How will Iowa perform without Kirk Ferentz on the sideline? Illinois State preview

Intro iow new sports your all access pass guys this the Hogs yeah I did think of one good thing about this at least I can blame if you know something happens saring just I don't know why they did that that that was stupid uh so maybe there's a positive here in this whole deal there's no snort but that's about as vintage Kirk as uh his humor is going to get welcome to the kirkless Illinois State preview edition of I on the Hawks Mitch viiic on Sebring mikal here with you thanks for tuning in on a Wednesday afternoon at 1 if you're watching us live on YouTube of course the iows news now YouTube page you know the drill by now we're well into season 2 that's where we' got all the videos you can see all the interviews and and what we got uh on Tuesday and of course if you're listening on the Pod uh on the audio side you're getting plenty of stuff there too but uh get over to that YouTube channel as much as you can we're going to go through a lot of stuff tonight obviously uh talking about no Kirk seems like business as usual I'm sure guys have been told to just kind of hey it's next man in and the next uh iteration as Seth Wallace steps in his acting head coach take a look at the depth chart we haven't talked about the the Shake cups the surprises if you want to call them that game captains we have a lot of familiarity but uh I'm repping repping the alma moer for a reason to talk about one of those captains and uh Mike had a great conversation learning with uh what the red birds are going to bring to Iowa City we'll get into that as well and our picks and everything like that but first of all uh let's start with Kirk finding things to blame Kirk Ferentz Suspensions from his couch or wherever he's going to be watching this at home uh we talked to everybody yesterday down there in Iowa City and talked to him as well they're trying to not to make a big deal about this just trying to stay Steady As She Goes uh do you guys feel like it's is this a big deal we talked about this a little bit after the suspension was announced he's missing for a impermissible contact with a transfer before they were officially in the portal is everything more or less the same or is this a big big deal first thing I'd like to say is that in our rundown uh Mike Mike put the cold open so as in quotes fence joke and I feel like that's the appropriate design for it you know kind of got a no ference to appreciate what actually counts as a joke with he definitely won't say that in reality um I think that like they found the perfect season with the perfect uh season opener opponent to have this happen I think that even if it was last year against Utah State it'd be like oh that's kind of interesting Utah State could come in there but I think Illinois state is the least opponent that you have to worry about and so um I don't see much of a big deal there I I was a little surprised when we talked to the Players yesterday just about how much there was not a let's go for Kirk we're going to win this for Kirk like and and that it seems like I mean they even I think it was Sebastian Castro who even said to us like they have told us like they don't want us to make a big thing out of this and and Kirk admitted that himself he's like you know I saw last year a lot of those rally for blah blah blah person maybe a big 10 coach who knows um but he just didn't want any of that Focus to be on him which is vintage Kirk again like he doesn't want anybody to focus on what's going on with him he wants to focus on the players and as he said too it's like this is a normal week in every aspect until you look at the sidelines on Saturday that's the only thing that makes a difference and because it's Illinois State out there I think this is a incredibly minor deal yeah I mean if this was a younger team perhaps it'd be a bigger issue if they were playing out with State game week one yeah then I'd buy into that it being a bigger deal but just hear from the players too like it's going to be business as usual on Saturday and I think that Pro this program kind of develops players for that mentality we're going to we're going in as it's a business trip we're going to go in for the game we want to win and they shouldn't need extra motivation to get to one and0 because if you lose an FCS team you're you're a national laughing stock at least that week you know so like I don't think they need any extra motivation so I don't think it's going to be that big of a deal come Saturday I'm sure a lot of them really aside from the Swarm and in the locker room how many of them are actually having interactions with Kirk during the game the the position that might see the biggest difference is wide receivers cuz John's not going to be there now you're also going to be working with Tim who I'm assuming is going to stay up in the booth even though he's kind of the de facto like go-to guy for all the the offensive decision-making uh decisions uh during the game but I would think really Kirk alluded to it again and you guys talked about it too like really the line share of the work you're doing is Monday through Friday like that's your prep and then it's just about going out in the cliche of just go play your 60 minutes so yeah I would feel like it's not that you don't notice he's gone but you're not having a ton of one-on-one time with Kirk fens during the game I would imagine so you'd probably be a little more set up he might be able to hear him every once in a while Co he's you know can kind of uh be a little low lowkey at the uh at the podium whatnot but you you can hear him yelling on the sidelines sometimes you can certainly hear Seth Wallace yelling uh little bit different vocality so to speak uh did you talked about Sebastian Castro kind of say hey they've told us not to really worry about this I asked Seth or asked Seb about Seth and maybe the difference between what you're going to hear before you do the Swarm from Kirk compared to what you might hear from Seth Wallace and uh apparently he's been keeping that in mind as well what's the difference between a Kirk faren pregame speech and a Seth Wallace one oh that's I have no idea sorry about that I have no idea what he's going to say so I'm actually been that's funny you say it because I been thinking about how he's gonna go about it and uh he is like a hyped up guy sometimes so I would like to see that some some sometimes I do like I like you know in high school that reminds me of like a high school kind of a mentality just a get like out there pumped up do Stu or whatever so uh who knows if he does he doesn't if he does I like to see it but but no yeah uh I'm excited to see that I haven't asked him but uh I'm going just let him let him be see what see what he does I I don't know if it's going to be a full raw Rob I I feel like Seth can can make that that pregame in halftime his own and and maybe have maybe not have fun is the proper term but I think he he could get a little uh cinematic with it and maybe give give something special I know we heard that they're not going to do free Kirk let's go win this one for Kirk but I think that the message will be like hey your guys's watching at home make him proud I think if there's any sort of like Kirk Centric message it might just be go make your guy proud because he can't be here with you I have a few questions for you guys before we get into talking about the game week itself I'd just be curious to gauge the room or hear your opinion on this my first question is this if we had not heard anything about Kirk missing from game one how long would it have taken for us to notice that Kirk was not on the sideline for week one like because honestly it might take me a full quarter to be like Kirk's not on the sideline I mean when would you actually notice that he wasn't there when he didn't get off the bus cuz you're there for HW walk I sit there for the hot all right well that's fair someone's missing but yeah if you're just a if you're just a casual fan I'm guessing you're missing at the Swarm you're going to look down and Kirk's not there at the Swarm because he's kind of front and front not front and center but front to the stage right your left I don't know I mean I just feel like so many people are focused on the players and what's happening on the field and the Hawkeye helmets and stuff that if it's Kirk more present for the Swarm at Road games I feel like I see him really at the front of leading things um and again we're we're kind of restricted as media from getting close to the Swarm for home games and so that's why I don't notice him there but um I don't know I feel like that would still take a hot minute for me you know as somebody who does not go to the hawk walk um to notice that Kirk was actually missing from the sideline and I might even just assume oh maybe he's up in the Press Box today what do you think Mike I think noticed before the game yeah you always see them too I mean if you're in the stadium they always come up and talk to opposing coach and yeah I think that's a spot where camera guys trying and get their video maybe not so much to this game but I know we have video of him and Matt Campbell getting together each game so I think I would notice um possibly not I think the TV cameras definitely would notice like the broadcasters so you know about it if you're watching from home maybe this is just a me thing that I'm just focused on so many other things as far as collecting video and trying to get different players that I just don't even think about Kirk you know until the game gets going after a couple quarters um he's definitely not running things during a pregame drills you know that's Seth and and other coaches assistant coaches so I see where where your point is coming from yeah my next question was this I was just thinking about if this were to have