tie 10 happy meals to a stick and lead Hill where You want him to go, make sure Lester gets that pro tip installed if Staypuff is practicing with the 1s.
Thoughts & Observations from Iowa Coaching Clinic
- Thread starter Drinkin Buddy
- Start date
You bring up some very valid points.
From my experience with Iowa football - coaching, players and playbook - this new offensive system is not overly complicated or difficult to digest, especially compared to what was built and preached during the BF years. In fact, it is far more familiar to the skill players and the systems they came from in HS and other programs (Brown, Anderson).
The players are both learning and unlearning right now, so that's what I meant by the "clunkiness" comment, and really meant to focus that on what it will look like early on (spring, fall scrimmage, first few games because the lights will be brighter).
Iowa's early saving grace early will be their defense (as usual).It has the makings of a top 5 unit out of the gate. They are experienced and mature (1 SO, 2 JR, 4 SR, 4 GR), and should be able to hit the ground running from a communication and execution standpoint.
IF the offense can string together successful drives and get Iowa back to where they dictate the game (unlike last year when they were constantly on their heels), you've got a winner. Successful drives means first downs and TOP; scoring is always nice,, but we have to stop getting pushed around on offense and having opponents dictate the game.
Also, playmakers is a very general term. If you mean game breakers, I agree with you 100% (Brown could be one, but has to prove it). You have to put guys in a position to be successful, and that is the focus of this change. To generally say that Iowa has no playmakers on its roster misses the point. Nobody can convince me that Iowa faced the best secondaries week in and week out, and that there weren't plays to be had. But when the defense pretty much knows what you're going to do and dictates your play calling by jamming up the box, of course you're not going to have much success making plays. At any level.
You've got a stacked RB room and growing TE room (Lachey had a broken bone, no ligament damage, and is healing nicely). We'll see about QB and WR. Play to your strengths, especially early on.
Agree with the term game breaker
The RBs are serviceable and i think K Johnson could be a stud if he gets more carries. I know there were some injury issues last year but the rotation didn’t help anyone.
But i do believe the biggest issue was Brian’s scheme. Everyone is compressed into a tiny phone booth. The OL stands no chance trying to block 8+ guys , which means the RB don’t stand much of a chance, and ditto for the QB to have time. Our WR routes were horrendous for years. No spacing, no ability for RAC.
I am hoping Tim can scheme some guys into space and allow them to convert first downs or even break a few big plays.
No more having the defense give the offense the ball at the 10 yard line of opponent and somehow the offense moves out of FG range haha
As you said, the defense will probably do what it always does. I’d like to see more QB pressure / sacks.
Hill running with the 1s where we left off. We left off with a starting QB who couldn't throw it in the ocean and ended with a big beat down. BAU
If Hill starts and lainez isn't dead ......I'm done
It's up to Lianez to separate from Hill.
Football is meritorious, and while you and I have the luxury of fairly easily saying "no way" to Hill, Lester has to be able to articulate it to KF after coaching and watching. It takes time. Both are getting plenty of reps and opportunities to prove themselves in or out.
Both looked about the same in the pocket on Saturday; some good moments and then a bonehead throw here and there.
Thank God it's just spring.
Thanks for the great input. Gotta have a decent QB, otherwise it’s rinse and repeat.
Deacon makes nothing good happen with his feet. Marco looked great runningIt's up to Lianez to separate from Hill.
Football is meritorious, and while you and I have the luxury of fairly easily saying "no way" to Hill, Lester has to be able to articulate it to KF after coaching and watching. It takes time. Both are getting plenty of reps and opportunities to prove themselves in or out.
Both looked about the same in the pocket on Saturday; some good moments and then a bonehead throw here and there.
Thank God it's just spring.
And they do not need to be able to run for more then 5-8 yards usually. In other words they do not need to be track stars, but having burst speed would be good. And knowing when to run obviously.
