Williams & Blum: Phone booth football

ChrisMWilliams

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Staff member
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Apr 10, 2006
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Bondurant, Iowa
www.cyclonefanatic.com
Enjoy.

 
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I understand what Blum is saying when he's referencing Iowa State leading the Big 12 in passing yards last year but last year might have been one of the weakest offensive years in the Big 12 since its inception. There were not many strong offensive teams in the conference last season.

Our offense even last year still put us in disadvantageous positions numerous times......and I don't think you can dispute that, considering our most talented roster in school history finished 7-6. Our lopsided W/L record for one-possession games is mostly due to our offensive ineptitude
 
I understand what Blum is saying when he's referencing Iowa State leading the Big 12 in passing yards last year but last year might have been one of the weakest offensive years in the Big 12 since its inception. There were not many strong offensive teams in the conference last season.

Our offense even last year still put us in disadvantageous positions numerous times......and I don't think you can dispute that, considering our most talented roster in school history finished 7-6. Our lopsided W/L record for one-possession games is mostly due to our offensive ineptitude
If we are going to use a 2 TE set in the future, I say fine, but let's plug in deshawn hanika and tyler moore. Hanika because right now he's our best receiving TE, and Tyler Moore because he is a willing and capable blocker and a far superior athlete to Jared Rus.

The O playcalling with this roster has to change. Teams have figured out the short crossers and have no respect for us going deep. I bet Jaylin Noel and Hutchinson are sick of getting smashed 3 yards past the line of scrimmage. Have to be a threat deep more often. The remaining Big 12 games I would say are pretty important for Manning's future. If we start to score more points, I'm for brining him back.

But if theres a bunch more games where we avg 10 pts a game, the discussion needs to be had this winter of going a different direction. Yes our O had great numbers in 2020, 2021, and the year we went to the Alamo Bowl, but those teams had NFL running backs and some serious NFL talent like Kolar too, a lot of people could have looked sufficient calling plays with that firepower.

I think we need to start experimenting more with Greg Gaines, Jason Essex, and some different guys. If not we are at risk of losing them this off season. To me so far the biggest disappointments are Jaylin Noel (been pretty bad on punt return and hasn't done a ton), Easton Dean (been hurt but produciton has been zilch), and the O line in general. Downing, Simmons, Miller, and others just have to step up more starting this saturday.
 
I understand what Blum is saying when he's referencing Iowa State leading the Big 12 in passing yards last year but last year might have been one of the weakest offensive years in the Big 12 since its inception. There were not many strong offensive teams in the conference last season.

Our offense even last year still put us in disadvantageous positions numerous times......and I don't think you can dispute that, considering our most talented roster in school history finished 7-6. Our lopsided W/L record for one-possession games is mostly due to our offensive ineptitude
You could also say that offense scored enough to win games against Baylor, WV and Texas Tech last year. 29, 31, and 38.
 
If we are going to use a 2 TE set in the future, I say fine, but let's plug in deshawn hanika and tyler moore. Hanika because right now he's our best receiving TE, and Tyler Moore because he is a willing and capable blocker and a far superior athlete to Jared Rus.

The O playcalling with this roster has to change. Teams have figured out the short crossers and have no respect for us going deep. I bet Jaylin Noel and Hutchinson are sick of getting smashed 3 yards past the line of scrimmage. Have to be a threat deep more often. The remaining Big 12 games I would say are pretty important for Manning's future. If we start to score more points, I'm for brining him back.

But if theres a bunch more games where we avg 10 pts a game, the discussion needs to be had this winter of going a different direction. Yes our O had great numbers in 2020, 2021, and the year we went to the Alamo Bowl, but those teams had NFL running backs and some serious NFL talent like Kolar too, a lot of people could have looked sufficient calling plays with that firepower.

I think we need to start experimenting more with Greg Gaines, Jason Essex, and some different guys. If not we are at risk of losing them this off season. To me so far the biggest disappointments are Jaylin Noel (been pretty bad on punt return and hasn't done a ton), Easton Dean (been hurt but produciton has been zilch), and the O line in general. Downing, Simmons, Miller, and others just have to step up more starting this saturday.
If we are going to use a 2 TE set in the future, I say fine, but let's plug in deshawn hanika and tyler moore. Hanika because right now he's our best receiving TE, and Tyler Moore because he is a willing and capable blocker and a far superior athlete to Jared Rus.

