Iowa vs LSU breakdown

Why does Rudock drink so many Zimas?

Thanks hawk8645

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LSU 27 Iowa 20

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this was my prediction as well. Looking forward to this one.

Appreciate 8645's thoughts. Hope he doesn't mind if I add my two cents because I don't exactly agree with everything (my thoughts in bold).

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Iowa breakdown:

QB - Rudock is a RS Soph in his first year as starter. He is very smart and has an accurate arm. He is very little threat to run. He struggles some with deep throws and throwing in the wind. We have no good depth behind him

Rudock has definitely been a game manager and can be hot and cold. Overcomes mistakes well. He actually runs pretty well, but is now in two knee braces so won't be as mobile. We do have a RS frosh CJ Beathard as his backup who took the battle for starting QB into summer camp. Beathard has a much stronger arm and is also a better runner, but not as good a game manager. His tools may eventually allow him to take over the starting role.

RB - We have 4 good backs. Not great but good. 45 Weisman is a power back. He is a converted walk-on FB. 5 Bullock - decent pass catcher and blocker but, poor runner. 33 Canzeri - good all around back with speed. He goes down easy but is still our top back. For some reason he is still 3rd string. 29 Daniels - true FR power back with potential.

Agree with most of this with a couple of exceptions. Bullock is a decent runner, not poor. Canzeri has gotten better as the season wore on, but is not a tough runner and can get dinged. He's third string because he's the third best RB on the team. Daniels probably won't be heard from as he hasn't played since mid-season, but we love his potential as a Shonn Greene starter kit.

FB - Two decent lead blockers who have been improving.

Very underrated and underappreciated FBs who can come out of the backfield and catch the ball on screens. Have stoned several LB on iso plays this year.

TE - We can go 5 deep. 86 Fiedorowicz is 6-7 senior and clutch; can't break a tackle. 87 Duzey is a stud in the making. Out ran the entire OSU secondary for a long scores this year.

Other TEs not mentioned are Hamilton, Krieger-Coble and Kittle. We ran 3TE sets a bunch which generate a bunch of matchup issues for defenses as any of the three are good receivers as well. Pick your poison.

OL - Good overall. C Blythe is great. LG Boffeli is great and has really improved. LT Scherff is a stud but lacks consistency. RG we rotate two guys. RT Van Sloten has been solid but really struggled as a senior. He has a hard time with fast athletic guys.

I think he's selling the OL short here. Very few sacks given up. The guards can get bullrushed from time to time, but zone blocking gives them help with initial double teams. Very athletic bunch who don't carry much body fat at all. Scherff will join Gallery, Bulaga and Reiff in a long line of great LTs at Iowa. Our best recruit for next year as he is a 1st rounder this year as a junior, but will be returning for his senior season.

WR - Poor. 11 Martin-Manley is the go to guy. 22 Powell has elite speed.

I would agree that WR is not a strength of the team, but he sells this a little short here. Martin-Manly is a solid possession receiver. Tevaun Smith (#4) has really come on as the season has progressed. Powell hasn't really played much, but is quick. Also spot duty for Shumpert, Vandeberg and Hillyer who aren't horrible, but won't strike fear into the hearts of DBs.

DL - Very solid and much improved. Will benefit from Alvis playing. Our DT use to sit back and pretty much spy the QB and then fail to stop him running. Our DE use to run too far up field and leave huge holes for a QB to run through. They play with good leverage.

Role of the DL is to take up blockers to allow LBs to run free and make tackles. Also contain in their lanes with upfield pressure on the passer. Tackles are better than the DEs, but all are improving. Will do some stunting with twists and other DL games.

LB - We start three SR with a ton of experience. They have played their best this season. 31 Hitchens is the best tackling and run stoping LB LSU will have faced all year.

Best unit on the team, with TEs a close second. Kirksey is a guy that just anchors his side, Morris in the middle was a Lott Award finalist and Hitchens has been playing the best of the three, with his best games of the season against Michigan and Nebraska. All three were Butkus Award candidates.

CB -19 Lowery - big play ability but makes some poor plays. Similar to Mills. 14 King a true FR who has improved all year long. He shut down Michigan's Gallon late in the year.

Lowery might be dinged and will be a mid-round draft pick in April. King has been solid and improving as you would expect a true frosh to. Also play some nickel with Draper, Lomax and Fleming as alternates.

S - Very poor 5 Miller SR one of the worst Safeties to start at Iowa in a long time. 37 Lowdermilk very poor as well. Both bite on PA a lot.

He's being a little tough on the two starting safeties for the nations #10 defense. If they were that bad our defense wouldn't be nearly as effective. They have been burned on broken coverage (Lowdermilk in particular), but have improved in this area. Both fill on the run very effectively with Lowdermilk being the more physical of the two. Miller is the QB of the defense and a vital cog in their success.