happened a year ago who who do you think would have been the acting head coach for week one do you think it still would have been Seth Wallace or would it have been Brian would it have been Lavar I think Seth or Lavar would probably be it that's a good question though since he wasn't um assistant head coach at that time right I still think I still think people in the prog you know we assume that Seth wall is going to be head coach somewhere in the next 5 years I think it's going to be a good experience for him obviously just in charge of a power five power four I guess now team um yeah but I would have guessed those two names yeah it was probably a safe bets yeah yeah yeah I and I had asked this to Mitch last night I was like you know because the university still has not released whether Saturday's game if Iowa wins if it's going to count as a Kirk ference win or a Seth Wallace win I even emailed uh uh Matthew whitel about that last night just to be like have you guys chosen what the what's going to happen yet and he still said they're still deciding but um I just asked Mitch if he thinks that Seth Wallace is here a year from now is he still in Iowa City or is this going to be his last last run in Iowa City you think I guess it depends on um what happens on Saturday no it depends on the programs come calling at the end of the year you know if he has a a good head coaching offer I would say he and that's good for him he'd go but if he doesn't he'll stick around I know he's had people sniffing around him in the past and he stayed so I think he likes it here so I guess it depends on you know if other programs power five programs are are going to come calling come the end of the year I don't even remember how what I answered to be honest I don't remember I think you just said I I don't really know I I think a lot of it depends on how much longer Kirk coaches as well because obviously when you get that associate head coach title you're in the running to be the successor I would imagine so if Kirk is here for this is it I'm not I have zero idea if that is but if it's one more year or two more years or three more years like I you know it's maybe comparable Jan Jensen talking about you know it was eight years ago that she said hey like not taking outside calls like I'm I'm sticking here until until Lisa is ready to step step away and retire and and then I'll take over so I don't know if he's had conversations like that of that he wants to I mean he's been here what 14 years now starting as a ga uh with with norm and and Phil and you know he seems to like the place played played ball not too far down the road from us at Co so he's he's certainly found a a good life here since he's moved back and yeah who who's who's to say what his future is but I think anybody who talks to him for five minutes knows whatever he wants to do he's going to be a success at it we'll shift from coaching to uh to the depth chart again all all the talk uh all throughout Camp was is it Cade is RB1 Shakeup it Brendan whatever it's Cade Kad qb1 as we get a look at the depth chart Mike's so good at building these Graphics thank you Mike the thing everybody's talking about though Kamari Molton red shirt freshments on flash against Western Michigan had a couple nice runs there in the blll game he is rb1 going in lean Williams sounds like he's been battling the injury bug again a little bit should be good to go Saturday but he's your number two Caleb Johnson sitting in there at number three so that was the biggest takeaway uh that everyone was talking about depth chart wise of course Caleb Brown suspended for the opener as well so he'll be back against Iowa State but you've got Jacob guil Terrell Washington at wide receiver Jarett Buie ree vandery we'll talk about him in a little bit too a true freshman cracking the two deeps Caden weij and Seth Anderson the sweet boys we'll call them that I think we might see them uh getting some rushing yards in there as well at the wide receiver spot but uh takeaways from this uh we you talked a little bit and got some really good Insight from from Kirk on Kade peeper being Center two and a guy who again we saw him toss hay bales so we know that's that's a legitimate measurement of of possible develop uh there's uh there's some opportunity there on the offensive line that to just have some some depth and flexibility that maybe uh maybe we weren't thinking about coming in yeah talked about a lot of guys that are going to be shifting around that it seems like this this group uh kind of like the shift that we've seen in basketball being kind of a position sport seems like this is kind of a position offensive line where there's a lot of guys who could this you know Cade could be at Center but it sounds like he can move over to guard Ellsbury kind of the same deal he's backup Right Guard but he can play center uh I think you talk about about Nick D young being able to play guarder tackle I mean that just everybody seems like they're very malleable could could be moved one place to the next which is perfect for Iowa offensive lineman because not only is it good for depth purposes but that sets them up really well for the next level as well knowing that maybe you played left tackle in college but you could play right Right Guard in the NFL yeah one thing Kirk said when asked about when you asked that question and he said good question by the way you got a shout out Owen um well Logan's not going to be here forever so they have to get the center for the future at least some some game reps and you know put them on the two deeps like that uh you know the wide receiver position is interesting to me beginning of Camp Seth was first Kaden ouan was was second Seth was out for the some of camps so you know how he answered the runningback question was kind of how I see the wide receiver one on that one since Seth missed some time I'm sure that's probably what it is um I think they're going to have to try and find Playmakers and from these six guys at the wide receiver spot we don't Caleb Brown is is uh suspended for week one they're going to try and see who's going to be their go-to Playmakers out wide so uh that will be fun to see on Sunday who gets the rock how they get it what they make of their opportunities and last year we saw a lot of drops from this wide receiver core um a couple of guys are new that cannot happen this year so yeah you know who's going to make the most of their opportunities is is what I'm excited to see yeah I wonder when Caleb comes back which wide receiver spot he bumps is it is it buoy that's that gets bumped out of the starting spot you think before Camp he was on the Gil line I believe oh really okay I I thought that Jacob Gil was kind of you know he was going to be a guy but he wasn't on the list because he hadn't played a snap yet but it was uh Brown buoy and Anderson on the top three lines yeah we talked to this a little bit about you know going back to the spring and Tim Lester still figuring out I think in a few ways still I think he's figured out some things but let's see what these guys do in a game you know everyone's got a plan everyone's got a to deep until people start getting hit in the mouth and you got to go figure some stuff out and and who's going to make plays who's not you're going to have somebody in week one that flashes and you go oh hey let's watch you know I know you're still probably a little sore Kaden ouan running sweeps in week one and then didn't see him a whole lot again and you were CL in front of those all year so you're going to see some things and again Tim Lester a guy who's gotten you know a month of fall camp and 15 spring practices that's that's time that's time to develop and get your system in and get things going that's not everything you need so I think there's they're still an exploratory committee so to speak uh looking at this stuff but again Kamari Molton rb1 that was the big talking point uh when the dep chart was released and Kirk as you might imagine was asked uh a little bit about that on Tuesday yeah I figur that might get everybody's attention but it's it's more bypro of what's going on uh two things really uh lean's missed some time he's had an injury that nagged pretty much throughout Camp um so Kamar got a lot of work this this uh August and the other component there is Kamar has really done a nice job and I think I kind of mentioned that or alluded to that back in December even he really started to to look comfortable and did a lot of good things did a good good job in the spring and um you know has really just been really consistent all the way through August so they're all going to play uh but he's really done a nice job uh lean's only been back you know maybe 8 10 days and it looks like he's good he's good to go but it was just uh he had a really long nagging injury it was just took a while to get get work through but uh Happy he's back U the other guys have done a good job too so really I feel pretty good about the group but uh anxious to see him play in Kamari especially we haven't really seen him go in game activity where have you seen Kamari Molton grow oh probably confidence you know he he's had a great attitude since he's been here he's got good Vision he's he's bigger and stronger physically uh than he was certainly a year ago a year or plus ago when he got here uh so all that's good and that's one of the benefits of experience and um you know so happy about that he's got he's got tremendous attitude but he's got he's got a real good Vision a good ability to see things maybe other guys can't see and that's been pretty consistent it really started showing in December when we were doing more work with the guys you know he had been on the scout team most of the time last year so uh it seemed like he was you know maybe a guy who could could pop through here a little bit and I think he's certainly