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