Iowa football: Should Brian Ferentz be on the hot seat?

In the last two weeks, the Iowa football team’s offense scored just 15 points. Is it time to question offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz’s job security?

Time flies when you’re losing. After four games of the season, the Iowa football team had set a single-game record for total yardage and was sitting at 4-0 with an offense that looked like it had the potential to be the best since the 2002 Hawkeyes.

After playing the two best defenses so far on Iowa’s schedule though, folks are now questioning if we have the right guy running and directing the figure ship of the offense?

It’s a fair question. The offense has looked downright pathetic the last two weeks, but to put it all on Brian Ferentz isn’t exactly justified.

Yes, there are things he needs to improve like his two-minute offense, his down and short plays, and his ability to adjust to things being seen during the game (like Michigan bringing 5 or 6 guys consistently.

And yes, those are big things that should cause some concern, but it is not Brian Ferentz’s fault that Nate Stanley, a third-year starting quarterback with NFL talent can’t place a ball into Brandon Smith’s hands on a slant at the goal line.

It’s also not his fault that the interior offensive line can’t seem to pick up any sort of movement along the defensive line allowing pass rushers a free lane to Stanley.

I have no doubt in my mind that the duo of Brian Ferentz and Kirk Ferentz is a top-five offensive line duo, and this group of linemen is getting the best coaching it possibly could. That’s not a question in my mind, which means it boils down to player execution, and while that ultimately does fall on the coaches, it’s not actually their fault in this situation. And with the interior offensive line breaking down more than the budget car you bought for $500 from a shady car dealership, there isn’t much Ferentz can do.

A broken offensive line shuts down the run game. A broken run game shuts down the play-action passing attack (a staple in the Iowa football team’s offense), and in general, it speeds up the time that Nate Stanley needs to get the ball out of his hands.

From a play-calling standpoint, there are only so many things the Hawks can do within the constraints of their personnel. And to do it on the fly is even more difficult.

My final point is it has been two games. Two games. Through four games we ready to crown Brian Ferentz the successor to Kirk. Now, we are ready to throw him to the streets.

He’s a young offensive coordinator who is still working on his craft, and the problems currently being experienced by the Hawks do not mandate this guy get canned. Let’s cool our jets Iowa football fans.