Flashback - Our Loss to NDSU - A key feature we tend not to talk about ....

[ghostOfHomer777]

Iowa fans like to emphasize how our inability to run the ball was a huge contributor to our loss in that game - and that is certainly true. Our top 2 O-linemen may have been out in that game - but you'd expect that the Hawks still ought to have been able to muster some form of rushing attack.

HOWEVER ... how about Iowa's inability to STOP the run ... especially in the second half?! NDSU pounded the rock for roughly 240 yards on us ... and that was with Jaleel Johnson at DT, Josey Jewell at LB, and Desmond King at CB! How could that happen to the Hawks?

While many Iowa fans are rightly concerned about how the Hawks might game-plan things to account for Sutton Smith. However, I'd contend that JUST AS IMPORTANTLY .... we need the D to shut down the NIU rushing game! Childers is a guy who will force the D to have to defend an extra gap. Containing the NIU rushing attack may prove easier said than done.

If the Hawks allow for NIU to rush for 200+ yards ... we may find ourselves lamenting another upset loss.

If the Hawks limit NIU's running game ... then the Hawks might surprise us all by rolling NIU.

We'll have to wait and see what happens!

 

[paladinhawk]

The defense seemed to be really gassed in the 2nd half against NDSU. I don't know if it was related to the heat / level of motivation???

I hope with the depth / playing some frosh (that might not have played until the new red shirt rule) / competition to be a starter that the defense goes all out for four quarters. I expect some mistakes, but hope the intensity level is ramped up the entire game.

 

[DutchyFunStar]

The DL should see more rotation which will help tremendously.

 

[Half-Full Hawk]

Bad memory... but good point. NDSU doing the ground-pound on us was maddening. NIU will pose a challenge in that regard. They have all starting O-Lineman back, including one of the top tackles in the country. They have solid backs too. Here's a blurb from USA Today on Sharping:

6. Max Scharping, Northern Illinois
It doesn’t matter that he plays in the MAC: Scharping would be a stud at any program in the country. The last time he allowed a sack? That would be in the 2015 Poinsettia Bowl. Yeah, three seasons ago. Statistically, there’s no better pass blocker in the country.

 

[gojojo]

Our offense couldn't sustain drives leaving the D on the field most of the 2nd half. I rarely blame losses on our defense.

 

[StallmanCurse]

After Iowa hired Polesek, GIA wrote a great article breaking down how NDSU got creative with pulling G's to confuse the shit out of Iowa's LB's.

 

[EpenesaEpenesa]

The NDSU staff put on a clinic against the Iowa staff that day, both sides of the ball

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

The defense seemed to be really gassed in the 2nd half against NDSU. I don't know if it was related to the heat / level of motivation???

I hope with the depth / playing some frosh (that might not have played until the new red shirt rule) / competition to be a starter that the defense goes all out for four quarters. I expect some mistakes, but hope the intensity level is ramped up the entire game.

I think that the Hawks were possibly still feeling a little too "high and mighty" after the success of the 2015 season. We had also murdered a transitioning Iowa State squad the prior week ... so I definitely think that overconfidence could have crept in to some degree.

However, I'd also say that the DL definitely got a bit gassed. I believe that Bazata may also have already been dinged a that point ... and Jaleel was excellent ... but he was also limited in terms of how many quality reps he could give you. I think that was another contributing consideration for why the Hawks have adopted a newer philosophy as it relates to rotating guys on the DL ... you don't want to have guys have to "measure" their effort. You want them to put it all out there ... and then rotate guys to help keep them fresh so that they can do it!

Being a rock-solid rotation of 4-guys at DE definitely ought to help. I expect high quality snaps from both Matt Nelson and Sam Brincks ... and we'll also benefit from Hesse rotating to the inside on pass-rushing downs. However, we'll definitely have to see Linderbaum and Jansen help supply some quality snaps too ... in order to keep Brincks and M. Nelson adequately fresh. The good news is that I really think that for a local guy like Linderbaum ... all the reps he'll get will mean a lot to him. Thus, I expect for us to see tremendous effort from him on those snaps.

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

The NDSU staff put on a clinic against the Iowa staff that day, both sides of the ball

LOL ... no pulling any punches with that comment!

I remember that after that game ... you were already mentioning how you'd like to see Polasek on our staff. Wish granted!

 

[nu2u]

If they haven't already, I would suggest that the players get a little pep talk reminder from the NDSU Offensive Coordinator and mastermind of the game plan that overwhelmed the Hawkeye defense that day ..... none other than current OL coach Tim Polasek.

