Can Iowa stop the spread?

Year two is the magic year for the spread. Arnauds senior year. First time being in the same scheme two years in a row. Healthy team around him.
 
The Iowa way is to "bend don't break" so make us break and you will be on to something.

We give up the short stuff over and over, and then someone gets crazy (a la AA or the OC last year) and the pick comes.

It is spread teams that stay committed to the underneath stuff that do well against the Hawks.
 
Highlighted for emphasis. I won't dispute that we can be an option and pure spread offense; Mizzou (a relatively good comparison) does lots of run sets out of their spread. However we have yet to show the pure spread offense, thus we still fall under a "spread option" offense until gameplay shows otherwise.
Good points. This is why i'm not sure if Tiller will be our starter next year. We lose Arob and Arnaud. This is where i see Herman going straight to his Rice scheme and i think Barnett may be our starter next year. Thats if he makes good strides in the weight room. I think next year we will bring out a more Texas Tech side of a spread. Thats a pure spread if i've ever seen one.
 
Iowa / rather, AA stopped it last year - 35-3... hopefully AA will have a career changing game, otherwise, expect more of the same!
 
Good points. This is why i'm not sure if Tiller will be our starter next year. We lose Arob and Arnaud. This is where i see Herman going straight to his Rice scheme and i think Barnett may be our starter next year. Thats if he makes good strides in the weight room. I think next year we will bring out a more Texas Tech side of a spread. Thats a pure spread if i've ever seen one.

Losing Arnaud will hardly be the end of the world as we have a more athletic version of him in Tiller waiting in the wings. I think by Tiller's senior year we will run a Mizzou-style spread, but will stick with a spread option until then. I don't ever see us getting to the TTech style Air Raid, we're still a Big 12 North team so running will always be a big part of our offensive attack. I just want to see less up-the-gut style running and more sweeps and utilization of WR's in the running game where we use outside speed instead of gritty, grinding out yards.
 
I think it would be great if we ran a west virginia/florida spread offense. Lots of option and PA passing. I think that offense is outstanding. Combines the effectiveness of the old triple option with the wide open spread.

If i were to coach a football team, that is the best offense to run. ... zone read, shovel passes, TE pop passes, screens, draws, and PA passing. Man thats good stuff. Go back and watch the gators in 2008- they ran that **** perfectly
 
Every Hawk fan will tell you that a patient, workmanlike short spread passing game can work against Iowa. Its one of the reasons Northwestern has had success against Iowa. I think Iowa will come out looking to stop the run, and will relatively neutralize Alex Robinson. It will come down to Arnaud taking the short plays all game and not making mistakes. And finding a way to turn red zone opportunities into 7 and not 3.
 
  • Like
Reactions: zdorr40
The reason why Northwestern has success against Iowa is they're unpredictable and they always get solid mistake free QB play. They take what Iowa gives them and after lulling the defense to sleep, they hit for a big play.

Arnaud was erratic and impatient against Iowa last year. If he can keep a cool head and doesn't throw every pass like a 100 mph fastball, we got a shot. If not, expect more of last year
 
We must run the ball as much as we ran it. We had the chance last year to make this a game running the ball and with all due respect! our coaching staff forced the pass to the point of 5 INTs... while Robinson was running for major yardage. I don't think we'll get the ground game that was given to us last year - we must throw deep as they are only strong - short. Front 7. Otherwise they are untested. We have the receiver corps to go deep early. often, and regular. Let's go for the win and do it and make sure we keep trying to run 50 pct. of the time!

Just my two cents...
 
Good points. This is why i'm not sure if Tiller will be our starter next year. We lose Arob and Arnaud. This is where i see Herman going straight to his Rice scheme and i think Barnett may be our starter next year. Thats if he makes good strides in the weight room. I think next year we will bring out a more Texas Tech side of a spread. Thats a pure spread if i've ever seen one.

CPR has always stated though that he believes that you need to be successful at running the ball to be good, so I think that they will continue to emphasize the running game. That is why we continue to recruit good running backs.
 
In my humble opinion, there is no way A-Rob or any of our other backs are going to be able to run the ball effectively against the Hawkeyes. We should run on Saturday, only enough for the Hawkeye defense to respect that it might be coming. We need to throw the ball and throw effectively. Austen is going to have to play a near perfect game -- that means zero interceptions. Unfortunately, there is no room for error. Collin Franklin is one of the few guys we have on our team that has a real opportunity to be playing on Sundays next year. This adds a dimension to our offense we did not have last year. I also love the way Austen runs! There are a lot of QBs that run but not many like a fullback. We need to run Austen a lot and make the Hawkeyes commit a linebacker to him on every play. It's going to take a near perfect game for us to pull off this huge upset. But I think we can do it. Go Cyclones!!!
 
