SB Nation - Matt Scott

BHGPODCAST EPISODE 14: In Which We Organize Things Into A List Without Being Asked To Do So

Oops Pow Surprise — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:22:36 -0000

Making a list, checking it twice, ruining Santa for you.

Slightly different approach to the podcast this week. First of all, of course, it's early; there's apparently a holiday coming up or something. Second, instead of having a guest, it was just Hawkeye State and me doing what we do best: enjoying each other's company ~~sexually~~. We shared a few laughs, maybe a couple of tears, and most of all, learned a little bit about ourselves. It was good.

Okay, actually, we just decided to commemorate the end of the regular season by ranking the Iowa games on a hazy, shifting mix of factors like performance, excitement, and consequence. After a season like that, how can we not reminisce?

Listen below or on iTunes.

BHGPodcast 14

Additionally, a full breakdown of the rankings from me, HS, Stoops Pow Surprise, and Ross Wow Burprise are after the break.

OPS

12. jNWU - Hell on Earth. None more need be said, lest we cry ourselves to sleep tonight. Again.
11. Arkansas State - Almost as excruciating as the #12 game, but through sheer boredom. Once that Epic Greenwood touchdown got called back and Iowa failed to convert with points, we knew it was going to be a long second half. Re-ignited the "Iowa doesn't deserve to be undefeated mantra."
10. UNI - An exciting game and a ludicrous finish. This was Iowa at its weakest--offensive linemen missing all over the place, Paki O'Meara as a starting tailback, and Greg Castillo getting scorched on the reg. The ending was almost too surreal to be exciting; it was the top play of the week, but it was so improbable that people just can't relate to it; after all, if a team's good enough to block two field goals in a row, why are they only leading a I-AA school by a point late in the 4th? Also, UNI's inability to make the I-AA playoffs was just a killer.
9. Minnesota - The quintessential ugly Iowa game, marred by missing offensive stars and featuring yet another stout performance by both defenses. Got Iowa to 10 wins. But unlike lots of games ahead of it, there was absolutely no excitement in this game, and all it did for clarification was to remind us that Ricky Stanzi's probably still got the starter spot on lock for the foreseeable future.
8. Ohio State - The only loss other than #12, but instead of being at #11 on account of god damn it Iowa lost, there's an argument to be made for putting it higher. Super-exciting, even though it left Iowa fans with a sour taste in their mouths for how the last two Iowa possessions went down. Very, very down. Still, it helped to legitimize the team, considering they were expected to get facefucked by the Buckeyes.
7. Indiana - What a weird game. Fun, and one of the few times we got to see the Iowa offense move the ball at will. We'd put it higher, but IU missed out on a bowl and we had to hear Iowa catch even more crap--this time for that tragic blown call in the end zone on the IU touchdown. We discuss precisely why that criticism sucks hard in the podcast, but fa real--it sucks. Still, fun game.
6. Michigan - The lustre wore off this game as the season went on--Michigan, you'll recall, wouldn't beat another I-A team all season long--but this game was fun, it was on national television, it had plenty of big plays, and Iowa was never really in danger of losing, despite the score. This is where we started to see "Ricky Stanzi As Big-Play QB" start to manifest itself.
5. Iowa State - Holy smokes, what a defensive performance. At the time, people chalked it up to a horrific mental breakdown of Austen Arnaud, but it sure seems now that his struggles weren't that much of a fluke. It was an extremely satisfying win in a town where those are awfully hard to come by for Ferentz and Iowa, and but for the fact that the game was D-U-N done in the middle of the third quarter, this might have even ranked higher.
4. Wisconsin - The fourth game in six where Iowa abused an opposing quarterback to the point that the game was within 10 points at the start of the 4th and still over for all intents and purposes. Wisconsin fans may throw the bullshit flag on account of Garrett Graham missing the second half with a concussion and John Clay's miserable post-injury performance (all while defying everything we know about medicine and science by being able to walk after that play).
3. Arizona - A game that looked better as the season went on, but what a fascinating contest: the advantage swung back and forth about five times before the Iowa defense clamped its jaws down on Matt Scott and the Arizona offense. We got to meet Adam Robinson as a legitimate tailback, and we got to see Adrian Clayborn run down a speed tailback in full stride from behind. In a straight line. Ordinarily, we'd chalk that up as Clayborn's play of the season. That designation didn't last long.
2. Michigan State - You could even say number one for this game, and we wouldn't put up a huge fight. It was, whether the SEC fans want to admit it, an SEC game: a defensive slugfest with casualties strewn about the field for 50 minutes, then a mad dash to the finish line. As fourth quarters go, there's few as entertaining in the Ferentz era, and the last drive made believers of us all, if only for a week or two. If anything's to pull it down, it's the consequence of losing three starters for multiple games, a fact that would eventually catch up to Iowa. Still, wow, what a game.
1. Penn State - But there could be only one, and it had to be the game that put Iowa squarely in the national attention. Even after PSU's one big play to open the game, the Nittany Lions were up by 5 going into the fourth quarter, but still fully dreading how the rest of the game played out. Then Adrian Clayborn happened, the lead happened, and the Daryll Clark Implosion happened. This game was the catalyst for all sorts of themes for the season, it was emblematic of everything we liked and hated about this team--right down to the nervousness and second-guessing of Ferentz as he lined up for a field goal with an 8-point lead and under 20 seconds on the clock--and it was as euphoric as we'd been after a win since, well, the last time we played Penn State.

HS

12. jNWU -- Ugh. Might actually deserve higher billing because of the Stanzi injury, but it's just Northwestern, right?

11. A-State -- Cupcake where the final score looked much worse than it really was. This really wasn't in doubt until the last 2 minutes.

10. Minnesota -- A game so ugly, it should be taken out back and shot. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), by the time it got here, nobody more than 50 miles from Iowa City cared.

9. Michigan -- At the time (before UM turned into MSU and went all death-spiraly), an important test. Now, an embarrassingly close game in prime time.

8. Northern Iowa -- Let's admit the obvious: It was the second-most exciting game Iowa played this year. Also, the bizarre two-FG-block ending made it into the MSM consciousness (it was the Sportscenter #1 play of the day on the opening weekend of the season) and set the stage for the "But Iowa needed two blocked field goals to beat Northern Iowa" meme that followed. Don't underestimate that effect on the current polls and, in turn, the BCS standings.