The O playcalling with this roster has to change. Teams have figured out the short crossers and have no respect for us going deep. I bet Jaylin Noel and Hutchinson are sick of getting smashed 3 yards past the line of scrimmage. Have to be a threat deep more often. The remaining Big 12 games I would say are pretty important for Manning's future. If we start to score more points, I'm for brining him back.

But if theres a bunch more games where we avg 10 pts a game, the discussion needs to be had this winter of going a different direction. Yes our O had great numbers in 2020, 2021, and the year we went to the Alamo Bowl, but those teams had NFL running backs and some serious NFL talent like Kolar too, a lot of people could have looked sufficient calling plays with that firepower.

I think we need to start experimenting more with Greg Gaines, Jason Essex, and some different guys. If not we are at risk of losing them this off season. To me so far the biggest disappointments are Jaylin Noel (been pretty bad on punt return and hasn't done a ton), Easton Dean (been hurt but produciton has been zilch), and the O line in general. Downing, Simmons, Miller, and others just have to step up more starting this saturday.

Greg Gaines and Jason Essex are true freshmen. And you are saying they might already transfer this off-season. Stop the stupid talk.
 
Yeah, grinding out games is our identity. Other teams do that too but seems they take more downfield shots. Zippo for us even when we could run the ball part few years. We blamed Purdy's arm strength, but maybe that wasn't it. Other teams take shots against us, and we are drop 8 in coverage.

It was refreshing in a weird way to see the offense move easier the past few years when down and needing to score quick (examples Baylor last year, Oklahoma games past several years).
 
I will say that, and i am beyond fatigued with talking about it at this moment, that the Manning stuff isn't this year or the last 3 games only. People have been on him since 2019. 2020 was obviously good but the losses felt same as how we lost in 2019. Then last year was a massive disappointment.

So yeah. Ive seen all the stats saying we score all these points and move all these yards, but in the big games its the offense not showing up pr starting low thats been the issue. Its fantastic we can explode on Kansas or the bad TCU teams that skew the numbers, but we look awful in the bigger games too often as well. Thats where people are mad
 
You could also say that offense scored enough to win games against Baylor, WV and Texas Tech last year. 29, 31, and 38.

Last season was a total team effort in how things went.

Was more similar to 2019.
 
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It sounds like you are saying the staff is doing what they want to do but the kids aright executing. With all due respect, you can’t rely on an easy catch on 4th and 7 to win a game after you settling for 3 field goals earlier in the game.
 
I completely agree with @brentblum that the offense compliments the defense and that is the style of play we want to have. I think there are tweaks within the offense that should allow for some more vertical passing on play action and different route structures in the passing game that allow us to still play "ball-control" football but open the field up a little bit.

Also, when you are playing that style of football you have to be great on special teams and opportunistic in all phases of the game. Two things we have struggled with.

I support the ball-control mentality/strategy as I think that gives us the best chance to compete with the top teams in the conference, but I hope we make some changes within that framework.
 
I understand what Blum is saying when he's referencing Iowa State leading the Big 12 in passing yards last year but last year might have been one of the weakest offensive years in the Big 12 since its inception. There were not many strong offensive teams in the conference last season.

Our offense even last year still put us in disadvantageous positions numerous times......and I don't think you can dispute that, considering our most talented roster in school history finished 7-6. Our lopsided W/L record for one-possession games is mostly due to our offensive ineptitude

How much of that offense was gained when down by 2 scores against prevent defenses?
 
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I completely agree with @brentblum that the offense compliments the defense and that is the style of play we want to have. I think there are tweaks within the offense that should allow for some more vertical passing on play action and different route structures in the passing game that allow us to still play "ball-control" football but open the field up a little bit.

Also, when you are playing that style of football you have to be great on special teams and opportunistic in all phases of the game. Two things we have struggled with.

I support the ball-control mentality/strategy as I think that gives us the best chance to compete with the top teams in the conference, but I hope we make some changes within that framework.
Iowa football is not the model to copy. Puke. Make your own legacy.
 
Legitimate point regarding the defense being assisted by the offensive strategy.

There's some nuance here but our offense has not helped our defense this year in the slightest. In the KU/KSU/IU games they've given up 4 total touchdowns and half of them are on incredibly short fields because of the offense or special teams. The defense is doing what they're doing on their own.

I suppose that's part of the "complimentary football" stuff we use to justify ****** offense. Complimentary football is scoring and not letting the other team score. One side has held up to that bargain and are the number 17 defense according to SP+ and will probably rise once last years data is completely washed out. Their doing that on the side of the ball that relies more on talent due to it's inherent disadvantages while the offense flounders, I believe, at #70.
 

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