IowaLaw's Objective Post Game Analysis: Wisconsin

[IowaLaw]

The Hawks dominated Wisconsin in ways virtually never seen before at Camp Randal. 37-0 was the final score but the game was essentially over after the 1st Quarter. Were the Hawks that good or is Wisconsin that bad?

1. Sputtering Passing Game Underwhelms. It's unfortunate. Go back and watch tape of Gronowski when he was tearing up the FCS and winning games with his arm. Two years ago, he was throwing for 323 one game then 291 yards against UNI. The guy was confident, took chances, and had the arm strength and moxy to throw it down the field at will. I don't know if Budmyer has been messing with his mechanics or what, but the timid passing is erasing his dreams of playing in the NFL He completed 17 passes for just 107 yards. Even the FS1 announcers were flabbergasted by the yards per completion. 3 were screen passes behind the line of scrimmage to Moulton for 30 yards. 3 were line of scrimmage passes to Wetjen for just 4 yards. Has a Big 10 WR in history ever had 3 catches for 4 yards? Then the tight ends stepped up with 5 catches for 17 yards. It's one thing to be a Rudock / Petras type of game manager. It's quite another to rank 130th out of 136 quarterbacks in pass yards per game.

2. Cam Buffington Is the Next Jack Campbell. I'm pretty sure freshmen Buffington is redshirting this year, as the LB corp is not great this year yet this was just his 2nd game action of the year. Yet when given the chance, he went out there for a series or two at the end of the game and somehow managed to rack up 4 solo tackles? At that pace, he would have had 30 tackles for the game. I'd love to see him get more minutes as the season goes on. The guy is going pro after his junior year whether he redshirts or not so there is no sense keeping that kind of talent on the bench. Meanwhile, 5'7 legacy Jayden Montgomery, who had no offers coming out of high school, played the entire game, made no notable plays, and had just 1 solo tackle.

3. Running Game Dominates But Where's Williams? The running game was fantastic against a manhandled Wisconsin defensive line. But this marks the 6th consecutive game the staff played favorites over talent. Moulton was solid, don't get me wrong, and played his best game of the year with 15 rushes for 95 yards. But the team's best back, Williams, rode the pine while Moulton saw the lion's share of carries then McNeil was brought in to give him a breather (9 carries for 44 yards / 4.4 ypc). When Williams finally got a shot, he once again proved to be the team's best back. 7 carries for 55 yards and 2 touchdowns. That's a whopping 8 yards per carry. On the season, the guy is averaging 7.3 yards per carry, which would be more than Johnson last year as a 1st team all-American. What's Williams gotta do to get the carries he deserves?

4. Hawks Get All the Breaks When It Doesn't Matter. It's ironic that in a game Iowa would have won blindfolded, Drew Stevens decides to go 3/3 with a 49 yarder, the Dlinemen get two interceptions when Iowa's defense couldn't pay for a turnover in prior games, and our opponent's receivers let nice passes bounce right off their hands? If the Hawks had a fraction of the breaks they got vs. Wisconsin when they played Indiana, they would be a top 20 team.

5. TJ Halll is Finally CB 1. It's great to see TJ Hall, who has struggled in the past, finally starting to allow coaching to mold him into a solid Big 10 CB. I don't know if he has a redshirt year left for next year, but I sure hope so. Hall was 2nd on the team in tackles, which never happens with a CB, while Deshaun Lee got picked on as much as the feeble Wisconsin passing attack can pick on anyone (he was the beneficiary of some drops).

 

[JerseyCityHawk]

The Hawks dominated Wisconsin in ways virtually never seen before at Camp Randal. 37-0 was the final score but the game was essentially over after the 1st Quarter. Were the Hawks that good or is Wisconsin that bad?

1. Sputtering Passing Game Underwhelms. It's unfortunate. Go back and watch tape of Gronowski when he was tearing up the FCS and winning games with his arm. Two years ago, he was throwing for 323 one game then 291 yards against UNI. The guy was confident, took chances, and had the arm strength and moxy to throw it down the field at will. I don't know if Budmyer has been messing with his mechanics or what, but the timid passing is erasing his dreams of playing in the NFL He completed 17 passes for just 107 yards. Even the FS1 announcers were flabbergasted by the yards per completion. 3 were screen passes behind the line of scrimmage to Moulton for 30 yards. 3 were line of scrimmage passes to Wetjen for just 4 yards. Has a Big 10 WR in history ever had 3 catches for 4 yards? Then the tight ends stepped up with 5 catches for 17 yards. It's one thing to be a Rudock / Petras type of game manager. It's quite another to rank 130th out of 136 quarterbacks in pass yards per game.

