Just a one parter this week. I reviewed two games for Wisconsin- Michigan State and Minnesota. Minnesota is kind of a bad comparison for Iowa as they are transitioning from a spread to a Pro-style offense but it was what I had. I came into this week scared to death of this game and I am still mildly frightened. But I am left with this impression. If Iowa loses it will be due to their own mistakes. Wisconsin is a very young and talented team but is not close to contending for a Big Ten title yet. They have a solid not spectacular Oline, they have a very nice pair of running backs and tight ends, and a difference making pass rusher in O'brien Scholfield. This won't be nearly as in depth as the PSU and Michigan match ups have been because I feel that Iowa should dominate most of them. I am only going to highlight the important ones.
79 Brian Bulaga LT and 60 Kyle Calloway RT VS. 50 O'Brien Scholfield SDE: Scholfield is a beast when he rushes the passer. He also defends the run very well for his size (6'3 242). He has a great first step and reads the play very well almost never taking a bad angle or a false step. Sholfield lines up with his hand on the ground or standing up when Wisconsin goes 3-4. He usually lines up on the Tight End side and he likes to take a wide angle on obvious passing situations. He does occasionally drop into coverage when Whisky is in the 3-4 but he is generally used as a pass rusher. Bulaga is coming off his worst game as a pass protector. Graham made him look silly twice and hopefully he is finally fully back in prime football shape. Calloway has really improved his footwork and seemed to handle Graham with relative ease. If these guys can handle Scholfield there is really no other threat to consistently provide a pass rush. #44 Chris Borland usually rushes in the Dime package that they use but I was not impressed with Minny's Oline. Bielema is high on starter #99 J.J. Watt - a Central Michigan transfer but again I saw nothing especially impressive.
81 Tony Moeaki TE Vs. 53 Mike Taylor SLB: Taylor lines up over the tight end in Whisy's 4-3 which is their base defense. He or Borland are the Outside Weak LB in the 3-4 opposite of Scholfield when they go 3-4. Moeaki outwieghs Taylor by at least 25 lbs and has tons of experience on him. Taylor will be playing his seventh game. Although sometimes it seems like Moeaki has only played seven games Moeaki should have a huge advantage in both phases of the game over Taylor or Wisconsin's safeties #2 Jay Alai or #21 Chris Maragos. Moeaki is obviously Stanzi's security blanket. Alai is the only Wisconsin player who is ballsy enough to jump a route and play out of postion.
15 DJK, 7 McNutt, 86 Stross, 22 Sandeman, 6 Davis Vs. 26 Antonio Fenelus, 10 Devin Smith and 7 Aaron Henry: This could be Wisconsin's biggest weak spot. If they decide to throw a safety in the box and try to play man coverage I trust every one of Iowa's receivers to consistently win a matchup versus any one of these players. Each of these guys have looked lost at times and are poor tacklers. They are vulnerable to doulbe moves and give up big cushions. Wisconsin plays a lot of nickel and dime coverages on third downs so these guys will be counted on to play tight coverages when they go after Iowa in blitz packages.
91 Broderick Binns LDE Vs. 67 Josh Oglesby RT: Oglesby is a monster (6'7 329) but he is also mistake prone and slow. He is a solid run blocker but can be had in pass protection. QB Tolzien is a relatively stationary target and Binn's could have a field day. Oglesby is slow to get outside and I wouldn't be suprised to see Kendricks forced to stay inside and help him on obvious passing situations. If Wisconsin is successful between the tackles and Oglesby can lean on Binns however for play after play some of Binn's athletic advantage would be taken away.
49 A.J. Edds SLB and 42 Jeremiha Hunter WLB Vs. 89 Garrett Graham TE: Graham is a stud. He is a very good route runner and can get down the seam as well as run polished short routes. He is a chain mover and can read coverage. He seems to have a very good relationship with Tolzien and is thrown to more than any other player in this offense, possibly 45- 50 % of the throws. He is definately Tolzien's security blanket. He is not a great run blocker but he is adequate at sealing his defender on counters and lead plays which is 50 to 60% of Whisy's run offense. This will be the first time in a while that Edds actually gets to sniff the line of scrimmage. He really needs to stand out in this game as this will be a game that NFL scouts use to evaluate him on. His ability to sift through traffic and make tackles in the run game and set the edge and funnel runs back to the inside will be key. Wisconsin runs a lot of two receiver formations so Edds may end up outside of the box 50 % of first and second downs. Hunter will then be responsible for Graham initially in the passing game. I really think Hunter's pass coverage has improved but he still lags behind Angerer and Edds here. He will get some help from Greenwood or Sash here. How Iowa covers Graham and if they choose to man up Wisconsin and play 8 in the box could be the key to the game defensively. My guess is they won't and it will be business as usual. I would prefer that they mix it up occasionally and send the LBs occasionally as Tolzien hasn't responded well to pressure. Both Edds and Hunter could record a sack if Iowa would disguse a blitz.
43 Pat Angerer MLB Vs. 32 John Clay TB and 30 Zach Brown TB: Angerer could pile up tackle totals in the high teens. What matters is where he makes the tackles near or behind the line of scrimmage or seven or eight yards down the field. Clay is a big physical runner who always seems to fall forward. He is patient and really waits for his hole to develop. He doesn't break as many tackles as you would think for a runner his size and if he is engaged in the backfield he doesn't have the short are quickness to get out of trouble. He is a load between the tackles when they get it going however and seems at his best when they run the ball three or four times in a row. Brown is more of a change of pace runner who does his best work on the edges. He can run between the tackles but that isn't where his strength lies. He has good feet and can make a tackler or two miss. He has been fumble prone this season. Brown is the third down back and a decent receiving option.
9 Sash SS and 30 Greenwood FS Vs. 16 Scott Tolzien QB: Tolzien was the suprise winner of Wisconsin's QB derby this season. He has been pretty good but faltered a bit last week throwing two pick 6s. What I have noticed about him is that he makes solid decisions, he looks to make the easy throw, is pretty accurate and is at his best on playaction. He gets happy feet is if he is pressured, he is not very mobile although he did have a designed run for over 30 yards against Minny, he doesn't have a strong arm, and he seems to have small hands and could be prone to fumbles. If Sash and Greenwood play disciplined and don't get burned by playaction they could get themselves a turnover or two. Iowa cannot afford for them to get sucked in on a playfake and get burned deep. Wisconsin has only one real burner in #85 David Gilreath, although the starters #1 Nick Toon and #6 Isaac Anderson have decent size, Sash and Greenwood need to rely on the front 7 to play solid run defense and defend the pass first. Wisconsin has been turnover prone and Iowa's style of defense takes advantage of that. Tolzien is only making his 7th career start and is coming off his first dissappointing game at this level. I like Iowa's chances.
Some Terrible Predictions:
1. Between the two teams the tight ends (Moeaki, Reisner, Graham, Kendricks) will combine for over 25 catches.
2. Iowa will hold Clay under 100 yards. Zach Brown is the scarier runner to me in this game.
3. Iowa will have 5 sacks in this game. The key will be if they can force fumbles along with the sacks.
4. Iowa will give up a rushing TD for the second consecutive week.
5. Wegher will lead the team in rushing this week.
Spud's Spin: This was the scariest game on the schedule for me all season. To me it was scarier even than OSU because this game is viewed as more winnable. However the more I watched of Wisconsin the less scary this game became. Wisconsin is going to be tough as hell next year. And this will be tough this season. But it seems like as tough as this schedule has been it has also laid out nicely in a strange way. Wisconsin plays almost the same base defenses as Michigan without the safety in the box. I suspect Iowa will see a safety in the box. Wisconsin doesn't have a Donovan Warren, although they do have a Brandon Graham basically. Iowa traditionally shuts down the run and I am not sure that they can against Wisconsin but I am not sure they need to completely stop it just keep it to small chunks and stop it for losses occasionally. What they need to do is continue to be dominant against the pass. Force turnovers and play the field position game. Wisconsin is terrible on special teams and commits stupid penalties. Hopefully this continues on Saturday. I was actually going to predict a loss. I have changed my mind- Iowa 27 Wisconsin 13 no pick 6s for Ricky.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Michigan Vs. Iowa Film Review
Again a win is a win is a win is a win. Iowa is 6 and 0. I am satisfied with winning ugly but I feel like Iowa is leaving plays on the field and if they keep playing with fire they are bound to get burned. Michigan played very well and maybe gave the rest of the Big Ten a blueprint for how to take out the Hawks this season. Michigan's Oline gave Iowa a taste of their own medicine by executing a great zone blocking scheme and Brandon Minor had great night exploiting cut back lanes all night. Brandon Graham had two sacks and several more pass pressures and also played the run very well disrupting several promising running plays by himself. I thought for the most part Iowa's Oline played very well in pass protection with a few notable whiffs. Craig Roh for Michigan played over his head and will be formidable down the road when he adds some strength to his frame. Donovan Warren was as good as advertised and downright dominant at times. There were several positives to take out of this game including the play of the back 7 and the improved tackling of the entire team. The kickoff coverage was also drastically improved. The ballhawking of the defense continued and the freshman running back duo continued to block in the passing game and protect the ball. Now on to the negatives, positives and coaching comments.
Negatives:
Stanzi: Stanzi is a winner. He shakes off mistakes, plays with poise and leads the team with a lot of guts. He is sneaky athletic and has the ability to fit the ball into tight spots and can throw the ball with scary touch at times. When he is on he has All Big Ten ability. Now the bad- Ricky is so inconsistent it is maddening to watch. He makes poor reads, focuses on one receiver for too long, can't seem to throw to his left and has some serious accuracy issues. The toughest thing to figure out is when it is going to happen. To say "first half bad, second half good" is too simple. He is way streakier than that. He is more like drive to drive. You just hope he doesn't end a drive on the first play of the drive with a pick 6. The strangest thing is he seems to play better away from Kinnick. Maybe he feels too much pressure from the home fans. Maybe he thrives on the "us against them" mentality. Whatever it is lets hope he gets dialed in early Saturday against Wisconsin because I think teams are going play 8 or 9 in the box until he consistently makes them pay. Stanzi again made some fantastic audibles on Saturday including the first TD to Tony Moeaki on the delayed release. He is trying to take command of the offense. He is certainly capable of playing at a higher level mentally and physically.
