I think the DT are not very good, 99 has been battling injuries and Lee is not strong enough to hold off the push. The DT reserves were better than the starters. I’d say the same thing about the DE, Craig and Hurkett looked better than the starters. Evans should not be a full time guy, he was more effective last 2 years as a pass rush specialist. LB really miss #5, Benson did not have a great day. I thought the DBs were pretty solid even without Roberts
The Iowa Defense isn’t elite. They are highly overrated and overhyped.
- Thread starter NorthernHawkeye
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Depends on the definitions being used.
I would go with Iowa is a really good D. "Elite" D is reserved for teams like UGA. They are in a class by themselves.
I would go with Iowa is a really good D. "Elite" D is reserved for teams like UGA. They are in a class by themselves.
We miss Yahya Black a lot, because yes, we were getting blown off the line of scrimmage a lot today. However, Michigan’s OL/run game is one of the best features of their team. We still got stops when it mattered other than the garbage time long TD run on fourth down for them. If you hold one of the top scoring teams in the nation to 27 (really it was 20 while the game was still up for grabs) and score 14 (really 7 while the game was still up for grabs) and are thinking “the defense had a bad day and needs to be better,” then your expectations are unrealistic.
I have no doubt that if you asked Phil Parker, he would say that the defense could and should have been better today, but only because he holds himself and his unit to an absolutely elite standard - a standard that Iowa fans also hold him to, and a standard that isn’t held of the offense, either internally or by the fans… which is really disappointing, because it’s the only area holding this program back from being top 10-15 in the country
Give Michigan credit...they had a size advantage in the middle and their center is really freaking good...I think he was an all-America last year and transferred in. Against teams like this...with a huge interior ol...we are susceptible to power running. Lee, Van Ness, and Shannon are undersized in the interior. They are tough as nails, but you need a few 310 pound guys on a day like this. The thing that amplifies it though is Corum...he's 5'6" or whatever and 210 pounds but his low center of gravity is perfect for that style...you can't stop him from falling forward for a few extra yards...because you can't get underneath him and he's really, really powerful.
We were better in the second half. Listen...the defense gave up a few TDs...the first one...just a great play by them. The second a great play by McCarthy that likely would not have happened if Van Ness does what he's supposed to do...keep contain...he has to maintain leverage and make him go inside....it would have been a tougher play had Van Ness forced him inside. It took two great plays to score their touchdowns.
Our defense is fine, but the size, against this type of OL and back is going is going to be challenging. I would have given Pittman some reps. You need size to try and stop that type of running game. We will face two more just like this...Illinois and Minnesota. They will be dogfights.
We were better in the second half. Listen...the defense gave up a few TDs...the first one...just a great play by them. The second a great play by McCarthy that likely would not have happened if Van Ness does what he's supposed to do...keep contain...he has to maintain leverage and make him go inside....it would have been a tougher play had Van Ness forced him inside. It took two great plays to score their touchdowns.
Our defense is fine, but the size, against this type of OL and back is going is going to be challenging. I would have given Pittman some reps. You need size to try and stop that type of running game. We will face two more just like this...Illinois and Minnesota. They will be dogfights.
Didn't see a single person saying the D is to blame for the loss today. Like a few sacriligeous folks have stated, they are good-very good but not elite. They need bulk on the interior of the line
I’d like to use this excuse, but MI went through our D like a hot knife through butter right out of the gate.
Our D is obviously light years ahead of our O, but that’s obviously a very low bar. It’s a good defense. Far from elite.
Which is accurate. But as stated by grayhair, no one has blamed them for the loss.
So you don’t blame them at all for the loss and started a thread bagging on them for what? And citing one drive against Iowa St? A drive which included multiple missed calls? A game where the defense gave up 10 points and the offense scored 7.
I would go so far as to say that Iowa's defense is as good or better than last year’s. Sadly, the offense is as bad or worse
2 games in a row I noticed that he was out of position on several plays he needs to clean it up!
You left out the fact that Iowa State turned it over on the goal line twice.