2. Cam Buffington Is the Next Jack Campbell. I'm pretty sure true freshmen Buffington is redshirting this year, as this was just his 2nd game action of the year...but he went out there for a series or two at the end of the game and somehow managed to rack up 4 solo tackles? At that pace, he would have had 30 tackles for the game. I'd love to see him get more minutes as the season goes on because that guy is going pro after his junior year whether he redshirts or not. Meanwhile, 5'7 legacy Jayden Montgomery played the entire game, made no notable plays, and had just 1 solo tackle.

3. Running Game Dominates But Where's Williams? The running game was fantastic against a manhandled Wisconsin defensive line. But this marks the 6th consecutive game the staff played favorites over talent. Moulton was solid, don't get me wrong, and played his best game of the year with 15 rushes for 95 yards. But the team's best back, Williams, rode the pine while Moulton saw the lion's share of carries then McNeil was brought in to give him a breather (9 carries for 44 yards / 4.4 ypc). When Williams finally got a shot, he once again proved to be the team's best back. 7 carries for 55 yards and 2 touchdowns. That's a whopping 8 yards per carry. On the season, the guy is averaging 7.3 yards per carry, which would be more than Johnson last year as a 1st team all-American. What's Williams gotta do to get the carries he deserves?

4. Hawks Get All the Breaks When It Doesn't Matter. It's ironic that in a game Iowa would have won blindfolded, Drew Stevens decides to go 3/3 with a 49 yarder, the Dlinemen get two interceptions when Iowa's defense couldn't pay for a turnover in prior games, and our opponent's receivers let nice passes bounce right off their hands? If the Hawks had a fraction of the breaks they got vs. Wisconsin when they played Indiana, they would be a top 20 team.

5. TJ Halll is Finally CB 1. It's great to see TJ Hall, who has struggled in the past, finally starting to allow coaching to mold him into a solid Big 10 CB. I don't know if he has a redshirt year left for next year, but I sure hope so. Hall was 2nd on the team in tackles, which never happens with a CB, while Deshaun Lee got picked on as much as the feeble Wisconsin passing attack can pick on anyone (he was the beneficiary of some drops).

I love your breakdown of the game as it was well thought out and you touched on a lot of good things… good stuff and keep it coming as I like your content for sure

 

[Ironman39]

I love your breakdown of the game as it was well thought out and you touched on a lot of good things… good stuff and keep it coming as I like your content for sure

Please don't encourage the wild animals to keep coming back to our house...........

 

[2D]

Whew, good thing this breakdown is subjective. Imagine saying Williams over Moulton lmao

 

[eyesofhawk]

The Hawks dominated Wisconsin in ways virtually never seen before at Camp Randal. 37-0 was the final score but the game was essentially over after the 1st Quarter. Were the Hawks that good or is Wisconsin that bad?

1. Sputtering Passing Game Underwhelms. It's unfortunate. Go back and watch tape of Gronowski when he was tearing up the FCS and winning games with his arm. Two years ago, he was throwing for 323 one game then 291 yards against UNI. The guy was confident, took chances, and had the arm strength and moxy to throw it down the field at will. I don't know if Budmyer has been messing with his mechanics or what, but the timid passing is erasing his dreams of playing in the NFL He completed 17 passes for just 107 yards. Even the FS1 announcers were flabbergasted by the yards per completion. 3 were screen passes behind the line of scrimmage to Moulton for 30 yards. 3 were line of scrimmage passes to Wetjen for just 4 yards. Has a Big 10 WR in history ever had 3 catches for 4 yards? Then the tight ends stepped up with 5 catches for 17 yards. It's one thing to be a Rudock / Petras type of game manager. It's quite another to rank 130th out of 136 quarterbacks in pass yards per game.

2. Cam Buffington Is the Next Jack Campbell. I'm pretty sure true freshmen Buffington is redshirting this year, as this was just his 2nd game action of the year...but he went out there for a series or two at the end of the game and somehow managed to rack up 4 solo tackles? At that pace, he would have had 30 tackles for the game. I'd love to see him get more minutes as the season goes on because that guy is going pro after his junior year whether he redshirts or not. Meanwhile, 5'7 legacy Jayden Montgomery played the entire game, made no notable plays, and had just 1 solo tackle.

