SB Nation - Arkansas St. Red Wolves

Rebel Roundup - 12/3/09 - UGA Cleans House

The Ghost of Jay Cutler — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:39:59 -0000

Well no wonder he was fired.

Red Cup Radio
Despite not having a football game this Saturday, Godfrey and I, along with an extremely tardy One Man to Beat, were able to hold an hour-and-twenty-minute-long show. We discussed Egg Bowl woes, Rebel basketball (quite briefly), the Cotton Bowl, my hot roommate (it gets pretty odd at that point), and pick 'em.

Mark Richt Drops Martinez et al from Staff | Dawg Sports
The biggest piece of news in the conference yesterday came with the announcement that Georgia's Mark Richt decided to clean house after a ghastly 7-5 season in Athens. This was, apparently, Richt's decision--not the AD's, not some booster's, but his. So, for a guy with a sparkling reputation as a "nice guy," he can get pretty tough, especially if it means saving his own ass, just as it should be.

Defense Sets Tone | Clarion Ledger dot com
We beat the nonsense out of the Arkansas State Red Wolves to a score of 79 to 57 last night. Did you see it? Of course you didn't; the damn thing was in Jonesboro. Regardless, our defense was stout as was our three point shooting. One thing about that link though--and it's not just that link, but any Clarion Ledger sports link over the past few weeks or so--is that there are some creepy ass ads over there. Look at this fucking guy here:

He kinda bears a resemblance to my German Linguistics professor during my senior year at Ole Miss, except horribly ugly. Look at those nostrils; they're like jet engines. And are those his bottom teeth or top teeth he's got poking out there? Or is it glare from a camera flash coming off of this guy's gigantic bottom lip? And why is his face here in the first damn place? Regardless, Clarion Ledger, get new ads.

The Blind Side: What's All the Cheering About | TIME
This is obviously written by a State fan:

Michael certainly gets a warm bed, lots of food and familial affection from the Touhys; they gave him a purpose-driven life. But it's their purpose. They drove him there. Michael is like the docile son who pleases his parents by becoming a doctor or lawyer.

Yeah, the Tuohy's really held Oher back from doing what he wanted to do. That aside, this is a very well written and frank assessment of the film. It also does touch on the notion that this is just the kind of feel-good stuff white, Southern suburbia loves. "You see, America, we McMansionites aren't that racist, we swear!"

UK Football: Kentucky vs. Louisiana-Monroe Breakdown

Ken Howlett — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:41:30 -0000

Kentucky enters tonight's 7:00 EST home tilt with the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks looking to push their record over the .500 mark for the first time in a month. Coming off an inspiring 21-14 come-from-behind road victory at Auburn last weekend, UK (3-3, 1-3) figures to have confidence and momentum on their side. The Warhawks, though, aren't exactly Miami (OH). They enter tonight's Commonwealth Stadium contest at 4-2, and a league-leading 3-0 in the Sun Belt Conference.

With UK heading into a stretch of four straight games they should be favored (the 'Cats are favored tonight by 14 points), it's obviously important that the 'Cats continue to maintain focus, but for those battling the demons of complacency, a come-to-Jesus talk with a Wildcat possessing a long memory will result in a history lesson on UK's 42-40 near disastrous defeat to this same Warhawk team in 2006. Yeah, that team: Andre Woodson', Keenan Burton, Wesley Woodyard, Rafael Little, etc, etc. So, taking lightly this Sun Belt Conference member will very likely translate into a game similar to last season's nerve-rattling win over Middle Tennessee ... yet another Sun Belt Conference member.

Over the last three season's, Charlie Weatherbie, the Warhawks veteran coach, has competed very nicely with ULM's SEC opponents -- In 2007 ULM beat Alabama 21-14 (temporarily causing the state to enter into a period of mourning). And to go along with the near win at UK in 2006, last year ULM lost only 28-27 at Arkansas.

In ULM's offense, Kentucky will encounter an attack based on the spread-option ... with a twist; ULM presents the offense with lots of misdirection and motion. Rich Brooks had this to say about the unusual Warhawk offense:

"Offensively they totally mess with your mind. They false key. The pull linemen and run the ball away from where they're pulling them to. All your principles that you teach on defense are out the window in a game like this."

Adding additional question marks to the UK's defensive decision-makers is the absence of ULM starting quarterback Trey Revell. Revell injured his thumb in ULM's 16-10 victory against Arkansas State 11 days ago. He'll be replaced by redshirt freshman Cody Wells.

So without further time-wasting, here is the Warhawk team that UK must put away early:

Warhawk Offensive Personnel

Cody Wells: 6'0", 190 lb redshirt freshman quarterback -- Wells has played in only two games this season, completing seven of 13 passes for 76 yards and one touchdown. After replacing Revell in the Warhawks' game versus Arkansas State, Wells was 5-9 for 67 yards.

In the first five-and-half games of 2009, Revell orchestrated the ULM offense by throwing for 1,124 and eight touchdowns on 81-140 passing (57.9%). He's also proved to be an exceptionally talented runner, rushing 50 times for 194 yards (3.9 yards per carry), and three touchdowns. Wells played well in his relief effort last week, so he comes into Commonwealth with some confidence. He's highly mobile, which fits nicely into the offensive schemes the Warhawks employ.

Frank Goodin: 5'9", 203 lb junior running back -- The Warhawks top ball-carrier, Goodin has rushed 110 times of 558 yards (5.1 ypc), and nine touchdowns. He's also caught six passes for 48 yards (8.0 yards per reception).

Versus Florida International earlier in the year, Goodin ran 19 times for 163 yards and three touchdowns. He's a dangerous runner, possessing both speed and power.

Rodney Lovett: 5'9", 200 lb junior running back -- Lovett has carried the ball 38 times for 147 yards (3.9 ypc), and one touchdown.

Last season against Arkansas Lovett rushed 17 times for 66 yards.

Darrell McNeal: 6'0", 220 lb senior wide receiver -- McNeal has made 24 catches for 360 yards (15.0 yards per reception) and four touchdowns. He also returns punts for the Warhawks; 14 returns for 52 yards (3.7 yards per return).

