Iowa isn't sure what to expect defensively from the Tennessee Vols
The Iowa Hawkeyes' offense isn't known for scoring a lot of points — they ranked No. 130 in the nation in scoring offense in 2023 — so it probably isn't a good sign that they're not sure what to expect from the Tennessee Vols' defense in the Citrus Bowl on New Year's Day. Iowa offensive […]
The Iowa Hawkeyes' offense isn't known for scoring a lot of points — they ranked No. 130 in the nation in scoring offense in 2023 — so it probably isn't a good sign that they're not sure what to expect from the Tennessee Vols' defense in the Citrus Bowl on New Year's Day.
Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, who will be coaching his last game with the Hawkeyes on Monday, met with the media in Orlando on Friday. And he admitted that he isn't sure what to expect from Vols defensive coordinator Tim Banks and the Tennessee defense on Monday.
"I think what makes these guys interesting is, you know, they got the big guys up front, they got the two backers that are really pretty good players, and then they're playing with those DBs and they can be a little bit fluid with what they're showing you," explained Ferentz. "And I think a real testament to them, just structurally, and I mean this as a huge compliment, they change week to week. They can present different looks based on the game, based on the team they're playing. They can choose to play a couple of different ways. They can change the front, they can change the coverage structure. They're really fluid in those things and they do a nice job of it. They can really create some challenges with you for the pictures you're seeing up front or in the back end with the coverage."
"So I think one of the big challenges for us this week is going to be trying to identify very early on what their game plan is against us," continued Ferentz. "Because I think it'll look different than maybe what we've seen on tape week to week. There's obviously going to be elements of it. But this has been a tough preparation because it's not like playing our (Iowa) defense where it's like, hey, this is what they're gonna do. We know that they're gonna match it up against what we are, but it's gonna look like this on game day. Now we got to beat it. There's an element (against Tennessee) of hey, look, these guys have some really good players. But then there's a structural component. There's a little bit of a question mark right now. And we probably won't know until about eight, nine, 10 plays into that first quarter exactly what it's going to look like. And then make sure we're dialed in and seeing those pictures clearly and attacking them the way that we want to attack them."
It certainly feels like Tennessee's defense has a major advantage in this game — at least to start the game — since it seems like they'll be the ones dictating how the game is played on that side of the ball.
One thing we do know about Iowa, though, is that they're going to try to hold the ball as long as possible. That's why it might be wise for Tennessee to be a bit more aggressive in the way they play against the Hawkeyes. The last thing the Vols want is for Iowa to have long sustained drives. And since Iowa isn't really a big play threat, Tennessee can afford to be a bit more aggressive in this game.
Butch Jones makes wild statement comparing himself to Nick Saban
That’s a wild statement….even for Butch
