The Matchup With Iowa

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MNVCGUY

MNVCGUY

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Debated on making this a thread but going to go ahead and do it. I have already seen posts worrying about how we are going to score on Iowa's defense yet I rarely see people bring up the flip side which is how are they going to score on us?

Iowa's defense is very good, there is no doubting that. And yet, our defense compares favorably to theirs in almost every statistical category.

As for the offenses, both struggle to move the ball through the air and have had some challenges all year. The big difference between the two offenses........we have Mo and they don't.

I expect a low scoring hard fought game that will come down to which team makes the fewest mistakes on offense. When it is all said and done I expect to see our guys down on the field celebrating with Floyd.
 

I was concerned about turnover margin, but you know what? Not counting today’s games, the Gophers and iowa both have 10 interceptions and iowa has recovered 5 fumbles to our 4.

iowa has turned the ball over via interception 6 to our 8, and have lost 6 fumbles to our 2.

So we are +4 to their +3.
 

Unregistered User said:
I was concerned about turnover margin, but you know what? Not counting today’s games, the Gophers and iowa both have 10 interceptions and iowa has recovered 5 fumbles to our 4.

iowa has turned the ball over via interception 6 to our 8, and have lost 6 fumbles to our 2.

So we are +4 to their +3.
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If we limit the number of times we are dropping back to throw on third and long, we win.
 

Iowa will destroy us if we come out and try to run every play. They are too good for that. We need to have some early success through the air to loosen things up. Our passing offense has to be the most vanilla in the nation and it's time to spice this up. It doesn't have to just be the WRs either. Get the TE and RB involved.
 

Can anyone remember the last time our run game tried a quick pitch or something similar spread the field and try running outside?
 


gopher7 said:
Iowa will destroy us if we come out and try to run every play. They are too good for that. We need to have some early success through the air to loosen things up. Our passing offense has to be the most vanilla in the nation and it's time to spice this up. It doesn't have to just be the WRs either. Get the TE and RB involved.
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Screens to both please
 


We’re not losing on Mo, JMS & Tanner’s senior day. I’ll bet the house on that.


With that in mind, I think Tanner starts if he can go and maybe we see both play then?
 





AF_Howie_2180 said:
Can anyone remember the last time our run game tried a quick pitch or something similar spread the field and try running outside?
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Our bell cow is not an outside runner. The minute you let Potts go east to west that has -3 yards written all over it. Now the new kid looked quick. Small sample size but seeing him life he is quick.
 

Iowa will destroy us if we come out and try to run every play.

I agree that there is no way, even with Mo, that we can just line up and run the ball at Iowa and win the game. If we can’t throw the ball for 150-200 yards we don’t win this game.
 

AF_Howie_2180 said:
Can anyone remember the last time our run game tried a quick pitch or something similar spread the field and try running outside?
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Amusingly we had some limited passing success today bunching everyone up near the line and the throwing to the WR who cuts to the outside.

I assume that makes the safety less available to help the DB as he likely moves up to play the run.

At least as far as lining up it was the opposite of stretching the field at the line.
 





rivergopher said:
Our bell cow is not an outside runner. The minute you let Potts go east to west that has -3 yards written all over it. Now the new kid looked quick. Small sample size but seeing him life he is quick.
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Ya, Evans may be the secret sauce to sneak past them.
 




I watched the WI/IA game and the WI defense held IA to a total of 146 yards but lost because of very poor WI special teams' play, interceptions, and a fierce IA defense that is as good as the WI defense.
I do not think MN has a defense as good as IA has and the MN offense is not any better than the WI offense is.
As an aside, the dreadful offensive planning by Chryst's choice as an OC and Chryst's refusal to fire the ST's coach were in themselves adequate justification for making Chryst redundant.
Leonhardt will have to purge the whole WI offensive staff.
Ferentz Jr actually called a more imaginative game and one that fit weather conditions and the WI defense than the WI OC did.
 

Desertbobcat said:
The 3 phases of the game are even on two of them but a big advantage on special teams for Iowa. How do we counter that?
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Just don't make major mistakes, IMO. I don't think Minnesota can "beat" Iowa in ST, but so long as they don't allow a blocked punt, allow a long return, fumble a kick, etc. they can negate Iowa's advantage there.

Like others, I think Minnesota's D is good enough to almost totally shut Iowa down. The opposite is true as well. Game will come down to which team will manufacture a big play or two, avoid turnovers, etc.
 

Desertbobcat said:
The 3 phases of the game are even on two of them but a big advantage on special teams for Iowa. How do we counter that?
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How do you figure they have a big advantage on special teams? Their punter is better than ours but our FG kicker is better. Our KO specialist gets touchbacks nearly all the time which negates any advantage they might have in the Kick Return game.

They have the better punter and they use him all the time but I don't believe they have a big advantage over us in the kicking game.
 

The 3 phases of the game are even on two of them but a big advantage on special teams for Iowa. How do we counter that?
How does IA have a huge special team advantage? A kicker that makes field goals. A returner that actually returns and doesn’t fumble, a kickoff specialist consistently in the end zone, a unit that doesn’t allow long punt returns.
 

We need to serve up long fields all day for this one. Also, can't count on the football to have much bounce when it hits the ground. Practically none yesterday.
 

MGGopher said:
Just don't make major mistakes, IMO. I don't think Minnesota can "beat" Iowa in ST, but so long as they don't allow a blocked punt, allow a long return, fumble a kick, etc. they can negate Iowa's advantage there.

Like others, I think Minnesota's D is good enough to almost totally shut Iowa down. The opposite is true as well. Game will come down to which team will manufacture a big play or two, avoid turnovers, etc.
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I could see this being a game very similar to the one they had with Illinois (9-6 Illinois win). Illinois was efficient with their short passing game and Chase Brown racked up 146 yards rushing.

Our defense can absolutely keep the Iowa offense from doing anything if we don't give them short fields to work with after offensive mistakes.

It is going to be on the receivers to catch the ball enough to keep Iowa from fully loading up to stop Mo. If the receivers can do that, I can see Mo having a day similar to the ones that Brown and Corum had against Iowa.

Michigan's longest pass play against Iowa went for 29 yards. Illinois had one go for 34. Nearly everything else was short dink and dunk throws.
 

There is no way that we beat Iowa with the game plan from yesterday. Week after week I keep hoping that they are going to at least try something different, a trick play, or some different route trees, but it doesn’t happen. Iowa will absolutely put nine on the line of scrimmage and force us to throw. It will be even worse if Morgan is the quarterback as there is no threat whatsoever of him keeping the ball. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t see a scoring more than 10 points against Iowa.
 


cheeseheadgophfan said:
There is no way that we beat Iowa with the game plan from yesterday. Week after week I keep hoping that they are going to at least try something different, a trick play, or some different route trees, but it doesn’t happen. Iowa will absolutely put nine on the line of scrimmage and force us to throw. It will be even worse if Morgan is the quarterback as there is no threat whatsoever of him keeping the ball. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t see a scoring more than 10 points against Iowa.
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How many points do you see them scoring against us?

Gameplan against Nebraska wasn't working, coaches switching things up in the second half and we won the game.

I just don't get the gamplan complaints after the Rutgers and Northwestern games. Why in the heck would we change things up when it is working and we are dominating? That makes zero sense and yet it keeps on getting brought up here.

I don't understand the thought process that says...."hey, we are in control of this game and on our way to a comfortable victory.....I know, let's start chucking it downfield and see what happens."
 


Reading the I-O-W-A boards looks like it will be our O against their D...period...in their minds. They are very confident in their D and special teams and are already planning for Indy...

Big game for both programs...as it should be.
 

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