McNeal has accumulated over 1,600 receiving yards in his career, and he will at times be called upon to take the direct snap out of the "Wildcat" formation. He recorded four rushing touchdowns last season out of the "Wildcat," but has yet to score on the ground this season. Earlier in the year versus Florida International, McNeal made six catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns.

LaGregory Sapp: 6'3", 209 lb fifth-year senior wide receiver -- Sapp has 18 catches for 336 yards (18.7 ypr), and one touchdown.

The deep threat receiver made seven catches for 96 yards earlier this year in a game versus Florida Atlantic.

Luther Ambrose: 5'10", 175 lb sophomore wide receiver -- A triple-threat in every sense of the term, Ambrose has make 14 catches, good for 207 yards (14.8 ypr) and one touchdown, to go along with 13 carries for 121 yards (9.3 ypc) and another touchdown. Not satisfied with double-duty, Ambrose also returns kick-offs; 19 returns for 425 yards (22.4 yards per return).

In ULM's first game of the year versus then-No. 2 Texas, Ambrose recorded 207 all-purpose yards (receptions, rushes, returns). Ambrose is another weapon utilized in an unorthodox manner; UK must be ready for him to receive the ball both through the air and on the ground.

Alvin Jordan: 6'2", 253 lb junior tight end -- Jordan has made 13 catches for 100 yards (7.7 ypr), and one touchdown.

Warhawk Defensive Personnel

Cardia Jackson: 6'2", 230 lb senior linebacker -- The Warhawks leading tackler with 52 on the year (34 solo), the First Team All-Sun Belt Conference member is regarded as ULM's defensive stalwart. He's also recorded two tackles for loss, and two pass breakups.

In 2008, Jackson averaged 10.6 tackles per game, racking up 18 against Ole Miss. In 2006 versus UK, he made nine tackles.

Aaron Morgan: 6'4", 235 lb senior defensive end -- The Second Team All-Sun Belt performer has made 30 tackles (25 solo) with a team-leading 9.0 tackles for loss and seven sacks. He's also had six quarterback hurries.

This season, Morgan has two, two sack games, versus Arizona State and Texas Southern.

Darius Prelow: 6'1", 205 lb sophomore defensive back -- Prelow has made 38 tackles (31 solo), one tackle for loss, and seven pass breakups.

Josh Thomas: 6'2", 228 lb senior cornerback -- Thomas has 38 tackles (30 solo), two tackles for loss, two sacks and three pass breakups.

Thomas, who has started 30 straight games in his college career, recorded a season-high six tackles versus UK in 2006.

Troy Evans: 6'2", 252 lb sophomore defensive end -- Evans in 2009 has made 16 tackles (10 solo), four tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, three pass breakups, and three quarterback hurries.

Evans is the reigning SBC Player of the Week after forcing two fumbles late in ULM's 16-10 victory over Arkansas State 11 days ago.

Grant Clayton: 5'7", 160 lb freshman kicker -- Clayton, who handles the kick-off duties, has kicked-off 32 times, recording only one touchback, but opponents are averaging only 20.5 yards per return.

Warhawk Vitals

Louisiana-Monroe boasts the 12th ranked rush defense in the nation, allowing only 93.3 yards rushing per game ... Last week versus Arkansas State, ULM held ASU to a .9 yards per carry average ... In a 38-14 loss to Arizona State, the Warhawks held the Sun Devils to only 3.1 yards per carry ... ULM is a plus 2 on the season in turnover margin, but were a minus 3 in their loss to Arizona State ... ULM beat Texas Southern 58-0 in the seasons second game ... The Warhawks average 30.7 points per game, but give up 27.8 points ... ULM has more than doubled their opponents rush yards; 1,167 (4.6 ypc) to 560 (2.8 ypc) ... ULM converts 42% of their third down opportunities, but their opponents convert 43% ... In red zone chances, ULM has scored 83% of the time (24-29), but their opponents have scored 91% of the time (20-22) ... The Warhawks have also given up a high number of touchdowns in the red zone, 17 of 22 (77%) ... ULM is off to their best start since 1993 ... ULM quarterbacks have been sacked only five times all year ... The Warhawks have recorded a healthy 34 pass breakups.

Charlie Weatherbie

In his seventh year at Louisiana-Monroe, Weatherbie (29-44) has done what he's done twice before: Turn around a moribund football program -- As coach at Utah State, he took the Aggies to their first bowl game in 15 years. In his first season as head coach at Navy, Weatherbie went 9-3 with an Aloha Bowl win. This, coming on the heels of 15 straight losing season for the Midshipmen. He's also the first coach in Navy history to record back-to-back winning seasons --Weatherbie took over a ULM program in 1993 coming off a one win season, and in 2005 won the Sun Belt Conference championship, the Warhawks' first conference title since 1992.

Weatherby will be a formidable adversary for Rich Brooks tonight, and with the uncertainty surrounding the ULM quarterback situation, look for some out-of-the-box strategy from the cagey veteran coach.

Derrick Locke

Kentucky's top running threat is expected to play tonight. Locke, coming off an MCL strain suffered last week at Auburn, practiced lightly this week. Alfonso Smith, coming off a thumb, injury appears to be near 100%. UK will need both backs healthy in their effort to quash any confidence surges from the visiting Warhawks.

Ideally, Locke will rest in the second half of tonight's game, with Smith and Moncell Allen taking over the ball-carrying duties.

CliffsNotes Analysis

Defensively, UK must "stay home," and stay true to their assignments. ULM will use a variety of offensive sets, mixing in the spread-option with the "Wildcat." But, UK has the better athletes, and if the 'Cats attack and wrap-up the way they did last week, holding the Warhawks well below their season scoring average should be an attainable goal.

Offensively, it's the immovable object (ULM rush D) against a surging 'Cat ground attack. After posting the highest team rush total (282 yards) since Bill Curry was calling the plays, UK looks to continue its ground dominance, utilizing Randall Cobb out of the "Wildcat." But, with freshman quarterback Morgan Newton once again earning the start, look for UK to open up the passing game against a Warhawk team that allows 262.5 yards passing per game.