3. Running Game Dominates But Where's Williams? The running game was fantastic against a manhandled Wisconsin defensive line. But this marks the 6th consecutive game the staff played favorites over talent. Moulton was solid, don't get me wrong, and played his best game of the year with 15 rushes for 95 yards. But the team's best back, Williams, rode the pine while Moulton saw the lion's share of carries then McNeil was brought in to give him a breather (9 carries for 44 yards / 4.4 ypc). When Williams finally got a shot, he once again proved to be the team's best back. 7 carries for 55 yards and 2 touchdowns. That's a whopping 8 yards per carry. On the season, the guy is averaging 7.3 yards per carry, which would be more than Johnson last year as a 1st team all-American. What's Williams gotta do to get the carries he deserves?

4. Hawks Get All the Breaks When It Doesn't Matter. It's ironic that in a game Iowa would have won blindfolded, Drew Stevens decides to go 3/3 with a 49 yarder, the Dlinemen get two interceptions when Iowa's defense couldn't pay for a turnover in prior games, and our opponent's receivers let nice passes bounce right off their hands? If the Hawks had a fraction of the breaks they got vs. Wisconsin when they played Indiana, they would be a top 20 team.

5. TJ Halll is Finally CB 1. It's great to see TJ Hall, who has struggled in the past, finally starting to allow coaching to mold him into a solid Big 10 CB. I don't know if he has a redshirt year left for next year, but I sure hope so. Hall was 2nd on the team in tackles, which never happens with a CB, while Deshaun Lee got picked on as much as the feeble Wisconsin passing attack can pick on anyone (he was the beneficiary of some drops).

Buff is a redshirt Fr

 

[eyesofhawk]

Whew, good thing this breakdown is subjective. Imagine saying Williams over Moulton lmao

Yup. Love me some Williams. But Moulton is clearly Iowa's best back

 

[Gus is dead]

Thanks for taking the time to compose this and post it.

I find I disagree with much of your analysis however.

Who needs to pass for 300 yds when we were running as effectively as we were?

We have a stable of 3-4 RBs and they all deserve their shot. I personally don't care if we rush for 300 yds a game using 4 rushers none of whom go for more than 100 yds. I think they all offer something a bit different tbh. The fact we have fresh legs coming at teams is likely part of the reason for success.

 

[AxisBoldAsKIrk]

Too much Moulton and Jaz, not enough Williams. Too much Williams and Moulton, not enough Jaz. Too much Jaz and Williams, not enough Moulton. Gets old. The RB rotation was perfectly fine this game.

I know Jaz is hurt, but you know what I mean.

 

[83Hawk]

I don’t care who starts at RB or what the rotation is. As long as the group as a whole continues to put up these numbers…great! I trust Kirk on this.

The passing game is still a concern. I doubt it will get any better at this stage but I hope it does. I GUARANTEE it will be needed in a game or two down the stretch.

 

[Bulldogs1974]

budmeyer is the receivers coach, he would not working with gronkowski's mechanics. Lester would.

Like all other qb's at iowa that run: They want to do what Kirk is asking of them and Kirk doesn't like qbs that run. When your playing qb and thinking about what I "shouldn't" be doing, you will second guess yourself and create indecision. That indecision slows them down and opens themselves up to being hurt more often. Gronkowski and lester heard from kirk that mark ran too much against rutgers, which led to indecision in the next game.
That's just my opinion.

 

[PinkShizzle]

Buffington redshirted last year which, I imagine, OP knows.

 

[Hendy Hawk]

Hawks Get All the Breaks When It Doesn't Matter. It's ironic that in a game Iowa would have won blindfolded, Drew Stevens decides to go 3/3 with a 49 yarder, the Dlinemen get two interceptions when Iowa's defense couldn't pay for a turnover in prior games, and our opponent's receivers let nice passes bounce right off their hands? If the Hawks had a fraction of the breaks they got vs. Wisconsin when they played Indiana, they would be a top 20 team.


A lot of people "except some experts here and my friend from Wisconsin" didn't expect Wisconsin to be really as bad as they are.
The breaks came because they are a bad team right now. Indiana on the other hand has proven how good they are; hence, the turnovers are harder to come by.

