The trap-game theory is kind of silly
By Pat Harty
IOWA CITY, Iowa – Under the circumstances, Saturday’s game against North Texas could be called a trap game for the Iowa football team.
Why?
Because we in the media, along with some of the fans, say it’s a trap game.
We say it’s a trap game because it will be played a week after Iowa’s 44-41 overtime victory against Iowa State in Ames and a week before Big Ten power Penn State comes to Kinnick Stadium for a nationally televised night game.
Iowa is also favored by 21.5 points, which says the North Texas game could potentially get out of hand, according to the experts.
“Really, I think it’s just you guys because every game that we play, we realize its’ a big game,” Iowa senior tight end Peter Pekar saod of the trap-game theory. “Penn State is not even on our mind right now. We’re focusing on North Texas.”
I’ve written so many of these trap-game stories while covering the Iowa beat, but I agree with Pekar and never really have endorsed the trap-game theory.
A trap game is just a convenient way of explaining why a team loses to a team that is considered inferior on paper. It’s a way to explain the unexplainable.
But mostly, it’s a bunch of hooey.
Those who disagree would counter by saying, of course, the players will deny looking ahead to Penn State because they're talking to the media and what else are they supposed to say?
But what does looking ahead really mean?
Unless the Iowa coaches used much of this week to prepare for Penn State, which seems highly unlikely under Kirk Ferentz, how is Iowa at risk of looking ahead or falling victim to a trap game?
Should Iowa lose to North Texas on Saturday, it wouldn't be caused by the Iowa players looking ahead to Penn State or because they still were dwelling on the victory over Iowa State.
It’ll be because either North Texas performed way above its potential or because Iowa performed well below its potential, or both.
“We’re focused on this game,” Pekar said. “People say Penn State and this. But North Texas, they’re a good team. They’re dangerous.
“So we’ve got to prepare as well this week as any week.”
Every head coach preaches to his players and to the media the importance of taking it one game at a time.
But some, including Kirk Ferentz, mean it more than others.
“That’s where it kind of originates and he drills it into our brains,” Pekar said of Ferentz. “Ignore the noise. This is the game we have to focus on. I mean we only get twelve a year. Think about that. So this game is huge.”
Pekar brings up a good point about only playing 12 regular-season games. That’s about 20 fewer games compared to the Iowa men’s basketball team’s regular-season schedule and about 40 fewer than baseball.
Basketball and baseball also have multiple games during a week, sometimes as many as three or four, while football is played once a week.
And if you look at some of Iowa's worst losses under Ferentz, they didn't occur under trap-game circumstances. Iowa lost to Western Michigan 28-19 in the 2007 regular-season finale with a bowl game on the line.
That certainly wasn't a trap game.
Pekar is also right about North Texas being a dangerous team, especially on offesese where sophomore quarterback Mason Fine is living up to his last name. He passed for 424 yards and three touchdowns in last Saturday’s 54-32 loss to a pretty good Southern Methodist University squad.
Fine has thrown six touchdown passes in two games, which equals his output from 10 games last season.
The Mean Green also pose a threat on the ground behind Jeffery Wilson, who rushed for 176 yards on just 12 carries in the 59-14 victory over Lamar in the season opener.
This team is much improved from the North Texas squad that lost 62-16 in 2015 at Kinnick Stadium in what proved to be Dan McCarney’s final season as head coach.
Second-year head coach Seth Littrell has breathed life back in to the North Texas program. He led the Mean Green to the second best turnaround in the Football Bowl Subdivision last season, finishing 5-8 and playing in the Heart of Dallas Bowl.
“It's a whole different preparation,” Ferentz said. “So I don't even know if I can find my notes from two years ago. They're back there somewhere. You don't really need them. Yeah, that's a whole different deal.
“So this is out of the Mike Leach Air Raid family. They play at a high tempo. They know what they're doing. They know where to go, pose a lot of threats with quarterback runs. They've got a really well-conceived offense, but most importantly the quarterback's a really good trigger guy.”
Ferentz was referring to current Washington State head coach Mike Leach, who is known for having potent, quick-strike offenses.
The Iowa defense was exposed during the victory at Iowa State, both on the ground and in the air. So it can’t afford to look past the Mean Green.
The Iowa offense is now the flavor of the day after shredding Iowa State.
Sophomore quarterback Nate Stanley has thrown eight touchdown passes in two games, while Akrum Wadley is ranked second in the Big Ten all-purpose yards, averaging 203.0 yards per game.
True freshman receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette also has emerged as a weapon for the Hawkeyes. He had two touchdown receptions against Iowa State, including the game winner.
Eight of Iowa’s nine touchdowns this season have come on passes, which is unusual for the run-oriented Hawkeyes, but shows that new offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz is making a difference.
“I wasn't aware of it," Kirk Ferentz said. "I guess I'm not doing a very good job of self-scouting, am I? Right now, I'm just glad they came, especially on Saturday because we needed every one of those at that time. However we get them is okay with us. That will balance out at the end of the day. I know our play calls have been pretty consistent for the most part.
"Like the end of the first game we tilted it to the run because we were trying to make sure we won the game. The other day it was a little different as well because we had to get back in the game, so that affected things. Though I think in that last route we did a nice job of mixing the run pass and knew where the clock was at that point. So all that other stuff will balance itself out. As long as they come, we don’t care if it’s run or pass or air or ground, it doesn’t matter.”
Prediction: Iowa 38, North Texas 21