Hank or Heck?

Who you got?


  • Total voters
    139

uihawk82

All-Conference
Nov 17, 2021
3,064
4,535
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Who is your starter versus Minnesota?
I voted Heck for a couple of reasons, I know we have a bye week but Hank's injury is his throwing shoulder. It might be well in two weeks but rusty. KF has generally had a policy of an injured starters getting their starting job back and that may be the case if Hank practices really well the next two weeks.

But Heck ran the team well, threw it pretty well but the run game would have made the QB play nice for Hank also. But Heck also seemed to use his mobility a bit better on a few sprint out passes.

But I am confident in Hank or Heck to play well as compared to a couple of recent hawk qbs. Hank can get on a roll throwing the ball also.
 

bansheexyz

Junior
Sep 24, 2017
134
328
63
Heck. You can always put Hank in if Heck struggles.
You mean like when Hank struggled vs ISU, Michigan and OSU? Heck should not be subject to different rules, it's his job now. The offense has gone from stagnant to scoring on practically every drive since his insertion in the OSU game. He is clearly better and even if he struggles I'm leaving him in to learn from it and gain experience.
 

nu2u

All-Conference
Aug 10, 2006
10,660
3,264
113
I think the worst throw last night was the low one to Diaz that Diaz snatched up. If your worst throw is still a completion you’re doing something right.
Right. Accuracy.

Hecklinski’s very first pass was a coverage throwaway. Every subsequent pass was on the money or in a spot where the receiver could make a play. This cannot be overlooked or discounted.

Bonus: Hecklinski is unquestionably more mobile/elusive. The RPO and scrambling ability is a legit threat with JH and a much bigger factor when facing teams with a decent defense….. like every opponent the rest of the season.
 

83Hawk

All-Conference
Jan 1, 2023
1,749
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There’s the old saying that you don’t lose your starting job due to injury. I fully expect to see Hank under center against Minnesota.
 

Ozzie89

All-Conference
Dec 14, 2006
102,889
4,275
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You mean like when Hank struggled vs ISU, Michigan and OSU? Heck should not be subject to different rules, it's his job now. The offense has gone from stagnant to scoring on practically every drive since his insertion in the OSU game. He is clearly better and even if he struggles I'm leaving him in to learn from it and gain experience.

💯
 

MeetTheFerentzes

All-American
Sep 6, 2022
2,753
5,424
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Roll with the hot hand, but I don't think either wins us games the other wouldn't.

I think Heck can win us game(s) that we would lose with Hank. Strongly disagree.

I think this question is too hard to answer right now. Sure, the offense looked terrific with Heck at QB, but Hank has led the offense on two game-winning drives, which is what Heck has not faced yet. Would he do as well under that kind of do-or-die pressure? We won’t know until we know.
 
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Palmerhawk

All-Conference
Jul 3, 2025
2,272
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This does remind me of rudock vs beathard.... both solid,but after KF stuck with Jake, we struggled..til KF finally relented and named CJ the guy. Jake went to Michigan.

We need both but KF has to go with the hot hand,please.
 

DukeSlater

All-American
Jul 2, 2023
2,279
5,145
113
Who is your starter versus Minnesota?
That shouldn't even be a question. Hecklinski has been the best QB all along, but KF GAVE the job to his favorite QB type--the tall pocket passer who stands like a statue and has little athletic talent. You saw kids day. Brown looked pretty bad. Hecklinski looked great so, naturally, KF claims that Brown won the job behind closed doors. Sure, KF. Sure . . .

And this "even" competition was SO even that KF gave Brown EVERY start . . . even against UNI . . . "All quarterbacks are equal, but some quarterbacks are more equal than others." That's KF for ya, the same guy who went with McCann over future Heisman runner-up Brad Banks, the guy who went with Christensen over Stanzi and Rudock over Beathard and who had the gall to let Deacon freakin' Hill start 10 games. What else do ya need to know? Well, then how about this: KF is such a QB expert and offensive mastermind that he named his own son OC AND QB coach, and his son proceeded to oversee the worst offense in all of college football. Yet had the AD not stepped in and fired Brian Ferentz, he'd still be the OC/QB coach to this very day.

