The Hawkeyes had one non conference challenge left as the Mean Green of North Texas invaded Kinnick Stadium. Iowa already sitting at 3-0 and Wisconsin looming could have easily taken North Texas for granted. On Saturday they played with the same focus and intensity we've seen all season. There were a few things that really stood out in the Iowa 62 to 16 blowout victory.
First of all when you play a team that you should blowout the key is to get off to a fast start. Iowa did exactly that taking their first 2 drives and marching right down the field to go up 14 to 0. One thing we've seen in the past is Iowa wouldn't always have the go for the kill mindset. They absolutely went for it against North Texas. CJ Beathard started the game 15 for 15 including two long TD passes to Tevaun Smith and George Kittle. Iowa continued to show a diverse rushing attack running lead draws, counters and dives in addition to the classic stretch play. Jordan Canzeri rushed for 122 yards and 4 TDs. During the first two drives the offensive line was dominant opening up huge holes for the backs and giving Beathard all day to throw. This offense continues to improve and we finally got a chance to see what Tevaun Smith can bring to the table. Smith had 4 catches for 115 yards including an 81 yard TD reception. Another guy I had high hopes for coming into the season was George Kittle he's too big to be covered by a corner and too fast for linebackers. George had a some nice catches including a long TD reception. Beathard was almost perfect going 18 for 21 for 278 yards 2 TD's. Iowa faced some adversity in a couple of situations Saturday.
The Reverse play went about as bad as one can go. When Derrick Mitchell received a late pitch then his pitch was late setting up a Mean Green touchdown. The other score North Texas had came before this play when Jordan Canzeri fumbled for the second time this season, now I'm not concerned yet but that is two fumbles one in the Iowa State game and now vs North Texas. Without these two turnovers the game could have been even further apart at halftime. The thing I liked was once North Texas scored it was only 28 to 13, this game had the feel that they might be able to hang around. Iowa immediately killed that thought as they marched 80 yards in 12 plays to extend the lead back to 35 to 13 at Halftime.
The Second half North Texas found some running room to the outside. I think this was a case of letting up for just a little bit. You have to give the Mean Green credit they came out of the locker room and marched right down the field to kick a field goal. At times it looked like North Texas would score a TD but Iowa came up with the big plays to hold them to a FG. The Iowa secondary was a little banged up as Miles Taylor barely played and Greg Maybin left in the second quarter. The injuries don't appear to be serious so they should both be ready to go vs Wisconsin. There were two plays in the second half that turned this game upside down. North Texas was driving after just kicking a field goal and their offense was starting to find a rhythm. Drew Ott came up big for the Hawks rushing pass the left tackle and knocking the ball out of McNaulty's hands and Bazata recovered for Iowa. Iowa went 12 plays for 50 yards to put the game away at 42 to 16. So like most in the stadium I kind of thought that would be about all the points Iowa would put up. The very next possession Josey Jewel intercepted McNaulty and ran it back for a TD.
It was good to see some of the backups get into the game. We finally got a chance to see Derrick Mitchell in the backfield he's been battling a high ankle sprain. Both Mitchell and Wadley looked pretty good as Iowa ran the ball right down the field scoring another TD. The Final icing on the cake came when Bo Bower intercepted a pass and returned it 80 yards for a TD. One other thing that was great to see Saturday was Desmond King is beginning to look like a weapon in the return game. He had 170 yards in returns and was very close to breaking one for 6. I think we will see King take one back for a TD this year.
Now I'm not saying North Texas is a good Football team but how many times have we seen a directional school come into Kinnick Stadium with a chance to win in the 4th quarter. Last year we had to rally to beat Ball State and UNI. This Iowa team has been dominating the teams they supposed to. Now its time for Conference play as Iowa starts of at Wisconsin. I'll have a preview for that in the next couple days.
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Go Hawks.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Iowa vs North Texas Preview
It's another Saturday at Kinnick Stadium as the Hawkeyes play host to the Mean Green of North Texas. Iowa coming off an extremely physical battle with Pittsburgh. This is a trap game sort of due to the fact that Iowa plays Wisconsin next weekend but as long as Iowa shows up to play they should win big. North Texas is a struggling team sitting at 0-2 with losses to Rice 31-24 and SMU 31-13. It will be interesting to see the focus Iowa comes out with. They dominated the only team they were clearly better then. So if Iowa is likely to win big what do we need to look for on Saturday?
Offensively the Hawkeyes have made great strides with potential to be a top offense in the Big Ten. Iowa has been a fairly balanced team throwing and running effectively. CJ Beathard has changed this team, the last time we had an NFL talented Quarterback was when Stanzi was in charge. We all know what Ricky did as Iowa's quarterback. The Iowa rushing attack has been pretty good with Jordan Canzeri and Leshun Daniels getting the majority of the carries. This is a big week for the Iowa running backs, they will be counted on a lot because North Texas is allowing 231 yards per game on the ground. Leshun played on a sprained ankle last week so we'll see if he continues to get back to 100 percent. With Wisconsin looming Iowa needs to be healthy when they go to Camp Randle. We could also see carries from Derrick Mitchell Jr, and Akrum Wadley. Mitchell has only played on Special teams and Wadley has limited carries this season. I expect we see both this weekend. Another name to watch this weekend is Jake Duzey, he's been injured all season and might have a chance to play vs North Texas. He suited up vs Pitt but didn't play. I think it would be good if he could play this weekend so he isn't making his debut vs Wisconsin. The Wide Receivers have taken steps forward it will be interesting to see they continue to stay involved vs North Texas. So what does North Texas bring to the table?
The Mean Green are scoring 18 points per game while allowing 34 points per game. North Texas is rushing for 143 yards per game and passing for 215 yards per game. The North Texas running back is Antoine Jimmerson who has 22 carries for 134 yards 1 TD. Andrew Mcnaulty is the Mean Green Quarterback 35-69 for 431 yards 2 TD 3 Interceptions. At Wide Receiver Carlos Harris is the leading receiver with 13 receptions 233 yards 2 TD and a 17 yard average per catch. Harris is the main target for North Texas. The Iowa run defense is only allowing 51 yards per game rushing so that likely won't be an issue. McNaulty will throw interceptions if he's put under pressure. Drew Ott played a little bit last week on 3rd down situations. It will be interesting to see if he plays last week it was pretty clear he wasn't 100 percent. Iowa could use him as close to 100 percent as possible for Wisconsin so if he has to sit out that wouldn't be a bad thing.
This game is about Iowa if they show up to play and focus they should beat North Texas by a lot. I believe the only way the Mean Green stand a chance is if Iowa turns the ball over multiple times. I feel Iowa will run the ball more on Saturday, CJ took a beating against Pittsburgh. It would be a good thing if Iowa could open this one up early and get the backups some valuable experience. North Texas does bring a familiar face back to Kinnick Stadium as Dan McCarney is the head coach for the Mean Green. Dan has had some success with Iowa State vs Iowa but those teams had a lot more talent then this North Texas Team. I'm excited to see how this offense continues to develop the potential is their for a strong offense. The defense has been good nearly every season but this year Iowa looks like they have an offense that can make this defense even stronger. The problem Iowa teams have had defensively over the years is they have had to play the entire game due to an offense not making plays. I think this one is going to get ugly Iowa wins big 45 to 10. The Hawkeyes looking to get to 4-0 before a trip to Wisconsin just have to show up focused and not overlook the Mean Green.
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Go Hawks.
Offensively the Hawkeyes have made great strides with potential to be a top offense in the Big Ten. Iowa has been a fairly balanced team throwing and running effectively. CJ Beathard has changed this team, the last time we had an NFL talented Quarterback was when Stanzi was in charge. We all know what Ricky did as Iowa's quarterback. The Iowa rushing attack has been pretty good with Jordan Canzeri and Leshun Daniels getting the majority of the carries. This is a big week for the Iowa running backs, they will be counted on a lot because North Texas is allowing 231 yards per game on the ground. Leshun played on a sprained ankle last week so we'll see if he continues to get back to 100 percent. With Wisconsin looming Iowa needs to be healthy when they go to Camp Randle. We could also see carries from Derrick Mitchell Jr, and Akrum Wadley. Mitchell has only played on Special teams and Wadley has limited carries this season. I expect we see both this weekend. Another name to watch this weekend is Jake Duzey, he's been injured all season and might have a chance to play vs North Texas. He suited up vs Pitt but didn't play. I think it would be good if he could play this weekend so he isn't making his debut vs Wisconsin. The Wide Receivers have taken steps forward it will be interesting to see they continue to stay involved vs North Texas. So what does North Texas bring to the table?
