**Official 2021 Iowa Football Season Thread**

[KitKatApples]

Probably because so far spencer has been on better teams than Jake and we haven't been as dependent on QB play

 

[Thomas Wolsey]

Reminder that Spence has only played in Douche games. JC did that shit against Western Michigan with a bowl on the line.

 

[Thomas Wolsey]

He also lost the Wisconsin game by missing the throw the only time Paul Chaney was left uncovered on a go route.

 

[KitKatApples]

Probably wasn't an accident

 

[Geese]

Spencer also seems like a nice kid, albeit a pants shitter. JC sucked and was one of the biggest douches ever.

 

[cloudhawk]

Like someone said ol Spence is going to get the Chandler treatment. There will be gnashing of teeth and complaints about how awful he looked as the Hawks win alot of games.

 

[fossilhawk]

Like someone said ol Spence is going to get the Chandler treatment. There will be gnashing of teeth and complaints about how awful he looked as the Hawks win alot of games.

Chandler might actually be the perfect comp for Petras. Tendency towards pants shitting, but capability to not fuck up enough to actively lose games against good teams.

With this defense, that might be enough to get to Indy. Guess we'll see.

 

[Debit One]

You guys need to stop being so hard on Spencer.

Those behind the LOS completion percentages are pretty nice.

 

[Gushawk]

Spencer has obvious limitations (poor mobility and pocket presence/general lack of athleticism), but I tend to think he’s throwing the ball where he’s being coached to throw the ball.

 

[6deuce]

Spencer has obvious limitations (poor mobility and pocket presence/general lack of athleticism), but I tend to think he’s throwing the ball where he’s being coached to throw the ball.

So BF is racist not Spencer?

 

[Gushawk]

I don’t think it’s Kelton

 

[C-3PO]

Spencer has obvious limitations (poor mobility and pocket presence/general lack of athleticism), but I tend to think he’s throwing the ball where he’s being coached to throw the ball.

JC threw fastballs into the turf 3 yards in front of the receiver. It was horrible. That’s why I hate him.

 

[Gushawk]

A few CFB podcasts I listen to talking about how QBs like Bryce Young and CJ Stroud are clearly being sought out/valued for their ability to move away from the pass rush to a spot, find a stud on a long developing crosser, and get him the ball. I thought, yeah, I’m never going to see that at Iowa.

 

[Thomas Wolsey]

A few CFB podcasts I listen to talking about how QBs like Bryce Young and CJ Stroud are clearly being sought out/valued for their ability to move away from the pass rush to a spot, find a stud on a long developing crosser, and get him the ball. I thought, yeah, I’m never going to see that at Iowa.

Iowa isn’t likely to land that QB or those WR. If you want to see balls downfield the type of formations Minnesota lines up in are more realistic.

 

[Gushawk]

I don’t think we’re even interested in that type of QB, and I don’t think that type of WR is interested in us (understandably so).

 

[Debit One]

I don’t think we’re even interested in that type of QB, and I don’t think that type of WR is interested in us (understandably so).

Keegan Johnson watching last week's game:

 

[The Full Monte]

Jackson Ritter??? Jackson Fucking Ritter?!?!?!?

 

[MikeyJoe]

I've never quite understood the logic that an amazing defense makes mediocre QB play good because you're not losing the game.

I mean, I understand actively not losing the game with QB play, but maybe with your amazing defense it would be nice to have good QB play and have an amazing team?

Like Nate Chandler is a great comp. Yeah, 10 wins is good at Iowa and I loved watching that team. But score more than 10, 10, and 14 points in those losses and we could be talking about an all-time Iowa team.

 

[Hawkstrat]

Is anyone making that argument?

I think the argument is if you have a shitty quarterback and a great defense you'd rather have him play it safe than potentially turn it over. I don't think anyone wants a Chandler clone over a Stanzi or Beathard one.

 

[MikeyJoe]

Is anyone making that argument?

I think the argument is if you have a shitty quarterback and a great defense you'd rather have him play it safe than potentially turn it over. I don't think anyone wants a Chandler clone over a Stanzi or Beathard one.

