**Official Albany vs. Iowa Football Thread - 5:10pm - FS1**

[The Dad]

Gronowksi being too amped up could explain some air mailed passes but his footwork was shit. He also appears to have a noodle arm and bad timing. There’s no polishing this turf. He’s bad and this jibes with camp reports.

The worst part is him holding on to the ball way longer than anyone ever should. As mentioned earlier, there were open guys, he was just vapor locked. Not sure how that happens to a guy who has 500 starts under his belt, but it’s fucking disappointing.

He is an extremely large human though.

 

[The Dad]

Our OL looks pretty good
Our RBs look pretty good
Our receivers look better than our average

He can't be that bad after 2024, can he? Did we fuck him up?
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There is a non-zero chance that Phil Parker breaks these guys in practice. He and Kirk are the 2 constants.

 

[gohawkeyes811]

There is a non-zero chance that Phil Parker breaks these guys in practice. He and Kirk are the 2 constants.

Yeah, just like he broke Stanley, Beathard, etc.

Either that or the more likely scenario. Our QBs of recent just suck.

 

[The Dad]

Yeah, just like he broke Stanley, Beathard, etc.

Either that or the more likely scenario. Our QBs of recent just suck.

Gronowski has lots of game film of him not sucking. McNamara did as well.

 

[CamelTones]

He was much better after Albany scored the TD. They were just too busy dominating in the run game to pass much.

This was my takeaway as well. He didn’t really attempt any down field throws but he quit short arming everything and actually put the ball where it needed to be. His first few throws he looked nervous as fuck. That 3rd down pass to Gill in the red zone was his best throw of the day.

I know Lester went out of his way to mention Brown had a great camp which was similar to how he talked about Sullivan and Cade last year.

 

[CamelTones]

The good news is if they just cross the 50 yard line they’re in field goal range.

 

[Uff Da]

It was clear on the first drive that Iowa could run the ball at will. Attempt to get the passing game going was made, didn't work at all. No deep throws or anything to the middle of the field. Good to see Gronowski's running ability.
2.9 yards/attempt for Gronowski is less than ideal. Longest completion in the game was 13 yards.

The RB group seems to hit the hole immediately and the scheme seemed to get some good running space at times.

Once concern for the season, is there a All Big 10 player on this team? maybe one of the OL?

 

[Dr. Zaius]

This has to be Ferentz’s last year, right?

 

[OlePeep]

Our OL looks pretty good
Our RBs look pretty good
Our receivers look better than our average

He can't be that bad after 2024, can he? Did we fuck him up?
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Ok those numbers don’t scream “This guy should be playing at a much higher level!” to me at all. I’m actually stunned. What was all the hubbub about?

 

[Shawneemicks]

I’ll be surprised if this team gets to bowl eligibility

 

[kmurp]

This team seems like just a bunch of guys. No one I’m really excited to see like in most other years. I was hoping for 8-4 with a win over ISU going into the season, which I thought would be this teams’ ceiling given the schedule. It’s early but at the moment, it looks like that win total is in doubt. Really huge game this week for the program.

 

[douglasbader]

Lol, here comes the first game freak out right on schedule. Iowa football is BACK, boyz!!

 

[Dolomitey]

Are any of our starting lbs any good? I think I’m ready for the younger guys to make mistakes.

 

[douglasbader]

Are any of our starting lbs any good? I think I’m ready for the younger guys to make mistakes.

Everyone on the team sucks!! Nobody is good!! Iowa is so fucked!!

 

[Hawkstrat]

Ok those numbers don’t scream “This guy should be playing at a much higher level!” to me at all. I’m actually stunned. What was all the hubbub about?

His numbers are pretty good, but Kirk is being genuine when he talks about wins being the QB stat he cares about.

 

[Dr. Zaius]

I don’t think everybody sucks but I’m bored af watching this offense

 

[OlePeep]

OL and running game were great, what we hoped for against a shitty FCS team. 310 yds. But our “Finally we have a real QB” QB was shockingly reminiscent of the horrors we’ve endured in recent years. And I’m not convinced he’s fully healthy. Again, that could be PTSD

 

[OlePeep]

His numbers are pretty good, but Kirk is being genuine when he talks about wins being the QB stat he cares about.

That’s fair, but I just assumed w/ all the hype that he received that he was some late-blooming phenom and as a passer that’s just not the case. Those stats show he only went 200+ in 3 regular season games last year, 1 more in the playoffs.

 

[CamelTones]

My favorite part of college football is the overreaction to the first 3 weeks of the season.

 

[AZmessDAWG]

A factor in Gronowski's struggles is likely Lester and Kirk wanting to establish the ground game and not show too much on film for ISU.

I was disappointed in the obvious misses that an average QB makes. Not panicking but I was at least expecting a guy to be able to make those throws.

Chalk it up to game 1.

 

[CleteyColgate]

I’ll be surprised if this team gets to bowl eligibility

Being surprised is kinda your thing

 

[Fletch]

I was disappointed in the obvious misses that an average QB makes. Not panicking but I was at least expecting a guy to be able to make those throws.

Chalk it up to game 1.

Don’t tell me what to do.

 

[gohawkeyes811]

I love everything about Iowa football Saturdays. My kids love Iowa football and everything about it even coming up in the Petras/Cade era. Makes it fun to watch no matter what.

We bitch about them but it could be so, so much fucking worse and we all know it.

 

[cloudhawk]

I was disappointed in the obvious misses that an average QB makes. Not panicking but I was at least expecting a guy to be able to make those throws.

Chalk it up to game 1.

