Stat Pak: Taxing the defense

FIVE BULLET POINTS FROM THE MINNESOTA RESULT

1. Taxing the defense

- For pretty much the whole season, Iowa has used 11 to 13 players on defense. Basically, you have the starters and then you have the raider (guys, every time I've asked Phil Parker about the third-down personnel group, I've referred to it as 'raider” and he hasn't corrected me, maybe they've changed it, I don't know) defensive backs Joshua Jackson and Maurice Fleming.

Iowa had the raider group on the field for one third down. It was a third-and-5 from Minnesota's 26 in the second quarter. That's a dicey down and distance for a third-down speed group. Head coach Kirk Ferentz maybe realized this or someone on the sidelines did and wanted it changed. Ferentz just happened to be the guy who sprinted out onto the field and called timeout (KF is all about the camera time, you guys, kidding, kidding). Iowa came back with base 4-3 and Minnesota QB Mitch Leidner (he does a lot for the Gophers, who run a supremely deceptive offense that demands you disrupt it, or it's just waiting to execute and scheme your face off) completed a first-down pass to K.J. Maye.

Other than almost-raider, here was Iowa's substitution pattern for the defense vs. the Gophers.

- Cornerback Greg Mabin went down after giving up a 37-yard completion from Leidner to Maye to Iowa's 2. He was OK, but he was down on the turf long enough for the head official to tell him to leave for a play (Ferentz disputed this to no avail). Fleming replaced him for a play and that was it.

- About midway through the third quarter, defensive end Parker Hesse fell to the turf with what looked like a minor ankle or calf injury or just a cramp. He left for a series and was replaced by fellow redshirt freshman DE Matt Nelson. Hesse re-entered after a series.

- For three series in the fourth quarter, junior DT Faith Ekakitie replaced junior DT Jaleel Johnson. Johnson was in for Minnesota's final TD drive.

That was it for defensive substitutions.

You saw more subs two weeks ago against Indiana, when the Hoosiers' tempo simply demanded it. IU ran 76 plays. Not a lot a lot, but a lot. The Gophers only reeled off 57. Yes, they averaged an outstanding 7.6 yards per play, but Iowa's defense came up with two three-and-outs to start the fourth quarter. The Gophers' defense couldn't return volley, not without its two starting defensive tackles - Steven Richardson and Scott Ekpe. Minnesota coach Tracy Claeys pretty much nailed this game in this curt assessment.

'I think that our two defensive tackles sitting out are all-Big Ten guys,” he said. 'Those guys have been playing and doing well. We have to give credit to them, they controlled the line of scrimmage in the middle. That was the difference in the game.”

I'm not straying off point, which is, yes, Iowa's defensive starters are running a marathon and there's no one to pass the baton to. You have a starting 11, a raider package and maybe one or two defensive linemen who are in the circle of trust. That's it and that's asking a ton, a notion that everyone Iowa seems comfortable with.

But it all fits together. This is where efficiency trumps explosion. Iowa's time of possession victory mattered (35:32 to 24:28), because it allowed the defense to at least drink some Powerade. Iowa's average starting field position in the second half was its 37. That's an advantage. Iowa got an explosion play out of special teams on Desmond King's kick return. Those were the things that countered Minnesota's explosive offense.

Maybe 'hitting the wall” is a real thing. Here are Iowa's first-year defensive starters and a gauge from zero to 60 on how much was asked from them last year to this: DT Johnson (45 mph last year as a rotating DT), DT Nathan Bazata (25 mph last year with some rotation time), DE Hesse (0 last year as a redshirt), OLB Ben Niemann (10 mph with special teams last year), LB Josey Jewell (55 mph last year as a starter most of the season), LB Cole Fisher (15 mph last year with mostly special teams), strong safety Miles Taylor (15 mph with special teams last year).

The whole 'wall” thing is the fight they fight from winter workouts through summer conditioning. Everyone seems fine, but there's no arguing some profiles have blown up and these players are playing more than they ever have.

