 Marc MorehouseHi, I'm Marc Morehouse. I've covered sports for more than 15 years, mostly in Eastern Iowa. I've had Hayden Fry [...] |
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No 3-4, but maybe more 3-4
Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz (right) talks to defensive coordinator Norm Parker as they celebrate the Hawkeyes' win over Missouri after the 2010 Insight Bowl at Sun Devil Stadium on Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2010, in Tempe, Ariz. Iowa won, 27-24. (Jim Slosiarek/SourceMedia Group News)
IOWA CITY — Three months of thinking can led to a few crazy thoughts.
The last time you saw the Hawkeyes, they hoisted the Insight Bowl trophy with a 27-24 victory over No. 12 Missouri. The road to that win wound around Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert and his monster, record numbers.
Gabbert, a lock first-round pick in next month’s NFL draft, completed 41 of 57 for 434 yards, all Missouri bowl records. He threw one TD and was intercepted twice, including Iowa cornerback Micah Hyde’s interception and 72-yard return for the winning points in the fourth quarter.
Iowa allowed a ton of yards, but not a ton of points. That’s how defensive coordinator Norm Parker has called it for 12 seasons.
He pressed a million buttons in the game, too.
Iowa ran nickel and dime packages. It changed from its regular 4-3 to a 3-4 on a few third downs. Freshman Anthony Hitchens was in on dime defense. He was a true freshman seeing his first snaps on defense.
Hey, that 3-4 looked pretty good. Maybe Iowa should use that more often or maybe all the time?
“No, we’re not planning on that,” coach Kirk Ferentz said. “To play a 3-4, it’s one thing to do it in passing downs. If you’re going to do it every down . . . I guess you could say Carl Davis fits that mold . . . usually you have one of the guys that’s bigger than a door.
“We’re just not built that way. That’s a whole change of philosophy. That would be a big change for us.”
The “bigger than the door” comment refers to the monster noseguard most if not all 3-4 defenses use. The best examples might come out of the NFL, where behemoths like the Packers B.J. Raji and the Steelers Casey Hampton clog up the middle while linebackers read and make plays.
Iowa hasn’t trafficked in the “bigger than a door” defensive tackles. Colin Cole was 300-plus, but Iowa choose instead to build its defensive philosophy on players it could get. That said, redshirt freshman Carl Davis is 6-5, 310.
Also, senior linebacker Jeff Tarpinian returned for the Insight Bowl after sitting most of the final eight weeks of the season with a stinger. Linebackers coach Darrell Wilson pieced it together all season in ’10.
Iowa pulled out all the stops in the bowl game — using 3-4 and dime packages liberally in the second half — and it kept the Tigers from scoring the points that would’ve matched their yardage.
“We were using what we had,” Ferentz said. “We had some guys injured, too. Losing Tarp affected us last year. Then when we lost Tyler, there’s two guys we were counting on to be pretty good players. So, that really kind of stretched us to do a lot of things.”
Against the pass, expect Iowa to work in some 3-4 on passing downs, especially if that passer is Gabbert’s caliber. Iowa will continue to rush four or more (but mostly four) probably 90 percent of the time, so we’re not talking wholesale philosophy change, just a tweak that would put more speed on the field.
Ferentz said Iowa is looking for speed. He discussed the need for speed at both outside linebacker spots.
“All that has changed a little bit with offenses right now,” Ferentz said. “It’s really kind of like both outside guys [strongside and weakside linebackers] have to be able to play out in space because of what we see for the most part, not every week, but for the most part.
“That position [strongside (outside) linebacker] has evolved a little bit, but I think if you look at our roster right now, Tyler [Nielsen], [Christian] Kirksey and Dakota Getz are best suited for the Leo position, where as the other position is a little bit more of a mixed bag, if you will.”
Iowa’s spring depth chart has Nielsen returning to his spot at outside linebacker, where he started until suffering a broken vertebrae in week 8. Kirksey and Hitchens are listed as c0-starters at weakside. Kirksey also is Nielsen’s backup.
Kirksey is listed at 6-2, 215. He played on kick coverage last season, so coaches have seen that he can run.
Sophomore James Morris is listed as the No. 1 middle linebacker, where Iowa also has senior Bruce Davis, who’s returning from a torn ACL.