Hecklinski has EARNED the job with his performance vs. Ohio State and then, in his FIRST college start vs. Washington. The entire offense looks like a well-oiled machine with Hecklinski at QB. It looks like a rickety Model-T under Brown, despite his last-second heroics at Michigan, for which he deserves great credit.

But if you send up a pinch hitter and he hits a game-winning homer, does that mean he becomes a starter? No, it means he had a great moment, but then he returns to the bench, which is exactly where Hank Brown should be the rest of the season. Then I imagine he'll hit the portal, and that would be fine.
 

DukeSlater

All-American
Jul 2, 2023
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Roll with the hot hand, but I don't think either wins us games the other wouldn't.
Then you don't know anything about QBs either, just like KF. Here's a quickie: Let's say Hecklinski starts vs Ohio State, doesn't hold the ball all day and eventually fumbles, setting up an easy OSU touchdown. Take that ONE fumble away, and after Hecklinski's TD drive to open the 4th quarter, OSU leads 24-14 with 10 minutes to play. And that's not even accounting for what the Iowa offense might have done with Hecklinski on the field for the first three quarters.
 

DukeSlater

All-American
Jul 2, 2023
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This is the best the offense has looked all season. It's not like Hank was lighting it up even against the weaker opponents. That 91 yard TD drive against MI saved the gig imo. They don't pull that off and I think most fans were ready to move on. But he did and he's a stud for it and earned another start. Heck should be the starter moving forward.
That 91-yard drive, save for the game-winning TD pass that was awesome, was more luck than skill. Go back and review it. Brown is a vapid game manager. Hecklinski is a dynamic game changer. And Brown, BTW, committed TWO costly turnovers vs. OSU, and KF claims ball security is the most important trait any QB can have. So . . .
 

DukeSlater

All-American
Jul 2, 2023
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I don't know that I have a strong opinion on this. I think the two are fairly close to equal.

But everyone is gonna be comparing Hank against two great defenses vs Heck in garbage time and then against a poor Washington defense, which is not a fair comparison.
Thank you for your input Mrs. Brown. But you're wrong. OSU's only loss was in a game when they took a 23-3 lead into the fourth quarter. The Press-Citizen, among others, has noted correctly that Hecklinski's 75-yard TD drive in which he went 5-5 was against the Buckeye's starters. One of OSU's coaching points was to finish the game, to play 60 minutes. Heck had been sitting on the bench for three hours and, suddenly, he's in the game against one of the top four teams in the country. Yet he played like a veteran, and the Iowa offense looked dynamic for the first time all season against a team with a pulse.
 

DukeSlater

All-American
Jul 2, 2023
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But Hecklinski actually throws it where our receivers can catch it. Brown doesn't always accomplish that, and Heck gets it out faster and in a better spot. Iowa is check down city anyway, and Hecklinski is better at it.

No Hecklinski didn't face Ohio State pressure in this game, the awesome run game certainly helped with that. He also didn't miss wide open receivers when we had them. He made the pass plays when we needed them, for pretty much the entire game, and only 1 or maybe 2 drops (?). So the receiver's did a nice job as well, catching catchable balls.
Brown had receivers WIDE OPEN against OSU, and he consistently missed them--not by inches but by yards. It's a whole different game with Hecklinski, not to mention Brown fumbled and set up an OSU touchdown and also fired an INT.
 

DukeSlater

All-American
Jul 2, 2023
2,279
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Heck has some Drew Tate, Ricky Stanzi and CJ Beathard type moxie and swagger in him. Hank seems more Nate Stanley, Spencer Petras and Jake Ruddock with his leadership and “more game manager” style. Nothing wrong with any of that, and I’m ok with either leading us the rest of the way.

