A Win is a Win

In the season opener today, the Hawkeyes squeaked out a narrow victory over UNI. Some commentators were predicting a blow out, but it certainly didn't work out that way. UNI had 2 field goal attempts at the end to win it, but the defense held tough and made two sensational blocks back to back.

The end of the gane was confusing to say the least, but regardless, the black and gold came away with a win. I took a couple things away from this game.

1. UNI is a good team. Generally, you want an easy win for the first game of the season. I'm sure that this was the plan originally, but it's evident that the Panthers were better than expected. They simply outplayed Iowa for the majority of the game. After the game, I repeatedly heard them compared to middle-of-the-pack Big Ten teams. (It's an interesting comparison. Not sure if that's good for the Panthers, or bad for the Big Ten)
   
   
2. Moeaki's play was a bright spot on the offensive side. The tight end led the team in receiving yards and didn't get injured!
   
   
3. Robinson did a commendable job filling in after Paki left the game. It's something to build one.
   
   
4. It will take some getting used to watching Iowa's defense. My friend Jesse gave me some good insight after the game. Watching the defense can make you really nervous unless you understand what they are trying to do. The D will pressure and contain the offense to short gains all the way down the field. They will do everything they can to prevent the big plays. Once inside the thirty yard line, they pack it in and try to limit the scoring, if any, to field goals. If all you give up are field goals, and you manage to score touchdowns, you should theoretically have a good shot at winning. It's an old school approach, but understanding the strategy makes it easier to watch.

Next week versus Iowa state, it's possible that the Cyclones and their spread-style offense will run up and down the field moving the ball on most plays and getting close to the endzone. But close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. If the D works, it should be a win. An ugly win, but a win nonetheless. Iowa will need to pick up their focus and energy for the Cyclones though.

On a side note, I must confess that my attention was divided for most of the game. See, over on ESPN 2, Syracuse was going toe-to-toe with an up-and-coming Minnesota team. What a game! The Gophers won in OT and I took a couple things away from that too.

1. Paulus is a legit D1 QB even after not playing football for 4 years. The former Duke point guard looks confident and is clearly the team leader right now. Albeit, I'm already sick of the "Greg Paulus Era" angle that every talking head has to use. This is how the media works though: set up huge expectations, heap unearned praise, then scorn them at any sign of adversity.
   
   
2. Eric Decker is a stud at WR for the Gophers. The guy was taller, stronger, and faster than anyone they tried to put on him. Iowa better have their eye on him come November.
   
   
3. This Syracuse team looked different than any other team they've put out over the past few years. Even before Greg Robinson, Pasqualloni's last few years seemed stagnant. Marrone has them motivated and creative. You could tell from the the way the D was stuffing the run and putting pressure on the QB to the way the Offense was mixing it up with the "Stallion" formation. I liked what I saw today.

All in all, it was a great first weekend for college football in 2009. Football is in the air! Can you smell it?