Offensive problems

[ripvdub]

this offense doesn't seem any differen/better than when we had Tom H calling plays.

 

[blutarsky]

It's tough to be a good play caller or a successful offense when you are 2nd and 9 most of the time.

Maybe Messingham should have avoided run plays up the gut on first down. But when you play sheet
looks like this... View attachment 21930 What do you expect.

 

[jbindm]

At least give a guy some sustained opportunity to show if he's got anything to offer. I'm not convinced by anyone on the offensive side until they prove themselves, but he has to give someone a real shot.

You're right; the musical chairs game at the RB position is a big part of the problem. But it won't matter who gets the lion's share of the carries if the o-line can't perform better.

 

[Dryburn]

The running backs had 15 carries between 4 of them! 15! Hell, Adrian Peterson might have trouble gaining 100 yards on 15 carries!

What was disappointing to me is that they kept running up the middle, behind a 3rd string center, when it was obvious to everyone else watching that it was not working. It seemed like that was the only play in ISU's playbook for running backs.

These are good backs. We have all seen Shontrelle, Nealy and White do big things. Plus, Wimberly was a stud as a Juco.....not just locally, but nationally....and he gets 2 touches in a run, and 2 others in a passing situation? Then, the guy who won the infamous Okie State game for ISU gets no touches? I've never coached a game in my life, but honestly, I think I could have made some better plans than those.

Something is seriously wrong with the play-calling no matter who is doing it. Rhoads needs to figure it out.....now!

 

[heitclone]

we have a qb that when the primary option is not available...put's his head down and looks for running lanes....we have a high school offense...embarrassing.

I like Sam, but he's got happy feet. I think a lot of the issues in the passing game are a result of the combo of poor oline, bad playcalling and a QB that i struggling to make reads. If his initial read isn't open, he's off to the races. That comes down to either A) we are in bad calls from the get go or B) Sam is making the wrong initial reads at the line of scrimmage. Heck the other day Ruddock had a handful of completions that were instant reads he made, they were all on quick routes, outs, slants etc...but they were quick and he was confident making them. Taylor Martinez does the same thing at Nebby, he is making throws off one read, almost as soon as the ball is snapped to him.

Both of those guys are examples of an OC dumbing things down, making it easy for their QB. That's my biggest knock on our offense the last 2 years, it seems like the coaching staff is really out of touch with the strengths of the team. We can still be a pistol/spread/read option team and play to our kids strengths. Every other team in the country gets this, offenses are being simplified, teams are putting up huge numbers, why can't our staff get it?

 

[Wesley]

this offense doesn't seem any differen/better than when we had Tom H calling plays.

Look closer. Now we cannot run the ball with our stable.

 

[belmond64]

this offense doesn't seem any differen/better than when we had Tom H calling plays.

I watched the game again yesterday and some glaring things came to my attention. The first one has to do with the inability of our quarterback to pass the ball. Numerous times when passing out to the flats his passes were two feet too high for our receivers to be able catch and then run with the ball. Our receivers were constantly jumping out of their shorts trying to catch a ball that was always too high for them to catch and then run. Needless to say they were just getting creamed once they caught the ball. If I was one of them and it happened a second time I would yell at Richardson!!! Only one passing play over the middle until the end of the game. Will Rhoads see that when evaluating the game plan and play calling? No blocking period. I don't care if we had Adrian Peterson run the ball he would only get five yards because no one blocks up front. At least five Hawkeye tacklers on the ball carrier every time they got the ball. It is glaringly there when one looks at the replay of the game. Will that change?

 

[blutarsky]

ISU's main strength on offense is speed and personnel. Mulitple receiver sets. Multiple RB sets. RBs lined up outside in the slot, etc. We didn't add any wrinkles against Iowa that would have aided Richardson's bum ankle and we definitely didn't do anything to confuse Iowa's defense. We were predictable.

 

[ILiftWithRoyce]

I understand it's hard to divvy out carries to 4 RB's + Richardson, but at some point you'd hope Messingham or whoever is in charge of this stuff would say "Hm, Shontrelle is only gaining about a yard per carry. We're running up the middle a lot. Maybe we should utilize our 240 pound RB?" And they would stick Jeff Woody in the game. I've never understood the lack of carries for Woody. He's not fumble-prone and he makes the LB's think twice about trying to stop the run.

In the passing game, it's time to throw the ball downfield. Obviously Iowa was essentially playing prevent defense but Bundrage shredded their safeties and corners for 3 TD's. It's not like anything else is working either, so why not spread it out more? Right now we're basically trying to get 4-5 yards per play whether it's a run or a pass. That slow, methodical style works if you're willing to use play action, WR reverses, and other "gadgets" to exploit the D when they begin to play too tight. If Messingham would have waited any longer to throw downfield, he probably would've been murdered by Rhoads. With Tom Herman, our offense was willing to take shots to the endzone and throw in the middle of the field, not just to the sideline every time. Time to get rid of the 5-yard out route on 3rd and 10.

and the bubble screens on 4th and 4!!

 

[blutarsky]

...At least five Hawkeye tacklers on the ball carrier every time they got the ball. It is glaringly there when one looks at the replay of the game. Will that change?

