Analyzing Iowa's offense: Patterns in plays

IOWA CITY - Iowa offensive coordinator Ken O'Keefe has earned a reputation by some Iowa fans as a predictable playcaller.

Most of the aggravation stems from plays that didn't work. That's not a new development in college football where fans everywhere bemoan the offensive coordinator.

But there are patterns to O'Keefe's play calls - which of course have head coach Kirk Ferentz's blessing. Some of them were noticeable from Iowa's 44-41 triple-overtime loss Saturday at Iowa State.

Iowa ran 30 of its 72 offensive plays (41.5 percent) from a three-receiver set, the most from a specific personnel grouping. Iowa also had its most production from that set, generating 187 of its 365 yards.

Of the three-receiver set, 23 plays were passes. Iowa's seven runs gained 51 yards.

“That puts pressure (on the defense) because we can spread people out and still hand it to (running back Marcus) Coker,” Iowa quarterback James Vandenberg said.

The grouping did produce some downers for Iowa, however. On a 10-play, 52-yard drive that straddled the first and second quarters, Iowa used the grouping just once before reaching Iowa State's 27-yard line. Then with three wide receivers on the field, Vandenberg threw three consecutive passes and failed to gain a first down.

A pattern also developed from that personnel grouping. Iowa never worked out of a three-receiver set if the first-down marker was less than 3 yards from the line of scrimmage. Of their 15 third-down plays against Iowa State, the Hawkeyes used the three-receiver set 12 times. All 12 were pass plays with Vandenberg completing 4-of-9 for 69 yards. Two went for first downs and one went for a touchdown. Vandenberg was sacked once and scrambled twice.

On its other three third-down plays, Iowa worked from a two-tight end/two-running back grouping. All three were 3 yards or less from a first down. All three produced first downs.

“I've been here long enough where I've run all these sets a lot of different times,” said Vandenberg, a junior. “It's something that you get used to over the years.”

Iowa's tight ends were considered a strength entering the season, but Saturday the Hawkeyes ran just 25 percent of its offensive plays from a two-tight end grouping. Only three times did Iowa open a drive with a second tight end on the field. The first time, Vandenberg completed a 24-yard pass to tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz. Tight ends were targeted for passes three times on Iowa's first two drives but thrown to just once the rest of the game. Fiedorowicz had the only reception by a tight end.

“In a perfect world you'd like balance, but it depends on what's going on,” Ferentz said. “Sometimes it's how they cover you; sometimes it's what those players are doing, too.”

O'Keefe also wants his tight ends involved.

“It's something that we want to do,” O'Keefe said in August. “It's something that puts a lot of pressure on defenses because they can't go to nickel packages; they've got keep linebackers in the game. So it's something we like doing. We like the match-ups and you'll see it, whether it's a third, a half, I don't know what the percentage would be right now. If it's working, you'll see it more. If it's not working, you'll see it less.”

Iowa's tight ends also are responsible for blocking.

“You've got to block if you want to play,” Iowa tight end Brad Herman said. “Coach O'Keefe does a good job of balancing the offense out, and I'm just out there doing my job.”

Iowa ran 15 plays out of a two-tight end/two-back alignment. Fourteen of the plays were runs, gaining 53 yards; the lone pass was on first-and-goal from the 9.

Iowa likes its fullback early in its possessions. Of Iowa's 32 first-down plays, only nine didn't involve the fullback. However, the fullback was on the field for only nine of Iowa's other 40 offensive plays.

Of Iowa's 14 possession-opening plays at Iowa State, the fullback was on the field for 11 of them. In 10 of those drive-opening plays, Iowa started with a base personnel grouping - two wide receivers, one tight end, one running back and one fullback. Iowa used the base formation 14 times, and 13 was on first down. In the first half Iowa ran the ball out of this grouping all five times. In the second half it passed from it all but once.

Overall, the fullback was on the field for 44.4 percent of Iowa's plays, yet did not touch the ball once.

While patterns emerge on down and distance, Iowa's offense does vary its position groupings almost play-by-play. Iowa kept the same personnel on back-to-back plays just 23 times against Iowa State.

“The way I think of it is, the more pressure it puts on that defense, from going five wide empty - which we did some on Saturday - to going to our regular tight end and two backs it gives the defense a lot of looks and keeps them on their toes,” Vandenberg said.