The Mean Green are scoring 18 points per game while allowing 34 points per game. North Texas is rushing for 143 yards per game and passing for 215 yards per game. The North Texas running back is Antoine Jimmerson who has 22 carries for 134 yards 1 TD. Andrew Mcnaulty is the Mean Green Quarterback 35-69 for 431 yards 2 TD 3 Interceptions. At Wide Receiver Carlos Harris is the leading receiver with 13 receptions 233 yards 2 TD and a 17 yard average per catch. Harris is the main target for North Texas. The Iowa run defense is only allowing 51 yards per game rushing so that likely won't be an issue. McNaulty will throw interceptions if he's put under pressure. Drew Ott played a little bit last week on 3rd down situations. It will be interesting to see if he plays last week it was pretty clear he wasn't 100 percent. Iowa could use him as close to 100 percent as possible for Wisconsin so if he has to sit out that wouldn't be a bad thing.
This game is about Iowa if they show up to play and focus they should beat North Texas by a lot. I believe the only way the Mean Green stand a chance is if Iowa turns the ball over multiple times. I feel Iowa will run the ball more on Saturday, CJ took a beating against Pittsburgh. It would be a good thing if Iowa could open this one up early and get the backups some valuable experience. North Texas does bring a familiar face back to Kinnick Stadium as Dan McCarney is the head coach for the Mean Green. Dan has had some success with Iowa State vs Iowa but those teams had a lot more talent then this North Texas Team. I'm excited to see how this offense continues to develop the potential is their for a strong offense. The defense has been good nearly every season but this year Iowa looks like they have an offense that can make this defense even stronger. The problem Iowa teams have had defensively over the years is they have had to play the entire game due to an offense not making plays. I think this one is going to get ugly Iowa wins big 45 to 10. The Hawkeyes looking to get to 4-0 before a trip to Wisconsin just have to show up focused and not overlook the Mean Green.
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Go Hawks.
Monday, September 21, 2015
Iowa vs Pittsburgh Review
What an incredible Football Game we were able to see on Saturday Night. Outside of the Penn State finish in 2008 that has to be the most electrifying finish I've seen in Kinnick Stadium. Marshall Koehn kicking a 57 yard field goal as time expires to win it 27 to 24. How did Iowa find a way to win probably one of the more physical Football games I've seen.
The Pittsburgh Defense Iowa faced Saturday Night was so physical and to be honest might have got a way with using their helmets to make big hits. CJ Beathard took an absolute beating from the Panthers but kept getting back up. Offensively Iowa knew coming in that running the football would be extra tough and right from the start the Hawkeyes were looking to the passing offense. There has always been a major question for this team and that is can they win without having a productive rushing attack? I think they answered that question in a big way Saturday Night. CJ was 27 of 40 for 258 yards 0 TD 1 Interception. The Hawks took an early lead on their second drive to open the scoring. Iowa was set up first and 10 at the 48 after an interception by Desmond King. The Hawks picked up two first downs before the drive stalled out and Marshall Koehn made a 43 yard field goal.
Pittsburgh put together a nice drive going 70 yards in just 7 plays but Desmond King once again made a diving interception in the end zone. The 4th drive for the Hawkeyes started with a bomb as CJ Beathard hit Tevaun Smith for 51 yards. Smith hasn't been totally involved in the offense but with the single coverage he was able to make a big play. On 3rd and 5 Beathard showed off his ability to run scrambling for a 9 yard TD. It had the makings of a blowout Iowa leading 10-0 when Beathard made his only real mistake of the game. Jake Hillyer ran a deep out and CJ just didn't put enough on the throw, he was picked off setting up the Panthers at the Iowa 15. One play later Pitt scored on a PA pass hitting their big tightend to make it 10 to 7. On the next drive for Iowa Beathard took an absolute shot looked to me like it could have easily been targeting. I've seen a lot less called targeting, this officiating crew from the ACC was really bad. The Iowa defense forced another 3 and out giving the offense the ball back for one last drive before halftime.
This was the drive that showed me what type of quarterback we have. The second play of the drive after just being crushed one drive ago Beathard stood right in the pocket hitting Tevaun Smith on a post for 18 yards. On another second and 10 Iowa ran some different plays spreading out the Pittsburgh defense Beathard connected with Henry Krieger Coble for 14 yards and a first down. On 3rd and 1 Beathard scrambled for 4 yards to pick up the first down. On 3rd and 4 Beathard found Matt Vandeberg on a quick slant for another first down. With first and goal at the 11 Iowa ran the exact same play twice, Vandeberg came in motion faking the reverse while Canzeri received the hand off slipping through the Pitt defense to put Iowa ahead 17 to 7 at halftime.
After Pittsburgh drove down for a field goal it was just 17 to 10. Iowa started out running the ball with 3 straight runs to pick up a 1st down. On 3rd and 10 Beathard from the pocket threw a strike to his tight end Coble for 13 yards. On 3rd and 11 CJ Beathard threw a pass that he probably wants back Tevaun Smith ran a stop and go getting behind the defender but CJ just overthrew him by a couple of yards. That play would have easily been a touchdown and really would have changed the dynamic of the game. The very next play Pittsburgh blocked the punt and suddenly the game was tied at 17. Two of the Panthers TD's were set up by their defense or special teams. The Hawkeyes went 3 and out so Pittsburgh had the ball all the momentum on their side. Jordan Lomax who was flying around the field came up with a huge stop to set up 4th and 1. Pittsburgh tried everything they could to draw Iowa off sides but instead took the delay of game and punted.
The Hawks finally started to get the run game going with Canzeri picking up 9 yards on the first play. 2nd and 1 Iowa ran PA as Beathard found Hillyer for 32 yards to put Iowa in business. 3rd and 3 once again CJ showed his ability to scramble picking up another first down. On first and 10 the Hawkeyes were called for holding making it 1st and 20 although I didn't see much of a hold on Austin Blythe. Two beautifully designed screen plays. One that almost broke loose to Vandeberg who was tripped up. The second one was a HB screen to Canzeri which went for 17 Yards and a first down. Picking up a first down after being behind the chains is something we couldn't do last season. The very next play Beathard made probably his best throw of the night it was a PA to Canzeri and Beathard quickly set his feet hitting Vandeberg for 12 yards putting the ball at the one. 2 plays later Canzeri punched it in to give the Hawkeyes a 24 to 17 lead. The Drive was 11 plays 80 yards and a huge answer when Pittsburgh had all the momentum.
Pittsburgh went right back down the field converting two 4th down conversions including a 4th and 15 right before they tied the game at 24. Tyler Boyd who might be the best receiver we see this season had his way at times catching 10 passes for 131 yards and the tying TD. Iowa got the ball back with just 48 seconds left in the game. The key on any last minute drive is to get that first 1st down. CJ did exactly that scrambling for 12 yards on the first play of the drive. Beathard on 2nd and 6 scrambled for another first down. 3rd and 10 only 8 seconds to go CJ scrambled to get 8 yards setting up Hawkeye history. Marshall Koehn blasted a 57 yard field goal to win the game, it was kind of fitting that the Panthers best player Tyler Boyd was back to watch the ball just carry over his head and go through for a Hawkeye victory.
Offensively CJ Beathard hooked up with 7 different receivers, Tevaun Smith had 3 catches for 73 yards, Jacob Hillyer had two catches for 52 yards, Henry Krieger Coble had 5 catches for 48 yards, Matt Vandeberg caught 7 passes for 45 yards and Jordan Canzeri had 7 receptions for 30 yards. This offense is really starting to come together they are getting better and better each week. Jake Duzey should be back soon so he will add yet another dimension to this offense. The first two games the Hawks were very balanced and on Saturday it was the passing game that helped get the Win. Iowa as a team ran for 105 yards on 29 carries. Canzeri had 12 carries for 49 yards with most of those coming in the second half.
Defensively the big star was Desmond King he had 2 interceptions and made a number of big tackles at the line of scrimmage. Desmond was assigned the coverage duty on Tyler Boyd and although he did make some big plays King did a pretty good job on him. The defensive line wasn't able to get a lot of pressure on the QB but did come up with 2 more sacks on the night. The linebackers played very well again Cole Fisher had 12 tackles to lead the team. Outside of the two big plays where the tight ends got free they were very good in pass coverage. The Iowa run defense continued to dominate vs a good running Pitt team only allowing 55 yards on 27 carries.
This was an absolute huge victory, Iowa as we know plays a lot of close games. Over the past few years the close games hadn't been going our way. This year Iowa has been tied at 17 entering the 4th quarter the last two weeks. Both times it was the Hawkeyes making plays to win and that was the difference Saturday Night. This is starting to have the feeling of a special season the offense is getting better, and the defense looks very strong. We will find out a lot about this team in two weeks when the Hawks got to Madison but first Iowa needs to take care of business against North Texas. This should be a game Iowa can get a big lead then rest some of the starters in the second half but I'll preview that game in the next couple days.
