Random thoughts from Homecoming Saturday.

[HumbleP1e]

1). I don't have an extensive football background, but it dawned on me while sitting in the end zone seating just how much preparation our defense has to be prepared to do, and they are prepared. The personnel packages shift often with players subbing in and out to match opponent sets, the motions Maryland ran forced many defensive adjustments pre-snap, and all their runs seemed built on misdirection that demands incredible discipline. It's really stunning how well prepared these students are...especially, the true freshmen corners. Unbelievable kudos to Phil and company.

2. A couple of challenged fans sat ahead of me today. It was announced that there was a group there today. It can be an emotional experience to see the game and the day through their eyes.

3. How windy was it? As I put the cup of Coke up to my face, somehow a gust dislodged enough soda to cover the left side of my face before I got it to my lips. NEVER happened before in my life.

4. I see a legitimate offense with the kind of improvement many have wanted to see in time management, aggressiveness, variation developing. It's just really encouraging. I find myself nodding a lot during the game instead of SMH. Kudos to Brian and crew!

5. Noah Fantastic looked very soft today. 3 drops I think. And, he didn't compete on the seam route from the backup QB. Love the kid but was not impressed today.

6.Today can be summed up in one phrase: line of scrimmage. Just an ass beating by the Hawks. I was leary of this game since summer. Impressive.

Penn State may test us and show some holes, but I am thrilled with the direction the team is heading.

 

[20Hawkeye14]

Just a few thoughts about your thoughts.

I have been very impressed with the freshmen at corner so far this year and a bit surprised because I had thought hankins and OJ were playing well early.

Also Fants drops were a little disheartening but he did have a heck of a block on a linebacker pushing him 10 yards down field. Once we get a normal wind to play in both TEs will pick up right where they left off in Indiana.

 

[83Hawk]

Just a few thoughts about your thoughts.

I have been very impressed with the freshmen at corner so far this year and a bit surprised because I had thought hankins and OJ were playing well early.

Also Fants drops were a little disheartening but he did have a heck of a block on a linebacker pushing him 10 yards down field. Once we get a normal wind to play in both TEs will pick up right where they left off in Indiana.

Fant’s drops are maddening. While I think Fant is the biggest threat, Hockenson is the better TE IMO.

 

[mthawkeyes]

Not football related, but it was different seeing the band actually TRY. The recycled tributes to the Beatles, Michael Jackson, and Queen had gotten old.

 

[Douglas C. Neidermeyer]

Not football related, but it was different seeing the band actually TRY. The recycled tributes to the Beatles, Michael Jackson, and Queen had gotten old.

MY God....they still have those on their play list? Did the band fall into a Hot Tub Time Machine and never really got out?

 

[IowaNiceHawk]

It was a sunny, beautiful Homecoming game at Kinnick on Saturday.
The Hawkeyes covered, scored 23 and the opponent zilch, nada, zip.

Tad bit windy, but hey football is a tough persons' game.

GO HAWKS

 

[Harbinger273]

I agree on Fants soft approach. He is clearly averse to contact for the most part. That was a strong block, but those plays are few and far between.
Physicality from both lines won the game and will carry us to a great finish to the season.
That wind was something fierce on Saturday. As expected, Iowa had no problem adjusting to win the day. Clearly the gameplan hinged on disciplined defense and establishing the run. Run game was pretty solid with some nice plays from IKM and Sargent. Needless to say the defense is very good.

 

[HawkTex]

Fant’s drops are maddening. While I think Fant is the biggest threat, Hockenson is the better TE IMO.

Mansell put that ball in a perfect place to be caught between defenders. Noah needs to do better than that. NFL scouts will take note of the lack of effort on a ball that should have been caught.

 

[Herky T Hawk]

Not a fan of some of Fant's drops. I think he lacks in focus a few times when it comes to catching the ball. If he would have done that he'd have many more catches and a few more TDs in his career.

But I will defend him on the late pass up the seam that he didn't lay out for. The game was effectively over and he was likely going to get lit up by the safety while not being prepared for the hit. He needs to protect his health when he can, especially with one concussion already this year. I don't think anyone could accuse him of going soft on plays when the game is on the line. No point in risking it if you don't need to at that point.

