Missing Dylan Soehner

[WhoISthis]

I thought the ISU o-line played fine Saturday. Sure they weren't opening up huge holes in the run game so I won't say they played great, but Purdy oftentimes had several seconds to throw so it's not like he was running for his life.

I think the problem is people expected the o-line to be a plus group, and if that were the case they should have been able to do more against UNI and a young and inexperienced Iowa d-line.

This has been the case for years. Look at the ypc in this matchup. Granted, this year the ISU defensive line is better, so not a fair comparison, but other years that’s been flipped and still largely equitable.

If the definition of a plus group is to bail out a mediocre Manning and play at other units, including RB, they’re not it. Very few units in the country are that way.

This OL isn’t getting in the way of otherwise a good offense, but it’s not creating a good offense out of an otherwise poor unit/scheme

 

[cytor]

The Iowa offense is terrible. Not going to win many games with 173 total yards of offense. Gonna have to be +4 in the turnovers to win most games with that offense. The Iowa defense played very well and rattled Purdy similar to OU in the title game last year. If Iowa does not get those 3-4 turnovers per game, they won't win too many with that anemic offense.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

#94 (dont remember name) was booming kicks with great hangtime at half, think he finally punted on our last one and it wasnt great. Dunn feels like a game changer in a way you dont want

Inconsistent. He's crushed plenty in Cardinal in gold though. The decent return Iowa had was a good kick, terrible coverage.

 

[HFCS]

The Iowa offense is terrible. Not going to win many games with 173 total yards of offense. Gonna have to be +4 in the turnovers to win most games with that offense. The Iowa defense played very well and rattled Purdy similar to OU in the title game last year. If Iowa does not get those 3-4 turnovers per game, they won't win too many with that anemic offense.

Breece's scoop and score was a bit of a flukey thing and the first Hankins pic was at least partially on ISU mistakes. The other two pics were just great D. I do think they will continue to create a lot of turnovers like these first two games pretty consistently.

I don't think they will have many other games where they have zero penalties for every meaningful snap of the entire game even though they are holding a ton and lining up offsides. I don't think they'll go turnover free every game. Those are the times their offense will have to overcome something.

 

[Clark]

I thought he made some of his worst decisions on the plays he just stood back there.

I agree UNI was more of a head scratcher that we should have been able to get 2.5-4 yards per carry consistently even if they were keying on the run.

Iowa has a playmaking secondary and an elite punter, we really fell into the same thing Indiana did with the same result. I would hate to rank Iowa right now. It's so rare for a team to open the year with two ranked wins and not really need to have offensive production in those wins. On the one hand it's a great sign, on the other there's still somehow a big unknown. Petras looked much better than I expected after the bad first quarter but I was kind of shocked that the running game was never a big threat. I expected Goodson/Goodwin to be popping off a bunch of 8-15 yard carries and then being happy on the rare occasions Petras threw the ball, the opposite happened.

I have no idea how good Iowa's oline is going to be this year, they've played two very good defenses so it's hard to say if they're not opening up holes because they're just not very good or if it's been because the opponents have just been that good.

My hunch is that they'll end up just being ok, a little worse than last year but not so bad that they'll derail the season.

Petras is like the crappy golfer who hits three amazing shots in 18 holes but finishes with a 97. Just tantalizing enough to keep you going. It's amazing how many excuses the Iowa media comes up with to excuse his poor play. All last year it was how he didn't have an offseason. Now that he's had a normal offseason and he's playing exactly like he did last year, it's now turned into he's been playing with big leads and the coaches didn't want to risk turning the ball over.

 

[HFCS]

I have no idea how good Iowa's oline is going to be this year, they've played two very good defenses so it's hard to say if they're not opening up holes because they're just not very good or if it's been because the opponents have just been that good.

My hunch is that they'll end up just being ok, a little worse than last year but not so bad that they'll derail the season.