2. That LeShun Daniels

- I asked Daniels after the game if he wanted to 'press the hole” more. This is basically speed through the hole and not to it. This is the back allowing his blocks to develop and then making an authoritative cut to the hole and into the second level.

That's what I thought I saw during Daniels' 195-yard career night (26 carries, 195 yards and three TDs, including a 51-yarder). Daniels looked more decisive and, thus, played much, much faster than he's ever looked, really.

Of course, the running back knows where his bread is buttered and immediately said if it wasn't for his offensive line, none of it happens. Daniels is smart that way.

Daniels hit a cutback lane on an 18-yard run that set up his first TD (a 3-yarder). Daniels' inside zone for 25 yards later was the definition of 'speed through the hole” and set up QB C.J. Beathard's 1-yard bootleg TD. Daniels also showed some jump cut (getting to the outside on a few runs and breaking a few arm tackles). On his 51-yarder, the play was so well blocked and the Gophers were so sprung on stopping the run that he only had to make one defender miss for a free run up the middle.

The other thing is health. It's too bad for Daniels that it turned out this way, but Daniels did suffer a high-ankle sprain against ISU and tried to come back too early. Ferentz has said Iowa learned a lesson there. He also said in the postgame that Saturday night Daniels was what everyone Iowa was shooting and hoping for when they named him the starter last August.

3. The CJB numbers game

- I love listening to Matt Millen talk about football. There's a wealth of knowledge there and he's entertaining. When I've watched Beathard call audibles at the line of scrimmage this year, I've often wondered what he's looking at. Millen broke that down during the Big Ten Network broadcast (I also enjoy Kevin Kugler on play-by-play).

On second-and-10 from Minnesota's 22 during Iowa's first drive, Beathard changed a play. What he read was Minnesota LB Jack Lynn lined up outside of Iowa's TE, giving UM a 4-3 numbers edge on that side of the line of scrimmage. So, Beathard called the play to the other side, where it was 3 on 3.

Guard Sean Welsh handled No. 52. Boone Myers got out on linebacker DeVondre Campbell and erased him (Myers is really good in space, good at spotting his target, good on his feet). Tight end Henry Krieger Coble blocked the defensive end. Eighteen yards later, Daniels ran Iowa to a first-and-goal at the 4 that he would eventually punch in.

On the CJB bootleg score, he made the same call and, pretty much, the same thing happened. Iowa had a 3 on 3. Welsh blocked 52 again. Myers got out on 26. Center Austin Blythe and guard Jordan Walsh double-teamed 99 into No. 4's path. No. 4 had to run around the block and couldn't ankle tackle Daniels. It went for 25 yards and got Iowa's drive out of the blocks.

Again, the read was Lynn. The Gophers caught on and moved Lynn off the edge. So, anyway, that's what CJB is looking at when he backs away from center and makes a change.

4. That one Minnesota formation

- The Gophers repeatedly got the Hawkeyes with this formation: Out of 12 personnel (one back and two TEs), Minnesota put both TEs in sort of an H-back spot and put the WRs in really tight just off the end of the line of scrimmage. They did this balanced on both sides.

This created a lot of rubs and misdirection. Iowa's LBs and CBs had to 1) figure out if it was run, which it was a few times, with Leidner running a solid read-option game and 2) which WR or TE or RB was going where and which TE or WR or RB he would have to avoid or run around to find his key.

The Gophers executed this brilliantly. A lot of times, Iowa coverage personnel lost track of who they were covering (Fisher on the 40-yard TD pass to TE Brandon Lingren - that wasn't this formation, but the deception was fantastic, with Lingren faking a block and ambling tightly down the line of scrimmage). The Gophers also created space with the receivers blocking downfield thing. The scheme created numbers advantage on the edges. This isn't going away. This is Minnesota's offense. If it feels as if it's schemed to beat Iowa, well, it might be.

