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    • Iowa’s football offense will move faster in 2024
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    Iowa’s football offense will move faster in 2024

    Caradoc Wyn Posted on

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    IOWA CITY – Iowa’s first touchdown in more than three full games came last Saturday as a result of a quick attack tactic, a spontaneous plan by offensive coordinator Tim Lester to surprise the Illinois State defense.

    After a pass to tight end Luke Lachey, Hawkeyes quarterback Cade McNamara quickly led his teammates to the line of scrimmage. He took the ball from center Logan Jones with 27 seconds left on the 40-second clock, rolled right and found the sliding Reece Vander Zee for a 7-yard touchdown. That happened with 11 minutes, 32 seconds left in the third quarter of Iowa’s 40-0 victory.

    Iowa’s last touchdown came with 13:22 minutes left in the second quarter of the Black Friday 2023 game against Nebraska – which spanned more than 13 quarters. Scoring a touchdown was new. A slightly faster pace was new.

    “We noticed the flow of the game,” McNamara said Tuesday, “and when we were able to start stacking plays, our tempo picked up. We basically just stuck with it for a bit.”

    And on Saturday, you saw nothing… Iowa was more determined on offense than in the past. The Hawkeyes ran 71 offensive plays and gained 492 yards. That’s a pretty good performance considering only 10 of Iowa’s 71 plays (incomplete passes) stopped the clock.

    More: What channel is Iowa vs. Iowa State on? How to watch, stream and listen to Cy-Hawk football

    This week’s mailbag of three text group questions previewing Iowa’s next game (Saturday, 2:30 p.m. CT vs. Iowa State, CBS) features three questions about the new pace of play. Our topic of conversation is the new pace of play.

    Will Iowa’s offense continue to maintain its high tempo or will it try to run down the clock?

    That faster pace isn’t a true rush offense. But Iowa consistently broke the huddle against Illinois State after about 25 seconds on the game clock, giving McNamara more time to size up the defense. And remember, the new helmet communication system coming in 2024 will allow the offensive coordinator to talk to his quarterback until there are 15 seconds left on the game clock or the ball is snapped. So the faster the huddle breaks, the more information Iowa’s offense can gather to implement a play call.

    Jones spoke this week about Lester’s insistence on a faster pace in practice. Getting to the line of scrimmage quickly and with purpose is one way the Hawkeyes plan to go on “offense” rather than fighting with one second on the game clock to start the play. McNamara was happy to say that only one of Iowa’s 71 snaps was anything close to a delay of game penalty. Imagine how many timeouts Iowa has wasted over the years while the game clock unnecessarily runs down.

    “It doesn’t even matter what the play is, but if you can get to the ball quickly and not give them time to do anything … that’s our biggest advantage,” Jones said. “(And) if we can (break the huddle and) see what they’re doing and get to the ball quickly, we can do so much more.”

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    During CyHawk week, Iowa lineman Logan Jones focuses on a fast pace

    The Hawkeyes’ third-year center, who hails from Council Bluffs, speaks of a good first week and a good week of training before Iowa State.

    Getting to the line of scrimmage early is important to take advantage of pre-snap motion, which Lester also plans to use consistently. So expect Iowa’s urgency to be part of this offense’s identity. It would be surprising if that changed against Iowa State.

    Oh, and look forward to a few more jet sweeps on Saturday, as receiver Kaleb Brown is back from suspension. Iowa only used one against Illinois State.

    Which of the perceived weaknesses of which team will play a bigger role on Saturday?

    The text grouper’s answer to the question was great: He pointed out that while Iowa had 492 yards running, it struggled with the running game for a long time against Illinois State. And in Iowa State’s 21-3 win over North Dakota, the Cyclones’ passing game was crisp, but the discrepancy in the running game was noticeable – 86 rushing yards gained, 174 allowed.

    Given Iowa’s difficulty moving the ball in the last three meetings against Jon Heacock’s 3-3-5 defense, that’s where my attention naturally turns. In the last three Cy Hawk meetings, Iowa has averaged a pathetic 186 yards per game. That starts with the inability to run the ball.

    In 2021, Iowa ran 39 times for 67 yards. In 2022, Iowa ran 25 times for 58 yards. If you subtract Jaziun Patterson’s 59-yard run, the Hawkeyes ran 28 times for 53 yards last year.

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    Video: Kamari Moulton on his running style and the recruiting process for Iowa

    Kamari Moulton discusses various topics ahead of the rivalry game between Iowa and Iowa State.

    This is a proof game for the Hawkeyes offense, and the offensive line has a chance to secure the win and subsequently the Cy Hawk trophy. Given Iowa State has an injury concern at linebacker. If Iowa can get Kaleb Johnson and Co. on the second level of defense, the Hawkeyes could finally enjoy a big day on the ground against a less dominant run defense. But…that’s a big if.

    Why doesn’t the home team seem to have an advantage in the Iowa-Iowa State rivalry?

    The away team has won nine of the last 11 Cy Hawk meetings, with only Iowa holding serve in 2016 and 2018. The Hawkeyes have won six straight games at Jack Trice Stadium, but they lost at home in 2012, 2014 and 2022. (There was no game in 2020.) No current Hawkeye player has beaten Iowa State at Kinnick, but several sixth-year seniors have won three times in Ames.

    This is fifth-year linebacker Jay Higgins’ final game against the Cyclones.

    “We want to keep the (Cy-Hawk) trophy in Iowa City, and I can brag about it for the rest of my life because we don’t have to play them again,” Higgins said. “(If Iowa wins), I might be a little more aggressive in the media afterward because I don’t have to defend it anymore.”

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    Video: Kirk Ferentz talks about how to watch the Illinois State game from home and more

    Kirk Ferentz discusses various topics before the rivalry game between Iowa and Iowa State.

    So back to the question: WHY?

    I addressed this topic on Wednesday’s Hawk Central radio show (also available as a podcast). With the exception of 2016 (Matt Campbell’s first year at Iowa State), these matchups have been extremely competitive. And for some reason, the home team is expected to win. Just like this week – Iowa is a 2½ or 3-point favorite, depending on the bookmaker. I liken this feeling of home pressure to what the Hawkeye women’s basketball team has experienced in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament the past two years.

    Every fan in Carver-Hawkeye Arena wanted to win both years, and the players felt that tension, too. When little things go wrong, the crowd can overreact in panic, and that can affect what’s happening on the field. Likewise, top-level competitors pride themselves on pulling the crowd out of the game… as Iowa has done in its last six road games in Ames.

    Additionally, Campbell and Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz have excellent track records on the road. Iowa State won its last four Big 12 road games a year ago; Iowa won its last three Big Ten road games. Their coaching style is consistent and emphasizes defense and fundamentals, two things that have worked well against hostile crowds.

    So if you’re a Hawkeye fan or player, the best strategy on Saturday is to come in relaxed and try to avoid tension. Easier said than done, as Ferentz mused earlier this week when discussing McNamara’s improved play at quarterback.

    “It’s easy for me to say, ‘Hey, relax, enjoy the game,’ and all that stuff,” Ferentz said. “Good luck. Here’s the ball, let’s go.”

    Hawkeyes columnist Chad Leistikow has worked for The Des Moines Register and USA TODAY Sports Network for 29 years. Chad is the 2023 INA Iowa Sports Columnist of the Year and NSMA Co-Sportswriter of the Year in Iowa. Join Chad’s texting group (free for subscribers) at HawkCentral.com/HawkeyesTexts. Follow @ChadLeistikow on X.

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    Caradoc Wyn
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