Saturday is the last regular season game for Iowa this year. It is more than the battle for Floyd. It is Senior Day, a chance for a 10 win season, and a chance to work off the frustration of back to back losses after riding the high of a 13 game winning streak. The Golden Gophers may be just the medicine for what is ailing Iowa. Minny comes into this game 6-5 but reeling after suffering through their own version of Iowa versus UNI, narrowly escaping the upset last weekend at the hands of South Dakota State. Minnesota is a very veteran team that is missing their biggest weapon in Eric Decker- a future pro Wide Receiver. Minny hung with Ohio State this season and beat Michigan State. They should have beaten Illinois. They are a decent team that has a habit of shooting themselves in the foot. That generally plays into the Hawkeye's hands. However we have seen this Iowa team play to the level of their competition in every game except for one. If Minny makes mistakes Iowa must punish them for it and score TDs like they did against Iowa State. Iowa has won every trophy game this season. They should make it a clean sweep.
Offensively the Rodents are led by O.C. Jedd Fisch. He should be a name to watch in the coming seasons. They are very multiple and will run or pass out of any formation and line up in any formation on any down regardless of the distance. The only real tendencies I could spot were a lot of first down play action, and if that failed the almost always ran on second down. They are trying to transition to a Pro-style offense from the spread but they are often more effective from the Shotgun formations. Adam Weber is a good quaterback when he has time to read his progressions. Losing Decker may have made him better. His new favorite target seems to be the tight end Nick Tow-Arnett and they scheme to get him the ball. If he is in motion or not near the line of scrimmage something is probably up.
They will bring in 5 MarQuies Gray to run "Wildcat" but is just a garden variety spread offense. Gray is not a threat to pass and has attempted only 11 passes all season completing 5 with his longest being a 16 yard TD in garbage time. His series of plays include the standard Qb read option, a speed option, a Qb Draw, and regular hand offs to the back. They run some funny 4 receivers to one side stuff but generally they have a Shotgun Y (3 WR 1 TE 1 TB, two wideouts and the TE on the wide side) formation when he is in the Qb position. He also plays receiver and will start as the QB with Weber on the field and they will switch positions. He is an effective runner and is making better decisions with his keep/ handoff reads. He is a bigger version of Michigan's Denard Robinson right now.
Lately they have discoverd the fullback in their offense and he appears to be a good one. 35 Jon Hoese is a decent blocker, but he has developed into a very good receiver and also a nice short yardage option for them in the running game. He has yet to be stopped for a loss this season.
Finally their offensive line favors zone running schemes but they aren't very athletic and they struggle to get a good push and to get to the second level. In the 4 games I watched they really struggled to run the ball, even against SDSU. They are not good in pass protection and are bewildered by the blitz. They gave up 7 sacks to the Illini and 4 to the Jackrabbits. Many other times Weber was running for his life. Against SDSU Weber was pressured into throwing a pick 6. Iowa probably doesn't have to blitz to pressure Weber but it might be fun to see. This is probably the most penalized unit in the Big Ten and may have more penalties alone than the entire Iowa team. They are plagued by false starts and holding calls.
Defensively the Rodents run a base 4-3. They have a very big front 4 and they are physical. They aren't really explosive but they play the run extremely well and I saw them repeatedly blow up zone running schemes. The defensive tackles are really big and they play with leverage. The D-ends play their gaps well and play the run first. Kevin Cosgrove (formerly of Wisconsin) runs a very aggresive D. When they are blitzing everyone in the stadium will know it. They don't disguise their blitzs. They are aggressive in every way and are vulnerable to play-action passes and the deep pass in general. I saw them repeatedly burned in Cover 2 to the strong side of the field by receivers just running away from the strong safety. Cover 3 seems to be what they run the most of however.
On 3rd and Longs or obvious passing downs they run some standard 4-3, some 3-3-5 and some Nickel. I would say 90% of the time they bring at least 5 and often 7. They don't hide their pressure. I saw 5 different blitzes against the freshman QB for Illinois- Charest. They cannot generate pressure with their front four and are forced to compensate by blitzing. Both of their starting OLBs Lawrence and Tripplett are decent blitzers. They have good speed for the position and take good angles to the QB. The only DL able to generate a pass rush on his own is the DT Brown.