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

If they haven't already, I would suggest that the players get a little pep talk reminder from the NDSU Offensive Coordinator and mastermind of the game plan that overwhelmed the Hawkeye defense that day ..... none other than current OL coach Tim Polasek.

Polasek also coached for NIU in 2013 ... he's a little too good at coaching teams when they're facing our Hawks. I wonder if he can provide some insider insight into how NIU might try to attack Iowa's D? For that matter, Copeland was on NIU's coaching staff for a good while too ... both in the capacity of RB-coach and then WR-coach. Hopefully, he can provide Phil with some good intel too.

 

[EpenesaEpenesa]

LOL ... no pulling any punches with that comment!

I remember that after that game ... you were already mentioning how you'd like to see Polasek on our staff. Wish granted!

They did man. It felt like they were in Iowa's huddle all day.

 

[BlackNGoldBleeder]

IIRC, outside of Jaleel there was not a lot of experience on the DL. 2016 was very similar to 2005, as Iowa came in with high expectations but was breaking in a lot of first-year starters on the defensive line. Both the 2005 and 2016 teams struggled as a result. In 2018, that should not be the case, as the D-Line should be the strength of the defense.

Iowa got flat outcoached in the NDState game. Their stubborn persistence in trying to establish the run late in that game led to a lot of short possessions which kept the defense on the field longer, resulting in them wearing down late.

The biggest concern going into this season is the offensive line. The past two seasons they have not shown an ability to pass block with any sort of consistency and have not consistently dominated in the run game (unless they were playing a weak, sorry ass defense like Nebraska). To me, the season hinges on the growth and depth of the offensive line. I'm confident in our defense and think the D-Line will help ease the growing pains of our talented but inexperienced linebacker crew. I like our quarterback, like our running backs, love our TEs, and think we have some playmakers at WR who should provide better production than we've had in years.

The question is: has the offensive line grown up enough to make this Iowa team really competitive? Saturday will give us a pretty good glimpse in terms of depth and improvement.

 

[Johnsoda123]

I think that the Hawks were possibly still feeling a little too "high and mighty" after the success of the 2015 season. We had also murdered a transitioning Iowa State squad the prior week ... so I definitely think that overconfidence could have crept in to some degree.

However, I'd also say that the DL definitely got a bit gassed. I believe that Bazata may also have already been dinged a that point ... and Jaleel was excellent ... but he was also limited in terms of how many quality reps he could give you. I think that was another contributing consideration for why the Hawks have adopted a newer philosophy as it relates to rotating guys on the DL ... you don't want to have guys have to "measure" their effort. You want them to put it all out there ... and then rotate guys to help keep them fresh so that they can do it!

Being a rock-solid rotation of 4-guys at DE definitely ought to help. I expect high quality snaps from both Matt Nelson and Sam Brincks ... and we'll also benefit from Hesse rotating to the inside on pass-rushing downs. However, we'll definitely have to see Linderbaum and Jansen help supply some quality snaps too ... in order to keep Brincks and M. Nelson adequately fresh. The good news is that I really think that for a local guy like Linderbaum ... all the reps he'll get will mean a lot to him. Thus, I expect for us to see tremendous effort from him on those snaps.

It's funny that we have barely heard a word about AJ during fall camp. I'm taking that as a good thing. I'm hoping he puts the football world on notice Saturday. I'm also hoping Golston is included in certain packages. Really like long and lean DL.

 

[amahawk]

Iowa fans like to emphasize how our inability to run the ball was a huge contributor to our loss in that game - and that is certainly true. Our top 2 O-linemen may have been out in that game - but you'd expect that the Hawks still ought to have been able to muster some form of rushing attack.

HOWEVER ... how about Iowa's inability to STOP the run ... especially in the second half?! NDSU pounded the rock for roughly 240 yards on us ... and that was with Jaleel Johnson at DT, Josey Jewell at LB, and Desmond King at CB! How could that happen to the Hawks?

While many Iowa fans are rightly concerned about how the Hawks might game-plan things to account for Sutton Smith. However, I'd contend that JUST AS IMPORTANTLY .... we need the D to shut down the NIU rushing game! Childers is a guy who will force the D to have to defend an extra gap. Containing the NIU rushing attack may prove easier said than done.

If the Hawks allow for NIU to rush for 200+ yards ... we may find ourselves lamenting another upset loss.

If the Hawks limit NIU's running game ... then the Hawks might surprise us all by rolling NIU.

We'll have to wait and see what happens!

Iowa was dominated by NDSU that game. I was shocked how they looked so pathetic on defense. No game is a gimme.