Iowa's Red Zone Perfomance: This is Saturday specific. Offensively Iowa's first drive Iowa faced a 3rd and 2 at the Michigan 11. Michigan played 8 or 9 in the box all day basically. Iowa came out with 3 wides, 1 back, and Tony Moeaki as an inline Tight End. Michigan responded with a 3-3-5 Nickel formation. 3 DL, 3 LB and Stevie Brown a hybrid LB/S as the nickel on the slot. Iowa ran a 3 step drop fade pattern to McNutt against Michigan's second best defensive player CB Donovan Warren. Good Pass, Good Defense, poor playcall in my opinion. No threat of the run and no read for Stanzi. Not exactly a confidence builder for Ricky or the Oline.
Iowa's Second Offense Red Zone Appearance was more successful. From the 8 Iowa again came out with 3 Wides, 1 back, and Tony M at TE. Michigan came out with a 4-3 with a S on the slot side. Iowa ran a zone to Tony's side for a 5 yard gain.
Second play same personell only Tony flipped to the left side. Michigan again in a 4-3 S on the weak side of formation. Ricky rolls right (weak) makes one read and scrambles inches short.
Iowa goes Jumbo with Morse as FB and 3 TEs. Michigan goes full goalline with 5 DL and 3 LBs. Iowa runs the Wegher dive (literally) with Vanderveld pulling. TD Iowa. That is a little more physical and typical Iowa.
Finally Iowa's Last Red Zone Possesion ended on downs. Iowa took over after a muffed punt at the 16. Iowa came out with 2 TEs, 2 Wrs, 1 TB. Michigan ran a 4-3 with a safety over Reisner (left side). Iowa was in twins left. They ran a Play action fake with Stanzi rolling left, he threw a nice pass to Moeaki over the middle for a first down at the 6.
Same formation in reverse for Iowa, Michigan ran a 3-4 with a safety on the weak side of the formation. Roll right, Stanzi escapes from pressure with max protect on. Incomplete to DJK who was out of bounds.
2 and goal. Shotgun "Y" right TE and 2Wr same side 4-3 with safety on weak side (left). 3 yard out to Wegher who was tracked down by MLB Ezeh from behind. Incredible individual play and good playcall by O'keefe. Only thing I would change is more of a flare to his route instead of a straight up and out cut.
3rd and Goal from 3 same personel. Michigan shows a nickel look with same personel- Stevie Brown on slot. Zone Right blown up by slanting Dl and LBS.
4th and Goal Iowa goes Jumbo- Morse and 3 TEs. Michigan goes Goalline D. Play-action the Wegher dive play with one receiver to the short side of the field. Pulled Reiff as a personal protecter and Stanzi might have followed him in but he was being pursued hard from inside. Moeaki was well covered and the LB was screened by Reiff. Terrible play call. Worked out in the end but a stupid playcall.
Finally I was unimpressed with Iowa's defensive playcalling in the redzone. I felt they should have loaded up to stop the run and make Forcier beat them with his arm. Speivey and Prater were blankets out there and Sash has man to man cover skills. Blitz him and make him make a quick decision and not run a round for 5 seconds and then find a receiver. I also felt they should have done that the entire time Denard Robinson was in. I understand why they played coverage at the end of the game because he can't throw downfield but still it was frustrating to watch him get loose when he isn't a threat to burn you with the pass beyond 10 yards.
Positives:
Tony Moeaki: Tony was phenomenal. He scored two tds and converted two other first downs. If he can maintain his health it would be huge for Stanzi's mental health. He also keyed several of Robinson and Wegher's bigger runs. He seems to know his role in the passing game inside and out even with his limited practice reps which makes him possibly the only pass catcher on the team who understands where he is supposed to be. No wonder Stanzi always looks for him on third down.
Spievey and Prater: These guys were incredible in pass coverage. Spievey missed two picks and that is the only negative I can think of. Everytime Forcier dropped back he had no one to throw to. They played the edges so well that the inside run was somewhat exposed. Michigan ran 3 bubble screens and 5 outside runs, only one outside run went for over 5 yards. Prater tackled very well and didn't show any ill effects of his knee sprain.
Robinson: Adam Robinson played very well in all phases of the game. He ran very hard and physical, blocked very well in the passing game and caught the only pass thrown his way. I thought he showed a little more patience and chose his holes better this week. He also finishes his runs slightly better than Wegher and maybe deserves a chance to get a couple of drives in a row to build a head of steam and wear down defenses. This no knock against Wegher just a complement to Robinson who seems to be the more physically tough runner so far this season. I still think Wegher has more upside.
Kyle Calloway : Calloway handled the passing protection on the edge better than Bulaga this week and when Iowa needed to run they went to his side whether Moeaki was there or not. Calloway was a bulldozer in the second half no matter who was lined up in front of him- Graham, Van Bergen, Roh or Ezeh. Right now no lineman is firing off the ball faster than Calloway. Calloway is also becoming the most reliable lineman in pass protection and possibly improving his already high draft stock.
Coaching: I think that Iowa's coaching staff derseves some of the accolades that come their way. Ferentz is a gambler in his own way. A friend of mine compared him to a great businessman- he plays the margins. Iowa just bet's on two things that more aggressively coached teams don't. Their own defense and the other teams's mistakes. Sometimes it would be easier to watch if Iowa more actively engaged in making those mistakes happen. Iowa relies so much on the defensive line to win a football game that you would think that they might play more than 4 players in the game. When the other team is holding on to the ball and the defense is tired maybe you could mix in some back ups. O'keefe is starting to piss me off again. Iowa is becoming extremely predictable again formationally. Iowa's Motion is a dead give away to which side a running play is going to. Teams are lining up Strong Side linebackers on the weak side in anticipation of it. For every innovation this season there are the TB set ups 5 yards that are dead give aways for pass plays. Some people forget that KOK is the QB coach as well as the OC. Some of Stanzi's struggles with mechanics (and his predecessors) have to be laid directly at his feet. I will give him credit for his playcalling this season. It is miles ahead of the the last two seasons. He has weapons this year and seems to know it but if he doesn't get Stanzi straightened out it is all for nought. Iowa has a potentially explosive offense. It has been stuck in second gear all season. Camp Randall is going to be a tough place to work out the kinks.
Negatives:
Stanzi: Stanzi is a winner. He shakes off mistakes, plays with poise and leads the team with a lot of guts. He is sneaky athletic and has the ability to fit the ball into tight spots and can throw the ball with scary touch at times. When he is on he has All Big Ten ability. Now the bad- Ricky is so inconsistent it is maddening to watch. He makes poor reads, focuses on one receiver for too long, can't seem to throw to his left and has some serious accuracy issues. The toughest thing to figure out is when it is going to happen. To say "first half bad, second half good" is too simple. He is way streakier than that. He is more like drive to drive. You just hope he doesn't end a drive on the first play of the drive with a pick 6. The strangest thing is he seems to play better away from Kinnick. Maybe he feels too much pressure from the home fans. Maybe he thrives on the "us against them" mentality. Whatever it is lets hope he gets dialed in early Saturday against Wisconsin because I think teams are going play 8 or 9 in the box until he consistently makes them pay. Stanzi again made some fantastic audibles on Saturday including the first TD to Tony Moeaki on the delayed release. He is trying to take command of the offense. He is certainly capable of playing at a higher level mentally and physically.
Iowa's Red Zone Perfomance: This is Saturday specific. Offensively Iowa's first drive Iowa faced a 3rd and 2 at the Michigan 11. Michigan played 8 or 9 in the box all day basically. Iowa came out with 3 wides, 1 back, and Tony Moeaki as an inline Tight End. Michigan responded with a 3-3-5 Nickel formation. 3 DL, 3 LB and Stevie Brown a hybrid LB/S as the nickel on the slot. Iowa ran a 3 step drop fade pattern to McNutt against Michigan's second best defensive player CB Donovan Warren. Good Pass, Good Defense, poor playcall in my opinion. No threat of the run and no read for Stanzi. Not exactly a confidence builder for Ricky or the Oline.
Iowa's Second Offense Red Zone Appearance was more successful. From the 8 Iowa again came out with 3 Wides, 1 back, and Tony M at TE. Michigan came out with a 4-3 with a S on the slot side. Iowa ran a zone to Tony's side for a 5 yard gain.
Second play same personell only Tony flipped to the left side. Michigan again in a 4-3 S on the weak side of formation. Ricky rolls right (weak) makes one read and scrambles inches short.
Iowa goes Jumbo with Morse as FB and 3 TEs. Michigan goes full goalline with 5 DL and 3 LBs. Iowa runs the Wegher dive (literally) with Vanderveld pulling. TD Iowa. That is a little more physical and typical Iowa.
Finally Iowa's Last Red Zone Possesion ended on downs. Iowa took over after a muffed punt at the 16. Iowa came out with 2 TEs, 2 Wrs, 1 TB. Michigan ran a 4-3 with a safety over Reisner (left side). Iowa was in twins left. They ran a Play action fake with Stanzi rolling left, he threw a nice pass to Moeaki over the middle for a first down at the 6.
Same formation in reverse for Iowa, Michigan ran a 3-4 with a safety on the weak side of the formation. Roll right, Stanzi escapes from pressure with max protect on. Incomplete to DJK who was out of bounds.
2 and goal. Shotgun "Y" right TE and 2Wr same side 4-3 with safety on weak side (left). 3 yard out to Wegher who was tracked down by MLB Ezeh from behind. Incredible individual play and good playcall by O'keefe. Only thing I would change is more of a flare to his route instead of a straight up and out cut.