7. Indiana -- Because Iowa had entered the national consciousness by this point (it was the highest-rated 11:00 kickoff on ESPN all year), and because the officiating was so incredibly horrible and effectively kept Iowa in the game, and because the media is stupid, Indiana replaced UNI as the reason why Iowa had to be stopped. Terry Bradshaw, of all people, put a dagger in this team the day after this game, based solely on the fact that the refs fucked up a clear touchdown that would have allowed Indiana to lose by 11 instead of 18. Rage followed.

6. Iowa State -- They're probably going to a bowl, but they're still Iowa State, and beatdowns are expected. Nevertheless, it was a cathartic curbstomping of a rival on the road, it set off the Tyler Motherfuckin' Sash movement, and it was the only time all year when Iowa looked like a worldbeater against a clearly inferior opponent.

5. Arizona -- Looks better now, but at the time Arizona was a middling Pac-10 opponent with a terrible quarterback and a halfback with good numbers against Northern Arizona and Central Michigan. Set the stage for the Penn State game, though; without a win, we're probably not in prime time when Clayborn goes wild on Darryl Clark.

4. Ohio State -- OK, yes, it was a loss. But at the time, with the Northwestern game finishing the undefeated season and knocking out Stanzi, Iowa was staring in the face of a season-crushing blowout. To walk into the Shoe with a first-time starter at quarterback, a true freshman at halfback, and a MASH unit on the line, and to then take Ohio State to overtime on national television after being behind by 14, was practically inconceivable. It proved more about this team than half of this season's wins. Also, it was an incredible, epic game.

3. Wisconsin -- Ran.

2. Michigan State -- out of.

1. Penn State -- Time.

[Ed. note--He talked about these games at great length in the podcast. Ha ha ha, I just said great length.]

StoopsMyAss

12. Arkansas State – weird and I try to act as though it did not happen.
11. Wisconsin – the most typical of Iowa’s wins.
10. Minnesota – a win that was expected but not this way.
9. Ohio State – a loss that was expected but not this way.
8. Michigan – national TV and we overcame. Kept the ball rolling.
7. Arizona – introduced the defense to America, and Iowa for that matter.
6. jNWU – end of NC run. Unexpected and sad.
5. Iowa State – needed this one for the psyche, and got it in spades.
4. Michigan State – sensational. Probably deserves to be rated more highly but the season is filled with crucial moments.
3. Indiana – most improbable game I have ever seen Iowa play.
2. Penn State – confirmed the potential of this team. Winning in front of 100K+ who were blood thirsty for revenge. Sweet.
1. UNI – the whole season might have turned on one play. Uh, sorry, two plays.

RossWB

12. jNWU -- From ecstasy to agony in about 15 minutes. This went from looking like yet another cathartic romp over a hated rival (see below) to a season-deflating loss. Sadly, Stanzi getting sandwiched between two purple assholes will be one of the lingering and defining moments of the season for me, if only because it will prompt so much "what if..." daydreaming.

11. Arkansas State -- The game that firmly cemented the 2009 Iowa Hawkeyes as a team that was helpless to do anything but play to the level of their competition. Great when playing Penn State or Ohio State... near-disastrous when playing Arkansas fucking State. The stubborn insistence on trying to develop a running game was probably the biggest problem here -- Stanzi could have (and should have) chucked it deep on the hapless Red Wolf secondary all day.

10. UNI -- A win that actually seems worse now than it did twelve weeks ago, now that the the myth of UNI being an unstoppable I-AA powerhouse has been fatally punctured by now. The two blocked field goals will be an unforgettable memory, but we're better off pretending that it happened against someone else, because it should never have happened against a team like UNI. Sure, there are plenty of excuses to toss out -- Iowa was trying to find a running back while juggling a slew of missing pieces on offense (and a few on defense) and UNI was super-motivated to try and knock off the big-time program in the state -- but at the end of the day they're all lame rationalizations for the fact that we played like shit against an inferior opponent... and managed to get away with it. In hindsight, it was an unsettling but eerily accurate harbinger of the season to come. And, hey, those blocked field goals... good luck ever seeing that again in your lifetime.

9. Minnesota -- It pains me to bag on a game that featured a stellar performance by the defense (shutting out a hated rival and keeping the best damn rivalry trophy in sports = WIN), but let's also not forget that Minnesota's offense has, for the most part, been as lethal as a carton of yogurt this season. They had no offensive identity, no even mildly consistent offensive playmakers with Decker injured, and a quarterback that badly regressed. They stunk and we were far from the only defense to make them look foolish. And that doesn't even address the issue of the offense, which was only slightly less rancid than the Gopher attack. So through five full halves of work,Vandenberg has had three epic stinkbombs and two quite good halves. That the two quite good halves came on the road, in Columbus, against Ohio State, in some of the most pressure-packed stakes imaginable is so improbable that I would chalk it up as sheer delusion if I hadn't witnessed it (and countless other "WTF that cannot possibly be real" moments this season). Suffice to say, we should probably hold off on printing up the "VANDENBERG IS THE MANDENBERG" t-shirts for the time being -- unless we plan to put a picture of Two-Face on there as well. (Hey, go big or go home in the world of intellectual property infringement.)

8. Michigan -- Like the UNI win, a close win that became more embarrassing as the season progressed and we got a better idea of how good (or, um, not good) Michigan truly was. Their two-point margin of defeat in this game represented their smallest margin of defeat in any of their Big Ten losses this season, which is faintly humiliating. The Iowa defense also gave up 28 points (well, technically just 21, but just roll wit hit), the most it's given up in the last two-plus years. The two things that wound up damaging Iowa's season the most (aside from injuries) -- a wildly incosnistent offense and an inability to really clamp down on a top runnig game -- both reared their ugly heads here.

7. Indiana --- For entertainment value, this game was hard to beat. Between Sash's rigoddamndiculous pinball pick-six to Stanzi's apocalyptic third quarter and jaw-dropping fourth quarter, this was perhaps the craziest and most improbable Iowa win in Kinnick since the 2002 win over Purude. Big, big plays were the order of the day and Iowa delivered. Stanzi delivered maybe the worst and best quarter I've ever seen from an Iowa quarterback -- in one half, no less.

