**Official Iowa vs. Minnesota Game Thread - 2:30pm - BTN**

[FrodoTBaggin]

Our backs aren't that great. I said it earlier as well that they missed a lot of cutbacks on Saturday. I like Young the most but none of them have been anything but average. Hopefully film as the season goes on will help.

 

[AZmessDAWG]

Our backs aren't that great. I said it earlier as well that they missed a lot of cutbacks on Saturday. I like Young the most but none of them have been anything but average. Hopefully film as the season goes on will help.

Young appears to mesh the best with the OL and what they try to do. Just doesn’t have top end speed.

 

[FrodoTBaggin]

Agree but I don't even care about top end at this point. He falls forward for 4 or 5 way more consistently. The other two are great at getting stuffed or getting 1 or 2 yards. Kelly Martin and Sargent should be the third down backs or get a series here or there.

 

[Bob]

Young has also had the benefit of getting the bulk of his carries in second halves when the defense is a little worn down, which I assume is intentional.

I don't think there was a ton for them to do against Minnesota, the defense sold out against the run even as it kept burning them in the pass game and our playcalling was firmly in "call outside zone 40 times and see if they can stop it" mode, which most teams with a pulse have figured out at this point. It was not the best game by our tackles either. I think Sarget looked the best of the backs in that game but I'm still pretty high on IKM. He has a burst the other two don't and brings something to the passing game. I'm fine with a pretty healthy rotation like we've had, none of them are necessarily stars but they all bring something to the table and can combine for a solid run game overall.

 

[Gushawk]

Young also doesn’t seem to get as much outside zone in his diet, and that’s where the bulk of the stuffing seems to occur.

 

[Herky823]

Ferentz said something last week about how they like Young, but when he's in you know what it is. Basically that he's not much of an outside of pass catching threat. At least I think. I could be lying.

 

[nolookpass]

Agree but I don't even care about top end at this point. He falls forward for 4 or 5 way more consistently. The other two are great at getting stuffed or getting 1 or 2 yards. Kelly Martin and Sargent should be the third down backs or get a series here or there.

I think in person you will see how many holes Young & Sargent miss due to not having much quickness or speed. Ikm definitely has the highest ceiling of the three but he's been dinged

 

[Harlan]

Ferentz said something last week about how they like Young, but when he's in you know what it is. Basically that he's not much of an outside of pass catching threat. At least I think. I could be lying.

Lying has historically been your MO.

 

[YugoslavianMountainHound]

That play where Stanley missed Fant was great design and a sure fire touchdown if its on target. Hope to see it again

 

[cloudhawk]

I haven't been paying as much attention to this but do they do switch to more power running with young later in the game as opposed to zone running plays.

I would think Jackson and Wirfs would be more successful power run blocking, compared to zone with the understanding that zone running scheme is what they want.

 

[cloudhawk]

That play where Stanley missed Fant was great design and a sure fire touchdown if its on target. Hope to see it again

There was a time later in the game where the Gophers were totally selling out against the run where I thought they were going to run it again. Would have been there more than likely.

 

[nolookpass]

Just once when the other team is loading up the line and looking to tee off on our running backs at the end of the game when we're running out the clock I'd love to see us throw the freaking ball and stuff it

 

[Geese]

Do we see the Fant end around again this year?

 

[Bob]

Do we see the Fant end around again this year?

God that was so annoying. It must just go for like 50 yards every single time in practice because it's never worked in a game and they keep doing it

 

[Revolver]

IKM is the most talented back by a wide margin IMO. The other two aren't anything special against good competition.

I actually think Toren is the least talented of the bunch... so

 

[Thomas Wolsey]

Just once when the other team is loading up the line and looking to tee off on our running backs at the end of the game when we're running out the clock I'd love to see us throw the freaking ball and stuff it

Like at the end of the Minnesota game?

 

[AZmessDAWG]

Do we see the Fant end around again this year?

God that was so annoying. It must just go for like 50 yards every single time in practice because it's never worked in a game and they keep doing it

They’re setting it up. It’s going to be a TE pass, just watch.

 

[The Full Monte]

Agree but I don't even care about top end at this point. He falls forward for 4 or 5 way more consistently. The other two are great at getting stuffed or getting 1 or 2 yards. Kelly Martin and Sargent should be the third down backs or get a series here or there.

I think in person you will see how many holes Young & Sargent miss due to not having much quickness or speed. Ikm definitely has the highest ceiling of the three but he's been dinged

IKM has the ability to put the foot in the ground and hit the cutback....but he still misses a lot of those reads.

Hoping that’s a function of experience, and that the “vision” developed as he sees more snaps.

I don’t think Sargent has that.

 

[Bob]

Do we see the Fant end around again this year?

God that was so annoying. It must just go for like 50 yards every single time in practice because it's never worked in a game and they keep doing it

They’re setting it up. It’s going to be a TE pass, just watch.

Watching us get roasted on a similar play at the end of the Wisconsin game made everything make a lot more sense. Teams should just be attacking us with nothing but TE handoffs.

I like Sargent. I don't want him as the number one back or anything but as a guy who comes in to spell a starter I think he's fine. He runs really hard and can contribute in the passing game

 

[sergeanthulka]

I've mostly thought that IKM was the best of the 3, but something with him appeared off Saturday. He lacked burst, cutback ability, & went down on initial contact almost every time...