One of which was an interception on a drive where they started on Iowa’s 12 yard line because Iowa threw a pick, so what does that tell you? The second was a forced fumble and great play by Castro(?)… Iowa’s offense also fumbled at the 1, so pretty much a wash. Bend but don’t break was executed to perfection in the Iowa State game, and the offense turned the ball over four times including one on downs
You’re only making my point that the expectation for the defense is perfect ball and a total double standard in comparison to the offense
But he did not blame them for the loss. Everyone knows the offense is the culprit. The myth that the punter/defense can consistently produce ten-win seasons needs debunked. Today was a first step in that process.
Our defense is somewhere between good and great. The D line is the relative weakness. We’re a couple dawgs short on the D line especially at DT.
The defense is good, not great, but they would be better if they weren’t on the field as much as they are. Michigan was on the field all day and except for the TD at the end of the game they held a team scoring 50 points a game to two TD’s and Michigan has better athletes.
Your points are valid, but they aren’t “highly” overrated.
Whether the defense is elite or not is probably the dumbest thing I can imagine to argue about. What percentage of games do you suppose we've lost because the defense gave the game away after the offense had salted it away.
We're not Texas.
We're not Texas.
They are very good and deserve hype. However, they are not elite and were going up against elite superior athletes who are also well coached. That exposed them. They can't match the athleticism, and Michigan didn't make costly mistakes.
Lol, remember when you said a first team All-American was at best a D3 player?
I sure do. What a dumbass.
Opposing offenses don't score a lot when they are standing on the sidelines.
Agree.
Ive said all year this is a good defense but not elite, we don’t have the size or explosion up front.
This is correct. We are watching a top 5 defense nationally but they have absolutely zero room for error because of the offense. Terry Roberts got an INT and threw a fit because he knew how important it was to score on that play instead of trot the offense out there, I’ve never seen that before. And today, once Iowa finally scored a TD, the rested defense came out and got their only three and out of the day. They didn’t start great but they adjust incredibly well and kept the game close. Keep them off the field a bit more, other teams start to press and make mistakes. Unfortunately that hasn’t happened this year because the offense is so bad.
This cannot be overstated enough. How would you feel realizing you have zero room for error ? They literally know it’s up to them to be nearly perfect week in and week out. Zero offensive support. No defense can hold up under this utter disaster of an offense
Again…..
Northern isn’t wrong….
Two weeks in a row, over 6 minutes to start the game on defense. But yeah this defense is awesome guys…
Northern isn’t wrong….
Two weeks in a row, over 6 minutes to start the game on defense. But yeah this defense is awesome guys…
3 possessions for Illinois - 6 points
3 possessions for Iowa - 3 points, 2 three and outs
Good thing our special teams may have just bailed the team out. Just some good clean complementary football
Edit: spoke too soon, the offense is about to take us out of scoring position
I’d say this defense is not awesome. It’s freaking outstanding.
Athletically Iowa doesn't match up well against teams with elite outside speed. I think that will come out when they travel to Columbus in a couple weeks. Heck Michigan bullied them up front the last two times, but you could say the lack of offense took it's toll on them causing that result.
Michigan State has a great defense in 2015, but they lacked the explosive athletes to contend against Alabama in the playoffs. Ohio State is really the only thing in the B1G that offers up what the SEC speed looks like. I think Urban Meyer opened up the recruiting, but his offense dragged that offense down to a level Iowa could contain them. Outside of Cardale Jones they never had a QB with an NFL arm. I really feel like Ohio State is gonna show how good this defense really is. You don't think they forgot that beatdown years ago, do you?
Michigan State has a great defense in 2015, but they lacked the explosive athletes to contend against Alabama in the playoffs. Ohio State is really the only thing in the B1G that offers up what the SEC speed looks like. I think Urban Meyer opened up the recruiting, but his offense dragged that offense down to a level Iowa could contain them. Outside of Cardale Jones they never had a QB with an NFL arm. I really feel like Ohio State is gonna show how good this defense really is. You don't think they forgot that beatdown years ago, do you?
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