3rd and Goal from 3 same personel. Michigan shows a nickel look with same personel- Stevie Brown on slot. Zone Right blown up by slanting Dl and LBS.
4th and Goal Iowa goes Jumbo- Morse and 3 TEs. Michigan goes Goalline D. Play-action the Wegher dive play with one receiver to the short side of the field. Pulled Reiff as a personal protecter and Stanzi might have followed him in but he was being pursued hard from inside. Moeaki was well covered and the LB was screened by Reiff. Terrible play call. Worked out in the end but a stupid playcall.
Finally I was unimpressed with Iowa's defensive playcalling in the redzone. I felt they should have loaded up to stop the run and make Forcier beat them with his arm. Speivey and Prater were blankets out there and Sash has man to man cover skills. Blitz him and make him make a quick decision and not run a round for 5 seconds and then find a receiver. I also felt they should have done that the entire time Denard Robinson was in. I understand why they played coverage at the end of the game because he can't throw downfield but still it was frustrating to watch him get loose when he isn't a threat to burn you with the pass beyond 10 yards.
Positives:
Tony Moeaki: Tony was phenomenal. He scored two tds and converted two other first downs. If he can maintain his health it would be huge for Stanzi's mental health. He also keyed several of Robinson and Wegher's bigger runs. He seems to know his role in the passing game inside and out even with his limited practice reps which makes him possibly the only pass catcher on the team who understands where he is supposed to be. No wonder Stanzi always looks for him on third down.
Spievey and Prater: These guys were incredible in pass coverage. Spievey missed two picks and that is the only negative I can think of. Everytime Forcier dropped back he had no one to throw to. They played the edges so well that the inside run was somewhat exposed. Michigan ran 3 bubble screens and 5 outside runs, only one outside run went for over 5 yards. Prater tackled very well and didn't show any ill effects of his knee sprain.
Robinson: Adam Robinson played very well in all phases of the game. He ran very hard and physical, blocked very well in the passing game and caught the only pass thrown his way. I thought he showed a little more patience and chose his holes better this week. He also finishes his runs slightly better than Wegher and maybe deserves a chance to get a couple of drives in a row to build a head of steam and wear down defenses. This no knock against Wegher just a complement to Robinson who seems to be the more physically tough runner so far this season. I still think Wegher has more upside.
Kyle Calloway : Calloway handled the passing protection on the edge better than Bulaga this week and when Iowa needed to run they went to his side whether Moeaki was there or not. Calloway was a bulldozer in the second half no matter who was lined up in front of him- Graham, Van Bergen, Roh or Ezeh. Right now no lineman is firing off the ball faster than Calloway. Calloway is also becoming the most reliable lineman in pass protection and possibly improving his already high draft stock.
Coaching: I think that Iowa's coaching staff derseves some of the accolades that come their way. Ferentz is a gambler in his own way. A friend of mine compared him to a great businessman- he plays the margins. Iowa just bet's on two things that more aggressively coached teams don't. Their own defense and the other teams's mistakes. Sometimes it would be easier to watch if Iowa more actively engaged in making those mistakes happen. Iowa relies so much on the defensive line to win a football game that you would think that they might play more than 4 players in the game. When the other team is holding on to the ball and the defense is tired maybe you could mix in some back ups. O'keefe is starting to piss me off again. Iowa is becoming extremely predictable again formationally. Iowa's Motion is a dead give away to which side a running play is going to. Teams are lining up Strong Side linebackers on the weak side in anticipation of it. For every innovation this season there are the TB set ups 5 yards that are dead give aways for pass plays. Some people forget that KOK is the QB coach as well as the OC. Some of Stanzi's struggles with mechanics (and his predecessors) have to be laid directly at his feet. I will give him credit for his playcalling this season. It is miles ahead of the the last two seasons. He has weapons this year and seems to know it but if he doesn't get Stanzi straightened out it is all for nought. Iowa has a potentially explosive offense. It has been stuck in second gear all season. Camp Randall is going to be a tough place to work out the kinks.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Michigan Vs. Iowa Matchups Part II
Okay here is part II- Iowa's offense vs. Michigan's defense. This could be an interesting battle if Iowa continues to play uneven. Michigan uses various fronts with the same players. They can morph from a 3-4 to a 4-3 to a nickel without subs. The key to this flexibility is #3 Stevie Brown who has been moved from defensive back to linebacker this season. He has the athleticism and speed of a defensive back but hasn't always shown the cover ability to play defensive back. Michigan's base front is usually a 4-3. They flip their d-line and their linebackers depending on the offense's strong side. So unlike Iowa where Adrian Clayborn is truly a Right Defensive End and Broderick Binns is truly a Left Defensive End that isn't the case for Michigan's D-line. Brandon Graham is the Weakside D-end (he lines up away from the Tight end) and Craig Roh lines up on the Strong side. When they play 3-4 Roh is the Strong Side Linebacker and stands up over the Tight end. Jonas Mouton slides inside and Stevie Brown lines up as the other Outside linebacker. Michigan's pass coverage is soft. It can and should be exploited. Greg Robinson is a veteran of both College and NFL coaching but is in his first year at Michigan. He is trying to install a multiple scheme and has the athletes to do it. But right now it looks like the players are unsure of their assignments and thinking too much. The linebackers especially seem to not know what they are supposed to be doing.
LT Bryan Bulaga 79 and RT Kyle Calloway 60 Vs. WDE Brandon Graham 55 and SDE/SLB Craig Roh 88: Graham is unquestionably the best player on Michigan's defense. He can play both the run and the pass equally well. He is a very good pass rusher and has an explosive first step. He seems to be natural rushing the passer from either side. Roh is a true freshman who flashes very good speed and decent awareness for his experience. He has good size (6'5 238) for the linebacker position but can be overwhelmed when he lines up with his hand on the ground. I think he was splitting time Sophmore Brandon Herron 58 but against Michigan State Roh was on the field 80% of the time. Roh impressed me the most with his ability to cover MSU's Charle Gantt one on one in the red zone in the trail position. He made a play on the ball exhibiting very good awareness for a player his age. He isn't much of a pass rusher. Bulaga looked a little rusty against Arkansas State but played much better in the second half. He will also have his first full week of practice under his belt going into this game since the Iowa State game. Calloway was probably the best lineman against Arkansas State and needs to be on top of his game as he will be matched up either Graham or Van Bergen most of the time who are the best pass rushers for Michigan.
LG Dace Richardson 78, C Rafael Eubanks 52, and RG Julian Vandervelde 63 Vs. DE/DT Ryan Van Bergen 53, NG Mike Martin 68, DT Renaldo Sargesse 95, DT Greg Banks 92: Van Bergen and Martin play most of the snaps but Sargesse and Banks rotate in and usually together. Van Bergen lines up as a D-end in the 3-4 and a DT in the 4-3. Van Bergen is a very good player. He plays tough against both the run and the pass. He is very instinctive and seems to be one of the players who understands his role in the new defense. I have even seen him drop a couple of times on zone blitzes. Martin is built like a firehydrant. He plays low and is tough to move off of the line of scrimmage. He is a mostly a run stopper though. Sargesse and Banks are huge but mostly role players right now. Richardson, Eubanks and Vandervelde are coming off their worst performance since the Northern Iowa game. All of them had moments where they completely whiffed on third down running plays. It will be key for them to identify and execute their assignments against the multiple fronts they will face on Saturday. Richardson alone has the physical strength to dominate these players, Eubanks and Vandervelde need to play with superior technique and that was missing last Saturday.It can't be this weekend. Eubanks should be able to get out to Ezeh or Mouton alot when they go 3-4 and he must clean up when he gets that opportunity.
TE Tony Moeaki 81 Vs. SLB Stevie Brown 3: This will only happen when Michigan lines up in their 4-3 but this may be the key to the game. Brown is very athletic and had been their most consistent linebacker. If Tony is on his game and can take him out it might not matter if he catches a pass. When Michigan lines up in the 3-4 Roh will be lined up over Moeaki. Roh covering Moeaki would seem to be a huge mismatch in terms of pure experience. Brown has the physical skills to cover Moeaki but that seems to be his weakness. Either way if Tony is fully healthy he should win this match up.
FB Brett Morse 36 and TE Allen Reisner 82 Vs. FS Jordan Kovacs 32 and WLB/TLB Jonas Mouton 8: Kovacs has been the suprise of Michigan's d. He is a tough in the box safety who never seems to miss a tackle or take a bad angle. He sounds like he should be playing for Iowa instead of Michigan as he is a walk-on and the son of a former walk-on. I think he is very exploitable in coverage and could be very vulnerable to play action if matched up man to man to either Morse or Reisner. Mouton looks lost in the new scheme. He seems to just run into the line. He looks either hurt or lazy. I don't know which but I haven't seen anything about an injury. No one seems to be pushing him for playing time however. He is also undersized. Reisner and Morse can physically dominate these guys in the run game.
TBS Adam Robinson 32 and Brandon Wegher 3 Vs. MLB Obi Ezeh 45: Ezeh is a very solid player. He is physically gifted but he too seems lost in the new scheme especially when they shift to the 3-4. He has good speed and can really go sideline to sideline. He seems to play too high and tries to arm tackle too often. Robinson and Wegher are going to have opportunities to attack the middle of the field with Ezeh as the last line between them and a huge gain. They need to win that physical battle. I think one of them will and I give the edge to Wegher this week. Ezeh cannot cover either one of these guys in pass coverage.
WRS Trey Stross 86, DJK 15, Marvin McNutt 7, Paul Chaney Jr. 26, Colin Sandeman 22, Keenan Davis 6 Vs. Donovan Warren 6, J.T. Floyd 12, and Boubacar Cissoko 33: Warren is the guy to avoid here. He is almost as good Spievey and that is high praise coming from me, I think that Spievey may be a first rounder some day. Warren is not afraid to play the run, either. Floyd has taken over for the highly- touted Cissoko who was owned by Indiana. Floyd played fairly well against MSU but he is a freshman. He is fairly aggressive and could be vulnerable to double moves. McNutt was the story last week but it always seems to be a different guy for Iowa every week. This could be Stross' time as I think that Warren will cover DJK or McNutt assuming they won't be on the field at the same time. Chaney could also have a big day if they try to cover him with Stevie Brown one on one. Michigan's safeties are better at run support than helping over the top in pass coverage.
