By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Kirk Ferentz plans to conduct a “comprehensive study” of the Iowa football program during this coming offseason.

Once the season ends and the transfer portal finally settles down just a little bit, Kirk Ferentz will take a deep diving into finding out what is wrong with his offense.

Because right now, defense and special teams are both rock solid and performing at a level that is good enough to wins games if the offense was just average.

It certainly didn’t help to lose junior linebacker Jestin Jacobs to the transfer portal, but of the seven Iowa players that have entered the portal since Monday, five play on offense, and four are offensive skill players.

Kirk Ferentz conducted a similar study following the 2014 season and that’s also when he promoted C.J. Beathard over two-year starter Jake Rudock at quarterback, and when he moved practice from late afternoon to the morning.

It seemed to pay immediate dividends as Iowa finished undefeated during the 2015 regular season and played in the Rose Bowl for the first time in a quarter century.

Iowa also won nine games in 2018, and 10 games in both the 2019 and 2021 seasons.

So, there has been a level of consistency since Kirk Ferentz conducted his previous comprehensive study.

However, the offense has performed woefully pretty much since the start of 2021 season, but especially this season as Iowa is ranked 130^th out of 131 FCS teams in total offense, averaging just 255.4 yards per game.

“There’s going to be a multitude of things we’ll cover,” Kirk Ferentz said of his comprehensive study. “I don’t think anything’s really broken right now. But I think there’s things we can do better like every year. But it’s a wide range of things.

“Whether it’s our players, our coaching staff, our approach, each phase of the year from a football standpoint. The recruiting, all these things, and now you got a new topic with transfer portal. And we’re all kind of winging it right now in that regard and learning as we go. It’s kind of been interesting, quite frankly.

“In some ways it’s kind of exhilarating. Because there is opportunity there, I think, if you’re careful about how you do it. But, yeah, all that being said, yeah, we’re going to go through everything and just see what we come up with.”

Kirk Ferentz held a zoom conference with the media this past Sunday to talk about Iowa’s matchup against Kentucky in the Music City Bowl on New Year’s Eve in Nashville, Tennessee.

But he also addressed other issues and was asked if he anticipates his coaching staff still being intact in February.

“Yeah, I mean departures on our staff are sort of like the portal and your team,” Kirk Ferentz said. “Anything could happen there. Couple thoughts on that. Just, again, simplification. But I look at our season and I’m an optimist as you guys probably know. We lost two games by three points. We lost to two teams that are in the college football playoffs, which I think is historic from our conference. Both in the same season we played those two teams. And as I said back when we played ’em I thought they were pretty strong. I think it’s been verified on the field and by the Selection Committee today.

“And we lost a game last week where we had two key players injured. We turned it over and gave up a big play. The things that had really helped us win the four previous games. So, every season’s a new season. Every season is a different season. Every season has its own story. But, yeah, it is what it is. I told the team yesterday, I’m really proud of them and it’s been enjoyable to work with them, and I’m looking forward to working with them I think our whole staff is, this coming month.”

And while Kirk Ferentz didn’t rule out making coaching changes, he hardly sounds as if he’s ready to fire his son as offensive coordinator.

While some Iowa fans are hoping that Brian Ferentz will be relieved of his duties as offensive coordinator, it just doesn’t seem to be in the works.

Kirk Ferentz seems more determined than ever to fix everything around his son.

“And then, like every year, we’ll do a comprehensive study on everything we’re doing,” Kirk Ferentz said. “I really kind of foresee this year being similar to what we did — and I had this thought weeks ago — what we did in 2014. 2014, that’s when we went to the morning schedule, etcetera.

“But we do a study each and every year, but I think this one will be a little bit more thorough and a little bit more detailed.”

Regardless if he changes offensive coordinators, Kirk Ferentz has to figure out why the Iowa running game consistently under-performs.

Iowa is ranked last in the Big Ten in rushing with an average of just 97.2 yards per game, and that is just unacceptable for any Big Ten team, let alone one that prides itself on being a power running team.

True freshman Kaleb Johnson and sophomore Leshon Williams both have shown that they can be effectice at running back with a little blocking.

Johnson leads the team with 762 rushing yards, and is averaging 5.4 yard per carry, while Leshon Williams has rushed for 410 yards in 11 games this season.

Some fans and media members have been clamoring for Kirk Ferentz to switch his blocking schemes from zone to more gap schemes. But if that were the answer, wouldn’t Kirk Ferentz, whose area of expertise is the offensive line, know it?

Are we really to believe that the media, and some people on social media, know more about blocking schemes than Kirk Ferentz?

On the other hand, Iowa’s approach certainly leaves much to be desired based on how poorly the offensive line has performed this season, both in run and pass blocking.

Some have wondered if losing Chris Doyle as the strength and conditioning coach in 2020 has made Iowa more vulnerable in the trenches.

But that seems to be a reach since Iowa also struggled to run the ball with Doyle on the staff.

The problems with the offensive line, and with the inability to sustain a rushing attack, go far beyond just one person.

Another thing that seems obvious is that Iowa desperately needs help at receiver with just four receivers currently on scholarship.

The transfer portal is the only place to go for help right now, and while beggars can’t be choosers, Iowa needs to improve its speed and athleticism at the receiver position.

Iowa needs more players who excel in space, but it might be hard to attract those kinds of players due to the struggles on offense.

Kirk Ferentz also should consider recruiting quarterbacks with more mobility in order to keep up with the evolving defenses that are more athletic and aggressive these days.

He also should consider playing more up tempo on offense because there always seems to be a lack of urgency in the play calling until it’s usually too late.

If what fans have witnessed this season, isn’t signs of a broken offense, then Kirk Ferentz has to prove it by ending the misery on offense.

Because assuming Brian Ferentz returns as the offensive coordinator, fans will be highly skeptical unless somehow Iowa and Georgia would happen to switch rosters through the transfer portal.

It certainly helps to have landed Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara from the transfer portial, and Michigan tight end Erick All reportedly could soon be joining McNamara in Iowa City.

But Iowa needs a lot more help than just having a new quarterback on offense.

McNamara led Michigan to the 2021 Big Ten title before losing his starting position this season. But he also played behind one of the best offensive lines in the country, and he had one of the best rushing attacks in the country helping to pave the way.

McNamara won’t have that luxury at Iowa.

There is a growing belief that Kirk Ferentz won’t be able to fix his offense without making dramatic changes in strategy and approach, and with personnel.

Not surprisingly, Kirk Ferentz doesn’t agree with that belief.

He’s made it this far by doing things his way.

The problem with his way right now, however, is that his offense is historically bad, and his son is running the offense, much to the dismay of fans.

It’s an awkward sitution that might take more than just a comprehensive study to fix.