As a fan I selfishly don't want him to, but I wouldn't blame him if he decided to sit out the bowl game this season. He's likely going to be the first TE drafted next spring which would put him as a 1st or 2nd rounder. Any bad injury right now could drop him down a few rounds and possibly delay his draft entry a year costing him millions over his career.

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

I agree on Fants soft approach. He is clearly averse to contact for the most part. That was a strong block, but those plays are few and far between.
Physicality from both lines won the game and will carry us to a great finish to the season.
That wind was something fierce on Saturday. As expected, Iowa had no problem adjusting to win the day. Clearly the gameplan hinged on disciplined defense and establishing the run. Run game was pretty solid with some nice plays from IKM and Sargent. Needless to say the defense is very good.

Please correct me if I'm wrong ... but during one of our drives into the red-zone ... I believe Fant was lined up in the H-back spot ... and after the snap, he went straight to the left to chip a guy who was coming off the line unblocked. He only caught a part of the guy's leg ... and the guy was able to quickly right-himself and force an errant throw by Nate. Had it been a better block ... Nate would have had more time to throw ... and it would have increased our chances of a red-zone score.

Chris Fant might claim that Noah is a "good blocker" ... and that might occasionally be true ... but I need to see it with greater consistency!

 

[flyfishstout_CO]

Please correct me if I'm wrong ... but during one of our drives into the red-zone ... I believe Fant was lined up in the H-back spot ... and after the snap, he went straight to the left to chip a guy who was coming off the line unblocked. He only caught a part of the guy's leg ... and the guy was able to quickly right-himself and force an errant throw by Nate. Had it been a better block ... Nate would have had more time to throw ... and it would have increased our chances of a red-zone score.

Chris Fant might claim that Noah is a "good blocker" ... and that might occasionally be true ... but I need to see it with greater consistency!

Saw that too and noted it b/c of KC's use of Kelce in the h back on the thursday night NFL game...

Edit: ... it may have been kittle and SF now that I think about it...

 

[CuttyDoesIt]

Sad to see that Fant is getting the Clayborn treatment by some fans

 

[David1979]

Sad to see that Fant is getting the Clayborn treatment by some fans

Yeah, people should be appreciating this kid while he plays here because it won't be for much longer. It isn't his fault, people had outsized expectations for what he should be doing. He will have more yards and receptions than he did last year if he stays healthy and that includes 3 games so far where Iowa really couldn't pass the ball well at all.

 

[cheerscoach]

Yeah, people should be appreciating this kid while he plays here because it won't be for much longer. It isn't his fault, people had outsized expectations for what he should be doing. He will have more yards and receptions than he did last year if he stays healthy and that includes 3 games so far where Iowa really couldn't pass the ball well at all.

You're contradicting yourself. You say "if won't be for much longer" and then turn around and say "people had outsized expectations for what he should be doing". You, and others believing and continually saying he is gone after this year, he is the best TE in college and a sure 1st round draft choice, are the ones who have created the 'outsized' expectations that everyone else is holding him to.

Winning and losing and team are not about how many yards and receptions Fant gets over last year, so who cares. He is expected to do his job 'every play' at the high level of a 'first round draft choice' to help the team win, but his lack of focus at times and poor blocking is hurting the 'team'.
Questions about his blocking? Watch the first 2 series of the Maryland game. The first play he is driven into the bench by a CB! He proceeds to whiff on blocks, jog after someone, and appears to have no idea who he was supposed to block (he turns and talks to Hock after the play). He makes blocks at times, but not very consistently.

Oh, and watch the play where Stanley rolls to his right near the goal line and doesn't throw to a wide open Hock. Fant is on the back side and just takes the play off and stands and watches it. That is the kind of thing that turned Iowa off about David Johnson (at least DJ had an excuse, he never came of the field!) from what I was told by a couple former players. Expecting him to block and participate in every play is not holding him to a higher standard, by the way.