The point is that if a guy needs to throw 27 times to gain 145 yards to avoid turning it over, then he's not a good QB. Your point, that not turning it over is better than turning it over seems to be something of a given.

And I'm talking about the "Petras did what he needed to do" type statements. I mean sure - but that's a super low bar when you get two defensive touchdowns and allow six points.

I don't hate the guy, but he was objectively unimpressive Saturday.

 

[MikeyJoe]

On that point, I've thought about the turnover thing recently. I think we would evaluate conservative / mediocre offense a little differently if more people acknowledged that a punt is still kind of a turnover.

 

[fossilhawk]

I've never quite understood the logic that an amazing defense makes mediocre QB play good because you're not losing the game.

I mean, I understand actively not losing the game with QB play, but maybe with your amazing defense it would be nice to have good QB play and have an amazing team?

Like Nate Chandler is a great comp. Yeah, 10 wins is good at Iowa and I loved watching that team. But score more than 10, 10, and 14 points in those losses and we could be talking about an all-time Iowa team.

The logic is less "it's good, actually, to have lukewarm QB play with a good defense" and more "it'd be nice for once to have good QB play, but with this defense it's tolerable, I guess."

Do I want a QB that can make plays and is better than Petras? Sure. Did his performance against Indiana cost us the game? No. He didn't completely fuck up, which is both (1) an improvement from this time last year and (2) better than some QBs that Ferentz has had (see e.g. Christensen, Reimers, 2012 Vandenberg, Rudock (if Rudock doesn't horrifically telegraph a late out throw against NIU we win that game in 2013)).

I would love more, but I don't expect much more from any Iowa QB not named Chuck Long.

 

[Hawk&Balls]

On that point, I've thought about the turnover thing recently. I think we would evaluate conservative / mediocre offense a little differently if more people acknowledged that a punt is still kind of a turnover.

Interceptions are arm punts

 

[Gushawk]

Interceptions are arm punts

but only if you actually throw the ball down the field

 

[wondergrape]

For some reason I don’t dislike him or at least the decision to play him as much as I did JC. Maybe it’s that I don’t think there’s a Ricky Stanzi on the bench; maybe I hold wrong handed QBs to a higher standard

We are winning.

 

[thrawn]

For some reason I don’t dislike him or at least the decision to play him as much as I did JC. Maybe it’s that I don’t think there’s a Ricky Stanzi on the bench; maybe I hold wrong handed QBs to a higher standard

Petras looks closer physically, he just doesn’t have the mental calm side. JC was short, had an even shorter neck, a beer belly, and would fire passes at guys’ feet.

 

[Hawkstrat]

Petras looks closer physically, he just doesn’t have the mental calm side. JC was short, had an even shorter neck, a beer belly, and would fire passes at guys’ feet.

And he was an asshole. Don't get me wrong, I don't want Spencer Petras to be my friend, I want him to be a good quarterback, but it’s a little easier to go both barrels on an asshole.

 

[Verbal]

Ol' Jake C. 35 years old now, nearly 13 years removed from his last snap at Iowa and still taking regular flak for disappointing the shit out of all of us.

 

[Thomas Wolsey]

Interceptions are arm punts

Which is fine on 3rd down down the field.

 

[Will McCoy]

On that point, I've thought about the turnover thing recently. I think we would evaluate conservative / mediocre offense a little differently if more people acknowledged that a punt is still kind of a turnover.

Good point. Tommy Armstrong is my favorite punter from the recent past.

 

[The Dad]

Ol' Jake C. 35 years old now, nearly 13 years removed from his last snap at Iowa and still taking regular flak for disappointing the shit out of all of us.

Don’t get me started on Ronnie fucking Harmon.

 

[Uff Da]

I've never quite understood the logic that an amazing defense makes mediocre QB play good because you're not losing the game.

I mean, I understand actively not losing the game with QB play, but maybe with your amazing defense it would be nice to have good QB play and have an amazing team?

