D-Line. Not quite there, but we're on our way.

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balds

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Just finished watching the game. Their OL completely dominated our DL, and that was the difference. Their OL and Weisman easily got to the next level on running plays, and sans blitzing, we couldn't sniff Vandenberg. At this point, we are much more suited to play spread teams than power running Big Ten teams. You just can't consistently play against Iowa, Wisconsin, etc. with 240, 265, 300, 245 across the line.
 

This is the DL that we are gong to see going foward. A DL undersized, speed off the edge and to play in space. IMO this will be where Kill either succeeds or fails at Minnesota. In a conference, especially a division where teams you play every year are power running teams and probably another which I believe Michigan will return to once D Robinson moves on.

If this type of defense cannot hold up in the conference we will see the new AD make his first head coach for football hire.
 

Yesterdays problem was more on the offense. You are not going to win many games scoring 13 points. The defense held them to 24 points, not bad, not great but respectable.
 

I'd like to point out that with some adjustments the DL played much better in the second half. Iowa's offense, was held scoreless in the second half, if the Offense was more efficient it could have become a game.
 

The defense needed help from the offense in the second quarter. They needed some extended drives that burned clock and all they got were 3 and outs.
They really needed a chance to regroup and couldn't get it until halftime.
 


Our DL struggled, but our LBs hardly ever make a play unless they are completely untouched. I was watching for it and I can't think of a single play made by our LBs where they shed a block and made a tackle. You're not going to go untouched in Big 10 football.

Our DL....ehh...they struggled too. I don't mind the scheme that Kill and Claeys use, I just think our other DT (not Hageman), needs to be a little stronger. Johnson and Botticelli are still undersized.
 

Offense was to blame for the defensive woes yesterday

What was our average starting field position compared to Iowa? Gophers were starting off at the 10 to 15 yard line a lot and Iowa was starting at there
38 to our 41 yard line a lot. We have two Iowa scores that were a direct result of the QB throwing interceptions on under thrown balls, and we fumbled.
We were constantly giving Iowa short fields on offense because of the Gophers offense inability to convert third downs. This was not an abberation
the offense has struggled to maintain consistency and drives all season. Injury's have played a part in the O-line but we have struggled with stagnant
play calling a little bit to. Coach said it best on the Sports huddle, do not worry about someone else's job, do your's, and stay in your gaps or on your blocks
and we will stand a chance to win. It was a team loss yesterday, but a lot of it had to do with the 3 and outs of the offense. Max Shortell will have his time
at QB, we need Marquies Gray to win some Big10 football games. You need someone with that type of escabability to extend plays and drives at this point in time.
 

This is still a work in progress, and I would be more upset if they hadn't regrouped and come out playing well in the second half. I said when they hired Kill and I saw what he was recruiting, that he would be ready to challenge in 2013 and I still believe that.
 

I'm not a real football guy, but it seems are gaps are too wide and that when Hageman gets doubled (which he almost always does), there's a wide running-lane either side of him. Just an observation.
 



I think we have playmakers on the DL, or guys that will develop into them. We don't have any linebackers that are playmakers right now. I've been saying it for three years - whether it's mental, physical, or both, those playing the position are just not physical at all (and that includes Beal yesterday).
 

On a side note, when the roof is falling in, why don't coaches more often burn a "defensive" timeout to stop the other team's momentum and get the defense regrouped. You almost never see it (remember Michigan, fourth quarter, '03?).
 

The best O & D Lines are typically Redshirt Juniors, Seniors and RS-Srs...not R-Fr, R-So & Jrs. We just need to keep building towards the future and improve each year...when we are starting 4 plus 4th year players on the O-Line like most of the top Big Ten teams are and we have 4-6 4th year plus players on the D-line like most of the top teams do...we will be more successful.

You can't over come poor player development in one year...or even two. But over the course of 3-5 years I am confident that Kill & Co will get it done and at least put as back in the conversation as a team that others must respect. Then it will come to talent upgrades at skill positions to see if we can get to the top level every few years.
 

You all have good points. We are young and small on both sides of the line. yet if Shortell makes those early throws or if the first int is controlled by our guy, we score early and put some confidence on our side, some doubt on the hawkeyes sideline, and take the crowd down a notch.
 



nsmike said:
I'd like to point out that with some adjustments the DL played much better in the second half. Iowa's offense, was held scoreless in the second half, if the Offense was more efficient it could have become a game.
Click to expand...

The defense played SLIGHTLY better in the second half. The goose egg the Gophs put up in the second half had more to do with Iowa's Offensive play calling ignorance than anything we did. Their RB averaged 9.7 ypc in the first half (155yds). Tell me what their first THREE plays were in the second half. Pass, pass, pass...all incomplete. They took 20 seconds off the clock. They continued to try and establish a passing game with a QB that's erratic. They could have shortened the game by five minutes had they continued to run the ball.

The Iowa game plan was simple...find the 3 technique and run iso and outside zone away from it. Our linebacker's are terrible at getting off blocks (as mentioned by Bob_Boblaw).

Shortell had a sub-par day and I'm sure he'd agree he held the ball a second too late on many throws.

I'm not worried too much yet. I think the players and coaches had an off day. Iowa was a step ahead of us on the sideline and many players didn't play well. We'll rally, play hard, have better days and still end up BOWLING before the year's over. I'd been pleased with 4-1 after 5 games back in August....and still am.
 

OddStack said:
The defense played SLIGHTLY better in the second half. The goose egg the Gophs put up in the second half had more to do with Iowa's Offensive play calling ignorance than anything we did. Their RB averaged 9.7 ypc in the first half (155yds). Tell me what their first THREE plays were in the second half. Pass, pass, pass...all incomplete. They took 20 seconds off the clock. They continued to try and establish a passing game with a QB that's erratic. They could have shortened the game by five minutes had they continued to run the ball.

The Iowa game plan was simple...find the 3 technique and run iso and outside zone away from it. Our linebacker's are terrible at getting off blocks (as mentioned by Bob_Boblaw).

Shortell had a sub-par day and I'm sure he'd agree he held the ball a second too late on many throws.

I'm not worried too much yet. I think the players and coaches had an off day. Iowa was a step ahead of us on the sideline and many players didn't play well. We'll rally, play hard, have better days and still end up BOWLING before the year's over. I'd been pleased with 4-1 after 5 games back in August....and still am.
Click to expand...
How many yards did Wiesman get in the second half? what was his average per carry? The defense adjusted! I agree that Shortell was off.
 

nsmike said:
How many yards did Wiesman get in the second half? what was his average per carry? The defense adjusted! I agree that Shortell was off.
Click to expand...

They gave him the ball 5 times. Five carries for 22 yards. Are you saying you're happy with a 4.4 ypc? Iowa threw 11 passes in the second half and ran 5 times, and it's not because they were in throwing situations. In 7 first down plays in the 2nd half they threw 5 and ran twice!!! They also had a 3 play drive and a 4 play drive where they didn't even run; the first being to start the 2nd half where they'd seen no adjustments made by us.

Did we play better? Slightly (4.4ypc). It had MORE to do w/ Iowa's trying to establish a passing game.
 

Yeah, Iowa was just working on their offense, kind of like Nebraska did to us in the 2nd half of that game last year. They could have ran the ball all day.
 

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