Examing Iowa's Passing Game

Last week I asked the coaching staff to put more on Ricky and they delivered.  This week I am going to examine the playcalling, Ricky's decision making, and the scheme in general.  I am going to throw a lot of numbers at you and if that bores you I am sorry.  I understand that stats don't tell the whole story but they do add flavor to the stew.  I am going to try to explain what Iowa was doing and why I think it was the right thing most of the time.  And I am going to try to explain why I think they should continue to rely on Stanzi to win or lose them ballgames.  Thursday, as if that article couldn't be long enough, I will play Pat Fitzgerald and tell you how to defeat the Hawk's.

   Entering the 4th Quarter KOK had called 17 runs to 29 passes.  That doesn't include scrambles and sacks as runs, nor the kneel down at the end of the first half- so my statistics don't jibe with the game stats as college counts sack yardage as part of the run yards instead of the pass.  Iowa called only 3 running plays in the 3rd Quarter and Stanzi audibled into a fourth one.  Iowa ran 13 passes to 4 running plays into at least a steady 20 mph wind.  And I think it was the right thing to do.  Indiana was missing their best CB in Ray Fisher, and their best athlete and best cover Safety in Nick Polk for most of the game.  Donnell Jones was playing was also playing hurt so this was a secondary just begging to be exposed.  Indiana played 8 in the box almost the entire game.  Schematically Iowa has a very nice passing package.  The route combinations are very clever and usually someone is running free.  When Iowa picked up the Blitz they really made Indiana pay, as in 92 yards worth and 6 points.  Usually Indiana won with the blitz.  Iowa's other long TD to DJK on the other hand was all on play design and execution.  Iowa ran a "Scissors" route where the wide side corner followed McNutt on his post route instead of staying in his area and Stanzi found DJK all alone crossing underneath him.  That should have been Fisher playing there and is probably not there if his he is in.  Iowa's goal is usually to maintain balance and they were close by the end of the game but that is because they had the lead and ran 14 straight running plays to even things up.  Also the QB scrambles and Sacks make things look more even than they really are.  Make no mistake.  Iowa is a passing team and they have been all year.  My only issue with the playcalling would have been with the long patterns to the opposite hash with the wind howling Iowa's face.  With Stanzi struggling the way he was the 4th pick of the third quarter was just a matter of time. Either don't call that play or get in his ear and tell him not to throw the long ball.  DJK was open there, but either Ricky didn't have the arm to get it there in that wind or was aiming the ball so bad at that point, they should have stuck to the medium range game.  But the picks were not the Coaching Staffs' fault entirely and I thought for the most part their gameplan was very well thought out.