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Go Hawks.
The Pittsburgh Defense Iowa faced Saturday Night was so physical and to be honest might have got a way with using their helmets to make big hits. CJ Beathard took an absolute beating from the Panthers but kept getting back up. Offensively Iowa knew coming in that running the football would be extra tough and right from the start the Hawkeyes were looking to the passing offense. There has always been a major question for this team and that is can they win without having a productive rushing attack? I think they answered that question in a big way Saturday Night. CJ was 27 of 40 for 258 yards 0 TD 1 Interception. The Hawks took an early lead on their second drive to open the scoring. Iowa was set up first and 10 at the 48 after an interception by Desmond King. The Hawks picked up two first downs before the drive stalled out and Marshall Koehn made a 43 yard field goal.
Pittsburgh put together a nice drive going 70 yards in just 7 plays but Desmond King once again made a diving interception in the end zone. The 4th drive for the Hawkeyes started with a bomb as CJ Beathard hit Tevaun Smith for 51 yards. Smith hasn't been totally involved in the offense but with the single coverage he was able to make a big play. On 3rd and 5 Beathard showed off his ability to run scrambling for a 9 yard TD. It had the makings of a blowout Iowa leading 10-0 when Beathard made his only real mistake of the game. Jake Hillyer ran a deep out and CJ just didn't put enough on the throw, he was picked off setting up the Panthers at the Iowa 15. One play later Pitt scored on a PA pass hitting their big tightend to make it 10 to 7. On the next drive for Iowa Beathard took an absolute shot looked to me like it could have easily been targeting. I've seen a lot less called targeting, this officiating crew from the ACC was really bad. The Iowa defense forced another 3 and out giving the offense the ball back for one last drive before halftime.
This was the drive that showed me what type of quarterback we have. The second play of the drive after just being crushed one drive ago Beathard stood right in the pocket hitting Tevaun Smith on a post for 18 yards. On another second and 10 Iowa ran some different plays spreading out the Pittsburgh defense Beathard connected with Henry Krieger Coble for 14 yards and a first down. On 3rd and 1 Beathard scrambled for 4 yards to pick up the first down. On 3rd and 4 Beathard found Matt Vandeberg on a quick slant for another first down. With first and goal at the 11 Iowa ran the exact same play twice, Vandeberg came in motion faking the reverse while Canzeri received the hand off slipping through the Pitt defense to put Iowa ahead 17 to 7 at halftime.
After Pittsburgh drove down for a field goal it was just 17 to 10. Iowa started out running the ball with 3 straight runs to pick up a 1st down. On 3rd and 10 Beathard from the pocket threw a strike to his tight end Coble for 13 yards. On 3rd and 11 CJ Beathard threw a pass that he probably wants back Tevaun Smith ran a stop and go getting behind the defender but CJ just overthrew him by a couple of yards. That play would have easily been a touchdown and really would have changed the dynamic of the game. The very next play Pittsburgh blocked the punt and suddenly the game was tied at 17. Two of the Panthers TD's were set up by their defense or special teams. The Hawkeyes went 3 and out so Pittsburgh had the ball all the momentum on their side. Jordan Lomax who was flying around the field came up with a huge stop to set up 4th and 1. Pittsburgh tried everything they could to draw Iowa off sides but instead took the delay of game and punted.
The Hawks finally started to get the run game going with Canzeri picking up 9 yards on the first play. 2nd and 1 Iowa ran PA as Beathard found Hillyer for 32 yards to put Iowa in business. 3rd and 3 once again CJ showed his ability to scramble picking up another first down. On first and 10 the Hawkeyes were called for holding making it 1st and 20 although I didn't see much of a hold on Austin Blythe. Two beautifully designed screen plays. One that almost broke loose to Vandeberg who was tripped up. The second one was a HB screen to Canzeri which went for 17 Yards and a first down. Picking up a first down after being behind the chains is something we couldn't do last season. The very next play Beathard made probably his best throw of the night it was a PA to Canzeri and Beathard quickly set his feet hitting Vandeberg for 12 yards putting the ball at the one. 2 plays later Canzeri punched it in to give the Hawkeyes a 24 to 17 lead. The Drive was 11 plays 80 yards and a huge answer when Pittsburgh had all the momentum.
Pittsburgh went right back down the field converting two 4th down conversions including a 4th and 15 right before they tied the game at 24. Tyler Boyd who might be the best receiver we see this season had his way at times catching 10 passes for 131 yards and the tying TD. Iowa got the ball back with just 48 seconds left in the game. The key on any last minute drive is to get that first 1st down. CJ did exactly that scrambling for 12 yards on the first play of the drive. Beathard on 2nd and 6 scrambled for another first down. 3rd and 10 only 8 seconds to go CJ scrambled to get 8 yards setting up Hawkeye history. Marshall Koehn blasted a 57 yard field goal to win the game, it was kind of fitting that the Panthers best player Tyler Boyd was back to watch the ball just carry over his head and go through for a Hawkeye victory.
Offensively CJ Beathard hooked up with 7 different receivers, Tevaun Smith had 3 catches for 73 yards, Jacob Hillyer had two catches for 52 yards, Henry Krieger Coble had 5 catches for 48 yards, Matt Vandeberg caught 7 passes for 45 yards and Jordan Canzeri had 7 receptions for 30 yards. This offense is really starting to come together they are getting better and better each week. Jake Duzey should be back soon so he will add yet another dimension to this offense. The first two games the Hawks were very balanced and on Saturday it was the passing game that helped get the Win. Iowa as a team ran for 105 yards on 29 carries. Canzeri had 12 carries for 49 yards with most of those coming in the second half.
Defensively the big star was Desmond King he had 2 interceptions and made a number of big tackles at the line of scrimmage. Desmond was assigned the coverage duty on Tyler Boyd and although he did make some big plays King did a pretty good job on him. The defensive line wasn't able to get a lot of pressure on the QB but did come up with 2 more sacks on the night. The linebackers played very well again Cole Fisher had 12 tackles to lead the team. Outside of the two big plays where the tight ends got free they were very good in pass coverage. The Iowa run defense continued to dominate vs a good running Pitt team only allowing 55 yards on 27 carries.
This was an absolute huge victory, Iowa as we know plays a lot of close games. Over the past few years the close games hadn't been going our way. This year Iowa has been tied at 17 entering the 4th quarter the last two weeks. Both times it was the Hawkeyes making plays to win and that was the difference Saturday Night. This is starting to have the feeling of a special season the offense is getting better, and the defense looks very strong. We will find out a lot about this team in two weeks when the Hawks got to Madison but first Iowa needs to take care of business against North Texas. This should be a game Iowa can get a big lead then rest some of the starters in the second half but I'll preview that game in the next couple days.
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Go Hawks.
Friday, September 18, 2015
Iowa vs Pittsburgh Preview
Last week the Hawkeyes got a big win over Instate Rival Iowa State now the Panthers of Pittsburgh come to town for a prime time showdown. Last year it was the Pittsburgh game where CJ Beathard came on the scene leading the Hawkeyes from a halftime deficit to win on the road. This series has been very close about every game has come down to the final quarter who could forget the last time Pitt came to town Iowa rallied from a 24 to 3 deficit to beat the Panthers 31 to 27. The overall series is 3 to 3 and almost every single game has been close. Pittsburgh lost their star running back for the season but this team is very talented and should be another challenge for the Hawks.
Pittsburgh has a new coach this year in former Michigan State Defensive Coordinator Pat Narduzi who's taking over after Paul Chryst left to become the coach at Wisconsin. The Panthers are 2-0 with wins over Youngstown State 45 to 37 and Akron 24 to 7. Narduzi was known for one thing at Michigan State and that was an aggressive blitzing defense. They also play a lot of man to man press coverage on the outside. Iowa will have a chance to make some plays down the field with the one on one coverage. Pittsburgh has a good secondary but their front 7 is still a work in progress. Nicholas Grigsby at OLB and Rori Blair the Right Defensive end are the playmakers. Pittsburgh has also got a good push from the interior defensive lineman so it should be an interesting challenge for the Hawks. Pittsburgh's run defense is only allowing 88 yards per game but they haven't faced a team that has the ability to run the football like Iowa. The Panthers have allowed 170 yards passing per game.
Looking at Iowa Offensively they have been a very balanced football team. The running game will be challenged due to the fact that Iowa will likely be without Leshun Daniels Jr. Saturday Night. Jordan Canzeri will get the start and have the bulk of the carries but we will likely see Derrick Mitchell Jr. for the first time this season. I also expect Akrum Wadley to get some carries too. Mitchell was suspended then one day later was off suspension and is able to play now. CJ Beathard showed what he is capable of vs Iowa State will we see more designed runs for him? The passing game has taken steps forward both weeks, they need to continue to improve Matt Vandeberg had a breakout game last weekend I have a feeling that Tevaun Smith breaks out vs Pitt. Also do the tight ends get more involved in the offense especially with the way Pittsburgh will play coverage on the outside. George Kittle is back healthy I could see him making some big plays down the field.