6. Arizona -- The only game all season I was unable to watch live, which might be one reason I find it difficult to have strong feelings about it. It was a solid, workmanlike performance, which is notable only because there were so few performances like that by Iowa this season. It would be nice to say that this was a win that got much better as the season progressed and the Wildcats kept winning, but that rings a little hollow when the quarterback that led them to so much success was mainly a bystander during the Iowa game.

5. Wisconsin -- One of the more impressive in-game turnarounds of the season. From 10-0 down, getting mauled on the ground by the Badger running game, to running off the last 20 points of the game and stifling the Badger rushing attack (thanks in part to a cringe-worthy sandwich tackle job on John Clay). This was also perhaps the cleanest game Stanzi played all year -- no turnovers and some beautiful, accurate passes to Tony Moeaki and DJK to score touchdowns/keep drives running.

4. Iowa State -- Deeply satisfying and significant for a few reasons: in hindsight, it was a clear indicator of this team's ability to significantly raise its level of play on the road, and was also a win that gained a bit more cache in retrospect when it became clear that this wasn't the usual putrid Iowa State outfit, but a halfway decent team. Plus, on a personal level, not only was it a win in Ames, the site of considerable misery and angst in 2005 and 2007, but it was a Fry Era-level beatdown. And it gave birth to the legend of Tyler "Motherfucking" Sash.

3. Ohio State -- The best loss by an Iowa team since, um... a really long time. I was going to say Texas in 2006, but in terms of proving legitimacy and boosting national respect this loss did far more on those counts. Aside from the Pryor meltdown in Purdue this year, no one played them as tight as Iowa did, and doing it in Columbus (a house of horrors for Iowa for at least two decades), and with a freshman backfield (including a quarterback making his first start)... absolutely remarkable. And the fourth quarter of this game was stupid exciting. That said, this will always be a deeply bittersweet game -- to be so close to the Rose Bowl and then to have it end the way it did... sigh. Intellectually, I can understand and support Ferentz's end of game decision, but I'll never be able to totally erase the "what if" argument. Coming so close to the Rose Bowl and coming up short is always going to lead to a strange concoction of pride, pain, and second-guessing.

2. Penn State -- Maybe Penn State wasn't as great as their ranking before this game suggested... but still. A win over a top-five team, at night, in the rain, in front of a revenge-crazed "Whiteout" crowd is still pretty damn satisfying. The defense was otherworldly after the first few Penn State drives and the way they caused Daryl Clark to meltdown in the second half was extraordinary. And Clayborn's punt block touchdown will deservedly take its place in the annals great Hawkeye plays. This game confirmed preseason hopes that this might actually wind up being a special season.

1. Michigan State -- I'm probably a bit based since I was here live, but even watching this later on TV, I thought this was a pretty amazing game. Some people may want to diminish it since Sparty wound up pulling a "same ol' Sparty" routine down the stretch and going 6-6, but I think a more charitable interpretation would be that they put a ton into this game and never fully recovered from what happened. Being there live, I had no doubt that the players and fans were absolutely amped to the gills for this game and the players certainly played like it - especially on defense, where they were flying around like tackle-crazed lunatics. This game may have done more to damage Iowa's Big Ten/national title aspirations than the Northwestern game thanks to the body count it left in its wake. Losing two of the most consistently effective pieces of our offense (Robinson and Richardson), our best punt returner by far (Sandeman), and the quarterback of the defense (Greenwood) was a hugely painful blow. That said, this game was something else, full of brutally hard hits (on both sides), a pair of ridiculous goalline stands inside the 2-yard line, and a final three minutes or so that was completely batshit insane, what with a fucking hook-and-ladder and the immortal Stanzi-to-McNutt play.

Is Mike Stoops Really A Good Head Coach? Q&A With Arizona Desert Swarm

Avinash — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:22:03 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Neibergall - AP

Remeber how we used to make fun of this guy? He's four wins away from a Rose Bowl.

Browse more photos »

Remember how we used to poke fun at Mike Stoops? The guy who scored a big upset in November (beating UCLA, Cal and Oregon three years straight), but otherwise did nothing of consequence? The guy whose teams screwed the Pac-10 out of God knows how many BCS at-large bids? The guy who lost to New Mexico two years in a row?

Well, now he's four wins away from Pasadena. Where's the Mike Stoops we've come to know and love?

How do Arizona fans feel about their coach, their team, and their conference title chances? We sat down with AZ Desert Swarm, Arizona's SBN blog, and asked him how confident he feels in his team going into the showdown in Berkeley tomorrow. (Check out our interview with them over at their site!)

1) Do you think Arizona will make the Rose Bowl this year??

I think that Arizona has a good shot. We're favored against Cal, and will get to face Oregon at home where we have won 11 in a row dating back to 2007. After watching USC play the last couple of weeks, I believe that it is more than likely that we will be favored in that game and will come out with a win. Long Answer.

Short Answer. Yes. I think we will make the Rose Bowl.

2) Should Nick Foles scare the crap out of me the way his passing stats are doing? He seems like the perfect quarterback for the Airraid.

I have been hoping since July that Foles would be the starter for the Cats. The receiving corps that he has was made for him. Matt Scott's style of offense did not gel with the rest of the team. Foles on the other hand is a sure handed smart QB who rarely makes a mistake. He is tall enough to stand in the pocket and pick you apart if you don't get to him. He is also elusive (enough) to side step pressure and allow his receivers to get open on come back or hot routes during blitzes. I bet your defensive coordinator doesn't get much sleep this week watching our film. Our running game compliments Foles and we are hopeful to get our star Nic Grigsby back for the Cal game.

3) Mike Stoops has been known for dropping total headscratchers. Are you living in mortal fear that the other shoe's about to drop?

Not really. I love the way Stoops coaches. Living in Austin, Texas, there was always talk about the style of "Big Game Bob" Stoops and his aggressive coaching style. Now that Arizona has Stoops, I love that style of coaching. Case in point: 4-2 on the Iowa 23 yard line in the 2nd quarter with the Cats trailing 14-10. Stoops does a fake FG. Unfortunately, Keenyn Crier isn't a running back and forgot to follow his blockers. Should have been a first down and may have changed the game in Arizona's favor. I loved it.

