why I say this is he has natural ability to get to the ball carrier, rather it be a bull rush or a swim move, whatever.. all I know is he's got a knack to get to the carrier and even if he doesn't know the playbook yet he has intangibles you just can't coach or teach. He needs to be out there on every down as he is a tremendous athlete with a motor that won't quit. Having him come in on 3rd downs is such a gimme to the opponents defense.. it spells out rush the QB on the ends.. so again Iowa is basically giving up a play here as the D knows exactly what's coming.. I am no coach or never claim to be but common sense tells you when 94 comes in the offense knows what's coming and that's heat off the edge or the middle .. just my 2 cents!

Epenesa is on the field on 3rd downs cause we know what's coming.

 

[Muskie5]

The reason why I say this is he has natural ability to get to the ball carrier, rather it be a bull rush or a swim move, whatever.. all I know is he's got a knack to get to the carrier and even if he doesn't know the playbook yet he has intangibles you just can't coach or teach. He needs to be out there on every down as he is a tremendous athlete with a motor that won't quit. Having him come in on 3rd downs is such a gimme to the opponents defense.. it spells out rush the QB on the ends.. so again Iowa is basically giving up a play here as the D knows exactly what's coming.. I am no coach or never claim to be but common sense tells you when 94 comes in the offense knows what's coming and that's heat off the edge or the middle .. just my 2 cents!

He is not anywhere near as good as Hesse against the run yet. His upside is probably better, but he still needs a lot of reps and game experience to 'start'. It is a good thing that we have a kid who they feel like they have to 'account' for when he comes into the game, but he is still pretty 'raw'. It is going to be fun watching him 'grow' the next 3+ years!!!

 

[DaCDiggity]

Every down? Somebody wants him to die before the end of his freshman season

 

[Muskie5]

The reason why I say this is he has natural ability to get to the ball carrier, rather it be a bull rush or a swim move, whatever.. all I know is he's got a knack to get to the carrier and even if he doesn't know the playbook yet he has intangibles you just can't coach or teach. He needs to be out there on every down as he is a tremendous athlete with a motor that won't quit. Having him come in on 3rd downs is such a gimme to the opponents defense.. it spells out rush the QB on the ends.. so again Iowa is basically giving up a play here as the D knows exactly what's coming.. I am no coach or never claim to be but common sense tells you when 94 comes in the offense knows what's coming and that's heat off the edge or the middle .. just my 2 cents!

Oh, and 'bullrushes' and 'swimmoves' have nothing to do with Iowa's gap technique against the run. If he pulled a 'swim move' on a zone read play, they would yank him from the field faster than you could say epenesa epenesa......

 

[DaCDiggity]

I wish they would flip him around too see which he linemen he matches up best against. Then exploit it too it's fullest

 

[mikesright]

I think you're going to see him unleashed against Penn State if I'd have to guess

 

[Bearhawk0505]

I would like to see him start taking snaps from Brincks, whom is getting more than AJ. I think we will see more of him in the big ten season.

 

[Hawkfan5220]

No, no he doesn't need to see more snaps, not until he's well versed at what his position and responsibilities are. People bitch about Iowa not getting upperclass recruits and how we have to build them up. The kid is young and has been here since what, August? He's coming along faster than expected in my opinion.

 

[Hawkeyeinsoutherncalifornia]

That's your opinion thanks for clicking

 

[Suterman]

Epenesa will start when he is ready to start. He is going to be a great DE for us for sure but he isn't there yet.

 

[bojihawk44]

The reason why I say this is he has natural ability to get to the ball carrier, rather it be a bull rush or a swim move, whatever.. all I know is he's got a knack to get to the carrier and even if he doesn't know the playbook yet he has intangibles you just can't coach or teach. He needs to be out there on every down as he is a tremendous athlete with a motor that won't quit. Having him come in on 3rd downs is such a gimme to the opponents defense.. it spells out rush the QB on the ends.. so again Iowa is basically giving up a play here as the D knows exactly what's coming.. I am no coach or never claim to be but common sense tells you when 94 comes in the offense knows what's coming and that's heat off the edge or the middle .. just my 2 cents!

That's just not how the d-line works. AJ is really, really talented. That much is obvious, for sure, but it's also obvious he is still learning how to play the position at the college level which involves gap integrity more than anything else. The linebackers and everyone in the defensive backfield is counting on the d-line to maintain their gaps and leverage at the line. If one person does not, the play is a bust and leaves a chance for the other team to score. Putting him out there without him knowing the playbook is just a terrible idea. Him running around with his head cut off just wouldn't work and before long you'd be screaming for him to get yanked. He'll figure it out, but it's pretty clear he's not there yet. And of course the team knows he's going to rush the passer on 3rd and medium or 3rd and long. Just as in the NFL everyone knows Von Miller and at one time Dwight Freeney were coming after the QB on 3rd downs. They still have to stop it and that is an entirely different story. As you mentioned, you are no coach and that is pretty evident as well.