Special Teams: Minnesota's special teams are not very consistent. The coverage units are a liability. The kicker 37 Eric Ellestad has the leg to kick it into the end zone but when he doesn't he either shanks it out of bounds, or they give up huge returns. I saw MSU return one for a TD, Illinois bust one for over 30 and SDSU take one back for 86. I imagine they have worked on this some.
The punter 38 Blake Haudan doesn't usually kick it far enough for the other team to return it but when he does this unit is also vulnerable. SDSU also ripped off a 47 yarder.
Ellestad isn't a very reliable field goal kicker and hasn't made one from beyond 40 this season. He is money on extra points however.
Troy Stoudermire is an excellent returner on Kickoffs. He has good patience, a nice ability to start and stop and accelerate again, he can break a tackle, and he is shifty in general. He struggles catching the ball at times. The other returner Jay Thomas also does a nice job of letting blocks develop and had a nice run back nullified by a penalty.
Bryant Allen returns the punts but he has only returned 3 all season. He is a fair catch machine but he catches the ball with his body. I predict at least one muff on Saturday. I haven't seen him return a punt.
One last thing before the Match Ups. This team is a lot like Iowa was last week. They have absolutely nothing to lose. They are probably treating last week's game as a loss. They are starting 11 players from last season's team whom remember last season's trip to the wood shed. I think they are actually well coached and I was suprised. I think if they can block for Weber he is as dangerous as any QB the Hawkeyes have faced, since Kafka was so limited. I think the Hawks should dominate this game, but MSU should have destroyed this team and Minny got a lead and kept scoring against a very good defense. They didn't get lucky, they executed a very souund offensive gameplan and did just enough defensively to hold on to that game. They won in spite of 17 penalties and 152 yards against them. They fought back and almost came back to beat Illinois scoring 22 points in the 4th quarter of that game. They could have easily packed it in last week after getting way more of a game than anyone expected. I doubt that they will fold because they are facing Iowa. They would love nothing more than to ruin Iowa's chances to go to the BCS. They are riding on a Bus to and from this game, Iowa could be flying to Tempe in 6 weeks. I bet they can find some motivation for this game.
The Match Ups:
79 Bryan Bulaga LT and 60 Kyle Calloway RT Vs. Sh.DE 89 Barrett Moen 6 3 282 SR, WiDE 55 Cedric Mckinley 6 6 282 SR, and DE 97 Anthony Jacobs 6 2 289 SO: Moen usually lines up on the short side of the field, Mckinley on the wide. They are similar in skill set although Mckinley is a little more athletic. Moen isn't real explosive and doesn't rush the passer very well. He can be sucked in on P/action. He is stout against the run and can dominate most TEs physically. He hustles. Mckinley has a good motor and also plays the run very well. He too can be sucked in by P/action. He has a little more explosiveness and can make up for it better. He has a couple of pass rush moves but doesn't get to the QB often. He has a great motor and pusues really well and will make a play 20-30 yards downfield. Jacobs plays on some of the Nickel packages and I don't have a single note written down about him other than that. Bulaga and Calloway played excellent last weekend. The only thing I have written down as a negative for either of them was on the last run before overtime on Bulaga, and he still tried to ride his guy out of the play. This will be the least physically challenging match up for these guys in some time.
Spud's Spin: Huge Edge Iowa: Both of Iowa's players could be playing for NFL teams next season. I don't think either of Minnys will. Both of Iowa's tackles can handle either guy in both phases and I think Moeaki can block either one too. I am not sure how Iowa will gameplan this but eventually they will be running the ball a lot, and I look forward to watching these guys go at it.
