New Story Tim Polasek Q&A

[Blair Sanderson]

Polasek talks OL movement

Tom Kakert • HawkeyeReport.com
@hawkeyereport



OPENING STATEMENT

We are excited about spring ball.

We are going into practice six or seven this week and we are trying to push the group forward and establish chemistry. Unit pride is always one of those things that is at the top, especially when you lose four guys from the year before.

Our main emphasis has been on competing and improving consistently every day.

With that being said, I will open it up for questions.

Q: With Keegan moving to center, was that a no-brainer?

POLASEK: Yeah because worked there. We had started forecasting last fall camp and gave him some reps and got him going. It’s never the most natural thing unless he has done it for a long time, but I thought last fall camp he showed some real promise. Then last year he ended up getting thrusted in there for the Wyoming game. He played well. I wouldn’t say he played great. He handled it and so far, so good. I am talking about the basics, like handling the snap, getting back on time, and stepping and snapping.

The part that Keegan has done a really good job at is the communication. Being accountable for every defensive front identification and being the start of the change of command as far as our communications. He owns that and he’s our best vocal leader and I’m not so sure that towards the end of last year that it wasn’t the same. Keegan is doing a wonderful job of leading the group and it feel like he can really lead best from that center position. We are most certainly trying to push some guys up there and see what happens.

Q: What about the tackles right now. How comfortable are you with Jackson and Wirfs and have the settled in on a side? What about a young guy like Mark Kallenberger?

POLASEK: With the tackle position right now, AJ runs out there for rep one at left tackle and Tristian has been running out there at right tackle. Mark is the only other true tackle that we have in the program right now. Levi (Paulsen) was getting reps at right tackle and right guard. Levi is out for the remainder of spring ball. Those two are swinging from right to left.

I will be honest with you, we went through a tough time during the bowl prep, but there was time for a transition and for Tristian to go over there. AJ was the one that struggled on the right side to some degree.

It’s interesting that one guys right hand is better on the right side and the other guys left hand is better. You have these different things going on, but the feet and pass protection has been really good. We are really happy with that. It’s a constant grind to prefect it. They are both really comfortable with the basics and when things change.

My favorite thing about spring ball is the young defensive guys miss a line or two once in a while. We have to go ahead and play through it. Both guys are doing a great job at both spots. I would think Tristian is getting a little higher percentage at right tackle and AJ is getting a little higher percentage at left tackle. One of our emphasis this week is to make sure we are not one side or the other. There’s really no reason besides putting the best five out there for one to play the other side.

Q: How different are the two positions?

POLASEK: You know what’s interesting, for me not a whole lot different. The left tackle protects the quarterbacks blindside, so that is paramount. As a quarterback you want to feel like you will never get touched from the blindside.

Other than that, from the technique side of things, there’s not a whole lot of difference between guard and tackle. Those guys get put out on islands more than interior guys do. I do think there’s something to be said for a guy being right hand dominant just as far as pass protection and that hand being on a defensive lineman quicker or whatever that might be.

Q: What about Kallenberger right now. If he’s one of the best five, could he slide inside?

POLASEK: I get kind of a grin on my face because I’ve appreciated Mark since he got here. He has improved on some little things, like not being the last one on the field. Not because he’s a bad kid, but just developing a routine.

Mark has been really consistent in the last four or five months in our program. Coach Doyle has done a great job laying out a plan for him. He came in today and wanted a high five and I was like, what’s up with you and it was the first time he had been at his target weight for more than a week. We will have the potential to push him out another pound or so.

Mark has only worked at right or left tackle. In rep one with the 2’s, he goes out at left tackle. It’s interesting that you bring the question up because something we talk about weekly is personnel. Who can provide depth? Who can get into the top six or seven? Do we have our best five out there? Mark’s name comes up constantly.

We will try to provide some opportunities for him that are different than those two tackle spots.

Q: Are you seeing guys who could be that six, seven, or eighth guy?

POLASEK: I think everybody is improving. This business that we are in is a race to maturity. We could come in and tell all of you guys, it’s all going great. It’s not. It’s never good enough. Improvement is not happening fast enough, but the guys that are going out there are working really hard and I think their gains are substantial.

