Phil Parker explains how Iowa defense can stop allowing long drives
Phil Parker has created a great defense this season for the Iowa Hawkeyes. There are always flaws with every great team or unit, for the defense it’s stopping long drives.
In the 9-6 road loss to Illinois in Week 6, all three drives that ended in a field goal for Illinois were drives that came from nine plays. The game’s opening drive came from a 17-play, 66-yard drive that resulted in a 27-yard field goal.
During the press conference on Wednesday, coach Parker broke down some of those complications with stopping long drives (via 247Sports):
“I think we have to really to go back and look and evaluate when you could have got off the field on third down. We could have got off in the Illinois game on third down, and we were going to get off the field, and we got a penalty.”
Parker knows that something like that can only get corrected with more work at practice. The Hawkeyes can’t allow Ohio State’s offense to do this to them on Oct. 22 if they want to have success.
“Those things you just have to keep on working at. The guys that we’re playing against, I think are on scholarship too. They’re trying to win too. It’s very competitive. The sense of urgency to make sure you’re exact, and you have be to perfect.”