done that in August and again I I Envision us playing you know a lot of the guys in the group and Max White's done a good job too so feel like it's a good group that way and you know we'll just kind of see how it play plays out as we keep going forward and history would say we we never have too many backs that's for sure yeah 20 years since you needed every back imaginable there uh in that 04 season uh Sam brownley still uh getting getting gold stars for what he did for that that team as well um I want to draw a parallel here if you've got something you want to I just saw hand I do I mean I have something that just from those conversations with Kirk that really jumped out of me because the question marks that came up when Kamari was RB one was why over Leon and why over Caleb and Kirk addressed that a bit with leeon saying that injury issues kind of coming back from that totally understandable but I don't feel like he really addressed why Caleb would not be the starting guy and so I I just wonder if there's something else there if if he's got an injury he's battling or if there's something else is is Caleb not as valuable as we might have thought I mean again he was your preseason pick for offensive MVP Mike doesn't look too hot now four days out or seven days out but I mean is there you know he looks so good to us in the spring game and in the kids camp games maybe there's something on the field that you know just us as reporters don't see that a coach would see in him that makes him not a desirable rb1 that it was just kind of telling to me that Kirk didn't even bring up his name when he was asked about why why not lesea or Caleb um at the rb1 spot it's always hard this early to decipher you know we're trying you know we have a press conference we're looking at it we're trying to what does he mean by bringing up this player what does he mean by this is it something or is it just like he said all the all the running backs going get carries um but he did bring up Max white who brought up Max even is the fifth running back you'd assume or six if you count you know Terrell if I do my math correct yeah yeah and you've got Jazz Patterson all that yeah Jazz it's it's a comment he made on August 27th when they haven't played any like I know we are trying to get every we got to nitpick everything we got why didn't this Happ why didn't that Caleb was listed as rb1 how many weeks last year I he I mean I I don't know he was start the Season 22 was awesome 22 he showed out there was he didn't take a snap inside Wrigley and he got but he won the Big 10 West against Illinois this touchdown I especially in the running back room I mean Kirk alluded to it yeah it's guys are going to get banged up at that position especially within this offense even even if the scheme changes they're still running the ball guys are going to get knocked guys are going to have to miss a time time or two you're going to have to have rotations Caleb Johnson's going to get his I I I wouldn't worry too much about it whether his name was left out or anything uh yeah I I I think he'll be all right I mean he's shown when when called upon whether it's breaking a long one against Purdue or or breaking one against Illinois to to win the West he's he's there when you need him he's he's reliable and maybe that's the the takeaway from all this is that that's that he's kind of a a specialty back in a way kind of of like jazzes I mean it seems like they they featured Jazz as kind of a short yardage PowerBack who can run somebody over um and maybe that's that's where they want to use Caleb is a um highlight reel running back that you know can break off a long one when you need one um so I don't know that was just interesting to me maybe you know I had my preseason prediction my bold prediction of having 2,000 yard running backs this year you know I was thinking in my head Lesean and Caleb and maybe it's going to be Kamari and Jazz who knows it could just be the that on Kamari who did show spurts last year so yeah it really could be so I I sent Mike a a link here and I'm all comparison's the thief of Joy so watch me take joy away this is Levante Bellamy Levante Bellamy was a 59 190 pound running back Kamari Moulton comp at Western Michigan during Tim Lester's era I believe he was a Fleck recruit though I think he was class of 2015 I think I was still covering that when he got in I watch him and listen we don't have a ton of tape on on Kamari this kid fits Kamari Molton be Levante Bellamy again not saying a lot because lante Bellamy you're just seeing a few highlights here if you're watching on YouTube was a two-time first team all Mac running back and the 2018 Mac offensive player of the year but he's the same size feels like if you're looking for that little explosiveness behind a veteran offensive line I wonder if Tim as he's figuring out what he's got in the toolbox has watched 28 run and seen a little bit of Levante Bellamy again and and going back to his time in kalamazo cuz that to me this is what your dream is for Kamari Molton to be this 59 Buck 90 guy that gets behind a good good offensive line and can just dance around and make guys miss and and be that explosive guy and maybe he doesn't become a thousand yard back because it's still his first year he's a red shirt freshman but this to me is the template of and again I'm probably just drawn the parallel because they're similar they're almost the exact same height and weight and there's a Lester connection between cazo and Iowa City that is that is my dream scenario for Kamari Molton is that you turn into levonte Bellamy 2.0 and Iowa has a running back that can do a little bit of everything he didn't he didn't catch a ton of passes he ran a lot but that's a guy that when I you look back at that Western Michigan ironically enough uh highlights from last year where Kamari really showed out and had those like all right yeah that's that's a guy that he's in space watch out so I wonder if that's that can be what he is because we kind we we know what Caleb can be we know lean can can run really well catch out of the backfield great on screens we kind of look for these definite the definition of a guy like what is he can he do this can he do that to me we don't have a ton on Kamari I look at lante Bellamy though during uh his days playing for Coach ler in kouo and I say boy sure be nice if Kamari could be that because they they're built the same hopefully they can play the same great comparison and going into the uh you know into the folder of past Lester players that that's good again I'm like I just I'm way too familiar with with certain Mac teams is this the only reason that Mitch Fick ended up as a news anchor here at Iowa now just so an eventual Western Michigan connection can I said form just wait okay his sister went to Iowa he'll be here eventually CFL Legend lante Bellamy suited up Calgary stamp Peters last year member of the Ottawa Ottawa red blacks running back so yeah that's that's an interesting interesting take I mean that that is what's kind Unknown about this offense with a new OC stepping in you know we we got so accustomed to who these guys were as offensive players last year but playing under under a new OC and a new system it could look just so totally different this you're playing on a new guy yeah it's the interesting thing about Jacob Gil you know he comes in from Northwestern he's a senior like oh he's got all the playing time in the world his if you look at his numbers and just try to judge it off numbers like doesn't have a ton of catches doesn't have a ton of yards doesn't have a ton of touchdowns but he's an experienced guy in a room that needs experience and he's coming into a new offense that you would think maybe lends itself a little more all of a sudden let's not worry about what the stats have been let's just worry about what he does in 2024 because they're they're talking about Jacob Gil for a reason yeah um and and we draw these comparisons between uh running backs that we've seen at Iowa and Western Michigan and that's something that you've been able to do a lot of with the wide receiver group as well because they had a lot of those come through under Tim Lester yeah yeah they certainly did yeah my my first thought before I remember oh yeah lante Bellamy was really good too was like he's looking for his next Sky Moore he's looking for his next Dwayne esrage a guy that can just get out and like who's our guy that can just get yards and do those chunk plays uh and yeah you're you're trying to find all those guys Caleb Brown's not going to be out there week one so he doesn't get to see exactly what he can do in this this offense will speed for another another week but is this the deepest running back room someone in the comments uh you're talking Max white is deep right I mean it's it's got to be there you know we we've gone deeper Sam brownley we've gone deeper uh but I think I Sam was probably rb6 in in ' 04 right five or six yeah or was mares Simmons the fifth guy that got injured that's why like um the we had comparable bold predictions you picking two 10,000 yard rushers I said 2,000 yards as a team I don't know they might have one 10,000 yard rusher but also I think you could have four guys that go for 500 or some some sort of split like that I probably be comfortable with with wide receivers you too you might not have a guy that goes for 800 yards 1,000 yards but you get enough guys that are going for 4 500 yards collectively and you go five six seven deep on that like that's a productive offense that has guys that can do it whenever you need him you know we just talked about it with you know Caleb win a whole game in in Chicago didn't get a touch next week he's there lean you know Jazz had his big game against Iowa State lean had his games at at Wisconsin and had the long run at Nebraska and had the big day against Western Michigan