Hank or Heck?

Who you got?


  • Total voters
    163

Passing Is For COMMIES

All-Conference
Oct 30, 2023
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I'm shocked that so many Hawk fans think there is anything difficult about this decision.

Heck is QB1.
That Washington team is a big ten bottom feeder, we really didn’t learn much about Heck other than he can hit open receivers when under zero pressure. We’ve seen 2 games where he didn’t do that though.

They are both pretty average if we’re being honest.
 

10001110101

All-Conference
Sep 1, 2003
1,290
1,713
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That Washington team is a big ten bottom feeder, we really didn’t learn much about Heck other than he can hit open receivers when under zero pressure. We’ve seen 2 games where he didn’t do that though.

They are both pretty average if we’re being honest.
OK. Washington is bad.

What things did Heck do poorly?
 

Passing Is For COMMIES

All-Conference
Oct 30, 2023
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Little to no indecisiveness.
Hank has gotten rid of the ball faster in every game they’ve both played. He’s also been more accurate through the season so what’s your point? Hank would have put up the exact same performance against that team.

It’s pretty obvious you’ve made your decision and you won’t accept any response that isn’t in agreement with you so I guess I’ll drop it.
 

10001110101

All-Conference
Sep 1, 2003
1,290
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Hank has gotten rid of the ball faster in every game they’ve both played. He’s also been more accurate through the season so what’s your point? Hank would have put up the exact same performance against that team.
song GIF
 
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10001110101

All-Conference
Sep 1, 2003
1,290
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Hank has gotten rid of the ball faster in every game they’ve both played. He’s also been more accurate through the season so what’s your point? Hank would have put up the exact same performance against that team.

It’s pretty obvious you’ve made your decision and you won’t accept any response that isn’t in agreement with you so I guess I’ll drop it.
If Hank does indeed get the ball out faster, it's because he doesn't scan the whole field, even when he has time to do so.
 

Hawkfan82

Junior
Dec 15, 2012
117
212
43
Not when peoples mind is made up. What have you done for me lately. The OSU loss has many forgetting the 4Q at Michigan.
I remember on that last drive he missed a wide open diaz for an easy touchdown. He took advantage of his second chance. That was nice. I thick hecklinski would have made that diaz touchdown throw.
 
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bansheexyz

Junior
Sep 24, 2017
135
332
63
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.
Hecks ball was right on the money all day. That matters. Even his incompletions weren't inaccurate, they were hitting hands and put in places away from the defender. His speed and agility and processing time are better than Brown. He is not worlds better than Brown but he's better. Browns performance vs OSU made me mad, it came off as scared and flaccid after a week of buildup. Maybe he was hurt, maybe not, but he wasn't competitive.
 

Daddy_chubs

Redshirt
Nov 7, 2025
1
0
0
Heck is the better gamer, and he’s willing to take risks all game to push the ball downfield- to play to win. Hank only does that when he’s forced to, i.e. Michigan. Can’t rely on that mentality and expect to consistently win the big games.
 

Kceasthawk@77

All-American
Feb 2, 2005
4,303
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During the game they said Michigan Stadium was, iirc, expanded to 100,001 at some point, the extra seat being for Fritz Chrysler. The OP just mentioned 100,000 so ...
Super. I googled it and it says (as of Aug 2026) the big house holds 107, 601, (Its the largest stadium in the USA, and third largest in the world), Like everything the talking heads say during games is gospel? For the record they list Michigans AVERAGE attend for the 2025 as 110, 824, so they evidently have around 3000 SRO tickets. SO.......
 

Kceasthawk@77

All-American
Feb 2, 2005
4,303
7,514
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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.
Not sure. What I do know is this offense based off play action looks TOTALLY different when you can run the ball. The first 6 games tell us exactly that.
 
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Kceasthawk@77

All-American
Feb 2, 2005
4,303
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"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.
"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.
Three TDs to three guys that didn't have anyone within 10 yds of them. Boy he REALLY had to zip those in there under pressure didn't he. It was a function of the plays called by Lester, and pounding them in the run game AND WAshingtons DB's were crap. I'm fine with Heck, but your pure nonsense that there's ANY correlation to the way the TEAM played against OSU, (and a 10x better defense) then what we saw last night is stupifying.
 

Kceasthawk@77

All-American
Feb 2, 2005
4,303
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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.
Good Lord. Someone here able to look beyond the nose on their face........Well done sir..
 

r_desihawk

All-Conference
Jul 3, 2025
3,288
4,740
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while heck looked good against washington things will likely get harder for him now that there is tape for DCs to prep. also a possible reason for why the washington qb2 was so effective against us. and why raiola’s first game for O went so well before combusting in the next game.
 

bansheexyz

Junior
Sep 24, 2017
135
332
63
That Washington team is a big ten bottom feeder, we really didn’t learn much about Heck other than he can hit open receivers when under zero pressure. We’ve seen 2 games where he didn’t do that though.