4)Who is the #1 player on D that Cal fans should worry about?

Ricky Elmore. This guy is a beast. He has 28 tackles on the year but has 7.5 sacks and applies pressure like crazy. He also has a crazy mullet. Your tackles better be ready for him or it's going to be a long day.

5)Who would you like to punch in the face and why?

Each and every person that writes a check at the grocery store. No exceptions.

6. Early on, it seemed like Mike Stoops was about two steps from getting canned at Arizona. For now, at least, it looks like he's got the Wildcats going in the right direction. Is Stoops the Younger in Tucson for the long haul?

I think after this latest run and the recruiting class he put together in 2009, Stoops is here to stay. Unfortunately, as college football goes, he will always be looking for a bigger stage until he finds the right fit. I am not 100% convinced that Stoops will stay in Arizona. I just believe that he will not get fired. He is slowly building a reputable program that is a lot of fun to watch and is starting to compete at the top of the Pac-10 again. We all hope that this is his home for a long time.

Arizona vs. Washington State: Keys to the Game

joenewby4040 — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:46:23 -0000

Let's hope the stands are more full than this for homecoming.

View full size photo »

Arizona takes on lowly Washington State tomorrow for a homecoming game that will likely be a one sided affair. I know this aint high school, but let's thank the athletic office for scheduling a manageable opponent for this joyous event that we are going to scrub the floor with. There's nothing like a homecoming with a huge Arizona win to start your night off with

Arizona is currently #18 in the BCS and #21 in the AP Poll. A dominating win over Washington State should jump us a spot or two in each category. Although Arizona's schedule still holds Oregon, Cal, USC, and ASU, the Cats need to take care of business in Tucson and do it in a big way. Earlier I broke down some statistics of where the Cats are and how bad the Washington State run defense is. I'm expecting a big game from Foles as always and Keoli Antolin will get the big rushing game by default as Nic Grigsby and Greg Nwoko are still sidelined with injuries. Also, look for Brooks Reed to get back into the mix for the Cats. He's been sidelined almost all of the last four games and will try to get his game strength back against Washington State.

ARIZONA KEYS TO THE GAME

Stay Healthy. Let's be honest here. Arizona is picked to win this game by 28. Style points are good. Winning big is good. Staying healthy is even more important. I am one of those guys who has a hard time writing this because I think that numbers are important when recruiting as well. When do you take out Foles? When do you let some of the young guys get playing time on the O-Line? I think that if we are able to pass the ball, Foles should be left in until we are up by 21-28 points and he has thrown for over 300 yards. Why not? Strike fear into the hearts of defenses and excitement into young recruits (QB's and receivers) when they see his end of the year tally. If it becomes a running affair, I say let Matt Scott get his reps.
Special Teams. Time for coach Hammerschmidt to try out a few things on special teams to make sure we end our year with no mistakes. We need better kick off coverage, for one. We are 77th in the nation on kickoff coverage. That is RIDICULOUS. When you have as much speed as we do, we should not be anything less than in the top 30. Put in some of those fast wide receivers and let them earn some playing time and pop those pads. Who cares. I'll be watching for solid coverage against Washington State.
Linebackers. Yes, Xavier Kelly is the team leader in tackles with 46. Vuna Tuihalamaka has had some great games. Watching games and finding our weakness has led me to believe it's the linebacking corps. Consistently not filling holes, not great angles to the outside, and the softest under 10 yard coverage in the Pac-10. The linebackers are playing under the system set up for the whole defense so sometimes games can be deceiving trying to figure out the "why" or the "who" messed up on that play; however, other than our soft D-Line for the beginning of the year, the linebackers need to step up and play as well as the rest of the D.

Full Game Preview at Arizona Athletics.

Spaulding Roundup: Expecting The Bruin Defense To Be Under Siege In Arizona

Nestor — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:18:49 -0000

More photos » by Reed Saxon - AP

Ayers and co. will need to be consistent and disciplined so that they are making plays like this throughout the entire game (and not collapsing during back breaking big plays).

Browse more photos »

Earlier this season leading up to both of our road games I wrote how the pressure was mostly on the opposing coaches (Kiffin and Harbaugh). I am not sure if that dynamic is going to be in play tomorrow in Arizona. Mike Stoops fresh off a bowl victory and 8 win season, seems to be humming along this year in Arizona towards another bowl season. After somewhat of a slow start this year (on offense) he (thanks to Sonny Dykes' spread scheme) seems to have put together the most explosive offense in the Pac-10. So I don't think there is going to be any sense of pressure on Stoops or the Arizona program.

If you were to look at the matchup tomorrow, I don't see any angle that is favorable to UCLA. This has the marking of one of those games during which Bruins have gotten humiliated and embarrassed in their recent history. I am fully bracing for a destruction in the mold of the humiliating losses against Oregon State in 99 and the epic meltdown against Arizona in 05. From what I have read so far this looks like a bad matchup for UCLA defense, which I think is going to be under siege and under relentless attack all day tomorrow from Foles and co.

The LA Times has a report on the preparation of Bruin defense as they get ready to take on the best offense of the conference (ranked 14th in the country):

"This is probably the best group of receivers we'll see all year," UCLA free safety Rahim Moore said. "The quarterback is putting up big numbers. . . . This is a big challenge. It is going to determine how much we love football and how much we want to win."

Foles, a transfer from Michigan State, initially played behind sophomore Matt Scott.

"Nick was a little behind schematically," Arizona Coach Mike Stoops said. "He was not able to be as free as he can" during training camp. In the end, Stoops said, "We based the decision more on Matt's athleticism."

That changed after the Iowa game. The Wildcats (4-2 overall, 2-1 in Pacific 10 Conference play) had only 501 yards passing the first three games -- and more than doubled that in three games since.

For the Bruins (3-3, 0-3), defense hasn't been their strong suit. They have given up an average of 228 yards rushing in losses to Stanford, Oregon and California. Extra tackling drills were part of practice this week.

"We got to get back to taking better angles to the ball, and also just playing fundamentally sound and disciplined," Moore said.

