The Takeaway: Arizona
by Adam Jacobi on Sep 20, 2010 7:30 AM CDT
in Iowa Hawkeyes Football
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Sure, Iowa just lost to Arizona, 34-27. But how much do we actually know? What was so important about losing to Arizona? What does it all mean, Basil? The Takeaway has the answer.
First, let's just get this out of the way. If you expect spittle-flecked hostility over the special teams errors and the offensive line's late collapse, I'm sure there's plenty of that on the, well, dumber Iowa websites and their message boards. In fact, mainly their message boards. And yes, those were some of the most horrid things we've ever seen as Iowa fans. But this loss was about more than just that.
Inevitable. In college football, it's foolish to say that when a team gets upset, everybody "should have seen it coming." If everyone should have seen it coming, then it wouldn't be much of an upset, now would it? So this is not to say that nobody should have expected Iowa to win. It was a sound logical decision, and it came close to being true Saturday.
But at the same time, the failures Iowa experienced Saturday were only surprising in their extent, not their nature. Iowa's very inexperienced offensive line struggles under late-game pressure? Well, yeah. That's going to happen. Four sacks on consecutive snaps is a little out of the ordinary, but with the game in the balance, Mike Stoops wanted to put the heat on Iowa's line, and it worked. Did it ever. Also, Iowa's running game struggling? We couldn't have seen Jewel Hampton's knee injury coming, of course, but we knew this team was going to need Brandon Wegher at some point, and Adam Robinson just isn't dynamic enough to make a real defense pay all by himself--especially since he's easily the weakest link of the three when it comes to blocking. Think Ricky Stanzi could have used Wegher or Hampton in to help block at some point during the 4th quarter?
Same goes with special teams. You can't expect Iowa to have a punt blocked AND a kick returned for a touchdown AND a missed extra point (though the missed PAT doesn't seem to have factored much into the game) all in the same game, but anyone paying attention since last year should have known these problems had a distinct possibility of cropping up again. Lo and behold.
Et tu, receivers? Yes, again, that last drive was awful--if, in retrospect, sort of the exact thing everyone spent the entire offseason worrying about. However, one could even make the case that the game swung more on a few costly errors of Iowa's wide receivers, and they were one of the unquestioned strengths of the team. I hesitate to put the blame on Marvin McNutt for not catching Stanzi's apparently overthrown deep pass on 3rd down on the first drive of the game (though I should point out I only caught one replay of it on a smaller split-screen while some Auburn guy rolled around--THANKS ESPN), so that stalled drive and ensuing blocked punt aren't really, y'know, on him. What IS on McNutt is missing that catch on the very next drive that ended up in Trevin Wade's hands going the other way to make it 14-0. For once, the term "Rick Six" was unfair, given the situation. Huge swing of momentum there.
One quarter later, Iowa had first and 10 in Arizona territory, and Stanzi had Derrell Johnson-Koulianos down the left sideline, wide open. Stanzi put it on him, it went through DJK's hands, incomplete, and Iowa would punt harmlessly three snaps later. Zero points, should have been seven.
Now, look. A conservative estimate of those plays would say there was a 14-point swing between teams there. Of course, if McNutt catches that bomb, or catches that throw on the next route, or DJK hangs onto the deep fade, there's really no telling how the rest of the game plays out. So this isn't to say Arizona deserved to lose. They earned a win. But man, did our receivers make it easier on Arizona in the first half. And it's a shame, too, because they also turned in some outstanding play during the second half. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be enough.
Speaking of making it easy on Arizona. Hey, here's a little list you might be interested in:
- 1st and 10, Arizona 21-yard line
- 4th and 6, Arizona 39-yard line
- 4th and 12, Arizona 40-yard line
- 2nd and 3, Iowa 48-yard line
Those are the ending destinations of four of Iowa's first-half possessions. Total points from those four possessions? Zero. ZEEEEERO. Wade's pick finished the first drive, Iowa punted on the middle two, and Iowa let the clock run out on the first half without a single shot at the end zone on the last one.
On the two Iowa drives that ended in punts, Iowa netted 19 and 20 yards; both times, Ryan Donahue put the punts into the end zone for a touchback. And after those two punts, Arizona needed three and two plays, respectively, to make it past Iowa's original line of scrimmage on fourth down. So with Arizona holding a lead and moving the ball with relative ease in the first half, what on earth was Kirk Ferentz doing letting those last three drives end without even an attempt at putting points on the board? Yes, we're disgusted at how Iowa's final "drive" of the game transpired. But that was just one drive--and it didn't have even a hint of the potential for scoring as the four drives listed above. You're down and you have the ball and good field position--do something with it!
But despite all that, now is not the winter of our discontent. Look, these bad games happen. They happen to really good teams every single year, and the day that a 7-point road loss to a ranked opponent two time zones away is "unacceptable for Iowa football" is the day that Iowa should just plain stop playing football because what's the damn point. This sport is fickle and cruel, even if it's usually so in Iowa's favor. This team still has the opportunity to run the table in the Big Ten and make it to Pasadena--and we're sure the coaches are keeping the players aware of that very fact.
Or, let's keep thinking big. In 2002, a mistake-filled, one-possession, September non-con loss knocked Iowa out of the polls, and they weren't back in the Coaches' Poll Top 25 until October. This time, same crappy loss, they're still in 18th place. If Iowa rips off nine straight wins again, who knows where they end up ranked after conference championship week? You ready to write that one off yet?
And finally, because I'm bitter and not done complaining. There were a litany of bad calls in the second half, and they weren't even largely in Arizona's favor. But there's one penalty on Iowa that was particularly galling, and even though it didn't really factor into the end of the game, I can't let it go unmentioned. Here's an EXCLUSIVE replay of Micah Hyde's "pass interference" in the third quarter. SEE IF YOU CAN SPOT THE CONTACT!
Fair? Where we're going, we don't need "fair."
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All in all...
It ended up being a fairly evenly played game, however sloppy both teams were. Bottom line, when you’re everybody’s biggest game, you have to be ready to play a full game.
"You're going to go out there with a dick full of confidence. Then, you're going to go out there and shoot that confidence all over the stadium." -Blue Mountain State
In my 20 somes years of Iowa football
This was, by far, the hardest loss I have ever experienced. Sunday was truly a day for mourning and I am surprised as hell I even made it here this morning to read anything Hawkeye related. I am still in shock and denial that what happened late Saturday night truly happened. Also, I want to thank tWWL for making me watch 10 minutes (seemed like an eternity) of interviews form Auburn players while showing on a split screen: Iowa getting a punt blocked, and a pick six. Talk about driving a person fucking nuts!
"The possibility of physical and mental collapse is now very real. No sympathy for the Devil, keep that in mind. Buy the ticket, take the ride!" HST
I don't see how this is worse than the '90 Ohio State loss.
Remember Leonard Part 6? Yeah.
Beat Temple.
by ReadingRambler on Sep 20, 2010 8:06 AM CDT up reply actions
Not trying to argue with you, Dip, but my word
(Literally) Last second loss. To Ohio State.
Thankful I wasn’t around for that one.
Remember Leonard Part 6? Yeah.
Beat Temple.
by ReadingRambler on Sep 20, 2010 8:06 AM CDT up reply actions
Is get what you are saying, but
That was actually my first Iowa game to see live at Kinnick. I will never forget that game and you have a soild argument with that one as being one of Iowa’s toughest losses. It is just, too me, this last loss really hurt. I mean really, really hurt!
Also, we went on to 8-4 and lost the Rose Bowl to Washington that year!
I am looking for much more out of this years team!
"The possibility of physical and mental collapse is now very real. No sympathy for the Devil, keep that in mind. Buy the ticket, take the ride!" HST
1990 Ohio State was the worst football loss I've ever seen...
…in person (I was there as a student) or on TV. And it’s not close. 20 years after the fact and that game still pretty much gives me nightmares.
Again dip, no disrespect, and this loss sucked, but this isn’t even in my top TWENTY hardest Iowa losses to take. It’s a non-conference game. We could still go to the freaking Rose Bowl. I understand this is one of Iowa’s strongest teams in years and I (sort of) understand the MNC talk (I guess), but, to play for the MNC takes a combo platter of skill, health and luck that most programs won’t see in a lifetime.
Roses. I want Roses. And this game does NOTHING to impact that goal. Hopefully they learn from it, build on it, improve some things, and kick ass and take names in the Big Ten. Hopefully Jewel is back after the bye. Hopefully we don’t have another punt blocked this year, nor give up another KO return for a TD. This was a strange, strange game, and too much went wrong to overcome it. It wasn’t a heartbreaker that should stick with anyone for more than a day or two (uh, last year’s OSU game anyone? Not over that either).
