If you were an Iowa football fan with the false hope that the offense would make an attempt to change after an abysmal 2022 campaign, then this news conference had to have hurt.
Iowa football is entering a pivotal 2023 season. While the squad has not experienced a losing season in a decade now, fans have grown restless with the current state of the team. Already not the flashiest team in the nation, Iowa mustered only 17.7 points per game last year. That was the 123rd-worst mark in the entire country. Iowa’s offensive ineptitude hamstrung one of the best defensive units in school history.
This offseason gave fans a bit of hope. They brought in two big transfers in former Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara and tight end Erick All. The organization had to be dissatisfied with the current state of affairs. Change had to be coming. Otherwise, McNamara and All wouldn’t have come, right? Right?!
“We’re going to do the same things we do, but we’re going to do them better,” offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz said in his Thursday news conference.
Okay, well at least they’re looking to do things better! Maybe there’s going to be some improvements!
“I’m going to approach my job the same way I’ve approached it the last 11 seasons. My job is to help us win football games. We have a tried and true method, we know how we win, we know who we are, my job is to make sure we play to those strengths and on Saturday, we’re winning games, not losing them.
“Our job as an offensive staff is to get together every year and tweak the things that we do, and figure out how we do things better. I don’t know that there are any notable changes. If that’s what the players think, that’s super, that’s great. We’re just trying to move the football, and to win games,” Ferentz said.
Oh…
This offseason there has been pressure on the Iowa football team, on Brian Ferentz especially, to make improvements on offense. All last season fans voiced their displeasure and it’s completely justifiable. Iowa scored less than 14 points in five contests this past year.
Brian Ferentz was given what has been referred to as an “ultimatum” of sorts. He has to get Iowa up to the illustrious number of 25 points per game in scoring offense or it’s curtains in Iowa City. Those 25 points per game equate to the 85th-best mark in football last year.
Asked if it would impact he or Iowa’s play-calling, Ferentz said it wouldn’t.
“That’s a fair question, but the answer is no. I’m going to approach my job the same way I’ve approached it for 11 years. The reason I’m at the University of Iowa, the reason I coach here, is I care about this program and I care about the people in this building. I have one responsibility and that’s to win football games. That’s it and that’s how I’m going to approach my job,” Ferentz said.
Posed a hypothetical where Iowa was leading Wisconsin 24-10 with 30 seconds remaining, Ferentz said he has no interest in running the score up to secure he and Iowa’s 25 points per game average.
“That’s probably a better question for the head coach. I’m not interested in that. I could care less, honestly. If this is my last year being the offensive coordinator at Iowa football, I’m at peace with that. If we’re beating Wisconsin 24-10 with 30 seconds left, you can bet your ass that I’m at peace with that,” Ferentz said.
As far as pressure from the fans and what Ferentz would say to their frustrations from two seasons of poor offense, he issued a pretty clear statement.
“I don’t have a message to them,” Ferentz said.
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Iowa football: yet again content with being the same little ole Iowa. If you were worried about this year already, I don’t think this is the press conference to give you any sort of comfort at all.
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