The game against Iowa state will be the one thing that keeps us out of the playoff. Not the loss to Indy, not the loss to Oregon. All winnable games, and honestly, I'll give Kirk credit for the gameplan for both of those games, his style made it close. Having said that, I think the game plan for Iowa state has to change.
When we win out, and we will...
- Thread starter ClarindaA’s
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They would’ve still needed Michigan to lose another game(Ohio State and Maryland left) and for the Big Ten to get 4 teams in. Iowa State was a bad loss for sure. Plenty of chances and a few bad bounces that could’ve gone Iowa’s way to be sitting at 9-0, 8-1, 7-2. Feels like teams have fumbled a ton vs Iowa and have ended up falling on it while Iowa fumbles a handful of times over the year and has lost possession of the ball.
I still want to win out even tho that will mean the isu loss will haunt us for years.
Hope we are haunted because I like winning each Sat and especially each black friday
USC's run threat doesn't scare me as much as Oregon's, and they aren't as good on defense. I think USC might have the better passing attack though, and it's looking like flawless weather in LA on Saturday. If we can hold them to 21 points or less, I think we'll have a shot. I think we'll be able to run the ball some, and hopefully they'll kick to Wetgen.
Too many mistakes versus Iowa State and too many in every other game we lost. Just can't do those.
Iowa should come out throwing vs. USC. Get the ball down field to Vander Zee and Howard and Wetjen. Once Iowa threw just a little bit vs. Oregon, the run suddenly opened up. And another thing Iowa should do vs. USC is run out of the spread formation they showed on the 4th down TD that should have won the game. I'm amazed that Lester didn't use the spread formation far more often. It forces the defense to spread out or give up easy passes. It makes run blocking MUCH easier. Lester is a very good OC, but he's not perfect. The two-point tries have been awful, and the failure to use the spread formation to force one-on-one matchups all over the field and to open running lanes is curious indeed.
Clearly that's what they are going to do. VanderZee has played 4 games and caught 6 passes.
Would have been undefeated and possibly playing for the national title in 2002, if not for the loss to a so-so Iowa State team. It’s a familiar story.
USC is going to be by far the most balanced offense we have seen this year. Averaging 39 pts a game, 300 yard through the air and 200 yards on the ground. 500 yards per game of total offense. Is their defense great? Certainly not, and of course they can be run on but they will not play in a phone booth with us like Oregon. They've scored 31 against Michigan, 45 against Michigan St and 38 against NW at home. I'd say we are going to need at a minimum 28 pts to win this game and really control the clock and score TD's and not field goals.
Woulda, coulda, shoulda. That’s the Iowa story year after year.
despite their irrelevance isu should hold their heads high because they are making a real impact at playoffs level
It's relatively the same game plan for all three. Keep the game close and hang on for the win due to the defense. The games that don't end up this way are the ones where the defense or the special teams blow the game open or give them a big lead.
Yeah, KF's plan and offense leaves little room for mistakes. When you limit possessions and then drive the field to lose a fumble at the oregon 14 that is very tough.
Iowa could have easily beat Oregon so those Oregon players and fans should be happy but also realise how lucky they were. Oregon had nothing to do with the bad punt snap and safety, we gave them those 2 pts and the hawks were chasing those 2 points the rest of the game
I was saying the same thing, spread oregon out and use Grono and the running back option run game and throw it enough to keep them honest
just iowa but they are influencing the cfb world at the highest level via winning their superbowl
I don't see the hawks coming out firing on all cylinders.
painful loss followed by the long trek west.
Smells like a Trojan beatdown to me
painful loss followed by the long trek west.
Smells like a Trojan beatdown to me
Iowa hasn't beaten a ranked team in 4 years, and, when's the last time Iowa played well in a game on the west coast? I'm hard pressed to think of even a single example.
I'd like to be wrong, but I have a hard time seeing Iowa going out west and beating a ranked USC team. Don't have a great vibe for this one.
