Step 2: Crazy wide defensive linemen
It certainly seemed like Minnesota was copying the recently popular NFL concept of setting their ends up in the so-called "wide nine" stance, as in outside the tight ends. And unlike NFL teams, who prefer this look solely on passing downs, it certainly seemed like Minnesota went with this look all the time. Why go this route? Here's a good article on the concept, but the basic idea seems to be to pressure the quarterback. And Vandenberg did seem to face pressure all day, even when Minnesota didn't have an explicit blitz call on. It's hard to say if that was due to the alignment of the ends and how much was due to a mediocre day by the Iowa offensive line, but whatever it was, it worked: Vandenberg never seemed to have time or a lot of space to really set up and uncork his throws. The set-up of the linemen probably also frustrated Iowa's ability to run its standard outside stretch play and the play-action off that stretch play, as the ends were positioned perfectly to meet the running back going outside or the quarterback bootlegging it outside the other way.