Again, Deacon doesn’t have a burst
Uhmm... isn't Cade gonna be the starting QB?It's up to Lianez to separate from Hill.
Football is meritorious, and while you and I have the luxury of fairly easily saying "no way" to Hill, Lester has to be able to articulate it to KF after coaching and watching. It takes time. Both are getting plenty of reps and opportunities to prove themselves in or out.
Both looked about the same in the pocket on Saturday; some good moments and then a bonehead throw here and there.
Thank God it's just spring.
I don’t think any of us expect Cade to make it thru the season.
As for Hill, if he starts….i think the fan base will revolt haha.
It also goes to show just how BAD our Qb recruiting has been over the last five years. About as bad as WR
I don’t care what the scheme is, Hill will still be the worst QB in Div 1
As for Hill, if he starts….i think the fan base will revolt haha.
It also goes to show just how BAD our Qb recruiting has been over the last five years. About as bad as WR
I don’t care what the scheme is, Hill will still be the worst QB in Div 1
No matter who the QB is or was, in today’s game a QB needs to make plays with their feet. 3-5 plays per game as called QB runs.
Hopefully there is more jet action to the wide side of the field and running plays not based solely off zone blocking. Watch Michigan and Ohio State they run some power and ISO and mix in true counters to complement zone blocking.
I am hoping our route trees get revamped. Passing was just as predictable as running. Two out routes and two crossers. With the occasional TE go route. Implement more wheel routes with the RB.
Hopefully there is more jet action to the wide side of the field and running plays not based solely off zone blocking. Watch Michigan and Ohio State they run some power and ISO and mix in true counters to complement zone blocking.
I am hoping our route trees get revamped. Passing was just as predictable as running. Two out routes and two crossers. With the occasional TE go route. Implement more wheel routes with the RB.
For the life of me, I can’t understand why BF did not figure this out and make adjustments.
I am probably belaboring the point but I’ve earned the right because my liver sustained major damage on Saturdays the last couple of years.
How in the hell can any offense be successful when the opponent loads 8/9 players at the LOS ….and they know Iowa’s very predictable tendencies?
QB recruiting hasn't been that bad. In fact I'd call it above-average. Unfortunately they have been overcoached on the wrong things for several years running.
I'm puzzled by this as well. I don't watch a ton of college football, but I don't EVER remember seeing a team put 9-10 guys in the box to sell out for the run. The 2 times I did see it the other team scored easy touchdowns. But I'm not blaming Brian but his dad. Brian's gone and his dad made him the laughingstock and scapegoat. It's Kirk who instills the "facts be darned even with 10 guys in the box run the ball" philosophy and when it abysmally fails.. well punting is winning. Unless and until that entire mindset is eliminated (hint: it won't be), we can expect to see some level what we've seen the last 2 years.
Unless they double the turnovers, what would change with virtually the same defense in terms of wins?
Still expecting 9+ wins at this point.
If Hill is the backup QB for the year then KF has no business being a head coach. Either he can't recruit/develop anyone or he doesn't have the foresight to bring in a Transfer to take that job.
Well, one thing we have with a new system is.......... the element of surprise. So that alone should help.
Iowa has recruited QBs the last few years who can scramble, but if a person didn't know better, and I don't, you would think they only recruit them to use in practice so our D will know how to react when we play 9 or 10 teams each year that do use them.
Assume Elsbury was at Center? Should just leave him there and put Jones at guard.
I would say in addition to constipated formations there was very little pre-snap movement or anything that might put the defense on their heels or second guessing. Iowa’s only real pre-snap movement was for the TE to back up off the LOS then go in motion. And when he did, it was very slow moving.
In short, Iowa played offense in a phone booth with little to no variance in formations or pre-snap movement. What percentage of plays was the quarterback either under center in the I-formation or in SG with five wide? There was just never any mystery to what Iowa was doing on offense. On top of that, what percentage of plays were followed up by either an I-formation run on 2nd down after a 1st down incompletion or a SG pass after a 1st down run stuff out of the I-formation?
