An Offseason L: Iowa Opts for Status Quo on Offense

Do you know that Spencer Petras participated within the Manning Passing Academy? Or that he misplaced eight kilos to enhance his mobility? Or that Iowa’s hieroglyphics offense launched a “matrix” idea to simplify its quarterback reads?

Confessional time: I’m having hassle feigning pleasure for the “blissful discuss” surrounding Iowa’s offense. Final season’s parting picture may be discovered at the three minute mark. However greater than Petras’ ghastly interception, right here’s my largest rub popping out of final season: Following final season’s offensive stupor, I didn’t precisely see the crucial self-examination that, , warrants optimism for the upcoming 12 months. Operating it again—with Petras on the helm and Brian Ferentz now main the QB room—solely prompts extra questions.

As for Petras, we now have a two-year pattern dimension to judge his play. His 2020 and 2021 stats are a mirror picture—completion proportion hovering round 57%, common move completion checking in at 6.5 yards, a QBR someplace between middling and lackluster. Throughout Iowa’s final half of the season (beginning with the Purdue debacle), Petras tossed one landing move and 7 interceptions. And, certain, there have been complicating components: accidents, a hit and miss working sport, an inexperienced offensive line, Brian Ferentz. However through the enterprise finish of Iowa’s season, Petras devolved into, err, Spencer Penis. Towards high-level competitors and Nebraska, we obtained the hyperventilating Spencer. There have been head-shaking incompletions (scroll to 1:15), warmth verify fastballs (scroll to 0:45), and no matter that is.

Paraphrasing esteemed UI alum Denny Inexperienced, we all know who Spencer is at this level. The HaydensDumplings’ scouting report: a sport supervisor QB with shaky accuracy, an incapability to increase performs, and questionable choice making, notably when pressured. And whereas Spencer is a stand-up dude (witness his generosity, in addition to his poised response to Twitter trolls), Iowa’s offensive efficiency doesn’t justify Spencer, the Trilogy.

However greater than lamenting Spencer’s limitations, that is an indictment of Iowa’s aversion to vary. Following final 12 months’s offensive slog, the elder Ferentz might have (dare I say, ought to have) re-conceptualized Iowa’s offensive ideas. As a substitute, KF appeared taken again, nearly mystified, on the criticism surrounding Iowa’s offensive ineptitude. And, not surprisingly, the offseason was marked by a doubling down of the established order. There was Brian including the QB coordinator title, platitudes about offseason enhancements (a slimmed down Spencer, the “matrix” scheme), and a half-hearted QB competitors (based mostly on Padilla’s decisiveness in opposition to Minnesota/jNW and common mobility, he could be my QB1). Regardless of Iowa’s offense crying out for wholesale adjustments, anticipate the Hawkeyes to trot out the identical uninspired scheme beneath the pretense of “complementary soccer.”

With t-minus 4 days till “Again in Black” blares in Kinnick, my Hawkeye expectations, per ordinary, are tempered by our Tresselball M.O (minus, in fact, OSU’s overwhelming expertise). My not precisely boiling water take: Phil’s protection will shepherd Petras, Brian, and an underwhelming offense to the brink of nationwide relevance, just for Iowa’s offense to flail in opposition to decent-to-good competitors. With our punchless offense, Iowa is not a authentic playoff contender or B1G champion—final 12 months’s freefall from second within the county strengthened that.

When I’m not cursing Iowa’s offense in actual time (or getting mocking texts from non-Hawkeye buddies), I begrudgingly settle for that our Hawkeye flooring and ceiling are just about one and the identical—eight to 10 wins, a quick flirtation with nationwide relevance, and prime 20-ish nationwide rating. And, sure, it could possibly be a lot worse—I could possibly be a Husker fan watching a kamikaze of dumb shit and Scott Frost’s Alford-like pressers. However Ferentz’s cussed resistance to modernizing (and even tweaking) our offense, notably after final 12 months’s inferno, is its personal self-inflicted error. “Operating it again” isn’t the reply when Iowa’s offense, with Petras and BF main the cost, has been run into the bottom.