Intro to the Hawkeyes

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12-03-2018, 09:17 AM
Lord McBuckethead

No offense, but we heard this same stuff from the Kansas State fans. There is just a difference in the conference you play in versus ours. You may be average to good in your conference, but in ours you would be 12th or 13th depending on if you could beat Arkansas.
12-03-2018, 09:28 AM
Jack Lambert

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dawg61

I'm not dismissing Iowa I know you have a tough program. I picture this year's Iowa kinda like LSU but with a worse offense and a much slower defense but every bit as tough. That's reflected in your scores this year where you hung tough with teams like Wisconsin and Northwestern but came up short. That's kinda how I picture this bowl game going. Iowa hanging tough and giving us a great game but in the end it's MSU 31 and Iowa 13.

Everyone thought Michigan was going to kill USCe last Outback bowl. Speed kills.
12-03-2018, 09:32 AM
Jack Lambert

Quote:

Originally Posted by Recreationalgynecologist

Our CBs are actually pretty athletic. This isn't 2002. They're young, deep, tall and can tackle. As for the RBs, they're all sophomores and our QB is a pro-style 6-5 240# type, so yea, he's not a huge threat to take off and run but I think WR is the only position we've had issues at.

Our guys sacked Tua four times. I don't think your O-line is as good as Bama's and Tua is not a Pro-style QB.
12-03-2018, 10:03 AM
Apoplectic

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnightHawk

Thought I'd drop by here as well as the Six Pack Speak forum and share some wisdom on this year's edition of Hawkeye football.

It's been an up and down year, typical for Iowa with games that shoulda/coulda been won and most within one possession. When Iowa is playing well, they're damn near unbeatable, but when they don't (which it's quite a challenge for college players to execute an NFL system), things can get hairy.

Usually, when the Hawks are out-athleted in a game (which they will be against MSU), they rely on clean play, capitalizing on opponent mistakes, hidden yards and field position to keep things close. If the opponent plays clean for the most part, we probably don't have much of a chance because we just don't have a bunch of guys on offense able to make game-changing, explosive plays.

What you will get is a team that plays with 100% effort until the end, very few penalties, good balance on offense, a good offensive and defensive line and hard hits if we can get a good angle on the ball carriers.

Our offense has been sporadic. We really need to pass to set up the run as we haven't been able to just line up and maul many defenses with the exception of Nebraska. We have three RBs who are all decent, but not spectacular. We have a QB who has been as inconsistent as any QB can be. At times dropping dimes and at others just dropping the ball. TEs are the best in the nation, but one has left for the NFL. The better of the two will be playing in the bowl game. Can explain more about that if anyone is interested. WRs are okay. Will give more detail on individual players in a later post. Obviously, your salty defense will be a big test for our middling offense.

Defense has been quite solid. DL is the strength and goes 8 deep with the best of the bunch a backup (true story). The LBs were all new and probably the weak point due to lack of footspeed/agility. Safeties are solid with one being B10 DB of the year. The corners have been inconsistent as well. Geared to not give up the big play, typically play a softer zone coverage and make teams earn their way down the field. If you guys can move our DL, we're sunk. They've been better vs the pass than the run this year, so it will be interesting to see how well the LBs can step up to stuff your very good run game. I haven't watched a bunch of your games, but will over the next couple weeks and have a better idea of how we matchup for further thoughts on a prediction.

Look forward to some good give and take with you guys and would be happy to try to answer any questions y'all might have.

i wish the game was at ur place - i?ve added ur stadium to my sports bucket list to see the wave
12-03-2018, 10:09 AM
dawgday166

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack Lambert

Our guys sacked Tua four times. I don't think your O-line is as good as Bama's and Tua is not a Pro-style QB.

I'm betting their Oline might be as good as Bama's. Bama's Oline sucks.
12-03-2018, 10:15 AM
louisvilledawg

Quote:

Originally Posted by Todd4State

I honestly think our game could go either way. Two good offensive teams and we have struggled against good defenses on offense.