QB Ricky Stanzi 12 Vs. SS Troy Woolfolk 29: Woolfolk has moved from corner to Strong Safety this season. He is the guy who plays centerfield for them more often as not as Kovacs is better suited to play the run. Woolfolk can play man coverage and it is important for Stanzi to recognize when he is. When Woolfolk is out of your picture Michigan is almost always in some sort of Cover 3. When you can see him they are in some sort of Man coverage and usually blitzing. If I can see that KOK better. Stanzi needs to take shots downfield to keep Kovacs out of the box and Michigan honest. Stanzi is progressing in my opinion but still has room to improve. This will be his toughest game mentally as he hasn't faced a defense that will move around this much. He needs to be sharp with his reads and his passes. Iowa will have probably have a more aggressive gameplan this week (hopefully) and he must execute it. He cannot telegraph passes, throw into double coverage, and he needs to learn to play for the next down if nothing is there. I think he will play his best game so far this season.
Spud's Spin: I think that Iowa will suprise people by coming out hot and staying that way. Iowa's defensive line should be able to overwhelm Michigan's offensive line and pressure a talented freshman QB into turnovers. I think that both the running game and the passing game have match ups that can be exploited and we may finally see a complete game from Iowa's offense. For the first time all season Iowa will have all the players they can have at their disposal. Final score Iowa 34 Michigan 17... Iowa moves to 6-0 for the first time since 1985.
LT Bryan Bulaga 79 and RT Kyle Calloway 60 Vs. WDE Brandon Graham 55 and SDE/SLB Craig Roh 88: Graham is unquestionably the best player on Michigan's defense. He can play both the run and the pass equally well. He is a very good pass rusher and has an explosive first step. He seems to be natural rushing the passer from either side. Roh is a true freshman who flashes very good speed and decent awareness for his experience. He has good size (6'5 238) for the linebacker position but can be overwhelmed when he lines up with his hand on the ground. I think he was splitting time Sophmore Brandon Herron 58 but against Michigan State Roh was on the field 80% of the time. Roh impressed me the most with his ability to cover MSU's Charle Gantt one on one in the red zone in the trail position. He made a play on the ball exhibiting very good awareness for a player his age. He isn't much of a pass rusher. Bulaga looked a little rusty against Arkansas State but played much better in the second half. He will also have his first full week of practice under his belt going into this game since the Iowa State game. Calloway was probably the best lineman against Arkansas State and needs to be on top of his game as he will be matched up either Graham or Van Bergen most of the time who are the best pass rushers for Michigan.
LG Dace Richardson 78, C Rafael Eubanks 52, and RG Julian Vandervelde 63 Vs. DE/DT Ryan Van Bergen 53, NG Mike Martin 68, DT Renaldo Sargesse 95, DT Greg Banks 92: Van Bergen and Martin play most of the snaps but Sargesse and Banks rotate in and usually together. Van Bergen lines up as a D-end in the 3-4 and a DT in the 4-3. Van Bergen is a very good player. He plays tough against both the run and the pass. He is very instinctive and seems to be one of the players who understands his role in the new defense. I have even seen him drop a couple of times on zone blitzes. Martin is built like a firehydrant. He plays low and is tough to move off of the line of scrimmage. He is a mostly a run stopper though. Sargesse and Banks are huge but mostly role players right now. Richardson, Eubanks and Vandervelde are coming off their worst performance since the Northern Iowa game. All of them had moments where they completely whiffed on third down running plays. It will be key for them to identify and execute their assignments against the multiple fronts they will face on Saturday. Richardson alone has the physical strength to dominate these players, Eubanks and Vandervelde need to play with superior technique and that was missing last Saturday.It can't be this weekend. Eubanks should be able to get out to Ezeh or Mouton alot when they go 3-4 and he must clean up when he gets that opportunity.
TE Tony Moeaki 81 Vs. SLB Stevie Brown 3: This will only happen when Michigan lines up in their 4-3 but this may be the key to the game. Brown is very athletic and had been their most consistent linebacker. If Tony is on his game and can take him out it might not matter if he catches a pass. When Michigan lines up in the 3-4 Roh will be lined up over Moeaki. Roh covering Moeaki would seem to be a huge mismatch in terms of pure experience. Brown has the physical skills to cover Moeaki but that seems to be his weakness. Either way if Tony is fully healthy he should win this match up.
FB Brett Morse 36 and TE Allen Reisner 82 Vs. FS Jordan Kovacs 32 and WLB/TLB Jonas Mouton 8: Kovacs has been the suprise of Michigan's d. He is a tough in the box safety who never seems to miss a tackle or take a bad angle. He sounds like he should be playing for Iowa instead of Michigan as he is a walk-on and the son of a former walk-on. I think he is very exploitable in coverage and could be very vulnerable to play action if matched up man to man to either Morse or Reisner. Mouton looks lost in the new scheme. He seems to just run into the line. He looks either hurt or lazy. I don't know which but I haven't seen anything about an injury. No one seems to be pushing him for playing time however. He is also undersized. Reisner and Morse can physically dominate these guys in the run game.
TBS Adam Robinson 32 and Brandon Wegher 3 Vs. MLB Obi Ezeh 45: Ezeh is a very solid player. He is physically gifted but he too seems lost in the new scheme especially when they shift to the 3-4. He has good speed and can really go sideline to sideline. He seems to play too high and tries to arm tackle too often. Robinson and Wegher are going to have opportunities to attack the middle of the field with Ezeh as the last line between them and a huge gain. They need to win that physical battle. I think one of them will and I give the edge to Wegher this week. Ezeh cannot cover either one of these guys in pass coverage.
WRS Trey Stross 86, DJK 15, Marvin McNutt 7, Paul Chaney Jr. 26, Colin Sandeman 22, Keenan Davis 6 Vs. Donovan Warren 6, J.T. Floyd 12, and Boubacar Cissoko 33: Warren is the guy to avoid here. He is almost as good Spievey and that is high praise coming from me, I think that Spievey may be a first rounder some day. Warren is not afraid to play the run, either. Floyd has taken over for the highly- touted Cissoko who was owned by Indiana. Floyd played fairly well against MSU but he is a freshman. He is fairly aggressive and could be vulnerable to double moves. McNutt was the story last week but it always seems to be a different guy for Iowa every week. This could be Stross' time as I think that Warren will cover DJK or McNutt assuming they won't be on the field at the same time. Chaney could also have a big day if they try to cover him with Stevie Brown one on one. Michigan's safeties are better at run support than helping over the top in pass coverage.
QB Ricky Stanzi 12 Vs. SS Troy Woolfolk 29: Woolfolk has moved from corner to Strong Safety this season. He is the guy who plays centerfield for them more often as not as Kovacs is better suited to play the run. Woolfolk can play man coverage and it is important for Stanzi to recognize when he is. When Woolfolk is out of your picture Michigan is almost always in some sort of Cover 3. When you can see him they are in some sort of Man coverage and usually blitzing. If I can see that KOK better. Stanzi needs to take shots downfield to keep Kovacs out of the box and Michigan honest. Stanzi is progressing in my opinion but still has room to improve. This will be his toughest game mentally as he hasn't faced a defense that will move around this much. He needs to be sharp with his reads and his passes. Iowa will have probably have a more aggressive gameplan this week (hopefully) and he must execute it. He cannot telegraph passes, throw into double coverage, and he needs to learn to play for the next down if nothing is there. I think he will play his best game so far this season.
Spud's Spin: I think that Iowa will suprise people by coming out hot and staying that way. Iowa's defensive line should be able to overwhelm Michigan's offensive line and pressure a talented freshman QB into turnovers. I think that both the running game and the passing game have match ups that can be exploited and we may finally see a complete game from Iowa's offense. For the first time all season Iowa will have all the players they can have at their disposal. Final score Iowa 34 Michigan 17... Iowa moves to 6-0 for the first time since 1985.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Michigan Vs Iowa Matchups Part I
Yeah I am overdoing it again, especially if it is a two parter. First Part will be Iowa's Defense Vs Michigan's Offense. First- a rumor is circulating that Carlos Brown will not play in this game. However no one can agree what part of his body is injured- head, ankle, or knee. It could be gamesmanship but he does appear on the two deep here. Second I am going to include general analysis here and the specific stuff in the match up portion. Michigan is hurting on the Oline missing center David Molk. I don't think that this can be overstated as they go shotgun 95% of the time. They are having trouble with the snaps. That is a big deal when the offensive line is already underperfoming in many peoples' eyes. If Tate Forcier has to hesitate for a moment to gather in a faulty snap you are giving Iowa's defensive line an edge they probably don't need. Michigan has a very special group of receivers, but #22 Darryl Stonum stands out to me. He isn't a starter but is on the field a ton. He seems to be sure handed and does something with the ball in his hands. I thought Michigan would come out with 2 backs in the backfield 30 to 40% of the time and they still could but I am not sure how Brown's injury will affect that. If they do I would expect to see #24 Kevin Grady used like a traditional fullback and Michigan run a triple option look out of their spread formations. Michigan State held Michigan to 28 yard total rushing last week. They didn't do anything special to do it either, playing their base scheme most of the time. Their MLB Greg Jones had a big day statistically so look for big things for Angerer hand cast and all. Finally #16 Denard Robinson usually gets a series a half at QB. He cannot throw. He is terrible when he drops back. If he is in the game it is going to be a running play of some sort. He should be a receiver. And tie his shoes.