Special teams. K Meyer is good but poor in the clutch. P Kornbrath is poor. Kick coverage is good. KR is very poor. PR is decent.

Meyer is solid, but has had to kick in some rough conditions. Decent leg and range to 50 yards. Kornbrath is inconsistent. Has killed several inside the 10, but can also shank especially when trying to flip the field. Cotton is average as a KO returner, but does have enough top end speed to break one. Punt returner is Martin-Manley who ran two back for TDs against W. Michigan, but hasn't done much since. Solid possession guy who doesn't make many mistakes.

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You seem nice enough

Welcome aboard

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Can Iowa block the elite LSU DL?

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Here is what I posted the other day in another thread. Much of it is the same as already posted here but there are a few subtle differences of opinion etc.

I think some Iowa fans, either out of simply trying to be overly nice or out of just not knowing any better, sell Iowa short in some areas (as well as sell LSU long). On the other hand, we have our share of crazies that only look at things through black and gold colored glasses. We all have them. Anywho, here is my other post:

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Most Iowa fans had no idea what to expect from this group before the season after coming off a tough year in 2012

Most people forget that despite our struggles in 2012, we had 5 losses by a total of 15 points, so even with all the issues of injuries and BAD QB play, they still weren't that far off.

Much of this was due to our HORRIBLE QB play last year and a young and struggling DL. Not to mention a new OC that seemed to struggle to get his system implemented and Phil Parker's first year as the DC. Iowa also had a decimated OL in 2012 losing our best 2 linemen for the year. So it was not an easy time.

That QB finally graduated and there was a shakeup with a number of the assistant coaches for the first time in the Ferentz era. This was a great thing as these new assts have breathed much needed youth, knowledge and life into the program. We are already seeing this on the recruiting trail and you can just tell that there is a change to the teams formerly stale approach.


Iowa has vastly improved from the beginning of the season and particularly the 2nd half of the season in 2013 we saw great strides. Offensive consistency has been the real issue. IMO, this is mostly due to a lack of play makers at the WR position. They have improved and we've seen flashes from Tevaun Smith and Damond Powell but the group as a whole have dropped too many balls for my liking and aside from these 2(at times) haven't shown the ability to make people miss in the open field.

Part of the inconsistency could also be that we started Jake Rudock, a true soph at QB who had ZERO career snaps before the season started. There was a lot of 2nd guessing from the fan base behind not giving Rudock a single snap last year even with our QB having one of the worst seasons of any QB in the country (I believe the only BCS school to have 1 QB take every single snap) So there was a ton of mystery coming into the season at such a crucial position but there was a lot of buzz that Rudock would be just fine. He has done as good of a job as you could ask for under the circumstances. He has played very well on the road which says a lot.

Our strengths are our LB's our TE's and the OL which is now at full strength. Our DL was very shaky last year and was a big reason for our struggles. The DL has played very well this year and IMO is underrated a bit. This D is on track with most of the solid D's that the Hawks have had over the years.

Many believe our 3 SR LB's are possibly the best LB group in the country. I feel confident at least 2 of the 3 will be solid NFL players but wouldn't be surprised if all 3 make it. They will be really missed next year but we do have some capable younger guys. Down the stretch they played as well as any LB group I've seen come through Iowa and we've had some good ones. It was fun to watch them react to plays without hesitation this year and just blow up plays. I'm sure our DL play had a lot to do with this but they are solid.

Overall we've had pretty solid CB play with the exception of a few breakdowns, particularly Desmond King, a true freshman has played well. He has been a pleasant surprise. I believe the other CB, BJ Lowery, might be leading the country in deflections. (at least near the top). They're not elite type guys but they are in the mold of typical Hawkeye CB's and we have several that are in the NFL.

Our weakness on might be the safety position. I think Miller and Lowdermilk have done a great job against the run but tends to let receivers get behind them on occasion and has led to some breakdowns. Against LSU's talented receivers, that scares me a lot.

One thing that has been a constant at Iowa is that Ferentz has them ready to play in bowl games. I am hoping for a good game down to the wire.

LSU may be capable of getting away from Iowa on the scoreboard if their young QB can make them pay with his feet which opens things up. Iowa has traditionally struggled more with a mobile QB.

I certainly think Iowa could pound away physically on LSU and control the game from that standpoint. I don't think Iowa would blow out LSU unless they get demoralized from the ground and pound and take risks that cost them big plays and then Iowa were to control the clock.

I believe it will be a combination of Iowa grinding down LSU for scores and LSU making a few big plays. It should be exciting.

Iowa 31
LSU 17

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Rudock

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And I graduated together. Cool to see someone from my HS playing at an LSU game.

Iowa: 17

LSU: 45