Like Nate Chandler is a great comp. Yeah, 10 wins is good at Iowa and I loved watching that team. But score more than 10, 10, and 14 points in those losses and we could be talking about an all-time Iowa team.

Obviously, Alabama is on a whole different level, but, they are whole new level with the offense philosophy change. They score a lot and eliminate lower scoring close games. Have a great defense and be more aggressive on offense with good QB play.

 

[Brad Wesley]

I don’t think we’re even interested in that type of QB, and I don’t think that type of WR is interested in us (understandably so).

Pre groin injury, CJ was in the ballpark.

 

[Gushawk]

Man it still pisses me off how long it took CJ to see the field. Only McCann in 01 infuriated me more

 

[Greg Obrecht]

 

[HawkeyeJonesEsq]

Don’t get me started on Ronnie fucking Harmon.

In 1997 I was wearing an Iowa shirt on an elevator in Maui. Guys gets on, looks at my shirt and just says that: "Ronnie Fucking Harmon" and sighed.

 

[L. Wade Childress]

Jackson Ritter??? Jackson Fucking Ritter?!?!?!?

Doug Miller

 

[SuperHans]

Things like this always make me wonder.

On the one hand, it's a credit to Iowa to be in this company when it doesn't get the same level of recruits.

On the other, these programs (sans Michigan) have better on-field results.

Is it just that our NFL players are concentrated in certain positions? Is it the offensive scheme?

 

[Bob Sanders]

Things like this always make me wonder.

On the one hand, it's a credit to Iowa to be in this company when it doesn't get the same level of recruits.

On the other, these programs (sans Michigan) have better on-field results.

Is it just that our NFL players are concentrated in certain positions? Is it the offensive scheme?

It's depth. Iowa almost always has a position or two that is notably worse than the rest of the team, and key injuries damage us badly. Alabama lost one of the 2 or 3 best WRs in the nation for most of the year last year and set almost every offensive record that exists.

 

[The Dad]

Things like this always make me wonder.

On the one hand, it's a credit to Iowa to be in this company when it doesn't get the same level of recruits.

On the other, these programs (sans Michigan) have better on-field results.

Is it just that our NFL players are concentrated in certain positions? Is it the offensive scheme?

Skill position weakness.

 

[SteadyEddy]

It's depth. Iowa almost always has a position or two that is notably worse than the rest of the team, and key injuries damage us badly. Alabama lost one of the 2 or 3 best WRs in the nation for most of the year last year and set almost every offensive record that exists.

The closest Iowa has probably ever been to having balanced talent throughout the team was 2009-10.

You'd think the planets would occasionally align more often.

 

[MikeyJoe]

Skill position weakness.

ESPN has 34, so not sure which player they have PFF doesn't, but if you break it down, it's:

Defense - 17. 5 linemen, 12 secondary (Phil Parker is a god)
Offense - 17. 10 linemen, 7 tight ends, 3 skill position players. And the 3 skill position players are Beathard, ISM, and Sargent, none of whom are going to be NFL starters this year. I suppose Beathard is debatable, but he's a journeyman placeholder until Lawrence is ready.

So basically, of the 33/34 players, there is not a single skill position player who is an NFL caliber starter among them. Which Iowa's relative ranks in defense & offense the past few years would bear out.

 

[Stu Beagle]

Things like this always make me wonder.

On the one hand, it's a credit to Iowa to be in this company when it doesn't get the same level of recruits.

On the other, these programs (sans Michigan) have better on-field results.

Is it just that our NFL players are concentrated in certain positions? Is it the offensive scheme?

Iowa’s numbers are always inflated by late round players. A team like Bama or Oklahoma has very few players drafted after the 3rd round

 

[thrawn]

Iowa has had a top 10 defense in FEI the last three years and four of the last eight. They were top 20 three more times. The shortfall is pretty much entirely due to the lack of offensive skill players.