We will see whether the extra tackling drills paid off and whether the coaches have done a better job of preparing our guys so that they can find themselves in best positions to make plays tomorrow. BTW, I think it's interesting how the Arizona coaches are indicating that Foles wasn't starting from the get go because he wasn't necessarily having great practices when he transferred over from MSU. Just goes with the theory of some atheletes are better gamers than practice players. Something to keep in mind while we have the Brehaut/Prince story unfolding in the coming weeks/months.

Going back to our defense, I think the key is going to not let Foles get comfortable. I hope Coach Bullough doesn't have the defense sit back in their base D to start the game and let Foles pick them apart with their short passing game, letting them kill our defense with thousand cuts. Again, not asking that he will need to come out with a dramatically different scheme. However, it would be nice if we see some different looks here and there, throwing the Wildcats a little off guard, and sending in pressure from places they are not expecting. More on that topic and other notes after the jump.

Their OL have done a great job of protecting Foles all season giving up. Interestingly it's an OL that has gone through a number of lineup shakeups throughout the whole season. According to Ryan Finley in the Arizona Daily Star, the Wildcats have had to throw out "more than a half-dozen different lineup combinations through its first six games." The results speak for themselves as the Wildcats feature the most explosive offense in the Pac-10, while allowing its QB to get sacked on only 4 occasions (pretty amazing number).

"They've been a really solid group for us," UA coach Mike Stoops said. "They're fundamentally very sound. We've seen a ton of blitzes, and they've picked them all up for the most part."

Just two starters, center Colin Baxter and right tackle Adam Grant, have started every game at their rightful positions. Injuries and illness have forced the rest of the line to shuffle each week.

The versatile Hall moved to right guard after Vaughn Dotsy suffered a concussion in Week 2, then shifted to left guard last week when Diaz got sick. Hall has also played tight end in running sets.

Diaz started the season at left tackle but moved to left guard when starter Conan Amituanai tore knee ligaments against Washington in Week 5.

Phil Garcia, fully recovered from two knee surgeries, came off the bench against Oregon State in Week 4, and started at left tackle. Blake Kerley, the Wildcats starting center for the first half of the 2008 season, entered Saturday's game as a guard in a goal-line package.

Offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh said he's never been around a deeper group.

As mentioned up top, this OL has only given up 4 sacks. They are only getting better and now the Arizona offense looks potentially even more explosive given the fact that they just got back their starting RB Grigsby, who is another one of those small explosive backs that tend to present matchup nightmares for overly aggressive Bruin D. Grigsby is averaging more than 8 yards per carry and was the key difference in Arizona's shootout win against Stanford, when he darted out for 50+ yard TD run with less than 3 mins left in the game. Grigsby has capable backups in freshman Greg Nwoko (a big 6-6, 220 back from Texas) and Keola Antolin, both of who averaging over 4.5 ypc every time they rush the ball.

In other words, this offensive line has anchored an extremely balanced Arizona offense which is going to come at the Bruin defense from all directions. I am not seeing any potential weak points in their lineup. The only way I can see the Bruin defense having a shot is if they are somehow able to disrupt the rhyhm of Nick Foles early on, who at least statistically hasn't taken on the caliber of Bruin pass defense until this season. However, after how our DBs (including ATV) was burned by Kevin Riley last weekend, I am not seeing a lot of signs of hope from that crew as well. Perhaps they will show a dramatic turnaround and come out with a sense of moxy and confidence (while playing disciplined and smart football) we haven't seen Tennessee. Having a hard time being optimistic about our chances at this point for obvious reasons given what we have seen in recent weeks.

Perhaps it will be our offense that will continue to build on the baby step (forward) from last weekend and keep their offense off the field. CRN as usual struck positives notes in a mid-season report article in the OC Register:

"I feel like our offense is continuing to progress and I'm always continuing to get more comfortable," Prince said. "The more reps you get, the more comfortable you get. I feel like we're slowly progressing and that's a positive."

One thing that is important for the Bruins, as they work their way into the second half of the season, is that they have not given up on themselves. Their goal is to win enough games to play in a bowl game this season and they're essentially halfway there.

"I'm not pressing the panic button even though I know there are a lot of naysayers who would like me to," Neuheisel said earlier this week. "That doesn't mean we're not going to practice with great urgency and it doesn't mean we're not going to keep focusing on details.

"I understand people would like it to happen immediately, in a quicker time period. All I know is I believe in the course we're on."

Well I am hoping we will see some signs of hope on Saturday. Again, don't care much for moral victories and I will certainly not be celebrating if the Bruins don't get humiliated (that would be pathetic). However, I'd like to see our offense come out with a mindset in which they are in a relentless attack mode, not settling for FGs, and sending their defensive team-mates a clear signal that they are going to do what they can to have their backs in the desert. I am not sure if it will be enough to break the expected siege but offensive production might be the only chance we have tomorrow to break through with an improbable win.

GO BRUINS.

Pwnership Goes Beyond Photoshop

Oops Pow Surprise — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:33:47 -0000

From the FanShots, a picture that was tragically resized is now available as God intended it. Enjoy.

(Click on picture for the largest size available)

The maddest of mad props go to reader Herkey Hawkeye. You guys are awesome sometimes.

The Takeaway: Wisconsin

Oops Pow Surprise — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:33:23 -0000

More photos » by Andy Manis - AP

Browse more photos »

Sure, Iowa just choked the life out of the Badgers, 20-10. But how much do we really know? What was really important about beating Wisconsin? What does it all mean, Basil? The Takeaway has the answer.

"Thank you for getting with the program."

This week's theme: Frailty. No, we're not talking about the Bill Paxton thriller, we mean the actual condition of frailty and how it relates to last week's win for the Hawkeyes.

1) The frailty of 7-0: Iowa is now 7-0 for the first time in almost a quarter-century, and on the precipice of the most successful start to a season ever in school history (the undefeated, untied seasons of 1921 and 1922 were seven-season games, so... suck on that, Duke Slater). We are, quite literally, one game away from Iowa history.