I suspect Toren missed a meeting or something, as he didn't play until the very first snap of the 2nd half.

 

[Saul Berkley]

God that was so annoying. It must just go for like 50 yards every single time in practice because it's never worked in a game and they keep doing it

They’re setting it up. It’s going to be a TE pass, just watch.

Watching us get roasted on a similar play at the end of the Wisconsin game made everything make a lot more sense. Teams should just be attacking us with nothing but TE handoffs.

I like Sargent. I don't want him as the number one back or anything but as a guy who comes in to spell a starter I think he's fine. He runs really hard and can contribute in the passing game

Sargent is the worst of the 3 imo. He constantly misses the cutback. Hopefully that improves.

 

[nolookpass]

I've mostly thought that IKM was the best of the 3, but something with him appeared off Saturday. He lacked burst, cutback ability, & went down on initial contact almost every time...

I suspect Toren missed a meeting or something, as he didn't play until the very first snap of the 2nd half.

didn't look too bad on that little dump-off pass where he trucked the linebacker caught the pass and turned it into a nice gain

 

[Thomas Wolsey]

I've mostly thought that IKM was the best of the 3, but something with him appeared off Saturday. He lacked burst, cutback ability, & went down on initial contact almost every time...

I suspect Toren missed a meeting or something, as he didn't play until the very first snap of the 2nd half.

Iirc IKM twisted his ankle trying to run out of a tackle in the first half.

 

[L. Wade Childress]

He’s not 100%, still best option in passing game

 

[sergeanthulka]

And I hate to be overly critical, but man it seems like Brady Ross is sub-par, if not outright, whiffing his block A LOT.

But the overriding theme is still correct...teams are really attacking & scouting our primary stretch keys really hard. In the case of Minnesota, yeah, you still beat your head against a wall at least a little bit to set up waggle, misdirection, play-action, keep the pass rush in check & to spin the clock some. It's pretty sweet though to watch our passing scheme's develop under BF, though. With the pro scheme, physical running game, extensive use of pre-snap motion (to help diagnose zone/man), etc...we are very difficult to prepare for. If Brandon Smith & ISM are going to continue to come along...look out!

 

[L. Wade Childress]

Our backs aren't that great. I said it earlier as well that they missed a lot of cutbacks on Saturday. I like Young the most but none of them have been anything but average. Hopefully film as the season goes on will help.

Yeah I am disappoint in IKM based on the reports I got from spring and summer.

 

[douglasbader]

He had a high ankle sprain the first game and hasn't been right since. He likely won't most of the season.

 

[Bob]

And I hate to be overly critical, but man it seems like Brady Ross is sub-par, if not outright, whiffing his block A LOT.

I've noticed this too, I think he's the worst blocking FB we've had in quite awhile. It's been fun to see him be so effective when he carries the ball though, I think he's the most reliable short yardage option we've had since Weisman, unless you want to count Beathard QB sneaks.

 

[Thomas Wolsey]

And I hate to be overly critical, but man it seems like Brady Ross is sub-par, if not outright, whiffing his block A LOT.

I've noticed this too, I think he's the worst blocking FB we've had in quite awhile. It's been fun to see him be so effective when he carries the ball though, I think he's the most reliable short yardage option we've had since Weisman, unless you want to count Beathard QB sneaks.

It is a big part of why we struggle on outside zone. He keeps getting beat to his spot and submarined or missing his block.

 

[SteadyEddy]

And I hate to be overly critical, but man it seems like Brady Ross is sub-par, if not outright, whiffing his block A LOT.

I've noticed this too, I think he's the worst blocking FB we've had in quite awhile. It's been fun to see him be so effective when he carries the ball though, I think he's the most reliable short yardage option we've had since Weisman, unless you want to count Beathard QB sneaks.

It is a big part of why we struggle on outside zone. He keeps getting beat to his spot and submarined or missing his block.

Run blocking a ready linebacker in space is one of the most underrated difficult tasks in all of football.

My completely unbiased opinion.

 

[SteadyEddy]

Also.

Run blocking a linebacker who doesn't see you coming in space is one of the best tasks in all of football.

 

[CamelTones]

I've noticed this too, I think he's the worst blocking FB we've had in quite awhile. It's been fun to see him be so effective when he carries the ball though, I think he's the most reliable short yardage option we've had since Weisman, unless you want to count Beathard QB sneaks.

It is a big part of why we struggle on outside zone. He keeps getting beat to his spot and submarined or missing his block.

Run blocking a ready linebacker in space is one of the most underrated difficult tasks in all of football.

My completely unbiased opinion.

Agreed. One thing I’ve noticed with him that I haven’t with previous fullbacks is it seems he looks behind him on outside zone runs to see where the RB is going rather than just blocking the first guy that’s free. It looks awkward and leads to a lot of whiffs where he’s not even getting a piece of the guy he should be blocking.

 

[SteadyEddy]

I think its often a balance issue. Lots of fullbacks run with a head of steam and get their body weight out in front of them. If you make solid contact it makes for a hell of a block, if the linebacker jukes you or uses your momentum against you it leads to some ugly wiffs.

 

[Nobody]

BTN getting weird at night and I am extremely *here* for it: