Ball State Preview: Set The Tone
by Adam Jacobi on Sep 24, 2010 9:38 PM CDT
in Iowa Hawkeyes Football
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PrintIt's Friday, which means it's time to preview tomorrow's game. We used to call this "There's A Game On Saturday?", but as it turns out, nobody googles that. So the boring title is your fault.
News, Notes, and News
Here are Iowa's two-deeps. Of note is that Paki O'Meara has, predictably, been ruled out of tomorrow's contest since the 2-deeps were published. That means Marcus Coker will probably be next in line if Adam Robinson doesn't want to take every single carry. De'Andre Johnson, another true freshman, may also be in the mix. Kirk Ferentz can't enjoy the proposition of burning both players' redshirts, though. Ball State misses two regular offensive linemen and will be hurting up front; other than that, the Cardinals should be close to full strength too.
Keys to the Game
Ball State has given up opening drive touchdowns in all three games played this season and, going back to the start of 2009, 11 of 15 contest. We're going to need to see Iowa establish some dominance in this game, after all, if we want some fears assuaged after last week's loss.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals have some issues on the offensive line, and Iowa should dominate the LOS here. The worry here is that Stan Parrish and his coaches are acutely aware of this disparity and will take some lessons from Arizona's game plan: short routes, 3-step drops, limited rushes between the tackles, and some efforts to get their diminutive tailbacks the ball in space. What does this mean for Iowa's defense? JUMP SOME ROUTES! Ball State is using freshman Keith Wenning at QB; he's not likely to outsmart Iowa's pass defense quite yet.
And on that note, it'd be nice to see Tyler Sash closer to the LOS on Saturday and wreaking a little more havoc than he's done so far this season; he's Iowa's best player in the back 7, after all, and he's got to have more productive value than as a deterrent for throwing over the middle.
Predictions
I told the Ball State guys Iowa wins 31-10, and I'm sticking to that here; I think that one of their two scores is late and meaningless, and that Iowa's backups get some quality reps in most of the 4th quarter. That said, I'm still not sold on Iowa's offensive line quite yet, and the running back situation is more than a little scary. Further, from talking with OTP, it sounds as if Ball State's objectives on offense have closely mirrored Arizona's thus far. Of course, there's a difference in talent between the two teams, but that's why I'm still picking Iowa to win by a deceptively close three touchdowns, y'know. Either way, this game should show us just how far Iowa's come in the week since the Arizona loss, and how much they've got to improve before the Penn State game.
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Sash needs to forget about Hyde..
It is clear he is concerned about Hyde. He has really favored Hyde’s side ot the field last two games and it has affected his range and positioning. I believe you gotta just let Hyde grow into the postion.
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
Sash's play right now reminds me a bit like AC at the beginning of last year
He admitted that part of his problem through the ISU game was that he was trying to do everything. When he just started focusing on himself, boom, breakout year. Hopefully the same can happen with Sash, and without Hyde getting burned on a regular basis.
Why worry about improving for Penn State?
I think 25% of the PSU fanbase thinks the Lions will lose.
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 24, 2010 10:14 PM CDT reply actions
To Temple that is.
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 24, 2010 10:14 PM CDT up reply actions
If you guys need to borrow some SWAGGER just let me know
it’s not really selling here right now. I got a garage filled with over supply that I will give you for very good price.
"I wish you luck with a capital 'F'" - The Real Elvis.
exactly
I’ve been troubled by this prospect since the spring. Sash cheating over to help on corner, leaving a yawning gap behind our green LBs. Burned by that last week.
I don’t read too much on BSU’s Oline being short. They’ll just sub in another Cardinal. I hear Ratzenberger’s a real bulldog….
And I I’m going to just go ahead and call shenanigans on this game even being real. First, StubHub has the game listed as starting at 1pm. BSU Daily News says noon. The schedule link here at BHGP has it as 11. Hmm…
And then I see Rittenbacher once posted this:
Something’s rotten in Muncie.
that's the excuse they'll use not to show up
Oh, noon OUR time… Our bad.
Yep
And I’m pretty sure StubHub is located somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean too.
by HeartOfHawkness on Sep 24, 2010 10:38 PM CDT up reply actions
StubHub's saying 1 pm CDT
Or is this a trick to keep AIRBHG and AISWHP from knowing when to show up?