They are both pretty average if we’re being honest.
He made quite a few throws where guys didn't have separation, like the one to Diaz that got reviewed. It's also important that he SEE the wide open receivers, which he did every time. How many times have we seen QBs stare down one guy and miss the wide open guy breaking away downfield? A lot. It looks easier than it is.
 
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SoonerBeAHawk

All-Conference
Nov 27, 2005
508
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93
Super. I googled it and it says (as of Aug 2026) the big house holds 107, 601, (Its the largest stadium in the USA, and third largest in the world), Like everything the talking heads say during games is gospel? For the record they list Michigans AVERAGE attend for the 2025 as 110, 824, so they evidently have around 3000 SRO tickets. SO.......

Back atcha ...

 

WigPen

Sophomore
Aug 13, 2025
117
159
43
And how would you measure that with Tim Lester as OC? Again why are we living in the past?
I don't know just seems like it has happened more often than not, regardless of who the current oc is. I hope it doesn't and he actually keeps improving.
 

Kceasthawk@77

All-American
Feb 2, 2005
4,303
7,514
113
I don't know just seems like it has happened more often than not, regardless of who the current oc is. I hope it doesn't and he actually keeps improving.
SEEMS, is a great point. ALOT of the stuff that gets posted here is certainly part of that. The ongoing narratives that Banks and Beathard should have started earlier is a good place to start. Banks came in from a Juco where he started as a WR. Then played QB. His first year at Iowa he was RAW. Not only had he never played a P4 game, he'd NEVER played in a D1 football game. Showed some athletisism in his spot duty, so peoples memory is he should have been the starter, even though all the staff thought he wasn't ready for the role as a starting D1 QB. I guessing the coaches had a better idea of where he was than the fans. And yet that narrative lives on here 24 years later. CJB was kind of a loose cannon initially, (he's even alluded to that), and probably a bit more out of control then the staff like. Add to that Ruddock was better than many gave him credit for. What's always interesting is that its easy to see the end result, and look back later and say "oh. that guy should have been the guy" without understanding that maybe there were too many rough edges on that guy initially. This deals with the other false narrative that's on here much of the time, that guys don't get better as QB's at Iowa. Both Banks and Beathard certainly became better QB's over their time at Iowa, and they aren't the only ones. Clearly BOTH Brown and Heck are better QB's then they were when they got to Iowa.
 

Passing Is For COMMIES

All-Conference
Oct 30, 2023
571
1,051
93
He made quite a few throws where guys didn't have separation, like the one to Diaz that got reviewed. It's also important that he SEE the wide open receivers, which he did every time. How many times have we seen QBs stare down one guy and miss the wide open guy breaking away downfield? A lot. It looks easier than it is.
I went back and watched. There were 2 throws to guys without a ton of separation. That Diaz throw and the back shoulder to Vander Zee. There was also Vander Zee on an out and up on the right sideline. He threw the ball before he made his cut up, he was open when he caught it but he was thrown open by Heck so he gets credit.

The other 11 completions were to wide open WRs where he was under 0 pressure and had a ton of time to throw.

I’m not anointing Heck off that game. IMO if he was actually better he would have proven that early in the season. Instead he struggled against NIU and UNI. Heck’s gonna have to do that against a team that’s actually going to make a bowl game for me to really believe in him.
 

Palmerhawk

All-Conference
Jul 3, 2025
2,279
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I went back and watched. There were 2 throws to guys without a ton of separation. That Diaz throw and the back shoulder to Vander Zee. There was also Vander Zee on an out and up on the right sideline. He threw the ball before he made his cut up, he was open when he caught it but he was thrown open by Heck so he gets credit.

The other 11 completions were to wide open WRs where he was under 0 pressure and had a ton of time to throw.

I’m not anointing Heck off that game. IMO if he was actually better he would have proven that early in the season. Instead he struggled against NIU and UNI. Heck’s gonna have to do that against a team that’s actually going to make a bowl game for me to really believe in him.
Iowa was an underdog to Washington,on the road,short week,West coast, Washington ranked in top 20 at start of season,ahead of hawks....not tough enough?
Heck also drove the team down the field for td vs #5 OSU....not tough enough?

I guess heck has to prove it vs Seattle seahawks to pass muster?
 
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UIAlumFireFighter

All-Conference
Sep 26, 2018
1,411
2,109
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We don’t coach our QBs to scramble or even “take what you can get when nothing is there.”

Hank looked like he’s capable.

Hecklinski? Zero rushing statistics this past game. How is that even possible?? B/c Iowa…..
 
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