 

[gohawkeyes811]

ESPN has 34, so not sure which player they have PFF doesn't, but if you break it down, it's:

Defense - 17. 5 linemen, 12 secondary (Phil Parker is a god)
Offense - 17. 10 linemen, 7 tight ends, 3 skill position players. And the 3 skill position players are Beathard, ISM, and Sargent, none of whom are going to be NFL starters this year. I suppose Beathard is debatable, but he's a journeyman placeholder until Lawrence is ready.

So basically, of the 33/34 players, there is not a single skill position player who is an NFL caliber starter among them. Which Iowa's relative ranks in defense & offense the past few years would bear out.

The fact that Iowa has so many guys on NFL rosters shouldn't lead one to think they have underperformed on the field as a team in my opinion.

Obviously what you said, Mikey, is true regarding the lack of overall skill players.

But I actually think that the only reason Iowa has been a solid team year in and year out is because of how they recruit, develop, etc. They know who they are and quite frankly it's unrealistic to think they can compete with those other teams. Not saying they shouldn't go after more skilled guys or they shouldn't put more of their skilled guys on the field earlier, but they clearly know what they are doing.

Only 11 teams have made the playoff since it began, and we all know Iowa was right there outside of one play in 2015.

That's why it was so great when Ferentz fought through all the bullshit last summer. One wrong move and this program could be in the toilet for quite some time (a la Tennessee or others).

 

[SuperHans]

I suppose NFL skill position speed is just something you can't develop

 

[Bob Sanders]

ESPN has 34, so not sure which player they have PFF doesn't, but if you break it down, it's:

Defense - 17. 5 linemen, 12 secondary (Phil Parker is a god)
Offense - 17. 10 linemen, 7 tight ends, 3 skill position players. And the 3 skill position players are Beathard, ISM, and Sargent, none of whom are going to be NFL starters this year. I suppose Beathard is debatable, but he's a journeyman placeholder until Lawrence is ready.

So basically, of the 33/34 players, there is not a single skill position player who is an NFL caliber starter among them. Which Iowa's relative ranks in defense & offense the past few years would bear out.

I think a big part of the problem with WR/RB recruiting is that it's easier for every other team to correctly grade them so there is a lot more recruiting competition. Most of the good ones come in at or near their playing weight with very little real development to be done. Contrast that with the TE position where Iowa has been pulling elite talent in large part because other schools are completely wrong about what the ideal TE recruit is.

OL/DL - In ideal scenarios, we can compete with almost any team in recruiting. Great development as well.

LB/DB - Some examples of recruiting success (Jacobs), but most of those guys were recruiting misses by other teams or guys who developed. Highly unpredictable because of the on-the-fly decision making stress that Iowa demands from both positions and Phil is better at evaluating the mental side than almost anyone. The Iowa guys who make it in the NFL rarely have elite speed/size, but they all have elite instincts and ability to read the game.

The QB thing is a separate issue. I think the staff sees a market inefficiency as most teams abandon less mobile dropback passers in favor of more mobile QBs. They think they can get higher quality passing talent by going against the trend. It's certainly a debatable strategy at this point, but their reasoning is thought out.

 

[chaneccooms]

Any anecdotes about what KF’s pregame speeches are like? I couldn’t find any videos on YouTube.

The only thing that comes to mind for me was the 2002 Michigan game when KF asked everyone on the team who had an offer from the Wolverines to raise their hand.

 

[YugoslavianMountainHound]

The only thing that comes to mind for me was the 2002 Michigan game when KF asked everyone on the team who had an offer from the Wolverines to raise their hand.

Dont think that angle will work for motivation vs. ISU. Like 50 of them did.

 

[Creed]

Any anecdotes about what KF’s pregame speeches are like? I couldn’t find any videos on YouTube.

The only thing that comes to mind for me was the 2002 Michigan game when KF asked everyone on the team who had an offer from the Wolverines to raise their hand.

I remember one speech being in the background of a YouTube video. I thought it was the 2010 orange bowl but I can’t find it. Basically it was his behind the closed door speech as the audio while it showed the video of the team kicking ass. The speech was calm demeanored, he made it all business but explained the opportunity they had in front of them and how they should be excited by it, but that they were prepared.