Iowa drawing from, but not leaning on analytics

IOWA CITY — Maybe someday Brad Pitt will play Kirk Ferentz in the movie.

Iowa's head football coach talked analytics on Wednesday during his bye week news conference at the Hansen Performance Center, and it could be the beginning of the Hawkeye version of 'Moneyball.'

Or it was just a glimpse into an old school football staff easing into using new ways to maximize game situations.

Either way, it was a discussion topic because Ferentz said in his opening statement that he and his staff meet with an analytics company every Thursday to go over situations like that 4th and 5 field goal attempt against Wisconsin he got so much grief for on social media. The amount of time the staff spends in those meetings is 'significant,' Ferentz said, and it's been valuable.

But hold off on the movie, because even if it's valuable, it's not yet enjoyable for a group of coaches who have relied on gut, instinct and film for decades.

'We actually listened to a presentation last spring and thought it was really beneficial. It's really affordable, which is interesting,' Ferentz said. 'Basically the company came in and presented it to us. We were really impressed with them. And it really has been beneficial. It's probably my least favorite meeting of the week, quite frankly, they usually last 30, 45 minutes, and we'll review anywhere from six to 12, 15 cases from the weekend prior. You look at all the different ways to look at situations.'

The specific situation Ferentz was referencing is an analytics guru's dream.

Iowa faced fourth and five from the 20, trailing 14-6. Everyone in the stadium — yes, including Ferentz, who can add, despite what some on Twitter tried to suggest — knew eight points tied the game. Ferentz laid out his thought process more fully Wednesday.

He said, through what he and his staff have learned in those analytics meetings, they ran through the gamut of what they were up against. They had 'the challenge of converting' a fourth and five against a Wisconsin team that had held the Hawkeyes to 3.1 yards per carry and 4.6 yards per pass attempt. Then 'you've got to score and then you've got to go for two points.'

Three things had to take place to get the game tied, and Ferentz didn't like the odds, so he made the call.

'That's what we chose to do at that time,' Ferentz said, 'and I don't regret that decision at all.'

How the staff uses analytics has grown quite a bit from where it was even a few years ago. With a head coach and two coordinators who have been doing their jobs since long before tablets were on sidelines, it was a bit of a foreign concept.

Ferentz said 'this meeting has smoke coming out of your ears coming out of it,' because of all the data there is to sift through. But as every sport has shown, there are things there that would be foolish to ignore.

'It's just continual — it's a way to stay sharp, really hone your skills a little bit, everything is open to interpretation, but it promotes great discussion, great banter back and forth,' Ferentz said. 'And then usually try to turn it to one of the situations, how would we look at it based on our football team.'

At this point, the practical application of what the analytics company gives to the Iowa staff has almost exclusively been in preparation. Ferentz said there's 'a book' on the analytics data in the booth during games, but that 'it's more a reminder, more for reference. You only have so much time to make decisions.'

Both sides of the ball have access to the book and the data, and defensive coordinator Phil Parker said Wednesday the meetings have served in many ways to reinforce what he's learned by simply watching trends in games over the years.

He makes a call for his defense based on a situation. Studying what coaches are doing in terms of where and when they go for it can change what he does. But Parker said he doesn't ever want to get to a scenario where he has to use a book to make a decision.

'It does help us. It gives us the odds. Analytics, I think, are good, but usually I have a feel for it in the game,' Parker said. 'When you're sitting there and you've gone through it, and you're in the third quarter or fourth quarter, you kind of have an idea; you better know what's going on and what they're going to do. That's where I give it more of my feel than the analytical stuff.'

For an offense that's ailing — Iowa ranks 113th in the country and 11th in the Big Ten in total offense, 74th and ninth in rushing offense and 106th and 10th in passing offense — there are many ways the data that's mined can change offensive coordinator Greg Davis' calls. When they go no huddle, when they call a screen or a sweep on a certain down and distance; all of that can be dictated by using the results of what the analytics company gives the staff.

Davis said Wednesday that has shown up on the field, and all three coaches used the word 'fascinating' to describe how they felt about what they're learning.

But there's still no reason to call the screenwriters just yet. All the analytics and trends in the world don't execute the plays, Davis said, and that perspective as an Iowa staff isn't likely to change drastically any time soon.

'We meet with (Iowa football analyst/administrative assistant) Austin Showalter, who does our part of the analytics, and we talk about different things,' Davis said. 'One of the things I think that you have noticed through that is we've gone for it more on fourth down than we have in the past. And so that's all part of the Thursday discussion that we talk about. But it is — I find it really fascinating.

'It gives you good indicators. I'm not sure if makes any blocks for you or anything like that.'

l Comments: (319) 368-8884; jeremiah.davis@thegazette.com