I am a Hawk season ticket holder in Omaha, and I would not consider selling my tickets to Husker fans, but I definitely can understand those who would. This is a program that is on a down bound train. We don’t have the athletes to be relevant at the FBS level, that is obvious. But of course the more concerning thing is that we may be the poorest coached team in America. This is a joke. The clock management again down the stretch was a joke, but that delay of game is simply unacceptable. I am sure that Kirk as the classy leader that he has always been will take accountability for this mess. Unfortunately, that is not enough. I don’t see any sign of the desire or energy or whatever it takes from Ferentz and his staff to turn this mess around. Something dramatic has to happen for the Hawks to approach relevance again. This season will end at 4-8, which is fair for the product we have. What changes next year? Kirk, perhaps it is time you retire so the program can move on.

Praise be that we don’t have to play Ohio State this year. I am starting to have flashbacks to the 1970s. Back to the Cummings era and beyond!!!

Same old, same old.

Our defense is now performing to the level most expected when the season began – that happens when you start playing adequate and above offenses (PSU and NW). Our QB, while suffering 5 drops, STILL locks on one receiver on nearly every play – and then overthrows it out of bounds OR (more likely) short-hops it = ON A 4-YD ROUTE! And yes, he does this regularly on 3 and 7 and above.

It doesn’t really matter anymore – as long as the stadium continues to be full (and Nebraska fans are likely to help out with that next month) Barta won’t do a dang thing – not that he can, even after that atrociously moronic and nearly iron-clad contract he extended Ferentz into in 2020. Ferentz’s stubbornness, an important trait when rebuilding the program the first time, is absolutely torpedoing his chances of that happening again (it’s clearer now than ever that 2009 was a flash-in-the-pan more than skill = see 2010 for why). But hey, there’s still plenty of old-timers and enough big-timers ($$$) that are so scared of change that they’ll continue accept the mediocrity that 7-8 win seasons are – especially when the “preseason” is filled with FCS and directional schools – at least when you can actually BEAT the “little guys”.

The worst red of all is that which covers the embarrassed faces of anyone associated with this utter disaster of a football season. Now Northwestern not only beats Iowa on the scoreboard, but beats them up physically. And here’s a fact: Iowa’s TE, the 6-7/265-pound behemoth who drew such great pre-season praise, well, if there’s a D-1 player in America easier to bring down than that young man, I haven’t noticed him. All season, and again yesterday, tiny D-backs crumple the 6-7/265 giant as if he were cardboard. He doesn’t even fall forward. It’s incredible, especially as I recall the Iowa TEs of old. And one of the most vivid images is of Mike Flagg grabbing a pass at the Iowa 10, breaking a tackle, and then literally drag three Michigan State defenders into the end zone with him in one of the greatest games ever played in Kinnick Stadium. It may have been 1989 or so. Anyway, I think we’ve all just about run out of words to try and describe the vast chasm of nothingness that used to be the Iowa football program, and the Hawkeyes’ current mammoth TE who can be brought down by staring at him, is only one emblem.

this was an all out team loss and that starts with the Head Coach and his staff. Yes JVB had a better day than he has had in past games but he still missed a lot of open receivers and there were at least 3 drops that should have been caught but how in the heck can a 5th year Senior leader get a delay of game in a hurry up? How can the D let 2 players rush for over 160 yards each? It isn’t that NW has better athletes than Iowa its lack of discipline and that starts with the Head Coach and Staff. So whats the answer to turning this team around? I think Mr Ferentz has burnt out and should look at retiring after the end of the season. Iowa needs a coach with a passion for winning and Kirk just doesn’t appear to have that anymore. I’ve always like Ferentz and I used to think he was a good coach but all coaches burn out and watching him and listening to him it seems that the fire inside has burned out.

Once again, I feel sorry for the players who have invested a tremendous number of hours individually and collectively to build up their bodies, rehab injuries, and participate in practices to develop their skills, technique, etc.

The players, team and coaches performance has taken a sharp tailspin downward over the last few years and seems to have plateued out at rock bottom this year. This year (sadly) should just be written off as an absolute failure to perform and compete with a 4 wins and 8 loss record to show for it.

The 3 delay of game penalties (one delay of game in a “hurry up” offense!!!), quarterback fumble for a loss of yardage, quarterback and receivers not being on the same page (note Iowa’s last offensive play as one of many examples), dropped passes by the receivers, etc. are mistakes that reflect a very disturbing and growing trend this year and for a few years prior.
By the way, why didn’t the coaching staff elect to go for the 2 point conversion at the end of their last touchdown to make the score 28 to 18 and a chance to tie and go into overtime later with a touchdown and a field goal rather than two touchdowns? Am I missing something here?

Here are some of my opinions as a loyal Hawkeye fan and financial contributor to the University and athletic department.
1. The offensive coordinator Greg Davis needs to go immediately after the end of the season. There is a reason that he was not successful and was fired at Texas with a lot more talent than what he will have at Iowa. HIs system is not working. You can argue that the players are just not executing his system (make mistakes) or he lacks talent to execute his system. Either
way, a good coach will adapt his system to the players capabilites and talent level. It is my understanding that Davis is considered a “conditional hire” with a one year contract due to him being hired on a fast track without interviewing other candidates. I think that he reports to Gary Barta and not Kirk Ferentz. It is time for Barta and Ferentz to take responsibility, earn some of their pay and NOT renew or extend Davis’ contract!
2. Recruiting and retention of players continues to be a major problem
for the Hawkeyes. Look back to 2008 and 2009 (this years juniors and seniors). These two recruiting classes were ranked at or near the bottom of the Big Ten, and many of those players are no longer with the Iowa football team.
3. The Iowa quarterback situation. Kirk Ferentz continuously states
that Vandenberg gives Iowa the best chance to win. I trust that he is correct. One would have to assume that there is a big gap in terms of game readiness (talent and experience) between Vandenberg and other quarterbacks on the team. That does not bode well for the next few years, given that the quarterback position is the drive shaft and critical to a successful
offense.
4.. Kirk Ferentz needs to seriously re-evaluate everything: his coaching philosophy, offensive and defensive systems, and recruiting and retention strategies and make necessary changes immediately after this season ends. It is unrealistic to expect Ferentz will leave Iowa before his long term, mutlmillion dollar contract expires, nor will he be fired due to the cost for the University to buy him out (over $20 million!).