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

IIRC, outside of Jaleel there was not a lot of experience on the DL. 2016 was very similar to 2005, as Iowa came in with high expectations but was breaking in a lot of first-year starters on the defensive line. Both the 2005 and 2016 teams struggled as a result. In 2018, that should not be the case, as the D-Line should be the strength of the defense.

Iowa got flat outcoached in the NDState game. Their stubborn persistence in trying to establish the run late in that game led to a lot of short possessions which kept the defense on the field longer, resulting in them wearing down late.

The bigger key was depth. Jaeel, Bazata, and Hesse each saw an extensive number of starts in '16. Faith finally put things together and proved to be a pretty consistent contributor in '16 ... but he was our only other option at DT. As for DE ... Matt Nelson was a first year starter at DE and Anthony Nelson was a fresh-faced RS FR. On top of all that, Hesse benefitted a ton from Drew Ott's help when prepping for games in '15 .... however, he was more on his own in '16.

On top of the above considerations, Hesse started the season dinged (from the off-season) ... and that slowed his play early in the season. Consequently, Anthony Nelson received a lot more high quality reps at BOTH LDE and RDE than would have been ideal. For a young player, it can be hard enough to get down technique for just one of the DE spots ... but Anthony was required to execute at both (out of necessity).

If you look back to the '16 season, we got exploited at the edges quite a bit (particularly with runs to the edges).

Also, '16 was the year when the Hawks got absolutely GASHED by the run when using the Raider package. The death of the Raider package gave rise to our NASCAR package that we now observe.

Against NIU, I like our experience and depth at DE ... furthermore, I like our starters at DT ... however, the depth at DT is my bigger concern. It will be nice when we get back Reiff and Lattimore. What might surprise some folks ... is that it might be tough for Lattimore and Reiff to wrestle the starting DT spot away from Brincks. I'll be interested to see how things at DT end up playing out ...

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

Iowa was dominated by NDSU that game. I was shocked how they looked so pathetic on defense. No game is a gimme.

You know what ... as I think about it ... Iowa's D was surprisingly young. The primary spots where you'd expect our leadership to come would be from our SRs. Our SRs on that D were Jaleel Johnson, Desmond King, and Greg Mabin. However, of those SRs, only King was ever truly noted for his leadership. The only other noted leader of the D was Jewell.

When you're against the ropes ... trying to respond to adversity ... those are the occasions when you tend to lean on your leadership the most. Given the relative youth of the D and the lack of leadership ... I'm now seeing a little bit more context for WHY we ended up seeing what we saw in '16.

It's also worth noting that Bower was a new starter at WILL for us at season ... and Ben Niemann was coming off of a shoulder injury ... and his play was less than impressive for nearly the first half of the season. When Ben's play finally turned the corner ... our defensive play seemed to turn with it! I don't know if that was coincidence or not ... but it was certainly a factor.

It will be interesting to see where the leadership comes from for the '18 D. It sounds like Hesse and Matt Nelson are significant leaders. Furthermore, it sounds like Amani Jones is trying to pick up that mantle too. Lastly, since BOTH Amani Hooker and Jake Gervase were voted onto the leadership council ... they're likely some leaders for the D too.

Will all those guys step up and be strong leaders for us? Will other guys emerge (as leaders) too?

 

[BlackNGoldBleeder]

The bigger key was depth. Jaeel, Bazata, and Hesse each saw an extensive number of starts in '16. Faith finally put things together and proved to be a pretty consistent contributor in '16 ... but he was our only other option at DT. As for DE ... Matt Nelson was a first year starter at DE and Anthony Nelson was a fresh-faced RS FR. On top of all that, Hesse benefitted a ton from Drew Ott's help when prepping for games in '15 .... however, he was more on his own in '16.

On top of the above considerations, Hesse started the season dinged (from the off-season) ... and that slowed his play early in the season. Consequently, Anthony Nelson received a lot more high quality reps at BOTH LDE and RDE than would have been ideal. For a young player, it can be hard enough to get down technique for just one of the DE spots ... but Anthony was required to execute at both (out of necessity).

If you look back to the '16 season, we got exploited at the edges quite a bit (particularly with runs to the edges).

Also, '16 was the year when the Hawks got absolutely GASHED by the run when using the Raider package. The death of the Raider package gave rise to our NASCAR package that we now observe.

Against NIU, I like our experience and depth at DE ... furthermore, I like our starters at DT ... however, the depth at DT is my bigger concern. It will be nice when we get back Reiff and Lattimore. What might surprise some folks ... is that it might be tough for Lattimore and Reiff to wrestle the starting DT spot away from Brincks. I'll be interested to see how things at DT end up playing out ...