RDEvAdrian Clayborn 94 and LDE Broderick Binns 91 Vs LT Mark Ortmann 71 and RT Perry Dorrestein 79: Michigan could be in trouble here. Michigan State's d-ends dominated both of these guys and both of Indiana's ends pressured Forcier most of the Indiana game also. Of those players only Middleton probably compares physically to either of Iowa's players. Forcier is short and has to move around to find throwing lanes which means he doens't take a typical drop. Clayborn and Binns must play their assigments first and play with their eyes up. Michigan runs a lot of QB read option which means they often leave the D-end unblocked "optioning" the end. This could be a big day for one or both of them. Ortmann and Dorrestein are decent in pass protection, but far from dominating in run blocking. They pretty much look to seal exclusively and rarely drive block. That is the nature of Richrod's scheme however not really a swipe at their abilities. Dorrestein was a backup entering the season until the injury to Molk.
DT Christian Ballard 46 and DT Karl Klug 95 Vs. LG Stephen Schilling 52, C David Moosman, and RG David Huyge 71: After the injury to Molk Moosman slid over to center, and Huyge moved from tackle to guard. Moosman has struggled with his shotgun snaps at times and is still new to making line calls. Ballard has probably been the unsung hero of Iowa's defense this season. He has made the move inside with relative ease and is invovled in almost every big play. Klug has been a revelation. I was high on him coming into the season but he has exceeded my expectations by far. He is a Mitch King CLONE. Ballard and Klug will be the quickest pair of tackles that the Michigan interior have faced. How they handle Iowa's stunts on obvious passing situations could determine if Forcier finishes the game. Most of Michigan's big runs have come over the gap between Schilling and Ortmann. Schilling is probably a Sunday player. Ballard and Klug need to continue to play with the awareness they have displayed so far this season and be ready for screens and draws early in this game. Taking away those kinds of plays could really limit Michigan's offensive effectiveness.
SLB A.J. Edds 49, RCB Amari Spievey 19, LCB Shaun Prater 28, and LCB/ NB Willie Lowe 10 VS. Greg Matthews 13 (X), Martavious Odoms 9 (Y), Junior Hemingway 21 (Z), Darryl Stonum 22, Kelvin Grady 19, LaTerryal Savvoy 82: That is a lot of names. Michigan really spreads the ball out to alot of receivers and is more of a passing team than they would probably prefer. Stonum and Matthews are the two guys who have really stood out to me so far this season. Michigan will throw a bubble screen to any of these guys and they are all really slippery and fast. Odoms and Hemingway seem to be the toughest and most likely to work the middle. Forcier always has an outlet in the flat on every play by design and that is where Edds comes in. He must tackle well in this game. He will also have opportunities in the run game. Edds may have the chance to get three or four tackles for loss in this game. He must take advantage of them. Spievey will likely be matched up with Matthews for much of the game. If Prater is in the game he too must tackle well. I imagine that after last week Michigan will test the left side of Iowa's defense when they are on that hash. Prater or Lowe must be ready to defend the pass and tackle on running plays. Greenwood would be the safety in that situation and he needs to be ready to give help to either corner in the passing game and clean up his tackling as well.
WLB Jeremiha Hunter 42 Vs. TE Kevin Koger 86, TE Martellus Webb 80: Iowa has suprised me sometimes this year by lining up Edds on the TE with a slot ont the field but most of the time Edds is the defacto nickelback in Iowa's defense. Hunter needs to have a good cover day against the Michigan tight ends who are basically interchangeable athletically. Webb has some bonehead issues, and that is why Koger has overtaken him on the depth chart. Both of these guys can do something with the ball in their hands and are sure handed. But they are much better receivers than blockers. Hunter should be able to physically win his match up if they try to block him with these tight ends in the running game. He could have a 10+ tackle game in him here.
MLB Pat Angerer 43 Vs. TB Brandon Minor 4, TB Carlos Brown 23, FB Kevin Grady 24: Angerer has the toughest job of any Iowa defender Saturday. He needs to be stout against the run, and also get depth and patrol the middle in the passing game. He may also be asked to spy on Forcier. Minor and Brown are gifted, fast running backs. They aren't especially physical though and won't run through good tackles. Grady is a bruising runner who was once thought to be the heir to Mike Hart. If Brown is truly hurt I think Iowa will still see alot of two back formations from Michigan as they try to establish the running game and take pressure off of their freshman QB. Minor and Brown are also involved in the passing game mostly through screens and flares and they pick up their yards after the catch. Angerer must... ready for it tackle well. He will be playing with some sort of cast on his hand. One nice thing about Iowa's form of defense is we won't have to hear too much about the varied tempos that Michigan will try to use to "suprise" Iowa. We run the same scheme 70% of the time and the same personell 95% of the time. Angerer will do a good job of making sure everyone is in position when they try to run a quick play.
SS Tyler Sash 9 and FS Brett Greenwood 30 VS. QB Tate Forcier 5: Tim Tebow Jr. comes to Iowa City with an impressive 4-1 record and wins over... no one. Forcier is a very good freshman qb who is playing well in an offense that is perfectly suited for his skills. But he has yet to be tested by a defense with a pulse. I am looking forward to the games that Greenwood and Sash play with Forcier as they move around before the snap. I think it will look much like Iowa's defensive gameplan against ISU. I hope for the same results. Forcier has to take extra time to get rid of the football because of his height and he doesn't always see the whole field because of that. If he forces throws under pressure that is usually a recipe for "The Vulture" to get his hands on the ball, and lately that is the most exciting play of Iowa football. Sash and Greenwood have been playing at a very high level all season and that must continue for Iowa to win Saturday. They diagnose plays as fast as any safties since Sanders and Considine and I was a big fan of Pashal. If they get their hands on the ball more than once game over Iowa wins.
RDEvAdrian Clayborn 94 and LDE Broderick Binns 91 Vs LT Mark Ortmann 71 and RT Perry Dorrestein 79: Michigan could be in trouble here. Michigan State's d-ends dominated both of these guys and both of Indiana's ends pressured Forcier most of the Indiana game also. Of those players only Middleton probably compares physically to either of Iowa's players. Forcier is short and has to move around to find throwing lanes which means he doens't take a typical drop. Clayborn and Binns must play their assigments first and play with their eyes up. Michigan runs a lot of QB read option which means they often leave the D-end unblocked "optioning" the end. This could be a big day for one or both of them. Ortmann and Dorrestein are decent in pass protection, but far from dominating in run blocking. They pretty much look to seal exclusively and rarely drive block. That is the nature of Richrod's scheme however not really a swipe at their abilities. Dorrestein was a backup entering the season until the injury to Molk.
DT Christian Ballard 46 and DT Karl Klug 95 Vs. LG Stephen Schilling 52, C David Moosman, and RG David Huyge 71: After the injury to Molk Moosman slid over to center, and Huyge moved from tackle to guard. Moosman has struggled with his shotgun snaps at times and is still new to making line calls. Ballard has probably been the unsung hero of Iowa's defense this season. He has made the move inside with relative ease and is invovled in almost every big play. Klug has been a revelation. I was high on him coming into the season but he has exceeded my expectations by far. He is a Mitch King CLONE. Ballard and Klug will be the quickest pair of tackles that the Michigan interior have faced. How they handle Iowa's stunts on obvious passing situations could determine if Forcier finishes the game. Most of Michigan's big runs have come over the gap between Schilling and Ortmann. Schilling is probably a Sunday player. Ballard and Klug need to continue to play with the awareness they have displayed so far this season and be ready for screens and draws early in this game. Taking away those kinds of plays could really limit Michigan's offensive effectiveness.
SLB A.J. Edds 49, RCB Amari Spievey 19, LCB Shaun Prater 28, and LCB/ NB Willie Lowe 10 VS. Greg Matthews 13 (X), Martavious Odoms 9 (Y), Junior Hemingway 21 (Z), Darryl Stonum 22, Kelvin Grady 19, LaTerryal Savvoy 82: That is a lot of names. Michigan really spreads the ball out to alot of receivers and is more of a passing team than they would probably prefer. Stonum and Matthews are the two guys who have really stood out to me so far this season. Michigan will throw a bubble screen to any of these guys and they are all really slippery and fast. Odoms and Hemingway seem to be the toughest and most likely to work the middle. Forcier always has an outlet in the flat on every play by design and that is where Edds comes in. He must tackle well in this game. He will also have opportunities in the run game. Edds may have the chance to get three or four tackles for loss in this game. He must take advantage of them. Spievey will likely be matched up with Matthews for much of the game. If Prater is in the game he too must tackle well. I imagine that after last week Michigan will test the left side of Iowa's defense when they are on that hash. Prater or Lowe must be ready to defend the pass and tackle on running plays. Greenwood would be the safety in that situation and he needs to be ready to give help to either corner in the passing game and clean up his tackling as well.
WLB Jeremiha Hunter 42 Vs. TE Kevin Koger 86, TE Martellus Webb 80: Iowa has suprised me sometimes this year by lining up Edds on the TE with a slot ont the field but most of the time Edds is the defacto nickelback in Iowa's defense. Hunter needs to have a good cover day against the Michigan tight ends who are basically interchangeable athletically. Webb has some bonehead issues, and that is why Koger has overtaken him on the depth chart. Both of these guys can do something with the ball in their hands and are sure handed. But they are much better receivers than blockers. Hunter should be able to physically win his match up if they try to block him with these tight ends in the running game. He could have a 10+ tackle game in him here.
MLB Pat Angerer 43 Vs. TB Brandon Minor 4, TB Carlos Brown 23, FB Kevin Grady 24: Angerer has the toughest job of any Iowa defender Saturday. He needs to be stout against the run, and also get depth and patrol the middle in the passing game. He may also be asked to spy on Forcier. Minor and Brown are gifted, fast running backs. They aren't especially physical though and won't run through good tackles. Grady is a bruising runner who was once thought to be the heir to Mike Hart. If Brown is truly hurt I think Iowa will still see alot of two back formations from Michigan as they try to establish the running game and take pressure off of their freshman QB. Minor and Brown are also involved in the passing game mostly through screens and flares and they pick up their yards after the catch. Angerer must... ready for it tackle well. He will be playing with some sort of cast on his hand. One nice thing about Iowa's form of defense is we won't have to hear too much about the varied tempos that Michigan will try to use to "suprise" Iowa. We run the same scheme 70% of the time and the same personell 95% of the time. Angerer will do a good job of making sure everyone is in position when they try to run a quick play.