It’s over, let’s move on. Bring on Ball State and bring on the Nittany Lions!
by DonnyDonovan on Sep 20, 2010 9:52 AM CDT up reply actions
I was at this game...flew into Iowa City for it. Game was in the bag, over. Or so we thought.
…it was a SHOCKING loss.
As just a sample…The Buckeyes had the ball on their 24 with 43 seconds left before halftime. After moving the ball to the Iowa 48, OSU quarterback Greg Frey threw a pass that appeared to be picked off by Merton Hanks as the clock ran down. But the ball bounced out of Hanks’s arms and into the hands of WR Jeff Graham, who dashed into the end zone to pull the Buckeyes within 17-14 and end the half.
There was also a 4th quarter blocked punt that led to a Ohio State TD with 6 minutes left and then OSU scored with ONE SECOND LEFT to beat us 27-26. If we won, we would have locked up outright Big Ten championship…we did go to the Rose Bowl but ended up in a 4-way tie for conference championship.
That game gave me diarrhea.
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
by StoopsMyAss on Sep 20, 2010 10:19 AM CDT up reply actions
This loss hit me really hard Sat night and Sunday, but its shaking off now.
It just sucks when the Hawks under perform on a big stage.
by HawkeyeRecon on Sep 20, 2010 6:06 PM CDT up reply actions
I'm still not over the 1984
loss at Kinnick vs. Sparty.
this place smells like feet. i’ll bring a can of lysol next week.
1990 loss @Historic Kinnick vs. tOSU
this place smells like feet. i’ll bring a can of lysol next week.
I was there...
It was my birthday. This was worse. When do we get to redeem ourselves against AZ? Oh wait. We don’t. At least not anytime soon. D’oh!
by Hawkeyegirl on Sep 20, 2010 10:56 PM CDT up reply actions
Rose Bowl?
That’s how I got out of my funk…. I was pissed that there was no chance of playing USC in the Rose Bowl, but NOW… now I want Arizona in a rematch.
Play Saturday’s game 10 times, and Iowa wins nine of them. Yeah, I still got swagger. Take away that blocked punt and it’s a completely different game.
by Eyeheartfreedumb on Sep 21, 2010 3:47 PM CDT up reply actions
This isn't worse than '02 Iowa State.
This isn’t worse than ‘03 OSU. This isn’t worse than ‘05 Iowa State or ’05 Northwestern. It’s not worse than ‘06 Indiana. Hell, it’s not worse than last year’s Northwestern loss. And these are just examples from the aughts. Anyone who thinks this is a program-killer needs to start following Alabama, because your head is stuck up a cloud’s ass.
We lost on the road to a top 25 team in the middle of the night with the temperature in the 90’s, without shenanigans (‘09 jNWU) or bad officiating (’05 Florida) or a complete implosion down the stretch (’05 jNWU) or long-term bragging rights at issue (half the games we play). As Jacobi so correctly pointed out, there is still plenty to salvage from this season, so quit crying and get up off the turf.
Before you respond, let me remind you: Brian Cook called me smug, which makes me the Obama of smugness. I'm basically Smugbama.
by Patrick Vint on Sep 20, 2010 8:37 AM CDT up reply actions
worse loss
1986 Rose Bowl – only game I actually cried at
by GMcNhawkeye on Sep 20, 2010 10:00 AM CDT up reply actions
the 1988 home loss to Colorado was pretty bad,
i saved up all my paper route money for a ticket to see Iowa lose. and, back then, who the F#ck was Colorado anyways?
this place smells like feet. i’ll bring a can of lysol next week.
Also...
I would add all of the losses in 2008, 2000 jNWU and 2005 Michigan to those losses that hurt more than this Arizona loss.
by Abbas_Cincinnatus on Sep 20, 2010 10:50 AM CDT up reply actions
And don't forget the SHIT 1974 Season under Francis X Lauterbur...
Oh and Eleven
"We are completely surrounded by Red Chinese. The Sons-of-Bitches can't get away now!" USMC Col. Chesty Puller, Chosin Reservoir
Eleven? As in 2011?
Is there something I don’t know here?
I'm gonna give her my "D" face. Deeeee, deeee, deeee!
---Norm Parker
I am not discounting those games one bit.
I am still trying to rationalize what happened during that game. To see us come back like that and then just shit it away at the end after all the close games we won last season was a hard pill to swallow. I really thought the Hawks were going to pull off the win.
Your right about the other games. This game, being the latest loss, just stings right now. I will now get my ass off the turf and quit crying.
"The possibility of physical and mental collapse is now very real. No sympathy for the Devil, keep that in mind. Buy the ticket, take the ride!" HST
It's a fair point.
However, I’m actually optimistic BECAUSE this team came back at the end. The last time we were in Arizona we dug ourselves a similar hole…and just kept digging. For us to be in the game in the fourth quarter in spite of the shit storm we created for ourselves demonstrates poise and talent and gives me some remarkable optimism.
Most of the other worst Iowa losses that I’ve experienced were because they dashed any hopes I had of feeling good about our season. I still feel really good about the team that we have and what they’re capable of.
by Abbas_Cincinnatus on Sep 20, 2010 12:26 PM CDT up reply actions
None of those losses are anywhere near
The 1997 loss to Michigan. By far the worst loss. The hopes for that team were sky high, the team absolutely out-played the eventual national champ in their house, and it was all downhill from there.
The 1990 Ohio State loss was awful (I was there), but it is mitigated by the fact that we actually went to the Rose Bowl. The only thing mitigating the 1997 Michigan loss is the fact that it lead to the hiring of Ferentz 15 months later.
The '97 Michigan game is the one I thought of Saturday night.
So much invested in that game, I just felt nauseous, and totally worn out, by game’s end.
I'm just about done with this loss, but...
for a lot of reasons, this IS one of the worst losses I have seen in 30-plus years of following the team. It doesn’t hurt the program like several bad losses have. This year isn’t about that, but instead about taking the program to a higher place.
I am not alone in believing this team has the balance, experience, and character to be a truly great Iowa team. So you can eliminate, for the time, a ton of the games mentioned. This isn’t about what we did in a non-BCS bowl or did in a year when we would have felt good going to a non-BCS bowl. As one who doesn’t live in the Iowa fishbowl, this year’s team had the most buzz about being a legitimate contender since 1985. 2005 was not far off, and we have had higher preseason rankings by some outlets in, say , 1988, but nobody was buying it. That was changing and, in fact, most of the people I have talked to still have great respect for the team because of the comeback.
This team had a good shot at going into the November game with Ohio State undefeated. I know, so many things can happen between now and then, and against Northwestern last year, a big one did. But the chance for a shot at the whole enchilada is likely gone. We still have so much to play for, and we can go anywhere now from falling flat to winning a Rose Bowl, but we did lose something that we don’t often get the chance for.
Last year’s loss against Northwestern is up there, but frankly if we had run the table we would likely have ended up in the exact same bowl game we won. The Ohio State loss in 1990 is probably the same. We were 6th, with a loss at Miami, and we went to the Rose Bowl anyway.
I have to go back to 1985, at Ohio State. Number One for six weeks, and Long was just flat against a rare OSU team we were favored to beat. Even then, we still went to the Rose Bowl, though we could have been playing for the NC had we beaten OSU.
I’m not a bandwagon guy, and I think even the Gazette guys showed some true disappointment beyond their required objectivity at this game, This team had the chance to be special, and I don’t mean Rose Bowl. It’s too early to know if we could have made it there, that’s the one mitigating point and I know there’s still A chance, but we lost something we don’t often get at Iowa. We lost a chance.
Time to flush it now, and move forward, hopefully motivated by the bad taste this one left.
In Norm we trust.
by Mr. Grizz on Sep 20, 2010 6:32 PM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
It's a chance that we haven't honestly seen since the mid-80s
Yeah, I hear you. That’s the thing that gets me. We might still have a good to great season. But I can’t see us reaching the mountain top.
It never gets to be easy
by chitownhawkeye on Sep 20, 2010 8:29 PM CDT up reply actions
EXACTLY
You did an excellent job of making your point. I feel the same way about this game. I understand people think other loses have been much worse; however, I think this game is the hardest for me to get over due to the circumstances surrounding it. How often do we, as a fan base, have a legitimate chance at a National Championship? Personally, I don’t see any other loss coming close to the way this one hurt. I know the Hawks could still have an amazing year by winning out and bringing home a Big Ten and Rose Bowl Championship. Obviously, I would be ecstatic if this were to happen, but the fact still remains that we lost a tough game and a chance to play for all the marbles.