5. Should Daniels have hit the deck?

- Yes, he probably should've. He scored with 2:01 left in the game. If he hits the deck at the 5, there's probably 2:05 left in the game. The Gophers had no timeouts, so with the 40-second clock, Iowa could've drained the final two minutes in victory formation and could've avoided the Gophers putting stress on the sellout crowd.

Did you notice the Kinnick crowd carried an impressive I-O-W-A chant for a really long time and only stopped when the Gophers scored to make it 40-35.

And then there was that onside kick. I loved the deception with the balancing or unbalancing of the sides of the field, but the drop kick rifled out of bounds and didn't go 10 yards. It gave UM no chance. I think they might've overthought that one.

THREE STARS

1. RB LeShun Daniels

- The junior is money on the goal line. Daniels has scored six TDs in the last three weeks, after scoring just one in his previous 16 games. The 195 yards Saturday night was his second career 100-yard game (123 vs. Illinois State in the season opener).

The Iowa RB productivity count (including Daniels, Jordan Canzier, Akrum Wadley and Derrick Mitchell) vs. the Gophers was: 226 yards and three rush TDs with two receptions for 15 yards (Mitchell made a sweet play on a screen pass for a 12-yard gain on third down to keep Iowa's first scoring drive going - it was the first time this year Iowa scored a TD on its opening drive).

For the season, Iowa RBs: 1,734 rushing yards and 24 TDs. Iowa RBs are a monster and it has four heads.

2. QB CJ Beathard

- When CJB totals somewhere in the neighborhood of 250 yards total offense, the Hawkeyes are so much more dangerous. Last week against Indiana, it was 271 with 38 rushing yards. Against the Gophers, it was 263 with 50 rushing yards.

This really comes through in the red zone. Beathard has rushed for three TDs the last two weeks. There was the flying funball at IU. And then last night, a naked bootleg he said was 'the easiest touchdown I'll ever score” and a QB sneak.

After CJB was bent in half on a sneak for a first down in the fourth quarter, he said he suffered a hip pointer (this cost Jake Rudock a game and a half last season - or at least that was the story). Late Saturday night, Ferentz said 'heck yes” to naked bootlegs if Beathard is healthy enough and then said 'let's wait and see” on anymore sneaks.

3. CB Desmond King

- Minnesota stressed Iowa, but the Iowa offense stayed one step ahead of it the entire second half. Iowa led 24-14 at halftime. It scored a field goal for a 27-14 lead, but then the Gophers broke serve and pulled within 27-21.

King answered with a 58-yard kick return to set up Iowa's answer at Minnesota's 37. Four plays later, Beathard pushed in for a 1-yard TD.

The return looked to set up left, but King made a lightning quick cut off a block by fullback Adam Cox and was putting the move on the kicker. King said in the postgame he wanted to make that decisive cut, that he was looking for it. I wonder how much free reign he has on these. I know we've run 'New Kirk” up the flagpole and have since taken it down, but hey, you guys, Iowa is aggressive in the return games. Let's not lose sight of that. Remember, Iowa had Micah Hyde and didn't let him loose. He returns kicks for the Packers now because he's a weapon. I think the gloves are off here and I think King's talent has allowed that to happen.

Clutch return. This kept Iowa two scores ahead of the Gophers every time they had a chance to possess the ball in the second half. It's not optimum game control, but it was a little less stress.

FILM ROOM

- I tweeted Saturday night 'Matt VandeBerg = Jordy Nelson = Frisbee catching dog.” Saturday night, VandeBerg caught six passes for 74 yards. He now has 55 receptions for 587 yards and two TDs. He also has converted a bucket full of clutch third downs in the second half the last two weeks. OK, come to think of it, Indiana was a better third-down game than Minnesota, but he hit a couple of big receptions against the Gophers, including a pretty well thrown pass from WR Tevaun Smith

on a reverse pass for 21 yards.

