Need for more creative play-calling

[Bryzzo]

What I would like to see:

1. Either TOTALLY STOP trying to audible at the line or at the very least practice a "dummy" audible play where Stanley actually audibles to a FORWARD PASS play instead of a negative 4 yard rush where all three of the opposing teams LB's are in our backfield as the RB gets the ball because every fan knows that 99% of the time we audible to a run play. I personally scream at the TV every time I see Stanley audible....I swear that ISM could potentially be open by a 10 yard cushion if we set this "dummy" audible play up at the right time....say against Wisconsin in the opening series of the game perhaps....

2. Design some roll out plays for Stanley to get him out of the pocket and throwing on the run. If we are constantly getting blitzed, find ways to avoid the middle rush that seems to be knocking our Guards off the play almost immediately after the snap.

3. Re-discover the tunnel / bubble screen and use it with ISM and possibly as a way to get Oliver Martin some touches in the game.

4. Use Goodson and Sargent as slot receivers and get some quick slants and hot routes developed into the game plan. Both guys are good receivers - give them some chances to make guys miss in the open field.

5. Use some up tempo at least a couple of series a game.

 

[NevadaHawk]

We need to better execute the plays that are called.

 

[Bryzzo]

Execution will always be the answer to every Ferentz coached question about the offense.

We have good enough athletes and playmakers at RB and WR this year to be able to be to get more creative.

As fans we have always heard that Iowa isn't sexy.....well I say that Goodson and the Smiths have enough talent to bring sexy back....this team should be scoring 30 plus points a game. The Guard situation on the O-line has to be fixed....might involve more playing time for the true freshman Britt....

 

[David1979]

They have done all of those things.

 

[hawkeyekid]

The biggest thing, IMO, is getting Stanley moving a little bit. Watch the game and I'm betting 95% of the time, you could draw a circle where he will be and there is no threat of him ever taking off.

 

[Bryzzo]

I 100% agree - there is literally no threat at all for Stanley breaking the pocket and making a play - makes it much easier to bring the heat when there is little chance of being burned.

 

[Niko13]

People say it's not coaching, it's execution. This has been the battle cry for Ferentz apologists for 19 years now. At some point you would think that they'd start to realize that in addition to calling plays, coaches are the ones who teach execution in practices as well. If it's a constant execution problem then that also becomes a direct result of poor teachings.

 

[Hawkeyenuts66]

The biggest thing, IMO, is getting Stanley moving a little bit. Watch the game and I'm betting 95% of the time, you could draw a circle where he will be and there is no threat of him ever taking off.

I'm actually buying into this thought process as well. The defense has no need to spy the QB because he in no threat to run. That allows the defense multiple options with their coverage schemes, run defense or blitz packages.

 

[Hawkeyenuts66]

People say it's not coaching, it's execution. This has been the battle cry for Ferentz apologists for 19 years now. At some point you would think that they'd start to realize that in addition to calling plays, coaches are the ones who teach execution in practices as well. If it's a constant execution problem then that also becomes a direct result of poor teachings.

Wouldn't player execution be one of the fundamental responsibilities of coaching? Lack of player execution = Poor teaching IMO.

 

[Niko13]

Wouldn't player execution be one of the fundamental responsibilities of coaching? Lack of player execution = Poor teaching IMO.

Yes, that's what I'm saying

 

[Hawkeyenuts66]

Yes, that's what I'm saying

Poor wording on my part, I was agreeing with you. I suppose my question would be for those that say it isn't coaching.

 

[H4wkfan4life]

The biggest thing, IMO, is getting Stanley moving a little bit. Watch the game and I'm betting 95% of the time, you could draw a circle where he will be and there is no threat of him ever taking off.

It just makes zero sense to me. Early on he showed a willingness to use his feet and then all the sudden he just stopped! Is he not allowed to leave the pocket vs top 20 teams or something?

 

[NorthDSMHawk]

1. Either TOTALLY STOP trying to audible at the line or at the very least practice a "dummy" audible play where Stanley actually audibles to a FORWARD PASS play instead of a negative 4 yard rush where all three of the opposing teams LB's are in our backfield as the RB gets the ball because every fan knows that 99% of the time we audible to a run play. I personally scream at the TV every time I see Stanley audible....I swear that ISM could potentially be open by a 10 yard cushion if we set this "dummy" audible play up at the right time....say against Wisconsin in the opening series of the game perhaps....

I'm not sure where you'd like us to audible, if not at the line. That's actually what you are supposed to do. And we do audible to a pass at times. It isn't as common, but we do it. That is on the QB to read what he sees in the defense. Nate made a very poor and very apparent audible last game which you reference, no doubt.