it's nice to not rely on one guy week in and week out you want to have those options and and that's certainly what you're hoping for the wide receiver room is they get more experience and you've got guys that you know a little bit about and that running back room certainly you'll take it going that deep we saw it in the tight ends too and this is an offense that's going to love its tight ends you've got Luke and and Addison and you've got orw worth and you've got Johnny and you've got your your starting fullback is a six5 guy in Hayden large who can uh catch passes as well so yeah you want a little bit of everything from everybody and I think that's what Iowa is hoping they've got across the board that those skill positions yeah maybe it's just when we know these rosters so well and we talk to these players every week that we feel like it's maybe deeper than it actually is just because we know like yeah uh Molton and and Williams and and Jazz and everybody uh so we can just rattle their names off so but boy it seems like yeah especially a running back in tight end they just have an embarrassment of riches I mean Cole Marsh coming in as a walk- on tight end from Waverly Shell Rock he could be somebody that produces and ends up being great one day Pascuzzi I mean gosh they've just got everybody you could possibly want Gavin Hoffman um has signs in in Spring practices um lot of I asked I think I asked um some of the coaching staff on mediate day just like how many how many future NFL tight ends do you have on this roster right now and it's like may maybe 10 I mean it just it seems like everybody could make a a a camp at least in the NFL one day and hey up in Detroit Parker hessie is one of the tight ends there and he didn't even play tight end in Iowa that's just how good tight end you is uh back to ree vandery though we talked about he's a true freshman he's on the two deeps Kirk True freshman on the 2-deeps uh was asked about that certainly because you don't see a lot of two freshmen on the two deeps any time of year let alone week one uh Kirk uh about as High Praise as you can give for a true freshman uh on rvz as we've now dubbed him two things in ree there's opportunity at the position and then secondly more importantly he's done a good job it was kind of frustrating because he had some stuff he was dealing with through the summertime medically uh but that cleared up uh I guess right before Camp I guess it would have been and he he's done a really good job he's learning quickly uh he's done some some really good things out there on the field and yeah he'll he'll be on the field for sure Saturday we're trying to figure out if Reese vanders he played around here at all last year let's take a look let's dig back into the go bound archives I'm trying I'm trying to think who the last like true freshman well Jarrett was out there last year wasn't he but Jarrett wasn't getting he didn't get any pass wide receiver so yeah I mean he was running with the ones in noncon and stuff I'm trying to think of the last like true freshman white out that really like yeah I was making plays and it's probably not that far back I mean I'm sure like I wonder if am Brandon got Amir 17 air was he a freshman Amir um the year they won and ases on the I'm pretty sure he was his first catch right firston benetti game Jason benetti called overley hit him in touchdown to walk-off touchdown to 4441 that's I still the idea that they were in a span of what six seven years two shawk games that went to Triple overtime and Ed 4441 one just blows my mind we were talking about that yesterday with some of the guys I brought up the named steel Jance and if you're a Cyclone fan that's your Hawkeye fans joke do you remember that you still have a j next year hey they uh good one that was a he he was a fun one to watch that was 2011 time is time is moving you got Sounders Year Mike just gave himself a r Applause for a joke that he heard a decade ago I was in ases that day and I watched it at a bar because that was wild one I think I walked home to my friend's house and just getting verbally abused but anyway you know that goes both ways just another Saturday and a if you're weing black and gold central line George Little Rock did not play anybody from our area doesn't look like last year so I can find no connection I know we ran a lot on those Central L guys just because I think they have three three on the roster right now and Vander Zack lutmer and there's one more centraline Georgia Little Rock kid on the team I forget who that is but um so I I know we've had to look into some uh Boll files to to track their stuff down but I can't find any connections they've played anybody from around here though it's going to be fun it's going to be fun to see what what he can do I I feel like 15's been on some some fall Camp highlight reels every now and then that he he pops up and he's usually doing something well obviously they put that in the in the Reel because it's been done well but also you don't see a whole lot of true freshman in there so I wonder if wonder if he's a guy again in a room full opportunity like Kirk said and you're looking for dudes to just start making plays uh 15 Ry turning heads in Iowa city you'll take that and these jabronies that co-host this show with me couldn't even appreciate the the word play that I found on this year's roster that there's two freshmen true two true freshmen on this year's team who are going to get a lot of playing time and they're both named Rees but just spelled differently homonyms of each other isn't that interesting you just don't see a lot of true freshman you said synonyms so I was like I don't know what you're talking about I corrected myself hours later that doesn't make sense uh also I can't believe you call this D Bronies on a live broadcast it's like we have to censor that is that a swear word Mac from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia or Vince Von during The Wedding Crashers Montage like I I forget if any true freshman played last year but we got Rees D and Reese vamari played yeah it's Western Michigan sure TJ Washington played as well he's a true freshman um but yeah yeah so I mean there's opportunities that's the fun part about week one you're going to see some guys and fans are going to go those awesome who was that like it's yeah it's going to be the fun part and then you got you know some transfers in there and things like that and and things will look a little different uh we turned from a true Game Captains freshman to some seniors the game captains announced uh right around 10:40 as we were first talking to to players at the the Hansen building yesterday uh Luke Lee Kade MCM Jay Higgins they were captains last year we figured they'd be the guys we talked about this a couple weeks ago who was going to be that fourth captain and we're wearing the shirt Shir for a reason because for the first time since 2008 a cedar ridan is a Hawkeye football captain Quinn schy Westside bests side holding it down with that fourth Captain spot uh he is the first Cedar ridan since Gavin McGrath and Rob bramman from Cedar Rapids Washington two great guys uh were captains in 2008 First Cedar ridans to be be Hawkeye captains we've had a captain we've had a captain from Williamsburg we've had a captain from wakan uh I totally forgot Nate Stanley was a three-time captain there aren't a lot of those in in Hawkeye football we've had a kid from an nominee be a captain between the times that we've had anybody from Cedar Rapids so so cheers to Quinn obviously a guy that we've talked about a lot not just because he's from not too far down the road from us here not because I may or may not have gone to the same high school as him but because but mostly that it's 5050 but because the guys that are also pictured in this in this shot if you're watching on YouTube and all these guys on defense the way they talk about Quinn you felt like he he had to be one of the top choices or he was just held immense esteem so Luke and Cade are both there Jay got to to skip a media session for once in his life but Luke and Cade talked about uh number 30 joining them on the captain line oh one second I got the I got that out of order you got it out of order first sound bite is just kind of Luke and Cade talking about read this wrong I read it wrong is what I did don't take the blame that's my fault I'm going to clean that up in week two all right and here's Luke Lee and Kate mamir talking about you know it been almost a year since they've played I mean I've gotten over I mean my leg's not injured you know I mean I've been there's no injury there's nothing my this is the best my body has felt and um I'm fully confident in that and I think the only thing just like any quarterback every single offseason the only thing we haven't done is gotten hit so you know I'm excited to finally like play some real football instead of just you know standing back there but you know there's there's no you know lagging or anything kind of injuries for me going on right now I'm in the best shape I've been I mean it's been since September 16th 20123 since I've last played a game and uh I think I'm just super ansy to get back out there for this first one um I feel like there' be a lot of different nerves going back out there again but um at the end of the day it just it's just football and um so yeah I'm I'm just really excited to get back out there what's is there a moment that you think is uh kind of set in that okay you know you're back yeah me know first play uh that's always the biggest thing the first play you have so many nerves but after that things get better and uh you can uh play you know play better without the nerves so it's good so he said he he knows the day of the injury I think he said like one of his best friends that's his his birthday too so he remembered that I also asked him I think it was