If you thought all of the talk from coaches in the spring had an optimistic outlook, think again. Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz is calling it like he sees it so far this spring, and the picture is not a very pretty one for the Hawkeyes.
''We’re not a real good football team right now. Don’t expect to be in April, and the objective is to be ready when the season start,” Ferentz told reporters on Friday. That seems kind of blunt, but that is fair. Every team figures to have some room for improvement in the spring, even for a defending national champion like Clemson or an annual powerhouse like Alabama or Ohio State. The good news is Ferentz did have at least a couple of positive things to say about this team so far this spring."We see a lot of individual improvement going on right now. We’re doing some good things at time, but...we can’t get lined up sometimes. The formations are different, the language we’re using is different. So the guys are getting used to that still, and we expected that.’'
“We see a lot of individual improvement going on right now,” Ferentz said. “We’re doing some good things at time, but...we can’t get lined up sometimes. The formations are different, the language we’re using is different. So the guys are getting used to that still, and we expected that.’'
Part of the issue for Iowa comes from learning a new scheme being put into motion by Brian Ferentz, the team’s new offensive coordinator and son of the head coach. Any time a new offensive strategy is put in place, it can take some time to adjust and fine-tune.
''They’re doing some good things. But again, we’re not real consistent,’' Kirk Ferentz said. ''I’m not expecting this thing to just clear up in the next two weeks.’'
“There’s a lot more motions,” Iowa wide receiver Devonte Young explained. “A lot more deep routes, a lot more run-pass concepts so you don’t know like what’s going to happen.”
Are we about to see Iowa air it out down field more in 2017? That would certainly be a change of pace for the Hawkeyes.