Hawks win the toss...take ball, defer or play D?

[BigOHawk]

I'd send in the Iowa D right away if I had a preference. Would be nice to get a quick 3 and out, get the ball back and then have it coming out of 2nd half.
Worst case scenario is we elect to receive, go stretch left for -2 yards on 1st, incomplete 2nd down and SP sack on 3rd down. We punt, Mich has good field position, crowd is loud and they have all the momentum early.
Discuss.

 

[His Hawkness]

Not sure if we have been winning the toss or not, but Iowa has kicked off first in a lot of games so far this year and I like it with this offense.

 

[ICWestfan]

Unless you are playing the weak Sisters of the Poor you should never take the kick. With Iowa's D, I win the toss I would ALWAYS defer.

 

[OutbackBowl2017]

Give them the ball twice and ride your D for field position.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

I would not choose to kick. I would defer. I'd have to really love my defense and really hate the other team's offense to choose to kick. Giving the other team the starting possession of both halves is pretty risky....especially if they have an explosive offense...regardless of how good your defense is.

Also, while our defense is good at preventing points, as a bend/don't break defense, it can give up field position and leave us buried deep to start both halves.

 

[IAHUNTER]

Our offense needs as many oppurtunites to score as possible

 

[Packer54]

Defer....no question about it for me.

 

[FWIW4922463]

Defer. Absolutely. Unless the offense is going to come out no-huddle, up-tempo, trick plays, and the works, then hell no. Play defense. That's what KF wants. Offense is that awful time between appearances by the defense. Don't you get that yet? Taking the ball and running Iowa's typical plays would simply be a waste of a possession. Don't do it!

 

[soybean]

Defer....no question about it for me.

Given the relative strengths and weaknesses of our Offense and Defense this is the correct choice.

 

[Dude McHawks]

I'm a firm believer that you put your strongest side on the field first.
That is why I would elect to receive the kickoff, and proceed to either immediately punt or kick a field goal depending on how the return goes.

 

[ichawk24]

DEFER. Kirk has been making that choice lately, hopefully it continues.

 

[Hendy hawk]

I'd send in the Iowa D right away if I had a preference. Would be nice to get a quick 3 and out, get the ball back and then have it coming out of 2nd half.
Worst case scenario is we elect to receive, go stretch left for -2 yards on 1st, incomplete 2nd down and SP sack on 3rd down. We punt, Mich has good field position, crowd is loud and they have all the momentum early.
Discuss.

Such optimism.

 

[hawkifann]

I'd send in the Iowa D right away if I had a preference. Would be nice to get a quick 3 and out, get the ball back and then have it coming out of 2nd half.
Worst case scenario is we elect to receive, go stretch left for -2 yards on 1st, incomplete 2nd down and SP sack on 3rd down. We punt, Mich has good field position, crowd is loud and they have all the momentum early.
Discuss.

I would not choose to send the D in first. If you do that, they get the ball to start both halves, which basically amounts to them getting 1-2 extra possessions in the game. That’s the complete opposite of trying to tighten the game up.

 

[pharmdfd]

I would not choose to send the D in first. If you do that, they get the ball to start both halves, which basically amounts to them getting 1-2 extra possessions in the game. That’s the complete opposite of trying to tighten the game up.

How does a team get the ball first for both halves. That's a new one to me.

 

[mthawkeyes]

How does a team get the ball first for both halves. That's a new one to me.

By choosing to kick (play defense). It's a stupid choice that you may see occasionally at the high school level because one of the captains said "kick". If you want to play defense to start a game, you defer and then the opponent is forced to choose receive.

 

[hawkifann]

How does a team get the ball first for both halves. That's a new one to me.

If I win the toss and choose to kick, I don’t get the ball to start the 2nd half unless the other team chooses to kick in the 2nd….which they won’t. If I use my pick and don’t defer, the other team gets to choose coming out of half.

I’m good with Iowa starting on D first, but that’s why I’d defer. If Michigan chooses to kick then, I get the ball to start both halves….and again, they won’t, because Harbaugh isn’t stupid.

 

[pharmdfd]

If I win the toss and choose to kick, I don’t get the ball to start the 2nd half unless the other team chooses to kick in the 2nd….which they won’t. If I use my pick and don’t defer, the other team gets to choose coming out of half.

I’m good with Iowa starting on D first, but that’s why I’d defer. If Michigan chooses to kick then, I get the ball to start both halves….and again, they won’t, because Harbaugh isn’t stupid.

You defer and kick as no team in their right mind would choose not to receive.

 

[hawkifann]

You defer and kick as no team in their right mind would choose not to receive.

Exactly. In the 2nd half, I’ve seen teams choose field end based on wind, but that‘s only in extreme situations and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen it done in the first half.

 

[AuroraHawk]

If you want your D on the field first, the only answer is to defer. That forces your opponent to start with ball and ensures that you will have the ball to start the second half. If your opponent chooses to start on D, then you have the advantage on the number of offensive possessions (i.e. having the ball to start both halves)

 

[Dude McHawks]

Exactly. In the 2nd half, I’ve seen teams choose field end based on wind, but that‘s only in extreme situations and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen it done in the first half.

Classic Lions Football...Won the toss and took the wind in OT

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

Iowa's choice to defer is usually driven by considerations concerning the direction of the wind and the impact that the weather might have on the game.