3. Running Game Dominates But Where's Williams? The running game was fantastic against a manhandled Wisconsin defensive line. But this marks the 6th consecutive game the staff played favorites over talent. Moulton was solid, don't get me wrong, and played his best game of the year with 15 rushes for 95 yards. But the team's best back, Williams, rode the pine while Moulton saw the lion's share of carries then McNeil was brought in to give him a breather (9 carries for 44 yards / 4.4 ypc). When Williams finally got a shot, he once again proved to be the team's best back. 7 carries for 55 yards and 2 touchdowns. That's a whopping 8 yards per carry. On the season, the guy is averaging 7.3 yards per carry, which would be more than Johnson last year as a 1st team all-American. What's Williams gotta do to get the carries he deserves?

Does not bother me using all the backs rather than 1 to keep them all fresh and free of injury due to fatigue of overuse.
Heck, people were chirping why our Gronowski was playing so long and # 2-3 QB's were not getting reps in a blowout.

 

[Jonesy5960]

Thanks for taking the time to compose this and post it.

I find I disagree with much of your analysis however.

Who needs to pass for 300 yds when we were running as effectively as we were?

We have a stable of 3-4 RBs and they all deserve their shot. I personally don't care if we rush for 300 yds a game using 4 rushers none of whom go for more than 100 yds. I think they all offer something a bit different tbh. The fact we have fresh legs coming at teams is likely part of the reason for success.

You're right in that they didn't/don't need to pass for 300 yards, but he did throw it 24 times. At the very least you want/need to be efficient in the passing game. 107 yards on 24 attempts with an interception works out to 4.4 yards per attempt and a passer rating of 100. It can't really get much worse than that. By comparison, the lowest yards per attempt teams in all of P4 this year are at 5.3 (Ok St) and then 5.7 (UNC). That might have worked out Saturday in a game against probably the worst team in the conference, but it simply isn't going to get it done against better teams as Iowa has proven time and time again.

 

[the24fan]

I think it's pretty obvious MG is not 100%
Some of his struggles may be from that lower body injury.
It will affect your throwing
I think we something different if he was completely healthy.
OL is moving people so keep riding the stable of RB's. That's a huge weapon.

 

[Ironman39]

Buffington redshirted last year which, I imagine, OP knows.

He knows a lot of these things but purposely omits things or twists things intended to create arguments and dissension and plant seeds of doubt in the reader's mind. It's a trait of the hot take poster.

That's why some of us call him out each time he posts.

And what's funny is he does this so much that then when he starts talking about something he truly knows nothing about, it sticks out like a missing limb........

Such as his hot take about Sam LaPorta being a bust in the NFL.

@IowaLaw

 

[MotownHAWK]

Not taking time to read that steaming pile of dog crap you posted, but congrats.

 

[WeBeHerkin]

budmeyer is the receivers coach, he would not working with gronkowski's mechanics. Lester would.

Like all other qb's at iowa that run: They want to do what Kirk is asking of them and Kirk doesn't like qbs that run. When your playing qb and thinking about what I "shouldn't" be doing, you will second guess yourself and create indecision. That indecision slows them down and opens themselves up to being hurt more often. Gronkowski and lester heard from kirk that mark ran too much against rutgers, which led to indecision in the next game.
That's just my opinion.

The pass that was batted at the line was a TD to Reece if not for the tip. Reece was open on the slant for an easy TD. Ended up with a FG instead.

 

[IowaLaw]

Thanks for taking the time to compose this and post it.

I find I disagree with much of your analysis however.

Who needs to pass for 300 yds when we were running as effectively as we were?

We have a stable of 3-4 RBs and they all deserve their shot. I personally don't care if we rush for 300 yds a game using 4 rushers none of whom go for more than 100 yds. I think they all offer something a bit different tbh. The fact we have fresh legs coming at teams is likely part of the reason for success.

It is a huge mistake to acknowledge that the 3rd string back is statistically better and has more big play ability than the guys who play in front of him, yet in the same breath claim it doesn't matter because the team won or we have 4 good rushers.

Sophisticated fans (i.e. not mindless sheep who think the coaches can do no wrong) realize errors in the skill position depth chart are just the tip of the iceberg. If there are personnel mistakes in highly visible positions like running back, where a guy averaging more yards per carry than Kaleb Johnson is at the bottom of the depth chart...what does that say about less visible positions where the same thing is likely happening? A thinking man would be concerned that the guys who give the team the best chance at success aren't always playing while a blind man just claps and says "we won."