VandenBerg is sixth in the Big Ten and trails the leader, Michigan State's Aaron Burbridge, by only 10.

- Kicker Marshall Koehn

looked like he might've made a 47-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter. The ball sailed high over the right upright. It was ruled wide right and no good. There wasn't much argument from Iowa's sideline, because those guys know rule NCAA football instant replay casebook.

'Section 3, Article 1-b of the case book states the following: 'Field goal attempts (can be reviewed) if and only if the ball is ruled (b) inside or outside the uprights when it is lower than the top of the uprights. If the ball is higher than the top of the uprights as it crosses the end line, the play may not be reviewed.”

So, the Koehn kick wasn't reviewable. You might remember Arizona State making one of these against Wisconsin in that crazy horrible officiated game from a few years ago at Arizona State.

I don't get this rule. I vote for a change, but really, how do you know what's good and what's not over the upright?

- What's Iowa TE doing? Cousins Henry Krieger Coble (Kray-Gurr) and George Kittle

have combined for 37 catches, 442 yards and four TDs (all of which belong to Kittle, for cousins who might be keeping score).

- LBs Josey Jewell and Cole Fisher

are Nos. 4 and 9 in the Big Ten with 90 and 82 tackles, respectively.

- Iowa is last in the Big Ten with 50.0 tackles for loss.

TWO PLAYS

1. First-and-10 from Iowa's 28

- Another benefit of viable Beathard - and he didn't think the hip thing was serious, but that was in the immediate after this game - is the magic of the extended play. This was right before halftime. Iowa was in shotgun and empty backfield. Defensive end 95 got the corner turned on Myers two steps into his rush. Myers opened his hips, which usually means sack because the DE has totally turned the OT, but just hung in enough. Beathard sensed it and stepped up and slid left. No. 92 broke free on a stunt and sent Beathard running alone into the flat.

He never used his eyes to feel rushers, but instead kept his attention upfield. Someone left Krieger Coble and moved on CJB. Beathard saw this and hit HKC wide open for a 32-yard gain.

This was the big play in a 97-yard drive that Iowa pushed in for a TD with 44 seconds left before halftime.

2. First-and-10 at Iowa's 42

- Minnesota RB Shannon Brooks had a nice entourage leading him to the left and up field. But the Gophers needed a quick TD and OC Matt Limegrover had something else in mind. As it did all night, the Gophers offense held its water and executed deception perfectly. Brooks lofted a perfect pass to WR Drew Wolitarsky for a 42-yard TD and pulled UM within 33-28.

CB Greg Mabin and SS Miles Taylor bit on the run. Of course, who wouldn't. Wolitarsky ran into Mabin, swimmed an arm over him and broke wide open. Should Mabin have read that? Maybe. That's a tough one. It was also one of those plays where an Iowa defender had to try to figure out if the receiver was a blocker or receiver. It was wonderfully executed, once again. Minnesota's offense had a flawless performance (no turnovers and just three tackles for loss).

UP NEXT - PURDUE (2-8, 1-5 Big Ten West)

- Purdue coach Darrell Hazell is 6-28 as the Boilermakers head coach, but he did receive a vote of confidence from AD Morgan Burke last Thursday. Hazell said he wasn't worried about returning for a fourth season. 'No, I was never concerned about that. Ever,” he said

- The SB Nation blog 'Hammer and Rails,” dedicated to Purdue sports, BTW (OK, that was the most newspaper way to intro an SB Nation blog ever), put the hammer to Boilers offensive coordinator John Shoop in this post. Lots of heat in this copy (again, newspaper phrasing), but you can feel the frustration. It's basketball season and the Boilers have Caleb 'Biggie” Swanigan.

- Here's some thumbs up and thumbs down from the Boilers' 21-14 loss to Northwestern last weekend.