“I think James Morris probably could handle any one of those three positions, where as Bruce Davis is more of an inside player, more of a middle linebacker type guy,” Ferentz said. “Long story short, we’re going to look at the guys in different positions, combinations, just see how things materialize as we go along.”
It’s too early for any rash calls for a 3-4, even though on paper, it might make sense. D-line coach Rick Kaczenski needs to find a tackle and end, with Thomas Nardo and Lebron Daniel getting first cracks at those spots this spring.
If Iowa has more quality linebackers and defensive backs than D-linemen, maybe more 3-4 in passing situations makes sense. Then again, it is the first week of spring practice.
“We’re eager to see these guys after 15 practices,” Ferentz said. “I think we’ll be OK. We’re keeping an open mind right now.”
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I love Morris in the middle, but if Davis comes back strong, I can see JM as a nightmare for opposing offenses on the weak or strong side. Just five months to go, folks! Go Hawks!
The more I think about it, Morris was above and beyond as a true freshman. His development will be fun to track.
Yeah, I’ve always liked Bruce Davis, it’s a shame he’s never been able to maintain time on the field. I’m intrigued by the 3-4, we all know Iowa isn’t ever going to be a blitz-happy team (nor should they be), but a few different looks would be good.
It’ll be a look the show. They’ve always used it at least a little bit.
I would love to see Davis healthy and get a healthy shot at a job. In my mind, he has earned his stripes on special teams. His recovery of that onsides kick in ’09 was a big deal.
“Ferentz said Iowa is looking for speed.” I’d settle for them finding common sense on defense and special teams… like putting someone on the punter on 4th down (Wisconsin)…not allowing 4th and 10 (or more (OSU /Arizona) – all 3 were losses coincidentally that may hae been “W’s” by just playing common sense ball
Common sense is always good.
No doubt on the fake punt. That was a killer. Killed the game. Well, that and a few other factors (I’m thinking the FG). The fourth downs were killer. Defense didn’t do a goo job of getting off the field in 2010.
I like that we have the 3-4 as an option on defense b/c it is great against teams like Mizzou who are 90% pass. Although, like coach said, it would be a big change and a tough one against most teams in the B10 who use both run and pass.
However, I was screaming “3-4″ at the TV during the NW game b/c 1) they were about 80% pass 2) we got no pressure and then the camera would pan over a AC panting on the sideline and 3) I wouldn’t know any other way to cover their TE delay slip-out which KILLED us.
Maybe, just maybe, they’ll keep the 3-4 in their back pocket for those pesky Wildcats.
But, what the h3ll do I know.
Those short dumps passes really got to the Hawkeyes late last year. Northwestern, Minnesota, Missouri, big parts or their gameplans. Wisconsin RB Montee Ball had a season-high five catches against Iowa. UA’s William Wright, a 5-9, 175-pounder, had a career day against Iowa.
Maybe that’s the thinking. ID those downs and give yourself a better chance with a personnel group. I would imagine Iowa would stay heavy LB in that, because Iowa still wants to be stout against the run.
They need to quit pussy footing around and install a 3-4 and use it as a weapon, not only as a passing situation. There are too many spread offenses popping up in the Big 10.
I don’t see that happening. Iowa will and always will want to stop the run first. They feel the 4-3 gives them the best chance at that.
Don’t see a 3-4 coming. You read KF’s answer. He could be playing poker here, but I doubt it.
What’s a noseguard?? You mean a nose tackle? Good article though.
Nose tackle (also nose guard) is a defensive alignment position for a defensive lineman.
I think I showed my age on that one, Tony! But you’re right, now they are nose tackles. Or some coaches say 3 technique (because they line up in the 3 gap.
But yes, at Dubuque Wahlert in the early ’80s, they were noseguards (I did not play the nose, OLB).
Pretty sure Arizona got us with the dink-and-dunk too…maybe some longer passes later, but set up with the underneath stuff. Really, the underneath pass defense was right up there with running quarterbacks as our biggest weakness last year (both neutralize the pass rush and exploit inexperienced linebackers).
It was dink and dunk. Foles completed 28 passes but only two went for more than 20 yards. The linebackers were intact for this game. It was Tarp, Hunter and Nielsen. Foles is a good QB. That deficit had so much to do with that game. Remember how many quick outs Foles threw? Excellent observation.