Our QB has a lot of physical talent but he reads defenses SLOOOOOWWWWWLLLLYYY. He's the best rushing QB in SEC history though per the stats.

Our RB's are both really good. Hill is explosive but a liability in pass protection and Aeris is a very good SEC back who isn't as explosive but is more consistent.

WR's are inconsistent at catching the ball but improved throughout the year. Our TE is a good player.

The o-line is big and our center is probably the top center prospect in the NFL draft and Daryl Williams our LG is a NFL guy next year. Our OT's are young and have struggled against elite pass rushers but are both good players who are still developing.

Our d-line is sick. We have two potential first round picks at DE and DT and then we start two seniors who are very good and will probably be drafted next year as well. Our second team defensive line is pretty solid as well and has a lot of experience.

We're pretty solid at LB. Willie Gay is starting to come into his own and Errol Thompson is a very good MLB who makes plays and is a very good leader.

We have two corners who are probably going to play in the NFL. They're both long and physical. Our third CB- Smitherman is a good player as well.

Both of our safeties are seniors. Abrams is probably a first round pick and is an absolute badass. The other safety McLaurin is a very smart player who will play on Sunday's as well.

Our kicker is solid. Punter has been inconsistent but better lately. Return game is acceptable.

We have no one on our team named Abrams
12-03-2018, 10:22 AM
Jack Lambert

Quote:

Originally Posted by dawgday166

I'm betting their Oline might be as good as Bama's. Bama's Oline sucks.

Put Bama's o line in the big 10 and see how much they improve. Every week in the SEC play they face 300 pound D lineman who run 4.7 to 5.0 forties. Does their O line even have a 3 star?
12-03-2018, 10:45 AM
dawgday166

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack Lambert

Put Bama's o line in the big 10 and see how much they improve. Every week in the SEC play they face 300 pound D lineman who run 4.7 to 5.0 forties. Does their O line even have a 3 star?

I'm pretty sure that historically, Iowa puts Olinemen into NFL on a pretty frequent basis. Not sure what they have this year tho. Bama may have 1 or at most 2 NFL Olineman on their starting Oline.
12-03-2018, 10:50 AM
Jack Lambert

Quote:

Originally Posted by dawgday166

I'm pretty sure that historically, Iowa puts Olinemen into NFL on a pretty frequent basis. Not sure what they have this year tho. Bama may have 1 or at most 2 NFL Olineman on their starting Oline.

So has every p 5 school. Bama has a good o line and Iowa does not face the same quality of d line Bama faces every SEC Saturday. If Bama line isn't any good then no line in the SEC isn't any good.
12-03-2018, 11:05 AM
sleepy dawg

This won't be a blowout like many MSU fans are thinking. Iowa is very good and so are we. Like MSU, they are underrated and better than their record indicates. We are very fortunate they'll be without their star TE. We don't need two bad ass TE's flying down the field every play creating mismatches.

Our results this year have been very much dependent on the quality of defense we're facing. We've dominated teams who don't have a good defense and we've lost and struggled to all those that do. Iowa has a good defense. In my opinion, the Outback bowl features the 2 best 8-4 teams in the country and I really wish we were playing a 9-3 or 10-2 team so we could get more credit because the uninformed fan won't realize just how good these 2 teams really are. Vegas has us as the number 8 team right now and Iowa as the number 16 team with only about 2.2 points separating us on a neutral field (with their best offensive player). There's a reason the line opened up so low. They have Iowa as a better team than A&M, UCF, Florida, and Auburn. The line is only bigger now b/c of betting, but Vegas expects this to be a close game and it very likely will be.
12-03-2018, 11:10 AM
Johnson85

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnightHawk

Yep. I think your defense is probably a bit better than ours, but our balanced offense might be a bit more effective than your run-heavy offense. Haven't watched enough of MSU to know a ton of what to expect yet, just going off of stats and what you guys have said.

Game will probably come down to mistakes/turnovers/special teams.