after you were you were talking to him of just what he's thinking about for that first swarm because that's just such a the first swarm of any season is a big deal he said they they practice the Swarm Jacob Gil talked about this too I asked him just about like being part of that and how he's looking forward to it having come out of the other locker room as well uh and Luke said just even practicing that swarm and knowing that first one was coming he got emotional just because you know 11 months ago you're just trying to be able to walk on that leg again and and you've got I'm sure in the back of his mind he's thinking like did my Iowa career just end getting carried off the field and crutching off the field and yeah I'm sure I'm sure Saturday's going to be not heavy but that that's going to be as emotional of a one as possible especially for all these sixe guys who maybe thought they weren't going to get to swarm again Jamari Harris talked about too Jamari Harris has been here forever he's never come out on a season opening game as a starter and he hasn't been able to be in pads for the Swarm in since 22 or 23 he was out for both those so hasn't done that since 21 so he's excited so whether it's Luke coming back from injury or whatever it may be a lot of these guys I think this is a special swarm special entrance and special start this season for so many of these guys yeah and that's such a defining moment of their Iowa careers I mean even for those guys who will maybe be on the roster for four years and never get a chance to see a snap of live game action they still get to be a part of the swarm it's it's one of those things that makes college football so special you know in in Clemson it's the Howard's Rock um they're just every school has has their different thing either pregame or during a game that everybody gets a chance to be a part of even if you don't get a chance to play and and the Swarm is kind of that thing in Iowa that's the coolest thing about college football just going in to see all those I mean you picture M Michigan touching the go Blue sign the do the eye thing in Ohio State like every school Notre Dame play Like A Champion yeah Metallica Virginia Tech like bucket list items that I want to see in person sure I I was at uh two years ago I was at uh Arkansas for Arkansas Cincinnati for the season opener and I got to be part of the woo Pig suie and like maybe that's not one of the top tier like college football it was pretty cool it was have you know 60,000 people or whatever it was yeah it was that was fun that was a lot of fun didn't expect to hit that octave I don't know if they do rock chock jhawk during football games at Kansas but that basketball season is should it's a chilling moment yeah my my sister's an NBA grad from Kansas and she's been in Allen Fieldhouse a few times she's like yeah every time that's Goosebumps yeah pretty cool pretty cool uh back to Quinn though and the soundbot I was trying to toss to uh I asked Luke just about like what what he thought about Quinn being a captain a six-year guy former walk-on you know the story by now Luke Lee uh certainly happy for him it's super cool I'm I'm super excited for Quinn uh you know coming in a kid from Iowa Cedar Rapids uh you know this is something I'm sure he's dreamed of as a little kid and uh you know he's obviously had a great story but he's he's worked so hard and um just just so ecstatic for him because he's earned it and uh done a really well good job leading I told you guys about this uh little funny story on this so again Xavier grad so at 10:40 or whenever this news came out uh we were talking to players saw that like super cool so I asked Luke about and everything like that there was a l during player interviews there in the Hansen building Quinn wasn't one of the players that come out but uh I text Quinn's dad coach Dwayne schy and I just said something like Captain Quinn awesome and didn't hear anything back fast forward about 90 minutes later we're in the kinnick stadium Press Box editing all our interviews getting videos goes up on on uh on social media and I get a text back from Dwayne that says serious I broke the news to him and my heart fell into my feet because I'm like Quinn schy was probably going to surprise his dad with this news and I ruined it and I just felt I was mortified and so I text I'm like I hope I didn't spoil anything it was it was tens of thousands of people know by now it's on social media yeah and I'm I'm not the one who broke I'm not I'm not spoiling anything someone said this but I was just like I hope I didn't ruin this like I hope Quinn wasn't planning to tell you and he goes honestly Quinn probably wouldn't have told me because he would have thought it was bragging which that's if you know the show man you break news you're a news anchor I say if if if Dwayne is is talking about somebody else not wanting to brag that that says that's like I said yeah he comes from that family that's I shouldn't feel too bad yeah because it was like it had already been I mean I don't know I don't know when they tell the players I wonder he said last I asked Luke right after I was like when do you guys find out he said Monday night they found out but so that was my my assumption was like all right like everyone told everybody he had to get a million texts after that too so it's like you maybe you were the first one but I mean there were going to be a lot coming in that he he might be helping me feel better or something like that I don't know but uh yeah congrats to him just super super cool again first time in 16 Seasons there's been a cedar repid and it's captain and what I find really fascinating about this year's Captain group 2 is that this might be one of the hardest years to be a captain at Iowa just because of the amount of experience that comes back the amount of grad students fifth year sixth year guys that back on this roster there's a lot of guys who are deserving C deserving captains on that team I mean we talked about a couple of O linan like Logan Jones and Mason Richmond I mean there's so many dudes who could be a great Captain for this team but just might not get the chance because there are so many veteran leaders already who have been around this team for so long yeah I mean that's that's what makes the position special I always think of Tom Brady this probably maybe in the last decade or so uh was back at Michigan and Tom Brady if you haven't heard had a pretty good NFL career but he told those guys in the room he's like there's no big bigger honor all the Super Bowl rings MVPs anything like that than being named captain my senior year at Michigan because that was these guys in this room telling me that they wanted me to lead them and that that's yeah um again we talked about how these guys talk about Quinn and Jay and Luke and Kade and their leadership and I imagine that's as and kad's had that honor at two schools now we talked about Keller Christ is an analyst um Paul's nephew who's uh working at Iowa now he was I think he got on campus in Knoxville he was a starter at Stanford was a captain at Stanford transferred to Tennessee for his last year I think he got there in June and by August he was a captain like that's a big deal when guys notice immediately or you've paid your dues and you've waited and you get a captaincy that's a pretty big deal it's a really cool thing so yeah that's just the tough part of this really deep six-year senior class is well three of them came back that were captains last year and they probably didn't do anything to lose the captaincy so hey you've got you've got 12 to 13 captains on that team so to speak if you really stretch out that class new ones next year too yeah yeah I'm going to give you a chance to show off your knowledge a little bit more because you I'm going to crumble you mentioned these other local guys who have been captains you said there was one from Williamsburg in Austin ble yeah oh ble of course and who were the other oh Austin ble come on Wan was Parker hessie Parker hessie was a captain his senior year that's the only one I got based on the hometown I was oh Parker hessie forgot about that um yeah I I just Googled list of Iowa football captains and somebody whoever it was thank you for uh how far back does that go that list I think it went all the way back it used I mean in the 1890s when the program was really listen listen I'm doing it right now this was uh program is really helpful for that ha.com thank you to the folks at hawk.com uh 1889 Martin Samson come on of course back was the first was the first Iowa football captain they only had one or maybe two for a good long while uh Dan McCarney who's going to be part of that fryfest panel we'll talk about fry fest a little bit he was a captain in 74 uh Andre Jackson was a captain in 75 we don't need to Jim Caldwell people forget Jim Caldwell was an Iowa hawkey uh DB and a captain in 76 so yeah there's uh there's quite a few names on there that you go back and yeah um hat Peterson uh 85 he was one of the captain he's on the on the panel as well we'll talk about that but yeah that's I think I feel again we talk about stuff that you can't put in trophy case those captaincies that's a big big deal yeah um we've talked for 45 minutes and we have not discussed the Illinois State Birds Mike Howell talk about being a journalist and being a broadcaster and going to get answers uh had a good Conversation w/ Illinois State play-by-play announcer conversation really really good conversation with the play-by-play guy there uh Mike you want to set this up before we get a snippet of that yeah I talked to him for about 12 15 minutes I'll post the full interview later on our YouTube page uh kind of thought we just you know last year when we talked game you know we we are able to watch some game but I figured I'd try and this year reach out to someone either