Any concern for our Defense??
- Thread starter Roncuba65
- Start date
I think we're good. I don't see our defense giving up any more points this year.
I think we need to get a CB and some DL help in the portal.
Looking forward to the young LBs developing. This year's group was not a strength.
Vandy had two very fast and good receivers and for some reason our safeties were not deep enough with them on two long balls. The DLine got home for sacks in the first half but not so much in the second and I couldnt see if Vandy was keeping in an extra blocker or what.
But we do need to fill some holes on defense next year. We could always use better players at all positions. I am not dogging on our current players and the ones who played their last game for the hawks today but on defense we could use a truly lock down corner so we can roll coverage the other direction. It looks like we will need several great Lbkrs and DLinemen for sure,
No idea what you continue to ramble about. Keep trying though some may respond to you.
I feel better about our young DB's than I do about the current QB group going into next season. I would rather spend the NIL money on a QB and a solid power 4 DL. We have year 2 and 3 guys that have a lot of upside right now. It's typically year 3 when guys take a big jump at Iowa.
Some rumors floating around that Iowa might be interested in a couple of ISU Dbacks.
Iowa is fine at DE. I can promise you nobody will be added there unless someone already here leaves.
DB is a possibility. But I'm guessing Iowa is set there as well.
The need for portal talent is at DT
LB group might is the worst in at least a decade.
Well that doesn’t narrow it down!
(Oh wait, you said dbacks, read that as dbags.)
Merrieweather, Epenesa, Allen and my sleeper pick (Joseph Anderson) should be much more athletic than years past. Only way I see them going for a DE is if they kick Allen inside.
From seeing Eppy on the sideline on Wednesday, my untrained eye says he needs to add some weight because those 320# OTs are gonna manhandle him.
Llinebackers will be better. DL will be comparable to this year's by early Oct. Secondary will probably come close to being comparable by end of year, but I think overall pass.coverage will be better because of more athleticism at linebacker.
I think Ferentz went with seniority a bit this year over talent at the LB position
I think Ferentz went with seniority a bit this year over talent at the LB position
We have some good young DB's and LB's in the system. As for edge guys good luck finding guys in the portal with more upside then Merriweather, Allen and Epenesa.
Pavia was unconscious in the second half of yesterday's game and there's a reason he was a Heisman runner up on the most efficient offense in all of college football.
Vanderbilt's yardage/points last 5 games:
At Texas 423/31
Vs Kentucky 604/45
Vs Auburn 544/45
At Tennessee 582/45
Vs Iowa 398/27
Iowa has been and will be one of the top defenses in the country as long as Phil is in charge.
Vanderbilt's yardage/points last 5 games:
At Texas 423/31
Vs Kentucky 604/45
Vs Auburn 544/45
At Tennessee 582/45
Vs Iowa 398/27
Iowa has been and will be one of the top defenses in the country as long as Phil is in charge.
Starting DT and secondary depth is where I’d spend NIL on D.
WR (2) and interior OL is where I’d spend on O.
WR (2) and interior OL is where I’d spend on O.
Ask Oregon and Indiana if the Iowa defense was good or not.
Vandy scored 3 points in the first half. Pavia finally got going in the second with a couple of huge passes. For the most part, Iowa did just fine. That's why you need an offense. Sometimes the other team is pretty good at scoring points, so you need to be good at that too. And Iowa was. It's a team game . . . offense, defense, special teams. Iowa is finally on the verge of having all three phases at a high level. Iowa's D did an excellent job holding Vandy's offense down. And the offense took it from there.
Mr. Epenesa should be one answer for the edge rushers. And Buffington, among others, should be ready to blossom as an LB. Lutmer and Entringer are back in the secondary, so Phil will find the guys he needs to add in there. Iowa's defense will be fine, and the offense will continue to be a weapon. Iowa could have a great 2026.
They did pretty well for being "the worst," holding #1 Indiana and it's Heisman-winning QB to 20 points, #5 Oregon to 18, #16 USC and its vaunted receivers to 26, and Vandy and its Heisman runner-up to 27, not to mention totally dominating the likes of Minnesota and Nebraska.
An edge rusher's speed and quickness are FAR more important than his size. I expect Eppy to be great.
Then those people have no idea about how football is played. Vandy, as other posters have noted, has one of the most prolific offenses in all of college football, with a Heisman runner-up at QB and tremendously fast and talented wide receivers. It was far more the case that Vandy is talented on offense than that Iowa is weak on defense. Some people clearly need a reality check. See the post above from Jonesy 5960 for the facts.
Or maybe Vandy's offense was great. Yah, I think that was it. (Please look at the yards and points Vandy put up against the likes of, oh, Texas and most other teams this season.)
Exactly. Iowa loses this game by several touchdowns a few years ago as the offense would have struggled to do anything.
Ever consider the possibility that the opponent might be really really good? They were down 24-10 at halftime at Texas and then proceeded to score TD's on very long drives on every single possession in the second half. They scored 45 points in each of their last 3 games. They were the top rated offense in all of college football.
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I am actually and I love Phil but elite defenses show up against good offenses and when push comes to shove and WE Absolutely must get a stop against very good teams we have been leaky lately.
Lack of depth at DL and an Elite edge guy is a concern. I trust these young LBs will be what we need but if they are so good why weren’t they playing this year, especially when our other LBs were struggling….
Lack of depth at DL and an Elite edge guy is a concern. I trust these young LBs will be what we need but if they are so good why weren’t they playing this year, especially when our other LBs were struggling….
You can only cover so long. After half our pass rush was not good and we didn't blitz much either.
Look at OSU last nite. Got picked apart and had almost no rush.
When they did the took off and the back seven was too focused on the receivers.
The problem is that the DEs at Iowa aren't dedicated rush specialists like they are in the NFL. Historically, they have been responsible for two gaps in run defense. Llewellyn and Hurkett are both good-very good rush ends. Neither of them showed the ability to consistently control the edge against the run and their lack of size was a major part of that. They lacked the ability to fight through down blocks and get back outside.