I'd like to be wrong, but I have a hard time seeing Iowa going out west and beating a ranked USC team. Don't have a great vibe for this one.
We were never going to jump over Ohio State or Miami. The ISU loss ultimately didn’t matter. We would have been in the Orange Bowl either way.
It still sucks.
I think this is the correct answer. This was back when computers decided who was playing in the BCS title game.. Pretty sure Iowa was mathematically eliminated regardless without a loss from OSU or Miami to help out. #3 I believe was the ceiling otherwise.
Kirk has a history of not having his teams ready for west coast games just look at last year.
I just looked up Northwestern’s Defense Ranking.
Wasn’t aware they were rated as high as they are this year.
Yeah, this is probably going to be a tough game. Hopefully, the team can play inspired ball and we can get some turnovers/breaks to go our way.
If they can leave the Coliseum with a W, something few/if any other Iowa teams have done. That would be a nice feather in their cap and maybe take away a little of the sting from the close losses.
Wasn’t aware they were rated as high as they are this year.
Yeah, this is probably going to be a tough game. Hopefully, the team can play inspired ball and we can get some turnovers/breaks to go our way.
If they can leave the Coliseum with a W, something few/if any other Iowa teams have done. That would be a nice feather in their cap and maybe take away a little of the sting from the close losses.
USC lost it's best rbs and qb is a pick machine. That O is overrated, did you watch the Nebraska game, and they will not run it down the Hawks throats like Quacks did. They play 7 on 7 football. This one will be just like the last time Hawks played them. Illinois drubbed USC, Hawks will do the same.
Do you really think Kirk will do that? He's 70 and not about to change things up at this point.
The only time Iowa played well on the West Coast was the Holiday Bowl against USC. They appeared to be checked out on Clay Helton and the season so I don't put much stock in that.
USC is 22nd in rushing yards so they can run it. You guys were fortunate that Oregon was out several wrs and I think one got hurt during the game as well. I agree you will be able to run the ball SOME. But your starting running back long run of the year is 22 yards. Not exactly a game breaker. I wouldnt say USC defense is great or anything but they are capable of making the stops needed to win. Im not all that convinced your QB can make enough throws to matter. He hasnt thrown for 200 yards in a game all year. Its going to take more than just running the ball every play. USC will get enough run stops to force Iowa to pass when it matters.
I am not sure your coach is the right guy and he won't bolt at end of season.
Not saying it can’t happen, but what evidence do you have that Iowa will win out?
USC’s young RB, King Something, has looked pretty good in the games I have seen.
As usual, we must stop the run first and make them one dimensional. If they are successful running the ball, it will make their passing game all the more lethal.
As usual, we must stop the run first and make them one dimensional. If they are successful running the ball, it will make their passing game all the more lethal.
play literally any other team not named Iowa State, we are in the BIG TEN & will play 4-5 teams in conference every year that could steamroll that joke of a league.
Hell play miami or oklahoma instead! anyone else! it's not a good rival with their identity crisis school colors or their high school stadium with a hwy sign in the end zone F iowa state. it benefits Iowa in 0 way to continue playing them.
Hell play miami or oklahoma instead! anyone else! it's not a good rival with their identity crisis school colors or their high school stadium with a hwy sign in the end zone F iowa state. it benefits Iowa in 0 way to continue playing them.
Too many mistakes in the losses. Iowa is definitely a good team...but not a great team. Cheers. 
Perhaps not, but SC's walk-on freshman RB is very good.
They weren't checked out. They were gashing us on offense until Epenesa nearly pulled their QB's arm out of it's socket and he was out for the rest of the game.
They fired that clown of a coach soon after. That was a dead program. Not that bad now but nothing special. Certainly, not the Pete Carroll type team that kicked our asses in that Orange Bowl.
Hawks should handle them easily, even if it's out west. Team will be fired up after the tough loss to the Ducks.
One way or the other this will be an "appointment thread" to revisit 'round about 6:30 p.m. on Saturday.