Northwestern University Athletics
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The Skip Report: Friday Notes - Iowa
10/16/2015 3:02:00 PM | Football
By Skip Myslenski
NUsports.com Special Contributor
IT ALL BEGINS IN THE PIT: Two Saturdays ago, in their Big Ten opener against Minnesota, the 'Cats rushed 51 times for 184 net yards, an average of 3.6 yards per rush. In the wake of that performance, offensive tackle Eric Olson was honored as the team's Offensive Player of the Game.
But last Saturday, in their 38-point loss at Michigan, they managed only 38 net rushing yards on 25 attempts, an average of just 1.5 yards per rush. In the wake of that performance, the coaches deemed no 'Cat worthy enough to receive that award.
So how did the offensive line react to its tough afternoon in Ann Arbor?
"We just keep saying to each other, 'We've got to flush it. We can't let it beat us twice,'" said Olson. "We got beat. The O-Line definitely didn't play our best game. But the only thing you can do is not let that game beat you twice. You've got to go out and treat this week as its own entity. We had a really, really good game against Minnesota. We got after a defensive line that we thought was a pretty good defensive line. And we thought Michigan had a really good defensive line too, and they got after us. . . . So we've got to get back to what we were doing. We were making steps every week, we really were improving. We took a step back. Now we've got to take another strep forward."
Do they take it personally, their performance against the Wolverines?
"I wouldn't call it personal," said Olson. "We're all prideful guys. We always want to do our best. When we're not doing our best, it sucks. We were all disappointed with Saturday. The whole team was disappointed with Saturday, it wasn't just us. But we're all prideful guys. We know we can do better. Like I said to you last week, even when we were putting up pretty big yards on the ground, we weren't that happy with it. We thought we could do more. And we were getting there. Minnesota was a good game. Michigan wasn't good enough."
HIT ERASE: Michigan's rushing defense has limited its six opponents to just two touchdowns and an average of 66.2 yards per game. That makes it the top-ranked unit in the Big Ten. But right behind it is Iowa, which visits Ryan Field on Saturday. Its rushing defense has limited its six opponents to just one touchdown and an average of 78 yards per game. "We can't let it beat us twice," Olson reiterated, looking here both back and ahead. "We know they got us. They're a good team and they got us. We didn't show up. We didn't play. We know we're not 38 points worse than Michigan. We know that wasn't us.
"The best thing we can do is go out and show it against a good Iowa team. I was saying, when we were talking about the (Michigan) film on Monday, I said I just wish we could play tomorrow so we could forget about the Michigan game. The only way you're going to start forgetting about it is you go out and play, and play well. If we go out and play well against Iowa, it still sucks that we lost to Michigan, but it's going to be behind us."
UNTENABLE SITUATIONS: Here is one observation quarterback Clayton Thorson made this week: "We've got to execute better on first and second down so we don't get into those third-and-longs."
Here are the numbers that give life to that observation: Against the Wolverines, the 'Cats faced third-and-10, 14, 2, 4, 15, 15, 9, 8, 8, 13, 10, 19. and 17.
Here was the result of being in those dire straits: After converting nearly 50 percent of their third-down opportunities in their first five games (48-of-98), they went just two-of-13 against the Wolverines (15.4 percent).
WE ARE FAMILY: The 'Cats, throughout this fall, have talked of their brotherhood, of their belief in themselves, of their commitment to each other and to the team, and those themes were echoed again this week after their big loss at Michigan. "The great thing about our team is we have so many leaders, and we have so many people who are bought in, that we don't really have to pull anyone, to bring anyone in that isn't all in. Everyone's all in," running back Justin Jackson said in a representative comment. "We know our goals are still in front of us and we know what we have to do. So there wasn't anyone hanging their head saying, 'Season's over' or anything like that. We knew we were going to truck along and come ready to go this week."
Was their confidence shaken at all?
"I don't think so," he said. "Obviously, when you go in and get whooped like that, it's a reality check. But we know what type of team we are, we know how good we can be."
QUICKLY NOTED: Jackson and Thorson, as has been noted often, have been friends since childhood, and now it turns out the quarterback went to work on his old buddy after he committed. Then, he remembered this week, "I tried to persuade him to come here. I tried to get him away from other Big Ten schools, other SEC schools." Revealed Jackson: "He's the first person other than my family I told I was committing here.". . . The Hawkeyes will play Saturday without their outstanding defensive end Drew Ott, who tore his ACL during their win last week over Illinois. He leads them in both sacks and tackles for loss. Still, said Jackson, "They have the same type of defense they've always had. They're not going to change anything up. They're going to make you go win one-on-one battles. That's what it comes down to. So we know what they're going to do. We know where they're going to be. We just have to go execute the play that's called. If we win our one-on-one battles, then we win the game.". . . . The Hawkeyes' passing defense is not nearly as strong as its rushing D. It is surrendering an average of 232.3 yards per game, which ranks ninth in the Big Ten. . . . Their quarterback C.J. Beathard has completed 61.1 percent of his passes (99-of-162) while throwing for nine touchdowns with only two interceptions. But the Hawkeye workhorse is running back Jordan Canzeri, who is averaging 116.2 ypg. Last week against Illinois, with his team up three with just over 10 minutes remaining, he carried the ball on 11 straight plays; netted 59 yards; ate up 6:53 of the clock; and set up a field goal. He ended the day with 256 yards on 43 carries.
AND FINALLY, Hawkeye coach Kirk Ferentz, on trying to recruit Jackson and Thorson out of high school: "We liked both of those guys a lot and we couldn't even get a date. That's the way it goes sometimes."