Looking at the Panther's offense they want to run the football and be a physical team. They lost their starting Running Back James Connor for the season but the replacement Qadree Ollison rushed 207 yards in the first game and only 81 the second game. We will likely see all three Pittsburgh Running backs Ollison is bigger back, Chris James and Freshman Darrin Hall. Iowa has been dominant against the run so far this season. Pittsburgh want's to run the football mostly due to the fact that their passing game isn't very good. Pittsburgh has played 2 Quarterbacks so far this year Nathan Peterman will get the start at QB he has thrown for 209 Yards 1 TD 1 Interception while Chad Voytik who started last season has thrown for 104 Yards 1 TD 1 Interception. Most of the time when a team is playing two quarterbacks unless one is a better runner it normally isn't a good sign. Pittsburgh does have an explosive playmaker at WR in Tyler Boyd. He had a huge game vs Iowa in Last years game and is very capable of taking over a football game. With Boyd he likes to catch a lot of short passes and turn them into big gains. Tackling will be extremely important as it was last weekend because he can take a one yard pass and turn it into a 70 yard TD. If Iowa takes away Boyd they should be in pretty good shape.
Pittsburgh is averaging 34 points per game while Iowa is averaging 31 points per game. Pittsburgh is rushing for 226 yards per game while Iowa is rushing for 235 yards per game. Passing Iowa has the advantage at 218 Yards per game while the Panthers 156 yards per game. The more I look at the stats I think Iowa is the better football team. This game will come down to who can control the line of scrimmage. We have two teams that both want to play physical and run the football. I think that match up will be a wash, but I believe Beathard is head and shoulders better then anything Pitt has at QB. Iowa should be able to run to football, and I believe the passing game will push Iowa to 3-0. I expect this will be a close game for a while with Iowa taking control in the 4th Quarter My score prediction is 31 to 21. My big star for the Hawks this week is Tevaun Smith, he's been quiet the first two weeks but I think he breaks out Saturday Night. Should be a great atmosphere in Kinnick with a night game. A win Saturday night gives Iowa a great shot to go to 4-0 before a trip to Wisconsin looms. This is a key game Iowa got a huge victory at Iowa State last week now the Hawkeyes need to take care of business at home.
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Go Hawks
Pittsburgh has a new coach this year in former Michigan State Defensive Coordinator Pat Narduzi who's taking over after Paul Chryst left to become the coach at Wisconsin. The Panthers are 2-0 with wins over Youngstown State 45 to 37 and Akron 24 to 7. Narduzi was known for one thing at Michigan State and that was an aggressive blitzing defense. They also play a lot of man to man press coverage on the outside. Iowa will have a chance to make some plays down the field with the one on one coverage. Pittsburgh has a good secondary but their front 7 is still a work in progress. Nicholas Grigsby at OLB and Rori Blair the Right Defensive end are the playmakers. Pittsburgh has also got a good push from the interior defensive lineman so it should be an interesting challenge for the Hawks. Pittsburgh's run defense is only allowing 88 yards per game but they haven't faced a team that has the ability to run the football like Iowa. The Panthers have allowed 170 yards passing per game.
Looking at Iowa Offensively they have been a very balanced football team. The running game will be challenged due to the fact that Iowa will likely be without Leshun Daniels Jr. Saturday Night. Jordan Canzeri will get the start and have the bulk of the carries but we will likely see Derrick Mitchell Jr. for the first time this season. I also expect Akrum Wadley to get some carries too. Mitchell was suspended then one day later was off suspension and is able to play now. CJ Beathard showed what he is capable of vs Iowa State will we see more designed runs for him? The passing game has taken steps forward both weeks, they need to continue to improve Matt Vandeberg had a breakout game last weekend I have a feeling that Tevaun Smith breaks out vs Pitt. Also do the tight ends get more involved in the offense especially with the way Pittsburgh will play coverage on the outside. George Kittle is back healthy I could see him making some big plays down the field.
Looking at the Panther's offense they want to run the football and be a physical team. They lost their starting Running Back James Connor for the season but the replacement Qadree Ollison rushed 207 yards in the first game and only 81 the second game. We will likely see all three Pittsburgh Running backs Ollison is bigger back, Chris James and Freshman Darrin Hall. Iowa has been dominant against the run so far this season. Pittsburgh want's to run the football mostly due to the fact that their passing game isn't very good. Pittsburgh has played 2 Quarterbacks so far this year Nathan Peterman will get the start at QB he has thrown for 209 Yards 1 TD 1 Interception while Chad Voytik who started last season has thrown for 104 Yards 1 TD 1 Interception. Most of the time when a team is playing two quarterbacks unless one is a better runner it normally isn't a good sign. Pittsburgh does have an explosive playmaker at WR in Tyler Boyd. He had a huge game vs Iowa in Last years game and is very capable of taking over a football game. With Boyd he likes to catch a lot of short passes and turn them into big gains. Tackling will be extremely important as it was last weekend because he can take a one yard pass and turn it into a 70 yard TD. If Iowa takes away Boyd they should be in pretty good shape.
Pittsburgh is averaging 34 points per game while Iowa is averaging 31 points per game. Pittsburgh is rushing for 226 yards per game while Iowa is rushing for 235 yards per game. Passing Iowa has the advantage at 218 Yards per game while the Panthers 156 yards per game. The more I look at the stats I think Iowa is the better football team. This game will come down to who can control the line of scrimmage. We have two teams that both want to play physical and run the football. I think that match up will be a wash, but I believe Beathard is head and shoulders better then anything Pitt has at QB. Iowa should be able to run to football, and I believe the passing game will push Iowa to 3-0. I expect this will be a close game for a while with Iowa taking control in the 4th Quarter My score prediction is 31 to 21. My big star for the Hawks this week is Tevaun Smith, he's been quiet the first two weeks but I think he breaks out Saturday Night. Should be a great atmosphere in Kinnick with a night game. A win Saturday night gives Iowa a great shot to go to 4-0 before a trip to Wisconsin looms. This is a key game Iowa got a huge victory at Iowa State last week now the Hawkeyes need to take care of business at home.
Thanks for reading
Go Hawks
Monday, September 14, 2015
Iowa vs Iowa State Review
It was a tale of two halves for the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday at Jack Trice Stadium. The Cyclones looked like the better team for about two halves. Something changed at halftime as the Hawkeyes completely took control of the game to bring home the CyHawk Trophy. I think the attitude of this team and entire coaching staff has changed. So let's review how the Hawkeyes came out with a 31 to 17 Victory.
During the First half there were a couple of key plays that really got the Iowa offense going. Iowa State was leading 10 to 3 and had Iowa pinned at the 2 yard line. Beathard was able to just barely avoid a safety where the Cyclones would of been up 12 to 3. All the momentum was on Iowa State's side. The very next play Beathard showed how dangerous he can be running the football going 44 yards to take the ball to the 45 yard line. The very next play Ike Boettger got beat by the Cyclones defensive lineman, CJ stepped up in the pocket then slid out to his right to find Jordan Canzeri for 19 more yards. The next play Jordan ran for 9 yards, on a critical 3rd down Leshun Daniels ran for 13 yards to place the ball at the 15. The Hawkeyes facing another 3rd and 9 Beathard hooked up with Tevaun Smith on a beautiful back shoulder throw to tie the game. I thought this was the turning point in the game although it didn't last long as ISU found a hole in the defense on the first play Sam Richardson hit Trevor Ryen for 53 yards. On the play it looked like the linebackers got confused and let him run free. The Iowa defense stood up to force a 3rd and 17. So it looked like we were going to hold them to a field goal unfortunately Desmond King was beat deep for a TD.
The next play on Special teams Desmond King tried to catch the ball on the sideline and it went out of bounds at the 2. Two plays later CJ Beathard ran a QB draw 57 yards to put the Hawkeyes in business. Now is when the strange scenerio occurred facing a 2nd and 1, Jordan Canzeri was stopped in the backfield on two consecutive plays. I thought running the ball wasn't that bad of a call if Iowa gets the first down the clock stops and allows them to run more plays. Now the fake Field Goal wow who would of thought that not me, Iowa pulls off the fake Marshall Koehn runs it all the way down to the 5. At halftime Iowa State was leading 17 to 10.