77 Riley Reiff LG, 52 Rafael Eubanks C, and 63 Julian Vandervelde RG Vs. DTs 98 Eric Small 6 2 306 SR, 99 Garrett Brown 6 2 310 SR, and 96 Brandon Kirksey 6 2 295 SO: Small and Brown are on the field alot. They are very effective against the run and Brown is a decent pass rusher. They are the keys to Minny's rushing defense. They remind me a little of having two Matt Krouls. They attack their gaps and try to penetrate vs. zone schemes. Small isn't really explosive off the snap but he finds the ball. He plays low and gets a good push in the running game. He is very strong and is willing to just hold his spot. He doesn't have the speed to track down plays away from him often. He plays very, very hard. Brown is pretty explosive and he is the more disruptive of the two. He has a little more burst in him and he can get to the runner from behind occasionally. He also has a little more success getting to the QB although he pretty much just tries to push his way there. Kirksey is pretty much just in there to give these guys a blow right now. I didn't see him do anything special except get off the ball really slow. #95 D.L. Wilhite scored a TD vs SDSU but isn't listed on the depth chart. Iowa's interior unit is coming off of its best game collectively but this will still be a tough match up for them. These guys are bigger than the OSU players and willing to just anchor against the run rather than try to run with the lineman and try to make plays. This will especially be a strength mismatch for Reiff and Eubanks.
Spud's Spin: Edge Gophers: These are some veteran players for Minnesota and they are having good seasons. They understand what their roles are in the defense they are playing and if they can make a play so much the better. Iowa should have the quickness edge here but Minny definately has the strength and especially in Reiff's case the experience edge. It will be important for Iowa's players to get to the second level vs. the Gophers because their LBs are pretty good downhill and know how to use their D-line to their advantage. They don't shed blocks well however.
81 Tony Moeaki TE Vs. 21 Simoni Lawrence 6 1 221 SR: Lawrence is a very good athlete but he is a little undersized and struggles at the point of attack in the run game. He is very comfortable in space and a good tackler. He gets good depth on his zone drops and he has very good make up speed if he takes a false step on P/action. He also has very good closing speed for a linebacker. He understands how to play his zone and doesn't take chances exposing his area of the field. He is a decent blitzer and possibly their best pass rushing threat. He can be swallowed up by lineman and tightends, though and he doesn't shed blocks very well, prefering to try to run around them. Moeaki played pretty well versus OSU. He had one dropped pass on a hitch route and one that he tipped that led to the first Iowa turnover. That was a pretty tough catch but I have seen him make those kinds of plays. I haven't seen Minny's D scheme for a particular receiver including B. White from MSU, prefering to either blitz to force the ball out early or play their regular coverages. Tony did a pretty good job blocking in both phases.
Spud's Spin: Edge Iowa: Lawrence can run with Tony but I am not sure he can cover him. He is giving up a lot in Height and Weight in this match up and I think Tony could flat out dominate him run blocking him. Tony could have a big day if he is the hot receiver as much as Cosgrove likes to blitz. I would prefer to see Moeaki running a route on every passing play and not pass blocking in this game no matter how much pressure Minnesota is bringing. He could really rack up the YAC in this game if he is the outlet receiver and JVB has shown the ability to find his checkdown very well.
82 Allen Reisner TE and 36 Brett Morse FB Vs. 32 WLB Nate Triplett 6 3 247 SR: Triplett doesn't seem to change direction well and can really overpursue. He can make a tackle with a blocker on his hip and can sift through traffic. He has decent straight ahead speed and reads his keys well. He is very aggressive though and can really get sucked in on playaction. He doesn't miss very many tackles and will bring a guy down in space. He never gives up on a play. He is a good blitzer and finds a gap through the middle as well as any linebacker Iowa has faced this season. Reisner had a nice game last week and seems to be benefitting from the change in QB. He is also underrated as a blocker. Morse hasn't been as productive lately as he was early in the season but I think some of the blocks he is accused of missing are misunderstood. I think he is responsible for backside pursuit on a lot of Iowa's runs and isn't necassarily always a lead blocker in Iowa's scheme. He has also been a productive outlet for the passing game and is a very reliable pass blocker.
Spud's Spin: Edge Gophers: Triplett isn't always pretty but he finds the ball and makes the tackle. He also knows where he is supposed to be on the field and he gets there. He can be blocked but if he is he fights hard to get off of it. He is pretty strong and very instinctive. I think it is really important for Iowa's running game for him to be blocked. If he is consistently one of Iowa's runningbacks will have a big day.