2. Design some roll out plays for Stanley to get him out of the pocket and throwing on the run. If we are constantly getting blitzed, find ways to avoid the middle rush that seems to be knocking our Guards off the play almost immediately after the snap.

We do this. Hell, the play by play guys specifically mentioned us doing it a few times in one series alone last game.

3. Re-discover the tunnel / bubble screen and use it with ISM and possibly as a way to get Oliver Martin some touches in the game.

We have. ISM scored on it during the Miami of Ohio game I believe. KOK used to get berated on here for using it too often.

4. Use Goodson and Sargent as slot receivers and get some quick slants and hot routes developed into the game plan. Both guys are good receivers - give them some chances to make guys miss in the open field.

Again, we do this. But 1) Nate is pretty poor at throwing quick slants/outs because he has poor touch and doesn't lead well. See the endzone pass from last game for an example. 2) Slants are not always open and an easy way to get picked by a LB sliding outside into a soft zone.

5. Use some up tempo at least a couple of series a game.

Again, we do this. We've done it numerous times this year.

 

[nu2u]

Either TOTALLY STOP trying to audible at the line or at the very least practice a "dummy" audible play where Stanley actually audibles to a FORWARD PASS play instead of a negative 4 yard rush where all three of the opposing teams LB's are in our backfield as the RB gets the ball because every fan knows that 99% of the time we audible to a run play. I personally scream at the TV every time I see Stanley audible.....

I'm with you on this one Bryzzo. It is by far my biggest pet peeve. My wife (pics later) is a very casual football fan and even she knows what is going to happen next. You see the LBs and Safeties walk up closer to the LOS and leaning forward as Stanley is calling the audible. For the life of me, I can't understand why Ferentz can't see that it is not working. Beathard had much more latitude on audibles, they must not trust Stanley as much. I liked your other suggestions as well.

 

[Hawk_4shur]

People say it's not coaching, it's execution. This has been the battle cry for Ferentz apologists for 19 years now. At some point you would think that they'd start to realize that in addition to calling plays, coaches are the ones who teach execution in practices as well. If it's a constant execution problem then that also becomes a direct result of poor teachings.

No, I don't think I see that. I see, "It's not play calling, it's execution". And, everyone knows that the coaches are responsible for coaching execution as well as play calling.

Against two excellent defenses, it appeared that BF could call any play in the book .... and it probably wasn't going to work much better than the plays they did run. Those two defenses were better than Iowa's offense. Of course that comes down to coaching.

According to some, there are only two positions on this subject. Either you are outraged at something, or you are an "apologist". Well, no one here has to apologize for KF. I am pretty sure he is more successful in his life than most, if not all, posters.

 

[HawkSTL]

We need to block better. You can’t play-call around unblocked or lightly blocked A gap and B gap defenders.

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

They haven't done toss....They could try that.

 

[hwk23]

What I would like to see:

1. Either TOTALLY STOP trying to audible at the line or at the very least practice a "dummy" audible play where Stanley actually audibles to a FORWARD PASS play instead of a negative 4 yard rush where all three of the opposing teams LB's are in our backfield as the RB gets the ball because every fan knows that 99% of the time we audible to a run play. I personally scream at the TV every time I see Stanley audible....I swear that ISM could potentially be open by a 10 yard cushion if we set this "dummy" audible play up at the right time....say against Wisconsin in the opening series of the game perhaps....

2. Design some roll out plays for Stanley to get him out of the pocket and throwing on the run. If we are constantly getting blitzed, find ways to avoid the middle rush that seems to be knocking our Guards off the play almost immediately after the snap.

3. Re-discover the tunnel / bubble screen and use it with ISM and possibly as a way to get Oliver Martin some touches in the game.

4. Use Goodson and Sargent as slot receivers and get some quick slants and hot routes developed into the game plan. Both guys are good receivers - give them some chances to make guys miss in the open field.

5. Use some up tempo at least a couple of series a game.

Let's run some designed QB runs early, maybe out of the empty set. Need to add a threat and get Stanley in a groove. Also, agree don't audible or vastly change-up audibles and go up tempo much more.

 

[pharmdfd]

Remember that time we played OSU and were so concerned about their pass rush that they rolled out Stanley consistently to keep him from getting sacked? That, was, AWESOME!

 

[Burbank84]

People say it's not coaching, it's execution. This has been the battle cry for Ferentz apologists for 19 years now. At some point you would think that they'd start to realize that in addition to calling plays, coaches are the ones who teach execution in practices as well. If it's a constant execution problem then that also becomes a direct result of poor teachings.

That sums it up. The lack of execution excuse in any team sport is a way to divert blame away from the coaches.

 

[Airbhghater]

I just want to point out something that as a former football coach, could possibly shed some light on the one audible that looked atrocious where we ran right into the blitzer.