So, we're in agreement about the difference being depth and experience? Obviously, you went into much more detail than I did, but I think we are essentially saying the same thing.

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

So, we're in agreement about the difference being depth and experience? Obviously, you went into much more detail than I did, but I think we are essentially saying the same thing.

In terms of depth and experience ... YES, we're definitely in agreement. However, a big point in contrast is that in '05, the Hawks were breaking in 4 new starters on the DL. In '16, the Hawks were only really breaking in 1 new starter.

It was as a result of our depth issues on the DL in '15 and '16 that we could start reading Marc Morehouse write articles commenting about "snap counts" for our D-linemen.

 

[theiacowtipper]

A horrifically bad holding penalty didn’t help.

 

[BlackNGoldBleeder]

In terms of depth and experience ... YES, we're definitely in agreement. However, a big point in contrast is that in '05, the Hawks were breaking in 4 new starters on the DL. In '16, the Hawks were only really breaking in 1 new starter.

It was as a result of our depth issues on the DL in '15 and '16 that we could start reading Marc Morehouse write articles commenting about "snap counts" for our D-linemen.

Yes, the two teams are not mirror images of each other, no two teams really ever are, but the 2016 team, especially with Ott not granted an extra year, had minimal experience outside of Jaleel.

 

[grayhair81]

So, having two of the top-4 DTs suspended could be a problem? We think we have a ton of depth at the position but do we? About the time one starter goes down Saturday, a newbie is going to be thrust onto the stage quickly. I just hope the coaches got the message through to the four guys who are out. This team has the potential to be really good but not if there is a 2010 mindset poisoning the team.

 

[Johnsoda123]

So, having two of the top-4 DTs suspended could be a problem? We think we have a ton of depth at the position but do we? About the time one starter goes down Saturday, a newbie is going to be thrust onto the stage quickly. I just hope the coaches got the message through to the four guys who are out. This team has the potential to be really good but not if there is a 2010 mindset poisoning the team.

Nelson, Brincks, Linderbaum plus Hesse and Golston can slide over. Least of our worries.

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

Yes, the two teams are not mirror images of each other, no two teams really ever are, but the 2016 team, especially with Ott not granted an extra year, had minimal experience outside of Jaleel.

But both Bazata and Hesse were returning starters too. So why would returning a year of starts be considered minimal experience? What is true is that Jaleel was a SR, Bazata was a JR, and Hesse was just a SO. Thus, while Hesse may have had experience ... he still was a "young guy."

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

Nelson, Brincks, Linderbaum plus Hesse and Golston can slide over. Least of our worries.

Hesse would only slide over situationally ... Brincks is full-time at DT now (or so it appears). However, it's true that Golston could probably give us some reps at DT too (at least in a pinch).

However, folks are forgetting that Jansen saw quality snaps last year - thus, he might find his way into the DT rotational too. Furthermore, Reece Morgan thought highly enough of Jacobus to have him on the depth chart last spring ... so he's likely able to contribute in a pinch too.

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

So, having two of the top-4 DTs suspended could be a problem? We think we have a ton of depth at the position but do we? About the time one starter goes down Saturday, a newbie is going to be thrust onto the stage quickly. I just hope the coaches got the message through to the four guys who are out. This team has the potential to be really good but not if there is a 2010 mindset poisoning the team.

I can name a plethora of seasons when the Hawk DL only had a 3-man rotation ... and, even then, they'd rarely sub past the starters.

I agree that the Hawks are not in an ideal situation for the NIU game - but we've had better teams that were more precariously positioned too.

 

[Pepperman]

The biggest concern going into this season is the offensive line. The past two seasons they have not shown an ability to pass block with any sort of consistency and have not consistently dominated in the run game (unless they were playing a weak, sorry ass defense like Nebraska). To me, the season hinges on the growth and depth of the offensive line. I'm confident in our defense and think the D-Line will help ease the growing pains of our talented but inexperienced linebacker crew. I like our quarterback, like our running backs, love our TEs, and think we have some playmakers at WR who should provide better production than we've had in years.

You are exactly right. If the interior OL can't get up to speed and it causes problems with both running and passing, Iowa will waste a pretty talented crop of RBs/TEs, the QB, and (as usual) a good defense this year.

 

[anon_gjzkhykcp9iuj]

Other than losing, the only thing I really remember from that game is how I loved the NDSU offense and its misdirection and multiple looks out of essentially the same sets, and how I wish Iowa did some of that stuff.