And yet, it's come with three wins in which Iowa trailed in the second half, another where Iowa won by three points, and another still where Iowa won by just two. Their average margin of victory is calculated in microns. It's a strange and unexpected development for a team about whom, just eleven months ago, we wrote this:

The difference between 2001 and 2008 is salary. Just like 2001, this is the first time in a few years that Iowa has enjoyed a distinct physical advantage with their opponents, but they're coming up just short. In 2001, 7-5 was awesome. It was positive. It was "we're not getting beating by Western Michigan this year!"

The problem, of course, is that Kirk Ferentz isn't paid for growing pains anymore. And when you get a situation like this where Iowa hasn't won their last 8 games decided by three points or fewer, that starts to become an indictment of the head coach.

Going back as long as the seniors have been suiting up, the Iowa program has real, fatal trouble in close games. Coming into a game against a PSU team that's superior in both discipline and physical talent, that spells automatic loss this weekend. Don't let the 7.5-point line fool you--while Iowa's certainly capable of making the game competitive for all four quarters, there is very, very little to suggest they can come away from the game with an upset win.

Well then, times have certainly changed, haven't they? Even with a patchwork-at-times offense and a schizophrenic quarterback, Iowa has now won four straight games decided by three points or fewer. That those four games have come in a ten-game stretch is somewhat troubling, but as 2002 Ohio State proved, wins are wins.

We're also struck by the 2001/2008 corollary, which is proving itself true beyond our wildest imagination thus far in terms of W/L improvement. The specifics aren't quite there, as anybody who watched 2002 Iowa football can tell you, but it seems evident that the "2008 as a nostrum for the horror of 2005-2007" fits in nicely with where the 2001 season belong in the arc of Hawkeye history.

As allegories for the Wisconsin offense go, this was pretty bad.

2) The frailty of John Clay's lower body. First of all, thank God John Clay's okay, because we've never seen anyone get bent like that, then get up and continue playing football. We could have easily imagined a season-ending injury to any of four places--back, hip, knee, ankle--and not have been surprised. But lo and behold, Clay got up and kept getting at it. We're really going out on a limb here, but we say that's a good thing.

That all said, that man should not have played football for the rest of the day, because here's a breakdown of Clay's production before and after the injury:

Pre-injury: 12 rushes, 68 yards, 6 first downs
Post-injury: 9 rushes, 7 yards, 0 first downs

With Zach Brown nursing a concussion (and we hope he gets at least two more weeks of rest; the absence of symptoms DOES NOT EQUAL full recovery), Wisconsin had to choose between Clay and true freshman Montee Ball, who had rang up 5 carries for 21 yards and a 10-yard score on Iowa's defense. Incredibly (but only if you don't know who we're talking about), Bret Bielema chose Clay for the entire second half; Ball may as well have beaten the traffic home after halftime. Bielema must be proud of himself.

We may want to check Mr. Tolzien for a concussion as well. No, seriously, this looks really bad, like a Mortal Kombat finishing move.

3) The frailty of Scott Tolzein: Bucky's Fifth Quarter chalks the implosion of Wisconsin's offense up to Bielema's--ahem--debatable decision to insert Curt Phillips in at quarterback with the Badgers holding a 10-3 lead:

Holding a 10-3 lead (and the momentum) in the second quarter, UW took over at their own 26-yard line having just completed a 92-yard touchdown drive in which Scott Tolzien coverted 5-of-6 passing attempts for 67 yards. It appeared as if Tolzien had successfully rebounded from a shaky start at Ohio State last week, but in a shocking move, back-up quarterback Curt Phillips replaced Tolzien at quarterback and the UW offense went three-and-out for the first time all day.

Tolzien played from that point on, but the only time Wisconsin even got a whiff of the redzone was when the defense forced a turnover at the Iowa 25-yard line. Wisconsin didn't score a point there either.

If one series of giving a backup some snaps (a stupid decision, even as Wisconsin came within a yard of converting a first down) is all it takes to shake Tolzien's poise, that's not a good sign. Nonetheless, here comes another split:

Pre-substitution: 7-9, 80 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 3 first downs (and one easy pass that bounced off a wide open Maurice Moore's hands in the end zone; Wisconsin would score on the next snap)
Post-substitution: 8-16, 63 yards, 0 TD, 3 INT, 3 first downs

That, sir, is a certified BITCHMAKING, and those gentlemen with puffy eyes are Austen Arnaud, Matt Scott, Daryll Clark, and Tate Forcier. They'd like to share their stories about how Iowa's defense ruined their day with you too.

4) The frailty at tight end: Tony Moeaki would be the most injury-fucked Iowa player in Ferentz's Iowa career--by a wide margin, even--if it weren't for fellow Wheaton-Warrenville alumnus Dace Richardson, both of whom are experiencing a wholly unlikely resurgence in this, their senior season. Moeaki is back and delivering the ass-kicking everybody expected for the last four years or so, recording his third touchdown in two weeks with a scintillating 24-yard reception (you can pretty much end the video after that, as the highlights are marred by excessive fan-woofing).

Meanwhile, Wisconsin was further hampered after their own weapon at TE, Garrett Graham, suffered his own game-ending injury with a concussion (again, one that we hope Bielema or any other college coach would treat with a month off). In that second half, the Badgers really had no chance, even as they led coming out of the break with the ball. Missing their best tailback and super-talented tight end? Who can bounce back from that? OH HO HO, WAIT A SECOND...

5) The mental frailty missing from the Iowa Hawkeyes, from the top down: For as much as Wisconsin's success depended on the health of Clay and consistency from Tolzien or smart calls from Bielema, Iowa never wavered, never panicked, never abandoned the aspects of their gameplan--well, unless we're talking about going for it on the 31-yard line. Let's keep going to Daniel Murray on that one, shall we?

The first and only picture we've ever saved as "awesome.jpg."

As has been pointed out by multiple members of our community, Iowa has an unshaking resiliency that has carried them this far through the season, whether it be from Ferentz not panicking in his gameplan (even ARRGH ARRGH ARRGH running Wegher on first down when we all know it means 2nd and 12), Ricky Stanzi not letting his STANZIBALLs get to him, or the defensive front seven not giving up after 20 minutes of pure Wisconsin beatdown in the rushing game (and let's be honest, that's what it was). But Iowa brings it for 60 minutes, six seconds of hell at a time, and nobody this season has stood up to the Hawkeyes and dished it back in greater amounts...yet.

