**Official Iowa vs. Penn State Football Thread - 2:30pm - BTN**

thrawn

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My favourite thing about Babineaux is that he started as a FB, flipped to LB the next year, bulked up to DE next, and thenu shifted inside as a senior.
 

SteadyEddy

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I’ll say it. Pottebaum may be the best Iowa fullback of the ferentz era. Not the biggest, not the fastest or most athletic, but that dude run blocks better than any other fullback hawk I’ve seen. He hits center of gravity on the move and drives forward every time.
 
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I’ll say it. Pottebaum may be the best Iowa fullback of the ferentz era. Not the biggest, not the fastest or most athletic, but that dude run blocks better than any other fullback hawk I’ve seen. He hits center of gravity on the move and drives forward every time.
I'll throw a mention in for Adam Cox, that dude could block.
 
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I’ll say it. Pottebaum may be the best Iowa fullback of the ferentz era. Not the biggest, not the fastest or most athletic, but that dude run blocks better than any other fullback hawk I’ve seen. He hits center of gravity on the move and drives forward every time.
He's really good. I was a big fan of Kulick when he was healthy. They've had a pretty good run of ass kickers recently but you're right, he doesn't seem to miss.
 
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Jeremy Allen.

But Pottebaum is awesome. I love how they’re moving him down by the TE in some of the formations as well.
Allen is the standard but he's almost a different category. He was a specimen. 72 touches for 500+ total yards and 8 total TDs in '01. I don't know if you'd want/convince an athlete like that to be a FB in today's game.
 

HerkyHopeful

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As others mentioned, Jeremy Allen was a freak. Edgar cervantes was also so versatile at the position. 1A and 1B there. As far as strictly blocking FBs, Pottebaum is up there
 

BBK

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Rewatching the game through the first half. Some thoughts:

Spencer was better, but our receivers are fuckin awesome and bailed him out a lot. Ragaini made a couple acrobatic catches in the first half and with all the talent we have on the outside, he's the sure handed cracker we need with a shitty QB.

Our RBs are amazing. Goodson is great on first and second down, but if you need a yard or two, give that shit to Mekhi. Runs hard without thinking.

With that offensive line, in 2020 we may never lose again. We seem to never have it all perfect at Iowa on offense, but an adequate QB this year would have us regularly putting up 40-50.

Lastly, we get this fucker two more years? Sign me the fuck up. I like to think Monte sits around listening to Poison and White Snake. From Larchwood, Iowa, population 906, and that guy fucks.

 

BBK

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2nd half:

Gave them the ball at the Iowa 40 after a shitty 3 and out series to open the half, and Dane Belton blitzed alone from the outside. He was pushed out of the way but didn't give up on the play and forced the fumble and made them pay. Set up a nice TD drive to put us up 31-7.

We were ready to severely push their shit in with 4 to go in the 3rd until Spencer fumbled that snap. Gave them life and momentum that made the game more interesting than it should have been. Without that happening, we probably get a more more thorough 48-14 type assbeating.

Hankins could have stopped that deep ball TD at the end of the 3rd to Dotson with a little more hustle. Koerner closed quickly on that play. Almost like Hankins gave up on it.

Nixon scored 10 points. My man got his Clayborn on.

Crying Kirk is the best Kirk. That MF gives a shit.
 
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Brad Rogers was pretty awesome until he had to stop playing football. Was a guy they offered a scholarship to play fullback if I remember right.
I think they were just looking at him as a bigger RB when he committed in spring '08. Jewel and ARob weren't big guys and neither was the guy they were trying to get (Wegher). Then they got Coker committed as the big back, there wasn't really a good backup to Morse at FB and Rogers needed a more useful role than 5th team RB.
 

Mustangs989

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We're probably letting the fact that Petras is an issue overshadow the fact that basically every other part of the team has been awesome and playing at one of the highest levels (over past 3 games) of any of Kirk's teams. The DL improvement from the first two games has been incredible.
 

douglasbader

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Everyone has pointed out the good. That was a fun ass kicking game other than a short stretch at the end of the 3rd quarter.

I'll go with the bad in honor of my man @HiawathaHawk. Brian needs to realize what his team is and what he has and stop being cute when he doesn't have to be. He basically stalled out 2 or 3 drives because he stopped running. Until the other team stops it, keep running it right down their throat. Also, for the love of fuck, stop running stretch runs to the short side. It almost never works.

Petras had his best game by far and had a couple of nice throws, but I don't think he is a long term option. He just doesn't see the field and pre-determines throws. That throw he had in the first half that should have been intercepted was one of the worst throws I have ever seen and he still has zero touch. His receivers bailed him out multiple times with incredible catches. Finished with a much better 64% completion percentage, but under 200 yards and zero touchdowns along with a fumble and what should have been a sure interception.

He's still only at 55% completion on the season with 3 TD's and 4 INT's. That is borderline inexcusable given the WR depth, TE and running game that he was gifted. Hasn't had a completion over 28 yards since the first game.
 

Mustangs989

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I think what pisses me off about the stretch most is that they seem to run it right away in a drive and it results in a 3 yard loss. When it's the 3rd or 4th running play of the drive when you are shoving it on them it's much more effective. The ratio of shortside runs is a problem I don't think will ever be fixed.
 

Hawkstrat

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I kind of thought the end of the first half was the arrival of the QB the coaches seemed to love so much before the season.