We have a guy out there and he had a hard time getting into a stance and play with pad level. We had a guy who basically wouldn’t punch his hands in pass protection. The other day he landed his hands and stayed in front of the guy. It’s really complex stuff and we are seeing some guys that are taking their pajamas off and stepping into their big boy pants.

The first guy that I would mention is Cole Banwart. He has done a heck of a job. I am super excited about his future because he has continuously gotten better. The only thing to stop his growth has been injuries. He has to stay on the field, but his grit and toughness and he’s a Hawkeye. His teammates matter to him. He is trying to do things the way we are teaching them and the way we want them done. He’s showing really good growth.

I think Landan Paulsen is having his best stretch of football. I haven’t been with these guys for very long, but from what I’ve seen from last spring to fall camp to the season to December to now, he is playing his best football.

Q: You said Levi is out for the spring?

POLASEK: We will leave that to Coach Ferentz. He missed a day of practice and he will talk further on that.

Q: Who would you throw in at guard right now?

POLASEK: Cole Banwart would get some work. Ross Reynolds would flip over there. We will make things happen. We’re not all that concerned about who those people are right now. It’s all about providing opportunities and reps so you get to look at enough guys. Ross could flip over. You could bump Mark in, or Cole Banwart, who has been doing a pretty good job. We moved Jake Newborg over there. He might not get pushed up to the 1’s, but he will get more opportunities.

Q: How has the transition been for Levi Duwa?

POLASEK: He has been really good the last couple of days, knowing where he started. He has played center about 12 days because he went down with an injury during bowl prep.

With what I see him doing now, I wonder if he would have had all the bowl prep, how far along would he be? He’s doing great. He will fight you and he’s competitive. He’s up to 270 pounds. He’s a really smart football kid. Again, just dealing with the basics and not getting ready for Northern Iowa or Wisconsin, but he has been able to handle our stuff.

I am really encouraged. He comes out a lot for extra work and that means a lot to a ball coach. If a guy takes time away from what he’s got going on, that’s big time.

 

[Blair Sanderson]

Q: How many different fronts do you think you saw last year in a given week? What is that like?

POLASEK: Because of the background that I have had and the places that I’ve been, it was pretty consistent to be honest with you. I think North Texas in the first 15 plays played 10-12 different fronts. James Daniels is super smart and he said I think it was diamond, but it might have been over. You look back at the film and you are getting various fronts.

I think that is very common for people that do want to stop the run. Unfortunately everyone wants you to just step out there and run the football down their throats. That normally happens sometime in the third quarter or later in the second half, but it’s going to take some time. What we have to do a better job of this year is identifying what the defense is trying to do. Let’s make some communication, play fast, and get on our A point and do some good things.

Q: What did you identify in the run game that caused some inconsistencies?

POLASEK: I think there are some games when you look at the tape and wish as a coach that you did a lot better.

I think we played too flat and too lateral against Michigan State. I think the inside zone run plays were pretty good. You would like to turn the film on and man we came off the ball really good against Ohio State, right. Then there are a couple of weeks in there, maybe Northwestern, where we didn’t play with the conviction that we needed to. I just look at it like we were moving some parts around pretty frequently and I think those guys to man, needed to be a little bit more accountable. On top of that, as a football coach, I could have done a better job.

Q: What was it like for you last year, in your first year as Iowa’s offensive line coach and you watch two senior tackles are gone after week three?

POLASEK: I think with the way we practice, it allowed the kids to know, hey your time is coming quicker than you think. To be honest with you, I am kind of always preaching that. To preach it and then have it come to reality is two different things.

The two young kids that played, handled it. There are points in the season where we can point at and I know those kids did everything they could and there are mistakes. They played pretty well overall, especially looking back and seeing AJ making freshman All American.

As far as for me, now you really know the system instead of just coaching the system. That’s a big difference. You have to make the system work for you. That means teaching your notes and learning from your coaches.

It was an unbelievable football season for me. As far as the learning curve and being around Coach Ferentz and Brian Ferentz and the experience that I was able to gain as an individual, I hope to put that stamp on the offensive line moving forward. Not just next season, but for years to come.