Fearless Prediction

Kentucky 34 ULM 17

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats!

There's A Game On Saturday?: Bitchconsin

Oops Pow Surprise — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 04:35:47 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

Please let us not lose to this man. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

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The title of this one is about all the woofing we'll do at the Badgers, because we are completely unenthusiastic about this game and the task in front of Iowa. In fact, we'll eschew the typical matchup approach we usually do and just focus on a few problems, one at a time.

Iowa's rush defense has quite a challenge in front of them. We're mighty big fans of both Karl Klug and Broderick Binns, who are pass rushers nonpareil and some of the most tenacious d-fenders on the team. The problem is that part of the reason that Iowa's rush defense has been so underwhelming this year is because Klug and Binns can't move a line of scrimmage on run plays. It's not really a matter of poor technique, necessarily, but being that they barely combine to break five bills, they can be moved by a talented lineman. Sure, they might shed a block, but unless it directly results in a tackle, all they're doing is letting the lineman get to the next level and harass a linebacker.

Some pundits think the fact that Wisconsin doesn't run a spread or design runs for the quarterback works in Iowa's favor. Maybe, but probably not as much as they think. If Iowa has any success against the run, it'll be because Zach Brown isn't there to keep John Clay's legs fresh for four quarters and their third string tailback is Jamelle Notonthedepthchartforareason.

Iowa has won all six of their games, yes, but in five of them, the defense was tasked with stopping a big drive late in the game. In four of those five games, the defense failed. Against UNI, the special teams bailed Iowa out twice. Against Arizona, backup quarterback Nick Foles shredded Iowa with disturbing ease en route to pushing the game within 10. Against Penn State, okay, watching Clark's confidence self-immolate was cool. Against A-State, the Red Wolves cut a lead to three by converting third down after third down. Against Michigan, Denard Robinson put together a not-that-difficult 4th quarter drive to cut the lead to two after standing on the sideline the entire game. This is not a good fourth-quarter pattern. Do you really trust Iowa to slam the door on Wisconsin with the game on the line? We kind of don't.

At the very least, we can point to the fact that Iowa's linebackers and safeties are experienced, returning starters; it's going to take more than a simple playfake to get someone wide open, in other words. So the good news is that Tolzien probably won't shred Iowa's pass defense. The bad news is that he probably won't need to.

A magnificent bastard is still a bastard all the same. Oh, Ricky Stanzi. Heismanzi has now rang up over 280 yards of passing in each of his last two games, each with some sweet long balls (LOL). He has also given away a touchdown in those games. That's fine to do against a creampuff pushover like A-State or just Michigan, but it's going to be horror if Iowa finds itself down 7-3... then it turns into 14-3 because Ricky tried to out-STANZIBALL himself (though it'll be hard to ever top his last two achievements, each stunning in their ineptitude).

At the same time, it's easily possible that DJK gets a little bit more with the program and the vaunted Iowa wideout corps actually puts together a good game and Iowa gets a few touchdowns. But considering nobody on the team averages at least 50 yards of receiving a game, this would be, ahem, unexpected.

Clogging rushing lanes like so many local fans' arteries. As Hlas pointed out in yesterday's chat, Wisconsin hasn't allowed 100 rushing yards to a Big Ten opponent yet this season. Okay, granted, OSU spent the entire day scoring without letting Pryor even take a snap, and Minnesota and Michigan State are pretty miserable. Buuut then you look at Iowa's backfield and it's two guys splitting carries--neither of whom are named Jewel or Jeff or Shonn or LaDainian (hey, we can dream). They've been somewhat productive and they don't suck, but Brandon Wegher has been largely bottled up by good defenses, and Adam Robinson is just begging for a disastrous strip from behind with the way he runs the ball. They'll probably get to that 100-yard mark, just based on the way Iowa approaches a game, but 150 seems more than a little iffy. Also, their three combined first downs in the entire Michigan game are another disconcerting omen).

At the same time, Ferentz is still juggling his line, which is historically a bad omen for success, and Bryan Bulaga doesn't look like even an approximation of his dominant 2008 self. Whether it's his thyroid still bugging him or just rust or some nagging injury--whatever--he's not blowing guys off the ball anymore. NFL scouts can't be impressed--and, we're guessing, neither are Ferentz or Reese Morgan.

All of which is to say there isn't a ton going right for Iowa in this game. Scott Tolzien struggled mightily against OSU and their tough front seven, which bodes well for Iowa, but the odds that Sco-Tolz (we just made that nickname up, believe it or not) is going to throw a pick-six in another game in a row are probably so remote that... well, we'll probably have to call up George Wine for this one.

And why does it have to be an 11:00 a.m. game? Seriously, damn it guys. And it's at the same time as the Red River Shootout. Such bullshit.

Prediction time: The Hawks are going to have to be as stout as ever on defense, because the offense isn't likely to give them a ton of help. That's not to say there's no chance Iowa gets to 27 or 28 points, but it's far more likely that they struggle to get to half that total. And really, any team would struggle to put 13.5 points on a scoreboard.

Nearly every independent pundit is giving Wisconsin the win in a close game. We--okay, I--think it'll be something closer to 27-16. It's tough to trust Iowa to get into the end zone and make the most of their red zone opportunities, and this smallish defensive line is the perfect target for the line-em-up and run-straight-ahead John Clay attack. It makes us sick to write all that and we hope we're wrong.

Don't Bet On It!: National Game of Disinterest

T Kyle King — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:00:27 -0000

Once we have gone around the SEC and examined the national games of interest, just one game remains for our examination, if only so we may dismiss it derisively as utterly undeserving of our attention.

At first blush, I thought Tuesday night’s tilt between Arkansas State and Louisiana-Monroe might qualify, but that actually turned out to be a good game. Likewise, I gave passing thought to Delaware State’s visit to the Big House before remembering that it is unwise to overlook Division I-AA teams facing the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor.

