Iowa's OL with Akrum Wadley in the open field is going to be a pain in the ass for the Bison defense.
NDSU
- Thread starter GunnerHawk
- Start date
Check out the scores for the last 20 years vs ISU then you wont be blowing your horn quite so loud.
I don't blow my horn regarding ISU. I don't care about them. Looking at the last 20 years of scores shows me that ISU is consistently one of the worst programs in college football. As I gaze at some of those scores you ask me to look at I see some teams blowing ISU out. Some seasons they lose badly several games in a row? So when I look at the scores for the last 20 years and I see 89 wins 153 which is actually a little better than I thought. Sports reference.com has them ranked at 112th best team in the country during the course of their lifetime. Right behind middle tennesee state. This translates to never being able to toot my horn for beating them. They are a terrible terrible football program. that is all.
He meant look at the scores for the last 20 years of Iowa vs. Iowa St. and you would see way too many close games and losses for Iowa against one of the worst programs in college football.
You are correct, they are not a good program, but it is incredibly ignorant to pretend that Iowa does not consistently struggle against Iowa St., even when we have an undefeated regular season and the Clones win 3 games all year.
Iowa didn't blow out Iowa St. last year and went to the BIGCG, yet if they don't blow out NDSU (a better program) they have no business competing for a BIG championship? Ok...
You are correct, they are not a good program, but it is incredibly ignorant to pretend that Iowa does not consistently struggle against Iowa St., even when we have an undefeated regular season and the Clones win 3 games all year.
Iowa didn't blow out Iowa St. last year and went to the BIGCG, yet if they don't blow out NDSU (a better program) they have no business competing for a BIG championship? Ok...
Yes, I do but I'm not sure your point. NDSU is a good team but they'd worry me more if they ran a pistol or a spread offense.
I agree that Iowa should win this handily. When looking at all the positions where is a spot where NDSU has an edge on Iowa? We own both lines, have CJ (no wentz for them) with Kittle at TE and solid trio of RBs, their best player is their LB (read made Butkus watch list) but Iowa has Jewell and Neimann returning. Our secondary is loaded. Just not seeing it for the Bison. Only area I could maybe think of is kicking game with the unknown situation of our P and K. That's about it.
I know UNI 14' game makes some nervous but in that game David Johnson was the best offensive skill player on the field and his 200+ receiving yards kept them in it for most of the game.
I know UNI 14' game makes some nervous but in that game David Johnson was the best offensive skill player on the field and his 200+ receiving yards kept them in it for most of the game.
In the last twenty years, Iowa has won ten and lost ten games versus isu. During that period, eight of the Iowa wins were by a final margin of 10 or more points . The most lopsided Hawk victories included a 43 point win in 1997, a 32 point win in 2009, the 28 point difference of 2010 and by 25 points in 1996. The total point differential of all twenty games stands at 122 in favor of Iowa.
Conversely, isu has won five games in the series during the most recent twenty by a field goal or less. The most lopsided victory for isu was in Ames, 2005 when isu won 23-3 (+20) which was the last time that the clones prevailed by a double digit margin.
The 'close' games have generally come when isu has won the game, not when Iowa is the victor.
Just giving you a hard time because you said "Illinois State was a tougher schematic challenge." As in the pro style is easier is an easier system for which to prepare. I think I misread it so my bad.
Some of the close game losses are a function of the style of play we employ. We are a grind it out, power football team. There can be a much smaller number of possessions in our games even when we are playing well given our style. When our drives stall or we settle for FGs instead of TDs then we put games in jeopardy of being decided by the opponent putting a good drive together or a fluke play/untimely turnover tipping the balance. We are not loaded with Bama/OSU/etc. talent to out talent an opponent with big off-the-script plays.
This style allows us to be upset but also allows us to knock off someone with far greater talent at times so it's a double edged sword.
ISU wears their victories over us like a badge of honor. In some cases they had a solid team and it was well deserved but we have also lost to some really bad teams in KFs tenure. Bad Minny, directional MAC schools, etc., etc.
Take the good with the bad and the good has been really good.
Just giving you a hard time because you said "Illinois State was a tougher schematic challenge." As in the pro style is easier is an easier system for which to prepare. I think I misread it so my bad.
For Iowa it is I believe. We play a basic 4-3 defense designed to stop the run and keep everything in front of us. In the past we didn't run the nickel or dime very often when teams try to spread us out which leads to mismatches. IE linebackers covering slot receivers 1v1. This seems to be a trend that has changed slightly from Norm to Phil. We are built to execute a pro style offense and stop them IMO
Kansas State was breaking in a new QB in that game ... and it was the very first game of the season. Kansas State ended up being a much better team later in the season than it was early in the season.
I agree with the sentiment that NDSU will pose a great challenge for the Hawks ... definitely an upgrade from Illinois State from last year. Even an upgrade from the Cyclones who we will have faced in the prior week.
However, they will serve as fabulous lead into the Big 10 conference slate. I think that they will be better than Rutgers. The prep that they will provide the Hawks is one of the reasons why I think that the Hawks will pass their first road test of the conference slate against Rutgers with flying colors.
Given that they like to run the ball, that their QB is a mobile guy, and that they have a pretty stingy defense ... it could even serve as a pretty good prep for Northwestern too.