The objective should be to have the best players on the field. It is a statistical fact that this is not happening at RB when guys like McNeil (4.8 ypc) and Washington (3 ypc) play ahead of guys like Williams (7.3 ypc) and Jaz (6 ypc) when healthy.

LB is a weakness of this year's team. That too is a statistical fact. Yet the 3rd string LB, who finally got his first minutes against Wisconsin, was dominant. Where did that come from? Why is he playing behind a 2 star legacy recruit who is clearly outsized and outmatched out there?

Point being, are there other positions where the best players aren't seeing the field? Most likely. We all remember Charlie Jones was the team's 5th string WR a year before becoming a 1st team all American at Purdue. We know Cade was a garbage QB each time he stepped on the field, but he would have played every down of every game had he not got hurt. What has Seth Anderson done as 3 year starter to be playing ahead of anyone else on the roster? Is Nwankpa really the best we have every year at safety? Valid questions that should be asked.

 

[Myteamcanbeatupyourteam]

 

[AxisBoldAsKIrk]

Does anyone else think IowaLaws posts almost sounds bot generated?
A bot who often I agree with, but still a bot?

 

[IowaLaw]

Who needs to pass for 300 yds when we were running as effectively as we were?

To answer your question...any team that wants to actually beat a Top 25 foe. The Hawks and their unbalanced offense led by inept QB play and play calling have not accomplished a victory over a team with a pulse in many years (despite "running efficiently" almost every single game).

You need balance to beat any decent team. Throwing for 107 yards per game isn't going to cut it. But keep patting yourself on the back for the big win against Wisconsin, who is going to finish the season 2-10, with major beat downs each and every week.

 

[BioHawk2]

I'm no expert but I feel like the receivers (and maybe the route trees?) could be a big part of the problem Gronowski is having. Receivers just aren't getting open on time in the secondary which forces a lot of dump passes to the short guy.

As for Williams not starting, my only guess at that is they don't like the way he blocks as much as Moulton does. I have no idea if there is anything to that or not but I know they've kept players off the field for that in the past. There also could be underlying injuries limiting his touches as well.

I don't know, just spit balling here but they have to see the same things we do when he actually has the ball, right?

 

[MotownHAWK]

Steaming pile of slaw

 

[WeBeHerkin]

Love me some good summertime cole slaw.

 

[WeBeHerkin]

Does anyone else think IowaLaws posts almost sounds bot generated?
A bot who often I agree with, but still a bot?

SlawGPT?

 

[Anon1760245970]

I'm no expert but I feel like the receivers (and maybe the route trees?) could be a big part of the problem Gronowski is having. Receivers just aren't getting open on time in the secondary which forces a lot of dump passes to the short guy.

As for Williams not starting, my only guess at that is they don't like the way he blocks as much as Moulton does. I have no idea if there is anything to that or not but I know they've kept players off the field for that in the past. There also could be underlying injuries limiting his touches as well.

I don't know, just spit balling here but they have to see the same things we do when he actually has the ball, right?

Totally agree. I don't think Iowa has 1 receiver that could start at another B1G school. They are mostly undersized, and create zero separation. To say it's a weakness grossly understates the issue.

Unrelated, I tried watching Montgomery at linebacker. I often saw him getting swallowed up on blocks or watching someone else make the play. I'm sure he was doing his best in his first meaningful playing time, but I really hope someone else can take that spot.

 

[Myteamcanbeatupyourteam]

Whew, good thing this breakdown is subjective. Imagine saying Williams over Moulton lmao

Whew, good thing this breakdown is subjective. Imagine saying Williams over Moulton lmao

It required thinking about it, typing it out and actually hitting the post button.

 

[Jonesy5960]

I'm no expert but I feel like the receivers (and maybe the route trees?) could be a big part of the problem Gronowski is having. Receivers just aren't getting open on time in the secondary which forces a lot of dump passes to the short guy.

As for Williams not starting, my only guess at that is they don't like the way he blocks as much as Moulton does. I have no idea if there is anything to that or not but I know they've kept players off the field for that in the past. There also could be underlying injuries limiting his touches as well.

I don't know, just spit balling here but they have to see the same things we do when he actually has the ball, right?

It's not a strong group, but I disagree on the majority of Gronowski's problems being the receivers. There are wide open receivers downfield that he's just missing. Saturday he missed 2 wide open guys early and then he made a bad decision and compounded it by throwing the ball way short into double coverage for the intererception. At that point you could tell the staff lost confidence and never let him throw downfield again. That's not a receivers problem. I also believe that unless a receiver is yards open downfield, he's not throwing it all.

