Not to be the contrarian, but I will be. My opinion is Iowa running a bunch of 4 and 5-WR sets isn't going to mean the offense is "dynamic." In fact, I'd argue the ability to create big plays goes way down when going empty backfield. We don't have a running QB, so if you empty the backfield the defense knows you are throwing. The ball has to come out quick and Iowa's WR talent isn't so overwhelming that the Hawks are going to break off big plays off short throws. I would like to see more 3 WR sets where the ability to run or throw is there based on how the defense wants to match up.
Oliver Martin Updates: Dec 27: Will not play (Shoulder injury). Is 5th on Depth Chart.
- Thread starter Franisdaman
- Start date
Not to be the contrarian, but I will be. My opinion is Iowa running a bunch of 4 and 5-WR sets isn't going to mean the offense is "dynamic." In fact, I'd argue the ability to create big plays goes way down when going empty backfield. We don't have a running QB, so if you empty the backfield the defense knows you are throwing. The ball has to come out quick and Iowa's WR talent isn't so overwhelming that the Hawks are going to break off big plays off short throws. I would like to see more 3 WR sets where the ability to run or throw is there based on how the defense wants to match up.
Hell, in your mind if OM was only a backup, then what the hell do you care? Slow times on the Michigan board?
I am baffled by their contention. Trying to say that 'top of the depth chart' doesn't mean starting. It's just the HC saying it, what does he know.
yeah; i agree with you; i like seeing at least one RB back there with Stanley to keep the D honest; that way, the D doesn't know if Iowa is gonna run or pass; i like having that RB back there to block if we are passing; as you stated, you can still hand off to that RB or have him go out for a pass, too; lots of options!
Thanks, Dodger.
If Iowa is set to run on 1st down, and the D has 9 men within 5 yards of the LOS, Stanley can change the play, correct? If so, will he? Or why isn't he?
I agree with you; we need to be more unpredictable where we throw the ball on first down on occasion.
Based on what Stanley is seeing, scratch where it itches!
I don't understand the run game either over the last couple years. What happened? Like you said, is it a talent issue? Are backs making wrong reads? Do we have the wrong coach in place? Iowa should be able to run the ball and tell me if I am wrong, but I am pretty sure Iowa ranked 10th in the B1G in rushing last year. Is that acceptable or embarrassing to KF? If I were him, I would be looking to fix that ranking and no time like the present.
Hopefully you can improve on the 16 losses the last two years
Not straw man in the least as I was only calling for a top 4-5 conference offense. More than doable with this team. Was attacked as having too high of expectations. I hate soft fans who don’t want to set the bar any higher than “average” because that’s the Iowa way.
@mrF6n6 , here's a related story.
Kirk Ferentz on getting the news about Oliver Martin: 'We're all happy'
Mark Emmert,
Hawk Central
Published 8:14 p.m. CT Aug. 28, 2019
Kirk Ferentz can tell you the minute he received the phone call telling him that highly regarded wide receiver Oliver Martin would be eligible to play for the Iowa football team this fall.
"It was 11:42, 11:43 this morning. I only know that because we were going to watch practice tape at 11:45," Iowa's head football coach told listeners of his radio show Wednesday evening. "Needless to say, we were really pleased to get it and it was fun to tell Oliver and share that news with him as well.
"We're all happy about that. We're just happy to have him join our football team. If it had gone the other way, we would have lived with that and looked forward to having him join us next fall."
► Leistikow: Now that he's eligible, what should the Hawkeyes expect from Oliver Martin?
Martin, a graduate of Iowa City West, transferred to Iowa from Michigan in June and appealed to the NCAA for a waiver that would grant him immediate eligibility. After weeks of anxious waiting, the NCAA and Big Ten Conference both signed off on it Wednesday, about 80 hours before the Hawkeyes open their season with a 6:40 p.m. home game against Miami of Ohio.
Martin, a four-star recruit out of West, has been practicing all along as if he would play in Saturday's game, Ferentz had said Tuesday.
He will immediately become Iowa's most versatile wide receiver, learning how to play all three positions in the offense.
"Not every receiver can move around," Ferentz said. "But Oliver has already demonstrated that he can play pretty much any position, physically, but also handle the mental end of it, too — it gets a little confusing at times. He's done a really good job in a short amount of time really learning what we're doing and that makes it easier for us."
Martin has three years of eligibility remaining.
Ferentz said he had no involvement in Martin's appeal. The university's compliance office handled that, with the aid of attorneys the Martin family hired.
► PODCAST: 'Hawk Central' talks Oliver Martin's eligibility to play in the Hawkeyes' 2019 season
"We were cautiously optimistic, but you just never know how things are going to go," Ferentz said.
"I have no contact at all with the NCAA or the Big Ten office on that. I really don't know what the case was, the particulars of it. It's none of my business."
Mark Emmert covers the Iowa Hawkeyes for the Register. Reach him at memmert@registermedia.com or 319-339-7367. Follow him on Twitter at @MarkEmmert.
https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/s...-oliver-martin-can-play-this-year/2146303001/
Kirk Ferentz on getting the news about Oliver Martin: 'We're all happy'
Mark Emmert,
Hawk Central
Published 8:14 p.m. CT Aug. 28, 2019
Kirk Ferentz can tell you the minute he received the phone call telling him that highly regarded wide receiver Oliver Martin would be eligible to play for the Iowa football team this fall.