be writer or um Fitzgerald as the play-by-play guy at Illinois State he'll be in kinnick this Saturday so I wanted to give him I sat down with him over like a zoom call and just asked him about the team because who knows better than the radio play byplay who probably get the C practices and stuff like that so yeah here is that conversation right now so let's just Dive Right In the football can you just kind of introduce the Illinois State red birds 2024 Edition to T Hawkeye fans how much time he got the um I you know I think to be relatively brief it's a it's a ball club that was really young last year went six and five and what I think is arguably maybe not even arguably it's probably the best FCS level conference in the Missouri Valley Football Conference the likes of South Dakota State who you guys saw a couple years ago at kenck Stadium they went six and five four of those losses were by a total of eight points and the thing that stands out to me above everything else is obviously have a veteran coach and Brock back here former defensive coordinator at Purdue he's been to the FCS title game a few years ago against North Dakota State and lost in a close one he's done well here and he has figured out oneway shape or form amid all that's going on all that's changing in the FCS landscape and even in college football that he has retained virtually everybody he wanted to retain from that young team ago you brought up the transfer coming from Kansas State the quarterback at Jake rubley uh he's the quarterback out of West Mo Iowa Valley High School um is there a quarterback competition I know I read Tommy Rittenhouse kind of played last season eight games where does that stand has there been a quarterback named who's gonna be taking the first snap on Saturday anything that's a million-dollar question and I don't know the answer to that um to give you a little bit of backstory um the last two years Tommy writtenhouse really was the backup quarterback for Zack annexed who was a Minnesota transer who came in and started the last two years both years he suffered injuries so Tommy was kind of forced toward the end of the year into starting duties and as a freshman he was pretty much Tommy Rittenhouse was pretty much a run first tip quarterback so the offense changed Zack anx said was a little bit more of a pocket passer last year all of a sudden between that freshman and sophomore year Tommy Rittenhouse really developed himself into a guy who could throw the football vertically on the run and still be as dynamic as he is with his legs so he brings a dimension to the table that I think Tony Peterson the offensive coordinator for littleway State as well as Brock back would like to use this year oneway shape or form Jake ruley came in probably not as Dynamic from a foot standpoint but does have a rocket of an arm and at least the going refrain around campus since last spring has been that it's really going to be potentially a two quarterback system what that's going to mean we will find out a little bit more I think on Saturday and over the first couple of weeks of this season I don't know that it's ever been really considered to be a traditional quarterback competition because I think at least in Brock Spa's mind both are going to be used in different situations relatively significantly so let's switch things up up to the defensive side of the ball um still I I think last year it's fair to say that an offensive forward team I think they were 12th in scoring among FCS but the defense was still top 25 in scoring defense and Total Defense so can you talk about who leads that defense and and what we're kind of seeing there yeah the the defense is very good and I say that knowing full well who uh the opponent is on Saturday so um there is there is a slight difference I think in the linebacking core but I I would say that the linebacking CT for Illinois State um and probably the safeties might rank amid the top two or three in the entire country at the FCS level um Ty namp who is the defensive coordinator's son had a really outstanding rard freshman campaign last year 74 tackles Amir Abdullah was a new linebacker that came in as a matter of fact the division two transfer who had an all conference here last year uh Keandre Jackson Dylan Gearhart Lavo Deontay McCoy kind of that back field in the defense has been outstanding I think if there's a question on the defensive into the football and head coach Brocks back is a defensive first type of head coach there's no doubt about it their defenses have always been really good it's gonna be how well because of some graduation and um replacement guys how well can they get pressure on the offensive line moving forward big thanks to Mike for doing that I think that's a cool little wrinkle that Illinois State deep dive we can hopefully uh keep going there as he goes by the Numbers here six and five in 2023 the red birds were four losses by a total of eight points when they tell you every Point matters boy Iowa knows this in in some Boomer bus years too it comes down to those one or two plays or one possession uh total offense 10th I I'm guessing these stats are FCS rankings FCS ycs Rings 10th best offense in FCS 10th best scoring offense Total Defense right there right around the top 25 as well so uh pretty good stuff there Brock spack you heard about in their 16th season boy you've got I know Kirk's not going to be out there but two had coaches that combine 42 years in the same spot that's a pretty rare thing Tyler tashman great writer for uh for Hawk Central um had an awesome feature story today Brock spack who was a great linebacker at Purdue that's why he's defensive focused his first official visit when he was being recruited out of high school into college was for Hayden friy Iowa Hawkeye so he went to kenck at a very young age obviously picked the boiler makers things worked out well for him but uh some good connections there uh for Brock as he uh returns to Iowa City as a coach for the first time since 2015 when uh Iowa opened up against the Red Birds and won 3114 things went pretty well for the Hawks there in that 15 campaign and uh lost 10 years ago to or is that supposed to be 2024 no 2014 2014 gotcha I was I didn't think they played in the national title game but uh you know 10 years ago almost won a Natty so this is a this is a pro program that I know they've only quote unquote got a 20 next to them in the FCS rankings listen it's they play in the Missouri Valley watch out those are always going to be tough teams whether they're from Cedar Falls or wherever it may be yeah one thing John said to me that uh they didn't really get hit by the the transfer portal as hard as a lot of teams on lower levels do I think they returned like nine returning starters on offense um you know that quarterback play is going to be interesting that um Tommy Rittenhouse is is a runner so if you see 15 it's probably going to be a run and then Jake rubley who we were talking about while we were watching that um he's more of a pocket passer but seems like both of them are going to play and uh yeah might as well hey again you it's interesting to you know when you when you rotate quarterbacks just to see what they really got yeah it feels that's maybe more of an FCS thing or more common at the FCS level of hey like we've got two guys to that can give us a bunch of different wrinkles we might as well I I I wish I could offer a little bit more insight as a guy who follows the mvfc pretty closely with un Andi um un Andi is a team that beat beat Illinois state by three last year um but as we've mentioned you know they're the they're the SEC of the FCS and um they do bring a lot to the table I think that we're going to get into game predictions in just a little bit here but um I think that this is a game that what was it last time they played 3114 314 3114 yeah I could Envision that being if that's the end score I mean technically it a blow out but I was not covering so I don't know if you if you remember this sentiment in 15 of and again iow was coming off that 2014 season where they get troun the tax Slayer CJ's name the starter early and and the end of the 2014 season I believe was the the infamous that'ss football quote and I remember the Gazette headline after the win on the following Sunday after Iowa beats Illinois State to open 15 was now that was football because even though a 17-point win against an SCS team and I think they were number five coming in uh in the fs polls in in 15 Trey Roberson was the Indiana transfer quarterback that I remember a lot of talk going into that game of being like this is a really good LM test you know this team coming off what they were you know again getting getting run out of the building and the tax Slayer against Tennessee like okay like let's let's see if some of these changes I think that was the first year that Iowa had moved practices from the afternoon to the morning there had been a lot of like logistical shifts and even though a 17-point win might not feel like a troun scene if you watched that game it felt like this this Iowa team looks different they've got they've got a different vibe different Swagger if you want to use that word it it just felt different and then you know they get go to ases the next week and uh you know as a shawk game always is it was a it was a fight but you know by the time they ended noncon they hung 62 on on Dan mccarney's North Texas team so that was this is always a game that hey just don't worry about the score so much just worry about what you see here and again Illinois State's gonna going to bring the fight to kenck because why not home opener and and you got an opportunity should we get into game picks I think so yeah let's do it all right I feel bad I threw a bunch of uh Week 1 game picks bunch of games at mic that are all Thursdays and we were wondering like what if people listen to