SS Tyler Sash 9 and FS Brett Greenwood 30 VS. QB Tate Forcier 5: Tim Tebow Jr. comes to Iowa City with an impressive 4-1 record and wins over... no one. Forcier is a very good freshman qb who is playing well in an offense that is perfectly suited for his skills. But he has yet to be tested by a defense with a pulse. I am looking forward to the games that Greenwood and Sash play with Forcier as they move around before the snap. I think it will look much like Iowa's defensive gameplan against ISU. I hope for the same results. Forcier has to take extra time to get rid of the football because of his height and he doesn't always see the whole field because of that. If he forces throws under pressure that is usually a recipe for "The Vulture" to get his hands on the ball, and lately that is the most exciting play of Iowa football. Sash and Greenwood have been playing at a very high level all season and that must continue for Iowa to win Saturday. They diagnose plays as fast as any safties since Sanders and Considine and I was a big fan of Pashal. If they get their hands on the ball more than once game over Iowa wins.
A Random Little Rant: Re Pam Ward and Ray Bentley
First off these won't be regular features but I have been trying to squeeze some of these in and have limited time. I am home sick so today seemed like a good day to do this. Now for the content.
Pam(Paul as she is affectionately known to most college football fans) Ward and Ray Bentley are the worst announcing duo in the history of televised sports. I think that Mark May and Lou Holtsh would do a better job breaking down an actual game. The only observations Ward and Bentley get correct are general statement of facts, i.e. "it is raining Pam" or "Floyd for Michigan is wearing #12". They should be forced to sit in a room for a week and study the officials hand signals as they are usually discissing what the penalty was for 30 to 45 seconds after it has been called. They constantly mis-identify the players involved in the play, credit players from the same team for tackling their own player, example Tyler Sash takes down Brandon Wegher. This didn't actually happen this weekend because I don't think they knew anyone on Arkansas State's roster except for Corey Leonard, Alex Carrington, and Reggie Arnold. Pam usually rambles on for too long trying to describe the play and usually getting at least two key factors incorrect. Then Ray rambles on with his incoherent and usually non-sensical analysis into the next play. His use of replay is hilarious as he generally doesn't illustrate whatever point he is trying to make and has to say, " well that must have been on the previous play." I usually just avoid the 11 am game on ESPN 2 but have had to review games for the upcoming Iowa schedule and couldn't help but comment on this. The Big Ten should completely remove there games from ESPN 2. No matter how bad you think some of the commentators are on the BTN they are miles and miles ahead of these two.
The problem is that as long as Iowa continues to win and elevate their profile the more likely they are to appear on this network. ESPN is doing everything it can to sabotage the BTN and discourage other conferences from forming their own version of it. The best case scenario is that they just get fired and we get Spielman for every game. Whoever thought a Buckeye could be so cool?
Pam(Paul as she is affectionately known to most college football fans) Ward and Ray Bentley are the worst announcing duo in the history of televised sports. I think that Mark May and Lou Holtsh would do a better job breaking down an actual game. The only observations Ward and Bentley get correct are general statement of facts, i.e. "it is raining Pam" or "Floyd for Michigan is wearing #12". They should be forced to sit in a room for a week and study the officials hand signals as they are usually discissing what the penalty was for 30 to 45 seconds after it has been called. They constantly mis-identify the players involved in the play, credit players from the same team for tackling their own player, example Tyler Sash takes down Brandon Wegher. This didn't actually happen this weekend because I don't think they knew anyone on Arkansas State's roster except for Corey Leonard, Alex Carrington, and Reggie Arnold. Pam usually rambles on for too long trying to describe the play and usually getting at least two key factors incorrect. Then Ray rambles on with his incoherent and usually non-sensical analysis into the next play. His use of replay is hilarious as he generally doesn't illustrate whatever point he is trying to make and has to say, " well that must have been on the previous play." I usually just avoid the 11 am game on ESPN 2 but have had to review games for the upcoming Iowa schedule and couldn't help but comment on this. The Big Ten should completely remove there games from ESPN 2. No matter how bad you think some of the commentators are on the BTN they are miles and miles ahead of these two.
The problem is that as long as Iowa continues to win and elevate their profile the more likely they are to appear on this network. ESPN is doing everything it can to sabotage the BTN and discourage other conferences from forming their own version of it. The best case scenario is that they just get fired and we get Spielman for every game. Whoever thought a Buckeye could be so cool?
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Arkansas State Film Review
Well that wasn't as bad as I remembered it being. But it wasn't enjoyable by any stretch of the imagination. First I would like to give Arkansas State credit for a well played game. They showed a lot of heart and tenacity and refused to roll over when they had plenty of opportunities to do so. Corey Leonard is a hell of a football player, and it felt like we were facing Drew Brees out there for awhile. Sometimes you lose perspective during a game and you think a guy tore you apart and you see the stats and go "huh, he didn't throw for 400 yards?" Leonard barely completed 50% of his passes and just broke over 200 yards against Iowa's defense and was running for his life most of the time. I was also very impressed with ASU's offensive line. They accounted very well for themselves, especially in the second half. I was also very impressed with the two defensive tackles who made life miserable for Eubanks, Richardson and Vandervelde most of the day. I wish nothing but success for the Red Wolves and hope they defeat Louisville later on this season and go on to win the Sun Belt this season. Now on to Negatives, Positives, and Coaching observations.
Negatives:
Interior Run Blocking: As mentioned above it was a long day for the two guards and the center for Iowa's offense. Khari Mays and Bryan Hall seemed to be in the backfield as often as Brett Morse. I thought of the three Iowa players that Eubanks had the most solid game, which is encouraging because I have been a little down on him. Vandervelde missed at least three critical assignments on third downs and Richardson was also beaten at least three times on short yardage situations. Even when Wegher ran for 19 yards the line looked out of sync, with Bulaga and Calloway blocking towards the right and the interior blocking left. A nice cut by Wegher and beatiful seal by Stross led to that big gain. The one positive for this unit was that they kept Stanzi clean and did a wonderful job pass blocking all day.
Robinson and Wegher: I felt that this was collectively the freshmans' worst performance by far. Although both had some decent runs I think both left some yards on the field and were very impatient running the football. Robinson seems to have fallen in love with the cutback and never seems to allow the blocks to develop long enough make that a viable option for him anymore. Wegher seems to be pressing every run outside looking to hit a homerun with every swing. One of their collective strengths wasn't on display (blitz pick up) as ASU elected to rush four almost exclusively. I only noticed one blitz in a passing situation. They both seem to be very good pass receivers but I thought Robinson made a mental error on the third drive when he had Carrington on him and ran his regular route. Stanzi lead him and if Robinson would have kept runinning that might have been a 21-0 lead. I don't know for sure, I am just completely guessing there but if you have it DVRed it is right around the end of the first quarter.
Lack of Subs on Defense: Since this is a new site I don't feel like I am beating a dead horse. Iowa's d-line is outstanding but they could be even better if they had a blow every now and then when they have been on the field for seven or eight plays in a row. Iowa also has some depth as corner. If Lowe is getting picked on put Hyde in for a play and roll the safety his way. Give the guys a chance to catch their breath. I don't care how great the conditioning program is guys get tired when they are on the field that long. Tired players make mistakes. It might make sense to rotate a few other players in. Iowa has 88 scholarship athletes. I am pretty sure that more than 11 of them go to the defense.
(Not So) Special Teams: Again other than Ryan Donahue, who was again outstanding, Iowa's special teams was deficient on Saturday. There are three problem areas to address here. The first one is the most problematic. Kickoff coverage- this must improve. Two things have to happen, Murray must kick it higher or deeper, and the coverage team must do a better job of staying in its lane and tackling. Murray used to kick it into the end zone fairly frequently and Iowa used to be much more physical on special teams. I was very excited about guys like David Cato, Bruce Davis, and Jeff Tarpinian making huge hits on the kick coverage and there is still time but it is running out. Murray also needs to stop missing the bunnies. I understand that the College hash marks are wider but still a 28 yard Field Goal has to be made. I am under the impression that Iowa is trying to redshirt Mossbrucker this season. Murray needs to be more consistent in Big XI play if Iowa is going to contend for a championship. Finally Iowa may need to end the Paul Chaney Jr. expirament as the returner. He is definately fast. But he doesn't seem to be able to read the coverage coming at him in either punt return or kick return and I am not sure I trust him to hold onto the ball. It might be time to give Wegher the job. Sandeman is at least sure handed on punt returns. Field position is vital for a team that plays it so close to the vest.
Positives: Yes there are some
Marvin McNutt and the rest of the receiving corps: McNutt had the breakout game that the coaches' had been talking about and none of the receivers dropped a pass. McNutt caught 4 passes for 132 yards and two Tds basically running Go routes or Fades the entire day. He also drew a huge Pass Interference call on a 4th down on a beautifully run route. Trey Stross and Keenan Davis also shined, along with DJK who made the most of his eight snaps. All of the receivers blocked well when the running backs reached the second level, which unfortunately wasn't often. Reisner also had another solid game at tight end in the passing phase converting three first downs.
Stanzi's decision making: This may suprise alot of people but I thought Stanzi played an outstanding game. It's just when he made a mistake it was a huge one. Stanzi made 11 noticible audibles. 8 of those went for at least 5 yards. One of those went for an interception. He also threw the terrible pick six where no one was open. If he learns to throw that ball away or tuck it and run it is a much more comfortable win. Stanzi's only other glaring mistake was on the third and goal where he elected to run. He missed a wide open Stross in the back of the end zone. But even that is debatable as he made the safe play and Iowa converted a field goal. For the first time this season I saw Stanzi manipulating coverages with his eyes. He looked off safeties multiple times including two of the three touchdowns. Every one of the long throws whether complete or incomplete was a correct one. Out of his 26 passes only the two picks could be considered bad descisions. Out of his 11 noticible audibles 8 of them were succesful. I like those odds against anybody anywhere. Thats not game managing, that is commanding. Whether the fans have confidence in Stanzi or not it is clear that the staff does.