There are just too many moments where I should have or could have been better. I wish those moments were less. I mean, that’s the whole objective, right? Eliminate the bad and replace it with the good.

Q: With Wirfs, can you point to some areas of growth since he arrived on campus?

POLASEK: Yeah, he can count now. (laugh)

He’s a really mature kid. I think wrestling and track really helped him. I have spoken to him about that, like what did you like about wrestling or track, where you holding yourself accountable and out there by yourself.

I guess also just watching him take some steps forward from a leadership standpoint. He’s just to the front of the line when we are warming up. I know that not a big deal, but he was a true freshman last year. I think with his class and his classmates, we need him to be a great leader.

To be honest with you and this might not be the answer you are looking for, but just helping him to learn to study film. Helping him get ready for spring ball by studying our stuff. What should he be doing? How does the process work? There are questions. Two weeks ago I asked these guys a question. Give me three things that you want to be coached on. You wouldn’t believe the questions. That’s why we are here.

He is such a stronger person off the field in the meetings now and not as reserved and he gets the group going a little bit. He is a powerful personality and someone who will push through and be a good leader.

Q: When you look at the Wisconsin, which was a historically bad day for the offense, the way they play and as gap sound as they are in the 3-4 and then the reckless abandon with the outside backers, what are the challenges that impact the program here in that game?

POLASEK: I think one thing, you have to credit those guys. They have been at this a long time with the same culture and same systems in place. We have that too.

The interesting thing about Wisconsin is they aren’t all that different in that you just have to displace them off their spot. Their D-Line is going to do everything they can to keep their linebackers on the inside clean so they can just follow the back into fits.

The goal is to win the West and Wisconsin sits at the top. You have to respect them and you have to be working every day to catch them.

Speaking specifically, you have to be able to handle the different structure. I think that has worked in their favor to some degree. I watched them over the years as a fan to a degree when they went from under to over and now they have incorporated some Okie. I have really been tied into them recruiting some different guys. Kids that they wouldn’t have been able to recruit as a 40 front that they can recruit as an Okie.

We are well aware of what they are doing and how they are doing it. We just have to execute in the big moments. In that game, we just feel like if we could have had 10-12 more rushes that it’s a different deal. I’m not going to say we knocked them off the ball over and over again, but I don’t know if it was the rushing plan that hurt us in that game. It was protection and things breaking down on third down and not getting some conversions that really hurt us because we had some opportunities. The score doesn’t relate to the match-up being miles apart. We are trying to close that gap, but it’s not like it’s a football field length away.

Q: In the first half, you averaged almost four yards a carry. In the second half you threw and they got to you on third down almost every single time. Is it a combination of game planning and now you have a chance to look back and say its 2nd and 6, why not run the ball.

POLASEK: No doubt. You guys are good at your jobs and I respect that. I am never going to be in a position place it on a play. I think it’s the execution level, period. We call something and that means we have to execute it better, run or pass, period.

Q: Going up against Michigan State and Wisconsin last year, I know body type and all that stuff and you talk about maturity being important. A 22 year old against an 18 year old is going to be trouble. But, going to the combine and you see knocks against Iowa’s offensive line being small. Are you guys size wise and power wise where you want to be?

POLASEK: There is plenty of evidence during the season of it being the other way.

When you get around the draft, there are 32 teams trying to put together the best football team they can and they have opinions on every player and every position. That just comes with the territory and I think that’s part of the fun. We are looking for a different guy than some other people. Depending on what you are doing schematically, how you want to do it, or how you want to train. It all impacts the kind of guy that you are going after. You could ask Marshal Yanda, I think he’s pretty good. We have had some good players. I get that and I understand it too coming from a small school situation years ago where none of those guys could play. The kids will end up in the spots they should and as long as they keep their heads down, I think they can be good pros coming out of the Iowa program because of some of the evidence we have put on the football field and working through the draft. We feel good about where we are at that way.

 

[funnyfletcher]

It’s cool that most of the OL is from Iowa.

 

[The Sleeping Dog]

Good interview. I like the direction of the line, older and bigger. That experience is invaluable.