Everything was just so predictable and constipated. I seriously cannot understand after how many offseasons of the same terrible results how they could not figure out some sort of variance or new wrinkles to add to their system. I mean, seriously. I don’t get it. I understand there’s a lot the average fan misses on Saturdays and what goes on behind the scenes the rest of the week, but there is no missing that the product on the field was garbage from one week to the next. If anything changed in terms of schemes or new wrinkles, I sure didn’t see it.
So, the question becomes, was it incompetence or arrogance that led to them doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results? Again, I don’t get it. Since 2021, you had two offseasons to figure it out and bring in fresh ideas and new coaches to address what needed addressed. Instead, 2022 and 2023 were more of the same. No real shakeup in the coaching ranks and no real discernible modifications or enhancements to a very stale, impotent offense. So, again, I ask: Was it incompetence or arrogance? Perhaps some of both, but at some point you have to entertain the idea that maybe the problems extend well beyond just execution or “cleaning a few things up.”
What amazes me is that with such an inept offense, 10 coaches couldn't figure out how to beat Iowa last year. 11 if you count Minnesota.
I believe you would be the only one that would call Iowa QB recruiting "above average". I would say Iowa QB's have been sub par at best, the ones that have transferred have done nothing at the schools they transferred to, and since Stanley, Iowa QB's have been downright bad.
The defense and special teams were that good. But top 25 teams still beat us, like red headed step children
Above average based on how they were rated coming out of HS. Recent departures haven't done anything at their new schools but that hasn't been completely true for the rest of KF's tenure. But it doesn't surprise me a bit that the latest QB transfers haven't done much. Iowa broke them.
It's like trying to explain to 2 year olds that the dog barking at the front door doesn't make people appear on the other side. Cause and effect are completely lost on them.
It's up to Lianez to separate from Hill.
Football is meritorious, and while you and I have the luxury of fairly easily saying "no way" to Hill, Lester has to be able to articulate it to KF after coaching and watching. It takes time. Both are getting plenty of reps and opportunities to prove themselves in or out.
Both looked about the same in the pocket on Saturday; some good moments and then a bonehead throw here and there.
Thank God it's just spring.
If Lianez and Hill look "about the same" in the pocket, then Lianez is the obvious choice, as he can actually make something happen with his feet. And Hill had a lot os starts to show exactly what he's capable of and its pretty mediocre.
Hopefully all the QBs improve and the offensive design gives them a chance to thrive. It's early, but we all hope it's Cade #1 and Lianez #2
I don't disagree with you one bit. And I understand the frustration and consternation about Deacon and Marco.
KF is slow to change, and for Marco to get to spring #1 he has to showcase well and Tim has to convince KF. We may not like it, but that's what has to happen.
You're pretty generous with the "pretty mediocre" statement.
I like to imagine he was collecting buckets of spit. 😀
100% agree. If Cade isn't ready by the first game and it's Hill, he better come out on fire, because it will take exactly one series resembling 2023 and it will be merciless in the stands. With Lainez, there will be a honeymoon period afforded to him. With that, I hope Cade will be ready.
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The option segment of RPO is not a QB run, it is when the QB pulls the ball from the RB’s pocket and passes to a spot vacated by a LB or DB who has reacted to the run action.
Wouldn't you think that the bowl game demonstrated that one guy has dual capability, yes they both struggled passing.It's up to Lianez to separate from Hill.
Football is meritorious, and while you and I have the luxury of fairly easily saying "no way" to Hill, Lester has to be able to articulate it to KF after coaching and watching. It takes time. Both are getting plenty of reps and opportunities to prove themselves in or out.
Both looked about the same in the pocket on Saturday; some good moments and then a bonehead throw here and there.
Thank God it's just spring.
If Deacon starts any game this year it's a signal Kirk wants a buyout & is forcing Beth to fire him. Or Marco just flat out sucks.