This team can only go as far as Stanzi can take them.  He looked to be taking them right down the tubes in the 3rd quarter on Saturday.  It really says something about this guy for him to shake off a perfomance like that and come out and hit his next three throws in the money quarter to seal the game.  But I think he would like to move on.  Here is hoping he doesn't.  He could learn a ton from this game.  Iowa came out passing in this game.  They threw on first down 8 of the 13 times in the first half.  He was 4-6 for 91 yards and 2 sacks.  3 of those completions and 77 of those yards came on one drive- the TD scored by Wegher.  Iowa needs Stanzi to be more consistent and is going to need more from him the rest of this season than one good drive a half or to be hot and cold.  He can't be so streaky.  Tubahawk has a very interesting blog that hits on a thread that was bumping around Hawkeyenation earlier this week.  While I think KOK has done a much better job this season gameplanning and calling plays(and getting plays in on time) I can't help but notice this has all coincided with the arrival of Coach Campbell.  Iowa's receiver play has drastically improved since his arrival.  Iowa has had a serious problem with its QB play leveling out and Stanzi is making the same fundamental mistakes he made in week 1.  KOK is also the QBs coach and I am not sure if he is best suited for that role.  Stanzi threw to his first read 15 of his first 24 drop backs.  He also took three sacks in those drop backs that were on him.  Those are drive killers that could be eliminated by coaching.  I don't have a huge problem with him throwing to his "pre-snap read"- in fact that can be a good thing.  It can mean that he has a handle on what the defense is trying to do and he understands how to defeat it.  The problem I have is that he stares down his first read and gives the other defenders a chance to react to where he is going with the ball and jump routes.  It also prevents his receivers from making plays when they have everyone flowing to them.  Stanzi began looking off coverage after his 4th pick but on his last pick, the ball was so underthrown that DJK had no chance at it.  That wind was really nasty.  My face is still wind burnt.  I can live with all 5 of those interceptions as I think that they were physical mistakes.  He didn't throw the ball into terrible coverage, I think a case can be made that the wind affected four of them and the umpire the fifth.  I am sure he would like to have them all back and he thinks could make better throws but my point is that he was throwing to receivers who had chances to make plays.  The worst decision of the 5 was the throw to Keenan Davis.  That was likely not going to get enough yards for the first down and he had enough time to look for another receiver.  But that was likely the best throw of the 5 picks.  The throw to Moeaki is the same one he squeezed in against MSU the week before.. but it is another case of him staring down a receiver.  If he doesn't stare down McNutt the Indy corner is running with DJK instead of sitting on the out route.  And I am certain the wind prevented two TDs on the DJK picks.  The easiest way for Stanzi to solve this is for him to look off his coverage.  He needs help with this from his coaching staff.  I am not sure he is getting it.  The important thing is with the game on the line he found McNutt with single coverage trailing him- TD; DJK all alone blown coverage- TD, Moeaki on the waggle 19 yards and at least a field goal.  Iowa doesn't call a pass the rest of the game.  Before the first pick I had him dropping back for 108 passes between them(including scrambles and sacks).  His decision making is improving and he finds single coverage.  He just needs some tweaking. 

Finally it was nice to go to a game and see what the receivers are doing.  You don't really get to see them run their routes on TV.  Iowa's scheme is well thought out. You would think that teams would be on to the playaction waggle by now but it is good for 4 or 5 times a game and can be called out of 5 or 6 of Iowa's formations.  Iowa left some bullets in their gun against Indiana this week too.  They ran the 5 wide formation zero times this week, and no screens to Wegher.  They did break out the Jailbreak screen but it was just like old times and almost got us a delay of game and eventually got us an illegal shift and a block in the back. The one complaint I have about Saturday's gameplan is keeping Moeaki in on playaction to block.  Indiana was double teaming him all day.  That left Mayberry crashing the line unaccounted for early when he realized T.M. wasn't going out and Iowa didn't adjust well early.  It also left the Free Safety Austin Thomas free to float or double the receiver on Tony's side.  If that was Ricky's read that usually led to a scramble situation in the first half.  Tony is a very good blocker, and Indy's ends were very good but it would seem to make more sense to have him play the "H" and keep Reisner in to block and live with the double team and try to make teams pay with single coverage with our outside receivers.  I was very impressed with all of the receivers route running.  Iowa runs a lot of simple crossing routes but DJK and Stross in particular ran some exellent double moves and the reason Stanzi threw the two long picks is because DJK had the coverage beaten so badly. If the wind wasn't a factor Indiana probably wouldn't have been either.  Iowa would have scored on their third drive and for sure would have been leading by the end of the third quarter.  Iowa has three really intriguing options returning next season in DJK, McNutt and Davis.  The future looks bright for this season and the next.

Iowa has three games left and the next two will be very tough.  Northwestern is always difficult and Ohio State has a lot of talent at D-line and in their secondary.  Iowa really needs to look at last Saturday and improve because to win the next two games they are going to have to be a passing team.  They have the talent to become an explosive offense.  I think that the Fourth Quarter could be the Iowa offense that more closely resembles the rest of the season than anything you have seen from Iowa this year.