But Doug is correct about Brian. He really did get cute too often, particularly in the second half. Iowa was gashing them running downhill.

They'd pick up 6 or so on first down, then Brian would approach second down like a free play to get Petras going. After an incompletion, they'd run to the short side and end up punting on a 4th and two.

Just accept Petras is what he at this point and lean on your run game.
 

douglasbader

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I kind of thought the end of the first half was the arrival of the QB the coaches seemed to love so much before the season.

But Doug is correct about Brian. He really did get cute too often, particularly in the second half. Iowa was gashing them running downhill.

They'd pick up 6 or so on first down, then Brian would approach second down like a free play to get Petras going. After an incompletion, they'd run to the short side and end up punting on a 4th and two.

Just accept Petras is what he at this point and lean on your run game.
Mikey pointed it out in chat "Does anyone else feel like Brian is just trying shit out?" or something like that.

The sequence at the end of the 3rd quarter was infuriating. 31-13 game. They are rolling running the ball. 2 minutes left in the 3rd quarter and 1st and 10 at the Penn State 35 yard line. Brian calls a terrible TE screen to the short side. It is blown up from the start and Petras throws it away.

1 yard run by Goodson on 2nd down. 3rd down is a simple run signaling that they will just settle for a FG. Duncan misses a 50 yarder because he isn't good from long range.

Hankins is immediately burned over the top and it goes from what should have been a 34-13 or 38-13 game to 31-21.
 

CamelTones

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I’m going to disagree here.

That was the perfect situation to try to get your QB some confidence. They were up 31-7. A bad snap, a missed field goal and a defense that rarely gives up big plays gives up a 75 yard bomb made it feel uncomfortable.

Doing nothing but handing it off there accomplishes nothing for his development. If he was at the stage Stanley was his junior and senior years, yeah just run out the clock.
 

Mo T

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Petras won't sit unless Iowa loses games. Iowa probably isn't losing games.
 

Thomas Wolsey

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That was easily Petras best game, and he made some actual good plays. At least we have hope he cam get better.
 

Mo T

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That was easily Petras best game, and he made some actual good plays. At least we have hope he cam get better.
It was, but it seemed like there were 4-5 passes where I said,"Damn, he threw that ball 100 mph" and the receivers made great catches. They drop those, and it's the same issue he's been having.
 

The Dad

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I liked the jet sweep to the short side of the field by the receiver who barely made it back to the huddle because he was limping so bad. Astounding awareness.
 
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Thomas Wolsey

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It was, but it seemed like there were 4-5 passes where I said,"Damn, he threw that ball 100 mph" and the receivers made great catches. They drop those, and it's the same issue he's been having.
Agreed.
 
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Rewatching the game through the first half. Some thoughts:

Spencer was better, but our receivers are fuckin awesome and bailed him out a lot. Ragaini made a couple acrobatic catches in the first half and with all the talent we have on the outside, he's the sure handed cracker we need with a shitty QB.

Our RBs are amazing. Goodson is great on first and second down, but if you need a yard or two, give that shit to Mekhi. Runs hard without thinking.

With that offensive line, in 2020 we may never lose again. We seem to never have it all perfect at Iowa on offense, but an adequate QB this year would have us regularly putting up 40-50.

Lastly, we get this fucker two more years? Sign me the fuck up. I like to think Monte sits around listening to Poison and White Snake. From Larchwood, Iowa, population 906, and that guy fucks.

Pop quiz. Without searching....where do kids from Larchwood go to HS?

There have been some fucking dudes from that area.
 

The Dad

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I just thought he showed better situational awareness today. That throw at the goal line to LaPorta was a legit play.
His best throw was the one LaPorta only got one hand on. He definitely has a fucking cannon.
 
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His best throw was the one LaPorta only got one hand on. He definitely has a fucking cannon.
Yesterday gives me hope our boy Petras might figure it out. I keep giving him the benefit of the doubt.

No summer.
No fall camp.
No warm up shitty teams in a packed Kinnick.
He's only a soph.

But, PSU fucking sucks.
 

Alan Lomax

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I think what pisses me off about the stretch most is that they seem to run it right away in a drive and it results in a 3 yard loss. When it's the 3rd or 4th running play of the drive when you are shoving it on them it's much more effective. The ratio of shortside runs is a problem I don't think will ever be fixed.
I just don’t understand the logic of it. They have to know that they run short side a disproportionately high number of times. Why keep doing it?
 
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I’m going to disagree here.

That was the perfect situation to try to get your QB some confidence. They were up 31-7. A bad snap, a missed field goal and a defense that rarely gives up big plays gives up a 75 yard bomb made it feel uncomfortable.

Doing nothing but handing it off there accomplishes nothing for his development. If he was at the stage Stanley was his junior and senior years, yeah just run out the clock.
Exactly. We built a comfortable lead and the defense established control. The job of a play caller isn't just to have the highest probability of getting necessary yards on the next play.
Petras needs reps and you want to see how he does with certain things and help him grow. You need to get targets to your outside guys to keep them in the mix. Tendency breakers by down and distance, personnel and formation. I was glad he was calling PA on 1st down and 2nd and shorts.
 
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I just don’t understand the logic of it. They have to know that they run short side a disproportionately high number of times. Why keep doing it?
Do they actually run it a disproportionality high number of times or do you just focus on the times it doesn't work so it feels like it? What are we talking about yesterday, like 3 plays?
 
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