As far as offense, it wouldn't really matter. I've watched every game and I still don't know what to expect from our offense except that against bad defenses we will look like world beaters, and against really good defenses, we will look like the players didn't get to see the playbook until 15 minutes before kickoff.
12-03-2018, 11:14 AM
KnightHawk

Quote:

Originally Posted by sleepy dawg

This won't be a blowout like many MSU fans are thinking. Iowa is very good and so are we. Like MSU, they are underrated and better than their record indicates. We are very fortunate they'll be without their star TE. We don't need two bad ass TE's flying down the field every play creating mismatches.

Our results this year have been very much dependent on the quality of defense we're facing. We've dominated teams who don't have a good defense and we've lost and struggled to all those that do. Iowa has a good defense. In my opinion, the Outback bowl features the 2 best 8-4 teams in the country and I really wish we were playing a 9-3 or 10-2 team so we could get more credit because the uninformed fan won't realize just how good these 2 teams really are. Vegas has us as the number 8 team right now and Iowa as the number 16 team with only about 2.2 points separating us on a neutral field (with their best offensive player). There's a reason the line opened up so low. They have Iowa as a better team than A&M, UCF, Florida, and Auburn. The line is only bigger now b/c of betting, but Vegas expects this to be a close game and it very likely will be.

Nice, well informed post. Thanks!

What I'm starting to see is that we will need to be running straight at you between the tackles. Perimeter runs aren't going to work due to the speed of your DEs and LBs. Our OL is very good at pass blocking, it will come down to which version of Nate Stanley shows up. He's been well regarded by NFL draft guys, but hasn't been consistent at all.
12-03-2018, 11:27 AM
Dawgology

Statistically both of these teams are VERY similar. At no point this season has Iowa been blown out. Their defense has kept them in every game they have played. It appears that their offense focuses on the pass a bit more but neither their passing or running game is anything to write home about....much like MSU.

I think this will be a line of scrimmage game. Whoever wins the battle upfront will win the game. If our Oline can get some push or Fitz can complete some passes we could get rolling on them but this season it appears our offense can't compete against legit defenses so I don't see that happening. Our D will need to get pressure on the QB and cause some turnovers or pick-6's for us to score.

That being said, I predict a MSU win. 7-2

Our D gets a pick 6 and their D gets a safety. HAHAHA
12-03-2018, 11:37 AM
KnightHawk

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dawgology

Statistically both of these teams are VERY similar. At no point this season has Iowa been blown out. Their defense has kept them in every game they have played. It appears that their offense focuses on the pass a bit more but neither their passing or running game is anything to write home about....much like MSU.

I think this will be a line of scrimmage game. Whoever wins the battle upfront will win the game. If our Oline can get some push or Fitz can complete some passes we could get rolling on them but this season it appears our offense can't compete against legit defenses so I don't see that happening. Our D will need to get pressure on the QB and cause some turnovers or pick-6's for us to score.

That being said, I predict a MSU win. 7-2

Our D gets a pick 6 and their D gets a safety. HAHAHA

We did beat Penn St. 6-4 several years ago. Set football back about 30 years.
12-03-2018, 11:43 AM
Dawgology

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnightHawk

We did beat Penn St. 6-4 several years ago. Set football back about 30 years.

Going to have to look up that barnburner on youtube.
12-03-2018, 11:50 AM
InHeavenThereIsNoBeer

What many of my fellow Hawkeyes have failed to mention is that our team hasn't showed up for a bowl games in many years. No, last year against BC in sub zero temps doesn't count.
12-03-2018, 11:58 AM
Jack Lambert

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnightHawk

We did beat Penn St. 6-4 several years ago. Set football back about 30 years.

We have that one beat with a 3-2 lose to Auburn.
12-03-2018, 11:59 AM
PMDawg

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lord McBuckethead

No offense, but we heard this same stuff from the Kansas State fans. There is just a difference in the conference you play in versus ours. You may be average to good in your conference, but in ours you would be 12th or 13th depending on if you could beat Arkansas.

No offense, but this sounds a lot like what our own fans said heading into the Kentucky game.

