Wait... You're saying that this offense is exploding for 55+ this year? Iowa had 2 opportunities to do that and couldn't get there so... that ship has sailed.
Dayton Howard
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it can happen. look at 2018. started off ooc almost identically (points wise)…produced 63 at il
2021 mediocre ooc and then bam 51 at md.
it sounds crazy and is absolutely illogical but i think we might 50 point rutgers
The recievers are BY FAR the weak link in this offense. Like 1/3 of the incompletions the last two games have been drops.
The best one we have transferred here after he fell off the depth chart at NW. Let that sink in.
Why would a good receiver want to play at a school that doesn't throw receivers the ball?
They wouldn’t want to and that’s why we don’t have any. We’re still feeling the pain from the Brian years.
lol. It won’t happen. We’re staring down an average of 20 pts through Big Ten play. Thrilling football headed our way I’m sure of it
There were 3 drops last week and none of them were well thrown balls. They may have all been technically catchable, but 2 of them were sufficiently off target so as to turn an easy open catch into a difficult one. The throw to Parker should have been an easy pitch and catch as he was standing still right at the line to gain. Instead MG throws high requiring KJ to jump up to grab it but he wasn't able to bring it down cleanly. The pass to the TE was a hot one on a crossing pattern that was low and well out in front of the receiver. The other to Anderson was thrown more accurately, but was still high and came in nose up with a wobble. These were all easy throws, that had they been better placed likely result in completions.
Gill was injured in 2023, so to say he fell off the depth chart isn't accurate. Nonetheless, Gill was a role player at NU, starting only two games, both in 2022 as a sophomore. He's been a solid player for the Hawks, at least in part because he's been more adept at learning the offense, but you want more out of the top WR than Gill can provide.
Rutgers has a bad defense. They will probably give up 50 to someone this year. I just don't see it this weekend. I'd be ecstatic with 30.
And if our receivers were better they’re likely all completions too. Gronowski hasn’t been perfect either, but he’s been good enough (minus the opener) for a competent passing game and he’s been great running the ball.
And I can point out some plays too.
Deep ball to Anderson against ISU was a well thrown ball. Anderson stutter steps to try to avoid contact from LB. LB grabs him and flag comes out. Had Anderson just played the ball (and if he actually had reliable hands) there’s a good chance the ball is caught in stride for a TD.
Gill and Phillips both had drive killers dropping perfect passes.
Gill ran a hitch route short of the sticks that stalled another drive against ISU. Part of it might not have been his fault, as I think the line to gain marker was mispotted. Gronowski caught flak for throwing this one short, but it was thrown perfectly to the right spot from his perspective.
Wetjen slipped on a comeback route. Well placed ball, but questionable throw given ISU had a guy in position to defend. Probably a broken up play, but at worst Wetjen is able to immediately tackle the guy had he not slipped. Pretty much ended up a pick 6 and was a difference maker in the ballgame.
We possessed the ball 10 times against ISU. Scored on 3. The above happened on 5 of the 7 drives where we didn’t score. With competent B10 level receivers we’re probably sitting at 3-0 right now. They are the limiting factor in this offense.
You've got to be kidding. It is a below average wide receiver group, but Gronowski was abysmal in the first game, bad in the second, and pretty good last week albeit against a very poor opponent. His vision has been bad. His ball placements have been worse.
That Wetjen ball at ISU s intercepted regardless of the slip. The long Anderson pass for the PI was an easy TD to a wide open receiver that was instead thrown late and left of the receiver into the area of the safety who was scrambling to get back. That Gill pass 1 yard short of the sticks is probably a first down if MG throws it at the numbers allowing him to catch and run instead of to the left and down low requiring Gill to drop to the ground to catch it. Watch the plays again and you will see for yourself.
It was a hitch route and in this case if he throws to the numbers it’s easily defended. It’s a route that was designed to get the ball across the line to gain, not be a “catch and run”. The receiver wasn’t in the right spot.
I’m sorry, but your gross misunderstanding of this elementary play alone is enough to disqualify your opinions on anything else football related.
Gronowski was graded a 68 in the ISU game by PFF. 60 is considered average. How about you look up how the receivers were graded?
He sucked in that game. 13-24 for 83 yards. 3.5 yards per attempt and only 6.3 yards per completion. Are you going to blame the horrible YPC average to drops as well? That's a 24 QBR with a 75 passer rating. Abysmal.
Sullivan had the same receivers, a much worse oline, a brand new OC, and had much better passing numbers in his time at Iowa. He even averaged more per rush.