In the past couple of years PSU, along with a few other teams, but especially them, have seen us audible away from an obvious blitzer and they have then slanted their line away from said blitzer and right to our audible. People have bitched about that because it doesn’t usually work.

So it is my thought/opinion that part of the game plan was if we saw that blitzer come up, we would actually run at him, thinking that the line would be slanting away from him and he would be the only guy we would have to beat. Obviously the play didn’t work, but I think that was the thought process more so than Stanley making a ridiculous audible.

 

[retrodent]

Illinois put up 24 on Michigan

 

[Kinnick.At.Night]

That sums it up. The lack of execution excuse in any team sport is a way to divert blame away from the coaches.

Here’s the thing. Each of the obvious issues that armchair OCs and HCs can see....our coaches can also see. Just like a math major understands basic arithmetic. The classic “coaches are idiots” rant is a layman’s way to explain a team’s lack of success. Because when there’s a lack of knowledge to explain specific nuts and bolts, it’s a lot easier to blame the entire machine. Unfortunately, it usually doesn’t make any sense. So, what explanation does that leave for Iowa’s glaring problems? Either nobody gives a shit or there’s a execution problem.

 

[HawkeyeLaker]

Here’s the thing. Just like a math major understands basic arithmetic. The classic “coaches are idiots” rant is a layman’s way to explain a team’s lack of success.

Since you brought up basic math, hear me out.

This past Friday night, I was watching the 2017 replay of the Iowa-PSU Kinnick night game on BTN. Akrum Wadley scores on a run with 1:30 left in the game giving us a 4 point lead. The next scene is our extra point kicking team which kicks the extra point giving us a meaningless 1 point. But right before our guy kicks it, I see the refs running in with the timeout signal. The next scene we are lined up going for a two point conversion.

In summary, this coaching staff got a TD to go up 4 points, and sends out our extra point kicking team. They then realize they are going for a meaningless 1 point, have to call a timeout, and then send the offense onto the field to attempt the 2 point conversion which would have put us up by 6 points. So in basic math terms, this coaching staff flunks.

 

[Kinnick.At.Night]

Since you brought up basic math, hear me out.

This past Friday night, I was watching the 2017 replay of the Iowa-PSU Kinnick night game on BTN. Akrum Wadley scores on a run with 1:30 left in the game giving us a 4 point lead. The next scene is our extra point kicking team which kicks the extra point giving us a meaningless 1 point. But right before our guy kicks it, I see the refs running in with the timeout signal. The next scene we are lined up going for a two point conversion.

In summary, this coaching staff got a TD to go up 4 points, and sends out our extra point kicking team. They then realize they are going for a meaningless 1 point, have to call a timeout, and then send the offense onto the field to attempt the 2 point conversion which would have put us up by 6 points. So in basic math terms, this coaching staff flunks.

Fire them all. Hire you.

 

[HawkeyeLaker]

Fire them all. Hire you.

Thanks for your support. The first question (of many I would ask) is who thought it was OK to have only one audible play for 20 years.

 

[Kinnick.At.Night]

Thanks for your support. The first question (of many I would ask) is who thought it was OK to have only one audible play for 20 years.

Good for you.

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

That sums it up. The lack of execution excuse in any team sport is a way to divert blame away from the coaches.

Okay.....


I'm sure you blamed your coach whenever you made a mistake (lack of execution) playing a sport.........if you played sports.

Or maybe you just didn't realize at the time, that it wasn't actually your fault and that you shouldn't have ever truly taken the blame, because it was on the coach for putting you on the field and failing to coach you up into a better player in the first place.

#be the victim

How's that sound?..........

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

I still recommend we try the RB Toss, but that's just me.............


Also, how about this throwback to try to counter Wisconsin's 3-4 defense?




Huh?....Guys?....Hey come on now, hear me out.

What if we didn't take two minutes to approach the LOS and diagnose the defense before running each individual play............what if, instead, every once in a while, we broke the huddle..........and just rushed to the line out of the I-formation (similar to what you see from Emmetsburg in the video), and just plowed ahead with good old-fashioned fast-off-the-ball, downhill blocking and running?

It would definitely throw a wrench into whatever Wisconsin was hoping to accomplish in terms of applying pressure and stopping our run game.

And it's not like this has to be a wholesale change. We still need to pass the ball, and we don't have to schematically alter anything. It'd just be simple up-tempo, downhill running out of the I every once in a while when we want to run the ball and perhaps not let Wisconsin go through their own defensive reads.

I mean why the f*** not at this point considering the fact that if we play like we are now running the ball, when we go to Madison.....we may actually do WORSE than the Michigan game, and we won't just have 1 yard rushing because Stanley took a bunch of sacks.


Just sayin, Brian........