Petras is like the crappy golfer who hits three amazing shots in 18 holes but finishes with a 97. Just tantalizing enough to keep you going. It's amazing how many excuses the Iowa media comes up with to excuse his poor play. All last year it was how he didn't have an offseason. Now that he's had a normal offseason and he's playing exactly like he did last year, it's now turned into he's been playing with big leads and the coaches didn't want to risk turning the ball over.

Honestly if first two games are indication he just needs to not throw interceptions and not take dumb sacks. The two big sacks that moved Iowa out of field goal range were the only things I could really call "mistakes" that Iowa made when the game was still in doubt. ISU's lack of ability to move the ball made them not matter much, but they could have cost points against an offense that wasn't killing itself.

I imagine maybe Penn State and Wisconsin might be games where the offense has to do some great things, certainly B10CCG, but the rest of the schedule doesn't look like it will be a lot more talented or experienced than ISU and Indiana.

So far this season reminds me of that Bears superbowl team where the defense and special teams did so much the offense could just go out there, get a few first downs, and not turn it over. Maybe no Devin Hester, but your punts were absolutely killing us to a degree I cannot remember before.

 

[Clark]

Breece's scoop and score was a bit of a flukey thing and the first Hankins pic was at least partially on ISU mistakes. The other two pics were just great D. I do think they will continue to create a lot of turnovers like these first two games pretty consistently.

I don't think they will have many other games where they have zero penalties for every meaningful snap of the entire game even though they are holding a ton and lining up offsides. I don't think they'll go turnover free every game. Those are the times their offense will have to overcome something.

here's the thing people don't realize, fumble recovers are almost entirely luck but interceptions aren't necessarily. Iowa is second this year but last year they were 23rd (in 8 games vs many teams who played 10 or more) 31st in 2019, 3rd in 2018, 1st in 2017, 81st in 2016, 10th in 2015, 38th in 2014, 53rd in 2013.

Obviously having talented players and luck to be sure makes a difference but Iowa's scheme is fairly simple in theory but proven successful, stop the opponents from running the ball and dare quarterbacks to beat them in tight windows without making mistakes. Most college qb's can't.

 

[HFCS]

here's the thing people don't realize, fumble recovers are almost entirely luck but interceptions aren't necessarily. Iowa is second this year but last year they were 23rd (in 8 games vs many teams who played 10 or more) 31st in 2019, 3rd in 2018, 1st in 2017, 81st in 2016, 10th in 2015, 38th in 2014, 53rd in 2013.

Obviously having talented players and luck to be sure makes a difference but Iowa's scheme is fairly simple in theory but proven successful, stop the opponents from running the ball and dare quarterbacks to beat them in tight windows without making mistakes. Most college qb's can't.

I definitely think Iowa will keep creating turnovers...that particular fumble did seem like a bit of luck as opposed to the tipped passes that were intercepted where it was just Iowa being all over the place as ball hawks.

Hall has only lost 2 fumbles in 487 carries. He's only put it on the ground 3 times total. Not the David Montgomery level of perfection (1 career fumble that was actually a clear TD on replay), but way more secure than the typical back. Looked a lot more like a normal tackle that Breece was going to try to slip than a Peanut Tillman intentional tommahawk fumble cause. Then the ball popping right over to a host of defenders near our own endzone was the cherry on top of the gut punch.

 

[Clonefan32]

I thought he made some of his worst decisions on the plays he just stood back there.

I agree UNI was more of a head scratcher that we should have been able to get 2.5-4 yards per carry consistently even if they were keying on the run.

Iowa has a playmaking secondary and an elite punter, we really fell into the same thing Indiana did with the same result. I would hate to rank Iowa right now. It's so rare for a team to open the year with two ranked wins and not really need to have offensive production in those wins. On the one hand it's a great sign, on the other there's still somehow a big unknown. Petras looked much better than I expected after the bad first quarter but I was kind of shocked that the running game was never a big threat. I expected Goodson/Goodwin to be popping off a bunch of 8-15 yard carries and then being happy on the rare occasions Petras threw the ball, the opposite happened.