"The possibility of physical and mental collapse is now very real. No sympathy for the Devil, keep that in mind. Buy the ticket, take the ride!" HST
I appreciate what you're both saying.
It’s nice to see that we’ve set our expectations high enough that we’re disappointed when a shot at a national championship slips away. That’s a sign of how far our program has come in just ten years. That’s a great thing.
What I wanted when this season began was to see this team deliver on high expectations. The consensus for this team was double-digit wins and a BCS bowl game. The last time we started the season with those kind of expectations we went 6-7, capped off with a bullshit loss to Texas in the Alamo Bowl.
Every single special season in the Ferentz era came out of nowhere, when the expectations weren’t on us. While this team may not win the MNC they can still have a great season when people expect them to. That is a pretty crucial step in continuing to build as a program.
by Abbas_Cincinnatus on Sep 21, 2010 1:46 PM CDT up reply actions
2005 Michigan game @ Kinnick.
The home win streak. The successful blackout. A game that all of America was interested in. Yeah, that one stung a little worse for me. But I totally see your point. This one was just sad, not heartbreaking.
Still… fuck you, Chad Henne.
by Smokin Herb Grigsby on Sep 20, 2010 10:48 AM CDT up reply actions
This loss feels exactly like last year's jNW loss.
Exactly.
Inexplicable play early on gives up crucial points, we spend the rest of the time trying to get back in it and just don’t have the “it” we need. It’s there. It just doesn’t show up on the field.
by Eyeheartfreedumb on Sep 21, 2010 3:49 PM CDT up reply actions
Does anyone else feel like we're sorely missing edds/angerer?
It seemed like the linebackers were blowing coverage and missing tackles especially late in the game. Maybe it was me because I couldn’t see the whole field, but I felt this area was lacking and hasn’t really been addressed. Also, I heard angerer is going to rip out someone’s throat as a result of this loss…
On an unrelated note – I wanted to let everyone know I’ve moved into first place in this weeks college pick ’em
/waves at admiring bhgp community
//goes to corner of the room
Exactly
That is the understatement of the year, not so much tackles but the LB coverage was TERRIBLE!!
Iowa’s “strength” better have some answers for the underneath stuff because teams are going to short pass us to death.
"That woman was sexy...Out of your league? Son. Let women figure out why they won't screw you, don't do it for them."...SMDS
by J.R. Angle has a posse on Sep 20, 2010 8:30 AM CDT up reply actions
We lost because we can't cover a kickoff, we couldn't catch the ball in crucial spots, and we allowed two blocked kicks
our LBs had practically nothing to do with that loss. Tyler Sash, if you want to be picky, cost of big time on two critical pass plays. I hold him not accountable in the least.
As stated above, we failed to convert on offense in the first half…when we had the ball for like 13 of the first 15 minutes of that game. We failed to do the little things. yeah…that we allowed Foles that final drive was set up by a tsunami of shitty special teams and offensive play beforehand.
I don’t understand why folks believe this was a defensive let down. Try playing defense against a team with a 7, 14, 20 point lead throughout most of the game. That offense was able to totally dictate and we will stil shut their ass down to climb back in.
That defense put out the fire. They just did.
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
This summer I was concerned about the o-line
but I was more concerned about the loss of Edds and Angerer’s leadership. I feel that we have a potentially exceptional defense, I continue to be concerned about what appears to me to be a leadership vacuum.
What's your deal?
by PCarroll_u_sm(j)irk on Sep 20, 2010 8:51 AM CDT up reply actions
I think that's mostly right.
The defense played admirably for the vast majority of the game, given the terrible hole the special teams and offensive units dug for them — but they absolutely came up short on that final drive. Arizona made some clutch plays (especially the series-opening bomb Foles threw), but that was a drive where they badly needed to get a stop and get the ball back to the offense — and they didn’t do that. That’s on them. And when we have a defense that’s nationally renowned and one that we think is pretty damn good ourselves… it doesn’t seem unreasonable to think that they need to make plays there.
Should they have ever even BEEN in that position? No. If the special teams unit isn’t a complete clusterfuck in the first half or the offense does anything in the second quarter, the game is likely dramatically different and a big defensive stand isn’t required at the end of the game (or it’s a defensive stand to preserve a lead, at the very least). It might not be completely “fair” to put the pressure on our defense to bail out the other units when they were having D (or worse) games, but it is what it is: when we needed an A+ moment out of defense, we didn’t get it.
It was undeniably a total team loss. The special teams were dreadful (at least until Donahue’s second half punts and Prater’s fortuitous recovery), the offense was stagnant for way too long, and the defense was mostly solid but suffered a breakdown at the worst possible time. Plenty of blame to go around.
"I want to be a cowboy. I don't want to be a panda. Pandas are boring, stupid and boring. Bad panda!"
I look at this way
our D-line intercepted a pass to put us in the lead…my God, what more can we ask of them. Sash bit on two fakes…if he doesn’t they don’t score a TD and maybe not at all. I still think our defense is the best or tied for best in the Big Ten — until i see them give up, on their own more than 13 points that is how I view it.
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
I still think they're very good, too.
But we needed them to make a stop at that moment of the game and they didn’t do it. They’re a part of this loss, too.
"I want to be a cowboy. I don't want to be a panda. Pandas are boring, stupid and boring. Bad panda!"
I wondered when the Sash points would come up....
He’s been awfully ‘bitey’ on run fakes this year so far. He’s not as fast as Bob Sanders so he can’t make up the ground when he needs to.
by Hawkeye Vince on Sep 20, 2010 9:59 AM CDT up reply actions
No matter what anyone says
We owned the 2nd half. We beat them 20 – 7. Our mishaps in the 1st half was the undoing for our team. We sucessfully block for Donahue and we don’t let them run that kickoff back and I bet we win that game by 7.
Heartbreaking and totally frustrating with the special teams, but we need to move on, like everyone else is saying.
GO HAWKS!!
TOUCHDOWN IOWA! TOUCHDOWN IOWA! - Gary Dolphin
I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! - Jim Zabel
We can't cover a kickoff
and neither, apparently, can anybody else in the Big 10. Special teams for the league have been a disaster.
It never gets to be easy
by chitownhawkeye on Sep 20, 2010 5:31 PM CDT up reply actions
You could see it from the first game
Meyer either gets a touchback or a big return since his kickoffs are pretty much line drives trying to get to the endzone.
I still blame the change in the wedge rule.
It’s happening to a lot of schools this year.
by Eyeheartfreedumb on Sep 21, 2010 3:53 PM CDT up reply actions
our linebackers were
routinely off the tv screen with a RB still in the back field… thats 7 wildcats, one of which is really fast, for 4 hawk d-lineman to contend with. what was that about?
fightin for president stanzi's fightin americanzis since his first 13 yards charge - syracuse '07
by metcalfrhymeswithblodbath on Sep 20, 2010 9:41 AM CDT up reply actions
I don't think this can be stressed enough
It was amateur hour in the ESPN control room. All. Fucking. Day.
I'm gonna give her my "D" face. Deeeee, deeee, deeee!
---Norm Parker
More like they fell asleep.
and then had monkeys filling in for them.
Going, going, going, going, going, going, going, going.... Alright, I'll stop for now.
by EnergizerHawk on Sep 20, 2010 5:21 PM CDT up reply actions
Shit or get off the pot..
Teams, all teams, have to overcome challenges (injuries, bad match-ups, etc.,). The schedule, from here on out, begins with a cupcake but then gets more stout and comes with a host of potential difficulties.
Penn State has the luxury of a bye week before playing us. Michigan gets us in the Big House on national TV to put their fans at a fevor pitch, Wisconsin may ride in having just beaten the Buckeyes and as confident as any team in the nation, Michigan State could possibly come in ranked in the Top Ten if they run through their schedule undefeated.
So while every game from here on out will come with its own unique challenge, I see none as so great I cannot imagine a win (well, save Ohio State…but by the time we get there I just might imagine such a thing, you never know with injuries, momentum, etc.).
If you want to be a program that that attracts top flight recruits then you have to a) make a living by residing at the top end of the polls, b) play high profile games that captures national attention—preferably as one of “the” marquee games on national TV; c) you have to be competitive in ALL of these marquee games, even if you lose: and d) you need to win more of these games than you lose…a lot more.