All that said, I’m going with Heck.
Brown wishes he was Nate Stanley. Brown is a mediocre QB. He's another Cade McNamara, who was effective at Michigan because he was at Michigan and terrible at Iowa because, well, he was at Iowa.
 

DukeSlater

All-American
Jul 2, 2023
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You rarely see a starter lose his job due to injury. However, I do think this is different because the competition has been so close for so long.

I think KF rides the hot hand moving forward.
If he does, it would be very unlike him. But he'd better, because it's been clear since kids day--to everyone but KF--that Brown is a decent backup, and Hecklinski is a dynamic playmaking QB.
 

DukeSlater

All-American
Jul 2, 2023
2,279
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I voted Heck for a couple of reasons, I know we have a bye week but Hank's injury is his throwing shoulder. It might be well in two weeks but rusty. KF has generally had a policy of an injured starters getting their starting job back and that may be the case if Hank practices really well the next two weeks.

But Heck ran the team well, threw it pretty well but the run game would have made the QB play nice for Hank also. But Heck also seemed to use his mobility a bit better on a few sprint out passes.

But I am confident in Hank or Heck to play well as compared to a couple of recent hawk qbs. Hank can get on a roll throwing the ball also.
"Threw it pretty well." Three touchdowns, no INTs, and completed his last 12 passes in a row. You, my friend, are a master of understatement.
 
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DukeSlater

All-American
Jul 2, 2023
2,279
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Yeah he got off to a slow start, one was a well thrown ball the RVZ dropped or he would still be running to Pasadena. But first start jitters a bit, not much, and then he was on target. He also had some wide open receivers that helped
"Wide open receivers that helped." Okay. Go back and look at the OSU video. Brown had receivers WIDE OPEN all day long, and he consistently missed them . . . not by inches but by yards. His passes were wobbly rather than tight spirals, so wobbly in fact that the refs actually reviewed a PI call to see if Brown's pass had been tipped at the LOS. But no, it wasn't tipped. It was just another wounded duck. Hecklinski is a gamer. Brown is a game manager. Hecklinski should be the starter the rest of the way, and Brown should hit the portal--again--at season's end.
 

DukeSlater

All-American
Jul 2, 2023
2,279
5,145
113
There’s the old saying that you don’t lose your starting job due to injury. I fully expect to see Hank under center against Minnesota.
But maybe you should lose it because the other guy proved he's better. How about that? You also might wanna look up "Wally Pipp." Tell 'em Lou Gehrig sent ya. LOL
 

Max Rebo

All-Conference
Dec 31, 2022
832
2,277
93
No worries. Our case is building and our ranks are growing. @Max Rebo has now joined our cause!

View attachment 1477163
Come Together United GIF by INTO ACTION


But seriously, I mainly think online polls are stupid, so I like to use my vote to confound the results.

Heck looked good last night. Slow start, but he got it rolling. Offense looked good, but the number reason — by far — was that our run game was clicking from the opening snap. (Before Heck ever threw a pass).

I still think there’s a lot of posters whose adoration of Heck (or criticism of Hank) does not align with the actual results. But there’s no denying the Heck had a good game.

Who starts at Minny? I think it’s a tough question. It could come down to who is healthy.
 
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BigOHawk1

All-Conference
Oct 27, 2001
571
1,074
93
There's only one answer and it's Heck..I don't care who the D is or isn't, the eye test is real and the team has more juice with him at QB. He's slippery, executed the RPO and ball fakes better and puts the ball on time and where it needs to be. We will be a few upcoming dogfights and we may need QB draw or RPO, etc and it's gotta be Heck. Jeremy also had 2 very good weeks of practice so Kirk can't rest on that hill any longer..dammit, I said "hill"...and it's not Deacon. Brown has some equity and made a few good throws but truth is we were quite lucky at Mich with tipped balls and dropped INTs...normally a player is benched for life after a critical error, especially QBs...we shall see but I sense a downer if Brown is tabbed the starter for Minny.
 

squeezebox_1

All-Conference
Mar 6, 2018
1,113
1,622
113
Hank has the better arm, better stature, is not mobile in the pocket and often is indecisive. We need a qb that can avoid contact and be decisive with decision making while running through the progression. Heck may be more turnover prone, but he is anything but indecisive. Opening up the playbook is also a game changer.
 
