Utah St continued the box loading, what will Brian Ferentz do to counter it?

[uihawk82]

If Kirk and Brian have not noticed this yet, opponents keep loading the box on Iowa, especially on first down and 2nd and 3rd and short. When we had great OLines we could overcome that but not the last couple of years and it doesnt look like this OLine can blow teams off the line.

Will Brian F get a first down passing game going and working? We have very good running backs but we can also get them the ball in space, out on the wings or as simple safety valve type passes. Cade is the most accurate passer we have had since CJB.

How many times have we seen jNW have a running back just run toward the sideline, camp out, and if need be their QB just dumps it to them, they make a guy miss, and they get good yards. The pros, in pro style offenses, do it all the time.

We did it a few times yesterday but we dont throw enough on first down to back the defense out of the box.

I liked the little wrinkle they did with the screen pass where it was set up for the receiver to catch the ball a little closer to the LOS, that was a good wrinkle.

Kirk, throw it more on first down with simple high percentage passes to set up the run

 

[squeezebox]

This is 100% the problem. The Safety was way up in the box the entire game. Iowa to the best of my knowledge did not run their normal play action boot. It seemed like a perfect opportunity for a good ole flea flicker.

 

[ssckelley]

This is 100% the problem. The Safety was way up in the box the entire game. Iowa to the best of my knowledge did not run their normal play action boot. It seemed like a perfect opportunity for a good ole flea flicker.

You need a line to hold a block for longer than 2 seconds in order for that play to work.

 

[Steamboat529529]

Load the box, bring pressure, and make Brain adjust. A lot of our passing plays off the play action take time to develop.

 

[MitchLL]

BF will never figure things out, regardless of personnel.

 

[mthawkeyes]

This is 100% the problem. The Safety was way up in the box the entire game. Iowa to the best of my knowledge did not run their normal play action boot. It seemed like a perfect opportunity for a good ole flea flicker.

I don't think they wanted to exposure McNamara.

It's not very Iowa-like, but they need to embrace the short passing game as part of the running game. The flat was vulnerable throughout the 2nd and 3rd quarters when Iowa was stubbornly trying to establish a running game. Make them commit a player to the flat, THEN you may be able to run the ball.

 

[squeezebox]

You need a line to hold a block for longer than 2 seconds in order for that play to work.

You need to pull the safety and the linebackers out of the box.

 

[mlb1399]

This is one of the problems of having underwhelming WR play. When you have playmakers at WR, the defense has to respect the entire field.

 

[HawK + i]

Ferentz always keeps the playbook very vanilla on week one against an inferior opponent, and especially when Iowa State is next week. No need to give them an extra game film I suppose.

 

[Birky]

I don't think they wanted to exposure McNamara.

It's not very Iowa-like, but they need to embrace the short passing game as part of the running game. The flat was vulnerable throughout the 2nd and 3rd quarters when Iowa was stubbornly trying to establish a running game. Make them commit a player to the flat, THEN you may be able to run the ball.

Stubbornly trying to establish the running game? When did this happen?

That is one of Brian’s biggest issues. He won’t even attempt to establish a running game.

 

[herkyhawk00]

When your formation is a basic pro formation with the X and Z split out and the Y tight, that is the normal defense every team in the country will play. We also ran two TE’s with multiple tight formations.

 

[shanksit44]

You need to pull the safety and the linebackers out of the box.

Need to do both. Is it possible for the OC to do 2 things at once?

 

[squeezebox]

Need to do both. Is it possible for the OC to do 2 things at once?

not this one, and I'm not entirely sure the line is on Brian. I hope they pull the stop out for next weekend as well.

 

[KuwaitHawk]

Like what he always does, FOLLOW THE SCRIPT.

 

[Birky]

Ferentz always keeps the playbook very vanilla on week one against an inferior opponent, and especially when Iowa State is next week. No need to give them an extra game film I suppose.

Then they unleash chaos every year in week two. Reinventing offensive football.

 

[RagnarLothbrok]

BF will never figure things out, regardless of personnel.

Yep.