Iowa did well in marquee games last year, and it does help that against Ohio State and Arizona we put up a serious challenge despite great difficulty leading up to or within the context of the game. But we are about to play—potentially—3 of our next 5 games against ranked opponents (Penn State will be for sure, Wisconsin is very likely to be, and either Michigan or Michigan State will be as well…but not both as they are now since they play each other and are well on the back end of the polls). This after teeing it up in the previous 41 contests against only 5 teams ranked in the Top 25 at the time we played them.
To me, the next six weeks will be the legacy of this senior laden team and, like it or not, Ricky Stanzi. We saw Drew Tate do very well his sophomore year—a year he used to burst on to the national scene—and during his junior year he began to receive significant national acclaim despite a down year compared to the previous season, and going into the Ohio State game in 2006 Tate was as lauded as any an Iowa QB in many a year…but by the end of that year, his senior year, he was — on a national scale — largely irrelevant. Loses do that to you, they bury you under a truck load of apathy.
Time to step up and embrace the challenges…
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
by StoopsMyAss on Sep 20, 2010 8:33 AM CDT reply actions 2 recs
I just spent this Saturday watching the Badgers in person.
It’s with good reason that I really only worry about Ohio State, Michigan and jNW; The Arizona fans chanting “overrated” at the end of the Iowa game might just have been looking at the UW/ASU score; that is not your Big Ten Champion.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Sep 20, 2010 8:59 AM CDT up reply actions
they're pretty banged up right now though
How well would we play without McNutt and DJK?
Since I didn’t see any of the game I’ll certainly not venture much more opinion than that, but I have to believe it would change how any QB played knowing his top two targets are on the sidelines.
Keeping wildlife, an amphibious rodent, for uh, domestic, you know, within the city - that aint legal either, Dude.
by AcrimoniousAngerererer on Sep 20, 2010 9:04 AM CDT up reply actions
The Badgers O did exactly what they want to do:
take care of the ball and pound away with the ground game until the D-line finally withers in the 4th quarter. However, the Wisco defense was awful and was saved from more scoring by Arizona State’s uncanny ability to rack up costly penalties at inopportune times.
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
by Kyle McCann't on Sep 20, 2010 9:17 AM CDT up reply actions
So...
Arizona State lost because they’re coached by Dennis Erickson?
I guessed as much.
Remember Leonard Part 6? Yeah.
Beat Temple.
by ReadingRambler on Sep 20, 2010 10:51 AM CDT up reply actions
This.
In the immortal words of Senior Drill Instructor Staff Sergeant Belanger, “Suck it up”. This was no fun, and not the Iowa team I know and love. Well, the sun came up both yesterday and today, in its right and lawful place in the east. There’s a lot of football left this year, let’s not schedule family gatherings on Saturdays just yet.
by Norm Parker's Amputated Toes on Sep 20, 2010 9:00 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Correction: Penn State does not have a bye week.
We play Temple. We are favored by 17. Pick Temple. They are decent.
Remember Leonard Part 6? Yeah.
Beat Temple.
by ReadingRambler on Sep 20, 2010 10:51 AM CDT up reply actions
I guess I should read more comments.
Remember Leonard Part 6? Yeah.
Beat Temple.
by ReadingRambler on Sep 20, 2010 10:52 AM CDT up reply actions
We've always known you to shoot
and ask questions later. So, all is forgiven.
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
by StoopsMyAss on Sep 20, 2010 11:52 AM CDT up reply actions
Sweet!
I’m Harry. You can be Lt. Briggs.
Remember Leonard Part 6? Yeah.
Beat Temple.
by ReadingRambler on Sep 20, 2010 12:18 PM CDT up reply actions
time to step up
As usual, SMA hits this right on the head. Just having a game that you are in BE called a MARQUEE game is huge and speaks volumes to what we have been able to accomplish. The Tucson paper (whatever it’s called) called this a SIGNATURE win for the Cats. Biggest win since 1998 – 19 freaking 98! That’s a long way from “Of course we beat these overrated clodhoppers from the Midwest who are plodding slow, blah, blah, blah!” Yes, it sucks to lose (almost as much as going to work today on 3 hours sleep) but we just need the rest of them. I mentioned the 86 Rose Bowl – what sucked so much about that was that Chuck Long and Larry Station and Dave Haight, etc – were done – no chance to redeem themselves from a horrific loss to UCLA (and their NASTY ass fans that I will hate for the rest of my life). These young men have an incredible opportunity to overcome this and return out west and win the Rose Bowl for the first time in over 50 years! To have their weaknesses exposed when they still have an opportunity to fix them is a gift! Yes, time to step up!
The '86 Rose Bowl UCLA Fans were absolute, complete, total PRICKS.
Absolutely.
"We are completely surrounded by Red Chinese. The Sons-of-Bitches can't get away now!" USMC Col. Chesty Puller, Chosin Reservoir
One other things...last year and rankings
Last year we were ranked #13 on September 27th. It was after being unranked the week before and due to a national TV win against Penn State. On October 4th we were 12th.
We play a ranked Penn State on nationa TV on October 2nd. If we beat Ball State and kick PSU’s ass I would be shocked if we were not ranked 12th or 13th that follwing Monday.
For the record, last year after beating Penn State we then went on to play an unranked Arkansas State and Michigan and barely beat both and entered the BCS Rankings at #6.
Anyone who is crying over this loss needs to get some perspective. Long road to travel here.
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
In this season's opening podcast
didn’t Jacobi say the Mad Men character he most closely resembles is Sally Draper? Just sayin…
Less memorable than Sam Okey's Hawkeye career.
PSU bye week
PSU does not have a bye week before they play us. They are at home vs. Temple this week. But, yeah, they’ll be 3-1 and still ranked when they come to town. So that’s good. And another national tv game can only help us move up the rankings. Given injuries from Saturday and the mystique that is Denard, I like us having a bye week in between PSU and Michigan. Although, watch out, Temple is 3-0…just sayin’.
thanks for the correction
if PSU buries a 3-0 Temple team that only stregthens their stock.
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
After a close look at the polls last year and the teams ahead of us this year and their schedules
we could be a version of Oregon 2009, this year…particularly if Arizona continues to win.
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
Polls
And I believe at this time last year (right after week 3) we were still unranked (although began the year 21/22). And before the jNW game, we made it pretty damn high in the BCS. If we win, I think the polls will largely take care of themselves (esp. if Arizona keeps winning). I was looking at Temple’s games to date, and apparently they beat UConn on Saturday. I think Michigan’s wins are starting to look rather unimpressive.
Fun fact
Iowa is the highest ranked team with one loss. Ok, that’s not a fun fact, per se, but we should be in good shape when others start losing. Here’s hoping that starts soon!
this if fun
thats us gettin some love…
fightin for president stanzi's fightin americanzis since his first 13 yards charge - syracuse '07
by metcalfrhymeswithblodbath on Sep 20, 2010 9:45 AM CDT up reply actions
Also interesting re: polls
All the ranked one-loss teams below us, lost to much higher ranked teams than we did. (Penn State, Oregon State, Miami lost to Alabama, TCU, and OSU).
by The Final Gun on Sep 20, 2010 11:02 AM CDT up reply actions
Meh.
Temple will probably cover, but they are Penn State’s jobber. They haven’t won since 1941. We only play them to keep alums in Philly happy for some reason.
Remember Leonard Part 6? Yeah.
Beat Temple.
by ReadingRambler on Sep 20, 2010 10:54 AM CDT up reply actions
ESPN's coverage of the game
was absolutely terrible. Was I the only one wondering why they never seemed to show a freaking replay? That was bugging me all game long.
They’d show the play live, and have the announcers talking about the play after the fact, but they rarely played a replay. It was bad enough that they waited forever to start showing the Iowa game after the Auburn game, but why could they not show a damn replay.
I was especially bothered by this during the spate of penalties in the second half, many of which were away from the ball. No one saw them the first time around, and ESPN can’t be bothered to show them. Pitiful.
And seriously
At the beginning of the game they can’t freaking put it on ESPN Classic or ESPN News?
There was some goddamned boxing match from ‘07 on Classic and they can’t put the start of a major college football game while Clemson fucks themselves on ESPN.
AND… they have to freaking interview Chized and Cam Newton instead of getting us to our game????
Fuck you four letter network! I hope somehow Dan Patrick brings down the whole network with pictures of Sean Salibury showing his wang at xmas parties.
