 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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Stat Pak: The trophy really weighs 120 pounds
The Iowa Corn CEO Craig Floss said before the game that the trophy weighed 120 pounds. Looks like a chunk. (Brian Ray/The Gazette)
FIVE SENTENCES ON IOWA STATE RESULT
1. Iowa was hanging on for dear life the entire game, just check the two ISU turnovers from inside the 10.
2. The offensive line is a work in progress, just check the first-and-goal from the ISU 3 that went run for 1 yard, run for minus-1 yard and drop.
3. BTN TV stat (not vetted): Iowa had 11 yards on 10 first-down plays in the first half. Checked: Iowa ran 11 first-down plays and gained 37 yards (not including the chop block called on right tackle Brett Van Sloten on a first down that was a 9-yard penalty).
4. ISU noseguard Jake McDonough was credited with one tackle for loss and one pass break-up, but he affected a lot of plays.
5. Going into week 3, Iowa has yet to attempt a PAT.
THREE PLAYERS WHO PLAYED
1. MLB James Morris — Fumble recovery, interception, helped the defense dig in during some extremely dark moments.
2. CB Micah Hyde — Hit to cause fumble on RB Shontrelle Johnson was putting it on the line (upon further review, were Johnson’s knees down?). 2b. DE Joe Gaglione — Making plays, obviously fighting through an issue with his right triceps.
3. RB Damon Bullock — He’s a weapon. Iowa State stuffed the running game, but Bullock also helped in the passing game with team-high five catches for 56 yards. He finished with 116 yards on 27 touches.
THREE THINGS THAT NEED TIGHTENING
1. Passing game — Captain Obvious here for when you need to find the nose on your face. But seriously, from James Vandenberg to eight drops to rhythm. It has been a minus-grade the first two weeks.
2. Starts — GWG is a stat in hockey that means everything or nothing. The third goal scored in the first period can be the game-winner in a 3-2 game. ISU scored a TD on the game’s opening drive and that proved to be enough. It’s excusable, but the first half against Northern Illinois wasn’t pretty, either.
3. Kick return — Three for 48 yards, for a 16-yard average.
TWO PLAYS
1. Second-and-goal from the 2 — ISU NG Jake McDonough blew up this play when he shoved left guard Matt Tobin into the backfield. Guard Austin Blythe got held up in this traffic while trying to pull and never had a chance to even get to linebacker Jeremiah George, an impressive player for ISU, who shot the gap and caught Damon Bullock for a 1-yard loss. McDonough’s play left the Hawkeyes outnumbered on the left, even with fullback Mark Weisman getting to LB Jake Knott.
2. The play — First, was it there? Yes, TE C.J. Fiedorowicz was open. Two, Vandenberg had to have seen Knott, but, also, if he would’ve gotten it over him, would FS Jacques Washington have gotten to it? He was closing fast. If Vandenberg waits another count, does Fiedorowicz clear? Maybe, remember Washington was closing fast. Point is moot and Paul Rhoads was right. Knott’s play goes somewhere prominent on the mosaic of the rivalry.
BOX SCORE
IOWA SEASON STATS
CLOSER LOOK AT THE NUMBERS
Closing the deal (Red zone TDs/possessions)
Iowa 0-2
Iowa State 1-5
This is a stat that plagues Iowa right now, going 0-for-6 in this first two games. Can’t say enough about the defense, especially with two huge red zone turnovers. Zone match coverage didn’t work on ISU’s TD, but it did on LB James Morris’ pick.
Setting the tone (defensive three-and-outs)
Iowa 5 (Solid number for this defense, which defended the zone read exceptionally well, holding ISU to 2.5 ypc.)
Iowa State 4 (They all happened in the second half. The four incompletions after Morris’ interception and return to the 49 were the biggest bullet dodged for ISU’s D.)
After adjustments (second-half yards and avg. yards per play)
Iowa 173-4.32
Iowa State 101-3.33
That’s a nice number for Iowa, especially on 40 plays. What was it in the red zone? It was eight plays for 15 yards for 1.9 ypp.
Game-changers (offensive plays of 20-plus yards)
Iowa 3 (Keenan Davis had two of these, but as OC Greg Davis alluded to in the spring, this offense lacks speed on the outside. No one blows the top off the defense. The offense is compressed. Defenses don’t have to sweat much of a vertical game.)
Iowa State 3 (Iowa allowed two 40-plus pass plays. That probably got Phil Parker’s attention in film study this morning.)
Two-minute magic (points, final two minutes of half)
Iowa 0 (Knott’s pick came on a first down from ISU’s 32 with 1:11 left on the clock. Iowa had no timeouts.)
Iowa State o (ISU QB Steele Jantz had a rough outing. He was off target even without much pressure.)
WHAT DID FERENTZ SAY?
Cyclone celebration
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I know, I know, I know. I’m crazy. This is Kirk I’m More Conservative than Barry Goldwater (look it up) Ferentz, BUT I’m gonna say this anyway, because it’s a fact (and you could look that up, too).
When that Fry fella needed speed to stretch the D, he went out and got it. In season. When you want a can of soup, you go to the grocery store. When you want a sprinkling of speed, ya go to the track team.
Hayden recruited Charles Jones from the Iowa track team and put him in uniform. Jones caught a TD pass on a streak pattern down the press box sideline. It may have been his only career catch. But the point is, Hayden needed speed so he went shopping and got it.
Davis and Ferentz can whine all they want. Or they could DO SOMETHING.
Go get the fastest guy on the Iowa track team, put him in a football uni, put him in the game and tell him “run as fast you can straight ahead until you hear a whistle. Then stop. Then come back and do it again.”
I’m not kidding. If the kid can catch a football, so much the better, but most of the “receivers” Iowa has now can’t, so he’d fit right in. At least we would have speed on the field that the opponent would have to cover. Better yet, get the TWO fastest guys and rotate them. Sometimes have them in at the same time.
I am so sick and tired of moaning and groaning and whining and excuses. WHO RECRUITED THE PLAYERS WE HAVE NOW? Didn’t the coaches know the kids were lacking speed?
And here’s another fact. Iowa has seldom enjoyed great speed at the receiver spots. Iowa’s Dave Moritz, slow but he never dropped 8 passes in his entire career. He may not have dropped 2. But he outplayed world class sprinter Willie Gault of Tennessee in the old Peach Bowl. Dave got behind the Volunteer defense, caught the long pass, then zig-zagged his way to the end zone ahead of a gaggle of Tennessee speed burners.
And then there was Bill Happel Jr., and Brad Reid, and Ed Hinkel, and on and on and on. No speed, super route runners, fantastic hands. And Iowa won Big Ten titles and major bowl games with these plodders.
So there are no excuses. But there are options, and they’re as near as the Iowa track team’s locker room.
Bashir Yamini. Robert Smith was fast. Of course, Tim Dwight.
Good examples, interesting post. I don’t see it happening. There just hasn’t been much if any crossover with any of the teams under KF.
One hand: Buetjer basketball and I’m not sure he ever recovered from that in football standing. Jordan McLaughlin wrestled, but he never rose above special teams status in FB. Paul Chaney kind of fizzled in both. Right now, Torrey Campbell, but where is he on the depth chart?
I’m not making excuses, just pointing out the facts in this deal. Where Hayden got creative, Ferentz grinds.