Thoughts on Northwestern Game

The Iowa football team received a big dose of reality on Saturday. Moreover, Iowa fans received a dose of what they have known deep down in their hearts for a long time. Iowa football and basketball have been and always will be just below the threshold of being considered elite. Teams that have a fifth year senior starting quarterback, top wide receivers, and an all-American defensive end do not play close games back-to-back against opponents like Indiana and Northwestern, especially when Wisconsin beats that same Indiana team by 63 points. I considered characterizing Northwestern as an inferior opponent, but that would be disservice to Pat Fitzgerald and his coaching staff who have outcoached the Iowa coaching staff and for Fitzgerald’s players who have made Iowa look like a high school team the past three years. For a team composed of this talent and this leadership, it is inexcusable to come out with the number of mental mistakes that this team committed yesterday. Holding penalties, false starts, and poor decisions all contributed to a loss to a Northwestern team that has now won five out of the last six against Iowa.

Northwestern quarterback Dan Persa did what Mike Kafka, Bret Basanez, and the other short, fleet-footed Wildcat quarterbacks before him have done against Iowa—make patient throws to the outside and outrun a slow linebacker corps. Before the game Persa made a comment that he believes one of the reasons for Northwestern’s success against Iowa is that they know exactly what the Iowa defense is going to do on each play. While I do not necessarily disagree with Iowa’s defensive philosophy, it has been the same play every year against Northwestern: six-seven yard passes to the outside and, when the coverage breaks down, an opportunity for the quarterback to scramble down the field for big gains. It would be very difficult to convince me that Iowa’s cornerbacks are not athletic enough to play closer to the line of scrimmage like every other team in the country does. Likewise, while I do not have the answers to explain what needs to be done on defense on Northwestern, I do know that Iowa cannot continue to run its simple, base defense against teams like Northwestern. The best example I can think of is using a school analogy. Certain professors like answers written in a particular manner. Going into a test, students that receive the best grades are able to adapt to that style and tailor their answers accordingly. Writing an answer in the same style or, in this case, playing the same type of defense, simply for the sake of not wanting to change is just plain ignorant and leads to unexpected grades and losses.

A wise friend once told me that the Hawks will always break your heart.  Without a doubt, they always do break it and, no matter how much I care, they always will.  Nevertheless, despite knowing that the Hawkeyes and sports in general can never give back what I put in and knowing that the Hawkeyes will break my heart several times for the rest of my life, I am going to cheer my heart out for the Hawkeyes on Saturday.  I hope that everyone that is at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday gives Ricky Stanzi, Adrian Clayborn, Christian Ballard, Karl Klug, Julian Vandervelde, Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, Jeff Tarpinian, and Ryan Donahue the support and appreciation they deserve for all of the memories they created during their time at Iowa and to show them that win or lose, Iowa fans will continue to support their Hawkeyes.  With the Hawkeyes in the underdog role, a role they cherish, Ohio State will have to be at its best because with a turnover here and a great play there, the Hawkeyes will be in this game with a chance to upset the Buckeyes late in the game.