Accordingly, there could be only one choice for the national game of disinterest:

USC Trojans at Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Don’t give me any nonsense about this being a storied intersectional rivalry. These two teams only started playing one another because Knute Rockne’s wife had the good sense to want to get the heck out of Indiana in November. Good for Mrs. Rockne for finagling a vacation in sunny Southern California, but mistaking a weekend getaway for something with staying power is how Jack Donaghy ended up with a time-share in Port Arthur, Texas.

There is also the small matter of 38-3, 38-0, 44-24, 34-31 on a field that looked like my back yard is going to look after all this rain, 41-10, 45-14, and 44-13. If someone in South Bend had sent up a prayer to St. Fiacre, the patron saint of gardeners and cab drivers, asking for a lawn mower, this series would have seen seven USC blowouts in a row. As it stands, the Trojans have posted a septet of consecutive victories, six of which were not competitive.

Don’t even try to tell me this year is going to be different. You don’t believe in Notre Dame. I don’t believe in Notre Dame. Doug Gillett doesn’t believe in Notre Dame. The Men of Troy don’t believe in Notre Dame, or they wouldn’t be spending time on the slip ‘n’ slide.

The most storied . . . oops, sorry, nodded off for a second there; most storied program . . . whoa, I keep dozing off for some reason; most storied program in the history of the sport is prepared to declare moral victory if the final score is anything closer than eleventy billion and twelve to negative-two. If that doesn’t make this game a total snore, I don’t know what does.

Go ‘Dawgs!

The Hitter - Iowa's Three Game Season

Bama Hawkeye — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:02:00 -0000

It is a convenient, if clumsy, method of looking at a twelve game schedule. Break it into four-game thirds. This year's Iowa Hawkeyes's schedule is well suited for this. Iowa's first four games each added a level of difficulty, culminating with the rainy Saturday night in Happy Valley.

I fought champion Jack Thompson in a field full of mud.

'Till I felt my glove leather slip 'tween his skin and bone.

Rain poured through the tent to the canvas and mixed with our blood.

In the twelfth I slipped my tongue over my broken jaw.

I stood over him and pounded his bloody body into the floor.

Well the bell rang and rang and still I kept on.

Iowa's last four games include home games against Indiana, Northwestern and Minnesota and a road date against Ohio State. I was of this opinion before the season, and I've seen nothing to change my mind: those games are locks. Iowa will win the three home games. They will lose in Columbus. Sure, you can make an argument that this is the kind of special Hawkeye team that can win against the Buckeyes. You can also argue that Northwestern could rise up and punk the Hawks again. No. Barring substantial injuries, neither is happening.

What this means, is that Iowa's season will be determined by what occurs over the middle four-game third. After Iowa's dominating win over Arkansas State (I played outside after Iowa went up 21-7 early in the 3rd. Did I miss something?), all focus must rest upon the next three Saturdays. These games will determine whether Iowa goes to a BCS Bowl or the Alamo Bowl - it may also determine if Iowa is a Big Ten Champ. Here's a look at the next three games and what's on the line for Iowa.

Make sure to go back and submit your picks for Week 6 of the Obligatory Predictions Contest. Weekly winners get a chance to write 500 words on the site. NEW this year is our season long competition - win the whole damn thing and we send you something amazing.

Now the gray rain's fallin' and my ring fightin's done.

So in the work fields and alleys I take all who'll come.

If you're a better man than me then just step to the line.

Show me your money and speak out your crime.

October 10, 2009 - Kinnick Stadium - 7:00 CDT - ABC

Iowa has a more mature team. Iowa has a better team. Iowa should win this game. It's just not that easy though. Michigan is still wearing those winged helmets. They're still claiming to be the champions of the west. In truth, Iowa claims a robust .200 winning percentage against the Wolverines. That's right, 10-40-4. One out of every five, baby! (ed.note: Math is hard. See comments) Actually, if Iowa beat the Blue in this one, it will be the Hawkeyes third win over Michigan in the seven games this decade (the rotation prevented matchups in 2000, 2007, and 2008). That would tie the Hawkeyes all-time high for a decade. So yeah, Iowa always feels trepidation when Michigan rolls in, and all Michigan has to do is show up.

Another reason for fear: Iowa thinks it's seen this offense before. At his press conference, Coach Ferentz unleashed this beauty, "But philosophically it goes back to when we played Northwestern back in 2000. We came to the conclusion that as different as their attack was, we felt the best way to match up was to stand with our base personnel. Philosophically that's how we think, and we'll make our changes more on down and distance."

Ceci n'est pas une Wolverine spread.

OK, that Northwestern team was a Big Ten co-champion; I recognize that. But if the Hawks think that they are going to handle the athleticism of Michigan in the same way that they handled the Wildcats (Iowa beat jNorthwestern 27-17 in 2000, keeping the 'Cats out of the Rose Bowl), they're wrong. A large part of the success of the Rodriguez system is speed everywhere. When teams face it for the first time, they struggle. Michigan didn't have speed last year. They have it now. Iowa is fast in the front four. Iowa is disciplined in the back seven. That's a polite way of saying that Iowa players use technique, strength and positioning to make up for less speed. There's nothing wrong with that. It can win you a lot of ball games. It also can get you beat if the players are both 1) confused by formations and motion that they have not seen and 2) slower than the men their chasing. If we see multiple shots of A.J. Edds and Pat Angerer turning tail and running toward the secondary, it's going to be a long night.

October 17, 2009 - Camp Randall Stadium - 11:00 CDT - probably ESPN

As I said in the Spring Preview of the Badgers, "when the rest of the country talks about Big Ten football, they think of power. Slow, plodding power. Slow, plodding, corn-fed, dairy-fed power. And while every other team in the league has at least flirted with opening up their offensive systems, Wisconsin has not." That's still true. John Clay will rumble, and victory in the game will be determined by Iowa's ability to stop him. I suspect that Ohio State will give a blueprint for that defense. I anticipate that Iowa will follow it.

Wisconsin is a good team - better than I anticipated. That said, I feel most secure about this game. Wisconsin is a good matchup for the Hawkeyes. Iowa can limit the traditional power running game and force a young quarterback to throw against a ball hawking secondary. That's the premise of the Iowa defense. Also, I still remember the way that Iowa's offensive line pushed around the front seven of Wisconsin last season. I anticipate that the Iowa running game will be big again.

