For as much as the Iowa Hawkeyes’ offense may or may not have put on film through three games, the defensive looks that they are facing are constantly changing despite their known desire to run the ball.
Teams are throwing new schemes at them after showing a different one on film and requiring Iowa, the offense, and offensive coordinator Tim Lester to adjust on the fly.
While it is an adjustment, it is something that head coach Kirk Ferentz is excited about as the Hawkeyes constantly work through change.
“Yeah, you just have to be prepared for everything. It almost feels like historically that’s been the case with us. You think you’re going to get one thing and then you get something else, for whatever reason.
“I still go back to the year I was really entertained was ’04. We couldn’t run the ball at all. We were next to last in the NCAA. A lot of people played us like we were a running team, and it just amused me in some ways like do these guys watch film or not or even just look at the stats. You didn’t even have to watch or film. So sometimes it is unpredictable.
“But yeah, the other day they basically flipped their philosophy. I think part of your scheme and system, regardless of what it is, has to be flexible, and you’ve got to be able to adjust and adapt. That’s really what ends up happening. That’s what’s going on during the course of a game typically after a while. Certainly you get a feel for how they’re going to approach you, and then some people hang on to stuff for the second half.
“You think you’ve got it figured out, and then boom, they give you a couple curve balls. That’s part of the cat and mouse that goes on during the course of a game, obviously, and if you don’t have a system that’s got some flexibility, you’re going to be in trouble,” Ferentz said of the offense adapting.
The new schemes they are seeing could be part of the issue that the Hawkeyes have had with drops, but Iowa has shown in two of three games that they can make adjustments to whatever defense is thrown at them and figure it out.
As Iowa readies for Rutgers, which has struggled with its run defense, the Hawkeyes are sure to see a new look on Friday night that will require rapid adjustments from the offense.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football enjoying adapting to new defensive looks on offense
Reporting by Riley Donald, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