That was mainly our coach being grumpy...
He’s old, he does that.
He wasn’t thrilled with the way our non-conference schedule set up (he wanted to split up the games against the Big Ten and the games vs. Liberty and SEMO), and vocalized it to a local beat writer unbeknownst to well, pretty much everyone.
I’m sure our AD made a few courtesy calls to Iowa City, but I highly doubt we seriously considered buying out of the game, since we really aren’t in a financial position as a program to be turning down 800 large. And our contract for this year’s game vs. Purdue was signed 10 or 11 years ago and pays jack squat, comparatively.
by Papa Lou BSU on Sep 24, 2010 10:50 PM CDT up reply actions
This and the Purdue game probably paid for your football team and a few other sports for the year.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Scheduling “cupcakes” (I use that term loosely, and not out of disrespect) has sure gotten expensive.
by HawkeyeRecon on Sep 24, 2010 11:00 PM CDT up reply actions
Yeah here's an idea
I’ll take a check for 800,000 dollars let Iowa football players kick the shit out of me. That way cupcakes can just save themselves the time.
A Voice From Kinnick - A Hawkeye Blog
The Purdue game won't pay for much...
They were given the in-state discount for years (including this year’s game) with a reported informal agreement that they would play us in Muncie one of these years. A decade has come and gone and no Boiler footballers have darkened the door of Delaware County (the basketball team visited for the first time in 20+ years in ‘08, but that’s only because Matt Painter is a Muncie native). By comparison, Missouri, Boston College, Navy and Indiana have all been willing to give us a football game in Muncie over the past seven years (and Indiana will visit for the second time in five years next Sept.)
I would not be surprised if we have told Purdue to make good on bringing their team to our house or expect to pay market rates from here on out…
by Papa Lou BSU on Sep 24, 2010 11:32 PM CDT up reply actions
Cam
Bus!
Cam
Bus!
Cam Bus! Cam Bus! Cambus! Cambus!
I've sentenced boys younger than you to the gas chamber. Didn't want to do it. I felt I owed it to them.
-- Judge Smails
He's a fullback, but okay, whatever
Ceci n'est pas un blogue.
by Adam Jacobi on Sep 25, 2010 12:26 AM CDT up reply actions
I know it's unconventional
but there have been several teams that put their fullback as their primary carrier. This guy has the build of Greene so I don’t see why we wouldn’t test him out at RB. Granted yes, he’s a FB now but he came in as an RB. He’s a 2nd stringer FB and if it means not burning two redshirts at RB then why not try him at running back.
THE MOON WALK WAS A HOAX. YOUR POPCORN IS SHIT. JOLLY TIME FOREVER. FUCK PURDUE-RossWB
by Pain in the Sash on Sep 25, 2010 12:54 AM CDT up reply actions
If he hasn't been practicing as an RB, there's no need to try and throw him in there
And it’s not worth reworking the offense to give a FB more carries. I understand a reluctance to burn redshirts, but putting somebody into a situation for which they haven’t been prepared in practice probably isn’t a good idea. Just look at Vandenberg against jNW: hadn’t taken a snap with the first team offense and it showed.
good point
i guess i never really thought of the whole “never practicing with the running backs”. that would kinda put a hitch in the whole plan.
THE MOON WALK WAS A HOAX. YOUR POPCORN IS SHIT. JOLLY TIME FOREVER. FUCK PURDUE-RossWB
by Pain in the Sash on Sep 25, 2010 1:26 AM CDT up reply actions
And besides, we already have that nifty BPS (Beyond PhotoShop) of him.
It’d be downright rude of Kirk not to play him as we see fit.
by Bucketochicken on Sep 25, 2010 9:56 AM CDT up reply actions
This is
if anything a statement game. We have to come out swinging and bury these guys early and emphatically. As far as I’m concerned, this is a huge game. This is the last game going into the conference. We’re coming off of a loss. Granted we are against a lower level MAC team but we have to re-assert our dominance. After last week I will take a win, but there needs to be little doubt in any category after this game.
THE MOON WALK WAS A HOAX. YOUR POPCORN IS SHIT. JOLLY TIME FOREVER. FUCK PURDUE-RossWB
by Pain in the Sash on Sep 25, 2010 12:59 AM CDT reply actions
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