Given the venue of the championship game ... that consideration is now moot.

If Ferentz has confidence in the O ... or confidence/hope that the O can move the ball before the D adjusts ... we often take the ball first in order to see if we can score first. If we can put points on the board early ... that often puts more pressure on the opposing O ... and when the opposing O presses ... that plays to the advantage of our D.

If Ferentz feels that the D could get an early stop ... thereby giving us the ball off of a punt ... that can often lead to better field position (compared to from a touchback on kickoff).

Frankly ... I'm not sure what to expect. My guess is that the Hawks will likely take the ball first. We'll see though ...

 

[jonesy5960]

Our offense needs as many oppurtunites to score as possible

Not how it works. You're kicking off to start the game or the second half. Deciding to defer or not has nothing to do with how many possessions you end up with.

 

[markfromj]

If you want to play defense to start a game, you defer and then the opponent is forced to choose receive.

No, they aren’t. They can choose to kick.

 

[Scherrman]

You always want to kick off to start the game.

 

[markfromj]

You always want to kick off to start the game.

If you are Iowa, with the strong D, or anybody?

 

[Scherrman]

If you are Iowa, with the strong D, or anybody?

Whatever I have to do to receive the ball in the second half.

 

[AuroraHawk]

How does a team get the ball first for both halves. That's a new one to me.

If you win the toss and choose to play defense, then the opponent starts with the ball.
For the second half, the opponent gets to choose and they would almost certainly want to start the half with the ball.

 

[hawkifann]

Not how it works. You're kicking off to start the game or the second half. Deciding to defer or not has nothing to do with how many possessions you end up with.

It does if you make the foolish decision to kick first. If you actually choose “kick” and not defer, the other team gets the possession advantage because they start with the ball first both halves.

 

[BBHawk]

I'd send in the Iowa D right away if I had a preference. Would be nice to get a quick 3 and out, get the ball back and then have it coming out of 2nd half.
Worst case scenario is we elect to receive, go stretch left for -2 yards on 1st, incomplete 2nd down and SP sack on 3rd down. We punt, Mich has good field position, crowd is loud and they have all the momentum early.
Discuss.

It's take the ball or defer. There is no wind so no reason to do otherwise.

 

[Bro D]

Even if they defer, we can defer back. Just ask the Bears

 

[markfromj]

Even if they defer, we can defer back. Just ask the Bears

No, we can’t.

 

[obfuscating]

I'd send in the Iowa D right away if I had a preference. Would be nice to get a quick 3 and out, get the ball back and then have it coming out of 2nd half.
Worst case scenario is we elect to receive, go stretch left for -2 yards on 1st, incomplete 2nd down and SP sack on 3rd down. We punt, Mich has good field position, crowd is loud and they have all the momentum early.
Discuss.

I would say we take the ball first, see if Jones can't return it for a TD, if he doesn't we punt on the first down and hope our d can hold?

Or we "identify" as the winner and walk off the field after the toss and celebrate!

 

[Bro D]

No, we can’t.

Sorry, I forgot to use the sarcasm font

 

[hawkisoaker]

This game will require some moments outside the norm, say 5% of the game, maybe 10. Deep balls, blitzes, a fake punt or an unexpected on side kick.
The biggest one will be taking the kick, and going play action deep to Keegan 6 for a TD to start the game, play 1 or 2.
Speaking of on side kicks, I've always wondered since we're a bend don't break D, why not try a few more, since we give up OFF yards but not points?

 

[General Tso]

I'd send in the Iowa D right away if I had a preference. Would be nice to get a quick 3 and out, get the ball back and then have it coming out of 2nd half.
Worst case scenario is we elect to receive, go stretch left for -2 yards on 1st, incomplete 2nd down and SP sack on 3rd down. We punt, Mich has good field position, crowd is loud and they have all the momentum early.
Discuss.

This. Most teams try to keep their defense off the field. Iowa tries to keep its offense off the field.

 

[nbanflfactory]

I would not choose to send the D in first. If you do that, they get the ball to start both halves, which basically amounts to them getting 1-2 extra possessions in the game. That’s the complete opposite of trying to tighten the game up.

I think you know what he meant

 

[pharmdfd]

It does if you make the foolish decision to kick first. If you actually choose “kick” and not defer, the other team gets the possession advantage because they start with the ball first both halves.

I knew how it works, I guess I worded it wrong in that no one EVER does that so talking about the possibility of it is pointless.

 

[AuroraHawk]

Not how it works. You're kicking off to start the game or the second half. Deciding to defer or not has nothing to do with how many possessions you end up with.

That's wrong.

"Deferring" to the second half simply means that you are deferring the decision to kick/receive until the start of the second half. You are then forcing your opponent to choose kick/receive to start the game. If the opponent chooses to kick off to start the game (Iowa gets the ball), that does not mean that, by deferring, Iowa has to kick off to start the second half. Iowa could (and would) choose to receive the ball to start the second half.

 

[83Hawk]

Always defer. Always and without exception.

 

[Jumpshot00]

If Iowa wins the toss and takes the ball, I will be angry from the start. Almost all teams defer because this is the right choice. Kirk often choosing this particular thing to go against the norm is frustrating. Especially since we are not particular good at offense or being aggressive at the end of the first half. Result...teams get the ball to end the half then again to start the second half.