The second half started and there was a switch that took place. The Iowa defense manhandled Iowa State in the second half. The Cyclones ran 31 plays for 66 yards in the Second Half. The defensive line completely took over even after the Hawks lost Ott in the first half. Nate Meier had a huge game for Iowa seemingly living in the backfield. Parker Hesse who came in for Ott made some big plays also. The first half it seemed like Richardson had all day to the throw in the second half he had no time. Jaleel Johnson and Nathan Bazata both were getting in the backfield and making plays. A big reason he couldn't find any receivers was because they just weren't open. Iowa's secondary which looked bad at times in the first half was in position every time. It wasn't just the starters, the Iowa defensive coaches showed confidence on 3rd down playing more man to man defense then I can remember seeing. Joshua Jackson a RS Freshman corner was matched up on Allan Lizard one on one and he made some very good plays. The only time Richardson could complete a pass was a back shoulder throw or an underneath pass. Iowa State also was gashing Iowa on the run in the first half but the second half Iowa just dominated.
On Saturday Iowa was the team that made all the winning plays which is why they won the game. The Hawkeyes quickly tied the game early on in the 3rd quarter when Beathard hit Krieger Coble for about 30 yards then he fumbled and right there to pick it up was Matt Vandeberg who dove into the endzone. The game was tied at 17 with everything on the line the Hawkeyes backed up again. 3rd and 21 how many times in the past would we have seen a run play then a punt where Iowa state winds up with great field position? Iowa instead let Beathard launch one he stood tall in the pocket throwing an absolute strike to Matt Vandeberg for 48 yards. Another 3rd and 7 Beathard hit Vandeberg for a 9 yard gain another first down. Two plays later Jordan Canzeri fumbled that was the only play of the second half where Iowa State made a winning play. Iowa forced another punt and for the first time Desmond King got a chance to make a play and he did a 34 yard punt return setting the Hawkeyes up at midfield. 3rd and 5 Beathard found Matt Vandeberg again for 7 yards and another first down. The Hawkeyes were money on 3rd down in the second half. On Second and 10 Beathard found Tevaun Smith on a quick hitch route for 9 yards. Canzeri picked up the first down with a run of 4 yards. On first and ten the clock running what do the Hawkeyes normally do run the ball to kick a field goal play very conservative? What did Iowa do? They go for the kill beautiful PA pass from Beathard to Riley Mccaron to give Iowa a 24 to 17 Lead. I loved seeing that it just shows a different attitude then we've seen in the past.
Another winning play this time by the defense Desmond King stepped in front of the Iowa State receiver to seal it with an Interception. This was the demoralizing play for the Cyclones, two plays Later Jordan Canzeri really locked the game up with an 8 yard TD Run. Final Score Iowa 31 Iowa State 17. In close games the team that wins is the one that makes the winning plays, Iowa made all but one in the second half. Looking at the offensive stats the Hawkeyes were balanced again CJ Beathard had 292 total yards with 3 TD passes 0 Interceptions. Jordan Canzeri with Leshun Daniels banged up ran 24 times for 124 yards 1 TD. Iowa as a team ran for 260 yards. I love seeing the balance on offense something that hasn't always been there the past few years. The Receivers stepped up Tevaun Smith had 2 catches for 23 yards with a TD. Matt Vandeberg if you didn't know him you do now what a game by Matt 9 Catches for 114 yards a TD. Then how about Riley Mccarron first career TD catch is a game winner 1 Catch 25 yards. We finally found the tight end a couple of times on Saturday Henry Krieger Coble 2 catches for 34 yards. This offense continues to get better I'm really excited about what I'm seeing.
Defensively there were so many guys that took their game to another level. Nate Meier was great making a lot of plays. How about the linebacker Ben Niemann this guy can fly sideline to sideline he made some great open field tackles. Both Cole Fisher and Ben Niemann got sacks and as a Team Iowa sacked Sam Richardson 4 times. They have 9 total sacks in two games with this secondary if they can get pressure on QB's we will see more interceptions.
All around it was a good day Saturday, we saw the Hawkeyes face some adversity trailing at the half but they took over in the second half. Punting Dillon Kidd a big shout out to him he punted 5 times for an average of 47 yards which is a huge improvement from last year. Lazard had some big returns vs UNI last week the coverage was excellent Saturday. Marshall Koehn made his only field goal attempt and kept his kicks deep in the End Zone. This was a great win coming from behind in a hostile environment. Next up is the Pittsburgh Panthers who will bring a very good team to Kinnick Stadium Saturday Night. I'll have a preview of that later in the week. Thanks for reading
Go Hawks
During the First half there were a couple of key plays that really got the Iowa offense going. Iowa State was leading 10 to 3 and had Iowa pinned at the 2 yard line. Beathard was able to just barely avoid a safety where the Cyclones would of been up 12 to 3. All the momentum was on Iowa State's side. The very next play Beathard showed how dangerous he can be running the football going 44 yards to take the ball to the 45 yard line. The very next play Ike Boettger got beat by the Cyclones defensive lineman, CJ stepped up in the pocket then slid out to his right to find Jordan Canzeri for 19 more yards. The next play Jordan ran for 9 yards, on a critical 3rd down Leshun Daniels ran for 13 yards to place the ball at the 15. The Hawkeyes facing another 3rd and 9 Beathard hooked up with Tevaun Smith on a beautiful back shoulder throw to tie the game. I thought this was the turning point in the game although it didn't last long as ISU found a hole in the defense on the first play Sam Richardson hit Trevor Ryen for 53 yards. On the play it looked like the linebackers got confused and let him run free. The Iowa defense stood up to force a 3rd and 17. So it looked like we were going to hold them to a field goal unfortunately Desmond King was beat deep for a TD.
The next play on Special teams Desmond King tried to catch the ball on the sideline and it went out of bounds at the 2. Two plays later CJ Beathard ran a QB draw 57 yards to put the Hawkeyes in business. Now is when the strange scenerio occurred facing a 2nd and 1, Jordan Canzeri was stopped in the backfield on two consecutive plays. I thought running the ball wasn't that bad of a call if Iowa gets the first down the clock stops and allows them to run more plays. Now the fake Field Goal wow who would of thought that not me, Iowa pulls off the fake Marshall Koehn runs it all the way down to the 5. At halftime Iowa State was leading 17 to 10.
The second half started and there was a switch that took place. The Iowa defense manhandled Iowa State in the second half. The Cyclones ran 31 plays for 66 yards in the Second Half. The defensive line completely took over even after the Hawks lost Ott in the first half. Nate Meier had a huge game for Iowa seemingly living in the backfield. Parker Hesse who came in for Ott made some big plays also. The first half it seemed like Richardson had all day to the throw in the second half he had no time. Jaleel Johnson and Nathan Bazata both were getting in the backfield and making plays. A big reason he couldn't find any receivers was because they just weren't open. Iowa's secondary which looked bad at times in the first half was in position every time. It wasn't just the starters, the Iowa defensive coaches showed confidence on 3rd down playing more man to man defense then I can remember seeing. Joshua Jackson a RS Freshman corner was matched up on Allan Lizard one on one and he made some very good plays. The only time Richardson could complete a pass was a back shoulder throw or an underneath pass. Iowa State also was gashing Iowa on the run in the first half but the second half Iowa just dominated.
On Saturday Iowa was the team that made all the winning plays which is why they won the game. The Hawkeyes quickly tied the game early on in the 3rd quarter when Beathard hit Krieger Coble for about 30 yards then he fumbled and right there to pick it up was Matt Vandeberg who dove into the endzone. The game was tied at 17 with everything on the line the Hawkeyes backed up again. 3rd and 21 how many times in the past would we have seen a run play then a punt where Iowa state winds up with great field position? Iowa instead let Beathard launch one he stood tall in the pocket throwing an absolute strike to Matt Vandeberg for 48 yards. Another 3rd and 7 Beathard hit Vandeberg for a 9 yard gain another first down. Two plays later Jordan Canzeri fumbled that was the only play of the second half where Iowa State made a winning play. Iowa forced another punt and for the first time Desmond King got a chance to make a play and he did a 34 yard punt return setting the Hawkeyes up at midfield. 3rd and 5 Beathard found Matt Vandeberg again for 7 yards and another first down. The Hawkeyes were money on 3rd down in the second half. On Second and 10 Beathard found Tevaun Smith on a quick hitch route for 9 yards. Canzeri picked up the first down with a run of 4 yards. On first and ten the clock running what do the Hawkeyes normally do run the ball to kick a field goal play very conservative? What did Iowa do? They go for the kill beautiful PA pass from Beathard to Riley Mccaron to give Iowa a 24 to 17 Lead. I loved seeing that it just shows a different attitude then we've seen in the past.
