I don't know who you were answering in the bolded above but I really like the concepts.
Jay Jordan -- Light me up
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I don't know who you were answering in the bolded above but I really like the concepts.
Great thought here. Is it beneficial to double team Lima and leave Rose to roam?
I think you are right. If I was coordinating the offense, I would single Lima, run to the edge, and extend to Rose as the larger threat. This would challenge Lima to run and chase which he is challenged to do. However, if a team did that, then I would sub in Jamahl Johnson who can chase down a rabbit from the back side and kick your behind.
Coaches follow convention and think they are right because it is convention. Therefore, they will double team an effective nose without looking at his physical limitations. Advantage ISU.
The great news here is that they are damned if they do and damned if they don't because ISU has two great MLB's behind the 3 tech in Rose and Vance.
I hope we see some Toledo style 4-2-5 with Johnson in there. I am a Limanatic, but Jamahl Johnson is a disrupter array (see Star Trek) and will have a long pro career.
I have been calling for the TE to be a focal point for three years, but to the extent it will be, it will be this year. We saw an evolution of the offense to the F and TE in the Alamo Bowl, see upcoming article.
However, at Toledo, the Campbell group had two stud tight ends, one of whom is still in the league. The caught just less than 50 passes, but were instrumental in the running game which involved Kareem Hunt. I think similar production is expected here with a 50 to 75 catch expectation for the F and TE group as a whole.
No, I would not run any Iowa play ever.
The running back Williams and the two quarterbacks. They are obvious, but without a deep dive until they actually sign.
I have observed Bouman first hand and know a little about his pedigree and I really like the kid, but Dekkers is a versatile stud. Bouman is the type of student of the game that you want leading your team. He cares about every throw and works placement even when playing catch. I love that. He is grounded and charismatic. We will see, but I like what he brings to the table whether he matriculates to the field at ISU or elsewhere.
Williams is an RB I am excited about in a crowed RB room. But, Hall, Brock, and Williams is stupid good in my opinion.
Man, formations are hard to predict with this group because they love motion so much. I think you will see the F deployed in different ways. Where Seonbuchner was an additional lineman, I think you will see Soehner in more of a pass threat position, the traditional wing. I think they will still have 3 wide most plays, and maybe more 4 wide, but who those wides are is a mystery. You will see the TE's split more than in the past for both blocking and receiving purposes.
On defense, I wonder the same thing. With the depth at d-line, there may be more four man fronts than in the past. The question is how confident are they in coverage behind it. The four man front removes some of the deception with regard to pressure packages and coverage switches. However, if, like TCU, you can create pressure with 4, and I think they should with Bailey and Enyi, then you can afford to compromise the max coverage.
It will be interesting to see. I think against UNI and Iowa they will play more 4 man front than we have seen in the past two years. Then Baylor and TCU will get a heavy dose of the three man front we have become accustomed to. It will be game to game from there.
Hahaha, that was a mistake, was just putting something in to get things started. That said, it is something I believe.
ISU has never had an Iowa game mean so little to its seasons prospects. The season is in the Big 12 and the recent history has proven that they do not need to beat Iowa in order to win 8 games or challenge at the upper tier of the conference. In the past, it has been a needed confidence boost for program level success. But, we have witnessed recruiting rise, program dynamics rise, and Big 12 wins rise without success in that game.
I have often decried the slow start and tinkering that occurs in the first four games of each year. But, I might be completely wrong about that. Beating Iowa means a lot to me as a fan, but, I believe the season rides more on what is accomplished in the UNI week and the bye week after. Last year was a cluster for the start of the season. This year, if there is an expected effort in week 1 and a week of tinkering instead of rebuilding in week 2, then I think weeks 3 through 14 take care of themselves. It is vital that the team get off to a start that validates the hype. That is why I think that is one of the most crucial games on the schedule.
Good dialogue here. Here's my question Jay: What impact do you think there will be on the "maturity"/preparation level---and, the game performance of this team by having our head coach free from the OC role and our DC free from any position responsibilities? As bright as those two are, isn't that going to have a huge impact?
The addition of Caponi and Manning to the staff is definitely an impactful thing because they are smart football minds and good coaches.
I don’t know how to quantify the impact on Campbell and Heacock. Logic tells you that they will be better with a more singular focus. Observation reveals that ISU is pretty dad gum prepared each week. Heacock is a brilliant play caller and Campbell is a great program leader.
I think the difference will manifest in the early game readiness and a team identity will emerge quicker than it has in seasons past. That can only be a good thing as this staff has shown an ability to keep a good thing going once they get it dialed in. With less bifurcated roles that has a chance to evolve upward versus a a retrenching after misguided plan is deployed.
How do you have room left in your brain for basic cognitive abilities with all of that football knowledge up there too?
Given the hype to the season and the fact that Mark Farley is an *******. Will Campbell given the chance absolutely lay the wood to this UNI team or will he call the dogs off?
Interesting. There haven’t been many wood laying opportunities. But, given the many humorous usages available for the word “wood” including Jeff Wood-y...as Pedro said, I would like to see more of that.
Hard to say with regard to UNI, but it is possible that the second team plays and is almost as good as the first, so it may not be easy to keep it in the box. That is the kind of performance I am looking for.
But, I do know that if the opportunity to lay wood happens against Baylor you should get your calculator ready.
With greatness comes imitation. Opposing offenses have seen our defense multiple times now; plenty of film exists. How do we go about keeping our schemes fresh and unpredictable? Next, what separates our defense from those trying to be us? I've heard that at least Baylor and OU are sonewhat trying to eventually turn into what we are now.
Hmmmm...
Offense is determined pressure from different sources. See Texas. Also, press coverage, but there aren’t many teams outside of Texas and TCU that will use press. I would attack with pressure and man coverage which forces Purdy to be accurate and quick.
Defense can be hit with delay routes in the pass game and counter runs in the run game. It’s structure is vulnerable to both. West Virginia killed them with the counter early and then scrapped it. Texas was excellent in the late release and underneath pass game. I think you will see more of that this year and I think the 4 man front may be the Cyclone pivot.
...you are welcome and too kind.
This sounds like the premise for a good article. I might reference the McDonald twist article I wrote with regard to a fresh and problematic wrinkle.
The important thing is the players. Improvement and new talent with different skill sets. A player like McDonald, or potential press coverage availability from new corners can open up some twists and pressure options that are hard to adjust to. If you improve player talent floors then your unit can stay ahead of the schematic curve.
The difference is the staffs ability to place their players in a position of strength. Also, the fact that the scheme is a collective effort and Heacock is one of the better play callers in the country.