WRs 86 Trey Stross, 15 DJK, 7 Marvin McNutt, 6 Keenan Davis, and 22 Colin Sandeman Vs. CBs 15 Traye Simmons 5 11 180 SR, 24 Marcus Sherels 5 11 172 SR, 1 Michael Carter 5 11 163, and 2 Ryan Collado 5 9 173 JR: I bet Simmons and Sherels remember last season. They were victimized by DJK repeatedly by double moves. They are very aggressive corners and they try to jump routes. They blow a lot of coverages. Simmons is a decent tackler on receivers but he doesn't seem to like to help in the run game. He is still vulnerable to the double move and will jump a route when he has deep responsiblity on Cover 3. He was hurt for much of the SDSU game, but was listed in the depth chart. Sherels is a little more disiplined but he can still be beaten by a double move. He is also not big on run support. He doesn't play the ball in the air on deep passes. He isn't extremely fast. He does seem to read routes well and closes well on short passes. Carter looks like he may be something special. He is by far the most physical of the outside players. He has the ability to turn and run with receivers. He isn't afraid to make a play on the ball in the air. He also has nice closing speed. Collado plays the Nickel Back. He is listed as a Safety on the two deep but I haven't seen him play that position. He looks pretty decent in coverage and he is a good tackler. He isn't as fast as the other three players but has a knack for understanding what receivers are trying to do. He plays his reponsibilities well. All of these players were beaten deep at least once and usually more than once. Simmons and Sherels were burned multiple times. Stross is coming off of a nightmare game. I am sure that isn't the homecoming he was hoping for but I imagine he will rebound nicely for Senior Day. DJK played well both as a receiver and as a returner. McNutt was fantastic. I don't understand why he is ever used in the slot. He is such a match up nightmare it seems senseless to not keep him on the perimeter. Davis and Sandeman didn't produce much but they did block well. Sandeman did have a nice run after a catch.
Spud's Spin: Huge Edge Iowa: I had pretty large expectations for this group but they have exceeded them. Iowa receivers have had some pretty nice games against Minny recently and I see the trend continuing. I would love for nothing more than for the first play call be designed for Stross. He needs to be a big part of the game plan. 3 receiver sets should be the norm against this team and the Strong Safety should be attacked downfield. He can be run away from without the need for precise route running. If Iowa gets a lead they need to keep their boot on Minny's throat. I want Stross to approach DJK's day last season and Brodell's day from 2006.
TBs 32 Adam Robinson and 3 Brandon Wegher Vs. 30 MLB Lee Campbell 6 3 246 SR: Cambell is a fairly complete MLB. He can be sucked in on P/action but he has the speed to make up for a false step. He would prefer to play downhill and attack the run. He really does a nice job of sniffing out the run and using his D-line as a screen to get to the ballcarrier. If he is engaged he struggles to get off of blocks. He takes good angles to the ball and gets the ballcarrier down. He gets good depth on his zone drops. He reads the Qb's eyes well and tries to make plays on the pass. He is probably the better athlete between he and Triplett. Robinson was incredible last weekend. He was gutty and found yards after contact that shouldn't have been there. He also did a nice job of picking up the blitz in pass protection. He showed his usual good vision and didn't seem to be any worse for the wear after missing two weeks. Wegher is supposed to be a go, and it would be nice to have him as he could be a nightmare for Minny to cover in this game. He is too fast for their linebackers and would force them into some type of zone if he played the slot. He had been playing his best football before missing last week.
Spud's Spin: Edge Iowa: If only one of these guys can go than it is a push. But these guys are really starting to understand the one cut and go philosophy of Iowa's zone scheme. That will be important because I think that Minny's D-line can do a respectable job trying to make their life miserable. However, both Robinson and Wegher have proven to be assets in the passing game and have gotten yards against tougher defenses than this one. And Iowa's Oline is coming off of its best performance.
16 QB James Vandenberg Vs. FS 3 Kim Royston 5 11 193 JR and SS 27 Kyle Theret 5 10 193 JR: Royston and Theret are very solid in both run support and pass coverage. Royston is a very good tackler, very physical, good in space and had pretty good speed. He doesn't cover well one on one. Theret is very aggressive in run support and is a good tackler. He takes very good angles and understands his limitations. He doesn't have super athleticism but he is very heady. He can make up for some of that by his instincts. He is a step slow in deep coverage and can be exploited in Cover 2. He is also vulnerable to P/action. JVB played very well last week. He made good decisions with the ball almost always. He had a physical mistake on his first two picks. He had a couple of bad reads that didn't hurt him (1 penalty, 1 great play by Moeaki). He also showed a lot of pocket presence. OSU didn't blitz him as often as Northwestern did however and Minny will probably blitz him a ton. I think if he gets help from the Oline he could have a very big day. He finds single coverage.