Another winning play this time by the defense Desmond King stepped in front of the Iowa State receiver to seal it with an Interception. This was the demoralizing play for the Cyclones, two plays Later Jordan Canzeri really locked the game up with an 8 yard TD Run. Final Score Iowa 31 Iowa State 17. In close games the team that wins is the one that makes the winning plays, Iowa made all but one in the second half. Looking at the offensive stats the Hawkeyes were balanced again CJ Beathard had 292 total yards with 3 TD passes 0 Interceptions. Jordan Canzeri with Leshun Daniels banged up ran 24 times for 124 yards 1 TD. Iowa as a team ran for 260 yards. I love seeing the balance on offense something that hasn't always been there the past few years. The Receivers stepped up Tevaun Smith had 2 catches for 23 yards with a TD. Matt Vandeberg if you didn't know him you do now what a game by Matt 9 Catches for 114 yards a TD. Then how about Riley Mccarron first career TD catch is a game winner 1 Catch 25 yards. We finally found the tight end a couple of times on Saturday Henry Krieger Coble 2 catches for 34 yards. This offense continues to get better I'm really excited about what I'm seeing.
Defensively there were so many guys that took their game to another level. Nate Meier was great making a lot of plays. How about the linebacker Ben Niemann this guy can fly sideline to sideline he made some great open field tackles. Both Cole Fisher and Ben Niemann got sacks and as a Team Iowa sacked Sam Richardson 4 times. They have 9 total sacks in two games with this secondary if they can get pressure on QB's we will see more interceptions.
All around it was a good day Saturday, we saw the Hawkeyes face some adversity trailing at the half but they took over in the second half. Punting Dillon Kidd a big shout out to him he punted 5 times for an average of 47 yards which is a huge improvement from last year. Lazard had some big returns vs UNI last week the coverage was excellent Saturday. Marshall Koehn made his only field goal attempt and kept his kicks deep in the End Zone. This was a great win coming from behind in a hostile environment. Next up is the Pittsburgh Panthers who will bring a very good team to Kinnick Stadium Saturday Night. I'll have a preview of that later in the week. Thanks for reading
Go Hawks
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Iowa vs Iowa State Preview
Its that time of the year when the Hawkeyes and Cyclones get together to battle for the CyHawk trophy. Both Teams are coming off dominant wins over top FCS teams. Iowa dominated Illinois State 31 to 14 and Iowa State took it to UNI 31 to 7. First lets take a look at Iowa's offense against the Cyclones Defense.
Iowa wants to run the football and be the more physical team every time they take the field. The Hawkeyes ran for 211 yards Saturday vs Illinois State. I expect to see a similar game plan with the Hawkeyes running the football. UNI didn't have a lot of success running against the Cyclones only getting 126 yards on 41 carries. We got a look at what the running backs will look like this year with Leshun Daniels being the main ball carrier, Jordan Canzeri getting some carries but the majority of his plays will come as a receiving threat. Also Derrick Mitchell Jr. who was banged up on Saturday a former Receiver can be used in that role too. I expect Iowa State to stack the box to try and force CJ Beathard to beat them. I noticed during the Cyclones game with the Panthers they were running a 3-4 defense.
The key to a successful rushing attack for the Hawkeyes will be if they can make some plays down the field. Last week Iowa didn't need to stretch the field vs Iowa State they will need too. This means pass protection will become even more important this weekend, last week ISU had 5 sacks against UNI. Iowa didn't allow a sack vs Illinois State, I believe If CJ Beathard gets time to throw he will be able to make some big Plays. Beathards ability to get out of the pocket and make plays with his legs could be big too. CJ had 211 yards passing on 15 for 24. Iowa State has one really good defensive end in Dale Pierson so Boone Myers will have his hands full at Left Tackle. The Cyclones sacked Aaron Bailey 5 times last week so they will try to get after Beathard. Last week we didn't see the tight ends targeted much at all, is this a setup for them to be a bigger factor this week. The Receivers have to continue to make some plays especially down the field. Last week Jordan Canzeri made the biggest plays for the offense through the air. Matt Vandeberg also stepped up last week with 6 catches for 59 yards. Tevaun Smith was a little bit quiet last week but he needs to be targeted more vs the Cyclones. ISU has a fast and athletic secondary but they don't have the size with Tribune being 5 ft 10 and Sam E Richardson being just 5 Ft 8. If the Cyclones stack the box to stop the run that should open up some one on one opportunities down the field.
Looking at the Iowa State offense the first thing that jumped out to me was they want to pass the football. They will run that normal spread offense throwing a lot of short passes to their talented wide receivers to try to get them in the open field. Sam Richardson is back at QB and for the first time it seems like Iowa State finally has a stable quarterback situation. Richardson was 21 for 29 233 yards with 2 TD's. He is what makes the Cyclones tick, if he plays well they can be a good football team but over the years he's had a tendency to throw interceptions. The Cyclones have a very talented Receiving core with Allan Lazard, Dondre Dailey, Quenton Bundrage and Dvario Montgomery. This will be a great matchup between the Iowa State Receivers and Iowa's secondary. I expect we will see a lot of nickle defense from the Hawks since Iowa State likes to run 4 WR Sets. Iowa has big physical corners in King and Maybin both with NFL Size. Tackling in space will be the number one objective for the defense. The Cyclones like to throw short passes that turn into big gains by missed tackles, make tackles and that takes a large weapon away from Iowa State. Iowa must pressure Sam Richardson last season they gave him too much time, this year they have to put pressure on him. Against Illinois State Iowa racked up 5 sacks and when I was watching the UNI vs Iowa State game the Panthers were able to pressure Richardson. Drew Ott will have a lot of one on one chances if the Cyclones stick with the 4 WR look. Ott was a monster last week so I expect him to live in the backfield again. Iowa State doesn't run the football a lot they will try to run a little but for the most part the defensive line should be able to rush the passer first.
Special teams neither team did a lot of good or bad. Allan Lazard had a big day returning punts for Iowa State but it looked to me like the UNI punter was out kicking his coverage. Desmond King returned punts for Iowa averaging 13 yards per return. The kickers Marshall Koehn was 1 for 1 for the Hawkeyes and Cole Netten was only 1 for 3 for the Cyclones. Dillon Kidd has had his punting issues in the past, he averaged 47 yards per punt Saturday which is good but they were pooch punt chances. Iowa State's Punter Colin Downing punted 5 times 40 yards per punt. Special teams can be a game changer we all remember Andy Brodell's big punt Return vs Iowa State and of course last year Iowa State won on a field goal.
I think Iowa needs to set the tone that they are bigger and more physical then the Cyclones. I see the Hawkeyes coming out running the ball, a couple of years ago Iowa completely dominated the line of scrimmage. The big question will be can they do that again in Ames. My next biggest question is does Drew Ott continue to look like a monster? Last week he lived in the Redbirds backfield can he do that again. Another big question in my mind will be if we see the receivers make some plays down the field and with that do we see some of the younger players get a chance. Last week Iowa ran a lot of formations that had Jerminic Smith on the field but they were all runs. I'm curious if they pull a play action pass out of that formation. The Final key is turnovers I believe if Iowa wins the Turnover battle or our even they should win this game. I see score of 27 to 17 Iowa victory, but if Iowa turns the ball over that could change. This is an improved Iowa State Football team but the way Iowa was so aggressive vs Illinois State last week makes me think this team knows what they have to do.
One final note is a sad one as the Hawkeye Family lost Tyler Sash today. He was only 27 years old. Tyler was one of the better Strong Safeties to play at Iowa. He made so many big plays from his Interception vs Penn State in 2008 that set up the game winning field goal. The interception he picked off vs Michigan State and pitched it to Micah Hyde who went all the way for a touchdown, Or how about the pinball interception vs Indiana that kept Iowa undefeated. The final memory I have of Tyler is the game he played at Iowa State where he had 3 Interceptions in a 35 to 3 victory. R.I.P. Tyler Sash Thoughts and prayers to you and your family.
Thanks for Reading
Go Hawks
Iowa wants to run the football and be the more physical team every time they take the field. The Hawkeyes ran for 211 yards Saturday vs Illinois State. I expect to see a similar game plan with the Hawkeyes running the football. UNI didn't have a lot of success running against the Cyclones only getting 126 yards on 41 carries. We got a look at what the running backs will look like this year with Leshun Daniels being the main ball carrier, Jordan Canzeri getting some carries but the majority of his plays will come as a receiving threat. Also Derrick Mitchell Jr. who was banged up on Saturday a former Receiver can be used in that role too. I expect Iowa State to stack the box to try and force CJ Beathard to beat them. I noticed during the Cyclones game with the Panthers they were running a 3-4 defense.