And even though Iowa will likely rank at the bottom of P5 offenses again this season, not a single offensive coach on the Iowa staff will have any worry of losing their job. Not one.

 

[MitchLL]

An 8-4 record, with this schedule, is not going to be all that challenging.

I suspect that is the goal with this staff.

Bonuses for everybody!!!!!!!!!

 

[jonesy5960]

You've got a weak line and an immobile QB looking to unload quickly before he risks additional injury. Why wouldn't opponents be loading the box?

 

[NCHawkeye24]

If Cade is not going to run, then this offense is the same as it has been with Petras.

We also did not play-action at all either. No boots.

Utah St. stacked the box, shot the gaps with their dlinemen and for the most part kept their linebackers clean to make plays. We didn't do much to get them to have to play in space.

Personally I think they went up 2 scores and then wanted to get a bunch of stuff on tape. If we scored we scored, but if not, that is ok too. Not saying the game was never in doubt, but I certainly was never worried sitting on my couch.

 

[CRazzle]

White Boi Wetjet Sweeps!

That play is gunna be so telegraphed.

 

[Buffalo43]

This is one of the problems of having underwhelming WR play. When you have playmakers at WR, the defense has to respect the entire field.

Seth Anderson can be that guy

 

[QChawks]

That’s football!

 

[WWDMHawkeye]

You've got a weak line and an immobile QB looking to unload quickly before he risks additional injury. Why wouldn't opponents be loading the box?

I wouldn’t call Cade immobile. Heck — he’s Carl Lewis compared to what we’ve had the last 3 years. He eluded the rush pretty well for the most part, and infinitely better than his predecessor. Petras would have given up about 5 sacks yesterday, I’d estimate. That said, if this OL remains a sieve, Cade will be injured and on the bench before long and Brian’s hopes of meeting his goals will be toast.

 

[jonesy5960]

I wouldn’t call Cade immobile. Heck — he’s Carl Lewis compared to what we’ve had the last 3 years. He eluded the rush pretty well for the most part, and infinitely better than his predecessor. Petras would have given up about 5 sacks yesterday, I’d estimate. That said, if this OL remains a sieve, Cade will be injured and on the bench before long and Brian’s hopes of meeting his goals will be toast.

He's not capable of using his legs to make a play today. That's the definition of an immobile quarterback.

 

[HawkMachine]

How will he counter?

Probs lay down in the fetal position and use daddy’s dick as a pacifier.


He needs to go and take the OL coach with him.

 

[WWDMHawkeye]

He's not capable of using his legs to make a play today. That's the definition of an immobile quarterback.

Not true. Petras was the definition of an immobile QB. Cade is light years ahead of him. He’s a little limited by the leg injury but he was still able to avoid multiple sacks yesterday with… his mobility.

We clearly have different definitions of an immobile QB. That’s cool. But I fully expect Cade to make plenty of plays with his feet this season, provide that his OL doesn’t get him killed.

 

[iahawkeyes17]

If Kirk and Brian have not noticed this yet, opponents keep loading the box on Iowa, especially on first down and 2nd and 3rd and short. When we had great OLines we could overcome that but not the last couple of years and it doesnt look like this OLine can blow teams off the line.

Will Brian F get a first down passing game going and working? We have very good running backs but we can also get them the ball in space, out on the wings or as simple safety valve type passes. Cade is the most accurate passer we have had since CJB.

How many times have we seen jNW have a running back just run toward the sideline, camp out, and if need be their QB just dumps it to them, they make a guy miss, and they get good yards. The pros, in pro style offenses, do it all the time.

We did it a few times yesterday but we dont throw enough on first down to back the defense out of the box.

I liked the little wrinkle they did with the screen pass where it was set up for the receiver to catch the ball a little closer to the LOS, that was a good wrinkle.

Kirk, throw it more on first down with simple high percentage passes to set up the run

Sad part is. How many times we did try and have an incomplete 1st down pass and like clock work we run on 2nd and 10 for 2-3 yards. Article end of 21’ season guy on black heart gold pants broke it down and BF dialed up a run on 80% of 2nd and 10 in this scenario.

