 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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Halftime: All Iowa
WEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! (Liz Martin/The Gazette-KCRG)
IOWA CITY — The playbook changed siginificantly and it paid off huge for a 24-0 Iowa halftime lead.
One, the flea flicker. Hello, Captain Obvious. This play took advantage of the fact that running back Mark Weisman had 57 straight carries — successful ones, at that — before yielding to Greg Garmon in the second quarter.
The flicker started with what looked like an inside zone to Weisman. He flipped back to QB James Vandenberg and from there it was just don’t screw it up for 47 yards to WR Jordan Cotton.
Then, before half, Iowa got out of its own goal line with a draw to Weisman out of the shotgun. Iowa has run out of the shotgun maybe three times all season. The play was executed beautifully up front. Weisman cruised through a huge hole for 32 yards. The drive didn’t score, but it did drain the final 6:31 of the second quarter, keeping the Gophers deep down in a hole.
The passing game showed growth. Twice Vandenberg and WR Keenan Davis picked up on cornerback Troy Stoudermire tipping a blitz. Vandengberg and Davis ID’d it for a 20-yard gain to UM’s 5, ending with a 1-yard Vandenberg plunge for the 24-0 lead. The second time, it gained 6 yards on a third-and-5 and allowed Iowa to run out the second quarter.
The stats were all-Iowa.
Weisman averaged 9.7 yards a carry, going 16 times for 155 yards. Weisman had back-to-back carries of 28 and 44 yards to fuel an 84-yard drive that he capped with an 8-yard run. It was Iowa’s longest scoring drive this season.
Weisman is what Montee Ball was.
Vandenberg completed 13 of 19 for 165 yards and the TD to Cotton, the first of his career.
Minnesota finished the half with three first downs and 75 total yards. The Gophers had just one first down in the second quarter.
Minnesota at Iowa Football
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D got the ball back to start 2nd half but JV can’t do anything with it. Is KF going to sit on the lead?
better start coaching KF
Minn scores easily so better hope our coaches get it together and fast I don’t feel very safe with a 24-7 lead
2:39 left in 3rd and so far no blitz’s, why? or why not?
INT, I feel better
Win or lose this game I just don’t see many if any other wins this season with JV at QB. If he is the best option then maybe Weisman can try QB. JV has been pretty much off target all day and yea he’s been rushed a couple of times but for the most part he has had plenty of time to throw
11:30 left in the 4th and we finally blitz and sack their QB
another over throw by JV
there is no other way to say this: Vandeberg sucks.
I mean Vandenberg
At half time we had the ball for over 19 mins and they had the ball for 9 mins, they have had the ball for a total of over 30 mins and we have had the ball for 27 mins. This game is a win but a very poor coaching job the 2nd half. We can’t win many games without playing the whole game
I give the Defense a grade of B the Offense a C+ (JV a D-) and Weisman an A+
The coaching staff gets a D (for not doing their job the 2nd half)
I wasn’t going to say anything and let you have all the comments to yourself, but I object to your grading of the defense. A “B” for the defense? Really? After how many turnovers and one for a pick 6 all you can give them is a “B”? What else would they have had to do to get an “A”? Can’t wait for this pie in the sky answer.
Completely agree with John on this one. Why so negative on an 18 point win? Yes they weren’t perfect but….IT WAS AN 18 POINT WIN!