Spud's Spin: Edge Iowa: Minny's D is kind of like Iowa's they line up and try to out execute you. JVB has shown early that he understands the mental part of the game and he made a huge leap from in one week on the physical part. I think another week developing chemistry with this group of WRs and with a solid and aggressive gameplan he could possibly throw for 300+ yards.
94 Adrian Clayborn RDE and 91 Broderick Binns LDE Vs. 76 LT Dom Alford 6 3 336 JR and 71 RT Jeff Willis 6 7 365 JR: These guys really struggle in pass protection. Willis also is good for at least one false start a game. Willis does have a nice punch and if he can lock on to a defender it is over. He doesn't move his feet well though and he can just be run around on either side. He doesn't have good quickness. He is out of his element in the zone blocking run scheme. He needs to be able to drive block straight ahead and this style really doesn't suit him. Alford also really struggles with a speed move in PP. He also has bad feet. He also is miscast in this zone scheme. Several times he struggled to reach anyone on stretch plays. Clayborn had the best game of Iowa's D-lineman including one highlight reel trackdown of Pryor that will for sure have to be on his film review if he decides to turn pro. He must be licking his chops watching tape of Alford. Binns really struggled in the run game against OSU. Both Ballard the TE and Shugarts the RT were able to wash him or seal him out of plays for long stretches of drives. He played the contain on Pryor very well though. He should also be very excited about this weekend's opponent.
Spud's Spin: Huge Edge Iowa: Clayborn and Binns will be racing each other to Weber. I am wondering if his #8 won't rub off on their jerseys'. The only thing preventing them from piling up multiple sacks will be if Ballard and Klug get them first. Clayborn has been a beast against the run most of the season also. Binns should be able to reassert himself in that phase this week.
DTs 46 Christian Ballard and 95 Karl Klug Vs. 68 LG Chris Bunders 6 3 322 SO, 53 C D.J. Burris 6 2 290 JR, 73 RG Matt Carufel 6 5 302 JR, and 78 G Ryan Orton 6 4 296 SO: This unit really struggles with pass protection as well. They do not pick up the blitz well and one of them are often left standing alone while Weber is picking himself up from a pile of opponents. They do get a decent surge in the run game. Bunders usually finds somebody at the second level and is good on the double team in the run game. He seems to understand the timing of the scheme. But in pass protection he misses cut blocks a lot, he can be run around, he doesn't have good feet and doesn't keep them moving, and I see him standing around blocking no one a lot. Burris is a pretty good run blocker. He misses a lot of his protections but is new to the position (starting at least). He is on the ground a ton though. He doesn't get to the second level well. He has bad balance and can be easily pushed backwards in PP. He doesn't do a good job of blitz pickup or recognition. Carufel is a Notre Dame transfer and I think a H.S. teammate of Binns. He looks the part for this scheme but he doesn't play it. I don't know if he was hurt last week or just replaced. He may be the best of this trio at getting to the second level. He really struggles with speed in PP. He doesn't anchor well and can be pushed back easily. He doesn't keep his feet moving when pass blocking. Orton only played against SDSU but when he played the run blocking noticeably improved. He also struggled with PP. SDSU just kept blitzing inside and Minny never had an answer for it. Orton is listed as second team this week. Ballard and Klug played their contain against Pryor well but were pushed around in the running game on several drives by OSU's interior. Ballard showed his athleticism though by almost chasing down Pryor at least three times and causing him either throw incompletions or scramble for little to no gain. Klug also did a nice job pass rushing but never recorded a sack. He did take good angles against Pryor.
Spud's Spin: Huge Edge Iowa: Klug and Ballard should be looking to stop the run first and I think they can. They are physically better than the guys they are facing. Minnesota doesn't do a ton of misdirection and the best back is a one cut and go type. When Weber drops straight back they should feast right alongside Clayborn and Binns. I am not sure who will have the most TFLs. but Ballard may be the most explosive of the group including Clayborn.