We’re only going to see the 3-4 continued to be used “situationally.”
If you look at our personnel, the 2011 year is going to be a bit of a transition-year. We have older, veteran guys on the DL who are capable of playing on a very high level (Binns and Daniels), we have older guys on the DL who are capable of being solid contributers (Daniel, Nardo, and Forgy), we have a few guys who’ve been dinged quite a bit but who have generated decent buzz (Bigach and Alvis), and we have some guys who potentially have the chops to be legit up-and-comers (Trinca-Pasat, Davis, and Cooper). Heck, Donavan Johnson potentially could also be an up-and-comer if he’s able to remain eligible … of course, according to the rumor-mill, that might be a big “if.” Anyhow, the above list seems to mesh well with Ferentz’s comments regarding the intention to possibly rotate up to 8 guys on the DL. We have older guys who can definitely play and who have arguably “earned their due” … and we also have a good number of promising young guys who will invariably get their feet wet and see quality action too.
The big problem with going to a 3-4 is that given how we usually recruit, while it could potentially help us in the short-term, it would hurt us in the longer-term. Besides, if we can get a few non-seniors to play at a high level on the DL in 2011 … the personnel cycles are swinging around in just such a way that the Iowa D could again be a beast in 2012 provided that we can reload on the DL. When you add how in our O will likely be looking in 2012 (Vandenberg a SR, a beastly-good OL, + actual depth at RB), I’m not willing to sell-out the promise of the 2012 season just so that we can get an extra win in 2011 by screwing around with schemes. That’s a lose-lose move in my book.
Well-written post.
I need to see more of the young D-linemen before I can gauge what they’ll be able to contribute. The one guy you left out was Carl Davis, whose development could really be crucial for DL 2011. If he’s able to play 10 to 20 snaps a game, there’s your third DT and thus you have a solid rotation, if the others are holding up their end of the bargain.
As for selling out recruiting for an extra win, I have to give you the Kirk Ferentz post of the day award. That’s exactly what he would say and it makes a TON of sense. I fully believe part of the reason Iowa does what it does on O and D is because KF and coaches feel it’s sustainable. Iowa has historically found and developed good OL and have had a good run of DL throughout the 2000s.
Iowa is more likely to develop the kind of DT it wants than it is to recruit a Clay Matthews or whomever you think the prototypical 3-4 LB is. Also, Iowa doesn’t go after the 320 monsters the 3-4 needs to occupy space over center.
Excellent logic.
Another thing is that I think that you need to look to the past in order to gain a better perspective for where the Hawk coaches are probably coming from.
As an “Exhibit A” just look at who comprised the Iowa DL in 2008. With the benefit of hindsight, we can really look back fondly on that D and appreciate how good it was. However, hindsight obscures the fact that it was not at all obvious that the unit would have turned out to be as good as it ended up being.
As a whole, the ’08 D had 2 first-year starters on the DL, 2 first-year starters at LB, 1 first-year starter at safety, and 2 first-year starters at CB. Of course, a few admissions have to be made, while being first-year starters, Angerer was a pretty mature JR and Fletcher was a veteran SR (who saved his very best for last). On the flip side, Edds and Greenwood were hardly “veterans,” each only starting their respective 3rd years on campus.
Anyhow, getting back to the ’08 DL, it was comprised of but two guys who had ANY starting experience … King and Kroul. Ballard and Clayborn were just SOs, albeit promising ones. Geary, a JR, rounded out the rest of the Hawks “experienced depth” on the DL. At that point, Klug had generated a lot of buzz, however he had also been perpetually injured and hadn’t seen crap for quality game-action. Binns and Daniels rounded out the remainder of our “unproven” depth who at least had generated some positive “buzz.”
Maybe it’s just me, but I see a ton of parallels. Of course, maybe that is just how the mind of a crazy fan works … I don’t know. Looking at the ’11 DL, we again only return 2 guys with starting experience … furthermore, not unlike King and Kroul, both returning guys are talented guys who are a little on the “unheralded” side. In my book, both Bigach and Alvis could both be parallels to Klug. If one plucky walk-on was good in Geary … then Nardo and Forgy might just up the ante there, hopefully making two “better.” Of course, we might not have an experienced duo like Clayborn and Ballard (in ’08), however, Daniel (in ’11) at least gives us a talented 5th year guy who knows our system really well. Lastly, when it comes to buzz-generating FR … I’m willing to bet that the ’11 group can hold their own versus their ’08 counterpart.
