I'm just as frustrated as most fans on here, but I'll take a step back and focus on a couple of positives before I get into some of my concerns.
Positives:
Josey Jewell played another tremendous game and he will go down as one of the all time great LB's at Iowa. He is playing at an All-American level and plays with a fire and passion that is so fun to watch.
The fake punt completion to AJ was actually a well designed play that clearly confused Michigan State and caught them off guard - one of the few, and I mean very few play calls that wasn't easily predicted before it happened.
Overall the defense played reasonably well - 300 yards given up and only 17 points allowed should win most games. The defense was constantly faced with terrible field position, especially in the first half and they still managed to keep Iowa in the game.
Frustrations:
Tendencies - I believe that I am like a good number of die hard fans who feel like they can predict 80-90% of the offensive play calls before they are made and this game was no different.
* If Iowa audibles at the line - 99% of the time it will be to a running play - if every fan knows this, there is a pretty good chance opposing defenses know this too.
* Most fans welcomed the retirement of Greg Davis because we thought it was the end of the horizontal passing game that saw pointless passes thrown behind the sticks on 3rd down and giving away possessions that start inside the 10 yard line as hopeless before we even run a play. Today felt like a Greg Davis managed game.
Every fan can predict that if the Hawks are facing a 3rd and longer than 7 inside the 10 yard line, it will be a draw to Wadley. There has to be a breakaway from tendencies and an emphasis to open things up to avoid more 30 yard net rushing days in the future.
Teams are loading the box early and often and there is NO room to move for Wadley. For a team with very good Tight Ends and a somewhat mobile QB with a very good arm, I am shocked by so few calls that involve some sort of play action or roll out to the right to give Stanley at least a chance to make a play with his feet if there continues to be the intense pressure brought by opposing defenses.
Bottom line - we need to try out a new punter - it can't get any worse. There is no hang time whatsoever and this team is too dependent on field position and execution to continually give away hidden yards in the punting game.
Josh Jackson had a particularly poor game returning punts today too - the guy needs to camp his feet on the 10 and let anything over his head go into the end zone - 3 times he fair caught inside the 10 and brought one punt out after fielding it IN THE END ZONE - not acceptable.
Having said all of that, I still think Iowa has a good shot to have a very successful season, and by that I mean finishing either 8-4 or 9-3. This game was a game I had pegged as a win, which just means that Iowa will have to win a game down the road that I didn't foresee as a win (OSU at home, at NW or at WIS). The offense needs to get more creative and take more shots downfield - which in turn starts with better pass blocking by the O-line.
The talent is there to get 6 more wins - it will come down to breaking tendencies, limiting mistakes and executing - a message that most fans are getting tired of hearing but will continue to hear. I still like the make up of this team and am excited to continue to watch Josey Jewell finish his career and AJ begin his. The message will be to take it one game at a time, so get the bad taste of this one out right away and come out strong next week and get a blow out win at home.
Positives:
Josey Jewell played another tremendous game and he will go down as one of the all time great LB's at Iowa. He is playing at an All-American level and plays with a fire and passion that is so fun to watch.
The fake punt completion to AJ was actually a well designed play that clearly confused Michigan State and caught them off guard - one of the few, and I mean very few play calls that wasn't easily predicted before it happened.
Overall the defense played reasonably well - 300 yards given up and only 17 points allowed should win most games. The defense was constantly faced with terrible field position, especially in the first half and they still managed to keep Iowa in the game.
Frustrations:
Tendencies - I believe that I am like a good number of die hard fans who feel like they can predict 80-90% of the offensive play calls before they are made and this game was no different.
* If Iowa audibles at the line - 99% of the time it will be to a running play - if every fan knows this, there is a pretty good chance opposing defenses know this too.
* Most fans welcomed the retirement of Greg Davis because we thought it was the end of the horizontal passing game that saw pointless passes thrown behind the sticks on 3rd down and giving away possessions that start inside the 10 yard line as hopeless before we even run a play. Today felt like a Greg Davis managed game.
Every fan can predict that if the Hawks are facing a 3rd and longer than 7 inside the 10 yard line, it will be a draw to Wadley. There has to be a breakaway from tendencies and an emphasis to open things up to avoid more 30 yard net rushing days in the future.
Teams are loading the box early and often and there is NO room to move for Wadley. For a team with very good Tight Ends and a somewhat mobile QB with a very good arm, I am shocked by so few calls that involve some sort of play action or roll out to the right to give Stanley at least a chance to make a play with his feet if there continues to be the intense pressure brought by opposing defenses.
Bottom line - we need to try out a new punter - it can't get any worse. There is no hang time whatsoever and this team is too dependent on field position and execution to continually give away hidden yards in the punting game.
Josh Jackson had a particularly poor game returning punts today too - the guy needs to camp his feet on the 10 and let anything over his head go into the end zone - 3 times he fair caught inside the 10 and brought one punt out after fielding it IN THE END ZONE - not acceptable.
Having said all of that, I still think Iowa has a good shot to have a very successful season, and by that I mean finishing either 8-4 or 9-3. This game was a game I had pegged as a win, which just means that Iowa will have to win a game down the road that I didn't foresee as a win (OSU at home, at NW or at WIS). The offense needs to get more creative and take more shots downfield - which in turn starts with better pass blocking by the O-line.
The talent is there to get 6 more wins - it will come down to breaking tendencies, limiting mistakes and executing - a message that most fans are getting tired of hearing but will continue to hear. I still like the make up of this team and am excited to continue to watch Josey Jewell finish his career and AJ begin his. The message will be to take it one game at a time, so get the bad taste of this one out right away and come out strong next week and get a blow out win at home.
