The IOWA Offensive Line. We have heard how good it is.
- Thread starter Franisdaman
- Start date
BirdistheWord
HB Legend
They did play better in 2nd half. But we can’t play like we did in the first half against great teams or we are toast.
During the broadcast, Anthony Herron noted a couple of times that Lester has changed the blocking technique somewhat. How much of the first half struggling had to do with it being the first game with the new approach?
Go to the 3-minute mark in this highlight reel - there are back-to-back plays where the left side of the OL didn’t even have an approach. Well…the approach was… don’t block anybody 🤷🏼♂️
And you can’t have #4 giving that kind of sub-par effort shown in the second play where Cade throws it up for grabs.
The 2nd quarter offensive numbers were much better than the 1st qtr. Things got even better in the 3rd & 4th quarters, when Iowa simply wore out its FCS opponent.
Note the yds/rush in the 1st quarter (2.1). Iowa ended up with 6.0 yards/carry (mostly because of the 13.5 yds/carry in the 4th quarter).
Iowa Offense vs Illinois State:
............................1st......2nd....3rd....4th
...........................Qtr......Qtr.....Qtr....Qtr......TOTAL
1st Downs........1.............5.......11.........6.............23
3rd Down......1-5........2-5.....3-4......1-1............7-15
3rd Down....20%.....40%....75%....100%.....47%
Passing.........3-8......5-9.....10-11.......3-3.....21-31
Pass %.........38%....56%......91%....100%....68%
Pass Yds.........17........57.........147.........30........251
Rushes.............8........12..........10...........10.........40
Rush Yds.........17.......56.........33........135........241
Per Carry.......2.1.......4.7.........3.3......13.5.........6.0
Total Yds........34......113........180.......165........492
Points...............3........3............13..........21...........40
We saw that "don't block anyone" approach several times last year, where the Iowa QB had no chance; that should have been fixed by the OL Coach and KF, who has been working with the OL.
If we are STILL doing this (not blocking anyone) against an FCS opponent, imagine what is coming from an opponent with a pulse....
Well, if you watched those highlights, you’d have seen it was happening. Not sure why with so much experience.
The 3 minute mark of the video shows effective blocking from the left side in the third quarter. They clearly had issues but not there. Williams isn’t on the OL, so that’s irrelevant regarding OL blocking scheme.
This zone blocking scheme is new this year, so there likely would be some adjustment period even for players with a better track record. It possibly masks whether these guys have improved individually and collectively. We’ll find out during the next couple weeks.
Ok. Try the 3:02 mark then 😆 So you didn’t notice the left guard letting the rusher in untouched before Cade manages a scramble and great toss to the TE (Ortwerth?)?
And after the next couple weeks…we’ll push it even farther “after week 6 we’ll really know.”
And then when the season’s over - “This was Lester’s first year and he had a new zone blocking scheme” ….. It’s always something.
You know what it means when you assume something, right?
If it's primarily about implementing a new scheme, then we'll know that by the Minnesota game. In fact, we should see improvement next week.
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Sorry, my bad on that. I had trouble seeing the time mark when viewing on my phone and obviously didn't get it matched up with the action. When watching on my computer, though, I see what you're talking about. Definitely a missed assignment on Stephens' part. On the next play, I wonder if Vander Zee wasn't the only guy confused about the audible.
Besides those two plays, however, the OL play was pretty solid in the second half. The first half, well, not so much.
It was different in the 2nd half. Even on zone blocking the RB attacked the LOS more vertically than horizontally
on the td pass, it looks like the rb is setting up for/expecting a screen and that's why he let the rushers go with just a chip block. i think there were multiple players confused on that one.
I think that's right. On a screen play, though, the OL still needs to slow up the pass rush, and they didn't even do that much.
Didn’t even give enough effort to call it a chip block. Just bad effort overall by the OL and #4.
Watch film. Point it out. Get it fixed.
Go to the 3:16 mark and Richman was on the left end as Lachey went out Richman had to be confused or people not on the same page. He blocked air, but could some have thought it was a screen called???? Just let guys go. Then you end up with two guys in the same area in the end zone. Like half got the call right and half were on a different play.
#2 is slowest looking fast guy I think I have ever seen. His running motion is just so smooth it looks like he is going slow but yet he pulls away from defenders.
Someone in the game thread kept calling Richman out for not blocking anyone. After like the third mention, I focused on him and watched him step back and turn to the side, giving his rusher a straight line shot at Cade without even attempting to touch him. Cade barely got the pass away to the opposite side. It wasn't any kind of screen so I have no idea what the idea was there.
On that one Richman didn't take a guy and #4 basically did the whiff as there were two guys to block and he didn't block either of the two.
He seemed to have a pretty bad game. Not sure he should be a starter….
I don't get it. We had the OL coach and the Head Coach working with the OL in the spring and in fall camp.
I don't get it. Mason is in his 5th year....
From Left to Right:
5th year: LT Mason Richman
4th year: LG Beau Stephens
5th year: C Logan Jones
4th year: RG Connor Colby
4th year: RT Gennings Dunker
These commentaries on the Oline play and possible schematic changes are a good thing.
Keep them up.
It seems the bulk of the commentators know what to look for.
They don't seem like apologists.
There are MANY IFs in play to account for when judging Lester's effectiveness.
It would be good if he could turn things around.
Simply don't know how long it will take him to overcome the entrenched systemic problems.
I do want to see him fairly dealt with.
Keep them up.
It seems the bulk of the commentators know what to look for.
They don't seem like apologists.
There are MANY IFs in play to account for when judging Lester's effectiveness.
It would be good if he could turn things around.
Simply don't know how long it will take him to overcome the entrenched systemic problems.
I do want to see him fairly dealt with.
I am stating the obvious here but its really hard for Lester to run his offense if the OL struggles pass blocking and run blocking. I hope Cade holds up. And its really disappointing that our starting (and sometimes struggling) OL are all 4th or 5th year guys.
As we all know, football starts at the line of scrimmage. The OL makes the offense go. The DL allows the rest of the D to go.
Well, they did blitz a lot and Spack is a defensive guy. Supposedly a pretty food one at that. First game of the year for the Hawks and throw in some rotation, I expect there might have been a couple missed assignments. Which is learning material for the film room. We have work to do for sure, but I don't think any team out there is going to say anything different then that. So I am not worried. Ya run what ya brung and Illinois State did just that and did not score, nor did they get a sack. WHAT I REALLY HOPE FOR is that after the Hawks got shut out so many times last year, now they have a taste for what it is like to be on the other end of that and can carry that forward.
While i do think there’s some truth to these excuses for 2024, it amazes me when these come out no matter what the staff or player experience level is. Then you watch any other team and they look like they’ve been playing together for 30 years. Then you find out it’s all true freshman and transfers haha
Every year it’s
We don’t want to show much before conference
Need to knock off some rust
We typically gel around October
We play our best ball in November !!
I thought the OL played average. Somehow the DL couldn’t wrap up Cade and he made an amazing throw to the TE. His prayer of a TD was also a play where the OL decided to not block
If the offense can show some life like it did in second half against ISU for majority of the game then i think we could see a better product this year.
My gut tells me we will see the first half performance