P.S. I do not like Emmetsburg. We had to play them quite a bit when I was growing up and through HS. But you had to respect their success and they certainly had a system that worked.

 

[win1forthe]

Illinois put up 24 on Michigan

And I believe that was their QB’s first start.

 

[Call me rocket]

Maybe, but will play calling really do the job if we just don't have the talent? offensive coordinators in D1 sports in power five conferences literally spend thousands and thousands of hours breaking down offensive schemes trying to get more production. It’s a million/billion dollar business that millions of people wAtch each weekend. I think it’s the Jim’s and joes for the most part. Yes, maybe other things could be tried, but I think bf is not nearly as conservative as dad and does try lots of things, many we prob aren’t even aware of. We may not be good enough to do it against our competition.

 

[Titanhawk2]

Wouldn't player execution be one of the fundamental responsibilities of coaching? Lack of player execution = Poor teaching IMO.

Good lord, no. Do the players have any responsibility in your mind?

 

[Call me rocket]

The hole execution thing we hear kf point to all the time is a pet peeve of mine. Yes execution is critical, but....it’s hard to execute if the player you need to execute against is better than you. I can know what I am supposed to do on every play of the game, and be ready to do it, but try executing against someone who may be bigger faster stronger or just better than you. Execution will be very difficult

 

[hawkisoaker]

What I would like to see:

1. Either TOTALLY STOP trying to audible at the line or at the very least practice a "dummy" audible play where Stanley actually audibles to a FORWARD PASS play instead of a negative 4 yard rush where all three of the opposing teams LB's are in our backfield as the RB gets the ball because every fan knows that 99% of the time we audible to a run play. I personally scream at the TV every time I see Stanley audible....I swear that ISM could potentially be open by a 10 yard cushion if we set this "dummy" audible play up at the right time....say against Wisconsin in the opening series of the game perhaps....

2. Design some roll out plays for Stanley to get him out of the pocket and throwing on the run. If we are constantly getting blitzed, find ways to avoid the middle rush that seems to be knocking our Guards off the play almost immediately after the snap.

3. Re-discover the tunnel / bubble screen and use it with ISM and possibly as a way to get Oliver Martin some touches in the game.

4. Use Goodson and Sargent as slot receivers and get some quick slants and hot routes developed into the game plan. Both guys are good receivers - give them some chances to make guys miss in the open field.

5. Use some up tempo at least a couple of series a game.

AH, nothing more creative was needed, B.Smith was wide open, EXECUTED his route, and Stanley threw a 5 yard pass, 2 yards behind him...its about EXECUTION. There were plenty of opportunities based on the play calls, but few were executed by the players.

 

[biggreydogs]

 

[unoHawkeye]

5. Use some up tempo at least a couple of series a game.

Again, we do this. We've done it numerous times this year.

Typically only in end of half situations, and to pretty good success so far from what I’ve seen. Especially against teams who are generating a really good pass rush, up tempo has helped keep defenses on its heels. If you go back and look at series where it’s been utilized against Michigan and PSU, substantially more time for Stanley to throw versus series where it wasn’t

 

[hawkisoaker]

Hes been here for 2 decades and you football geniuses still don't get it. We can't recruit players need to beat teams with OFF explosions consistently.

Let me help, in general, KF developes teams that try to control & limits possessions, which keeps scores down and games that are within reach of winning vs high scoring shootouts.
Defensively, he tries to make college athletes have to make as many OFF plays without mistakes in order to score, hence the "bend don't break style of Dec.

To me, taking into account the realistic results in recruiting, this is not only genius, but also aligns best for those kids looking to get to the next level, of which, oh by the way, most play a similar style of OFF that Iowa runs...hmmm.

How anyone can complain about what KF produces on the field, off the field, in the draft, and in the real world, is beyond mind numbing, it's just plain ignorance in all aspects of CFB & life. But hey, I was once young and dumb also.

 

[Hawkeyenuts66]

Good lord, no. Do the players have any responsibility in your mind?

So you are saying the coaches have zero culpability in regards to the players executing their assignments? If true, that's sheer lunacy. Now to answer your question, yes the players have responsibility to execute their assignments. Saying that, getting beat by a higher caliber player is one thing, totally blown assignments(OL blocking the wrong direction or wrong person) is coaching.

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

Good lord, no. Do the players have any responsibility in your mind?

Nope, they are merely victims.

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

So you are saying the coaches have zero culpability in regards to the players executing their assignments? If true, that's sheer lunacy. Now to answer your question, yes the players have responsibility to execute their assignments. Saying that, getting beat by a higher caliber player is one thing, totally blown assignments(OL blocking the wrong direction or wrong person) is coaching.

Or OL blocking each other like has happened to Florida and, , Penn State......