Herein lies the issue with Purdy. I'd almost take him in a scramble situation over a clean pocket. For whatever reason over the course of the last few years all of the decisiveness has left him, and that would appear to coincide with them trying to turn him into a pocket QB.

 

[83cy]

The Iowa offense is terrible. Not going to win many games with 173 total yards of offense. Gonna have to be +4 in the turnovers to win most games with that offense. The Iowa defense played very well and rattled Purdy similar to OU in the title game last year. If Iowa does not get those 3-4 turnovers per game, they won't win too many with that anemic offense.

Have you seen their schedule? They won't need an offense to beat a lot of those teams, pathetic.

 

[madguy30]

Herein lies the issue with Purdy. I'd almost take him in a scramble situation over a clean pocket. For whatever reason over the course of the last few years all of the decisiveness has left him, and that would appear to coincide with them trying to turn him into a pocket QB.

I know a defense would get a spy or send someone on a roll out and I'm not sure if ISU has the oline to get someone out to protect but give me Purdy rolling out and playing catch over a drop back any day.

Potentially opens more for the run game as well.

 

[mattyheiden]

that particular fumble did seem like a bit of luck as opposed to the tipped passes that were intercepted where it was just Iowa being all over the place as ball hawks.

I think that fumble had much to do with Allen not being able to block Jestin Jacobs.

As for the running game, Iowa’s OL is quite young but I suspect the anemic WR corps to be the culprit, which allowed both Indiana and ISU to sell out against the run. Iowa lost the numbers game up front all day.

 

[HFCS]

I think that fumble had much to do with Allen not being able to block Jestin Jacobs.

As for the running game, Iowa’s OL is quite young but I suspect the anemic WR corps to be the culprit, which allowed both Indiana and ISU to sell out against the run. Iowa lost the numbers game up front all day.

2nd lost fumble in almost 500 carries, 3rd time on the ground in nearly 500 carries

It was more of a fortunate play than the tipped interceptions that were just defensive dominance.

If we faced Iowa again I wouldn't expect lots of Breece Hall fumbles. I would expect more interceptions unless ISU made some radical improvements on offense.

 

[khardbored]

I thought the ISU o-line played fine Saturday. Sure they weren't opening up huge holes in the run game so I won't say they played great, but Purdy oftentimes had several seconds to throw so it's not like he was running for his life.

I think the problem is people expected the o-line to be a plus group, and if that were the case they should have been able to do more against UNI and a young and inexperienced Iowa d-line.

including the head coach . . .

 

[WhoISthis]

I think that fumble had much to do with Allen not being able to block Jestin Jacobs.

As for the running game, Iowa’s OL is quite young but I suspect the anemic WR corps to be the culprit, which allowed both Indiana and ISU to sell out against the run. Iowa lost the numbers game up front all day.

Lol
He's had 2 fumbles in 500 carries. Trust me, he's seen a lot of unblocked defenders in those 500. It was luck.

 

[isucy86]

Soehner is a solid player as proven by him being in an NFL camp. We would still be 1-1 with him and I doubt we would have scored any more points.

The issue this season has been the timid approach to play calling. If this really is an ubber talented group, then we shouldn't be playing to win games close.

Manning needs to open up the offense. Tempo can be part of that, but IMO the bigger issue is completing passes 20+ yards. I can only recall 2 deep passes against Iowa's defense and Hankins made plays on both. The Hankin's interception was a pass Brock needed to connect with.

 

[mattyheiden]

He's had 2 fumbles in 500 carries.

Most likely irrelevant. Most fumbles are caused by tackles, not luck.

 

[WhoISthis]

Most likely irrelevant. Most fumbles are caused by tackles, not luck.

Guess how many times he's been tackled without fumbling? It's luck, and likely a lack of focus and not being up for this game as much as the opponent.

LMAO, an average block being why he fumbled. Really reaching hawk fan