Iowas's Defense: they were on the field way more than they should have been. They created a couple of turnovers for the offense and only one of them was cashed in. They surrendered 14 points but again no rushing TD. The 11 starters played every snap with the exception of Klug and Ballard who each sat out one for Tarpinian who came in on the two plays where Iowa ran 3-4. Klug and Ballard alternated at Nose for that set. These guys are playing at a championship level. The d-line is dominating. They can't make every play and they shouldn't have to. I think people forget that Roth and Babineaux didn't get a sack on every play. People will think that Mitch King and Matt Kroul never got blocked someday. In ten years people will talk about this defensive line that way. There are possibly eight NFL players starting on this unit. Clayborn, Ballard, Binns, Edds, Sash, Spievey, and Hunter are for sure. Angerer has a shot. I think he will do MMA instead. Klug has a shot. Prater has a shot but that is a pretty long way to go. Nielson is on Phil Steeles OLB watch list. Tarpinian probably has a chance but he will have to have a monster year next season. I am getting too far ahead of myself but the thing is this is talented group and as talented as any group Ferentz and Co. have put together. The coolest thing about watching them is the pre-snap watching them communicate. And then destroy. I almost feel bad for Forcier.
Coaching: I want to rip the coaching staff to shreds for this game, except one for thing. Iowa won. That is all that really matters. I wish they would have won by more. I really wanted to see the backups. I really wanted to see Iowa run a two minute offense at the end of the first half. I really wish Iowa would put an opponent away in the first quarter instead of letting an opponent beat itself. Iowa really only drubs somebody if they turn the ball over a bunch of times and give up. See Minnesota 2008, I am sure you've heard of it. Maybe Iowa thinks the opposing team only watches the last game film a team plays. I don't know why they have to play an opponent like that so vanilla. Yeah they ran a reverse on the first series and a reverse pass with McNutt later. That play was stupid, you run a reverse pass for a 15 yard out? Wow that is some razzle-dazzle there KOK. So are the QB sneaks on 3rd and shorts. Almost everytime Iowa runs that 3 TE formation with Keumpal out there and converts, they almost always get a delay penalty on the next play. Why? The things that keep me up at night. This coaching staff clearly has trust issues. I am sure that Iowa has a psychology department. Barta needs to get each member of the coaching staff some shrink time to work through these issues to let some more players play. Especially the defensive staff. Apparently the only coach who knows he can use all of his players is Campbell, and he is the newest one and hasn't been competely indoctrinated into the ways of Fort Kinnick. Hopefully they keep winning and shut me up. Imagine what I am like after a loss.
Negatives:
Interior Run Blocking: As mentioned above it was a long day for the two guards and the center for Iowa's offense. Khari Mays and Bryan Hall seemed to be in the backfield as often as Brett Morse. I thought of the three Iowa players that Eubanks had the most solid game, which is encouraging because I have been a little down on him. Vandervelde missed at least three critical assignments on third downs and Richardson was also beaten at least three times on short yardage situations. Even when Wegher ran for 19 yards the line looked out of sync, with Bulaga and Calloway blocking towards the right and the interior blocking left. A nice cut by Wegher and beatiful seal by Stross led to that big gain. The one positive for this unit was that they kept Stanzi clean and did a wonderful job pass blocking all day.
Robinson and Wegher: I felt that this was collectively the freshmans' worst performance by far. Although both had some decent runs I think both left some yards on the field and were very impatient running the football. Robinson seems to have fallen in love with the cutback and never seems to allow the blocks to develop long enough make that a viable option for him anymore. Wegher seems to be pressing every run outside looking to hit a homerun with every swing. One of their collective strengths wasn't on display (blitz pick up) as ASU elected to rush four almost exclusively. I only noticed one blitz in a passing situation. They both seem to be very good pass receivers but I thought Robinson made a mental error on the third drive when he had Carrington on him and ran his regular route. Stanzi lead him and if Robinson would have kept runinning that might have been a 21-0 lead. I don't know for sure, I am just completely guessing there but if you have it DVRed it is right around the end of the first quarter.
Lack of Subs on Defense: Since this is a new site I don't feel like I am beating a dead horse. Iowa's d-line is outstanding but they could be even better if they had a blow every now and then when they have been on the field for seven or eight plays in a row. Iowa also has some depth as corner. If Lowe is getting picked on put Hyde in for a play and roll the safety his way. Give the guys a chance to catch their breath. I don't care how great the conditioning program is guys get tired when they are on the field that long. Tired players make mistakes. It might make sense to rotate a few other players in. Iowa has 88 scholarship athletes. I am pretty sure that more than 11 of them go to the defense.
(Not So) Special Teams: Again other than Ryan Donahue, who was again outstanding, Iowa's special teams was deficient on Saturday. There are three problem areas to address here. The first one is the most problematic. Kickoff coverage- this must improve. Two things have to happen, Murray must kick it higher or deeper, and the coverage team must do a better job of staying in its lane and tackling. Murray used to kick it into the end zone fairly frequently and Iowa used to be much more physical on special teams. I was very excited about guys like David Cato, Bruce Davis, and Jeff Tarpinian making huge hits on the kick coverage and there is still time but it is running out. Murray also needs to stop missing the bunnies. I understand that the College hash marks are wider but still a 28 yard Field Goal has to be made. I am under the impression that Iowa is trying to redshirt Mossbrucker this season. Murray needs to be more consistent in Big XI play if Iowa is going to contend for a championship. Finally Iowa may need to end the Paul Chaney Jr. expirament as the returner. He is definately fast. But he doesn't seem to be able to read the coverage coming at him in either punt return or kick return and I am not sure I trust him to hold onto the ball. It might be time to give Wegher the job. Sandeman is at least sure handed on punt returns. Field position is vital for a team that plays it so close to the vest.
Positives: Yes there are some
Marvin McNutt and the rest of the receiving corps: McNutt had the breakout game that the coaches' had been talking about and none of the receivers dropped a pass. McNutt caught 4 passes for 132 yards and two Tds basically running Go routes or Fades the entire day. He also drew a huge Pass Interference call on a 4th down on a beautifully run route. Trey Stross and Keenan Davis also shined, along with DJK who made the most of his eight snaps. All of the receivers blocked well when the running backs reached the second level, which unfortunately wasn't often. Reisner also had another solid game at tight end in the passing phase converting three first downs.
Stanzi's decision making: This may suprise alot of people but I thought Stanzi played an outstanding game. It's just when he made a mistake it was a huge one. Stanzi made 11 noticible audibles. 8 of those went for at least 5 yards. One of those went for an interception. He also threw the terrible pick six where no one was open. If he learns to throw that ball away or tuck it and run it is a much more comfortable win. Stanzi's only other glaring mistake was on the third and goal where he elected to run. He missed a wide open Stross in the back of the end zone. But even that is debatable as he made the safe play and Iowa converted a field goal. For the first time this season I saw Stanzi manipulating coverages with his eyes. He looked off safeties multiple times including two of the three touchdowns. Every one of the long throws whether complete or incomplete was a correct one. Out of his 26 passes only the two picks could be considered bad descisions. Out of his 11 noticible audibles 8 of them were succesful. I like those odds against anybody anywhere. Thats not game managing, that is commanding. Whether the fans have confidence in Stanzi or not it is clear that the staff does.
Iowas's Defense: they were on the field way more than they should have been. They created a couple of turnovers for the offense and only one of them was cashed in. They surrendered 14 points but again no rushing TD. The 11 starters played every snap with the exception of Klug and Ballard who each sat out one for Tarpinian who came in on the two plays where Iowa ran 3-4. Klug and Ballard alternated at Nose for that set. These guys are playing at a championship level. The d-line is dominating. They can't make every play and they shouldn't have to. I think people forget that Roth and Babineaux didn't get a sack on every play. People will think that Mitch King and Matt Kroul never got blocked someday. In ten years people will talk about this defensive line that way. There are possibly eight NFL players starting on this unit. Clayborn, Ballard, Binns, Edds, Sash, Spievey, and Hunter are for sure. Angerer has a shot. I think he will do MMA instead. Klug has a shot. Prater has a shot but that is a pretty long way to go. Nielson is on Phil Steeles OLB watch list. Tarpinian probably has a chance but he will have to have a monster year next season. I am getting too far ahead of myself but the thing is this is talented group and as talented as any group Ferentz and Co. have put together. The coolest thing about watching them is the pre-snap watching them communicate. And then destroy. I almost feel bad for Forcier.