There are five games between here and 12-0. The second-toughest remaining game looms this week. If Iowa wins, you absolutely must be on board with where this season's headed.

It's a strange situation, one in which a decidedly strong team have worked their way into a national championship scene that isn't ready for them (and probably vice versa) this season. Is Iowa's hold on the Top 10 frail? Perhaps, but not relative to the rest of the Big Ten.

Decidely unfrail, flu be damned.

Photo credits: The Iowa City Press-Citizen and Cedar Rapids Gazette

An Appeal to the Coaching Staff

Smooty — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 04:02:53 -0000

Work Matt Scott into the offense, just a little bit.

This is not to be construed as an assault on Nick Foles. I love Sunshine. He is the present and future of the Arizona football program. That is clear, and I could not be happier about his immediate success. He is ready for the big-time and it will be a joy to watch him play as long as he dons an Arizona jersey.

But, Scott could bring an extra dimension to the Arizona rushing attack. Particularly, when it was sorely needing a playmaker last Saturday night. Let's see Scott get a little action as a change-of-pace to Foles. And again, this is not a promotion of a two quarterback system. Foles is the clear-cut #1. Let's get Scott back on the field for a few snaps to show off his electric running ability.

Poll

What do you think? Should Matt Scott get some looks in Wildcat-style packages?

Yes

39 votes

No

27 votes

66 votes | Poll has closed

Grading the Cats: Arizona vs. Oregon State

joenewby4040 — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:02:30 -0000

More photos » by Rick Bowmer - AP

2 months ago: Arizona's Greg Nwoka (28) goes in to score while Oregon State's Tim Clark defends during the first half of their NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009, in Corvallis, Ore. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Browse more photos »

Hi everyone. I'm Joe Newberry. I run a blog called azdesertswarm.com. I used to write for this football team that was boring and frustrating to watch. Last week, our coach decided to try out this new guy and let me tell you what. He's badass.

Seriously. Did y'all see Foles run this game? He was in control the entire time. He has an absolute cannon for an arm and enough mobility to create when there is pressure. Time after time Foles took snaps and had plenty of time to thread the needle to receivers running great routes. When the pressure was coming via a blitz or stunt, he was able to scramble enough to get the open look.

Arizona took on a new look on Saturday as well, running the "I" formation with Chris Gronkowski at a true fullback position and running plenty of play action to freeze over zealous linebackers. The Cats also threw at least 6 "smoke screens" which were not possible last week due to Matt Scott's weak arm. This play proved effective all night and only went for negative yards on one occasion.

Quarterbacks: First play of the game: wide receiver screen. Typical Texas Tech play. I love it. Not only was it effective, but it displayed the arm of Foles beautifully with a TV shot down the line of scrimmage. Foles is the man. He made good decisions all night and was methodical in his receiver selection hitting 9 different receivers while racking up 254 yards on 25-34 and 0 interceptions. His ability to stand in the pocket and find the open receiver is like night and day from Matt Scott. He also showed flashes of mobility enabling him to bypass a sack and find receivers coming back to for completions. Grade: A

Running Backs: Losing Grigsby was tough, but it only lasted for a second. Keoli Antolin came in and immediately filled the void, making Beaver defenders guess which way he was going all the way until he got hurt. Antolin needs more carries as these two are truly two different types of runners. Oregon State looked lost trying to wrep up Antolin. Greg Nwoko looked solid as well. His first carry of the game was for a 19 yard TD. Nwoko filled in nicely gaining 44 yards on 9 carries. Antolin had 12 carries for 46 yards before departing with an injury. Nwoko was also a dual threat on the night grabbing 4 catches for 76 yards including a 52 yard grab in the third quarter on a screen pass from Foles. Nick Booth filled in on one play and had some incredible cuts to get 12 yards on the play. Grade: A-

Offensive Line: The offensive line played decent on pass protection, not allowing a sack all night. Their run blocking wasn't as good as usual (CMU or NAU). Hmmm. I think I'm seeing a pattern here. Although we gained 137 yards on the ground, we did it on 33 carries (4.15 ypg). They came through big at the end of the game giving Foles time even in the face of OSU coming at them with stunts and blitzes as they tried anything to get into Foles' face. It wasn't happening. Grade: B+

Wide Receivers: The Cats displayed five wide a couple of times on Saturday night which proved to be a successful venture. David Douglas had 5 catches for 52 yards in the game, three coming in the first drive. Dean is amazing on the fade and Arizona even utilized this play on 2nd and 8 from their own 6 yard line. The Cats used it in the third quarter as well to Juron Criner and it was pretty. This is not new for Foles, as he threw his only TD pass against Iowa on a fade. Now that's confidence in your QB to get the ball where it needs to be. Dean just makes DB's look silly. FYI, the fly sweep to Dean does not work. Stop trying it. The Cats wide receivers are some of the best blocking WR's i've seen in a long time. Each of them gets on their guy and engages so well it's unreal. Grade: B+

Defensive Line: Ricky Elmore and Earl Mitchell each had 2 sacks on the night while D'Aundre Reed and Lolomana Mikaele each had 1/2 a sack on the night. Lolomana Mikaele started on Saturday night over Horton Donald Horton. Smart move. Horton was unable to provide any push against Iowa and wasn't quick enough on the ball to get into RB's in the backfield. I thought Mikaele was a nice change that defensive coordinator Mark Stoops made. Kudos for pulling a starter when they're not doing their job. Grade: B

Linebackers: The linebackers had an off night, often times trying to find Jacquizz Rogers hiding behind offensive linemen. Although the backers filled well, they weren't able to make play and didn't record one tackle for loss all night. Vuna Tuihalamaka led the group with 6 tackles and 6 assists for 12 on the night, tying Devin Ross who chipped in 12 as well. Other than that, it was kind of a disappointing night for this crew. Grade: C+

Secondary: Can you believe that first TD for Oregon State? What a crock. That was one of the luckiest plays I have ever seen. That ball was tipped 3 times. Trevin Wade picked up his fourth interception of the year showing an incredible burst of speed to close on the come back route and take one away from OSU. The Cats secondary gave up 303 yards of passing on 31-47 while picking off 2 passes. Devin Ross had an incredible night with 12 tackles and 1 pass break up. Oh yeah, let's not forget that he was named the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week. Overall, OSU exploited the Cats secondary and more experienced teams will have a field day. Without Ross, this would be an entire letter lower. Grade: B