Once again, critiquing him and pointing out his deficiencies is not 'trashing him'. Some fans love dogging the coaching staff when it suits them and bashing who they think are the 'low hanging fruit', but get all bent out of shape if someone criticizes their 'boyz'. You are on ignore so I won't see your response, it won't be anything intelligent or worth reading anyway.

 

[David1979]

You're contradicting yourself. You say "if won't be for much longer" and then turn around and say "people had outsized expectations for what he should be doing". You, and others believing and continually saying he is gone after this year, he is the best TE in college and a sure 1st round draft choice, are the ones who have created the 'outsized' expectations that everyone else is holding him to.

Winning and losing and team are not about how many yards and receptions Fant gets over last year, so who cares. He is expected to do his job 'every play' at the high level of a 'first round draft choice' to help the team win, but his lack of focus at times and poor blocking is hurting the 'team'.
Questions about his blocking? Watch the first 2 series of the Maryland game. The first play he is driven into the bench by a CB! He proceeds to whiff on blocks, jog after someone, and appears to have no idea who he was supposed to block (he turns and talks to Hock after the play). He makes blocks at times, but not very consistently.

Oh, and watch the play where Stanley rolls to his right near the goal line and doesn't throw to a wide open Hock. Fant is on the back side and just takes the play off and stands and watches it. That is the kind of thing that turned Iowa off about David Johnson (at least DJ had an excuse, he never came of the field!) from what I was told by a couple former players. Expecting him to block and participate in every play is not holding him to a higher standard, by the way.

Once again, critiquing him and pointing out his deficiencies is not 'trashing him'. Some fans love dogging the coaching staff when it suits them and bashing who they think are the 'low hanging fruit', but get all bent out of shape if someone criticizes their 'boyz'. You are on ignore so I won't see your response, it won't be anything intelligent or worth reading anyway.

You don't know what a contradiction is. And you think way too much of yourself. It is very sad. And why do you use a 'z' when spelling "boyz" is this some kind of veiled racist remark?

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

Yeah, people should be appreciating this kid while he plays here because it won't be for much longer. It isn't his fault, people had outsized expectations for what he should be doing. He will have more yards and receptions than he did last year if he stays healthy and that includes 3 games so far where Iowa really couldn't pass the ball well at all.

It is very fair to say that I have high expectations for Noah ... and I still do. I think that the young man is a unique talent ... however, I'd also like to see him have a more well-rounded game. If you think he's dangerous now ... he'd be even more dangerous if he were also a devastating blocker. My fear is that he's banking too much on his immediate NFL prospects. However, if you focus on the short term ... then you're missing out on the longer term ... and, for him, that's rounding out his game so that he's more likely to stick long-term in the league.

You have to remember, I'm an educator. It's my job to push my students beyond what they even feel they're capable of achieving ... so when I see an individual who has great potential, but who's development in some areas is lacking ... it's in those areas where I "poke the bear."

 

[David1979]

It is very fair to say that I have high expectations for Noah ... and I still do. I think that the young man is a unique talent ... however, I'd also like to see him have a more well-rounded game. If you think he's dangerous now ... he'd be even more dangerous if he were also a devastating blocker. My fear is that he's banking too much on his immediate NFL prospects. However, if you focus on the short term ... then you're missing out on the longer term ... and, for him, that's rounding out his game so that he's more likely to stick long-term in the league.

You have to remember, I'm an educator. It's my job to push my students beyond what they even feel they're capable of achieving ... so when I see an individual who has great potential, but who's development in some areas is lacking ... it's in those areas where I "poke the bear."

This assuming though that he isn't working on his blocking and isn't working on becoming a better player and from all accounts from the coaches that isn't the case. They rave about Fant and he himself says he knows he need to keep improving as a blocker. So, just because he isn't great in all areas yet doesn't mean people need to act like he "isn't helping the team" and rail on him like he sucks (not that you do this). The kid does a ton for the offense just being on the field because of how much attention is paid to him. He is also someone who has had a couple of injuries this year. Let's say that the NFL drafts lists didn't list him this year... would people still be bitching about him? I doubt it. When there is a ton of hype people expect perfection from these kids. The fact is that he is still growing as a 20 year old player but he is still one of the most dangerous weapons in college football because of his abilities even with his weaknesses. Instead of bitching about him, people should appreciate what he does. Iowa doesn't get this kind of offensive talent too often.