What? Oh never mind.
by HawkeyePapyrus on Sep 20, 2010 9:18 AM CDT up reply actions
That's Chizek but come to think of it Chized is pretty cool.
by HawkeyePapyrus on Sep 20, 2010 9:19 AM CDT up reply actions
We really Chized all over our special teams play last weak
Keeping wildlife, an amphibious rodent, for uh, domestic, you know, within the city - that aint legal either, Dude.
by AcrimoniousAngerererer on Sep 20, 2010 9:20 AM CDT up reply actions
Chizik Chized all over Iowa State when he ditched them for Auburn.
I'm gonna give her my "D" face. Deeeee, deeee, deeee!
---Norm Parker
And it made Jamie Pollard cry.
"Oh no, don't do that, don't do that. If you shoot him, you'll just make him mad." - The Waco Kid
I thought about that yesterday watching the NFL
NBC spent about 5 seconds after one game before switching to the next game. Granted they were going from end of game to mid 4th quarter, but still.
I'm gonna try to say this once and then quit:
I want to see the secondary too.
Remember Leonard Part 6? Yeah.
Beat Temple.
by ReadingRambler on Sep 20, 2010 10:55 AM CDT up reply actions
All in all
This is a game that we generally played fairly poorly in and still tied it up in the 4th after trailing by 20 at the half. It seems that everything that could go wrong did and we were still able to grasp the edge of the hole we had dug for ourselves. We just couldn’t quite pull up out of it.
After having read ALL of the comments on the esteemed BHGP on Sunday morning it seems that most of the complaints are valid (ie Special Teams FAIL, End o’ the game Defense FAIL, End o’ the game O-line FAIL, Receivers FAIL) but all things being equal we still had a chance at the end (although after the PAT miss you just had that feeling it REALLY wasn’t our night).
At the beginning of the year, looking at the schedule, if you had to pick one loss that would effect our end of the year standing the least this would be it. Non-con, decent team, our whole can’t win out west meme. It would be much better to win our first west o’ the central time zone game on Jan 1st in Pasadena then in September in Tucson (pro. tuxson).
Just my thoughts.
PS: BHGP Poll suggestion
Who’s head explodes first during their college coaching career Mike Stoops or Bill Lynch???
I’m just so glad to have even Steven Ferentz on our sidelines rather than some embarassment that yells and screams the ENTIRE game no matter what is happening on the field.
mike stoops
is an idiot – apparently thats why the big ten let him go very very far away
fightin for president stanzi's fightin americanzis since his first 13 yards charge - syracuse '07
by metcalfrhymeswithblodbath on Sep 20, 2010 9:46 AM CDT up reply actions
Steven Ferentz
Our starting center in 2013?
I spent half my life's earnings on wine, women & song. The other half I wasted.
Defense - overall did their part and can't stand over-rated chants.
I agree with some stating defense pretty much did what an Iowa’s defense does. Can’t stand some of the headlines stating maybe Iowa doesn’t have best d-line because nothing in this game says otherwise to me.
Also, can’t stand over-rated chants. Both teams played a heck of a football game, tip your cap and move on. Yes they both made mistakes but there was some pretty phenomenal plays as well.
quote forthcoming
overrated chant.
as soon as I heard it, I muted the tv.
No, gone blame it dang varmits!
by Gabby Johnson on Sep 20, 2010 12:03 PM CDT up reply actions
Easy way to avoid such chants is to win.
"Have you ever had the Hot Pocket Hot Pocket? It’s Hot Pocket inside a Hot Pocket. Tastes just like a Hot Pocket."
If you think about it
the big difference in scores was, really, that kickoff return. Yeah, yeah, everybody’s ranted about the special teams play, but hear me out.
They blocked a punt, and scored. We recovered a muffed punt and scored.
They had a pick six, we had a pick six.
Those are 2 of our early mistakes ‘accounted’ for. But what’s pushes this in favor of Arizona is that kickoff return.
Let’s face it guys, it was shock and awe. You could see it in our player’s faces for much of the first half. We were only down 14, but we were down by that margin so damn early and off of such strange circumstances that I don’t think the players had fully calmed down until it was too late (if they ever did all fully calm down).
The offense SHOULD have put more points up in the first half, but didn’t. The defense SHOULD have held their ground on that last Arizona drive, but didn’t. That XP SHOULD have gone in. There was a lot of ‘shoulda, coulda, woulda’ that goes with this game, but it’s easy to look back at the game and wonder why those things didn’t happen.
I’m just hoping our team can learn from this. We’re still very much in the conference title hunt, and could still make a run for a BCS game if we play well throughout.
I will give it up to the U of A home crowd that night.
They may have thousands of empty seats when WaSU comes to play but they were LOUD on Saturday. It even seemed loud on the tv.
by HawkeyePapyrus on Sep 20, 2010 9:49 AM CDT up reply actions
They were fairly loud...
… but I didn’t see it affect the team much at all. Had a couple stupid penalties which you might be able to contribute to the noise, but those were later in the game from what I remember. I will give their fans credit – they came ready for a big game.
I had a feeling with all the hype, all the coach talk, and all the media coverage coming into this game that Arizona was treating this like their biggest game of the year, and Iowa was treating it as just another good test. Arizona wanted it more from the start. They played Iowa’s roll from last year – they had something to prove – even though they were favored by most lines and media.
IT WAS A TOUGH LOSS. SUCK IT UP. DEAL WITH IT. GET IT BEHIND US. DRIVE ON.
"We are completely surrounded by Red Chinese. The Sons-of-Bitches can't get away now!" USMC Col. Chesty Puller, Chosin Reservoir
by Zulu on Sep 20, 2010 9:34 AM CDT reply actions 4 recs
+1
aka Leftcoast Hawk / @thebirdcult on Twitter
"0.2... Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son."
by The Bird Cult on Sep 20, 2010 11:27 AM CDT up reply actions
I believe you've been given three internets and one rec, Zulu.
I'm gonna give her my "D" face. Deeeee, deeee, deeee!
---Norm Parker
Not over yet.
We lost on the road, non-conference, to a ranked team in a totally different climate. The season isn’t over.
We will lose a lot of the commentators saying "this is the best defensive line in the nation" etc and so on. While that does hurt recruiting, it doesn’t hurt the recruiting of the bread and butter recruits Iowa lives on: two and three star athletes who want to work hard.
During the game they showed how only a percentage of Arizona’s team was actually from Arizona, while Iowa had a huge amount of "home grown" players. Iowa isn’t traditional considered a powerhouse football state for recruiting, so it really is a testament to our whole coaching staff that we have attained the success we have recently.
Our biggest games come at home this year, no matter what our rank is. We have great games to look forward to, and Iowa players going in the first round in the draft. I’m still excited to see the rest of this season and you should be too.
Screw that . . .
I want 3 and 4 star athletes who want to work hard. And we’re still in play for them. We’ll be even more in play for them when we crush TCU in the Rose Bowl.
by The Final Gun on Sep 20, 2010 11:06 AM CDT up reply actions
Oregon is
going to the BCS Title game then?
"Jack Trice Stadium - Easily one of the Top 10 Stadiums in Central Iowa"
by Not Marv Cook on Sep 20, 2010 11:29 AM CDT up reply actions
That's my though.
Mainly ‘cause I’m scared as shit of Oregon.
by The Final Gun on Sep 20, 2010 11:30 AM CDT up reply actions
I'm still not convince they've learned to play defense this year
We’ll see how they do against Stanford and Arizona’s defenses before crowning them MNC contenders.
Anyone else hear the rumor
that Stanzi had the flu before the game? Just a rumor, but he did kind of look like shit.
Here’s hoping this season turns out a lot like 2002 as far as wins/losses. I couldn’t believe we came back from such a huge deficit. That speaks volumes.
Go Hawks or fuckin’ die
Yeah
actually this is what disappoints me most about Iowa losses. Since 2008, all of our losses have been within 7 points, if I can remember correctly. It’s that feeling of “so close, yet so far” that makes these losses more painful, but the analysis of the game more painful as well. It’s been a while since we’ve had a loss where we say “Well, that was an ass-kicking…moving on…”
Any update on Hampton?
Big Ten blog mentioned his knee injury on Sunday, but nothing about what it may be or how serious it is.
I did see this:
https://twitter.com/HawkeyeInsider/status/24994731375
Plus, apparently Paki has a concussion, and Davis might have a broken bone?
It was pretty obvious that Paki had a concussion.
I didn’t see what happened to Davis, and don’t have much faith that Jewel will be back before October. Robinson is going to have to become an everydown BigTen back in a hurry.
by The Mexican't on Sep 20, 2010 9:57 AM CDT up reply actions
Coker Time
I see Coker’s red shirt being burnt. I don’t see what else would change that at this point unless Wegher made a miraculous come-back and was somehow already in game-shape.
by the_iowa_hawkeye on Sep 20, 2010 10:32 AM CDT up reply actions
i don't
the whole broken collar bone thing you know….