October 24, 2009 - Spartan Stadium - 7:00 EDT - B10 Network

Let me teach you a little something about the series. Since 1991, there has been one time that the road team has won (Iowa 21-7 in East Lansing in 1995). That's Home Team - 11, Road Team - 1. There were seasons where there the superior team gave a beatdown (given by Michigan State in 1999 and Iowa in 2002). There were games where the inferior team somehow rose up to steal a victory (like Iowa in 2000 and Michigan State in 2003). But in all but one of the games, the constant has been that the team in the dark jerseys gets a win.

Jevon Pugh (Who? Exactly!) and the Hawkeyes had no business winning in 2007 either.

Now, I'm not a very superstitious person (ed. note: That's a bald-faced lie.). But, Bull Durham taught me to respect the streak. That's why I picked Michigan State to win this game in the Closing Arguments. That's why I still think that the Hawkeyes will lose this game. Iowa has the better team, but I don't know that it matters. This game's outcome was determined when the schedule makers set it in East Lansing.

Tonight in the shipyard a man draws a circle in the dirt.

I move hard to the left and I strike to the face.

I move to the center and I take off my shirt.

I study him for the cuts, the scars, the pain,

man, nor time can erase.

I move hard to the left and I strike to the face.

So where does this all leave Iowa?

Iowa Finishes the Season 3-0

If the Hawkeyes can win all three of these games, they'll have a final record of 11-1 (7-1). If someone else can beat Ohio State (Wisconsin? Penn State?), Iowa will earn a share of the Big Ten crown and possibly go to the Rose Bowl. Iowa will need a three way tie to head to Pasadena. If not, Iowa will lose the tiebreaker to the Buckeyes. They'll be snapped up by the Orange or Fiesta Bowl and earn their second BCS bid of the decade.

Iowa Finishes the Season 2-1

If the Hawkeyes can win two of these games, they'll have a final record of 10-2 (6-2). Unless there is massive upheaval, it is going to take at least seven wins to claim the Big Ten crown. 10-2 Iowa will still be tempting for a BCS bid. The collapse of the Big 12 has really helped the chances of a second bid going to the Big Ten. 10-2 Iowa will definitely be in that discussion. Should they miss out on that, you can expect to see them in the Capital One Bowl.

Iowa Finishes the Season 1-2

If the Hawkeyes win only one of these games, they'll have a final record of 9-3 (5-3). That record screams for an Outback Bowl berth, but it will depend upon how the rest of the Big Ten sorts itself out.

Iowa Finishes the Season 0-3

Don't think it can't happen. You should be able to see how they lose each one. The defense can't control the Michigan spread. Michigan wins. The defense has to cheat too much to tackle Clay, and Scott Tolzien throws over the top to Nick Toon. Wisconsin wins. Michigan State wears green jerseys. Spartans win.

If this happens, Iowa will finish 8-4 (4-4). The season will be labeled a failure. Iowa will be in the Champs Sports Bowl or Alamo Bowl. No one will be happy. This isn't cool. I don't want to talk about this anymore.

Poll

What is Iowa's record in the three game season?

3-0

141 votes

2-1

78 votes

1-2

12 votes

0-3

5 votes

236 votes | Poll has closed

The Takeaway: Arkansas State

Oops Pow Surprise — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:30:23 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Neibergall - AP

2 months ago: Arkansas State quarterback Corey Leonard (1) runs from Iowa defender Adrian Clayborn (94) during the third quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009, in Iowa City, Iowa. Iowa won 24-21. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

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Sure, Iowa just eked out a win against Arkansas State, 24-21. But how much do we really know? What was really important about beating A-State? What does it all mean, Basil? The Takeaway has the answer.

Things that were not a problem: Rush defense. There, that's the whole list.

Well, that went just great: We had said before the game that we wanted to see the following things:

We need to see that Bulaga and the rest of the line are up to speed. We need to see that Stanzi can start putting a team away from the first snap. We need to see that the defense can bring its A game when it doesn't need to. We need to see that Tony Moeaki can play four quarters without injuring himself. Okay, just the first three would be fine.

Okay, that would be a NO, KINDA BUT NO, NO, and ROR NO. Bryan Bulaga looked, frankly, like someone who had missed three weeks of gameplay. Stanzi had a good first half, but after his third touchdown of the game to open the second half, Bad Ricky finally showed up and brought A-State back from the brink. The defense was middling, though the rushing score streak remained intact (more on that in a bit). And at the very least, Moeaki is practicing again with the intent to play against Michigan. Fingers crossed.

What ended up happening isn't that it was a "trap game" or that ASU had any reasonable shot of winning. It's that a combination of lackluster focus, a four-year starter opposing quarterback, and poor playcalling helped get a clearly inferior team back into the game when they had no business being there as Iowa (successfully) played not to lose. In other words, it wasn't UNI 2009, but Purdue 2008. Remember that one? Shonn Greene goes bananas on Frank Duong, but a middling second half and random small mistakez aplenti means Purdue climbs back in late and the final's only 22-17.

The good news? You might remember what happened when Iowa had a more high-profile game the ensuing week. Kinnick North, bitches. In other words, you may not want to spend too much time extrapolating doom-and-gloom scenarios from this game. Maybe.

Hey, this play's working. Let's almost never run it: First, we have to talk about the playcalling. This was a 24-21 game that frankly ought to have been about 42-14. That Marvin McNutt only had four catches and 121 yards is a damned travesty, because he was bitchmaking like his name was Iowa Defense.

We would suggest calling McNutt "The bitchmaker," but come on; his name is Marvin McNutt. That'll do.

We're just astounded that the Iowa coaches didn't attack the ASU corners and safeties outside the hashes more often. It's clearly not that Stanzi doesn't have the arm for it; all three of his touchdown passes were pretty, and the couple failed attempted to go downfield didn't exactly seem to us like signs that the deep ball was closed for business. And yet time and time again, it was stretch zones, usually to the right (where Julian Vandervelde was channeling his 2007 self and getting utterly worked). Either that or play-action passes within 10 yards, which, whatever guys.