The key to a successful rushing attack for the Hawkeyes will be if they can make some plays down the field. Last week Iowa didn't need to stretch the field vs Iowa State they will need too. This means pass protection will become even more important this weekend, last week ISU had 5 sacks against UNI. Iowa didn't allow a sack vs Illinois State, I believe If CJ Beathard gets time to throw he will be able to make some big Plays. Beathards ability to get out of the pocket and make plays with his legs could be big too. CJ had 211 yards passing on 15 for 24. Iowa State has one really good defensive end in Dale Pierson so Boone Myers will have his hands full at Left Tackle. The Cyclones sacked Aaron Bailey 5 times last week so they will try to get after Beathard. Last week we didn't see the tight ends targeted much at all, is this a setup for them to be a bigger factor this week. The Receivers have to continue to make some plays especially down the field. Last week Jordan Canzeri made the biggest plays for the offense through the air. Matt Vandeberg also stepped up last week with 6 catches for 59 yards. Tevaun Smith was a little bit quiet last week but he needs to be targeted more vs the Cyclones. ISU has a fast and athletic secondary but they don't have the size with Tribune being 5 ft 10 and Sam E Richardson being just 5 Ft 8. If the Cyclones stack the box to stop the run that should open up some one on one opportunities down the field.
Looking at the Iowa State offense the first thing that jumped out to me was they want to pass the football. They will run that normal spread offense throwing a lot of short passes to their talented wide receivers to try to get them in the open field. Sam Richardson is back at QB and for the first time it seems like Iowa State finally has a stable quarterback situation. Richardson was 21 for 29 233 yards with 2 TD's. He is what makes the Cyclones tick, if he plays well they can be a good football team but over the years he's had a tendency to throw interceptions. The Cyclones have a very talented Receiving core with Allan Lazard, Dondre Dailey, Quenton Bundrage and Dvario Montgomery. This will be a great matchup between the Iowa State Receivers and Iowa's secondary. I expect we will see a lot of nickle defense from the Hawks since Iowa State likes to run 4 WR Sets. Iowa has big physical corners in King and Maybin both with NFL Size. Tackling in space will be the number one objective for the defense. The Cyclones like to throw short passes that turn into big gains by missed tackles, make tackles and that takes a large weapon away from Iowa State. Iowa must pressure Sam Richardson last season they gave him too much time, this year they have to put pressure on him. Against Illinois State Iowa racked up 5 sacks and when I was watching the UNI vs Iowa State game the Panthers were able to pressure Richardson. Drew Ott will have a lot of one on one chances if the Cyclones stick with the 4 WR look. Ott was a monster last week so I expect him to live in the backfield again. Iowa State doesn't run the football a lot they will try to run a little but for the most part the defensive line should be able to rush the passer first.
Special teams neither team did a lot of good or bad. Allan Lazard had a big day returning punts for Iowa State but it looked to me like the UNI punter was out kicking his coverage. Desmond King returned punts for Iowa averaging 13 yards per return. The kickers Marshall Koehn was 1 for 1 for the Hawkeyes and Cole Netten was only 1 for 3 for the Cyclones. Dillon Kidd has had his punting issues in the past, he averaged 47 yards per punt Saturday which is good but they were pooch punt chances. Iowa State's Punter Colin Downing punted 5 times 40 yards per punt. Special teams can be a game changer we all remember Andy Brodell's big punt Return vs Iowa State and of course last year Iowa State won on a field goal.
I think Iowa needs to set the tone that they are bigger and more physical then the Cyclones. I see the Hawkeyes coming out running the ball, a couple of years ago Iowa completely dominated the line of scrimmage. The big question will be can they do that again in Ames. My next biggest question is does Drew Ott continue to look like a monster? Last week he lived in the Redbirds backfield can he do that again. Another big question in my mind will be if we see the receivers make some plays down the field and with that do we see some of the younger players get a chance. Last week Iowa ran a lot of formations that had Jerminic Smith on the field but they were all runs. I'm curious if they pull a play action pass out of that formation. The Final key is turnovers I believe if Iowa wins the Turnover battle or our even they should win this game. I see score of 27 to 17 Iowa victory, but if Iowa turns the ball over that could change. This is an improved Iowa State Football team but the way Iowa was so aggressive vs Illinois State last week makes me think this team knows what they have to do.
One final note is a sad one as the Hawkeye Family lost Tyler Sash today. He was only 27 years old. Tyler was one of the better Strong Safeties to play at Iowa. He made so many big plays from his Interception vs Penn State in 2008 that set up the game winning field goal. The interception he picked off vs Michigan State and pitched it to Micah Hyde who went all the way for a touchdown, Or how about the pinball interception vs Indiana that kept Iowa undefeated. The final memory I have of Tyler is the game he played at Iowa State where he had 3 Interceptions in a 35 to 3 victory. R.I.P. Tyler Sash Thoughts and prayers to you and your family.
Thanks for Reading
Go Hawks
Sunday, September 6, 2015
Iowa vs Illinois State Review
Saturday afternoon went about as well as Iowa fans could have hoped for. Illinois State is a good Football team and Iowa completely dominated. There were a lot of question marks coming into this game and although its Illinois State all the question marks were answered. CJ Beathard was making his second career start Saturday and played very well.
The offense got off to a fast start on Saturday taking the opening kickoff 81 yards to score a Touchdown. The Iowa offense ran for over 200 yards and threw for over 200 yards also. The Hawkeyes first 2 drives were text book 81 yards and 99 yards to take a 14 to 0 lead. Leshun Daniels showed a great burst and had enough patience to allow his blockers to open the holes. Iowa's offensive line dominated the line of scrimmage. Iowa's first drive was 13 plays going 81 yards for a Touchdown. The Hawks were balanced with 7 run plays including a 27 yard gain by Daniels and 6 passes including a 15 yard gain to Tevaun Smith. Iowa looked to be out to make a statement to start the game moving the ball right down the field, they also converted a 4th and 2 on a quick slant to Tevaun Smith. CJ Beathard showed off one of the skills he has by capping the drive on a beautifully designed QB Draw. We've all watched this team struggle against teams that they should dominate but that wasn't the case Saturday. Iowa had a perfect game plan and they really didn't show a whole lot to Iowa State.
The second drive Iowa had was 99 yards in 12 Plays to take a 14 to 0 lead. On this drive the Hawkeyes showed a couple of different looks, first they ran a hard play action pass where Beathard hit Hillyar for 18 yards and a first down in the middle of the field. The second new play Iowa ran was a shovel pass screen to Jordan Canzeri, Beathard lured the defense in then shoveled the pass to Canzeri who picked up 21 yards. The other key play on the drive was another play action pass where Beathard showed his ability to get outside the pocket but keep his eyes down the field hitting Matt Vandeberg for 17 yards. The Hawkeyes also showed some new look wide receiver screens that weren't the jail break variety we are used to seeing. This wide Receiver screen was set up on some great blocking by Tevaun Smith who blocked 2 guys on one play to help Vandeberg pick up another 17 yard gain. The second TD Came on another perfectly designed play where the Hawkeyes had a bunch set to the left and ran Jordan Canzeri right up the middle for a 5 yard TD.
One of the bigger drives of the game came with just 37 seconds left in the first half. Iowa ran a HB Screen to Jordan Canzeri who turned a 3 yard pass into a 51 yard gain. Those are just some of the things that Canzeri can bring to this offense. That play set up a Marshall Koehn FG to make it 17-0. The score was only 17-0 but the lead felt a lot bigger then that. On the Hawks second drive of the 3rd quarter the Hawks put the game out of reach with a 13 play 57 yard. Iowa ran another new look out of the bunch set to the left side of the field, earlier in the game the Hawks ran Jordan Canzeri for a TD this time they threw a quick screen to Matt Vandeberg who got two big blocks from Tevaun Smith and Jake Hillyer to help him get to the corner and score. The final scoring drive for the Hawks went 10 plays 66 yards capped by a QB sneak by Beathard. Iowa had 4 double digit plays where they scored a TD and the hawks were 5 for 5 in the Redzone with only one score being a field goal. The last few years it seems like we've had trouble scoring TD's in the redzone Saturday was a big first step in changin that.
Iowa's offense was balanced Rushing for 210 yards and throwing for 221 yards. Leshun Daniels led the rushing attack on 26 carries for 123 yards. Daniels looked like the total package, he's fast enough to hit the hole but also agile enough to make defenders miss and powerful enough to run through defenders. Jordan Canzeri came in to change the pace he had 5 carries for 28 yards but also caught 4 passes for 90 yards. The Run blocking was great, the biggest thing I noticed was Iowa finally has a center who can pull and get the reach block to spring the running back. Austin Blythe was outstanding on his pulls to help spring Daniels for big gains. Also Iowa usually only runs stretch plays but vs Illinois state they ran more plays on the inside of the line.