There was one play where Richardson kept the ball and gained big yardage. On the play Iowa's Morris over pursued the went directly to the back. That was happening all game. Iowa knew Richardson wasn't able to run. Blocking was bad, but when the defense knows that ball is going to back 90% of the time on the zone read you really don't have a chance to block it up.

 

[Wesley]

I watched the game again yesterday and some glaring things came to my attention. The first one has to do with the inability of our quarterback to pass the ball. Numerous times when passing out to the flats his passes were two feet too high for our receivers to be able catch and then run with the ball. Our receivers were constantly jumping out of their shorts trying to catch a ball that was always too high for them to catch and then run. Needless to say they were just getting creamed once they caught the ball. If I was one of them and it happened a second time I would yell at Richardson!!! Only one passing play over the middle until the end of the game. Will Rhoads see that when evaluating the game plan and play calling? No blocking period. I don't care if we had Adrian Peterson run the ball he would only get five yards because no one blocks up front. At least five Hawkeye tacklers on the ball carrier every time they got the ball. It is glaringly there when one looks at the replay of the game. Will that change?

My guess is the qb foot hurts upon delivery to the side.

 

[galactawitz]

Maybe Messingham should have avoided run plays up the gut on first down. But when you play sheet
looks like this... View attachment 21930 What do you expect.

I think that is too complex, its more like this... View attachment 21932

 

[khardbored]

I think that is too complex, its more like this... View attachment 21932

I'm a fan of "Run #2" myself.

 

[IcSyU]

People saying in a vacuum that the bubble screen on 4th and 4 was terrible are morons. Iowa sends a blitz there (which they do a lot more frequently now than they used to) and it's a huge play. We gambled and lost. It happens. Unfortunately that ball was one of the best delivered balls Richardson had up to that point in the game. We could run a pick play and the blitz gets to Richardson for the sack before he can get rid of it and people would say that's a stupid play call as well. Neither is a bad call...you're going to lose a bunch of bets against the defense during a football game.

The play calling against UNI was bad. The play calling against Iowa was fine...the quarterback struggled the first 50 minutes to deliver quality passes and when he isn't able to run the offense has zero dimensions to it. There isn't a playbook in the country that works when the offensive line can't run block and the quarterback is struggling to deliver good passes.

 

[bawbie]

People saying in a vacuum that the bubble screen on 4th and 4 was terrible are morons. Iowa sends a blitz there (which they do a lot more frequently now than they used to) and it's a huge play. We gambled and lost. It happens. Unfortunately that ball was one of the best delivered balls Richardson had up to that point in the game.

The play calling against UNI was bad. The play calling against Iowa was fine...the quarterback struggled the first 50 minutes to deliver quality passes and when he isn't able to run the offense has zero dimensions to it. There isn't a playbook in the country that works when the offensive line can't run block and the quarterback is struggling to deliver good passes.

I agree in general about the playcalling, but the 4th and 4 call was bad. That was a case where you need your best play, and throwing the ball behind the line-of-scrimmage to your 5th best receiver isn't it. You have to throw the ball 5 yards downfield in that case. There was one other play, a 3rd and 4 or something like that where we ran the ball up the middle that was just horrible. Outside of that, I think it was much more an issue with execution than play calling.

That said, the 4th and 4 call would have worked if Tuftee hadn't completely missed his block. It looked to me like he was there, but let the guy who made the tackle go and tried to get the next guy and ended up standing all by himself while West was tackled.

 

[wartknight]

Our first down efficiency was probably right around 50%, maybe a little under. Not horrible but should be around 60ish.
2nd down left us struggling a bunch. I haven't figured out the efficiency there yet, but I think it was pretty bad.

 

[blutarsky]

...The play calling against Iowa was fine...

Really? ... Hard to run a zone read/pistol offense with a gimpy QB. And that was the game plan after two weeks to prepare.

 

[JBone84]

You mean, like throwing a -1 yard pass on 4th and 4?

FIFY.

And to your 4th best receiver, to boot.
1 - Bundrage
2 - Ecby
3 - Coleman
4 - West / Daley

Not to mention Brun / Boesen / Bibbs. Those guys should be huge targets on a play requiring 5 yards, particularly when there is a blitz.

 

[IcSyU]

Really? ... Hard to run a zone read/pistol offense with a gimpy QB. And that was the game plan after two weeks to prepare.

With the way our line run blocks there isn't a solution to the running game. Sam was struggling to throw the ball so that's out the window.

What plays are left? Can't do wildcat because we can't run block. Can't just sling it around because Sam was terrible the first 50 minutes throwing.

Now if Sam had to play because Rohach isn't ready, that's the staff's problem for not having a capable quarterback recruiting to backup.

 

[JBone84]

With the way our line run blocks there isn't a solution to the running game. Sam was struggling to throw the ball so that's out the window.

What plays are left? Can't do wildcat because we can't run block. Can't just sling it around because Sam was terrible the first 50 minutes throwing.

Now if Sam had to play because Rohach isn't ready, that's the staff's problem for not having a capable quarterback recruiting to backup.

Rohach will never be ready if needed if the staff won't work him into games where there is a clear advantage to doing so. Like when your QB1 is clearly hobbled and his main advantage (scrambling ability) is gone.