Iowa is a tough team, and similar to us in a lot of ways. I don't expect a lot of offense either way. It's hard to predict bowl games anyway, because you never know which teams will "care". I think it will be low scoring and close. We have 3 early rounders on defense - will they even chance injury to play? I suspect so, but will they be "all in"?
12-03-2018, 11:59 AM
Jack Lambert

Quote:

Originally Posted by InHeavenThereIsNoBeer

What many of my fellow Hawkeyes have failed to mention is that our team hasn't showed up for a bowl games in many years. No, last year against BC in sub zero temps doesn't count.

Every school is subject to that unless the school is a G 5 in a NY6 Bowl. Also some P5 schools who do not go to NY6 bowls a lot will get fired up for them but those who go every year might have a let down.
12-03-2018, 12:11 PM
Hawkeyegoofball

Quote:

Originally Posted by dawgday166

I'm pretty sure that historically, Iowa puts Olinemen into NFL on a pretty frequent basis. Not sure what they have this year tho. Bama may have 1 or at most 2 NFL Olineman on their starting Oline.

Off the top of my head, Iowa has at least 8 OL in the NFL on 53 man rosters. Alabama has like 9 or 10 (but, a WHOLE lot more skill players). 6 of the 8 for Iowa in the NFL are starters - including Marshall Yanda for the Ravens, widely considered the best OL in the NFL. There's also Blythe for the Rams, Bulaga for the Packers, Rieff for the Vikings, Schereff for the Redskins, etc.

Interesting tid-bit: One of Alabama's better 2018 OL (4 year starter, but not in the same class as Jonah Williams) is Ross Peirschbacher, who hails from...wait for it...Iowa.

Iowa churns out solid NFL OL. HC Kirf Ferentz was the OL coach @ Iowa back in the 80s as well as OL coach for the Browns (on the same staff as Belechick and Saban) in the 90s before the move to Baltimore imploded the staff.
12-03-2018, 12:33 PM
timotheus

The key to the game will be how much the Iowa QB has to scramble or be forced from the pocket. special teams will be critical and I hope it does not rain.
12-03-2018, 12:35 PM
Recreationalgynecologist

I agree with that. Don’t let the play action catch you off balance and put pressure on him
12-03-2018, 12:37 PM
Recreationalgynecologist

Quote:

Originally Posted by dawgday166

I'm pretty sure that historically, Iowa puts Olinemen into NFL on a pretty frequent basis. Not sure what they have this year tho. Bama may have 1 or at most 2 NFL Olineman on their starting Oline.

Alabama’s best OL player is from Iowa
12-03-2018, 12:41 PM
dawgday166

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hawkeyegoofball

Off the top of my head, Iowa has at least 8 OL in the NFL on 53 man rosters. Alabama has like 9 or 10 (but, a WHOLE lot more skill players). 6 of the 8 for Iowa in the NFL are starters - including Marshall Yanda for the Ravens, widely considered the best OL in the NFL. There's also Blythe for the Rams, Bulaga for the Packers, Rieff for the Vikings, Schereff for the Redskins, etc.

Interesting tid-bit: One of Alabama's better 2018 OL (4 year starter, but not in the same class as Jonah Williams) is Ross Peirschbacher, who hails from...wait for it...Iowa.

Iowa churns out solid NFL OL. HC Kirf Ferentz was the OL coach @ Iowa back in the 80s as well as OL coach for the Browns (on the same staff as Belechick and Saban) in the 90s before the move to Baltimore imploded the staff.

I was somewhat aware of that. Big rawboned, corn fed country boys that weigh about 260 or so in HS but can grow bigger works pretty good when recruiting for Olinemen. I always wanted Mullen to go up into the midwest towards Iowa and hunt for Olinemen. He didn't like to recruit further than 200 or so mile radius to Starkville tho. Moorhead seems to be more inclined to do something like that.
12-03-2018, 12:48 PM
Recreationalgynecologist

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack Lambert

Put Bama's o line in the big 10 and see how much they improve. Every week in the SEC play they face 300 pound D lineman who run 4.7 to 5.0 forties. Does their O line even have a 3 star?

