GDT: Northern Iowa (Hobo Day)

[YanktonJack7]

Total system failure.

Defense couldn't stop the long ball. Offense couldn't really do anything. Special teams were sub-par. Coaching suspect. Refs sucked. Panthers were better, pretty much all over the field.

Where's the team that beat Colorado State? Stig said it just wasn't their day. Can this team make a run? I am skeptical.

[JackFan96]

When stig took that time out I said why. They where going to punt, I do recall the punt return team being slow on the field but the umpire was still over the ball allowing them to substitute. Which alllows Farley to run the FG kicker out and bam 3 points. I know this wasn’t the difference in the game but this is a example of small crap that adds up and causes us to lose.

It was a difference noteheless. We still called TO and allowed them to regroup ... for whatever reason.

[GoJacks2011]

This feels like a repeat of the NDSU loss on College Gameday and certainly fits with prior Hobo Day losses. Big crowd, lots of optimism/excitement, and ends in a painful loss. Trying to stay optimistic for the rest of the year but this is not the same team we saw at the beginning of this season/last season and SIU plus today are a huge letdown. We cannot keep losing these big home games. I hope this team can bounce back but this one really is deflating and the pattern of losing these types of games calls for change.

[Hareofthedog]

Another Hobo Day loss! Maybe too much hobo this week and not enough football.

[jakejc795]

That was an incredibly frustrating game to watch; however during the drive back to Sioux Falls, I learned from Tyler and the radio crew that Tolu's father has terminal cancer (and Tolu wanted to divulge that so he could "honor his father"). It both puts the loss in perspective and solidifies Tolu's status as one of my all-time favorite Jacks.

I'm thankful for the games I've been able to watch him and the other Jacks play in, and I'm grateful that we have a few more regardless of how the season ends.

Game outcomes like this also underscore why I never bet on sports.

[jakejc795]

Where's the team that beat Colorado State? Stig said it just wasn't their day. Can this team make a run? I am skeptical.

Stalbird's injury took me completely by surprise (as did Weston playing for UNI for that matter). Does anyone know what Stalbird's injury is?

On a more optimistic note, both Gardner and Davis are no longer wearing slings, so...

[Jacked_Up]

The Jacks' defense was really beat up going into this game. That was evident from the start, especially in pass defense. Injuries have really piled up. The lack of depth in the Jacks' receiving corps was pretty clear today, too. Fan expectations were high this season because of the Jacks' success in the spring, but this team looks like it's a year away.

[bigticket1]

Run the damn ball - Pierre strong had over 3.5 yards per carry - just run the damn ball

If the 605 Hogs want to be called the best O line in FCS, they need to play like it. They opened the game with a missed assignment on the sack/fumble. We sit in the SW corner and had a perfect angle on the back side of the play, and you could have driven a compact car through the hole right in the middle of the line. And Pierre taking 14 carries to gain 53 yards won't win many games.

[JackFan96]

The Jacks' defense was really beat up going into this game. That was evident from the start, especially in pass defense. Injuries have really piled up. The lack of depth in the Jacks' receiving corps was pretty clear today, too. Fan expectations were high this season because of the Jacks' success in the spring, but this team looks like it's a year away.

The excessive number of dropped passes had NOTHING to do with the depth at WR. That doesn't mean it doesn't exist. But the number of drops (several by tight ends) was horrible today.

[jakejc795]

The excessive number of dropped passes had NOTHING to do with the depth at WR. That doesn't mean it doesn't exist. But the number of drops (several by tight ends) was horrible today.

Could just be me, but the majority of the dropped passes occurred in the second half (most late in the 3rd quarter and into 4th), when a noticeable shadow is cast from the west side stands.

At least three of the dropped passes (I believe one to Bauer, one to Strong, and one to Jaxon) involved passes where Oladokun was throwing from the shadow to a receiver standing in a "sunny" portion of the field, and the pass was definitely catchable [to the numbers/hitting the receiver in the hands in stride -- there was another incompletion (I believe it was to Strong late in the game)] that was at least half a step behind him

I've heard Justin Morneau mention how difficult it is hitting during such conditions (where the pitcher is in shadow and hitter is in sun, or vice versa), so I wonder if it's similar for receivers attempting to catch "quick hitters." I know it can be very difficult seeing the full flight of the ball from the stands when I'm not wearing sunglasses during similar conditions.