 

[speed4power]

He is not anywhere near as good as Hesse against the run yet.

Why do you say that? Everytime I've seen AJ on the field he has completely manhandled his opponent. He is more athletic and much faster than Hesse, which is helpful against a speedy running back and QB that like to run the option like Barkley and McSorely.

Even if you think Hesse is better against the run, Hesse and AJ can still be on the field at the same time.

 

[speed4power]

Putting him out there without him knowing the playbook is just a terrible idea. Him running around with his head cut off just wouldn't work and before long you'd be screaming for him to get yanked. He'll figure it out, but it's pretty clear he's not there yet.

What is your basis for saying this? What play did you see AJ caught out of position, and when did this result in a busted play?

Gap integrity is overrated by the way. If we have a guy that can sack the QB but occasionally goes out of his lane, I'll take it. AJ needs to be on the field, because without him we are getting very little pressure on the QB. McSorely will pick us apart.

 

[WDMHawk72]

I think the coaches are the best source for talent evaluation and knowing when they are READY. Leave it to them. Do you think you know more than KF or Phil Parker? Get real. All this push for freshmen to be on the field more is nonsense. If the coaches thought it giv3s them a better chance to win they would be out there.

 

[theIowaHawk]

Perfect OP for demonstrating that some fans just don't understand the intricacies of football nor what they are actually seeing on the field.

 

[Wadzinator]

He pushed the lineman into the nt qb resulting in his injury disruption we need him Sat every play

 

[WDMHawk72]

He pushed the lineman into the nt qb resulting in his injury disruption we need him Sat every play

In the right situations. Not every down. You look at 1 play and that's your assessment? Better call Barta and get your resume prepped. I like AJ too. What Hawk fan doesn't. COACHES KNOW MORE THAN YOU. GET IT?

 

[SDHawkDoc]

Start? No, not necessarily.
See more snaps? Hopefully, as he can be a disruptive force and the d-line is starving for that.

 

[bojihawk44]

What is your basis for saying this? What play did you see AJ caught out of position, and when did this result in a busted play?

Gap integrity is overrated by the way. If we have a guy that can sack the QB but occasionally goes out of his lane, I'll take it. AJ needs to be on the field, because without him we are getting very little pressure on the QB. McSorely will pick us apart.

I've seen him out of position on a few plays and it's pretty apparent to me that he is still figuring out what to do. Not that it makes me an expert, but I played d-line in college and can relate to what he's going through. Obviously I'm not on the same planet as far as talent, but the college game is totally different from HS and it takes a while to adjust and play your responsibilities soundly. I don't have a specific play or timestamp on when he was out of position, but I always watch the d-line and in my opinion he's still learning and has a ways to go, but will only get better by seeing the field more. That doesn't mean he HAS to start as the OP suggested, though.

And no, gap integrity is not overrated. It's undoubtedly the most important aspect of playing the defensive line. That's especially true in a base system like Iowa's which allows the linebackers to be freed up as much as possible and run and make plays. That statement tells me you haven't played a lot of football.

 

[speed4power]

In the right situations. Not every down. You look at 1 play and that's your assessment? Better call Barta and get your resume prepped. I like AJ too. What Hawk fan doesn't. COACHES KNOW MORE THAN YOU. GET IT?

He's not claiming to know more about the team than the coaches. But sometimes the coaches have different styles than what the fans want to see/what would be good for the team. Ferentz is a very conservative coach. He's willing to keep a stud running back on the bench for a year if he fumbles a few times. He's willing to keep a monster defensive end on the bench because he's a freshman and maybe sometimes leaves his gap.

The argument of "the coaches know more than you about the team so you can't critcize them" is an oversimplification.

 

[WDMHawk72]

He's not claiming to know more about the team than the coaches. But sometimes the coaches have different styles than what the fans want to see/what would be good for the team. Ferentz is a very conservative coach. He's willing to keep a stud running back on the bench for a year if he fumbles a few times. He's willing to keep a monster defensive end on the bench because he's a freshman and maybe sometimes leaves his gap.

The argument of "the coaches know more than you about the team so you can't critcize them" is an oversimplification.

Your heart is in the right place. I'll give you that. It's a matter of opinion. I'll put my $$ on KF and company.

