What did we learn?
For Nate Stanley and Iowa, it they are just a few inches short of a great season.
Tom Kakert • HawkeyeReport
@hawkeyereport
The crossover season is here.
No, that’s not a way to integrate a basketball move into what we are going to discuss, but it does have to do with basketball.
The month of November is the crossover season if you are covering college football and college basketball. One sport is in the final month of the regular season and the other is just getting started.
It’s my favorite most hated month of the year.
Let me explain that statement. I love this time of year because I enjoy college football and basketball and there’s something interesting going on in one of both of those worlds on a daily basis. I also hate, well hate is a strong word, but the plate for those of us who cover both sports can get a little full.
It’s can be overwhelming, but it’s also a lot of fun.
I mean, this week we get Iowa vs. DePaul in a big hoops game on Monday night and we get another basketball game on Friday night, followed by a huge football game on Saturday against Minnesota. And there’s a pretty significant basketball announcement also coming on Monday morning too.
It’s going to be a busy month for Hawkeye fans, so enjoy it.
Now on to what we learned this week in the world of the Hawkeye…
1. For the second straight year it’s pretty clear that Iowa’s football season is going to come down to feeling like missed opportunities.
Last year, Iowa lost four games by a grand total of 23 points. Throw out the garbage touchdown late in the Wisconsin game last year at Kinnick Stadium and it was four games by a total of 16 points.
This year, three losses this season and the total margin of defeat of 14 points.
The line between good and great seasons is narrow and the Hawkeyes have been on the good and not great side the last two seasons. Not being able to win those close games, usually against top competition in the Big Ten, keeps you from making a trip to Indianapolis in early December. In 2015, Iowa won six games that were decided by ten points or less. Since that year, Iowa is 7-10 in games decided by ten points or less. Like I said, winning close games is the dividing line between good and great.
2. The Wisconsin hex over the Hawkeyes continues for another year. It’s so strange that the line between when Iowa really kind of had a little edge in the series revolves about one game and really one play, a fake punt in 2010, but that’s how it feels. Since that game, Iowa has won just once and that victory was almost a miracle with a fumble on the goal line.
When we look back years from now on the 2019 Iowa/Wisconsin game the moment we will all look back upon and debate is the two point conversion attempt by the Hawkeyes. I had zero problem with the call by Brian Ferentz. It’s the play they worked on in practice this week and Stanley did exactly what he was asked to do, hesitate to sell the play and then run towards the end zone. Remember, Stanley has been very effective in short yardage the last two years running the football, so this wasn’t some out of line crazy call. The hole was there and then it wasn’t. Credit to Wisconsin’s linebackers for making a big time play in a huge moment to secure the win.
3. If you have been reading this column during the year, you may have noted that I’ve kind of been concerned that while Iowa’s defense had been performing at a very high level, there were some warning signs, particularly with stopping the run.
The Hawkeyes have been good and probably over-achieving a bit when it comes to their overall play on defense. I’ve been particularly concerned about their ability to stop the run and even defensive line coach Kelvin Bell hinted at it during his bye week presser when he said part of the reason that their sack totals were down this year was because they were giving up too many yards on first and second down.
Iowa gave up 300 yards rushing on Saturday. You simply cannot expect to win many football games when you give up 300 yards on the ground. That included 250 to All American Jonathon Taylor. He was the best player on the field and he showed it, particularly in the fourth quarter when he rumbled through the Iowa defense for 135 yards.
I still think Iowa’s defense is pretty good, but not great. The way to greatness includes winning the ground war on first and second down and they just haven’t done that to the level they need to this season.
4. Which brings us to time of possession, because that’s what really did the Hawkeye defense in against the Badgers. Iowa has done a wonderful job of controlling the clock most of this year. That has helped to keep the defense fresh and the offense on the field.
That all came crashing down on Saturday afternoon. Wisconsin had 24 first downs, including 15 rushing. They converted on 8 of 14 third down opportunities and they simply controlled the clock, holding the ball for 37 minutes and 24 seconds.
While part of it is on the defense for not getting stops, it’s also as much about the Iowa offense not keeping the ball in their hands. The Hawkeyes were 1-9 on third downs and you are going to have a tough time winning on the road with a number like that.
5. If you want a few positives, well there are some. I really like what I am seeing from Tyrone Tracy. He’s filling in for Brandon Smith and has done a very good job. In the last two games he has made impact plays. Two weeks ago he spun out of a tackle and raced down the field for a score against Northwestern. This week he beat a cornerback in one on one coverage and ran away from the defense for a much needed 75 yard touchdown. Kelvin Bell was the lead recruiter for Tracy and he’s talked quite a bit about how electric he is with the ball in his hands and Iowa fans are seeing that now.