We're not saying that Iowa needed to pull a RUTS for the rankings' sake or any of that nonsense. That stuff does not matter unless it's time for the type of talk that everyone agrees is premature: BCS. No, the problem is that Iowa could have put A-State away by throwing wheel and fade routes all day long (see the second half of Northwestern, 2007) and they just wouldn't go downfield.

This should have happened like five times.

It didn't help, of course, when Stanzi gave the Red Wolves their second touchdown with one of the most horrendously lazy and ill-advised throws we've ever seen in Division I football. That is not an exaggeration. If Stanzi had turned around and tried to punt the ball through Iowa's uprights, it would have not have been a considerably worse decision than that throw. If Jake Christensen had done that, JC6 would have been murdered by a sniper in the press booth before he could get to the sideline, and the police wouldn't have bothered looking for the shooter. Hell, it would have been the largest cheer from the crowd on the day. Holy shit what a terrible fucking throw. That throw gave my eyes AIDSAWAC (Auto-Immune Deficiency Syndrome Also With Ass Cancer).

But why are the coaches even calling for a clearly hobbled DJK to run an underneath route, especially on 3rd down and with the linebackers playing short zone all day long? It's hard to figure out who put Iowa in less position to succeed there. That's like running a reverse with "Mr. 4.8 40" Dominique Douglas in the fourth quarter of a bowl game where you're losing by one point and oh wait this is Iowa and never mind I should expect the horror by now.

So the streak's still going. Great?: Okay, on one hand, it's really cool that Iowa has now gone for eight games and another quarter without letting someone rush into the end zone, and it's even better that they've won each of the nine games that streak encompasses.

This, as you might have guessed, was not a touchdown.

But if Iowa's still giving up long drives and touchdowns, then it doesn't really matter how the other team gets into the end zone, does it? We're taking nothing away from the Iowa rush defense, of course; their efforts have been massive, and 25 rushes for 80 yards allowed is all sorts of studly, especially as ASU was gathering just 5.4 yards per pass play.

Still, for the second week in a row, the opposition put forward an interminable drive - this one for a touchdown, unlike PSU's 20-play field goal drive - where Iowa couldn't stop the 3rd down conversion (okay, they did once, but that was an easy 4th and 1 conversion after a 3rd and 27, which is unconscionable in its own right). Part of it is missing Shaun Prater, to be sure, and Prater's going to be back against Michigan. No more Willie Lowe is a good thing at this point, and lord only knows how bad Greg Castillo would have been out there.

Look, the streak's going ot end at some point, and odds are that it'll probably be during an Iowa victory--Iowa's favored by about a touchdown against Michigan, and we can't imagine that they'll be underdogs in any more than two of the final seven games of the season. Someone's going to take a pass to the one, then push one in for a score; either that, or they'll pull a Wisconsin 2008 and run wild on a defense comprised of Iowa's 3rd stringers, band members, and yippie dogs in Hawkeye sweaters. And that'll be that, really; after all, since the win streak started against Penn State, we can't remember when Iowa's red zone rush defense has even mattered to the endgame. Maybe Arizona, but eh. Cool stat, but ultimately trivial.

Not trivial: Karl Klug's desire to kill.

And finally, it comes. This is a big week. BHGP's doing the Iowa-Michigan tailgate, and it looks like we'll be setting up shop in the Myrtle Lot and getting started at around 9 a.m. on Saturday. We were angling for parking passes closer to Kinnick, but when they're running over $200 a pop... on the prior Sunday... yes, that's a bad sign. It probably isn't even worth asking if there's any BHGP readers who won't be using their passes for next week's game, right? Either way, let's do this, bitches. We've got the Kahlua and cream if you've got the Swedish Goose.

(Picture credits: Hunter picture and second McNutt picture: John Schulz, Quad City Times; all others below the fold, Matthew Holst, Press-Citizen)

There's A Game On Saturday? Arkansas State Ladies In Red

Oops Pow Surprise — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 06:22:26 -0000

Chris De Burgh- Lady in Red (via stonerperv)

The ladies in reeeeeed.... are dancing with Iowa's liinemen who are made of razor blades, lava, and hostility. I guess that didn't rhyme.

With Iowa on defense

ASU is led by their quarterback on offense. About 75% of the teams in D-I can safely make that statement, so we'll just play the odds on this one. Plus you don't really care about the names of the Red Wolves' players, not when we haven't even acknowledged HOCKEYBEAR's presence yet tonight.

Needless Intermission

UAF Nanook Hockey Open 07-08 "Highway to the Danger Zone" (via aylmer666)

Never forget.

With Iowa on offense

Here, Arkansas State is once again led by quarterback Corey Leonard. Sure, you may think that's ridiculous, but you try figuring out just what the fuck the DI was talking about here:

While excelling defensively, Arkansas State quarterback Corey Leonard has brought a program formerly stalled in mediocrity to the Sun Belt’s short list.

See. So here comes the ASU QB, 'bout to wreck shit on both sides of the ball.

That aside, here we think Iowa's playcalling puts Iowa at an advantage. KOK loves the play-action rollout, and if the ASU linebackers are pinning their ears back on the first sign of a run play, Moeaki and Reisner are going to find themselves open with room to run.

This and other play-action calls are probably KOK's key to putting an aggressive defense on its heels. At that point, just about anything you call works. Iowa's probably got the line to run moderately well on ASU to begin with, but the Ladies in Red aren't pushovers.

Prognosis

The line on the game is three touchdowns, and most of us think Iowa could hit that by halftime. Real "success" in this game, then, is going to be less about getting the W (though God help us all if this thing's like 7-3 at the half) and more about re-establishing some better game habits. We need to see that Bulaga and the rest of the line are up to speed. We need to see that Stanzi can start putting a team away from the first snap. We need to see that the defense can bring its A game when it doesn't need to. We need to see that Tony Moeaki can play four quarters without injuring himself. Okay, just the first three would be fine.

