Iowa football rewind: Predictable offensive plays, predictable results

After falling to Illinois 9-6, Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Spencer Petras (7) walks off the sphere on the College of Illinois Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois on Saturday, October 8, 2022. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

CHAMPAIGN, In poor health. — Quarterback Spencer Petras noticed “a whole lot of self-inflicted” errors by the offense in Iowa soccer’s 9-6 loss to Illinois.

One doesn’t should look far on movie to seek out a few of these “self-inflicted” wounds.

A primary-and-goal cross from Petras to operating again Leshon Williams bounced on the bottom two yards wanting the place Williams was. Had the brief throw been on the mark, Williams may need scored a landing.

Gavin Williams by no means circled on a third-and-4 within the second quarter when Petras threw to him. Had he circled, the cross wasn’t far off from the place he was.

These have been two of the various issues for Iowa’s offense in a efficiency with a 50 p.c completion share, 1.7 yards per carry and no touchdowns.

Predictable decisions by Brian Ferentz

Some clear traits emerged in offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz’s playcalling Saturday.

Whereas first-down calls have been balanced between operating and passing, his second-down calls have been rather more predictable.

On second downs that adopted a Petras incompletion, excluding a play within the two-minute drill, Iowa ran the ball 4 of 5 occasions. The one cross was on a second-and-22.

On second downs that got here both after a sack or speeding play that netted fewer than three yards, Iowa handed on six of eight events. When counting a replayed second down due to an offensive penalty, that goes as much as seven of 9 events.

One of many two runs following a brief run or sack was at Iowa’s personal 3-yard line. Unsurprisingly, it was a quarterback sneak.

Extra predictable calls on early downs don’t assist the Hawkeyes’ pattern of getting to dig out of third-and-long holes. The common distance for Iowa to go to transform on third down was 12.3 yards.

Unfavorable performs add up

After slight, incremental progress towards Michigan, Twenty fourth-year head coach Kirk Ferentz acknowledged Iowa’s backward motion within the 9-6 loss.

“I’m unsure we took a step ahead tonight,” Kirk Ferentz mentioned after the loss. “I felt like we did final week with the offense. Tonight, not the case.”

The backward motion wasn’t simply metaphorical. It was literal.

Iowa’s offense completed behind the place it began on 5 of its 13 drives towards the Illini.

Many backward performs put Iowa in unrealistic second-and-long and third-and-long situations.

5 Petras sacks resulted in a lack of 38 yards.

Seven offensive penalties value the Hawkeyes 57 yards. An Illinois pointless roughness penalty offset a pair of Iowa unsportsmanlike conduct penalties that may’ve value the Hawkeyes much more yards.

Iowa additionally had some questionable play-calls that resulted in large losses.

The Hawkeyes confronted second-and-6 early within the fourth quarter in Illinois territory. A primary down probably would’ve been sufficient for Drew Stevens to kick a go-ahead subject purpose.

Iowa referred to as a play-action display cross to LaPorta. Arland Bruce IV went into movement earlier than the snap, leaving the left aspect of the sphere open with Illinois in man protection.

After the play motion, LaPorta went from blocking to operating to the left aspect for a display. Illinois’ defenders weren’t fooled (and certain shouldn’t have been both contemplating LaPorta’s menace as Iowa’s main receiver).

Offensive linemen Mason Richman and Logan Jones have been forward of LaPorta on the line of scrimmage prepared to dam, however a number of Illini gamers have been already behind the road of scrimmage to fulfill Iowa’s star tight finish for a lack of eight yards.

Iowa had third-and-14 and was outdoors of Stevens’ vary. The Hawkeyes needed to punt after an off-line Petras cross on third down.

One other expensive instance got here within the closing minute of the second quarter. Iowa had second-and-10 on the Illinois 18-yard line. A subject purpose appeared to be a given at that time.

Iowa faked a rollout to the precise as Petras pitched the ball to extensive receiver Nico Ragaini, who was operating an end-around route within the backfield towards the left aspect.

Outdoors linebacker Alec Bryant was already within the backfield because the one Illinois participant unblocked within the six-man rush. Bryant pressured Ragaini to run farther behind the road of scrimmage.

Ragaini dodged Bryant, nevertheless it gave the remainder of the protection an opportunity to catch up. Ragaini took a nine-yard loss. What would’ve been a 37-yard subject purpose for Stevens, the true freshman kicker, as a substitute was 45 yards. Stevens missed the kick.

Iowa’s third and closing red-zone journey ended with none factors.

Feedback: john.steppe@thegazette.com