(Special Teams MVP)

Special Teams: Zendejas was perfect on the night hitting all 5 extra points. He had no field goal attempts on the night. I'll take it. His kickoffs traveled an average of 60.5 yards and he got 1 touchback. Our kickoff coverage is still weak and OSU's quickness killed us. Keenyn Crier had an awesome night hitting 5 punts for an average of 45 yards a piece. His real gem was in the fourth quarter when he punted 65 yards from his own 29 yard line and pinned OSU on their own 3. Just a few minutes later he kicked another 62 yarder, pinning the Beavers on their own 3 again. And if you didn't watch it, he pinned OSU on their 3 once more right before Arizona got a safety to close it out. Great game young man. Grade: A

21-10: DON'T CALL IT AN UPSET

Oops Pow Surprise — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 04:16:09 -0000

More photos » by Carolyn Kaster - AP

2 months ago: Iowa team members celebrate with the fans after beating Penn State 21-10 in an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Browse more photos »

21-10, motherfuckers. That second half was an utter demolition. It's a win over Penn State, one that Iowa earned. In accordance with history, this calls for one thing and one thing only:

Aside from that, a few quick notes for the night:

1) Penn State Student Health has offered to provide free emergency contraception to the 110,000 fans who were impregnated by Adrian Clayborn tonight.

2) Daryll Clark, welcome to the Officially Bitchmade Gallery. We've saved a seat next to Matt Scott and Austen Arnaud for you. Your cocktail for the night is your own tears.

3) Not to take anything away from Arkansas State, but October 10 is going to be awesome.

So while we dance around our living room naked, we'll leave you this open thread. Feels pretty damned good.

[From commenter Hawkeye X, in this thread: "I wish I had ten dicks so every team in the Big Ten could suck me at the same time." God bless you, sir.]

Grading the Cats: Arizona vs. Iowa

joenewby4040 — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:37:40 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Neibergall - AP

2 months ago: Iowa's Adrian Clayborn, left, knocks the ball out of the hand of Arizona quarterback Nick Foles (8) during the second half of this NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, in Iowa City, Iowa. Arizona recovered the fumble as Iowa won 27-17. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Browse more photos »

Arizona fell to Iowa this past week in un-dramatic fashion falling 27-17 in Iowa City. The Cats defense kept them in this game for as long as they could but the offensive output was too weak to give them a chance. Let's dive into the grades.

Quarterbacks: Matt Scott looked lost. Period. Scott finished 4-14 for 50 yards and an INT. He was ineffective to say the least. Scott had 47 yards on the day on 7 carries; however, 27 of those yards came on his first attempt. He was stopped cold the rest of the game. Scott's inability to move the offense has cost him the starting job this week at Oregon State. He was unable to find the open man, held on to the ball too long, and looked terrible trying to throw on the run. His goal line passes were atrocious. Nick Foles couldn't muster much offense either throwing 6-11 for 55 yards and a TD. His opportunities were limited by the time it got to him. There was no chance for rushing anymore and he still managed to get a score. Foles TD throw to Criner was PERFECT. Can't wait until next week. Grade: F

Running Backs: Did y'all see Grigsby's run in the 2nd quarter? Great speed, lateral movement and cuts to the outside. Keoli also put in a nice run in the fourth quarter that led to our offensive touchdown. The RB's didn't have many holes to fit through the entire game and still churned out a respectable amount of yards. Grigsby seems to do everything right from catching the ball out of the backfield to picking up blitzers. Grade: B

Wide Receivers: Great job blocking guys. Criner's grab on the TD was impressive and hopefully we will throw it to the big fella more. Everyone else did great on their routes and blocking, the passes just weren't there. What else is there to say? We only completed 10 passes. Grade: B

Offensive Line: As much as I loved watching Adam Grant play against CMU, he had such a terrible game against Iowa it makes me sick. He single handedly let Grigsby get blown up on the first play from scrimmage on the 2 in the second quarter. The pass protection was decent, Scott just couldn't make good choices. The run blocking across the board was sub-par. Grigsby was running for his life for most of the game when heading outside and hitting nothing but big bodies on the inside. The only reason Grigsby got any yards all night was because of his athletic ability (sans the long run in the first.) Grade: C+

Defensive Ends: I usually grade the Cats as a Defensive line unit, but there was nothing about the ends and the interior linemen that looked the same on Saturday. Ricky Elmore and Brooks Reed provided pressure all day against Iowa's QB, Ricky Stanzi. Elmore's speed and agility are nightmares for offensive tackles. He caused an intentional grounding in the first half. These guys have played incredible all year and are the reason that Arizona will be in more games than not. Grade: A-

(Our defensive tackles had a sub par game on Saturday)

Defensive Tackles: Welcome to the real schools that actually have offensive linemen. Earl Mitchell had an average game. He had two and a half tackles for loss and a half of a sack. He looked pretty quick off the ball as well Donald Horton, not so much. He was continually beat down throughout the entire game. No wonder they ran for 133. It felt like more. Maybe it's time to bring in Jonathan Hollins or some other guys to see if we can't get some push. Grade: C

Defensive Backs: Trevin Wade is the man. He got his third interception on the year and took it back for a score in the first quarter. The rest of the secondary looked pretty good to me. Cam Nelson had a good game and was flagged for a pass interference call that was pretty weak. Devin Ross and Robert Golden put in solid games as well. Grade: B+

Special Teams: Gotta love the fake field goal. Who is the guy who couldn't get two yards through that hole? Keenyn Crier. Are you kidding me? RUN THE BALL WHERE THE HOLE IS. That should have been 4 yards no problem. Oh well. On to the real special teams. Kickoffs were decent. Field goals 1-1. Punt average: 38.2, not great, but not bad. Overall, I'll take it. The kicking game wasn't as much of a factor as I thought it was going to be. David Douglas didn't have too many chances to return many balls but when he did, he ran right into black and yellow jerseys. Wow. Grade: B