Sep 4, 2023
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Was this an entire new playbook due to heck playing? Everything seemed different offensively, plus guys just seemed to want it with heck under center. Hank’s been serviceable, but heck might be the difference needed.
The entire new playbook was based on being able to run on the Washington front and having time for plays with three run fakes. They couldn't get in our lap quickly like Michigan and OSU or that stuff doesn't work. Hank also probably would have had big night last night.

What last night showed me is that we have two good-not-great QBs who Lester and KF can be confident in down the second half stretch. It makes sense that they struggled to pick a starter so long. Wasn't gamesmanship. Like others have said, I would probably ride the hot hand. Both QBs seemed to have thrived on the competition for the job.

If I was Ferentz or Lester with a bye, I'd probably have them split reps with 1s this week, decide on a starter for the week of Minny and roll with him if he's playing well. Not getting to see practice, I would probably start Heck in two weeks and let him roll if he's dealing. If he struggles, let Brown come in relief. Or vice versa if Brown beats him out in practice but it's as close as it must have been all spring and in camp.

It's nice having two QBs who can move the offense.
 

tampahawkfan77

Redshirt
Jan 8, 2005
12
32
13
That shouldn't even be a question. Hecklinski has been the best QB all along, but KF GAVE the job to his favorite QB type--the tall pocket passer who stands like a statue and has little athletic talent. You saw kids day. Brown looked pretty bad. Hecklinski looked great so, naturally, KF claims that Brown won the job behind closed doors. Sure, KF. Sure . . .

And this "even" competition was SO even that KF gave Brown EVERY start . . . even against UNI . . . "All quarterbacks are equal, but some quarterbacks are more equal than others." That's KF for ya, the same guy who went with McCann over future Heisman runner-up Brad Banks, the guy who went with Christensen over Stanzi and Rudock over Beathard and who had the gall to let Deacon freakin' Hill start 10 games. What else do ya need to know? Well, then how about this: KF is such a QB expert and offensive mastermind that he named his own son OC AND QB coach, and his son proceeded to oversee the worst offense in all of college football. Yet had the AD not stepped in and fired Brian Ferentz, he'd still be the OC/QB coach to this very day.
Exactly. From what I've been hearing, Hank and Heck were virtually a tie, so of course, Kirk goes with the less mobile QB. He does this continually. We have 28 years of data on this.

And Hawktagonapus can laugh emoji me all he wants. :ROFLMAO: Facts are facts.
 

HMB Trumpet

Senior
Mar 19, 2018
612
726
93
Exactly. From what I've been hearing, Hank and Heck were virtually a tie, so of course, Kirk goes with the less mobile QB. He does this continually. We have 28 years of data on this.

And Hawktagonapus can laugh emoji me all he wants. :ROFLMAO: Facts are facts.
What is your evidence that Hank is less mobile? In fact, he is the faster runner.
 
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Passing Is For COMMIES

All-Conference
Oct 30, 2023
569
1,044
93
Heck played well, but that Washington defense was atrocious. I can recall the back shoulder completion to RVZ, and a completion to Diaz where the defenders were actually maybe close enough to make a play on the ball. The other 12 completions were to WIDE open guys. Honestly, they probably weren’t even close enough RVZs catch, he had created some room.

Im not anointing Heck for hitting wide open receivers under zero pressure. He lost the job fair and square earlier by not playing well against NIU and UNI. He did play well enough to open up the QB controversy again though.
 
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