 

[speed4power]

And no, gap integrity is not overrated. It's undoubtedly the most important aspect of playing the defensive line. That's especially true in a base system like Iowa's which allows the linebackers to be freed up as much as possible and run and make plays. That statement tells me you haven't played a lot of football.

You're taking my statement out of context. I said it's overrated when you are otherwise unable to get any pressure on the QB. If you have four guys out there maintaining their gaps but getting zero pressure on the QB and you have a guy on the bench that can wreak havoc on a QB but occassionally leaves his gap, you are setting yourself up for failure against a team like Penn St.

Penn St's receivers and Saquon Barkley are faster and more athletic than our db's and linebackers. If McSorely has time to throw our D will get shredded.

I'm going to snicker on Saturday if Penn St racks up 600 yards of offense on our defense with a stud pass rusher on the bench on 1st and 2nd down, but at least we'll maintain that gap integrity on every single play!

 

[KFsdisciple]

I see where the OP is going... someone earlier in the thread mentioned Brinks... I'm sure he's a fine player, but I find it difficult to believe Brinks is more game-ready than Eppy. Hard to believe we couldn't move Hesse to Brinks' side and insert Eppy on more plays. Brinks should be the rotating-in End not the every downs end.

 

[anon_8rcdnbko1jbe0]

What is your basis for saying this? What play did you see AJ caught out of position, and when did this result in a busted play?

Gap integrity is overrated by the way. If we have a guy that can sack the QB but occasionally goes out of his lane, I'll take it. AJ needs to be on the field, because without him we are getting very little pressure on the QB. McSorely will pick us apart.

That last paragraph is your opinion but 180 opposite of what Iowa coaches for Team defense. We fans want sacks but not at the cost of leaving backers out to dry and not maintaining edge integrity. Eppy will be a star no doubt - and more than a 1 trick pony - like a qb bring him along no need to hurry the development

 

[theIowaHawk]

That last paragraph is your opinion but 180 opposite of what Iowa coaches for Team defense. We fans want sacks but not at the cost of leaving backers out to dry and not maintaining edge integrity. Eppy will be a star no doubt - and more than a 1 trick pony - like a qb bring him along no need to hurry the development

He simply doesn't understand that. Much easier/simpler when you don't actually understand. And I'm ready, willing, and able to admit there is always a lot I don't understand on game day.

Norm was a savant on this (see his GTech defense explanation).

Many people think every play is a "pass rush" and therefore when there isn't immediate bearing down on the QB it is a failed play. Same people scream for a blitz every play. But football is a numbers game and one of the most important jobs of a D Lineman (say, Diesel Daniels) is to keep the O-lineman off the linebackers so they can make plays. But this looks like Diesel was just stuck at the line and not a good rusher, which clearly isn't true.

 

[bojihawk44]

You're taking my statement out of context. I said it's overrated when you are otherwise unable to get any pressure on the QB. If you have four guys out there maintaining their gaps but getting zero pressure on the QB and you have a guy on the bench that can wreak havoc on a QB but occassionally leaves his gap, you are setting yourself up for failure against a team like Penn St.

Penn St's receivers and Saquon Barkley are faster and more athletic than our db's and linebackers. If McSorely has time to throw our D will get shredded.

I'm going to snicker on Saturday if Penn St racks up 600 yards of offense on our defense with a stud pass rusher on the bench on 1st and 2nd down, but at least we'll maintain that gap integrity on every single play!

Obviously getting after the QB is important for Iowa, and any team for that matter, and it would be great to generate more pressure than Iowa has so far. But to give up gap and contain integrity to do so is just silly. Once in a while will a d-lineman ignore their responsibility and create a bubble in the backfield? Absolutely. More often that not, though, those are the types of mistakes that lead to huge plays where the QB, especially one like McSorley, moves out of the pocket and either throws or runs for huge chunks of yardage. I have much more confidence in Iowa's defense if they play soundly and maintain their gap than I do if they ignore those responsibilities simply to create a little pressure. Their offense might shred the Iowa defense anyway, but if McSorley is able to run and escape the pocket on a regular basis it will be even worse. I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree here.

 

[Muskie5]

Why do you say that? Everytime I've seen AJ on the field he has completely manhandled his opponent. He is more athletic and much faster than Hesse, which is helpful against a speedy running back and QB that like to run the option like Barkley and McSorely.

Even if you think Hesse is better against the run, Hesse and AJ can still be on the field at the same time.