The passing offense did some things but for the most part Iowa wasn't looking to throw the ball deep down the field. CJ was 15 for 24 211 yards 1 TD 0 INTS. Beathard also ran the ball 8 times for 26 yards and 2 touchdowns. Matt Vandeberg was the leading receiver with 6 catches for 59 yards and a TD. Vandeberg showed an ability to get open down the field, he also had some nice runs after the catch. Jake Hillyer showed a lot of improvement from last season catching 2 passes for 38 yards. Tevaun Smith had 3 receptions for 24 yards and Jameer Outsey had one catch for 10 yards. It seemed at times the receivers couldn't get open and Beathard had to throw the ball away a lot. The Receivers have to continue to improve but Iowa didn't really open up the passing game much. The one strange thing I noticed was the Tight ends weren't targeted on time by the first team offense. Now I believe this could have been one of those games where the Hawks didn't use the whole playbook.
Defensively Iowa's first team unit completely dominated the Redbirds. The defensive line was the first thing that stood out in a major way. They overpowered the Redbirds offensive line all day. Drew Ott basically lived in the backfield wreaking havoc on Tre Roberson. Ott had 2 sacks but he could of had few more forcing Roberson up in the pocket to allow other defensive lineman to make the play. Jaleel Johnson was great also getting a lot of penetration into the backfield. Iowa held Illinois State to 36 yards rushing and 196 yards passing but only 49 yards passing by Roberson. The linebackers were a big question mark coming into the season and they played really well. Ben Niemann was in on a lot of plays including a sack of Roberson. Josey Jewell was in on a lot of tackles and Cole Fisher made a lot of plays on the perimeter. The Hawkeyes Perimeter defense was much improved, last year teams took advantage of Iowa's defensive speed on the outside. Illinois State had some players who could make some plays on the outside like Roberson and Coprich but Iowa completely shut them down. The Secondary also made a lot of plays Desmond King wasn't tested much but a made couple of nice tackles. Greg Maybin made the best tackle of the day picking up Coprich and throwing him to the ground. Last year the Iowa defense gave up big plays on Saturday the first team defense didn't give up any big plays.
I was impressed with both sides of the ball Saturday. I honestly didn't know what to expect vs the Redbirds, last year Iowa played UNI to a close game. Iowa completely dominated Illinois State, it wasn't a game at all as the Hawks led 31-0 in the 4th quarter before the second team defense allowed two scores. The offense was balanced running and passing. I do want to see some more passes deep down the middle of the field. The offensive line was dominant keeping Beathard clean and opening up holes for the running Backs. Now I don't know what this means for the rest of the season but Iowa passed their first test vs a Top team in the FCS. The next test is a big one in Ames vs the Cyclones. I'll preview that game coming up early next week.
Thanks For Reading
GO Hawks
The offense got off to a fast start on Saturday taking the opening kickoff 81 yards to score a Touchdown. The Iowa offense ran for over 200 yards and threw for over 200 yards also. The Hawkeyes first 2 drives were text book 81 yards and 99 yards to take a 14 to 0 lead. Leshun Daniels showed a great burst and had enough patience to allow his blockers to open the holes. Iowa's offensive line dominated the line of scrimmage. Iowa's first drive was 13 plays going 81 yards for a Touchdown. The Hawks were balanced with 7 run plays including a 27 yard gain by Daniels and 6 passes including a 15 yard gain to Tevaun Smith. Iowa looked to be out to make a statement to start the game moving the ball right down the field, they also converted a 4th and 2 on a quick slant to Tevaun Smith. CJ Beathard showed off one of the skills he has by capping the drive on a beautifully designed QB Draw. We've all watched this team struggle against teams that they should dominate but that wasn't the case Saturday. Iowa had a perfect game plan and they really didn't show a whole lot to Iowa State.
The second drive Iowa had was 99 yards in 12 Plays to take a 14 to 0 lead. On this drive the Hawkeyes showed a couple of different looks, first they ran a hard play action pass where Beathard hit Hillyar for 18 yards and a first down in the middle of the field. The second new play Iowa ran was a shovel pass screen to Jordan Canzeri, Beathard lured the defense in then shoveled the pass to Canzeri who picked up 21 yards. The other key play on the drive was another play action pass where Beathard showed his ability to get outside the pocket but keep his eyes down the field hitting Matt Vandeberg for 17 yards. The Hawkeyes also showed some new look wide receiver screens that weren't the jail break variety we are used to seeing. This wide Receiver screen was set up on some great blocking by Tevaun Smith who blocked 2 guys on one play to help Vandeberg pick up another 17 yard gain. The second TD Came on another perfectly designed play where the Hawkeyes had a bunch set to the left and ran Jordan Canzeri right up the middle for a 5 yard TD.
One of the bigger drives of the game came with just 37 seconds left in the first half. Iowa ran a HB Screen to Jordan Canzeri who turned a 3 yard pass into a 51 yard gain. Those are just some of the things that Canzeri can bring to this offense. That play set up a Marshall Koehn FG to make it 17-0. The score was only 17-0 but the lead felt a lot bigger then that. On the Hawks second drive of the 3rd quarter the Hawks put the game out of reach with a 13 play 57 yard. Iowa ran another new look out of the bunch set to the left side of the field, earlier in the game the Hawks ran Jordan Canzeri for a TD this time they threw a quick screen to Matt Vandeberg who got two big blocks from Tevaun Smith and Jake Hillyer to help him get to the corner and score. The final scoring drive for the Hawks went 10 plays 66 yards capped by a QB sneak by Beathard. Iowa had 4 double digit plays where they scored a TD and the hawks were 5 for 5 in the Redzone with only one score being a field goal. The last few years it seems like we've had trouble scoring TD's in the redzone Saturday was a big first step in changin that.
Iowa's offense was balanced Rushing for 210 yards and throwing for 221 yards. Leshun Daniels led the rushing attack on 26 carries for 123 yards. Daniels looked like the total package, he's fast enough to hit the hole but also agile enough to make defenders miss and powerful enough to run through defenders. Jordan Canzeri came in to change the pace he had 5 carries for 28 yards but also caught 4 passes for 90 yards. The Run blocking was great, the biggest thing I noticed was Iowa finally has a center who can pull and get the reach block to spring the running back. Austin Blythe was outstanding on his pulls to help spring Daniels for big gains. Also Iowa usually only runs stretch plays but vs Illinois state they ran more plays on the inside of the line.
The passing offense did some things but for the most part Iowa wasn't looking to throw the ball deep down the field. CJ was 15 for 24 211 yards 1 TD 0 INTS. Beathard also ran the ball 8 times for 26 yards and 2 touchdowns. Matt Vandeberg was the leading receiver with 6 catches for 59 yards and a TD. Vandeberg showed an ability to get open down the field, he also had some nice runs after the catch. Jake Hillyer showed a lot of improvement from last season catching 2 passes for 38 yards. Tevaun Smith had 3 receptions for 24 yards and Jameer Outsey had one catch for 10 yards. It seemed at times the receivers couldn't get open and Beathard had to throw the ball away a lot. The Receivers have to continue to improve but Iowa didn't really open up the passing game much. The one strange thing I noticed was the Tight ends weren't targeted on time by the first team offense. Now I believe this could have been one of those games where the Hawks didn't use the whole playbook.
Defensively Iowa's first team unit completely dominated the Redbirds. The defensive line was the first thing that stood out in a major way. They overpowered the Redbirds offensive line all day. Drew Ott basically lived in the backfield wreaking havoc on Tre Roberson. Ott had 2 sacks but he could of had few more forcing Roberson up in the pocket to allow other defensive lineman to make the play. Jaleel Johnson was great also getting a lot of penetration into the backfield. Iowa held Illinois State to 36 yards rushing and 196 yards passing but only 49 yards passing by Roberson. The linebackers were a big question mark coming into the season and they played really well. Ben Niemann was in on a lot of plays including a sack of Roberson. Josey Jewell was in on a lot of tackles and Cole Fisher made a lot of plays on the perimeter. The Hawkeyes Perimeter defense was much improved, last year teams took advantage of Iowa's defensive speed on the outside. Illinois State had some players who could make some plays on the outside like Roberson and Coprich but Iowa completely shut them down. The Secondary also made a lot of plays Desmond King wasn't tested much but a made couple of nice tackles. Greg Maybin made the best tackle of the day picking up Coprich and throwing him to the ground. Last year the Iowa defense gave up big plays on Saturday the first team defense didn't give up any big plays.
I was impressed with both sides of the ball Saturday. I honestly didn't know what to expect vs the Redbirds, last year Iowa played UNI to a close game. Iowa completely dominated Illinois State, it wasn't a game at all as the Hawks led 31-0 in the 4th quarter before the second team defense allowed two scores. The offense was balanced running and passing. I do want to see some more passes deep down the middle of the field. The offensive line was dominant keeping Beathard clean and opening up holes for the running Backs. Now I don't know what this means for the rest of the season but Iowa passed their first test vs a Top team in the FCS. The next test is a big one in Ames vs the Cyclones. I'll preview that game coming up early next week.
Thanks For Reading
GO Hawks
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