[bigticket1]

Could just be me, but the majority of the dropped passes occurred in the second half (most late in the 3rd quarter and into 4th), when a noticeable shadow is cast from the west side stands.

At least three of the dropped passes (I believe one to Bauer, one to Strong, and one to Jaxon) involved passes where Oladokun was throwing from the shadow to a receiver standing in a "sunny" portion of the field, and the pass was definitely catchable [to the numbers/hitting the receiver in the hands in stride -- there was another incompletion (I believe it was to Strong late in the game)] that was at least half a step behind him

I've heard Justin Morneau mention how difficult it is hitting during such conditions (where the pitcher is in shadow and hitter is in sun, or vice versa), so I wonder if it's similar for receivers attempting to catch "quick hitters." I know it can be very difficult seeing the full flight of the ball from the stands when I'm not wearing sunglasses during similar conditions.

The question then becomes what made yesterday different from any other October/November games that have had few, if any drops. And there is a big difference between a baseball coming in at 95 mph with movement from 60 feet than a football.

[jakejc795]

The question then becomes what made yesterday different from any other October/November games that have had few, if any drops. And there is a big difference between a baseball coming in at 95 mph with movement from 60 feet than a football.

A couple differences -- one, there was little to no cloud cover. Yes, I know the Jacks have played in such games before, but the other difference was that UNI was neutralizing Jacks' rushing attack, and Jacks were behind, so the offense was more reliant on such passes.

Also, I'm not saying baseball and football are exactly the same, but are you saying you don't notice a difference in your own acuity when viewing an object as it travels from a shaded area into a sunny one (or vice versa)? Plus, football has the added complication of attempting to catch a moving object while the receiver is often also moving

[91jack]

I know the defense allowed several pass plays of about 40 yards but I look at the lack of offense as part of the reason. The offense gave up a short field for their first TD and a FG in the first half.
The offense can't give up TO's and 3-outs and have the defense hold up all game.
UNI could run on first down. Was that their O-line, RB or SDSU's lack of defense..
SDSU could NOT run the ball. Was that a lack of play by the O-line, not a powerful RB, UNI's D or crappy play calling?
You could argue that SDSU was missing their 3 best players (CB, LB and RB) and their QB play is a ????
SDSU's QB played great the first 3 games but he has turned the ball over 6 times in the last 3 games and (I think) 5 of those TO's lead to scores.
If you are a 5 year player, how can you NOT see an free rusher coming up through the guard hole?? Strong had 15 yards of open field a couple of times in the first half but the QB could not see that.

[jakejc795]

I know the defense allowed several pass plays of about 40 yards but I look at the lack of offense as part of the reason. The offense gave up a short field for their first TD and a FG in the first half.
The offense can't give up TO's and 3-outs and have the defense hold up all game.
UNI could run on first down. Was that their O-line, RB or SDSU's lack of defense..
SDSU could NOT run the ball. Was that a lack of play by the O-line, not a powerful RB, UNI's D or crappy play calling?
You could argue that SDSU was missing their 3 best players (CB, LB and RB) and their QB play is a ????
SDSU's QB played great the first 3 games but he has turned the ball over 6 times in the last 3 games and (I think) 5 of those TO's lead to scores.
If you are a 5 year player, how can you NOT see an free rusher coming up through the guard hole?? Strong had 15 yards of open field a couple of times in the first half but the QB could not see that.

You could add Stalbird to that list. I'd be curious if they should "reverse Stalbird" Spalding next season and try to move him to safety to get him on the field more.

We had the radio broadcast on while watching on TV last week, and Alex Parker mentioned Jacks still potentially running "scripted" plays in the first half. Do you think that could be a reason carries for Strong weren't called?

[Jackedforlife]

I guess scripted or not the offensive playcalling seemed disjointed. Like it had no identity, almost as if rolling the dice and letting that be the playcall.

On a couple of the UNI deep throws we had 1-2 DBs there, they just had to turn around. The WR made a great catch. I’d say that on a lot of completions downfield this year. Are they not coached to turn, I never hear the sideline yell “Ball!”. The sideline does their best to get the crowd into it though.

Not a fan of this scrambled backfield “shell game” plays they run either. Sometime it’s going to bite us in the behind.

Played a lot of young guys yesterday and there’s some hope. I don’t think the defense lost the game. The offense needs to find it’s rhythm. The Hogs had a rough day against arguably the best front they’ll see this year.

Need to recuperate, regroup and rebound.