 

[HoustonHawkeye]

So what does Fant need to do to become a better blocker. Does he need to learn technique? or add more strength in the weight room? or have more desire/will power? probably a little of all three. But this is his third year in the program. He has the speed that you can't teach. That is his strength. He does need to become a better blocker.

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

This assuming though that he isn't working on his blocking and isn't working on becoming a better player and from all accounts from the coaches that isn't the case. They rave about Fant and he himself says he knows he need to keep improving as a blocker. So, just because he isn't great in all areas yet doesn't mean people need to act like he "isn't helping the team" and rail on him like he sucks (not that you do this). The kid does a ton for the offense just being on the field because of how much attention is paid to him. He is also someone who has had a couple of injuries this year. Let's say that the NFL drafts lists didn't list him this year... would people still be bitching about him? I doubt it. When there is a ton of hype people expect perfection from these kids. The fact is that he is still growing as a 20 year old player but he is still one of the most dangerous weapons in college football because of his abilities even with his weaknesses. Instead of bitching about him, people should appreciate what he does. Iowa doesn't get this kind of offensive talent too often.

I would be complaining ... because I saw Kittle have a fairly similar skill set ... but I also saw Kittle develop into a devastating blocker.

I do believe that Noah has been working hard on his blocking ... however, part of blocking is to have an edge ... to have a certain toughness ... to refuse to be beat. However, as an Iowa blocker, that edge gets complemented with players being taught the fundamentals so well ... so that you can control that competitiveness so that you can pull off he blocks without getting flagged.

Noah appears to be a very bright guy ... he's obviously a freak athlete ... and we know that he's being taught all the "right things." So I'm simply curious why we're not seeing better blocking on the field. My primary hypothesis would be that the O currently has him line up from so many spots ... that he has A TON of stuff to digest already ... so it's difficult to consistently execute EVERYTHING when there is already so much on your plate. Consequently, given what the O needs from him ... he excels on the passing-O side of things ... but then there might be lapses in fundamentals in the blocking game.

Noah obviously helps the O a ton with how "multiple" he permits the offense to become. He also deservedly receives a ton of attention from opposing Ds ... and that opens up opportunities for our other skill players.

As for Fant catching any ire from fans ... I think that a lot of it has more to do with a backlash effect caused by the tweets from his family. Obviously, Iowa fans would love for him to stay for his SR campaign ... but, most of those same fans understand that he'll also be a great representative for the program while in the league.

When I post about wanting to see him improve in blocking ... it's not because I'm using it as a argument to suggest that he should stay for his SR campaign ... I'm more selfish than that. I want him to improve as a blocker NOW ... because it will help the Hawks WIN MORE GAMES this season!

 

[hawkinaclownhouse]

I would be complaining ... because I saw Kittle have a fairly similar skill set ... but I also saw Kittle develop into a devastating blocker.

I do believe that Noah has been working hard on his blocking ... however, part of blocking is to have an edge ... to have a certain toughness ... to refuse to be beat. However, as an Iowa blocker, that edge gets complemented with players being taught the fundamentals so well ... so that you can control that competitiveness so that you can pull off he blocks without getting flagged.

Noah appears to be a very bright guy ... he's obviously a freak athlete ... and we know that he's being taught all the "right things." So I'm simply curious why we're not seeing better blocking on the field. My primary hypothesis would be that the O currently has him line up from so many spots ... that he has A TON of stuff to digest already ... so it's difficult to consistently execute EVERYTHING when there is already so much on your plate. Consequently, given what the O needs from him ... he excels on the passing-O side of things ... but then there might be lapses in fundamentals in the blocking game.

Noah obviously helps the O a ton with how "multiple" he permits the offense to become. He also deservedly receives a ton of attention from opposing Ds ... and that opens up opportunities for our other skill players.