*First couple of drives in game 1

 

[cloudhawk]

That miss on the TD was JC level shockingly bad however.

 

[TurdBurgler]

I was surprised by the number of called QB runs. Gron moves pretty good at least.

 

[gohawkeyes811]

That miss on the TD was JC level shockingly bad however.

I had to watch it several times because my brain couldn't fathom how it wasn't tipped.

 

[Hawk&Balls]

Was it phillips open in the end zone?

Hope they find ways to get him the ball

 

[cloudhawk]

Lester knows its the only possible way for him to get a look at another QB in game action

 

[Hawk&Balls]

Do other teams routinely go four wide and send their TE out to the sideline, or is that a KF special?

 

[cloudhawk]

Someone has to block for him in case the pass is completed

 

[Greg Obrecht]

8 different receivers caught a pass yesterday. I guess that’s something.

 

[Monster]

I was disappointed in the obvious misses that an average QB makes. Not panicking but I was at least expecting a guy to be able to make those throws.

Chalk it up to game 1.

Of course.

What several dipshits in this thread obviously missed in my post is the term "a factor", as in one of several. The most obvious factor was Gronowski played terribly, he was clearly nervous, missed easy throws, had poor footwork, etc. But this was a very scaled back gameplan. Now whether that was due to Gronowski being new to the offense, or the coaching staff knowing they didn't really need to lift up their skirts against a team they were favored to beat by 40, who really knows.

I think Gronowski will be fine. But it's nice to have Brown too.

 

[Monster]

Lol, here comes the first game freak out right on schedule. Iowa football is BACK, boyz!!

It's almost like no one remembers seasons like the one where Iowa needed to block two kicks to beat UNI in the season opener, everyone came here to cry about how shitty the team was and how the season was basically over, then Iowa went on to finish #7 in the country.

And Iowa won yesterday.

 

[Kerky]

Everyone on the team sucks!! Nobody is good!! Iowa is so fucked!!

No, just the person holding one of if not the most key positions on the team.

 

[Thrawn II]

It's almost like no one remembers seasons like the one where Iowa needed to block two kicks to beat UNI in the season opener, everyone came here to cry about how shitty the team was and how the season was basically over, then Iowa went on to finish #7 in the country.

And Iowa won yesterday.

I feel like that game gets mentioned a lot. Like even in this thread. It's the go-to "the first game isn't always predictive!" topic.

 

[Monster]

I feel like that game gets mentioned a lot. Like even in this thread. It's the go-to "the first game isn't always predictive!" topic.

Because it fucking should be, don't you think?

Kinda sad that it needs to be brought up at all to combat the sky is falling bullshit after Iowa won by 4 touchdowns. But they didn't look perfect doing so.

 

[Thrawn II]

Because it fucking should be, don't you think?

Kinda sad that it needs to be brought up at all to combat the sky is falling bullshit after Iowa won by 4 touchdowns. But they didn't look perfect doing so.

language

 

[gohawkeyes811]

It's almost like no one remembers seasons like the one where Iowa needed to block two kicks to beat UNI in the season opener, everyone came here to cry about how shitty the team was and how the season was basically over, then Iowa went on to finish #7 in the country.

And Iowa won yesterday.

Expectations.

 

[Monster]

Expectations.

Exactly. The people bitching in this thread about the game yesterday came into it with some lofty expectations. It ruins everything.

 

[Thrawn II]

in two starts at Kinnick Stadium, Gronowski is averaging less than 3 YPA.

 

[hawkeyealum]

I don’t think expecting our QB to throw for more than 44 yards against an FCS school is unreasonable

 

[cloudhawk]

 

[AZmessDAWG]

When Iowa had the ineligible receiver penalty, guy behind me started bitching about paying our coach 3M and can’t even teach our players basic shit.

 

[B19Rob]

That’s fair, but I just assumed w/ all the hype that he received that he was some late-blooming phenom and as a passer that’s just not the case. Those stats show he only went 200+ in 3 regular season games last year, 1 more in the playoffs.

Iowa has only had two 200+ yard passing games in the last two years

 

[Stu Beagle]

Albany looked better than I expected

 

[CamelTones]

I guess the reason I’m not freaking out is it appeared someone got wide open on every play, Gronowski just looked nervous as shit, hesitated and didn’t throw with any confidence until after it was 10-7. If that continues to be the case they have someone that started games at Auburn backing him up. Gill put that defensive back in a blender in that 3rd down in the red zone. Perfect route, perfect throw. That throw plus the 4th down TD pass to Wetjen are what makes me think his early struggles were just nerves. He started 2-8, finished 6 for his last 7.

It was Albany but both left tackles looked pretty damn good.

I’m most concerned about Harrell at MLB. He just doesn’t appear to have great instincts. Sharar looked good. Defensive line looked better as the game went on. Albanys qb missed some throws that probably made the DBs look better than they maybe were but a lot of that was due to pressure and that all goes hand in hand.

Special teams were really good.

 

[snips]

 

[douglasbader]

I'm banking on he was just nervous for whatever reason. His entire history shows he's a pretty damn good QB.

 

[Greg Obrecht]

Because it fucking should be, don't you think?

Kinda sad that it needs to be brought up at all to combat the sky is falling bullshit after Iowa won by 4 touchdowns. But they didn't look perfect doing so.

Maybe the narrative would have been slightly different if he would have completed the pass, the wide open easiest of throws, for a TD. But he didn’t. He looked like an 80’s option QB throwing the ball. And frankly, Iowa fans have a right to be a little critical after what we’ve seen over the past 5 years. It’s inexcusable.