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Tim Lester

Hawk_4shur

Hawk_4shur

All-Conference
Jan 2, 2009
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I think we are seeing the TL offense we hoped to see when they hired him. Sure, it's still not a high-powered offense - too many bad passes, too many drops. Not making enough explosive plays in the passing game.

But for as long as I can remember, Iowa fans have been able to predict the next play with a pretty high degree of success. Obviously the opponent could as well.

Not this year. Finally, defenses are starting to look "uncomfortable" playing the Hawks. It's hard to predict what TL is going to run next.



I think the Hawks have themselves are darned good OC.
 
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BioHawk2

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Jun 29, 2025
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Hawk_4shur said:
I think we are seeing the TL offense we hoped to see when they hired him. Sure, it's still not a high-powered offense - too many bad passes, too many drops. Not making enough explosive plays in the passing game.

But for as long as I can remember, Iowa fans have been able to predict the next play with a pretty high degree of success. Obviously the opponent could as well.

Not this year. Finally, defenses are starting to look "uncomfortable" playing the Hawks. It's hard to predict what TL is going to run next.



I think the Hawks have themselves are darned good OC.
Click to expand...
It has definitely made progress this season, that's for sure. If they can get a quality offense to go with the elite level defense they've put out there the last 6 seasons then it will be a lot of fun the next few years.
 
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DukeSlater

DukeSlater

All-Conference
Jul 2, 2023
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It seemed to take KF quite a while to figure this out. But then football is so damn hard. I mean, there's rocket surgery, and then there's football. How would anyone know that having a QB who could pass, even a little, AND run would be such an advantage? How could anyone know that running plays that involve motion and counter action and other deceptions would work? It takes years and years of intent analysis by the top minds in the sport to come up with such stuff, which is why KF went to his big-brained son to figure it all out. Sadly, that didn't work out, but it was a good try, and in the end, isn't that really what it's all about, the trying?
 
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UIAlumFireFighter

All-Conference
Sep 26, 2018
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Our play-calling definitely seems to be less predictable, which is great. But our lack of a passing game is still infuriating.

Passing Yards / Game: Rank 130th
Yards per Completion: 132nd
Only 5 Passing TD's, good for a 122 spot
Total Passing Yards after 8 weeks: 130th (Mark has less than 1,000 yards passing.......wtf.)

Rushing: 39th.
 
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Hawk4Ever!

Hawk4Ever!

Senior
Sep 9, 2025
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UIAlumFireFighter said:
Our play-calling definitely seems to be less predictable, which is great. But our lack of a passing game is still infuriating.

Passing Yards / Game: Rank 130th
Yards per Completion: 132nd
Only 5 Passing TD's, good for a 122 spot
Total Passing Yards after 8 weeks: 130th (Mark has less than 1,000 yards passing.......wtf.)

Rushing: 39th.
Click to expand...
Will not need to pass to win out. Every team left is awful vs the run. Lester is now a candidate for the Florida and LSU job.
 
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BioHawk2

All-American
Jun 29, 2025
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UIAlumFireFighter said:
Our play-calling definitely seems to be less predictable, which is great. But our lack of a passing game is still infuriating.

Passing Yards / Game: Rank 130th
Yards per Completion: 132nd
Only 5 Passing TD's, good for a 122 spot
Total Passing Yards after 8 weeks: 130th (Mark has less than 1,000 yards passing.......wtf.)

Rushing: 39th.
Click to expand...
After seeing the game Saturday I think we are seeing the limitations of our receiving group. Wetjen might be a division 1 receiver (he certainly has the speed) but he is either too easy to double and triple team because the other receivers just aren't very good, they aren't running enough routes designed to get him the ball (considering how strong the running game has been this is entirely possible), or he just needs to be better at running routes to get open.
 
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UIAlumFireFighter

All-Conference
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BioHawk2 said:
After seeing the game Saturday I think we are seeing the limitations of our receiving group. Wetjen might be a division 1 receiver (he certainly has the speed) but he is either too easy to double and triple team because the other receivers just aren't very good, they aren't running enough routes designed to get him the ball (considering how strong the running game has been this is entirely possible), or he just needs to be better at running routes to get open.
Click to expand...
How can a major college football program continuously have such a limited WR group? Makes zero sense how it's still this bad.
 
