What will be this team's identity?
When we have been most successful we have seemed to have guys on the defensive side of the ball that were leaders. Going back as far as Sanders, Roth, Greenway, Hodge, Clayborn, Angerer to just name a few. I think the closest that we have to that right now is Ott.
Offensively our identity was pretty much the same except for '05 when our running backs were depleted. We ran first, mixed in play action, and played the field position game under O'Keefe.
I bring up this point because I find myself feeling like this year's team will once again lack an identity that every successful team under KF has had. While most may disagree I really believe that O'Keefe gave Iowa an identity on offense that was fit to win specifically at Iowa. We knew what we had and played to those strengths. Defensively we have lacked the toughness needed on that side of the ball since Norm Parker left and I don't see the game changers on that side of the ball needed to compete at a high level.
We need guys to step on both sides of the ball. I am still a supporter of Ferentz, but I feel like we are a year away from getting him the record in the W/L column that will satisfy Hawkeye fans. Hopefully we can put a season together like we did in '08 to get this program back on the right track.
When we have been most successful we have seemed to have guys on the defensive side of the ball that were leaders. Going back as far as Sanders, Roth, Greenway, Hodge, Clayborn, Angerer to just name a few. I think the closest that we have to that right now is Ott.
Offensively our identity was pretty much the same except for '05 when our running backs were depleted. We ran first, mixed in play action, and played the field position game under O'Keefe.
I bring up this point because I find myself feeling like this year's team will once again lack an identity that every successful team under KF has had. While most may disagree I really believe that O'Keefe gave Iowa an identity on offense that was fit to win specifically at Iowa. We knew what we had and played to those strengths. Defensively we have lacked the toughness needed on that side of the ball since Norm Parker left and I don't see the game changers on that side of the ball needed to compete at a high level.
We need guys to step on both sides of the ball. I am still a supporter of Ferentz, but I feel like we are a year away from getting him the record in the W/L column that will satisfy Hawkeye fans. Hopefully we can put a season together like we did in '08 to get this program back on the right track.