In summary, as Hawkeye fans, we should all lower our expectations for the Iowa football team for this year and beyond until significant changes
are made as stated above.

Leader-less. Direction-less. Rudder-less…. gutless, too.
And apparently content to remain so. This progrm is drifitng, and the only suspense left is in seeing what particualr method the Hawkeyes will use to blow the next game. Porous defense? Predictable offense? Maybe we could recruit some even bigger, slower players and transition over into sumo wrestling.

Case in point as to what our “expecttions” really are: With the score 28-17 and the Hawkeyes moving the ball in the fourth quarter, I turned to my seat-mate and asked him “Bill, how do you think we’ll louse this one up?” He shrugged. Two minutes later on third and two, Vandenberg threw incomplete. He did the same thing on fourth down, and after Damon Bullock had averaged four yards a carry most of the day. That was the answer to my question.

Ferentz will predictably take responsibility for the loss, and he is right. So why are we still paying him four million a year?

This team is officially in the dumper with no prospects of digging out of it any time soon. I have no answers except to say that this program needs a full scouring-out. Damn these people for disgracing my school.

It’s one thing to get beat but to be uncompetitive is troubling and not really what has been the history of the program under KF. It’s pretty obvious something is missing. This is more than a “young team” and new OC problem.
Northwestern is a finesse team and they absolutely owned the line of scrimmage. Northwestern turned the ball over deep in their own territory to help whatever “comeback” was happening.
It’s been 7 of 8 quarters of bad football. If they don’t beat Indiana next week it’s time to start thinking about 2013.

We all need to take a deep breath and remember the Tom Davis situation. That left us longing for the “Tom Davis days” for years to come (thanks Fran for finally letting us put that behind us…. I hope!)
Does Iowa Football have problems right now, absolutely. Lets just wait and let these last (4) games play out. If we finish out on a poor note and then turn around with a very average year next year, then for sure Barta and Ferentz are going to have some “splainen” to do. I think Delbert did a good job of laying out some of the negative things in a calm professional manner. Here are some of my additional thoughts:

1. I can accept a bad season. It happens. Even Florida, Texas, and Notre Dame have had consecutive bad seasons with their abundance of talent.
2. If the season continues sour and Jake Ruddock does not play a down, I do not want to hear Kirk whine next spring and fall that he does not have a QB that has played a down of FBS football.
3. During the spring scrimmage and the August practices I thought all of the QB’s looked accurate and the WR’s were catching everything. Then the scrimmage started and the offense couldn’t hardly complete a pass. Greg Davis’ system was effective at Texas when they had superior talent to their opponent. When they didn’t, Texas couldn’t move the ball, just like Iowa, and eventually Davis was let go. I would be surprised if Barta allows his contract to be renewed.
4. Time management with regard to how quickly the plays are getting in and out is a major problem. There is just absolutely no excuse for that. That is on the coaching staff. Iowa used to be complimented by TV analysts on how quickly and cleanly they would get plays in and out.
5. I was unfairly getting down on Vandy after previous games. The Northwestern game made it clear to me it isn’t his fault. Vandy is not the weakest link in the chain. The play calling and system just don’t seem to give him or the receivers opportunity for success. The 4th down play call at the end of the game had almost no chance to be successful. I am convinced that if Vandy was playing in the Penn State offense he would be having the kind of year Mgloin (spelling?) is having.
6. Could it just be that Norm Parker and Ken O’Keefe deserved more credit for Kirk’s success than we all knew?

Now with the positives:
1) We should have an improved defense line next year. In the next 2 years I can see the line being a strength again. But if Phil Parker wants to tweak things a little bit and blitz more, KF should give him a shot at it.
2) We will have (3) senior linebackers. Is it just me or is their play on the field reflected in reverse order of the fanfare off the field?
3) Even without Micah Hyde, I think the defensive backfield should be even to slightly improved. And we will have another play-maker in the game with Nico Law.
4) Special teams – There’s no reason it shouldn’t be better. Stick Cotton and a stronger Garmon on kick-offs and we have a duel threat.
5) The offensive line should be improved and bigger pending full recoveries from Scherff and Donnell.
6) I still think the TE’s are excellent if we use them correctly.
7) We have a great one-two punch with Bullock and Weismen. I prefer Bullock as the 1st option because he offers more of a homerun threat but Weisman is a great option when we need to pound the ball. If you don’t agree with me on Bullock, go back and take a look at the games where Weisman was gaining big yardage. Their were numerous gapping holes where Bullock would have taken it to the house but we ended up settling for a field goal or nothing. I am still a Garmon fan. Don’t forget he still has an 18 year old body and just arrived in August, Chris Doyle really hasn’t had any time with him yet.
WR’s – Who knows? Depends on the offensive system that is provided for them.
9) QB – Same as above, who knows? I’m optimistically betting that Rudock is a gamer. But that is driven by my alternate theory. Most think that he is not being given a shot this year because he is not good enough. My theory is that Kirk is not playing him because 1) he doesn’t want him to get killed 2) he fears his success and having a QB controversy.