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BioHawk2

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BunchofAholes said:
You're taking him seriously?
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I'm not taking him seriously and I'm not disregarding him offhand. I'm giving him an opportunity to verify his own claim so I can decide if he is worth paying any attention to. So far, no response.
 
LetsGoHawks83

LetsGoHawks83

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Mar 20, 2015
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The first drive on Saturday was a thing of beauty. Really mixed up the play calling and showed MN that they couldn't just load the box like teams have done in the pass.

Still limited in the passing game, but doing enough to not only "scratch where it itches"... but scratching where we can reach.

Mark isn't a great deep ball passer and we don't seem to have many deep threat WRs, so make use of the quick throws to spread teams out and keep the chains moving. Just a few deep attempts to make defenses think

My hope is that the offense continues to grow and becomes attractive to more talent at QB and WR in the future. Do that and then Tim is cooking with dynamite
 
LetsGoHawks83

LetsGoHawks83

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Mar 20, 2015
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Jonesy5960 said:
Is that good?
Click to expand...

Good for a 6-2 record.

Despite the low passing yardage and TD passes, the offense is in a completely different stratosphere than a couple years ago.

MG is athletic enough that he eliminates some of those goal to go passing TDs. When you can have him roll out, look to pass, but use his legs to score.... keep doing it.
 
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Jonesy5960

Jonesy5960

Heisman
Feb 1, 2023
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LetsGoHawks83 said:
The first drive on Saturday was a thing of beauty. Really mixed up the play calling and showed MN that they couldn't just load the box like teams have done in the pass.

Still limited in the passing game, but doing enough to not only "scratch where it itches"... but scratching where we can reach.

Mark isn't a great deep ball passer and we don't seem to have many deep threat WRs, so make use of the quick throws to spread teams out and keep the chains moving. Just a few deep attempts to make defenses think

My hope is that the offense continues to grow and becomes attractive to more talent at QB and WR in the future. Do that and then Tim is cooking with dynamite
Click to expand...
I think Lester has done a really good job of adjusting his approach and leveraging MG's strengths by using his legs and not asking him to do things that he's not effective in doing. I don't know if it's enough against the likes of Oregon and USC, but like ISU and Indy, the defense will keep these games close and in close games anything can happen.
 
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SecretHBOTer

Junior
Jan 10, 2005
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LetsGoHawks83 said:
The first drive on Saturday was a thing of beauty. Really mixed up the play calling and showed MN that they couldn't just load the box like teams have done in the pass.

Still limited in the passing game, but doing enough to not only "scratch where it itches"... but scratching where we can reach.

Mark isn't a great deep ball passer and we don't seem to have many deep threat WRs, so make use of the quick throws to spread teams out and keep the chains moving. Just a few deep attempts to make defenses think

My hope is that the offense continues to grow and becomes attractive to more talent at QB and WR in the future. Do that and then Tim is cooking with dynamite
Click to expand...
The talent in the WR room has gotten better, marginally. We need to find a loophole that allows Phillips another year of eligibility. But more realistically will have to hit the portal again for a versatile receiver like Sam. I was hoping to see more from Parker this season, but he’s just not there yet.
 
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HawksRule73

All-Conference
Jun 26, 2025
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What Lester has done with the running game has been phenomenal. Introducing the midzone concept, pulling the center, using motion as eye-candy, etc has done wonders for the run game. Obviously having a great OL certainly helps as well, but he's definitely making it easier on them with the different run game fundamentals he's teaching.

The passing game, I think, has more to do with our QB and WRs just not being on the same page the last 2 years. Think about it.....Lester comes in and Cade is hurt and not ready until fall camp, then gets injured partway thru the year so you have to go to your backups. No way to develop cohesion. Then, the QB that comes in this year misses all of spring ball and part of summer workouts, so no way to develop any timing or cohesion....on top of losing your best threat in the WR room in RVZ. I'm willing to cut him some slack to see what he can do over the next couple of years. That offense BF left was completely and utterly broken and wasn't going to get fixed in one or two seasons.
 
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Franisdaman

Franisdaman

Heisman
Nov 3, 2012
14,069
20,382
113
Hawk_4shur said:
I think we are seeing the TL offense we hoped to see when they hired him. Sure, it's still not a high-powered offense - too many bad passes, too many drops. Not making enough explosive plays in the passing game.

