Iowa Hawkeyes Must Look Different on Offense under Greg Davis

[HawkeyeHypnosis]

Iowa Hawkeyes: Kirk Ferentz Must Allow Greg Davis to Control Offense : Big 10 Football

From article:

The question on everyone’s mind is, will Kirk Ferentz give Davis full control of the offense?

Some think the reason for O’Keefe’s conservative play calling was that Ferentz was behind it all along. Personally, I think it was a combination of both guys.

The word so far is that Ferentz likes his new coordinator, and that Davis has already earned the trust of the head coach.

Davis calling the plays will only be part of the change in Iowa City, as senior quarterback James Vandenberg figures to play a bigger role in the team’s play calling as well this season.


I think Kirk Ferentz realized it was time for a change as well, and trusting Davis to call the majority of the plays is the right decision. Football has evolved to a pass heavy game, and while I don’t want the Hawkeyes out there running Spread-5 wide sets every down, failing to adapt to the way the game is played now is just not good for business… Especially when your team’s biggest strength is its passing game.

[OnLookin08]

I don't buy into this pass "heavy" business. The majority of teams are still very balanced if not run heavy. Last year only 46 of over 120 teams threw the ball more than they ran. Only nine of those threw more than 60 percent of the time. Two of those nine ended the year in the top 25. The other 7 combined for a 32-54 record with two teams with winning season. If you look at the most balanced of teams (49-51% pass) 4 ended the year in the top 25. Iowa, by the way, was number 50 in pass/run ratio.

The majority of these pass heavy teams are glorified when they score 50 points a game and pull off a good year once a decade. A balanced attack has and will continue to be a key to success. Iowa won't be saved by some gimmick offense. We struggle enough with a balanced attack.

The idea that there are pass heavy/happy teams taking over college football is an absolute myth.

[imported_Tmoney12]

All good stats but do you have a link?

[ColumbusHawk]

I don't buy into this pass "heavy" business. The majority of teams are still very balanced if not run heavy. Last year only 46 of over 120 teams threw the ball more than they ran. Only nine of those threw more than 60 percent of the time. Two of those nine ended the year in the top 25. The other 7 combined for a 32-54 record with two teams with winning season. If you look at the most balanced of teams (49-51% pass) 4 ended the year in the top 25. Iowa, by the way, was number 50 in pass/run ratio.

The majority of these pass heavy teams are glorified when they score 50 points a game and pull off a good year once a decade. A balanced attack has and will continue to be a key to success. Iowa won't be saved by some gimmick offense. We struggle enough with a balanced attack.

The idea that there are pass heavy/happy teams taking over college football is an absolute myth.

+1

Alabama ran the ball 59 percent of the time & LSU ran it 68 percent of the time. Usually, teams that throw the ball all over the place can't play defense. Running the football & playing good defense are still the two keys to having a good team.

[droidhawk]

I think Alabama and lsu both would throw it around if they had the horses. Great defenses win. Great offenses can mask a bad defense and vice versa but defense is the key.

[hoffahawk]

I think the one key in this that people overlook is Brian. Not that he will tell his dad what they should do on O but the father/son relationship will allow him to say things to his dad that the other coaches wouldn't. Looking forward to seeing how things play out.

[OnLookin08]

imported,

linking from my phoneis too much of a hassle. you can see a team breakdown of passing percentage by using teamrankings.com. after that it is just a bit of crunching numbers and research my man.

also, to the above poster...to imply that Alabama and LSU don't have the horses made me giggle a bit. lets say they don't have them, don't u think they could? or is it that those 9 teams that pass over 60% of the time take them all? you know, teams like central Mich, west Mich, Troy, Houston....

[Foval21]

I think the one key in this that people overlook is Brian. Not that he will tell his dad what they should do on O but the father/son relationship will allow him to say things to his dad that the other coaches wouldn't. Looking forward to seeing how things play out.

this could very well be a tell tale sign of some good tweaking (i wont say change because iowa has the right recipe for success).

ideally i think we should be about 55% pass and 45% run.

[OnLookin08]

foval,

why do you propose such a split?

[droidhawk]

Do you think lsu is producing NFL qb's? That is the horses I'm referring to. Were the '85 bears defense great because of their ball control offense? If they were, then eliminate them from greatest of all time discussion. This is the Ken o'Keefe 2.0 argument. Think about how many times stanzi turned it over on our side of the field in '09 or Tate in '04. It's the defense silly. Ok so Alabama could throw it if they wanted to. Not sure why they don't. Lsu cannot however. Oklahoma st, Oregon, and Texas tech have traditionally been below average on defense. One could say terrible. And the offensive genius has overcome the terrible defense.

[ChosenChildren]

Defense wins championships. IF you have a great defense, the only key on offense is to make first downs and not turn the bowl over. Iowa was very PASS heavy in 2004, but their great defense won a a Big Ten and Bowl championship.

I don't think the ratio actually means that much

[Foval21]

foval,why do you propose such a split?

to me i like balance. a 55/45 allows enough running to keep teams honest and allow the playaction to work. it also accounts for us passing more which means more short routes to act like runs. also everyone knows that passing will be our key...so they will give us 7 and 6 man boxes and probably never 8 and 9 man boxes meaning that our line could open big holes (big enough that an average rb could look good to great). we also dont have the defense to pass over 60% of the time because of clock stopping and causing our defense to be on the field for a long time with just a few 3 and outs. now short easily completed passes can make up for that and rotating more on defense can keep legs healthy so there are ways around that. i feel like running and passing on most teams should be between 45-55%. therefore some teams would be 53% pass to 47% run or 50/50 or 48 pass to 52 run or anything in that range.

lastly many think passing has taken over the sport because of the nfl...remember they have rules to make passing easier and cfb doesnt. though the spread has taken over it has actually been more of the spread option. balance and controlling the clock and defense are still the staples of cfb. lsu and alabama are still outliers in the other direction. if they had qb that they could be balanced with they would be. instead both teams focus on getting game managers and dominant tailbacks. they are looking for 2 shonn greene's in every class.

[JonDMiller]

I want to see a team that takes advantage of the personnel it has and favor that attack. That's something Davis did at Texas, every year. At times, I think Iowa has been stubborn through the years. I do get that you dont want to change year to year because you don't develp continuity and players are thinking too much.

Last year, Iowa ran the ball 52.42% of the time and had the worst rushing offense in the Big Ten. They also had the fewest rushing attempts of any Big Ten team.

Iowa still has to run the ball, even if they are not real successful doing it, to set up play action and other elements of the passing game.

[ColumbusHawk]

Defense wins championships. IF you have a great defense, the only key on offense is to make first downs and not turn the bowl over. Iowa was very PASS heavy in 2004, but their great defense won a a Big Ten and Bowl championship.

I don't think the ratio actually means that much

This is a common perception of the '04 team. However, the Hawks actually ran the ball more than they passed.

[Blackout]

I want to see a team that takes advantage of the personnel it has and favor that attack. That's something Davis did at Texas, every year. At times, I think Iowa has been stubborn through the years. I do get that you dont want to change year to year because you don't develp continuity and players are thinking too much.

Last year, Iowa ran the ball 52.42% of the time and had the worst rushing offense in the Big Ten. They also had the fewest rushing attempts of any Big Ten team.

Iowa still has to run the ball, even if they are not real successful doing it, to set up play action and other elements of the passing game.

I agree, I would like to see more play action. In 2010 Stanzi had many long pass completions off roll out play actions. Just don't do it in your own endzone.