For those unable to see last nights game, here are my immediate thoughts on the game.
- Bret Meyer continues to be slow, both mentally and with his feet
- Our new offensive line, 5 new starters, couldn't block their way out of a paper bag. Not once did the line "pick up" a blitz, so we had no time to throw.
- Defense had the most 'bright' points of either main unit, but tackling was sloppy. Brand new MLB, and we slid Alvin Bowen to the outside, not making many tackles
- Field goals 0-2, both were long enough, one went wide, one hit the friggin goal post. Culbertson couldn't do it again if he tried.
- Punt returner fair caught almost all punts, got laid out on one he did in fact signal fair catch.
- Kick off returns, probably our brightest area, we started on the 40 yd line almost every time. We will break a kickoff for a TD this year.
All in all, it was not a great game. Chizik tried to keep too much of the playbook unused, and he got burnt. He also trusted Bret Meyer, his first mistake. I'm thinking we'll see Austin Arnaud at least once next week.
For those of you who work with any Hawk fans, remind them about Kirk Ferentz rebuilding years after Hayden Fry coached a few too many seasons. This will be a cautious season, with both coaches and players figuring out how to do this at the same time.
Next up, UNI, Saturday September 8th, 6 PM kickoff. UNI just kicked the crap out of their opening opponent. Walling's line? UNI 35 - ISU 21