THE NUMBERS GAME

Touchdowns in the red zone

Iowa

- 4 of 5

Minnesota

- 3 of 3

Tracking the Hawkeyes

: Week 1 vs. ISU - 4 of 5 (off), 1 of 1 (def); Week 2 Iowa State - 2 of 3 (off), 1 of 2 (def); Week 3 vs. Pitt - 3 of 3 (off), 2 of 3 (def); Week 4 North Texas - 5 of 5 (off), 1 of 3 (def); Week 5 Wisconsin - 1 of 4 (off), 0 of 2 (def); Week 6 vs. Illinois - 1 of 4 (off), 1 of 2 (def); Week 7 vs. Northwestern - 4 of 8 (off), 1 of 2 (def); Week 8 vs. Maryland - 3 of 4 (off), 1 of 2 (def); Week 9 vs. Indiana - 4 of 4 (off), 1 of 3 (def); Week 10 vs. Minnesota - 4 of 5 (off), 3 of 3 (def)

The takeaway

: Again, healthy, running Beathard is money in the red zone. Three rushing TDs the last two weeks (7, 1, 2). Iowa is 8 of 9 in red zone TDs the last two weeks. It's a great number, but one you'd probably expect the No. 5 team in the country to put up on two struggling defenses (Indiana with the game and Minnesota with healthy personnel). That performance for the defense won't get it done when the competition kicks up the last few weeks.

3 and outs (forced by defense)

Iowa

- 3

Minnesota

- 1

Tracking the Hawkeyes

: Week 1 vs. ISU - 3 (def), 2 (off); Week 2 vs. Iowa State - 4 (def), 4 (off); Week 3 vs. Pitt - 3 (def), 2 (off); Week 4 vs. North Texas - 6 (def), 3 (off); Week 5 vs. Wisconsin - 4 (def), 3 (off); Week 6 vs. Illinois - 5 (def), 1 (off); Week 7 vs. Northwestern: 7 (def), 3 (off); Week 8 vs. Maryland - 6 (def), 1 (off); Week 9 vs. Indiana - 3 (def), 3 (off); Week 10 vs. Minnesota - 3 (def), 1 (off)

The takeaway:

Iowa's two stops came in the fourth quarter and kept the Gophers from having a possession that gave them a chance to take the lead. Breathing room was a big deal in a game that, I think, Kirk Ferentz was really happy to get through. The one for Iowa's offense, that showed a measure of game control (I know, I've caved to an ESPN term).

Second half adjustments

Iowa

- 216 yards, 6.5 yards per play (33 plays)

Minnesota

- 225 yards, 7.25 yards per play (31 plays)

Tracking the Hawkeyes

: Week 1 vs. ISU - 163 yards, 5.25 yards per play (31 offensive plays), 195 yards, 6.5 yards per play (30 plays on defense); Week 2 vs. Iowa State - 232 yards, 6.62 yards per play (35 offensive plays), 66 yards, 2.12 yards per play (31 defensive plays); Week 3 vs. Pitt - 165 yards, 5.5 yards per play (30 off plays), 124 yards, 5.1 yards per play (31 def plays); Week 4 vs. North Texas - 148 yards, 4.9 yards per play (30 offensive plays), 207 yards, 4.3 yards per play (48 defensive plays); Week 5 vs. Wisconsin - 69 yards, 2.55 yards per play (27 offensive plays), 177 yards, 4.21 yards per play (42 defensive plays); Week 6 vs. Illinois - 179 yards, 5.42 yards per play (33 offensive plays); 242 yards, 5.90 yards per play (41 defensive plays); Week 7 vs. Northwestern - 296 yards, 7.1 yards per play (42 offensive plays); 80 yards, 2.75 yards per play (29 defensive plays); Week 8 vs. Maryland - 53 yards, 2.03 yards per play (26 offensive plays); 173 yards, 5.1 yards per play (34 defensive plays); Week 9 vs. Indiana - 201 yards, 4.9 yards per play (41 offensive plays), 166 yards, 4.05 yards per play (41 defensive plays); Week 10 vs. Minnesota - 216 yards, 6.5 yards per play (33 offensive plays), 225 yards, 7.25 yards per play (31 defensive plays)

The takeaway: The last two weeks, Iowa has averaged 5.63 yards per play in the second half. That's solid. On defense the last two weeks, it's been 5.43. That's a tight window, but this remains a winning number for Iowa. Remember this summer when we had SB Nation's Bill Connelly on the podcast? He's a sports analytics expert and has this opinion on the five most important college football stats. Some of this post is actuarial, but some of it also makes a ton of sense, as far as efficiency and explosion go.