NUsports.com Special Contributor
IT ALL BEGINS IN THE PIT: Two Saturdays ago, in their Big Ten opener against Minnesota, the 'Cats rushed 51 times for 184 net yards, an average of 3.6 yards per rush. In the wake of that performance, offensive tackle Eric Olson was honored as the team's Offensive Player of the Game.
But last Saturday, in their 38-point loss at Michigan, they managed only 38 net rushing yards on 25 attempts, an average of just 1.5 yards per rush. In the wake of that performance, the coaches deemed no 'Cat worthy enough to receive that award.
So how did the offensive line react to its tough afternoon in Ann Arbor?
"We just keep saying to each other, 'We've got to flush it. We can't let it beat us twice,'" said Olson. "We got beat. The O-Line definitely didn't play our best game. But the only thing you can do is not let that game beat you twice. You've got to go out and treat this week as its own entity. We had a really, really good game against Minnesota. We got after a defensive line that we thought was a pretty good defensive line. And we thought Michigan had a really good defensive line too, and they got after us. . . . So we've got to get back to what we were doing. We were making steps every week, we really were improving. We took a step back. Now we've got to take another strep forward."
Do they take it personally, their performance against the Wolverines?
"I wouldn't call it personal," said Olson. "We're all prideful guys. We always want to do our best. When we're not doing our best, it sucks. We were all disappointed with Saturday. The whole team was disappointed with Saturday, it wasn't just us. But we're all prideful guys. We know we can do better. Like I said to you last week, even when we were putting up pretty big yards on the ground, we weren't that happy with it. We thought we could do more. And we were getting there. Minnesota was a good game. Michigan wasn't good enough."
HIT ERASE: Michigan's rushing defense has limited its six opponents to just two touchdowns and an average of 66.2 yards per game. That makes it the top-ranked unit in the Big Ten. But right behind it is Iowa, which visits Ryan Field on Saturday. Its rushing defense has limited its six opponents to just one touchdown and an average of 78 yards per game. "We can't let it beat us twice," Olson reiterated, looking here both back and ahead. "We know they got us. They're a good team and they got us. We didn't show up. We didn't play. We know we're not 38 points worse than Michigan. We know that wasn't us.
"The best thing we can do is go out and show it against a good Iowa team. I was saying, when we were talking about the (Michigan) film on Monday, I said I just wish we could play tomorrow so we could forget about the Michigan game. The only way you're going to start forgetting about it is you go out and play, and play well. If we go out and play well against Iowa, it still sucks that we lost to Michigan, but it's going to be behind us."
UNTENABLE SITUATIONS: Here is one observation quarterback Clayton Thorson made this week: "We've got to execute better on first and second down so we don't get into those third-and-longs."
Here are the numbers that give life to that observation: Against the Wolverines, the 'Cats faced third-and-10, 14, 2, 4, 15, 15, 9, 8, 8, 13, 10, 19. and 17.
Here was the result of being in those dire straits: After converting nearly 50 percent of their third-down opportunities in their first five games (48-of-98), they went just two-of-13 against the Wolverines (15.4 percent).
WE ARE FAMILY: The 'Cats, throughout this fall, have talked of their brotherhood, of their belief in themselves, of their commitment to each other and to the team, and those themes were echoed again this week after their big loss at Michigan. "The great thing about our team is we have so many leaders, and we have so many people who are bought in, that we don't really have to pull anyone, to bring anyone in that isn't all in. Everyone's all in," running back Justin Jackson said in a representative comment. "We know our goals are still in front of us and we know what we have to do. So there wasn't anyone hanging their head saying, 'Season's over' or anything like that. We knew we were going to truck along and come ready to go this week."
Was their confidence shaken at all?
"I don't think so," he said. "Obviously, when you go in and get whooped like that, it's a reality check. But we know what type of team we are, we know how good we can be."
QUICKLY NOTED: Jackson and Thorson, as has been noted often, have been friends since childhood, and now it turns out the quarterback went to work on his old buddy after he committed. Then, he remembered this week, "I tried to persuade him to come here. I tried to get him away from other Big Ten schools, other SEC schools." Revealed Jackson: "He's the first person other than my family I told I was committing here.". . . The Hawkeyes will play Saturday without their outstanding defensive end Drew Ott, who tore his ACL during their win last week over Illinois. He leads them in both sacks and tackles for loss. Still, said Jackson, "They have the same type of defense they've always had. They're not going to change anything up. They're going to make you go win one-on-one battles. That's what it comes down to. So we know what they're going to do. We know where they're going to be. We just have to go execute the play that's called. If we win our one-on-one battles, then we win the game.". . . . The Hawkeyes' passing defense is not nearly as strong as its rushing D. It is surrendering an average of 232.3 yards per game, which ranks ninth in the Big Ten. . . . Their quarterback C.J. Beathard has completed 61.1 percent of his passes (99-of-162) while throwing for nine touchdowns with only two interceptions. But the Hawkeye workhorse is running back Jordan Canzeri, who is averaging 116.2 ypg. Last week against Illinois, with his team up three with just over 10 minutes remaining, he carried the ball on 11 straight plays; netted 59 yards; ate up 6:53 of the clock; and set up a field goal. He ended the day with 256 yards on 43 carries.
AND FINALLY, Hawkeye coach Kirk Ferentz, on trying to recruit Jackson and Thorson out of high school: "We liked both of those guys a lot and we couldn't even get a date. That's the way it goes sometimes."
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