this Friday so if you're listening to this Friday we have one Friday game make yeah if you're listening to this anytime after any of these games have played uh just clown us for probably making terrible picks just go ahead no matter which way uh this is what we're doing so we're going to start with week one on Fox uh Minnesota started uh the 202 three season last year against Nebraska on Fox this time they will also be at home but opening up against m brown and the North Carolina Tar Heels uh tar Hills on the road one and a half Point favorite there uh in Minneapolis yeah I picked these lines up to uh this morning FanDuel they're not a sponsor I'm just transparent it's moved Four Points in the past few days and uh from what I can tell is that there are Rumblings and no confirmation that Daniel Jackson and Darius Taylor might be injured or at least they're recovering from an injury but I think there had been talk of Taylor being banged up but um yeah Max brosmer the transfer from New Hampshire is starting quarterback for for the Gophers this year and I think there's after they had a couple open scrimmages there's some cautious optimism that he's a guy that if if he's got healthy weapons he can can really click for this offense and bring the go for something that they've been looking for uh as little as I know about both of these teams to start the season I would like uh North Carolina I think to to cover there um I don't uh Mitch famously has so much more faith in Minnesota than maybe anybody else that resides in the state of Iowa but I think that Ma Brown and tar Hills are um could do some damage there in Minnesota I let you go Mike um I'm going to do the same and I don't know why this isn't showing up this uh thing those watching on YouTube this PowerPoint is just fighting against us well you know I I was going back and forth and I was going to take the home team but I'm not going to let some rumors you know of these injuries you know I I do think if they're missing their top receiver and top running back that they will struggle um UNCC is also replacing Drake May and um and TZ Walker so I think it's going to be kind of tough but um here's a here's a stat I found online though Mack Brown is 8-2 at North Carolina um against nonconference I think power five opponents so I think I'm going to go UNC got play yeah yeah you've done your research uh I'm going to take the Gophers I I think this this brosmer kid is going to be he's he's going to be something I think he's a lot like Tanner Morgan in a guy that just let's be efficient let's get the ball downfield might not be able to stretch it you know for verts all the time but this is a dude that again if he's got his targets and if he can Elevate his targets um that's a dude that can get that that offense going so we'll we'll see what happens there I pump up Minnesota because I don't think any a lot of people outside of Iowa realize that Minnesota hasn't won consistently for like 50 years you know PJ Fleck has nine three nine- win seasons in his tenure I'm not sure they had nine 3 91 Seasons the century before they won 10 games in 2003 uh when it was Marian barara and Lawrence in the backfield there and then before that like those are the only two that and 2019 are the only two double digit uh wins seasons for Minnesota in like 50 60 years so just it doesn't happen so the fact that he's making bowl games and doing anything of Merit in Minneapolis so I I'll I'll take them to to hold court on HomeField again that's uh tomorrow night on Fox 28 tomorrow being Thursday if you're listening to this Wednesday uh we then move to the pride of soulen walking into folman Field cam Miller still at NDSU still winning natties still a heck of a quarterback there taking the ring in as a N9 and a half Point Underdog against coach Prime and the Colorado Buffalo that's also a 730 P or 7 PM kick Thursday on ESPN do we think the bisen can do what they are known for doing taleski po poek thank you palaski I know people are out here um former Iowa o line coach going back to a place that he's got a lot of history at he'll be his first game as head coach there for the Bison do we think the coach Prime Swagger and and this one get talked a lot you know NDSU is a traditional FCS power yeah past few years they haven't won a national title which is a shocker State really really good South the Alabama of FCS um they do have a first year head coach who who knows the area quite well and um Colorado has a ton of transfers like 40 something transfers almost the entire offensive line outside their Center but they still have you know shur Sanders and Travis Hunter um I think the line is a little lower than it normally would be against an FCS team or maybe it's the NDSU effect I still think the Colorado will cover nine and a half points I think I think NDSU is a trendy pick and I don't think I want to see them do it under a new coach I know they do it every few years because their coach gets snagged up but uh let's just see it you know here I I feel like there's probably more people picking North Dakota State just because they don't like Colorado you think it's a fair assessment like I I think state has a real good chance of getting back to the top of the Heat this year that Colorado just Colorado having a revamped offensive line after shador got sacked like 50 plus times last year protect him just a little bit and he and Travis Hunter are going to eat all day um I'm going to take Colorado to cover I cam Miller is gonna have an awesome season I think he'll be in the I hope he's in the running for the for the Walter pton which is the FCS version of the Heisman uh that's that's a tough ask on on a Thursday night to go into fome you know that crowd's going to be electric uh and Travis Hunter good luck to anybody playing him this year he's just G to be so him and shador hopefully he can stay healthy the whole season because he's a highman contender playing both ways if he is North Dakota State's a team that always has a lot of Iowa connections on the roster I mean Kim how how long has cam Miller been around there remember he won the 2021 National Championship there I think um he's been around for a long time um Carson Williams is a junior tight end he comes from Marshall Town um uh there's gu head coach was born in waterl I I think CHR Chris kimman yeah who's at Kansas State I I hope you guys could look up a picture of Nate kubitz um a debuk senior grad who's uh who's on the roster and he's uh he's a delight to see you if you if you see him on the roster KU B TZ um Nate schneckloth is North Scot grad who's a offensive tackle they've got another who's from um Pella on the roster Brady werck is a running back from Sous city um a lot of Iowa connections on this team I I feel like North Dakota state is gradually a very gradual decline as a program um not to say that they're not going to be a national title Contender for the next five years or so because they probably will be um but they are not quite what they once were um Colorado I was just looking at uh field yates's um 2025 draft draft board um so kids were going to be out of school after this year and Colorado has two uh in the top 10 and schuer Sanders and Travis Hunter uh tricky game um but I I do think that uh Colorado is going to uh play a little bit better this year and and be a at least make a postseason game this season I mean they are Deion Sanders is doing his absolute darnest to make this team as unlikable as possible um but I do think that they're going to be a little bit improved this season we'll say cam Cam Miller looking up his his numbers he has 8,100 total offensive yards uh during his 51 games for n DSU uh am I doing the math right here 84 touchdowns jez 48 through the year 36 on the ground he is he's a special special player and hey he's he's played against the toughest teams in FCS and he's played some tough FBS teams too what an opportunity to maybe try and upstage shador Sanders get there and do something cool didn't bone Knicks just set a record for the most games played at the maybe at just the FBS level 61 uh he and Colt McCoy were out yeah so he's played 51's a a big number big number one more season played eight as a freshman in 2020 obviously that was a a wild year 20 or 13 and 21 15 a piece in the last two seasons I mean he's yeah he's played a lot of football and certainly if you remember him in soulen he was a heck of a football player back in his prep days too moving now to uh is this a Saturday Saturday game Friday Friday night Friday night game yeah 8:00 pm on FS1 Western Michigan the same Bronco team that rolled into Iowa City last year against Wisconsin year two for Luke fickle Tyler van djk the Miami transfer in there uh some high hopes for him for the folks in Madison the Broncos and antario antario Thompson Hemstead transfer from Iowa who blocked a couple punts last year he is at Western Michigan now they are a 23 and a half Point dog against the Badgers uh feels to me like a good game for Wisconsin to to dominate I like the Badgers at home I will agree with that um even though they're you know um settl in a new quarterback Tyler van djk from from Miami you mentioned um they have Alabama week three on the schedule so I think these first two games are going to be kind of their their games to you know get their feet wet and I think Iowa probably covered last year I can't do the math in my head that spread so if I'm was going to say Wisconsin's offense a little bit better than it was last year so I think they'll cover yeah I I wonder I Hayden Wolf's back he's a he's a senior for Western Michigan to be the starter it took Wisconsin a little time to to find their feet in in a new offense last year I mean you're changing 20 years of philosophy in some some sense there in Madison last year with with fickles system uh Tyler van djk is g to have a really good year I think and so begrudgingly