42 Jeremiha Hunter/ 33 Jeff Tarpinian WLB Vs. 48 TE Nick Tow-Arnett 6 3 248 SR: Tow-Arnett has replaced Decker as Weber's go to guy. He really runs good routes and recognizes soft spots in zones. He is a natural catching the ball away from his body and will catch the ball in traffic. He takes punishment and still makes plays. He can do something with the ball in his hands. He is an adequate blocker. He isn't going to pancake anyone but he will get in the way long enough to create a crease. He is also a decent pass protector. Hunter has been having a pretty good season. He has really improved his pass coverage and is a beast against the run. He was missed in the second half against OSU. Tarpinian is stronger in pass cover than Hunter but he doesn't have Hunter's experience or feel for diagnosing plays yet. He also took some poor angles to the ball in the OSU game and Kevin Whaley is fast enough to exploit that this week. One of these guys will be lined up around or over Tow-Arnett most of the time and they need to know where he is on the field.
Spud's Spin: Edge Gophers: NTA is well rounded enough to give him the edge here. Weber will find him no matter how well Iowa plays coverage on him because he really doesn't trust his other receivers yet. Hunter will be able to exploit him in the run game, and Tarp could cover him but neither can do both phases well enough yet to win this match up completely.
49 A.J. Edds SLB, CBs 19 Amari Speivey, 28 Shaun Prater, and 10 Willie Lowe Vs. WRs 83 Da'Jon McKnight 6 3 200 SO, 1 Brandon Green 6 0 183 SO, Troy Stoudermire 5 10 183 SO, 4 Heyo Carpenter 5 11 174, 81 Bryant Allen 6 0 167 T.FR, and 16 Ben Kuznia 6 0 186 SR: McKnight, Green and Stoudermire are really the guys who are on the field the most. Kuznia is almost a tight end on the Flank. Carpenter was a heralded recruit that I have seen targeted once and he dropped the pass, and Allen looks like he could be something special working from the slot. MarQueis Gray also plays receiver. McKnight uses his size well. He isn't afraid to go over the middle. He is beginning to run clean routes and develop chemistry with Weber. He can make catches in traffic and drop a ball with no one around him. Green is very quick, he is very effective out of the slot. He runs very good routes and is not afraid to work the middle of the field. He is smooth in and out of breaks. He has very good hands and can make a catch on the move. He is dangerous with the ball in his hands. Stoudermire is very athletic and very inconsistent. He gets open and drops passes. He makes the incredible catch and drops the routine ones. He is also very dangerous with the ball in his hands. If his is in motion they are usually trying to do something with him. Spievey actually made a mistake last week. I think he forced a run to the outside on the 50 yard TD. Tarpinian has taken a lot of the heat for that one but it looked to me like it was Spievey that lost contain. He is probably getting bored. Teams are not working his side very often. Prater played well last week also. He could also improve a little in run support but he is a true sophmore who I think will only improve. His cover skills will probably be tested as I expect Weber to avoid Spievey also. Lowe only played special teams last week. Edds quietly played his excellent pass coverage and was excellent in contain. His athleticism was on display several times last week when he forced Pryor out of bounds for little or no gain by taking excellent anlges and still coming at him very aggressively. He is to the Leo what Greenway is to the Weakside. The standard.
Spud's Spin: Edge Iowa: Minny's guys will get some catches, Weber is too good not to complete some against Iowa's zone. What I am looking forard to is when he tries to squeeze on in behind the corner and under the safety. He has gotten away with that throw in every game I have seen but that is a mistake against Iowa. Iowa's tackling problems seemed to have vanished around the PSU game and they must continue to limit YAC as all of these receivers are capable of running with the ball.
43 Pat Angerer Vs. TBs 22 Duane Bennett 5 9 203 SO, 6 Kevin Whaley 5 9 179 T.FR, and 23 DeLeon Eskridge 5 9 183: Bennett is pretty much a straight ahead runner. Whaley likes to go for the edgle and Eskridge is kind of a combination of both without the total package to pull it off. Bennett is a very good receiver and has made explosive plays in the passing game. He has very good hands and they scheme to get him the ball. He can catch the ball on the run and away from his body. As a runner he doesn't have break-away speed but he always seems to find what is there. He tries to set up his blocks but sometimes he just bulldozes ahead. He does a nice job of protecting the ball. Whaley has the home run speed. He is doesn't break a lot of tackles. He does a nice job of reading his blocks and making one cut and hitting a hole. He runs hard for his size. Eskridge has a nice initial burst but no real long speed. He doesn't break a lot of tackles. He may have the best vision of the trio. Angerer was really washed out of a lot of plays. OSU's backs did a nice job of setting up cut backs and didn't allow him to read his keys. He fought through traffic to make some plays anyway, its just that it was 4 or 5 yards downfield. I don't think he will be engaged as often by this fullback or by this O-line. He needs to be aware of the play pass though as that is a staple of this offense.