 

[WDSMHawk]

It is a huge mistake to acknowledge that the 3rd string back is statistically better and has more big play ability than the guys who play in front of him, yet in the same breath claim it doesn't matter because the team won or we have 4 good rushers. Sophisticated fans realize errors in the skill position depth chart are just the tip of the iceberg. If there are personnel mistakes in highly visible positions like running back, where a guy averaging more yards per carry than Kaleb Johnson is at the bottom of the depth chart...what does that say about less visible positions where the same thing is likely happening? A thinking man would be concerned that the guys who give the team the best chance at success aren't always playing while a blind man just claps and says "we won."

The objective should be to have the best players on the field. It is a statistical fact that this is not happening at RB when guys like McNeil (4.8 ypc) and Washington (3 ypc) play ahead of guys like Williams (7.3 ypc) and Jaz (6 ypc) when healthy.

So many misleading things in this post. But let's just focus on acouple of points you tried to make about the running backs.

1. Since you want to talk about stats, half of Williams rushing yards came against FCS Albany. So let's slow down on comparing his ypc to what Kaleb did last year.

2. McNeil and Washington have fewer carries on the season than Williams despite both playing in more games. It’s pretty clear that when Williams is healthy he's going to get the second most touches at rb.

 

[HMB Trumpet]

Buffington redshirted last year which, I imagine, OP knows.

He should know, but perhaps he doesn't care. Plenty of BS thrown around.

 

[HMB Trumpet]

The Hawks dominated Wisconsin in ways virtually never seen before at Camp Randal. 37-0 was the final score but the game was essentially over after the 1st Quarter. Were the Hawks that good or is Wisconsin that bad?

1. Sputtering Passing Game Underwhelms. It's unfortunate. Go back and watch tape of Gronowski when he was tearing up the FCS and winning games with his arm. Two years ago, he was throwing for 323 one game then 291 yards against UNI. The guy was confident, took chances, and had the arm strength and moxy to throw it down the field at will. I don't know if Budmyer has been messing with his mechanics or what, but the timid passing is erasing his dreams of playing in the NFL He completed 17 passes for just 107 yards. Even the FS1 announcers were flabbergasted by the yards per completion. 3 were screen passes behind the line of scrimmage to Moulton for 30 yards. 3 were line of scrimmage passes to Wetjen for just 4 yards. Has a Big 10 WR in history ever had 3 catches for 4 yards? Then the tight ends stepped up with 5 catches for 17 yards. It's one thing to be a Rudock / Petras type of game manager. It's quite another to rank 130th out of 136 quarterbacks in pass yards per game.

2. Cam Buffington Is the Next Jack Campbell. I'm pretty sure freshmen Buffington is redshirting this year, as the LB corp is not great this year yet this was just his 2nd game action of the year. Yet when given the chance, he went out there for a series or two at the end of the game and somehow managed to rack up 4 solo tackles? At that pace, he would have had 30 tackles for the game. I'd love to see him get more minutes as the season goes on. The guy is going pro after his junior year whether he redshirts or not so there is no sense keeping that kind of talent on the bench. Meanwhile, 5'7 legacy Jayden Montgomery, who had no offers coming out of high school, played the entire game, made no notable plays, and had just 1 solo tackle.

3. Running Game Dominates But Where's Williams? The running game was fantastic against a manhandled Wisconsin defensive line. But this marks the 6th consecutive game the staff played favorites over talent. Moulton was solid, don't get me wrong, and played his best game of the year with 15 rushes for 95 yards. But the team's best back, Williams, rode the pine while Moulton saw the lion's share of carries then McNeil was brought in to give him a breather (9 carries for 44 yards / 4.4 ypc). When Williams finally got a shot, he once again proved to be the team's best back. 7 carries for 55 yards and 2 touchdowns. That's a whopping 8 yards per carry. On the season, the guy is averaging 7.3 yards per carry, which would be more than Johnson last year as a 1st team all-American. What's Williams gotta do to get the carries he deserves?

4. Hawks Get All the Breaks When It Doesn't Matter. It's ironic that in a game Iowa would have won blindfolded, Drew Stevens decides to go 3/3 with a 49 yarder, the Dlinemen get two interceptions when Iowa's defense couldn't pay for a turnover in prior games, and our opponent's receivers let nice passes bounce right off their hands? If the Hawks had a fraction of the breaks they got vs. Wisconsin when they played Indiana, they would be a top 20 team.