Here's why I think yards per play is an extremely important stat (from the post): If you won the per-play yardage battle by even 0.1 yards per play, your odds of winning a game rose from 50% to 55%. If you averaged 0.75 yards per play more than your opponent, you won three-quarters of the time. (How much is 0.75 yards per play? At the national average of 73.9 plays per game, that's basically 55 yards.)

This kind of makes Saturday night's result all the more impressive for the Hawkeyes.

20-plus plays

Iowa

- 8

Minnesota

- 5

Tracking the Hawkeyes

: Week 1 vs. ISU - 4 (off), 3 (allowed); Week 2 vs. Iowa State - 6 (off), 3 (allowed); Week 3 vs. Pitt - 4 (off), 3 (def); Week 4 vs. North Texas - 4 (off), 4 (def); Week 5 vs. Wisconsin - 2 (off), 3 (def); Week 6 vs. Illinois - 5 (off), 5 (def); Week 7 vs. Northwestern - 4 (off), 1 (def); Week 8 vs. Maryland - 4 (off), 2 (def); Week 9 vs. Indiana - 5 (off), 5 (def); Week 10 vs. Minnesota - 8 (off), 5 (def)

The takeaway

: Iowa's 20-plus went like this: three in the first half (25 run Daniels, 32 pass HKC and 26 run CJB) and five in the second (22 pass HKC, 29 pass Tevaun, 24 pass George Kittle, 21 pass MVB and 51 run Daniels. The first half turned into a bit of a track meet because the Gophers hit four of their five 20-plus in the first half. The only one in the second was the 42-yard TD on the running back pass. Overall explosive plays, the Hawkeyes piled up a season-high 15.

The Iowa/Greg Davis definition of explosive (it's 12-plus runs and 16-plus passes)

: 15 (Illinois State 9, Iowa State 12, Pitt 6, North Texas 10; Wisconsin 5; Illinois 9, Northwestern 12, Maryland 8, Indiana 8, Minnesota 15)

Magic points (scores inside of two minutes)

Iowa

- 7

Minnesota

- 7

Tracking the Hawkeyes

: Week 1 vs. ISU - 3 (off), 7 (allowed); Week 2 vs. Iowa State - 7 (off), 0 (def); Week 3 vs. Pitt - 10 (off), 7 (def); week 4 vs. North Texas - 7 (off), 0 (def); Week 5 vs. Wisconsin - 3 (off), 0 (def); Week 6 vs. Illinois - 3 (off), 0 (def); Week 7 vs. Northwestern - 0 (off), 0 (def); Week 8 vs. Maryland - 7 (off), 0 (def); Week 9 vs. Indiana - 7 (off), 0 (def); Week 10 vs. Minnesota - 7 (off), 7 (def)

The takeaway

: Iowa has scored in two-minute drill in every week but one and that week it was a missed 34-yard FG from magic points before halftime. I think this is getting to be a borderline incredible stat. - That's what I wrote last week. It still stands. This week, Iowa finished off a 97-yard drive with 44 seconds before halftime. Iowa has outscored opponents 44-0 in the final two minutes of the first half.

Daniels' 51-yard TD run came with 2:01 left in the game, so close, but doesn't count. The Gophers' TD with 1:16 left in the game was the first magic points allowed by the defense since week 3 vs. Pitt.

l Comments: (319) 398-8256; marc.morehouse@thegazette.com