I don't mean to be a downer, I really don't - but give me some good reasons why we didn't go to get a JUCO QB who could run this offense and make it work NOW. Don't give me the noise about AA as a leader, you come in and win games or darn close and you'll be respected in the locker room. AA cannot perform in this league and we will unfortunately find that out AGAIN tomorrow. I HOPE that I am wrong, but he has yet to prove he is a DI QB - especially in the Big 12. Just look at his INTs, missed placed passes and performance under pressure. He is NOT a running back, his job in THIS offense is to PASS and pass the ball darn efficiently...

Sorry.... just my Humble Opinion!
 
If they shut down A-Rob, that means we have an open receiver for AA is able to break away. They wont be able to shut down every aspect. If we come out completing passes.. we will be able to run the ball.
 
I don't mean to be a downer, I really don't - but give me some good reasons why we didn't go to get a JUCO QB who could run this offense and make it work NOW. Don't give me the noise about AA as a leader, you come in and win games or darn close and you'll be respected in the locker room. AA cannot perform in this league and we will unfortunately find that out AGAIN tomorrow. I HOPE that I am wrong, but he has yet to prove he is a DI QB - especially in the Big 12. Just look at his INTs, missed placed passes and performance under pressure. He is NOT a running back, his job in THIS offense is to PASS and pass the ball darn efficiently...

Sorry.... just my Humble Opinion!
I do agree with should have went after Jordan Rodgers a little harder. He would have been a great JUCO QB for this system for two years.
 
I do agree with should have went after Jordan Rodgers a little harder. He would have been a great JUCO QB for this system for two years.

Being a DI program means feelings get hurt... last I knew that was being a man - but you move on. I never worked for any company that didn't go for the next better model and DI football is the epitome of that. If we want to arrive at the DI and stay a BCS university we need to end this coddling of local talent IF they don't fit the bill.

IMHO
Klonz
 
I don't mean to be a downer, I really don't - but give me some good reasons why we didn't go to get a JUCO QB who could run this offense and make it work NOW. Don't give me the noise about AA as a leader, you come in and win games or darn close and you'll be respected in the locker room. AA cannot perform in this league and we will unfortunately find that out AGAIN tomorrow. I HOPE that I am wrong, but he has yet to prove he is a DI QB - especially in the Big 12. Just look at his INTs, missed placed passes and performance under pressure. He is NOT a running back, his job in THIS offense is to PASS and pass the ball darn efficiently...

Sorry.... just my Humble Opinion!

His first year in the system and we go from 2-10 the previous year to 7-6 with a bowl win and you really think we could find a JuCo with no B12 experience who would have been much better?
 
Iowa State run the kind of offense that can beat Iowa's defense. Northwestern and Indiana have had success by taking what we give them. That's their offensive philosophy in general. They don't get taken out of their comfort zone against Iowa, because they WANT to dink and dunk.

ISU's offense is the right one. But has Arnaud matured enough to be the right quarterback to beat Iowa's defense? He's got to be patient and do what a QB in that system is supposed to do. I'm not sure if he can do that yet. We will find out on Saturday.
 
They gave up close to 30 points every spread team they played last year. With the obvious exception to Iowa State.. but lets be real here, it takes time to learn a new offense. Not to mention we didn't have SJ, Darks, or Money at receiver. They are gonna have a hard time stopping us this year.

Not counting pick 6's since those aren't on the D, here is what Iowa gave up last year in points:

16
3
10
10
14
21
10
13
24
17
27 in overtime
0
7

Only 2 games was a team 1 possession away from scoring 30. So spread or not Iowa did a good job of stopping teams.
 
Not counting pick 6's since those aren't on the D, here is what Iowa gave up last year in points:

16
3
10
10
14
21
10
13
24
17
27 in overtime
0
7

Only 2 games was a team 1 possession away from scoring 30. So spread or not Iowa did a good job of stopping teams.

Don't forget Rick's fumble when he got hurt against Northwestern. The defense only gave up 10 points that game.
 
Really?

They gave up close to 30 points every spread team they played last year. With the obvious exception to Iowa State.. but lets be real here, it takes time to learn a new offense. Not to mention we didn't have SJ, Darks, or Money at receiver. They are gonna have a hard time stopping us this year.

I didn't notice all those spread teams running up 30 points on Iowa last year. ISU had 3. Northwestern had 17 points, with 7 coming when Stanzi fumbled in the end zone and NU recovered for a TD. Indiana scored 24 points (they run the pistol). Michigan had 28 (7 coming on a pick 6). PSU runs out or a spread formation many plays, they scored 10. It's been since October of 2007 since Iowa gave up 30 points in a game (Purdue).

ISU should take a look at what Ohio State did. Spread the field and run the ball. Pass just enough to keep drives alive, but keep running it. And the Bucks got 27 in overtime. Cyclones have the personnel to have some success with this. Shorten the game, don't put your defense in a bad position, and ISU could easily be in a situation where it's even/close in the fourth quarter.
 

Help Support Us

Become a patron