5. TJ Halll is Finally CB 1. It's great to see TJ Hall, who has struggled in the past, finally starting to allow coaching to mold him into a solid Big 10 CB. I don't know if he has a redshirt year left for next year, but I sure hope so. Hall was 2nd on the team in tackles, which never happens with a CB, while Deshaun Lee got picked on as much as the feeble Wisconsin passing attack can pick on anyone (he was the beneficiary of some drops).

I know I'm wasting my time here with Iowa Slaw, so I'll be brief. Bud doesn't coach the QBs, Buffington is a RS-FR, so definitely can't redshirt again this year, and Williams is coming back from an injury.

I will say, however, that it's great to see Buffington getting some PT and showing some promise, and it was great to see Williams back on the field. Hopefully we will see more of Williams as works himself back into the rotation. Moulton had less than half of the carries and didn't do anything to show he deserves less. McNeal has impressed. It will be difficult for everyone to get carries when Jaz returns. It's a nice problem to have when you have several good RBs.

 

[RomanHawk]

It's not a strong group, but I disagree on the majority of Gronowski's problems being the receivers. There are wide open receivers downfield that he's just missing. Saturday he missed 2 wide open guys early and then he made a bad decision and compounded it by throwing the ball way short into double coverage for the intererception. At that point you could tell the staff lost confidence and never let him throw downfield again. That's not a receivers problem. I also believe that unless a receiver is yards open downfield, he's not throwing it all.

I agree with the bolded, but that's been KF's MO for years and years and why it's felt by many that the more years QBs have to listen to KF, the worse (less effective) they get.

Let's assume our receivers have no moves or speed and can never get any separation.

I'm seeing, in nearly every other game I watch, a receiver go downfield, with no speed or no moves, and the pass is released with the receiver's back to the ball and his eyes downfield. but he is headed to a spot that he can reach as the ball arrives at that spot. If you are the OC and you have receivers as bad as some here think, that's what you do to establish1 an effective passing attack.

That actually was a big factor in Indiana's win over Oregon.

 

[SecretHBOTer]

Buff is a redshirt Fr

Our young LB corps is something we all should be very excited about. This is the transition season, where we let experience hold the rope while the young guys polish their craft. Next season, our LB play goes back to being fantastic.

 

[Hawk4Ever!]

The Hawks dominated Wisconsin in ways virtually never seen before at Camp Randal. 37-0 was the final score but the game was essentially over after the 1st Quarter. Were the Hawks that good or is Wisconsin that bad?

1. Sputtering Passing Game Underwhelms. It's unfortunate. Go back and watch tape of Gronowski when he was tearing up the FCS and winning games with his arm. Two years ago, he was throwing for 323 one game then 291 yards against UNI. The guy was confident, took chances, and had the arm strength and moxy to throw it down the field at will. I don't know if Budmyer has been messing with his mechanics or what, but the timid passing is erasing his dreams of playing in the NFL He completed 17 passes for just 107 yards. Even the FS1 announcers were flabbergasted by the yards per completion. 3 were screen passes behind the line of scrimmage to Moulton for 30 yards. 3 were line of scrimmage passes to Wetjen for just 4 yards. Has a Big 10 WR in history ever had 3 catches for 4 yards? Then the tight ends stepped up with 5 catches for 17 yards. It's one thing to be a Rudock / Petras type of game manager. It's quite another to rank 130th out of 136 quarterbacks in pass yards per game.

2. Cam Buffington Is the Next Jack Campbell. I'm pretty sure freshmen Buffington is redshirting this year, as the LB corp is not great this year yet this was just his 2nd game action of the year. Yet when given the chance, he went out there for a series or two at the end of the game and somehow managed to rack up 4 solo tackles? At that pace, he would have had 30 tackles for the game. I'd love to see him get more minutes as the season goes on. The guy is going pro after his junior year whether he redshirts or not so there is no sense keeping that kind of talent on the bench. Meanwhile, 5'7 legacy Jayden Montgomery, who had no offers coming out of high school, played the entire game, made no notable plays, and had just 1 solo tackle.