I also think it’s worth highlighting Kyler Schott, or “Shooter” as he’s known by his teammates. He’s missed several weeks due to injury and let’s be honest, he doesn’t have a much game experience. The Iowa coaches had enough faith in him to drop him back into the starting lineup at guard on the road in a huge Big Ten game and he reward that faith with a very strong performance.
6. We opened this discussing the stories of the season and I think when we look back upon this year it will be about those missed opportunities, like having to settle for field goals instead of getting in the end zone and scoring touchdowns.
Keith Duncan has been terrific this season and congrats to him for setting the all-time single season mark for field goals at 22, but that’s not one of those records that teams really want. Sure they want their kickers to convert on field goals when asked, but that also means you failed to get into the end zone.
The difference in settling for three instead of getting seven can decide a game and it did on Saturday. Iowa had two golden opportunities and came away with six points instead of fourteen. The first was the strip sack by A.J. Epenesa that gave the Hawkeyes the ball at the Wisconsin 16 in the first quarter. Scoring a touchdown there sets the tone for the game and Iowa got as close as the six yard line before Duncan had to put points on the board.
Then in the fourth quarter with Iowa trailing 21-13, Matt Hankins intercepts a pass and the Hawkeyes are in business at the Wisconsin 47. This time Iowa gets to the edge of the red zone before the drive dies and Duncan hits a field goal.
7. A quick thought on the bowl situation and the Big Ten West race. While mathematically Iowa remains alive in the Big Ten West, their chances to get to Indy are essentially over.
And their bowl destination, which I think we all thought might include a trip to San Diego, might be dwindling as well. We already know Iowa’s not going to the Outback or Gator Bowl this year because of the Big Ten rules regarding repeat customers to bowl games. The Pinstripe Bowl is also out and no one is going to complain about that.
Which leaves us with the Holiday and it’s getting more difficult to find a path for Iowa to get there. You have to think that Ohio State, Penn State, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan are going to be in front of Iowa at this point. Ohio State might be headed to the playoff. Penn State and at least one or and maybe two will be headed to one of the other headline bowls. The Rose Bowl for sure and maybe one of the others. The Citrus and Outback will pick and then it’s the Holiday Bowl, but if say Michigan is sitting there you think they are taking Jim Harbaugh or Iowa? We could be seeing a scenario play out where the Redbox Bowl in the Bay Area could be the Hawkeyes home for the holidays.
For Nate Stanley and Iowa, it they are just a few inches short of a great season.
Tom Kakert • HawkeyeReport
@hawkeyereport
The crossover season is here.
No, that’s not a way to integrate a basketball move into what we are going to discuss, but it does have to do with basketball.
The month of November is the crossover season if you are covering college football and college basketball. One sport is in the final month of the regular season and the other is just getting started.
It’s my favorite most hated month of the year.
Let me explain that statement. I love this time of year because I enjoy college football and basketball and there’s something interesting going on in one of both of those worlds on a daily basis. I also hate, well hate is a strong word, but the plate for those of us who cover both sports can get a little full.
It’s can be overwhelming, but it’s also a lot of fun.
I mean, this week we get Iowa vs. DePaul in a big hoops game on Monday night and we get another basketball game on Friday night, followed by a huge football game on Saturday against Minnesota. And there’s a pretty significant basketball announcement also coming on Monday morning too.
It’s going to be a busy month for Hawkeye fans, so enjoy it.
Now on to what we learned this week in the world of the Hawkeye…
1. For the second straight year it’s pretty clear that Iowa’s football season is going to come down to feeling like missed opportunities.
Last year, Iowa lost four games by a grand total of 23 points. Throw out the garbage touchdown late in the Wisconsin game last year at Kinnick Stadium and it was four games by a total of 16 points.
This year, three losses this season and the total margin of defeat of 14 points.
The line between good and great seasons is narrow and the Hawkeyes have been on the good and not great side the last two seasons. Not being able to win those close games, usually against top competition in the Big Ten, keeps you from making a trip to Indianapolis in early December. In 2015, Iowa won six games that were decided by ten points or less. Since that year, Iowa is 7-10 in games decided by ten points or less. Like I said, winning close games is the dividing line between good and great.
2. The Wisconsin hex over the Hawkeyes continues for another year. It’s so strange that the line between when Iowa really kind of had a little edge in the series revolves about one game and really one play, a fake punt in 2010, but that’s how it feels. Since that game, Iowa has won just once and that victory was almost a miracle with a fumble on the goal line.