300lb DT?s who run 4.7 40’s? Most are in the 4.9-5.2 range.

The only people who say that are the ones that never played the game past junior high. Very, very few do that and OL/DL isn?t an issue in the Big 10 or SEC.
12-03-2018, 12:51 PM
Recreationalgynecologist

Both OT’s are sophomores and will end up in the NFL. We’d have three but James Daniels left early and is a starter for the Bears
12-03-2018, 12:51 PM
dawgday166

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack Lambert

So has every p 5 school. Bama has a good o line and Iowa does not face the same quality of d line Bama faces every SEC Saturday. If Bama line isn't any good then no line in the SEC isn't any good.

Let me rephrase. Bama's Oline is just ok. They suck compared to the 2012 line and it ain't close. And they really aren't that good at that. When you have to grab Ga's Dline by their arms as they're blowing past you to protect Hurts, they just ain't that good. They get to hold more than everyone else gets to. See AU TD that was called back against Bama for a reference point.

I think our Oline can run block much better than Bama's ... when they ain't confused about whether it's a run or pass.
12-03-2018, 12:54 PM
Bubb Rubb

Quote:

Originally Posted by Recreationalgynecologist

300lb DT?s who run 4.7 40’s? Most are in the 4.9-5.2 range.

The only people who say that are the ones that never played the game past junior high. Very, very few do that and OL/DL isn?t an issue in the Big 10 or SEC.

Our own coach, who was an OC in the Big 10 for two years prior, has said the biggest adjustment to him with his offensive philosophy is accounting for the strength and speed of the DL in the SEC. It's a big difference and it's no joke.
12-03-2018, 12:59 PM
Bubb Rubb

Quote:

Originally Posted by Recreationalgynecologist

Both OT’s are sophomores and will end up in the NFL. We’d have three but James Daniels left early and is a starter for the Bears

I have long wished that State would recruit the midwest for OLs. Ability and talent on your offensive line is not the issue. Preparing for the type of talent you're going to see on the defensive line is the issue. Your guys can't hit the gym hard for one month, or replicate it in practice to prepare for it. Going through the SEC gauntlet week in and week out is what prepares you for it. You have great coaches and some good talent so I'm sure y'all will try to scheme against it, but it's going to be a big hurdle to overcome.
12-03-2018, 01:02 PM
dawgday166

Quote:

Originally Posted by Recreationalgynecologist

Both OT’s are sophomores and will end up in the NFL. We’d have three but James Daniels left early and is a starter for the Bears

I figure y'all probably put Olinemen in the league at least at the same rate and maybe a higher rate than Bama. What you don't see every game are Dlines across the board that are big and as fast as SEC. And you haven't seen one this year like ours. But y'all do produce quality NFL linemen without a doubt.
12-03-2018, 01:21 PM
Hawkeyegoofball

Quote:

Originally Posted by dawgday166

I was somewhat aware of that. Big rawboned, corn fed country boys that weigh about 260 or so in HS but can grow bigger works pretty good when recruiting for Olinemen. I always wanted Mullen to go up into the midwest towards Iowa and hunt for Olinemen. He didn't like to recruit further than 200 or so mile radius to Starkville tho. Moorhead seems to be more inclined to do something like that.

There are a lot of good, large framed lads in the midwest. Southern teams are missing the boat if they're not recruiting the midwest for big boys in the trenches (OL specifically...I think they've got it down on the DL side of things)...also, add in the work ethic and humility for these guys and it becomes a no brainer. The trick is identifying, attracting and developing.

A lot of Iowa's linemen are leaner than say, Wisconsin, when they get on campus...and many of them are TEs or QBs or DL in high school...but we get them on campus, put them through good S&C and have coaches who are rock solid at technique and fundamentals.