Spud's Spin: Edge Iowa: Angerer is not leaving Kinnick without knocking one of these guys two yards backwards. I can't imagine him not getting a few TFLs in this game given the circumstances and the opposition he is facing. These runners aren't as physically gifted as Herron and Saine and they certainly don't have the Oline that OSU had. Minnesota ran 48 times for 137 yards against SDSU.
9 SS Tyler Sash and 30 FS Brett Greenwood Vs 8 QB Adam Weber 6 3 221 JR: Weber is a talented player. He makes good reads, finds the open guy, uses his eyes to manipulate coverage, and has nice touch on his throws- especially the deep ball when he has time. When he has a pocket to work with he is fairly mobile in it finding a throwing lane and protects the ball well. He isn't going to kill you with his legs but he isn't afraid to run and he will finish it, too. He is a gutty player, I don't know how many times I watched him stand in and get drilled while throwing a pass but it didn't affect him until last week. He pretty accurate until last week, where even when he had time he started to feel phantom pressure and missed open receivers. He was sacked alot early but not much after that but he was still struggling to find a rhythm and seemed to get happy feet. He threw a terrible pick 6 trying to throw a safe pass avoiding pressure. He carries out his playfakes well but the running game isn't effective enough to freeze defenders right now. He can throw on the run if it is designed but he is better if he is set up. He is willing to throw to anyone on the field. Sash and Greenwood played okay last week but they didn't seem their usual selves. They diagnosed plays well but didn't always make every tackle like Hawk fans have been accostumed to. I know they are both fighting injuries and they should be able to play more coverage in this game. If the D-line is as dominant as I expect they could be calling each other off for interceptions.
Spud's Spin: Edge Iowa: Iowa's safety duo can go out and fly around because they know they have the next several weeks to heal. Weber isn't afraid to attack downfield and that usually equals interceptions for these two. Minny's running game shouldn't be effective enough for them to react to playfakes and they should be in position to play several passes early in this game.
Some terrible predictions:
1. Trey Stross 8 catches 133 yards 3 TDs and there better be a standing O for Senior Day.
2. Tony Moeaki takes out Lawrence and his back up Cooper in the first half after catching passes.
3. Colin Sandeman scores a TD on a slot jailbreak screen, sprung by Don Nordmann.
4. John Wienke enters the game in the 4th quarter and completes 5-5 for 1 td (see above) causing a trifecta QB controversy. Ferentz calls Tommy from Des Moines and asks him to name the starter for the Bowl.
5. Iowa wins and KOK retires to become a farmer after realizing what the sticker means.
Spud's Spin: I really think the Hawks are going to roll this team, but I felt like they would roll- UNI, Arky State, Indiana, and Northwestern. For some reason Kinnick has not been that kind to the Hawkeyes this season. Senior Day is always wierd, a lot of strange emotion, distractions for the players and the fans sometimes spend some of their energy a little early. If the team doesn't get off to an incredible start it can be a long game. This Minnesota team is capable of making this a game. They have a clever coaching staff and start 9 seniors on defense. They have a 3 year starting QB on offense who can be patient which is the key to executing against Iowa's D. But they also have a propensity for not blocking anyone on offense, committing 10+ penalties a game and letting receivers run down the field completely alone. So I am going to predict that the Gophers don't enjoy their bus ride here, and loathe it on the way home. Iowa 38 Gophers 13. Congratulations Pat, Kyle C., Joe, Dan, A.J., Rafael, Chad, Bryce, Taylor, Andy, Travis, Tony, Dace, Chris, Kyle S., and Trey but most importantly THANK YOU.
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Thanks for the great break down.
ReplyDeleteI too think we are going to roll them.