So we're calling this 34-6, but really, we think it'll be 24-3 at the break and then shortly thereafter that Iowa stops attacking and plays down to ASU's level because they can afford to. Might even end up 24-10, 27-13, but the point is that it's anybody's guess how far higher the lead goes when a team not normally known for offensive aggression is up big at the half against a clearly inferior opponent.

Now let Iowa win and let us never speak of the October Conference-Schedule-IntTomato Can ever again. May the practice burn in hell, and may our defensive line send it there.

Week 5 in the Non-Con: What I Want

Bama Hawkeye — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 08:45:25 -0000

We have favorites and we have loyalties, but if the Big Ten is going to climb out the national perception doldrums, we're going to have to do it together. That means that we have to all be pulling in the same direction. Here's what I want to see from each Big Ten team in their non-conference battles this week. These columns are really short this time of year...

Iowa (vs. Arkansas State Red Wolves)

By Sun Belt standards, Arkansas State is not a bad team. They should be far superior to the Florida International squad that Iowa rolled 42-0 last season. That was Iowa's first ever game against a Sun Belt school. While the Wolves are better, there should be no concerns about their record dropping to .500.

Iowa needs to use this game as a chance to tune up the offense and develop its offensive depth. It would be nice to see Ricky Stanzi complete his passes in the first quarter. That's on a receiving corps that has the dropsies all of the sudden as much as it is on Stanzi. I'd like to see a lead that enables James Vandenberg, the red-shirt Freshman backup, to take all of the 4th Quarter snaps. I'd like to see our defense hold the Wolves to single digits, but that's just for aesthetics.

This would be a good time to get the passing game fixed.

Make sure to go back and submit your picks for Week 5 of the Obligatory Prediction Competition. Weekly winners get a chance to write 500 words on the site. NEW this year is our season long competition - win the whole damn thing and we send you something amazing.

What I Want

I want to see Iowa roll the Red Wolves by more than three touchdowns.

What I Expect

I believe in this Hawkeye team, so I expect to see them roll the Red Wolves by more than three touchdowns.

What We've Got So Far

The Big Ten is 24-9 (.727) out of conference. The league is 5-7 against BCS Conference teams (plus Notre Dame). Purdue's loss to Notre Dame guarantees that the Big Ten can finish with no better than a .500 record against the other BCS schools. The league has two losses to non-BCS teams (Northern Illinois over Purdue and Central Michigan over Michigan State).

Wha Happened? Week Four

RossWB — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 06:01:56 -0000

There actually were a few other games involving Big Ten teams that took place before The Greatness That Was 21-10, so Wha Happened?

Welcome to the dark side, baby.

Ohio State 30, Illinois 0
There are three things to take away from this game. First, Illinois fucking sucks. Take whatever "dark horse" or "look at all that talent they have" blather you heard before the season began and flush it down the toilet. Their defense was miserable as it's been in both games against legit teams this season (Mizzou and Ohio State) and yesterday the offense decided to join in the misery party. Granted, they had their excuses for both failures - Martez Wilson is out for the year with a neck injury and the weather was miserable - but those excuses ring hollow: Ohio State had to play in the same miserable weather and the Illini had two weeks to gameplan for this game. Second, Ohio State's defense is legit - I don't care if it's against Juice "Mr. Interception" Williams or the mighty Toledo Rockets, pitching back-to-back shutouts is damn impressive.

Third, and perhaps most intriguing, is the ongoing heel turn of Jim Tressel. Two weeks after calling out some Ohio State fans for "being miserable," ol' Sweatervest embraced his inner Belichick and had Pryor throw a three-yard touchdown pass with barely over a minute to go and the Buckeyes sitting on a 23-0 lead against an Illinois offense that had been unable to do much of anything all game. Now that's a Fuck You touchdown. Not that we disapprove or anything -- sticking it to the Zooker and Illinois is always enjoyable and embracing his inner dickhead is certainly making Tressel a bit more interesting. But when he pulls a foreign object out of his pants (um....) and nails Rich Rodriguez with it during the post-game handshake... well, remember who told you to expect that.

Bill Lynch loses his fucking mind

Michigan 36, Indiana 33
The enduring images from this game will be Bill Lynch throwing a shitfit (and his gum) after a seemingly badly blown call went against the Hoosiers (apparently simultaneous possession no longer defaults to the receiver -- who knew?!) and the mega-hyped wunderkind Tate Forcier rifling in the game-winning touchdown pass while his other arm hung limply at his side. Still, as much as Indiana fans can gripe about that call, the bigger problem was their inability to turn red zone opportunities into touchdowns: they made it inside Michigan's 20 five times, but had to settle for a field goal on four of those trips. Their funky pistol offense had little trouble slicing Michigan's defense to shreds outside of the 20 (they amassed 476 total yards of offense), but that doesn't mean much if you can't turn all those yards and red zone trips into touchdowns (particularly when your own defense can't stop a fly). As for Michigan, the GERG-revamped defense again got shredded (the tremendously-named Boubacar Cissoko spent much of the day getting torched, which has become a recurring theme for Michigan this season) and while Forcier again pulled off some late-game heroics, his pinball playing style again exposed him to some big hits and left him battered. The Iowa defensive line is already licking its chops.

"Motherfucker hit my penis": truly poetry for our time

Minnesota 35, Northwestern 24
Maybe the LOLcats should have spent more time following the lead of that bold, Gopher-hating yard marker and cracked the Gophers in the junk a few times; lord knows it couldn't have been any less effective than their defense's shoddy attempts at concepts like "tackling" or "covering receivers" or "not being fucking douchebags." A week after allowing Greg Paulus to go buck wild, the LOLcats made Minnesota look like they had an actual competent, balanced offense: 186 yards passing, 166 yards rushing (including 89 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries by Duane Bennett). Also not helping the LOLcats: a -2 turnover margin, with Mike Kafka contributing a pair of crippling fumbles late in the fourth quarter, and a non-existent running game (64 yards on 29 carries). Meanwhile, Eric Decker continued to stake his claim for Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year with eight catches for 84 yards and two touchdowns.

Three years later, Bucky's boys get their revenge.