THE MOON WALK WAS A HOAX. YOUR POPCORN IS SHIT. JOLLY TIME FOREVER. FUCK PURDUE-RossWB
by Pain in the Sash on Sep 20, 2010 11:14 AM CDT up reply actions
If he doesn't know the blocking schemes
and can only be in on running downs, then that is like tipping off pitches. And he won’t play.
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
by StoopsMyAss on Sep 20, 2010 11:54 AM CDT up reply actions
Wehger came in at this point and played very well
by the_iowa_hawkeye on Sep 20, 2010 3:01 PM CDT up reply actions
SMA makes a good point
He’s got to be able to handle the blocking schemes and not just take handoffs. More importantly, NOT FUMBLE.
What I’d like to see from Iowa RBs is something Hayden used to do a lot but that I can’t recall KOK doing a great deal (at least in recent years) and that’s throwing the 4 yard pass in the flat to a RB that can actually catch it… I think if we’d had RBs that could catch the ball more reliably Stanzi would be less likely to chuck a Stanziball in a panicked situation… either the RB catches the ball, or it hits the dirt on the blitz, which beats the hell out of Ricky throwing it for 6 to the wrong guy.
aka Leftcoast Hawk / @thebirdcult on Twitter
"0.2... Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son."
by The Bird Cult on Sep 20, 2010 3:07 PM CDT up reply actions
Wegher did all that last year
He blocked, caught out of the backfield and he was just a true freshmen. I have no idea if Coker can do the same thing or not – but I wouldn’t rule it out just because he’s a true freshman.
by the_iowa_hawkeye on Sep 20, 2010 3:29 PM CDT up reply actions
Yeah, but Wegher is currently at the equiv of an undislosed location as a Hawk Player
aka Leftcoast Hawk / @thebirdcult on Twitter
"0.2... Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son."
by The Bird Cult on Sep 20, 2010 6:21 PM CDT up reply actions
The Village Inn?
"Oh no, don't do that, don't do that. If you shoot him, you'll just make him mad." - The Waco Kid
Yes, he is.
And I wouldn’t count on him coming back. However, my point was that a true freshman CAN come in and do the job – and do it very well. So I wouldn’t write off Coker because he’s a true freshman.
by the_iowa_hawkeye on Sep 21, 2010 9:11 AM CDT up reply actions
I still think we might see Johnson first, since he's actually been practicing all through August and September.
Unless Coker is just a prodigy, I guess.
"I want to be a cowboy. I don't want to be a panda. Pandas are boring, stupid and boring. Bad panda!"
I really thought coker broke is clavicle
or did i just dream that?
THE MOON WALK WAS A HOAX. YOUR POPCORN IS SHIT. JOLLY TIME FOREVER. FUCK PURDUE-RossWB
by Pain in the Sash on Sep 20, 2010 12:42 PM CDT up reply actions
If your dreaming of a true freshman running back who's been injured nad hasn't even dressed out yet
then you’re reaaaaaaly into Iowa football.
/sarcasm’d
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
by StoopsMyAss on Sep 20, 2010 12:49 PM CDT up reply actions
no i am
and you said nad…haha. but seriously i thought i heard that one of our running backs broke his collar bone
THE MOON WALK WAS A HOAX. YOUR POPCORN IS SHIT. JOLLY TIME FOREVER. FUCK PURDUE-RossWB
by Pain in the Sash on Sep 20, 2010 1:11 PM CDT up reply actions
ok fuck me
he hurt his shoulder in august but was expected to be ready early season. sorry
THE MOON WALK WAS A HOAX. YOUR POPCORN IS SHIT. JOLLY TIME FOREVER. FUCK PURDUE-RossWB
by Pain in the Sash on Sep 20, 2010 1:19 PM CDT up reply actions
Yeah
The clavicle thing was a nasty interwebs rumor when we were all still despondent over Weghergate and willing to believe the worst. Wait, we’re Iowa fans and always willing to believe the worst when it comes to our RBs.
He did get hurt, but I think the broken clavicle part of the story turned out to be erroneous.
But he has missed a lot of practice time, which doesn’t help his case.
"I want to be a cowboy. I don't want to be a panda. Pandas are boring, stupid and boring. Bad panda!"
alright
i guess i hadn’t really heard anything past that. I live way out of the loop and don’t bother trying to catch up on reading so i just assumed he was still hurt. that’s good to hear though.
THE MOON WALK WAS A HOAX. YOUR POPCORN IS SHIT. JOLLY TIME FOREVER. FUCK PURDUE-RossWB
by Pain in the Sash on Sep 20, 2010 3:25 PM CDT up reply actions
Jewel was to get an MRI on Sunday to assess the damage
"Have you ever had the Hot Pocket Hot Pocket? It’s Hot Pocket inside a Hot Pocket. Tastes just like a Hot Pocket."
Iowa’s D allowed 13 points, it scored 7 on it’s own
Iowa’s O scored 3 TDs
they lost
I watched it and I don’t understand.
Choke/Clutch is the fetishization of the small sample size.
"People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do." -Isaac Asimov
Actually, Iowa's D only scored 6
Special Teams ….ed up the PAT. Story of the night.
by the_iowa_hawkeye on Sep 20, 2010 3:03 PM CDT up reply actions
Well
Iowa’s D technically allowed 20 points. The first TD was still on the defense, though Arizona started on the Iowa 10 yard line or so. Two field goals, and the final scoring drive.
If we break it down…
Arizona:
Offensive TD following the blocked punt
Defensive TD on interception return
Kickoff return for TD
Field goal
Field goal
Offensive TD
Iowa:
Offensive TD
Offensive TD
Offensive TD off of muffed punt return
Defensive TD on interception return, XP missed
So, you see that the Arizona KO return for a TD, made a HUGE difference, as all other things seemed to even out.
You accidentally crossed out the final AZ offensive TD.
But thank you for actually writing it out, because this just illustrates the story of the night. It just sucks…
I'm gonna give her my "D" face. Deeeee, deeee, deeee!
---Norm Parker
BUT WE WILL RECOVER!
Oh, shit, never mind, mediocre example of recovery.
I'm gonna give her my "D" face. Deeeee, deeee, deeee!
---Norm Parker
And you can always go drinking.
There I was sitting at the bar staring at my drink when a large, trouble-making biker in an ISU shirt steps up next to me, grabs my drink and gulps it down in one swig.
“Well, whatcha gonna do about it?” he says, menacingly, as I burst into tears.
“Come on, man,” the biker says, “I didn’t think you’d CRY. I can`t stand to see a man crying.”
“This is the worst day of my life,” I say. “I’m a complete failure. I was late to a meeting and my boss fired me. When I went to the parking lot, I found my car had been stolen and I don’t have any insurance. I left my wallet in the cab I took home. I found my old lady in bed with the gardener and then my dog bit me.”
“So I came to this bar to work up the courage to put an end to it all. I buy a drink. I drop a capsule in and sit here watching the arsenic dissolve. Then some jack-ass shows up and drinks the whole thing! But enough about me, how’s your day going?”
aka Leftcoast Hawk / @thebirdcult on Twitter
"0.2... Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son."
by The Bird Cult on Sep 20, 2010 6:09 PM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
Nice
Well played sir!
"The possibility of physical and mental collapse is now very real. No sympathy for the Devil, keep that in mind. Buy the ticket, take the ride!" HST
/bows
aka Leftcoast Hawk / @thebirdcult on Twitter
"0.2... Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son."
by The Bird Cult on Sep 21, 2010 2:48 PM CDT up reply actions
I don't count starting on the 8 as a real chance for the defense.
Any possession where from the start the best reasonable outcome is they kick a chip shot FG, I don’t really count against a D.
Choke/Clutch is the fetishization of the small sample size.
"People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do." -Isaac Asimov
by shake n bake on Sep 20, 2010 5:36 PM CDT up reply actions
Why is BHGP even still up and operating???
The University of Iowa resembles Babel after the tower fell. Night is day and day is endless nightmare. Liberal Arts majors are mating with Engineering majors and Business majors are still masturbating. They are selling bleached flour and Mt Dew at the Co-op and Gary Dolphin is starting to make sense.
Actually, life goes on and Iowa will win again. I am just glad I’m not Ball State.
"Have you ever had the Hot Pocket Hot Pocket? It’s Hot Pocket inside a Hot Pocket. Tastes just like a Hot Pocket."
I hope you're glad you're not Ball State.
Or, um, whatever.