But for as long as I can remember, Iowa fans have been able to predict the next play with a pretty high degree of success. Obviously the opponent could as well.

Not this year. Finally, defenses are starting to look "uncomfortable" playing the Hawks. It's hard to predict what TL is going to run next.



I think the Hawks have themselves are darned good OC.
Click to expand...


 
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AxisBoldAsKIrk

Junior
Sep 19, 2006
166
206
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UIAlumFireFighter said:
Our play-calling definitely seems to be less predictable, which is great. But our lack of a passing game is still infuriating.

Passing Yards / Game: Rank 130th
Yards per Completion: 132nd
Only 5 Passing TD's, good for a 122 spot
Total Passing Yards after 8 weeks: 130th (Mark has less than 1,000 yards passing.......wtf.)

Rushing: 39th.
Click to expand...
This is crazy. This is Brian F level. Why does it look so much better then?
 
Franisdaman

Franisdaman

Heisman
Nov 3, 2012
14,069
20,382
113
In this July 31 Hawk Central podcast, Tim Lester discussed the progress of his offense, the WRs, play calling & the upcoming season.

As you will hear, Lester is always seeking the big play ... but couldn't last year because of limitations at QB.

When you have 48 minutes, hit the play button in the bottom right & enjoy.



 
Franisdaman

Franisdaman

Heisman
Nov 3, 2012
14,069
20,382
113
And speaking of always seeking the big play, just look at the Indiana game, where there was no turtling up at the end.

It was a 13-13 game; 3rd and 5, with 2:06 to go. Tim called a great play; it was a simple throw that Hank Brown should have made. The coaches were playing to win with a play that was perfectly set up and, according to Tim Lester, WOULD HAVE resulted in a TD.

The next play (on 4th & 5), of course, was a 42 yard missed Drew Stevens FG.

Tap or click on image once or twice for a larger view of the play that would have been a TD and a 20-13 IOWA LEAD.



 
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2D

2D

All-American
Oct 8, 2013
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Iowa's Offense Ranking Week 9: #52
PPG: 31.3

Notable teams below them:
#66 Iowa State
#67 Michigan
#69 Texas
#73 Oklahoma
#79 Clemson
 
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Jonesy5960

Jonesy5960

Heisman
Feb 1, 2023
5,445
11,025
113
AxisBoldAsKIrk said:
This is crazy. This is Brian F level. Why does it look so much better then?
Click to expand...
It's not great at all. It's just functional. It wasn't functional under Brian. When the Iowa defense came up with a turnover or Coop had a big return a couple of years ago you were praying they'd make it to the end zone because the offense wasn't going to score. At least now you feel like the offense has a good chance to score when they're starting inside the opponent's 20 yard line.
 
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Jonesy5960

Jonesy5960

Heisman
Feb 1, 2023
5,445
11,025
113
Franisdaman said:
In this July 31 Hawk Central podcast, Tim Lester discussed the progress of his offense, the WRs, play calling & the upcoming season.

As you will hear, Lester is always seeking the big play ... but couldn't last year because of limitations at QB.

When you have 48 minutes, hit the play button in the bottom right & enjoy.



Click to expand...

They still have limitations.
 
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UIAlumFireFighter

All-Conference
Sep 26, 2018
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HawksRule73 said:
The passing game, I think, has more to do with our QB and WRs just not being on the same page the last 2 years. Think about it.....Lester comes in and Cade is hurt and not ready until fall camp, then gets injured partway thru the year so you have to go to your backups. No way to develop cohesion. Then, the QB that comes in this year misses all of spring ball and part of summer workouts, so no way to develop any timing or cohesion....on top of losing your best threat in the WR room in RVZ. I'm willing to cut him some slack to see what he can do over the next couple of years. That offense BF left was completely and utterly broken and wasn't going to get fixed in one or two seasons.
Click to expand...
Full Stop.

Indiana's Mendoza just came to the Midwest from the West Coast this year. Has 2,000 passing yards yards, 24 TD's and is completing at 73%. Yes, 73%.
His leading receiver has played at three different schools. If you're good you can build cohesion very quickly so stop with that excuse that we hear every single year.

Our younger receivers are not getting many balls thrown their way.. Barely seeing offensive snaps which means they're not good enough to beat out the #1's that are also not very good. And the circle of a poor passing game continues on into 2026.

How many seasons need to pass by until we get impatient with TL?
 
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