Wisconsin 38, Michigan State 30
And now for this week's entry in Overly Deceptive Scorelines... Wisco jumped out to a 21-7 lead at halftime, then expanded it to a 38-17 early in the fourth quarter; Michigan State then tacked on two late touchdowns to make the scoreline look respectable. Turnovers (three interceptions and one lost fumble) were one aspect of Michigan State's demise, but the bigger culprit was a defense that was supposed to be the strength of the team but has instead bled points and yards at an alarming rate. Scott Tolzien didn't become the third straight quarterback to throw for over 300 yards against the Spartan secondary, but he did continue his solid start (19/31, 243 yards, 4 touchdowns, 0 interceptions), while John Clay rebounded from his three fumble effort against Wofford with 142 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries. But the real story is Michigan State: from preseason favorite to finish third in the Big Ten to a team now struggling to salvage its season. They still haven't beaten a non-FCS team this season, their defense has been a massive disappointment, they still appear to have a quarterback controversy (both Kirk Cousins and Keith Nichol played quite a few minutes yesterday), and now they have to entertain a resurgent Michigan team.

Notre Dame: just as douchey as you thought they were.

Notre Dame 24, Purdue 21
This week's lesson in Baffling End-of-Game Decision-Making comes courtesy of Purdue's Danny Hope who bailed out Notre Dame by calling a timeout after Charlie Weis had called a (failed) run play on second and goal (with no timeouts of their own remaining). Instead of letting time tick away while a disorganized Notre Dame offense attempted to get set and spike the ball (leaving them with just one potential shot at a game-winning play), Hope called timeout, allowing Notre Dame to regain their focus and call two plays to win the game (an important move since the game-winning touchdown pass came on 4th down). While there's certainly merit in making sure that the defense is set and ready, the Notre Dame offense was in a bind at that point and Hope gave them a "get out of jail free" card. The rest of the game was fairly evenly matched, but that ending represented a new and painful way for the Boilermakers to lose a game this year.

BETTER KNOW A NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENT CORNER:

More interesting than anything to actually do with Arkansas State.

Troy 30, Arkansas State 27
Arkansas State jumped out to a 10-0 lead, then gave up 23 unanswered points; for the game they gave up 507 total yards of offense, including 373 passing yards. A visit by Arkansas State could be just what the Iowa passing game needs to get on track. Offensively, the Red Wolves mustered only 305 yards of total offense, including 70 rushing yards. Arkansas State's only win this season came over an offensively inept Mississippi Valley State team. Let's be clear: Arkansas State is not a good football team.

Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Arkansas State Red Wolves Post Game Over Reaction

Jon Johnston — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 06:20:13 -0000

More photos » by Nati Harnik - AP

3 months ago: Nebraska's Niles Paul (24) carries the ball past Arkansas State's M.D. Jennings during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009.(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Browse more photos »

After opening the season with a 49-3 pounding of Florida Atlantic, you'd swear that one of the top-rated teams in the nation was coming to Lincoln. Tom Osborne warned that Arkansas State would provide a tough test, while Husker coaches and media stated that the Red Wolves were a talented team that would make a game of it.

Unfortunately for Arkansas State, such fears were laid to rest early as the Huskers marched on consecutive 80-yard first quarter scoring drives that provided all the points that were needed to win as Nebraska took the game 38-9.

Zac Lee was on target, finishing the game 27 of 35 for 340 yards and four touchdowns. Lee's exceptional performance comes with some good news and some bad news. The good news is that Husker receivers were often wide open because Arkansas State had decided to take away the running game. The bad news is that Lee was only rarely challenged. There were only a few tough throws he had to make and he seldom had to check down or look off his receivers. Oh that the rest of the season is filled with such bad news.

What was impressive was the number of receivers involved in the offense. Lee completed passes to 11 receivers, his favorite of which was Niles Paul. Paul finished the game with six receptions for 69 yards and his first career touchdown. Curenski Gilleylen showed that he's a consistent threat this season as he used his speed to get behind the Red Wolves defenders and then made a gorgeous over the shoulder 43-yard catch to set up Nebraska's first touchdown. Fullback Tyler Legate scored his first career touchdown one play later on a play-action pass, which should put Husker fans at ease with the idea that only Ndamukong Suh could make such a play. Mike McNeill was his usual self, making a couple of tough catches when they were required and the rest when they were easy.

Overall it's hard to find any fault with the offense. The offensive line gave up a couple sacks, but even that can taken as be positive as they let Zac Lee know that he was mortal, furthering his growth process as the team prepares for it's first road test next week against Virginia Tech.

Roy Helu didn't get into a rhythm, but it wasn't required. Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson took advantage of a Red Wolves defense that was determined to stop the run, so why bother with it? Watson's play calling offers an interesting dilemma for nit-pickers. Had the Huskers established a strong running game, fans would be wondering what happened to the pass.

Bo Pelini will have to find another adjective besides "soft" to describe the Husker defense this week. The Blackshirts were much improved, giving up only 274 total yards to an offense that was supposed to give them trouble. The Huskers had a couple of coverage breakdowns, but at no point did Arkansas State threaten the Huskers lead. The defense recorded four sacks, including Suh's first sack of the year.

Overall, the Huskers looked more "crisp" than in their opening game. They had only three penalties, as opposed to nine the previous week, and none in the second half of the game. The penalties were big, however. A holding call by Marcel Jones negated a beautiful 69-yard touchdown pass to Niles Paul, and another personal foul penalty by freshman Eric Martin gave the Red Wolves great field position. Ultimately they mattered not.

Have the Huskers accomplished much yet? No. They've taken care of business, severely beating inferior opponents. Compare that to what most of the Big 12 North accomplished this weekend and you ought to be skipping your way to church Sunday morning. Colorado looked lost, Missouri had to come from behind to beat Bowling Green, Kansas State lost to Louisiana-Lafayette, and Iowa State got pounded by Iowa. Only Kansas looked like a contender, easily beating UTEP.

The cupcakes are over and the real season begins as next week the Huskers travel to Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, one of the toughest road games in the nation. If Nebraska can beat the Virginia Tech Hokies, it may be time to get excited. Until then, I'm sure we'll spend another week full of angst and anticipation.