When we look back years from now on the 2019 Iowa/Wisconsin game the moment we will all look back upon and debate is the two point conversion attempt by the Hawkeyes. I had zero problem with the call by Brian Ferentz. It’s the play they worked on in practice this week and Stanley did exactly what he was asked to do, hesitate to sell the play and then run towards the end zone. Remember, Stanley has been very effective in short yardage the last two years running the football, so this wasn’t some out of line crazy call. The hole was there and then it wasn’t. Credit to Wisconsin’s linebackers for making a big time play in a huge moment to secure the win.
3. If you have been reading this column during the year, you may have noted that I’ve kind of been concerned that while Iowa’s defense had been performing at a very high level, there were some warning signs, particularly with stopping the run.
The Hawkeyes have been good and probably over-achieving a bit when it comes to their overall play on defense. I’ve been particularly concerned about their ability to stop the run and even defensive line coach Kelvin Bell hinted at it during his bye week presser when he said part of the reason that their sack totals were down this year was because they were giving up too many yards on first and second down.
Iowa gave up 300 yards rushing on Saturday. You simply cannot expect to win many football games when you give up 300 yards on the ground. That included 250 to All American Jonathon Taylor. He was the best player on the field and he showed it, particularly in the fourth quarter when he rumbled through the Iowa defense for 135 yards.
I still think Iowa’s defense is pretty good, but not great. The way to greatness includes winning the ground war on first and second down and they just haven’t done that to the level they need to this season.
4. Which brings us to time of possession, because that’s what really did the Hawkeye defense in against the Badgers. Iowa has done a wonderful job of controlling the clock most of this year. That has helped to keep the defense fresh and the offense on the field.
That all came crashing down on Saturday afternoon. Wisconsin had 24 first downs, including 15 rushing. They converted on 8 of 14 third down opportunities and they simply controlled the clock, holding the ball for 37 minutes and 24 seconds.
While part of it is on the defense for not getting stops, it’s also as much about the Iowa offense not keeping the ball in their hands. The Hawkeyes were 1-9 on third downs and you are going to have a tough time winning on the road with a number like that.
5. If you want a few positives, well there are some. I really like what I am seeing from Tyrone Tracy. He’s filling in for Brandon Smith and has done a very good job. In the last two games he has made impact plays. Two weeks ago he spun out of a tackle and raced down the field for a score against Northwestern. This week he beat a cornerback in one on one coverage and ran away from the defense for a much needed 75 yard touchdown. Kelvin Bell was the lead recruiter for Tracy and he’s talked quite a bit about how electric he is with the ball in his hands and Iowa fans are seeing that now.
I also think it’s worth highlighting Kyler Schott, or “Shooter” as he’s known by his teammates. He’s missed several weeks due to injury and let’s be honest, he doesn’t have a much game experience. The Iowa coaches had enough faith in him to drop him back into the starting lineup at guard on the road in a huge Big Ten game and he reward that faith with a very strong performance.
6. We opened this discussing the stories of the season and I think when we look back upon this year it will be about those missed opportunities, like having to settle for field goals instead of getting in the end zone and scoring touchdowns.
Keith Duncan has been terrific this season and congrats to him for setting the all-time single season mark for field goals at 22, but that’s not one of those records that teams really want. Sure they want their kickers to convert on field goals when asked, but that also means you failed to get into the end zone.
The difference in settling for three instead of getting seven can decide a game and it did on Saturday. Iowa had two golden opportunities and came away with six points instead of fourteen. The first was the strip sack by A.J. Epenesa that gave the Hawkeyes the ball at the Wisconsin 16 in the first quarter. Scoring a touchdown there sets the tone for the game and Iowa got as close as the six yard line before Duncan had to put points on the board.
Then in the fourth quarter with Iowa trailing 21-13, Matt Hankins intercepts a pass and the Hawkeyes are in business at the Wisconsin 47. This time Iowa gets to the edge of the red zone before the drive dies and Duncan hits a field goal.
7. A quick thought on the bowl situation and the Big Ten West race. While mathematically Iowa remains alive in the Big Ten West, their chances to get to Indy are essentially over.
And their bowl destination, which I think we all thought might include a trip to San Diego, might be dwindling as well. We already know Iowa’s not going to the Outback or Gator Bowl this year because of the Big Ten rules regarding repeat customers to bowl games. The Pinstripe Bowl is also out and no one is going to complain about that.
Which leaves us with the Holiday and it’s getting more difficult to find a path for Iowa to get there. You have to think that Ohio State, Penn State, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan are going to be in front of Iowa at this point. Ohio State might be headed to the playoff. Penn State and at least one or and maybe two will be headed to one of the other headline bowls. The Rose Bowl for sure and maybe one of the others. The Citrus and Outback will pick and then it’s the Holiday Bowl, but if say Michigan is sitting there you think they are taking Jim Harbaugh or Iowa? We could be seeing a scenario play out where the Redbox Bowl in the Bay Area could be the Hawkeyes home for the holidays.