3. Running Game Dominates But Where's Williams? The running game was fantastic against a manhandled Wisconsin defensive line. But this marks the 6th consecutive game the staff played favorites over talent. Moulton was solid, don't get me wrong, and played his best game of the year with 15 rushes for 95 yards. But the team's best back, Williams, rode the pine while Moulton saw the lion's share of carries then McNeil was brought in to give him a breather (9 carries for 44 yards / 4.4 ypc). When Williams finally got a shot, he once again proved to be the team's best back. 7 carries for 55 yards and 2 touchdowns. That's a whopping 8 yards per carry. On the season, the guy is averaging 7.3 yards per carry, which would be more than Johnson last year as a 1st team all-American. What's Williams gotta do to get the carries he deserves?

4. Hawks Get All the Breaks When It Doesn't Matter. It's ironic that in a game Iowa would have won blindfolded, Drew Stevens decides to go 3/3 with a 49 yarder, the Dlinemen get two interceptions when Iowa's defense couldn't pay for a turnover in prior games, and our opponent's receivers let nice passes bounce right off their hands? If the Hawks had a fraction of the breaks they got vs. Wisconsin when they played Indiana, they would be a top 20 team.

5. TJ Halll is Finally CB 1. It's great to see TJ Hall, who has struggled in the past, finally starting to allow coaching to mold him into a solid Big 10 CB. I don't know if he has a redshirt year left for next year, but I sure hope so. Hall was 2nd on the team in tackles, which never happens with a CB, while Deshaun Lee got picked on as much as the feeble Wisconsin passing attack can pick on anyone (he was the beneficiary of some drops).

Great work Law. Whisky is beyond terrible with that junior high 3rd team qb and fired coach. You called the results. Now the Hawks get PennSt another fired coach and stiff scrub qb. KF is gaining more good grace not beating anyone good. Law, do you think they will extend him past 2029 if he beats PennSt?

 

[MotownHAWK]

Great work Law. Whisky is beyond terrible with that junior high 3rd team qb and fired coach. You called the results. Now the Hawks get PennSt another fired coach and stiff scrub qb. KF is gaining more good grace not beating anyone good. Law, do you think they will extend him past 2029 if he beats PennSt?

Did you really just respond to yourself with another username?

 

[Jonesy5960]

Did you really just respond to yourself with another username?

No. Different guy. Used to be DrPhilSeuss on the old site. He's not an Iowa fan. He's a Clone or Debbie troll.

 

[BigOHawk1]

Xavier Williams comp = faster Adam Robinson? That kid was tough as nails and squeezed every oz. of potential out of himself. McNeil has those sweet feet you simply can't coach similar to another former Iowa RB #25 -- good to have options, we've needed all of them this year and will continue to do so. Moulton has really surged and while we haven't housed a 40-50 yard TD, he's a full 3 down back and runs so damn hard and is good in screen game so touches are limited. I just read RB coach loves Brevin Doll and the kid is doing all he can and more to get reps but they simply aren't there for a 4th RB.

 

[Ironman39]

No. Different guy. Used to be DrPhilSeuss on the old site. He's not an Iowa fan. He's a Debbie troll.

Nebraska

 

[Myteamcanbeatupyourteam]

To answer your question...any team that wants to actually beat a Top 25 foe...which the Hawks have not accomplished in many years (despite running efficiently). You need balance to beat any team with a pulse and throwing for 107 yards per game isn't going to cut it.

Totally will cut it when you are outrushing teams by 110 yards a game. Iowa is only a couple of plays, literally, from being undefeated and it didn't have much to do with a lack of the passing game. Your tired crap is the same here as it was on the other site. Your "assessment" would drip of the same negativity regardless of the record. You, Sir, are clownshoes. To must of us, you'll always be Slaw. To prove most of our points here you make the comment that Williams is better than Moulton. That ranks right up there with your comment about LaPorta not amounting to anything in the NFL. You are a clown.

 

[HMB Trumpet]

Xavier Williams comp = faster Adam Robinson? That kid was tough as nails and squeezed every oz. of potential out of himself. McNeil has those sweet feet you simply can't coach similar to another former Iowa RB #25 -- good to have options, we've needed all of them this year and will continue to do so. Moulton has really surged and while we haven't housed a 40-50 yard TD, he's a full 3 down back and runs so damn hard and is good in screen game so touches are limited. I just read RB coach loves Brevin Doll and the kid is doing all he can and more to get reps but they simply aren't there for a 4th RB.

Slaw has said more than once that our RB coach is unqualified, so can we really believe what he says about Doll?