You'll see Iowa's line on Jan 1. and at first sight they won't look that big, but more like a group of power forwards. They're tall, but lean...300Lbs+ lean. And they have good feet, allowing Iowa to run zone blocking schemes. Completely different from the Badgers, who have a lot of girth/heft and work the philosophy over overpowering the opponent by mass. Either philosophy can work.
12-03-2018, 02:51 PM
Recreationalgynecologist

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hawkeyegoofball

There are a lot of good, large framed lads in the midwest. Southern teams are missing the boat if they're not recruiting the midwest for big boys in the trenches (OL specifically...I think they've got it down on the DL side of things)...also, add in the work ethic and humility for these guys and it becomes a no brainer. The trick is identifying, attracting and developing.

A lot of Iowa's linemen are leaner than say, Wisconsin, when they get on campus...and many of them are TEs or QBs or DL in high school...but we get them on campus, put them through good S&C and have coaches who are rock solid at technique and fundamentals.

You'll see Iowa's line on Jan 1. and at first sight they won't look that big, but more like a group of power forwards. They're tall, but lean...300Lbs+ lean. And they have good feet, allowing Iowa to run zone blocking schemes. Completely different from the Badgers, who have a lot of girth/heft and work the philosophy over overpowering the opponent by mass. Either philosophy can work.

Badgers are pretty good laterally too. They?re also fairly tall and lean, they just don?t have a great QB
12-03-2018, 03:56 PM
Hawkeyegoofball

Quote:

Originally Posted by Recreationalgynecologist

Badgers are pretty good laterally too. They?re also fairly tall and lean, they just don?t have a great QB

They tend to have stiff hips and not move well in space, which may explain why they have less than 1/2 dozen OL in the NFL in spite of the reputation on the line they hold within the NCAA. And they'll have fewer as the NFL game evolves offensively....quickly.

I do agree that their QB sucks.

Peace.
12-03-2018, 04:11 PM
Jack Lambert

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hawkeyegoofball

They're tall, but lean...300Lbs+ lean. And they have good feet, a

Like this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z4GgjkQKDI
12-03-2018, 04:16 PM
KnightHawk

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack Lambert

Like this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z4GgjkQKDI

No, talking about the OL. Got any video on your AA center?
12-03-2018, 04:28 PM
Jack Lambert

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnightHawk

No, talking about the OL. Got any video on your AA center?

I was just trying to get a image of what you think tall 300 pound guy with good feet look like. :)
12-03-2018, 04:29 PM
KnightHawk

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack Lambert

I was just trying to get a image of what you think tall 300 pound guy with good feet look like. :)

I'm just trying to be a smartass:D
12-03-2018, 04:51 PM
Jack Lambert

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnightHawk

I'm just trying to be a smartass:D

I am with you and I can take it just like I can dish it out.
12-03-2018, 04:58 PM
KnightHawk

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack Lambert

I am with you and I can take it just like I can dish it out.

Appreciate that definitely. Check out AJ Epenesa for a comp to Simmons. Still just a sophomore, but really coming into his own.
12-03-2018, 05:00 PM
Hawkeyegoofball

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack Lambert

I was just trying to get a image of what you think tall 300 pound guy with good feet look like. :)

Simmons is excellent. Along with Sweat and Abraham. Dantlzer is a very good player as well. Would love to have dudes like that playing for Iowa.

Comparing an OL and a DL is fairly ridiculous at any level - if you want to highlight athleticism, by and large the DL is going to win out from a visual perspective, especially when you compare/contrast B1G and SEC. No question...SEC and DL overall are the winners. But, we're good.

And, no, Iowa doesn't have a DL like Simmons.

Other than Gabe Jackson, is there another Mississippi State former player/alumnus who currently plays on the OL for an NFL team? Having watched quite a bit of MSU video from this year, doesn't look like OL is a priority (and with due respect, your first year coach Joe Moorhead needs time to recruit and integrate his guys).

To paraphrase Dean Wormer from Animal House: "Drunk, fat and stupid is no way to run an offensive line".

Having fun. :)

PS. Abraham is a potential liability for this game, just in terms of the play action Iowa implements and his overall aggressiveness. Happens to the best of them (See Bob Sanders, Iowa, 2004 Outback Bowl vs. Florida - former D player of the year NFL as a safety with the Colts - complete land-based missile, like Abraham). There is risk at that spot.

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