People can argue the players don’t execute well enough but there in lies the problem when our OC doesn’t put them in the position for success when he keeps trying to fit a square peg into a round hole with his play calls.

 

[BioHawk]

You need a line to hold a block for longer than 2 seconds in order for that play to work.

Yeah, even with a good line, it's really hard for 5 or 6 guys to block 8 guys. I'm not an expert on offensive play calling but I have to think there are some quick slants or some plays that don't take much time to develop that move the ball away from the pressure that can help with that. But there needs to be more than just a wide receiver screen. Eventually teams pick up on your one play to avoid pressure.

 

[jonesy5960]

Seth Anderson can be that guy

I agree. The biggest problem today is not wide receivers. Last year you might have had an argument, but not this one. I think Anderson and Brown are both capable of taking the top off and making some plays. Hell, even Wetgen showed some wheels on those outside runs. If Charlie Jones was playing at Iowa this year he still wouldn't be catching passes. Problem number one is still the oline that misses blocks left and right. Problem number 2 is the starting quarterback isn't healthy. Problem number 3 is an offensive scheme and play calling that seem woefully unable to adjust to the situation at hand.

Everyone is talking about the crappy run game, but 6.4 YPA and a 36 QBR against a mid level MWC team aren't sparkling passing numbers. If this was last year that 1st week QBR would have been worse than any other QB in the B1G not named Spencer Petras. With the new talent at QB and wide receiver it has to be better than that.

 

[Steamboat529529]

Not true. Petras was the definition of an immobile QB. Cade is light years ahead of him. He’s a little limited by the leg injury but he was still able to avoid multiple sacks yesterday with… his mobility.

We clearly have different definitions of an immobile QB. That’s cool. But I fully expect Cade to make plenty of plays with his feet this season, provide that his OL doesn’t get him killed.

I think Cade looked plenty mobile yesterday. He escaped a few times that would have been sacks last year. A couple other times he could have taken off if healthy but decided better.

 

[uihawk82]

This is one of the problems of having underwhelming WR play. When you have playmakers at WR, the defense has to respect the entire field.

I think we have good enough WRs now and 2 really good TEnds that can get open up the hash marks with, some quick slants, and crossing patterns. Do it with playaction on 1st down with the OLine showing run blocking to cut down the defenders.

Let Cade and the receivers open up this offense for the run

 

[jonesy5960]

Not true. Petras was the definition of an immobile QB. Cade is light years ahead of him. He’s a little limited by the leg injury but he was still able to avoid multiple sacks yesterday with… his mobility.

We clearly have different definitions of an immobile QB. That’s cool. But I fully expect Cade to make plenty of plays with his feet this season, provide that his OL doesn’t get him killed.

He's obviously not close to 100% on that leg. Hopefully that's not the case all season but it's hard to see it getting better without rest.

 

[uihawk82]

You've got a weak line and an immobile QB looking to unload quickly before he risks additional injury. Why wouldn't opponents be loading the box?

Well we hope they sure ice down and treat Cade's quad and wrap it up well so he can run just a bit

 

[HawkeyeinOmaha]

White Boi Wetjet Sweeps!

That play is gunna be so telegraphed.

Moving like Christian McCaffrey out there.

 

[uihawk82]

Yeah, even with a good line, it's really hard for 5 or 6 guys to block 8 guys. I'm not an expert on offensive play calling but I have to think there are some quick slants or some plays that don't take much time to develop that move the ball away from the pressure that can help with that. But there needs to be more than just a wide receiver screen. Eventually teams pick up on your one play to avoid pressure.

You are correct. Remember, that Iowa's defense many times has trouble with the wide receiver screen early in games but then they start to shut it down with some quick and simple adjustments like moving your safeties and outside lkbrs/cash a step more to the outside. And DEnds with speed can easily see that coming and go out and help

When Iowa has 1 running back 1 TEnd and 3 wide receivers then one of those receivers is in the slot and a yard off the LOS. And when teams also have 8 in the box or even 7, that slot receiver can catch a pass and just juke one guy for a 5 yard gain or better. So you are right, quick slants, the old button hook or sit down patterns will work.