Look, I get it. You're an MG fan so you're looking for reasons why he isn't what we all hoped he would be. He did look more confident and decisive in the last game. I hope he continues to improve because if he doesn't it's going to be a long year.
They were a factor for sure. Given you don’t understand the concept of a hitch route, I’m not surprised you struggle with basic math as well.
are the receivers bereft of abilities or the coaching (aka the “Gift”) horrible? it is striking that whatever is touched by the gift seemingly turns to ****
Probably both. To the eyeball, they mostly look like they should be playing the trumpet in the band rather than on the football team. Then I think our baton twirler has a larger catch radius than half of them. Recruiting has been underwhelming to say the least. I think some of them would be decent possession type receivers if we had a couple guys who were threats on the edge and could take the top off the defense. But we don’t have that.
Not everything. I know that a pass thrown at a guy's ankles is going to yield a different result than a pass delivered properly.
Basic logic, something you obviously lack suggests a pass thrown at someone's ankles isn't going to end the same way as a pass delivered to the breadbasket.
If he runs the route a step deeper it’s a 1st down, as intended. Even if it’s delivered in the breadbasket, the route is too short as run. He needs to get behind the sticks before breaking on the route. The yellow line on the TV was off from the true line to gain, as Gill makes the catch past the yellow line on the screen. If you look at the near side line to the camera, it appears the sideline marker may have been off, so I consider giving Gill a pass here.
In any case, Gronowski tattooed him on the “breadbasket” later in the game and he dropped it, killing yet another drive. That was a ball a good WR has a chance to take to the house. But I’m sure you’ll claim Gronowski broke wind in the huddle or something, which distracted Gill.
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I'm done. Crap pass no first down. Good pass is a first down. Did I mention that's a 10 yard pass that any high schooler should hit with better placement???
The other pass you just mentioned is 100% on Gill.
Dude, the WR ran a hitch route short of the sticks. Do you know what a hitch route is? Do you know what “short of the sticks” means?
Until you figure out those two questions you are beyond help.
He
He doesn't have the processing power to understand basic football past "throw at the ankles" and "first down"
I mean, it’s okay to say it’s an inaccurate pass I guess, as it was low. But that route is commonly thrown low intentionally, as it’s the safest place to put it. Whatever.
But Gill plants to break and face the QB on the hitch route a full 1.5 yards short of the sticks. You can see the yellow line being off from the actual line to gain in the still shot here. That’s either just a terrible route, or he misread the line to gain due to the marker on the near side of the field possibly being in the wrong place. Even if placed in his chest he’s tackled without making the first down.
This is only partially accurate. The OL was not “much worse.” Two of those guys are now in the NFL and the other three are still with the team. Sully had Lachey (and Ostrenga) in addition to the WRs, plus Kaleb Johnson. Sully also didn’t start until mid-season, so had more time than Grono to practice the offense.
So, I think it is more fair to say the jury is still out regarding QB evaluation.
So, much worse is probably overstated. I do recall Sullivan consistently running for his life last year, particularly in that Washington game. Other than the last series vs ISU, MG has appeared to have as much time as I have ever seen an Iowa QB get to survey the field and deliver a pass. For whatever reason it hasn't mattered as Iowa still ranks near the bottom of FBS and set a record of futility for BIG10 passing yards in the first 2 games, "besting" the previous worst by 50 yards.
I agree with you in that the jury is still out on his season as we are only 3 games in. The first 2 games were super shaky for any QB in any situation. The last game he seemed more decisive and his throws were better, albeit against the worst defense Iowa will play this year. Tonight he plays against perhaps the second worst defense that Iowa will play this year. Let's hope his progression continues.
That was the best catch an Iowa reciever has made in many many many years
at least since ragaini 2021 and this was one was tougher and just as clutch
I hope he sees the field alot more!
Receivers have to make plays. No excuse for dropping balls that are in your hands, especially wearing gloves that damn near catch the ball for you.
Agreed, we need to see more of him and Gill…as for a couple of the other WRs….not so much.
It's clearly not a great unit, but aside from one notable drop on that first series they had a very good game last night. Rutgers on the other hand has a number of truly remarkable pass catchers.
Congrats on this post. It has aged pretty well.
Howard made what may have been the best and most crucial catch by an Iowa WR in the last five or six years. Now THAT's football. It's just a damned shame KF wasted all those fantastic Iowa defenses with Greg Davis and then his own son as incompetent OCs. That is what I'll remember most about the KF era . . . what might have been with simply average offenses. But Howard is the guy. And if VanderZee can get back pretty soon, MG could have a lot of fun tossing the ball to those two. I'd be thrilled to see it.