Coaching: I want to rip the coaching staff to shreds for this game, except one for thing. Iowa won. That is all that really matters. I wish they would have won by more. I really wanted to see the backups. I really wanted to see Iowa run a two minute offense at the end of the first half. I really wish Iowa would put an opponent away in the first quarter instead of letting an opponent beat itself. Iowa really only drubs somebody if they turn the ball over a bunch of times and give up. See Minnesota 2008, I am sure you've heard of it. Maybe Iowa thinks the opposing team only watches the last game film a team plays. I don't know why they have to play an opponent like that so vanilla. Yeah they ran a reverse on the first series and a reverse pass with McNutt later. That play was stupid, you run a reverse pass for a 15 yard out? Wow that is some razzle-dazzle there KOK. So are the QB sneaks on 3rd and shorts. Almost everytime Iowa runs that 3 TE formation with Keumpal out there and converts, they almost always get a delay penalty on the next play. Why? The things that keep me up at night. This coaching staff clearly has trust issues. I am sure that Iowa has a psychology department. Barta needs to get each member of the coaching staff some shrink time to work through these issues to let some more players play. Especially the defensive staff. Apparently the only coach who knows he can use all of his players is Campbell, and he is the newest one and hasn't been competely indoctrinated into the ways of Fort Kinnick. Hopefully they keep winning and shut me up. Imagine what I am like after a loss.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Arkansas State Preview
Fear the Indians uh.. wait the Red Wolves. Yeah that's it the Red Wolves. I am not making fun of political correctness, but Arkansas State's website which still has the indians in it. I don't know anything about this team. Everything I know about this team basically comes from my Phil Steele 2009 College Preview Magazine. I have never seen them on tv. The Jonesboro newspaper's internet sports section seems to have no archive to speak of and they have no Scout or Rivals site. One site had them traveling to Ames, Iowa to face the mighty Hawkeyes. I guess what I am trying to say is it is hard to research this team. The only game I could have watched would have been a Pay Per View against Nebby and my money is way too valuable for that. So there will be no matchups this week. Really Iowa should be able to physically win every matchup this week anyway. To say otherwise would be blowing smoke up the Ind... er Red Wolves rears. What I do plan to do this week is highlight the players for the opposition you may want to pay attention to, give a brief synopsis of Arkansas State's season so far, and give a prediction of what I think will happen and the final score. I am also going to provide an excellent link to the Hawkeyenation Forums from a poster named Bearhawk22 who has season tickets to Arkansas State games and did an excellent job of breaking them down on the free football boards. If he happens to read this I would like to thank him.
Players to watch: #1 Corey Leonard 6'1 207 Leonard is entering his third season as the full time starter and the third season running this system. He also started games as a red shirt freshman. Leonard is a dual threat qb. He averaged over 10 rushes a game last season and is right around that number this season. He is not an accurate passer ( season best 54%) and was benched for a series last week vs. Troy for a series in favor of red shirt freshman Ryan Alpin ( 6'1 213). He is a very tough player however and plays through injuries.
#2 Reggie Arnold 5'9 219 Arnold is also entering his senior year. He is a four year starter. He has rushed for 1,000 yards every season of his career. He is averaging over 6 ypc this season and has 7 rushing TDs. However he is only rushing for 80 yards per game. He is not a weapon in the passing game. He caught 11 passes last season and has 1 this season. His backup #22 Derek Lawson also gets a lot of carries. He rushed for nearly 700 yards last season as a red shirt freshman and already has 25 carries in three games this season. He is averaging 4.8 ypc.
#14 Brandon Thompkins WR Thompkins is a big play threat as a receiver and a returner. He was already the Sun Belt's career return yardage leader entering his senior year and is averaging over 20 yards '\per catch on 6 receptions through Arky State's three games this season. He like all of the Red Wolves' experienced receivers are on the smallish side (think a thicker Paul Chaney) at 5'9 191.
#9 Jahbari McLennan WR McLennan is more of a possesion guy as he leads the team with 9 catches for 94 yards this season and tied Thompkins last season with 32 catches but for 60 less yards. He is listed at 5'11 188
#89 Josh Arauco K Arauco was a Groza finalist last season and converted on 17 of 20 of his field goals last season including 4-5 from over 40. His long was only 44 though. He doesn't kick off which leads me to believe he doesn't have that strong of a leg. He is probably their best chance to score though.
#98 Alex Carrington 6'5 285 Carrington is a NFL prospect. I think he lines up on the right side most of the time which should be a nice test for Bulaga coming back. Carrington had 19 tackles for lost last season including 10.5 sacks. He is really the only player to pay attention to on the defense as they have been hit hard by injuries already this season. Carrington is the reigning Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year.
#1 Cordarius Mingo This is really a joke. I only highlighted him because they have two #1s starting and I am from Colfax- Mingo. He is a first year starter. He did have one game where he was the second leading tackler though.
Arkansas State so far...: The Red Wolves pounded Mississippi Valley State 61 to 0. Nebraska beat them 35 to 9 fairly soundly. Troy, Arkansas State's main rival this season for the SBC crown, came to Jonesboro and beat up their QB and came from behind to win in a see- saw type of game 30 to 27. Arkansas State has been hurt by some tough injuries to their defense. Darius Glover, a returning starter has been lost for the season and I believe another starting safety Evan Van Dolah has been lost for the season also. Arkansas may be running a 4-2-5 instead of a more traditional 4-3 but teams (other than MSVSt.) have been passing at will against their defense. This could be just what the doctor ordered for Iowa's underperforming passing game. ASU will have a 10 day lay off following the Iowa game. Here is the promised link to the aforementioned Bearhawk22 Scouting ASTATE
What I would like to see and what I think I will see: I would like to see the gameplan Iowa came out with against UNI and ISU. Have Ricky come out firing with 3 step drops and get the passing games' kinks worked out. Let Bulaga work against a solid pass rushing threat in Alex Carringtion and knock off some of that rust. I think Iowa can run at will against the 'Wolves but the passing game is slightly broken and this would be a good game to work on it. I think that this a nice opponent to play before Michigan as they run a similar form of the spread formation, although Coach Ferentz said it is more similar to Northwestern. I would love to see a four touchdown lead by midway through the second quarter and the 2nd team for the entire second half. I would love to see Jeff Brinson get some carries as I think he will be needed some time this season. Iowa needs to clean up some coverage issues on the kicking game. They should get plenty of chances to kick off. I think we will see is some of those things. I think that Iowa's defense is so dominant that the offense might be given some short fields and the Good Captain may run the ball so as to keep the clock moving instead of trying to look like he is running up the score. I think that this defense is really having fun and wants to dominate teams and will eliminate any chance of Iowa having a let down. They could score by themselves. I think the only defense keeping Iowa's offense from totaling over 450 yards could be Iowa's defense complete domination of this game. Final Score: Iowa 48 Arkansas State 6 (two field goals)
Players to watch: #1 Corey Leonard 6'1 207 Leonard is entering his third season as the full time starter and the third season running this system. He also started games as a red shirt freshman. Leonard is a dual threat qb. He averaged over 10 rushes a game last season and is right around that number this season. He is not an accurate passer ( season best 54%) and was benched for a series last week vs. Troy for a series in favor of red shirt freshman Ryan Alpin ( 6'1 213). He is a very tough player however and plays through injuries.
#2 Reggie Arnold 5'9 219 Arnold is also entering his senior year. He is a four year starter. He has rushed for 1,000 yards every season of his career. He is averaging over 6 ypc this season and has 7 rushing TDs. However he is only rushing for 80 yards per game. He is not a weapon in the passing game. He caught 11 passes last season and has 1 this season. His backup #22 Derek Lawson also gets a lot of carries. He rushed for nearly 700 yards last season as a red shirt freshman and already has 25 carries in three games this season. He is averaging 4.8 ypc.
#14 Brandon Thompkins WR Thompkins is a big play threat as a receiver and a returner. He was already the Sun Belt's career return yardage leader entering his senior year and is averaging over 20 yards '\per catch on 6 receptions through Arky State's three games this season. He like all of the Red Wolves' experienced receivers are on the smallish side (think a thicker Paul Chaney) at 5'9 191.
#9 Jahbari McLennan WR McLennan is more of a possesion guy as he leads the team with 9 catches for 94 yards this season and tied Thompkins last season with 32 catches but for 60 less yards. He is listed at 5'11 188
#89 Josh Arauco K Arauco was a Groza finalist last season and converted on 17 of 20 of his field goals last season including 4-5 from over 40. His long was only 44 though. He doesn't kick off which leads me to believe he doesn't have that strong of a leg. He is probably their best chance to score though.
#98 Alex Carrington 6'5 285 Carrington is a NFL prospect. I think he lines up on the right side most of the time which should be a nice test for Bulaga coming back. Carrington had 19 tackles for lost last season including 10.5 sacks. He is really the only player to pay attention to on the defense as they have been hit hard by injuries already this season. Carrington is the reigning Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year.
#1 Cordarius Mingo This is really a joke. I only highlighted him because they have two #1s starting and I am from Colfax- Mingo. He is a first year starter. He did have one game where he was the second leading tackler though.
Arkansas State so far...: The Red Wolves pounded Mississippi Valley State 61 to 0. Nebraska beat them 35 to 9 fairly soundly. Troy, Arkansas State's main rival this season for the SBC crown, came to Jonesboro and beat up their QB and came from behind to win in a see- saw type of game 30 to 27. Arkansas State has been hurt by some tough injuries to their defense. Darius Glover, a returning starter has been lost for the season and I believe another starting safety Evan Van Dolah has been lost for the season also. Arkansas may be running a 4-2-5 instead of a more traditional 4-3 but teams (other than MSVSt.) have been passing at will against their defense. This could be just what the doctor ordered for Iowa's underperforming passing game. ASU will have a 10 day lay off following the Iowa game. Here is the promised link to the aforementioned Bearhawk22 Scouting ASTATE
What I would like to see and what I think I will see: I would like to see the gameplan Iowa came out with against UNI and ISU. Have Ricky come out firing with 3 step drops and get the passing games' kinks worked out. Let Bulaga work against a solid pass rushing threat in Alex Carringtion and knock off some of that rust. I think Iowa can run at will against the 'Wolves but the passing game is slightly broken and this would be a good game to work on it. I think that this a nice opponent to play before Michigan as they run a similar form of the spread formation, although Coach Ferentz said it is more similar to Northwestern. I would love to see a four touchdown lead by midway through the second quarter and the 2nd team for the entire second half. I would love to see Jeff Brinson get some carries as I think he will be needed some time this season. Iowa needs to clean up some coverage issues on the kicking game. They should get plenty of chances to kick off. I think we will see is some of those things. I think that Iowa's defense is so dominant that the offense might be given some short fields and the Good Captain may run the ball so as to keep the clock moving instead of trying to look like he is running up the score. I think that this defense is really having fun and wants to dominate teams and will eliminate any chance of Iowa having a let down. They could score by themselves. I think the only defense keeping Iowa's offense from totaling over 450 yards could be Iowa's defense complete domination of this game. Final Score: Iowa 48 Arkansas State 6 (two field goals)
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