Call me a nut-job, but to me it counts for something that we have so many SRs on the 2011 DL. Even if a few of them only end up being like Follet and being “just” solid contributors … they’re still likely going to help teach and mentor the young guys. Besides, sometimes all a guy needs is an opportunity to shine. Were it not for injuries to Clauss and Babs, Luebke would never have seen much action until ’04. And yet, due to those injuries, he gained experience in ’03 and then proceeded to help anchor one of the best Iowa DLs in the Ferentz era. I wonder if Daniel, Forgy, Nardo, or even Bigach might just end up being a “Luebke”-type. We’ll see ….
Yes, if guy like a Nardo or a Forgy can prove himself worthy of a handful of snaps a game, that would be tremendous. Creates a rotation, keeps bodies fresh. They’re going to have to earn it, but it’s certainly possible.
If you’re talking freshman, I think Davis or possibly Darian Cooper. I think Davis more than Cooper, but he’ll have a chance in fall camp to earn a shot.
BTW, I have read about Donovan Johnson. That stuff doesn’t solidify until the first week of June, which really is transition month in college football. Spring semester ends, so academics and transfers come into play. I don’t know if we’ll see that, but I’m aware.
While we’re on the college football calendar, this is the month we should find something out about the 2011 night game or games. The networks designate their night games this time of year.
My early prediction would be Pitt on ESPN and Indiana on the Big Ten Network.
I’m really measuring my expectations when it comes to Carl Davis. I know that folks love his “size” … however, we’re still going to have to see whether or not he’ll be able to provide us with quality snaps. The coaches are probably NOT going to ask too much of him and simply just ask him to try to provide the D with a spark whenever he’s on the field. That’s very much the same message that was given to guys like Roth, Klug, Binns, and Daniels … and each of those guys obviously answered the challenge. However, will Davis earn those reps in the first place? Will he make the most of the reps that he earns? I don’t know … I hope so.
Not that I want to unduly feed the Carl Davis “hype machine” … however, pretty reliable Michigan State posters have been on record stating that Carl Davis would have gotten offers from all the major players in the Big 10 were it not for the fact that he was viewed as an academic liability. Those who saw him play in the Detroit area stated that he was capable of being a pretty dominant force on the field … not a surprise considering that he was named first-team all-state by the Detroit Free Press. We’ll see how well that “good press” ends up translating to the college game.
Cooper is also an “obvious” pick due to the DeMatha pedigree and the fact that, he too, has great size for a guy coming right out of high school. Furthermore, it doesn’t hurt that the Iowa coaches also let him know that he has a legit chance to earn playing time as a TR FR. The Iowa coaches aren’t exactly known for “sugar coating” things in the recruiting game. Will Cooper earn early reps? I don’t know … I agree with Marc that Carl Davis arguably has a leg up on him.
One thing that strikes me as interesting is that despite the loss of Ferguson and Hopkins, despite the academic “smoke” swirling around Johnson, and despite the fact that Bigach is out for the spring … they still felt comfortable enough about our personnel on the DL to move Covert over to FB.
Also, interestingly enough, although we historically haven’t necessarily played “huge” DTs … I find it intriguing that we’re heavily recruiting a few “huge” DTs … and we’re legit players to win their services too. Specifically, I’m referring to Valentine, a kid from the same high school as Coe, and Pipkins, a kid from Kansas City who seems to have some sincere interest in the Hawks.
A quick note:
Freshmen D-linemen in ’08:
Binns (RS FR)
Daniels (RS FR)
Daniel (RS FR)
Reiff (TR FR … only guy with the size to be able to contribute early)
Bigach (TR FR … undersized)
Semmes (TR FR … undersized)
Gaglione (TR FR … undersized, also battled early injuries too IIRC)
Freshmen D-linemen in ’11:
Davis (RS FR)
Trinca-Pasat (RS FR)
Hardy (RS FR)
Johnson (RS FR)
Cooper (TR FR … has size to contribute early)
Raymon (TR FR … technically, has size to contribute early at DE)
McMinn (TR FR)
Alston (TR FR … a LB recruit and will likely see early action on ST, but could easily develop into a DE)