Do you ever watch the KC Chiefs and how Kelce can go down 3 yards, stop in an open area, get a quick pass, pivot and even if tackled he falls forwar for 5 total yards. A lot of NFL teams do it. No reason Lachey and All cant do the same thing from a slot position on first down. After that works a bunch of times the defense will have to walk out their lbkrs and safeties to cover those passes.

That is when the QB counts the helmets in the box and audibles to pass or run

 

[Steamboat529529]

You are correct. Remember, that Iowa's defense many times has trouble with the wide receiver screen early in games but then they start to shut it down with some quick and simple adjustments like moving your safeties and outside lkbrs/cash a step more to the outside. And DEnds with speed can easily see that coming and go out and help

When Iowa has 1 running back 1 TEnd and 3 wide receivers then one of those receivers is in the slot and a yard off the LOS. And when teams also have 8 in the box or even 7, that slot receiver can catch a pass and just juke one guy for a 5 yard gain or better. So you are right, quick slants, the old button hook or sit down patterns will work.

Do you ever watch the KC Chiefs and how Kelce can go down 3 yards, stop in an open area, get a quick pass, pivot and even if tackled he falls forwar for 5 total yards. A lot of NFL teams do it. No reason Lachey and All cant do the same thing from a slot position on first down. After that works a bunch of times the defense will have to walk out their lbkrs and safeties to cover those passes.

That is when the QB counts the helmets in the box and audibles to pass or run

Most teams would count the helmets. Iowa probably asks our quarterbacks to solve for x when y=m(x) + b.

 

[pistachio1999]

If Kirk and Brian have not noticed this yet, opponents keep loading the box on Iowa, especially on first down and 2nd and 3rd and short. When we had great OLines we could overcome that but not the last couple of years and it doesnt look like this OLine can blow teams off the line.

Will Brian F get a first down passing game going and working? We have very good running backs but we can also get them the ball in space, out on the wings or as simple safety valve type passes. Cade is the most accurate passer we have had since CJB.

How many times have we seen jNW have a running back just run toward the sideline, camp out, and if need be their QB just dumps it to them, they make a guy miss, and they get good yards. The pros, in pro style offenses, do it all the time.

We did it a few times yesterday but we dont throw enough on first down to back the defense out of the box.

I liked the little wrinkle they did with the screen pass where it was set up for the receiver to catch the ball a little closer to the LOS, that was a good wrinkle.

Kirk, throw it more on first down with simple high percentage passes to set up the run

I’d like to see a QB with the authorization and ability to audible.

 

[pistachio1999]

You are correct. Remember, that Iowa's defense many times has trouble with the wide receiver screen early in games but then they start to shut it down with some quick and simple adjustments like moving your safeties and outside lkbrs/cash a step more to the outside. And DEnds with speed can easily see that coming and go out and help

When Iowa has 1 running back 1 TEnd and 3 wide receivers then one of those receivers is in the slot and a yard off the LOS. And when teams also have 8 in the box or even 7, that slot receiver can catch a pass and just juke one guy for a 5 yard gain or better. So you are right, quick slants, the old button hook or sit down patterns will work.

Do you ever watch the KC Chiefs and how Kelce can go down 3 yards, stop in an open area, get a quick pass, pivot and even if tackled he falls forwar for 5 total yards. A lot of NFL teams do it. No reason Lachey and All cant do the same thing from a slot position on first down. After that works a bunch of times the defense will have to walk out their lbkrs and safeties to cover those passes.

That is when the QB counts the helmets in the box and audibles to pass or run

I’m not convinced Lachey is a great blocker either. Great at catching passes for sure.

 

[QChawks]

every defense we go against looks like the 85 Chicago Bears

 

[im4hawks50595]

The problem is under BF nothing changes as far as plays called, tempo, the way he uses Wr's and Rb's, he is way too predictable and never really has the D off blance.