I think there are two ways to respond to this loss: to recognize that it was an epic, perfect storm of a clusterfuck, learn from the mistakes and continue to improve in classic Ferentz style, or fall into a “woe is me” bullshit self-pity party. My expectation is the former over the latter, which means that we have a great week of practice and play a very crisp first half on Saturday with Vandenburg getting even more reps by the mid-third.
by Abbas_Cincinnatus on Sep 20, 2010 2:33 PM CDT up reply actions
I chose the door #2.
"Have you ever had the Hot Pocket Hot Pocket? It’s Hot Pocket inside a Hot Pocket. Tastes just like a Hot Pocket."
by Kluginator on Sep 20, 2010 2:51 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Must have had the five alarm chili there.
aka Leftcoast Hawk / @thebirdcult on Twitter
"0.2... Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son."
by The Bird Cult on Sep 20, 2010 2:59 PM CDT up reply actions
KF's halftime interview sounded to me like...
“We have them exactly where we want them.” I kept my hopes up and was thrilled that we came back. Am I disappointed, fuck yeah. But I’m really optimistic and have faith in the players and coachs that we’ll have a great year! No swagga lost, either. I’m still smelling roses. Methinks a rematch in January is in order!
KOK, you might be a genius...
by hawkeye_heartattack on Sep 20, 2010 3:32 PM CDT reply actions
Same here.
This was an epic confluence of everything bad that can happen to a team. I can’t recall all those things happening to Iowa before. It won’t happen again this year. The Hawks will be fine, and by the end of the season will be in full kill mode.
by Norm Parker's Amputated Toes on Sep 20, 2010 3:45 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
A redemption match Rose Bowl victory over them would be an awesome storyline.
by HawkeyeRecon on Sep 20, 2010 6:18 PM CDT up reply actions
i'm guessing if there is a re-match, that Stanzi doesn't get sacked on this last 4 plays from the LOS
this place smells like feet. i’ll bring a can of lysol next week.
Unless you count victory formation knees as unassisted sacks.
A little on the cocky side? I was kidding, I’ll back it off.
I'm gonna give her my "D" face. Deeeee, deeee, deeee!
---Norm Parker
by hkobb7 on Sep 20, 2010 8:38 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
SWAGGER!
+1 and rec’d
KOK, you might be a genius...
by hawkeye_heartattack on Sep 20, 2010 9:55 PM CDT up reply actions
THANK YOU!
I’d been reading, searching for someone else who had that thought.
I rooting for Zona to lose an early one (or whenever) so they don’t go all the way, but then to win the Pac-10. If we beat aOSU they’ll drop out of the top 2 right before bowl selection so the Rose will be Big vs. Pac.
And THEN we’ll see (once you take away the rediculous start time and the desert heat) if Iowa can’t win in the west.
by Eyeheartfreedumb on Sep 21, 2010 4:14 PM CDT up reply actions
You miserable phuks
No one said it yet – “If you’re going to lose, lose early” There I said it. And I will add “to a ranked opponent.” By the end of November the polls will see this loss much more lightly. Fight ON!
How would you like your steak done, Mr Sweater Vest?
by FiveSecondRuleChef on Sep 20, 2010 4:03 PM CDT reply actions
Well said...
This loss sucked, but it is definately not the end of our season. I’m really more upset over Jewel’s injury. He was due for a big game. Stings a little too that I found out on Friday that I bought his game worn throwback uniform from next week, especially since it probably won’t be “game worn.”. Lol.
by MaulerHawk on Sep 20, 2010 6:51 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
Thanks for writing this, Jacobi.
Look, these bad games happen. They happen to really good teams every single year, and the day that a 7-point road loss to a ranked opponent two time zones away is “unacceptable for Iowa football” is the day that Iowa should just plain stop playing football because what’s the damn point. This sport is fickle and cruel, even if it’s usually so in Iowa’s favor. This team still has the opportunity to run the table in the Big Ten and make it to Pasadena—and we’re sure the coaches are keeping the players aware of that very fact.
After a day to clear my head, it was good to read this perspective.
Last year Oregon went on the road
on National TV and embarrassed themselves against Boise. They got totally manhandled and then had a player punch the opposition taking lack of poise and sportsmanship to new levels. they then won a home game against Purdue by the skin of their teeth, barely beat UCLA, who was awful but won two games that set the football world abuzz. They beat a highly over-ranked California team and then USC on national TV. They were then the highest ranked 1 loss team, ranked 7th! They then LOST to Stanford, yet made it back down to #7 with a late season win against a ranked Oregon St.
Moral of the story? If you are going to lose, lose early then beat a highly ranked team at home and have a couple of other ranked teams you beat for good measure.
Iowa has the chance to our Oregon, Oregon. If Iowa can win out, and that is a tall order considering the holes we need to fill and our delicate RB situation, but if we win out, I predict a Top 3 ranking…4th at worst.
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
Agree with the premise. My quibble is I’d prefer a different example than the team that got bitchmade by fucking tOSU in the Rose.
2002 Colorado
Lost on the road to a ranked Fresno St team (probably Hill’s best team to date). Lost in Austin to Texas. Ended the season beating the #2 team in the nation in consecutive weeks. Went to the jilted-out of the MNC Bowl against Oregon. Nevermind, they were promptly bitchmade by Joey Harrington.
Or how about 1974 Alabama...talk about coming back from the dead
lost to a Mississippi team that won only one other game the rest of the season (UAB) and lost to Georgia by 31 points AT FUCKING HOME, yet was voted national champs after beating a very mediocre 8-4 Missouri team in the Astro Blubonnet Bowl. Okay, I’m kidding.
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
by StoopsMyAss on Sep 20, 2010 11:29 PM CDT up reply actions
Actually it's better because of that...
…cause if a paper tiger can do that, then…
by Eyeheartfreedumb on Sep 21, 2010 4:18 PM CDT up reply actions
RB situation
any news on Jewel? A-Rob and Paki Bomb? vs. Ball State.
Jason White is still hurt, and Shane Dibona moved to LB (right?).
I saw Brad Rodgers on the sideline during the Arizona game, I assume he was on some Special Teams; & I thought I read he had moved to FB.
So: Marcus Coker or De’Andre Johnson?
this place smells like feet. i’ll bring a can of lysol next week.
Shane DiBona is an LB, White is still hurt IIRC
Brad Rodgers definitely moved to FB, but I imagine he could play RB if the four horsemen of the Iowa Running Back Apocalypse appear (Robinson dinged up, Hampton out indefinitely, same with White, and Paki out with a concussion) and Ferentz really, really doesn’t want to burn any redshirts. However, that seems somewhat unlikely. Oh, shit, it looks like we’re one horseman away.
By the way, new news on Jewel Hampton: It’s definitely an ACL. Whether it’s a sprain or a tear isn’t yet known. An MRI was scheduled for this afternoon, and more should be known tomorrow morning, according to Morehouse’s posts on Twitter and On Iowa.
I'm gonna give her my "D" face. Deeeee, deeee, deeee!
---Norm Parker
we may not need to bun a redshirt
we don’t need a back-up of consequence this week. Penn State will be an odd game, I think we will pass against them a lot. Michigan too. After that, we need some running backs.
I think Penn State faces a real up hill against us. Nick Foles is one thing…Robert Bolden is quite another. And Foles had one drive. That’s it…at home.
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
oh, and we have a bye week before Michigan...
so unless Jewel is going under the knife, he should be back.
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
not that he would, but didn't William Lowe come in as a RB?
this place smells like feet. i’ll bring a can of lysol next week.
no, but he served as the trainer's assistant when Jewel went down...
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
by StoopsMyAss on Sep 20, 2010 11:29 PM CDT up reply actions
Do me a favor.
It’s either Rob or Bob Bolden. Choose one. I prefer Bob, he prefers Rob.
And Penn State faces an uphill battle against Iowa. Wow. You don’t say.
Remember Leonard Part 6? Yeah.
Beat Temple.
by ReadingRambler on Sep 20, 2010 9:05 PM CDT up reply actions
That was too easy
I was thinking 45 minutes before you hit my line…this is like carp fishing.
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
Jeff Brinson would be useful right about now.....
this place smells like feet. i’ll bring a can of lysol next week.
Poor Jeff Brinson...blew his knee out the day before the season at UCF
if you can believe that. It is to the point that Rbs would do well to not come anywhere near Iowa.
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
really, i must have missed that. too bad, i wish him the best.
this place smells like feet. i’ll bring a can of lysol next week.
Sorry.
I like having more comments than you on this site.
Remember Leonard Part 6? Yeah.
