An Angry Fan’s Letter to Iowa Hawkeye Football

Dear Hawkeye football,

I have loved you since I was old enough to toss a football. I grew up dreaming of wearing the black and gold. I listened to your games on the radio when you weren't on TV. I witnessed the historic rebuild by Hayden Fry. I cheered patiently for Kirk Ferentz and again, was rewarded with heights we hadn't seen in decades. But now, we are at a historic low. In 2023, the Iowa Hawkeye offense is a national joke. And I am tired of being made fun of.

At one point during the fourth quarter of Iowa's loss to Minnesota, the Hawkeyes had -8 yards of total offense in the second half. They finished the second half with 2 yards of offense. Quarterback Deacon Hill, who yes, has been thrown into a tough situation, isn't getting better. And when asked if we just might see Joe Labas under center, Kirk Ferentz gave the old line that we don't see them in practice, and that Hill is miles ahead of Labas. Really? Labas led Iowa to a bowl-game victory last year! This is a serious indictment of Iowa's failure to develop their young QB talent.

This team and program are being held back by a refusal to change. Change for the sake of change is rarely a good idea. I doubt many Iowa fans want defensive guru Phil Parker let go. His defense is the only real reason to tune in on Saturdays. But the Iowa offense under Brian Ferentz has reached new lows, something many fans didn't think was possible. And yes, he is working without his starting quarterback and his top two tight ends. But the Iowa offense doesn't crack the top 100 in any offensive category. They are at the bottom of the list of 133 Division One schools in total offense. This is no longer just sad, it is unacceptable. Heck, even Aaron Rodgers is taking potshots at us!

In closing, I want to make it clear that my anger here is not directed at the players at Iowa. They work their tails off and want to win more than any of us do. I'm angry at the coaching staff for failing to put them in a situation to succeed. I know that firing Brian Ferentz today wouldn't fix the Iowa offense, but it would send a message to the fans. It would tell us that we're right. This isn't an acceptable form of Iowa football. We can do better and we're willing to take the steps to do so. But Brian Ferentz won't be fired this week. Iowa is 6-2 and can still win the Big Ten West. We're still complaining about Cooper DeJean getting screwed by the refs. But how bad is your offense when it takes a miracle play to win?  

This Iowa fan is done watching until something changes. I've had enough tortured hours of watching offensive football set back three decades. It's time for Brian Ferentz to go. And if his dad refuses? Let the rebuild begin.