As for Fant catching any ire from fans ... I think that a lot of it has more to do with a backlash effect caused by the tweets from his family. Obviously, Iowa fans would love for him to stay for his SR campaign ... but, most of those same fans understand that he'll also be a great representative for the program while in the league.

When I post about wanting to see him improve in blocking ... it's not because I'm using it as a argument to suggest that he should stay for his SR campaign ... I'm more selfish than that. I want him to improve as a blocker NOW ... because it will help the Hawks WIN MORE GAMES this season!

You saw Kittle develop into a devastating blocker in 5 years. As a red shirt sophomore (3rd year in program like Fant is the fall) he barely saw the field (2014 “Saw sction in 12 games season stats 1 catch for 25 yards).

 

[Hawk_4shur]

1). I don't have an extensive football background, but it dawned on me while sitting in the end zone seating just how much preparation our defense has to be prepared to do, and they are prepared. The personnel packages shift often with players subbing in and out to match opponent sets, the motions Maryland ran forced many defensive adjustments pre-snap, and all their runs seemed built on misdirection that demands incredible discipline. It's really stunning how well prepared these students are...especially, the true freshmen corners. Unbelievable kudos to Phil and company.

Good post. Football is an incredibly complex sport.

Think about it - PP and staff have to watch film to determine what MD is likely to do, then devise a defense against it, then communicate it to 18-22 year-olds and coach them to do it under stress. Plus, the players need to know what to do when MD does something unexpected. All this has to occur in less than a week, and if one player makes a mistake it could result in a big gain or points.

Same thing with the offense.

Kudo's to Iowa's football coaches, and all other good coaches, that do this so we can enjoy a Saturday afternoon.

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

You saw Kittle develop into a devastating blocker in 5 years. As a red shirt sophomore he barely saw the field (2014 “Saw sction in 12 games seanon stats 1 catch for 25 yards).

Iowa experimented more with up-tempo stuff with the O in '13 ... and that allowed for them to play Kittle more (more snaps to go around). In '14, we had fewer snaps to go around ... and Duzey really emerged as the go-to "move" TE. As for blocking TEs ... at that juncture, we were really well stocked there between Hamilton and Krieger-Coble. Of course, part of the story also could be that perhaps Greg Davis didn't optimally utilize the TE talent that he had at his disposal.

Of course, another part of that story was that our WRs appeared like they could have been a strength of the squad in '14 ... between having Martin-Manley, Powell, Smith, Hillyer, Willies, and VandeBerg. Heck, back then, Mitchell was a scout-team player who was really impressing folks too. Anyhow, the perception of talent at WR that year could have also impacted how the TEs were utilized too.

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

You saw Kittle develop into a devastating blocker in 5 years. As a red shirt sophomore (3rd year in program like Fant is the fall) he barely saw the field (2014 “Saw sction in 12 games season stats 1 catch for 25 yards).

Also, it's a very fair point ... but he was also a devastating blocker in 2015 too. It didn't take him 5 years to "get there." However, I would say that the extra experience certainly didn't hurt!

Of course, the bigger issue for George was that he came to the Hawks a good bit leaner than Noah ... thus, his first few years on campus were necessarily a "build job" ... at least concerning physical development.

 

[cheerscoach]

I would be complaining ... because I saw Kittle have a fairly similar skill set ... but I also saw Kittle develop into a devastating blocker.

I do believe that Noah has been working hard on his blocking ... however, part of blocking is to have an edge ... to have a certain toughness ... to refuse to be beat. However, as an Iowa blocker, that edge gets complemented with players being taught the fundamentals so well ... so that you can control that competitiveness so that you can pull off he blocks without getting flagged.

Noah appears to be a very bright guy ... he's obviously a freak athlete ... and we know that he's being taught all the "right things." So I'm simply curious why we're not seeing better blocking on the field. My primary hypothesis would be that the O currently has him line up from so many spots ... that he has A TON of stuff to digest already ... so it's difficult to consistently execute EVERYTHING when there is already so much on your plate. Consequently, given what the O needs from him ... he excels on the passing-O side of things ... but then there might be lapses in fundamentals in the blocking game.