Beat Temple.
by ReadingRambler on Sep 20, 2010 10:02 PM CDT up reply actions
Remember Leonard Part 6? Yeah. Beat Temple.
Hilarious. (insert jello pudding video)
this place smells like feet. i’ll bring a can of lysol next week.
It's really not that hillarious.
I prefer the new sig.
"How do you ask a man to be the first man to commit to Temple? How do you ask a man to be the first man to play for a lost cause?"
by ReadingRambler on Sep 20, 2010 10:10 PM CDT up reply actions
insert Bill Cosby Temple sweatshirt
this place smells like feet. i’ll bring a can of lysol next week.
We could ask those Iowa State fans
wearing capes. They might know
It never gets to be easy
by chitownhawkeye on Sep 20, 2010 10:21 PM CDT up reply actions
Bob it is.
I was having a hard time remembering Rob, anyway. I kept catching myself thinking Ralph.
by The Mexican't on Sep 20, 2010 9:35 PM CDT up reply actions
Your mind has been infiltrated by Purdue.
Clean your ears ASAP.
"How do you ask a man to be the first man to commit to Temple? How do you ask a man to be the first man to play for a lost cause?"
by ReadingRambler on Sep 20, 2010 10:12 PM CDT up reply actions
GOD DAMN NERD SCHOOL WITH THEIR MIND CONTROL RAYS
I HATE THEM SO MUCH
"I want to be a cowboy. I don't want to be a panda. Pandas are boring, stupid and boring. Bad panda!"
So that's how they convinced everyone we really landed on the Moon
They didn’t need a fake TV studio. They’ve just Matrix’ed the entire planet. Cool. Those fucking engineering bastards are SMART.
aka Leftcoast Hawk / @thebirdcult on Twitter
"0.2... Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son."
by The Bird Cult on Sep 21, 2010 2:50 PM CDT up reply actions
it's like Iowa is missing 2 whole classes of RB's or something. maybe i'm forgetting transfers & whatnot (?).
this place smells like feet. i’ll bring a can of lysol next week.
we lost two transfers that I can think of
or they failed out or were switched to D-line or quit for personal reasons or were a figment of my imagination
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
by StoopsMyAss on Sep 20, 2010 11:31 PM CDT up reply actions
Running backs flee Iowa for fear of AIRBHG's wrath.
Looking back at the recruiting classes that comprise this year’s team…
2006: We failed to bring in a single RB, a frankly awful decision. We should bring in 1-2 RBs a year.
2007: We signed Jevon Pugh, who left after the 2007 season.
2008: With depth at roughly zero, we signed four RBs: Nate Guillory, Jewel Hampton, Adam Robinson, and Jeff Brinson. Guillory left before the season started when it became clear that Greene was going to be a fucking horse and Guillory wasn’t going to see much action. Brinson was regarded as the stud of the group, but he was (shock!) snakebit by injuries and left after the 2009 season.
2009: We brought in Brad Rogers and Brandon Wegher. Rogers was eventually moved to FB and Wegher was a happy surprise last year but has been mired in Weghergate this season.
2010: We signed De’Andre Johnson and Marcus Coker; Johnson was rehabbing from an ACL injury he suffered last fall and Coker was injured throughout camp.
So over the course of five recruiting classes we signed 9 running backs and are left with only four of them available at tailback (I’m excluding Wegher) and three of those guys (Johnson, Coker, Hampton) at varying degrees of health/readiness. Ugh.
Given the outrageous turnover at the position, we should never be signing fewer than two RBs per class. Not doing that in 06 and 07 has bit us over the past few years. We got outrageously lucky in 2008 when Greene not only came back (at the time, we just needed fucking bodies) but was utterly phenomenal. But getting one guy in 06/07 (and losing him a year later) has really hurt; we’ve had no upperclassmen depth over the past three seasons. Granted, it’s unlikely all of these hypothetical RBs would have stayed 4-5 years, but it’s probably not unreasonable to think that 1 or maybe 2 would have. It certainly would have been nice to have an upperclassmen to rely on this year or in 2009.
"I want to be a cowboy. I don't want to be a panda. Pandas are boring, stupid and boring. Bad panda!"
nice review; i forgot about Jevon Pugh
this place smells like feet. i’ll bring a can of lysol next week.
Maybe Clayborn could carry the ball.
"We are completely surrounded by Red Chinese. The Sons-of-Bitches can't get away now!" USMC Col. Chesty Puller, Chosin Reservoir
I understand what you're saying
but do you really want to tempt AIRBHG? No thanks.
It never gets to be easy
by chitownhawkeye on Sep 20, 2010 10:22 PM CDT up reply actions
Just kidding...
"We are completely surrounded by Red Chinese. The Sons-of-Bitches can't get away now!" USMC Col. Chesty Puller, Chosin Reservoir
no kidding
/double entendre’d
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
by StoopsMyAss on Sep 20, 2010 11:32 PM CDT up reply actions
Ok, yeah, but....
I would say that this loss was pretty painful due to the fact that we basically spotted the Zonies 21 points. It would be easier to swallow if they methodically beat us with multiple offensive touchdown drives. . .
but they didn’t. First of all, the fact that we came back to even the score after being down so many points was meanin
...continued
(iPhone malfunction) meaningful to me. Second of all, the fact that we DID come back having our run game completely taken away also meant something, especially considering O’Keefes tendencies in the past to blindly and un-adaptively rely on play calls that ARE NOT WORKING.
Given the foregoing, I see the Hawks as a team that has experienced a hard-fought road loss that will only help as the season progresses & less likely to drop growlers like we did last year against Northwestern, Indiana, Arkansas St. & Minnesota
Yes! You're breaking new ground here
keep going. I likey!
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
by StoopsMyAss on Sep 20, 2010 11:33 PM CDT up reply actions
Hate to say it
But we will probably have at least one more loss. Running the Big Ten Table is a rare achievement. As long as we beat tOSU, Michigan, Wisky and Mich State I would say this end result would be a very good season. Oh, and whatever happens we can not, under any circumstances, lose to the Goofers.
One of my great joys in life is seeing the udder disgust of the Twin Cities upper crust atheletic snobbery when the guys from Iowa, a state completely devoid of any cultural or societal contributions, give them the Red Headed Step Child Bitch Slap.
Agree?
How would you like your steak done, Mr Sweater Vest?
by FiveSecondRuleChef on Sep 21, 2010 4:53 AM CDT reply actions
Agree....Sort of...
Obviously only one more loss would still result in a good season, I do not dispute that. But I also have this little problem called hope. Who knew three games into last season that Iowa would have the season it had? I hate to go ahead and strike up a loss already. Who knows if Iowa will run the table? I certainly hope that they do. I do agree though, that we absolutely cannot lose to MinneScrotum….that would be bad.
Missed my overall point (I did - not you)
What I’m hoping for is that Iowa remains a national power – a legitimately established program as the dopes in the broadcast booth repeated over and over. I want us to remain relevant. One more loss (only one) would achieve that. And a win over tOSU would enhance it. A successful season is still in front of us. Not all is lost as some on the “dumber message boards” would have you believe.
How would you like your steak done, Mr Sweater Vest?
by FiveSecondRuleChef on Sep 21, 2010 6:01 AM CDT up reply actions
Losses...
I’ll only believe them when I see them, and not a minute sooner.
Zona put a dent in my swagger, but I’m watching a team that’s playing for Pasedena (which was my stated goal before the season started) who, at least at present, have a chance at a rematch with Screaming Stoops and Co. (so long as they win their conference).
by Eyeheartfreedumb on Sep 21, 2010 4:28 PM CDT up reply actions
Losses are no impediment to swagger.
Ask Frank Gore.
Excuse me for my bellicosity. And spelling. Bellicosity and spelling.
by Blackheartnopants on Sep 21, 2010 5:48 PM CDT up reply actions
ASU - In Tempe. September 2004
That was my worst recent loss. Flew in for the game. Huge party the night before. Did shots with Marv Cook. My best friend got the Chase SUITE !! for us. And it was 27 to ZIP at half and 37 to ZIP at 3rd Qtr. I didn’t even realized we even scored a touch down till the next day. THAT was an Ass Kicking. BUT, as you know, we went on for the lovely Capital One Bowl victory and ended up 8th. That was a pretty good team too. Hmm, Roth, Considine, Greenway, Babineaux. At least Arizona was ranked and at least we clawed back. yeah, tough loss, but it’ll make us stronger for the rest of the season
Dear Diary, Kevin is so hot. Today he was raking the yard. God I wish he'd throw me into that pile of leaves.
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