He is not faster than Hesse. Hesse was a zone read QB and safety in HS with pretty good speed (go watch his hilites). He's a lot bigger now, but he probably is still a 4.7 guy. Barkley gained half of his yards from scrimmage on 2 big plays with had nothing to do with Hesse or DE's speed. Nelson blew contain on a Raider play and they double picked bower to get him (Barkley) free on a wheel route. So you spent the whole game watching for AJ to come on the field and then stared at him on every play and saw him 'dominate'? Highly doubtful.

 

[kceasthawk]

No, no he doesn't need to see more snaps, not until he's well versed at what his position and responsibilities are. People bitch about Iowa not getting upperclass recruits and how we have to build them up. The kid is young and has been here since what, August? He's coming along faster than expected in my opinion.

Not to mention that Hesse has been playing great football right now! AJ's time is coming.......

 

[WDMHawk72]

Not to mention that Hesse has been playing great football right now! AJ's time is coming.......

You can tell these posters on this board until you are blue in the face. They don't understand the mentality of a true freshman in a D1 power 5 school. You are right. AJs time is coming. Just not ready to go every down. especially with Parker ahead of him.

 

[Freyvet]

The reason why I say this is he has natural ability to get to the ball carrier, rather it be a bull rush or a swim move, whatever.. all I know is he's got a knack to get to the carrier and even if he doesn't know the playbook yet he has intangibles you just can't coach or teach. He needs to be out there on every down as he is a tremendous athlete with a motor that won't quit. Having him come in on 3rd downs is such a gimme to the opponents defense.. it spells out rush the QB on the ends.. so again Iowa is basically giving up a play here as the D knows exactly what's coming.. I am no coach or never claim to be but common sense tells you when 94 comes in the offense knows what's coming and that's heat off the edge or the middle .. just my 2 cents!

Just curious about your Hawkeye Report employment?

 

[hawk in mizzou]

AJ shows great potential to be an outstanding every down DE, but is still just 3 games into his true freshman year. I have no problem with the way he has been used to date. His playing time will increase as he progresses and outplays the other DEs.

 

[bigfridaynite]

You can tell these posters on this board until you are blue in the face. They don't understand the mentality of a true freshman in a D1 power 5 school. You are right. AJs time is coming. Just not ready to go every down. especially with Parker ahead of him.

I agree with this post fans just don't understand that True Fr 18 years old just move away from home 3 months ago and are trying to figure out School and the Social life.Football is not there life yet and thank god KF understands this

 

[farhawks]

Let's get us some AJ baby!!

 

[Kurt Warner]

In the right situations. Not every down. You look at 1 play and that's your assessment? Better call Barta and get your resume prepped. I like AJ too. What Hawk fan doesn't. COACHES KNOW MORE THAN YOU. GET IT?

Know it alls are annoying, get it?

 

[iahawkeyes17]

I would like to see him start taking snaps from Brincks, whom is getting more than AJ. I think we will see more of him in the big ten season.

This is so true. Not saying AJ needs to start over Hesse or A. Nelson but he's a better 3rd option than Brincks who has gotten plenty of playing time and hasn't been that impressive at all, especially last game.

 

[RogerKint]

He's not claiming to know more about the team than the coaches. But sometimes the coaches have different styles than what the fans want to see/what would be good for the team. Ferentz is a very conservative coach. He's willing to keep a stud running back on the bench for a year if he fumbles a few times. He's willing to keep a monster defensive end on the bench because he's a freshman and maybe sometimes leaves his gap.

The argument of "the coaches know more than you about the team so you can't critcize them" is an oversimplification.

No it's not. The coaching staff knows way more than you.

 

[plmac9]

He is not anywhere near as good as Hesse against the run yet. His upside is probably better, but he still needs a lot of reps and game experience to 'start'. It is a good thing that we have a kid who they feel like they have to 'account' for when he comes into the game, but he is still pretty 'raw'. It is going to be fun watching him 'grow' the next 3+ years!!!

Lol. I beg to differ. What has Parker Hesse done that stands out? Eppe has stood out. He needs to be rotated in more.

 

[speed4power]

He is not faster than Hesse. Hesse was a zone read QB and safety in HS with pretty good speed (go watch his hilites). He's a lot bigger now, but he probably is still a 4.7 guy.

If Hesse can still run a true 4.7 flat, I'll eat my hat. AJ ran a 4.7 in high school when he was the same weight that Hesse is now.

Again, I'm not saying AJ should start over Hesse. But put them on the field at the same time.

 

[speed4power]

No it's not. The coaching staff knows way more than you.

You probably think all college football coaches don't even fart, don't you? They are molded by the hands of God and can do no wrong.