Noah obviously helps the O a ton with how "multiple" he permits the offense to become. He also deservedly receives a ton of attention from opposing Ds ... and that opens up opportunities for our other skill players.

As for Fant catching any ire from fans ... I think that a lot of it has more to do with a backlash effect caused by the tweets from his family. Obviously, Iowa fans would love for him to stay for his SR campaign ... but, most of those same fans understand that he'll also be a great representative for the program while in the league.

When I post about wanting to see him improve in blocking ... it's not because I'm using it as a argument to suggest that he should stay for his SR campaign ... I'm more selfish than that. I want him to improve as a blocker NOW ... because it will help the Hawks WIN MORE GAMES this season!

Yes, my thread about Fant was more of a dig at his family, and making a point why he isn't in on more plays, than it was about 'trashing' Fant.

 

[David1979]

I would be complaining ... because I saw Kittle have a fairly similar skill set ... but I also saw Kittle develop into a devastating blocker.

I do believe that Noah has been working hard on his blocking ... however, part of blocking is to have an edge ... to have a certain toughness ... to refuse to be beat. However, as an Iowa blocker, that edge gets complemented with players being taught the fundamentals so well ... so that you can control that competitiveness so that you can pull off he blocks without getting flagged.

Noah appears to be a very bright guy ... he's obviously a freak athlete ... and we know that he's being taught all the "right things." So I'm simply curious why we're not seeing better blocking on the field. My primary hypothesis would be that the O currently has him line up from so many spots ... that he has A TON of stuff to digest already ... so it's difficult to consistently execute EVERYTHING when there is already so much on your plate. Consequently, given what the O needs from him ... he excels on the passing-O side of things ... but then there might be lapses in fundamentals in the blocking game.

Noah obviously helps the O a ton with how "multiple" he permits the offense to become. He also deservedly receives a ton of attention from opposing Ds ... and that opens up opportunities for our other skill players.

As for Fant catching any ire from fans ... I think that a lot of it has more to do with a backlash effect caused by the tweets from his family. Obviously, Iowa fans would love for him to stay for his SR campaign ... but, most of those same fans understand that he'll also be a great representative for the program while in the league.

When I post about wanting to see him improve in blocking ... it's not because I'm using it as a argument to suggest that he should stay for his SR campaign ... I'm more selfish than that. I want him to improve as a blocker NOW ... because it will help the Hawks WIN MORE GAMES this season!

As someone else pointed out, Kittle wasn't great as a RS sophomore. And it is pretty rare for an Iowa TE to be so good so early. I will add if people are mad at Fant because of a family member's tweets they need to get a life. There is no need to take things out on Noah because of what his family does. And I don't know why people feel the need to take sides between Hockenson and Fant when they are on the same team? I could hear people in the stands yelling stuff at Fant and yelling that Hockenson's better... again, they both play for Iowa. It is dumb.



I agree though about Fant's role in this year's offense. He has a really varied role where is lining up as a receiver and getting hand offs out of the backfield besides his role as a TE.

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

As someone else pointed out, Kittle wasn't great as a RS sophomore. And it is pretty rare for an Iowa TE to be so good so early. I will add if people are mad at Fant because of a family member's tweets they need to get a life.

I agree though about Fant's role in this year's offense. He has a really varied role where is lining up as a receiver and getting hand offs out of the backfield besides his role as a TE.

First off, I don't think that there was an issue about Kittle "not being great" as a RS SO back in '14 ... it's just that our roster was pretty stacked with experienced TEs at the time. Furthermore, as I highlighted, given our personnel at BOTH TE and WR ... that may have led to TE personnel being sub-optimally utilized. However, all the same ... presumably Kittle was still a work-in-progress back then.

As for fan treatment of Fant ... I don't think that fans are necessarily mad at Fant whatsoever. However, I do believe that there may be concerns by the fan-base that the Fant-clan may have been emphasizing the individual over team too much ... and that could understandably create some backlash. Furthermore, that could possibly lead some folks to take a guilt-by-association stance as it relates to Fant too. I would agree that this latter view is ungrounded and unfair to Noah.