"It was 11:42, 11:43 this morning. I only know that because we were going to watch practice tape at 11:45," Iowa's head football coach told listeners of his radio show Wednesday evening. "Needless to say, we were really pleased to get it and it was fun to tell Oliver and share that news with him as well.
"We're all happy about that. We're just happy to have him join our football team. If it had gone the other way, we would have lived with that and looked forward to having him join us next fall."
► Leistikow: Now that he's eligible, what should the Hawkeyes expect from Oliver Martin?
Martin, a graduate of Iowa City West, transferred to Iowa from Michigan in June and appealed to the NCAA for a waiver that would grant him immediate eligibility. After weeks of anxious waiting, the NCAA and Big Ten Conference both signed off on it Wednesday, about 80 hours before the Hawkeyes open their season with a 6:40 p.m. home game against Miami of Ohio.
Martin, a four-star recruit out of West, has been practicing all along as if he would play in Saturday's game, Ferentz had said Tuesday.
He will immediately become Iowa's most versatile wide receiver, learning how to play all three positions in the offense.
"Not every receiver can move around," Ferentz said. "But Oliver has already demonstrated that he can play pretty much any position, physically, but also handle the mental end of it, too — it gets a little confusing at times. He's done a really good job in a short amount of time really learning what we're doing and that makes it easier for us."
Martin has three years of eligibility remaining.
Ferentz said he had no involvement in Martin's appeal. The university's compliance office handled that, with the aid of attorneys the Martin family hired.
► PODCAST: 'Hawk Central' talks Oliver Martin's eligibility to play in the Hawkeyes' 2019 season
"We were cautiously optimistic, but you just never know how things are going to go," Ferentz said.
"I have no contact at all with the NCAA or the Big Ten office on that. I really don't know what the case was, the particulars of it. It's none of my business."
Mark Emmert covers the Iowa Hawkeyes for the Register. Reach him at memmert@registermedia.com or 319-339-7367. Follow him on Twitter at @MarkEmmert.
https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/s...-oliver-martin-can-play-this-year/2146303001/
yah buddy... we got Oliver Martin from Michigan.
I think Iowa is replacing Michigan as a Blue Blood.
what do you think?
A lot of people agree with you.
As noted above in this thread, hiring an attorney helps a lot. University Compliance Offices across the country don't appear to be experts in making the cases to the NCAA. Therefore, the Martin family hired an attorney to make sure they had an air tight case (as Chad Leistikow put it). They could afford an attorney, who worked with the Iowa Compliance Office. What about the families who can't afford to hire an attorney?
In addition, it took 48 days (between June 11, when he announced he was transferring to Iowa, and July 29, the approximate date when the NCAA received the paperwork) to hire an attorney and to come up with the paperwork to submit to the NCAA. 48 days? Is it that complicated where the Iowa Compliance needs help and they need 48 days to figure it all out? I guess so, and that points to the efficiency and to the cost of the whole process.
As you noted, the whole process is not efficient. And it's not fair.
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Some more tidbits from last night's HawkTalk with Kirk Ferentz radio show:
FranD… is spot on. Almost every defense in almost every game starts crowding the box and really overloading the line of scrimmage.
Getting between or behind those last 3 defenders early in the game seems essential to Iowa's offensive success.
It appears to me that the offense has become progressively more creative with the BF/KO'K coaching duo. Think they have some credibility with the Boss.
2018 was better than 2017. With a very experienced QB and receivers these guys should know what to do. So, let's hope when the defense creeps the line Nate opts out and hits one of the big wide receivers. A steady diet of 15-20 yard gains will be deep enough penetration to pull some guys off the line/box.
The bigger problem the last two seasons has been pretty mediocre line play and run blocking. That has to improve.
Getting between or behind those last 3 defenders early in the game seems essential to Iowa's offensive success.
It appears to me that the offense has become progressively more creative with the BF/KO'K coaching duo. Think they have some credibility with the Boss.
2018 was better than 2017. With a very experienced QB and receivers these guys should know what to do. So, let's hope when the defense creeps the line Nate opts out and hits one of the big wide receivers. A steady diet of 15-20 yard gains will be deep enough penetration to pull some guys off the line/box.
The bigger problem the last two seasons has been pretty mediocre line play and run blocking. That has to improve.
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Me too, but it seemed like they were easily half of that TD highlight reel...we all hope you are wrong
yeah; very true; TEs are such a huge mismatch and Iowa took advantage of that with Hock and Fant
Hopefully the Iowa TEs are a very pleasant surprise this year; and if the Iowa WRs start pulling their weight, we may just end up in Indy
Some awesome pics from Hawkeye Report's very own @webcentrick.
Find him & his pictures on Twitter here: @webcentrick
Find him & his pictures on Twitter here: @webcentrick
watching games today, i see a lot of 1st game rust.
hope that's all we are seeing with the Hawks
what a journey back to Iowa City.
and then, his first catch being a TD? pretty cool.