Lastly, I think that part of what fueled things from the perspective of the Fant-clan ... is that Noah is obviously a much-hyped player. Obviously, both Noah and his family have VERY high expectations for him too. Thus, it's not just fans who have had potentially unreasonably high expectations. However, if the Fant clan wants Noah to see more snaps ... then I think that they have to understand that possessing high-caliber blocking skills is a prerequisite to earning those extra reps.

Like the Fant clan ... I'd love to have Noah see more snaps ... I just want him to EARN those snaps! From what I've seen on the field, I completely understand the personnel decisions that the coaches have made.

 

[David1979]

First off, I don't think that there was an issue about Kittle "not being great" as a RS SO back in '14 ... it's just that our roster was pretty stacked with experienced TEs at the time. Furthermore, as I highlighted, given our personnel at BOTH TE and WR ... that may have led to TE personnel being sub-optimally utilized. However, all the same ... presumably Kittle was still a work-in-progress back then.

As for fan treatment of Fant ... I don't think that fans are necessarily mad at Fant whatsoever. However, I do believe that there may be concerns by the fan-base that the Fant-clan may have been emphasizing the individual over team too much ... and that could understandably create some backlash. Furthermore, that could possibly lead some folks to take a guilt-by-association stance as it relates to Fant too. I would agree that this latter view is ungrounded and unfair to Noah.

Lastly, I think that part of what fueled things from the perspective of the Fant-clan ... is that Noah is obviously a much-hyped player. Obviously, both Noah and his family have VERY high expectations for him too. Thus, it's not just fans who have had potentially unreasonably high expectations. However, if the Fant clan wants Noah to see more snaps ... then I think that they have to understand that possessing high-caliber blocking skills is a prerequisite to earning those extra reps.

Like the Fant clan ... I'd love to have Noah see more snaps ... I just want him to EARN those snaps! From what I've seen on the field, I completely understand the personnel decisions that the coaches have made.

If you don't think some fans are mad at Fant, then you haven't been paying attention. I heard plenty of crap yelled at him at the game and have seen plenty of stuff on social media attacking him.

 

[BioHawk]

Fant is a great player. He could end up being one of Iowa's greatest. If he's going to be drafted in the first round next spring, then by all means, he should go.

One thing is for certain though. If Iowa can do one thing consistently it's turn out high quality NFL level tight ends. Whatever drop off there is won't be huge because from what I've heard, Iowa is loaded at that position and there are guys waiting to get into the game. I mean, what does Iowa average, a new tight end that sees significant playing time in the NFL about every 3 or 4 years? It sure seems like it at any rate.

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

If you don't think some fans are mad at Fant, then you haven't been paying attention. I heard plenty of crap yelled at him at the game and have seen plenty of stuff on social media attacking him.

I've also watched plenty Hawk games that were called beautifully by O'Keefe ... but many of the idiot fans out there would be complaining after every play that didn't go for a big gain. Fans ... there are plenty of tools out there ... from each and every fan-base. Players and other fans need to realize that you're necessarily going to get the good with the bad ....

 

[David1979]

I've also watched plenty Hawk games that were called beautifully by O'Keefe ... but many of the idiot fans out there would be complaining after every play that didn't go for a big gain. Fans ... there are plenty of tools out there ... from each and every fan-base. Players and other fans need to realize that you're necessarily going to get the good with the bad ....

yeah, agree.

 

[IamHawkeye]

Not football related, but it was different seeing the band actually TRY. The recycled tributes to the Beatles, Michael Jackson, and Queen had gotten old.

Try what?

 

[blhawk]

I'd have to say TJ has been the better all around TE SO FAR in '18 and I bet Noah would be first to admit he wishes he could have some dropped passes and missed blocks back. But I wouldn't trade either of them for anyone else in the country. Both gonna go down in hawk history as all time greats.....these are awesome "issues" to have!

2 hawk finalists for the Mackey wouldn't shock me one bit