I will take uh Wisconsin to cover not because I don't want Wisconsin to cover but I just still have an affinity for Western Michigan it's tough I hope antario Thompson gets a couple big plays in there hoping he has a great 2024 season there in kazoo big one on Fox big noon kickoff on Fox Saturday 11:00 a.m Penn State who watch out for Penn State in this college football playoff they they should have been in a 12 team the last few years at West Virginia the home of Jillian Brooks broadcast Park alum she's a mountaineer uh eight and a half Point favorites on the road are the nitty liines this is the year they've kind of circled with Drew all and Nick Singleton and everybody else that's that's been young and and thrown into the fire and getting their feet wet this is a big year for them do we think it starts well in Morgantown or are they going to be burning couches out there this is a tricky game last year West Virginia wasn't really expected to do much they won nine games you know Neil Brown started the season on the hot seat everyone thought he was going to get fired by week five but they kind of turned it around and and went to a obviously went to a bowl game and their quarterbacks returning I think they got some transfers on defense coming in um they gave Penn State a first quarter or second quarter last season but that was in hampy Valley I think Penn State wins but I think West Virginia is going to cover this at home in Morgantown I'll just take the points here if it was a little less if it was like six or five I'd probably take Penn State to cover but I think I'm going to take the Mountaineers I okay I I really think that Penn State is maybe getting overlooked as a team that uh could win the Big 10 I mean they were a team that just was on the doorstep last year but just kept coming up you know as the number three behind Michigan and Ohio State um and maybe not enough people talking about this team as they have a a heavy returning group this season so um I I kind of like pin State on the road I'm going to go with that too I'm going to steal a stat from from Joel clatt that's one of the big podcasts I listen to if you expanded the the playoff to 12 teams over the last eight seasons Penn State would have been in their six of the last eight teams it's a playoff team they have been year in and year out uh they I'm Iowa fans be glad you don't play Penn State this year because I think it'd be real tough to pull off the magic that's been pulled off in years past this just they are going to be really really tough and I think I think they could be at the top of the Heap at the end of 2024 in the Big 10 so that's uh I'll take Penn State covering as well uh wouldn't shock me if Mike's right though um again week one Morgan Town that's going to be rockus uh boy week one's just going to be fun isin't it great we already we already got to see Florida State and Georgia Tech over overseas and that was fun to just get that going again so a reminder that anything happened but we turn back to Saturday 11:00 a.m. on BTN Illinois State at 22 and a half Point dog coming into the 25th ranked Hawkeyes no Kirk no Caleb Brown what do we think for the hawkey to open up 2024 I think Iowa can cover over that those 22 and a half points um I I I I think that with some question marks on offense for Illinois State I feel like it's a good game for Iowa's defense to Feast it would not surprise me to see a defensive score for the Hawkeyes um and and just a little bit of motivation to to put some out there on offense to put some on display um I I think that they could you know it could be a 30 to3 type of game something like that yeah I hope the offense Finds Its footing against a lower level team um you know that 2015 game by that score 3114 they do not cover but I do think you know the defense who's looking for a little more turnovers this season a little more sacks um I think they do pull it off and I think it's just mainly because I I see Illinois State scoring zero to six points so they would need to get into that what 31 point 35 so I see that happening I think I'm going to take Iowa too okay I have a feeling that after back toback shutouts to end last year I think Iowa Returns the favor I think they shut out elois State uh 27 nothing 31 nothing something like that bold prediction game by game I don't know if we want to throw this in as a wrinkle my bold prediction is that Iowa runs for 200 yards on Saturday and it's not going to be one guy running for 100 I think we're we're that's where you're going to start seeing the wealth be shared I don't know if Kamari has the most if lean if Caleb whoever um wouldn't be surprised if Seth or or Kaden bust off a big sweep I think you'll see those back in play again but I think don't worry about kad's numbers I think Kade will do what he does and I think he'll be fine I think you'll see some some Flash and some spots there but I think this is the game especially as you're getting ready for Iowa State just pound the ground show off that experienced offensive line show how deep this back field is and and get out of there and really you know this might be a 14 nothing game at the half and then uh maybe the floodgates open a little bit there in the second as we talk about bold prediction that's that's a fine one um I I think we see a touchdown of 40 plus yards on Saturday either pass yeah as a p passer or running I'm not sure could be one or the other could be both I could see Kamari breaking one off for a big run I could see um you know Kate at some point letting one fly to H to Jered buy or Jacob Gil he Luke Lee how what is the number of receptions by a wide receiver that would be bold for for a leading receiver for uh receptions by receivers you love this stat you hate love this stat I suppose I'm just kind of okay so last year in the opener Nico had two Seth had two and uh that's it so we had four I was going go 6.5 and I think they go over I think they yeah do complete some passes to to the receivers is that bold I don't think so is it bold to predict six seven catches for wide receivers I mean Luke and Addison are going to get a lot uh Terrell Washington is a wide receiver now I think he might have a couple grabs yeah I think you'll you'll see more production out of the receiver core I Final thoughts don't want to put a number on it but I think you'll you'll see a little more maybe in different again you've got two wide receivers who are really good at running sweeps yeah so you want to go touches by wide receiver see this specifically to make a I want him to throw the ball and the receiver to catch it old fashion sense well that's why I had to like think about what was bold cuz you know I didn't want to pick a number six doesn't seem bold but um again last year was four but we'll see I think I think it'll be like between six to 10 yeah I think they're going to try and open up try get some rhym between trying to figure out what you got there yeah for sure especially if they have like a 21-point lead by half time I think in the second half they are going to want to explore a few more things and see some of the maybe numbers two or three on the wide receiver dep sharp Trot them out there and see like if these guys can catch passes so that's why I think that um going in the taking the over on the six and half is a pretty safe bet there you go this is a hefty eye on the Hawks first game preview the season we've talked about this too also remember uh we're not going to do Recaps on Sundays this year we're going to go to Mondays give us a day to sleep let's be honest we're just going to be exhausted by the time we get through week one a high school football season home opener as well we're we're just going to need a day of rest there on on a Sunday so we'll be back on Monday to recap everything uh we talked about this a little bit and of course if you're watching on YouTube right now you've got all the social plugs here ey on the Hawks on Twitter iows News Now on YouTube and Instagram our next episode though will not be Monday it will be Friday this is a really cool thing we've T talked about this week uh we've got fryfest coming up Monday or Monday we've got a fryfest coming up Friday uh there's a remembering Hayden fry panel at one o'clock on Friday uh I'm very very fortunate to get to moderate that we were talking about captains I went and added up four captains four former captains I believe are on this panel uh along with Coach Don Patterson and Phil Hattie longtime Sid uh we are going to live stream that on YouTube and we're going to share it as a special eye on the Hawks podcast uh Nate Kaden's done this a couple times with his conversations with Beth getts and Bob Busby and he just had one that came out earlier this week with uh Seth Wallace of all people and and Tyler Barnes that were really interesting but so we're just going to record this conversation and you're going to be able to listen to that as a special podcast so if you're not going to be able to get off work early enough to get to this this panel discussion or you want to you know share it with somebody uh we're going to be able to do that so thanks to all the folks at think Iowa City uh for helping us with the logistics and everything like that CU that's going to be really really cool I mean so many of these guys have different stories you know again hat Peterson uh a a captain on on those teams Jared D was I think the last senior class that Hayden had there I think he graduated in 98 Phil Hattie again has seen anything in everything during his time as Sid Don Patterson was at in Denton with Hayden the year before they came to Iowa City and then Dan McCarney uh of course knows a little bit of everything on every side of the shawk Rivalry was in uh Wisconsin for a while with Barry Alvarez and Barry first went to Madison so there are going to be stories Galore uh and that's man that's kind of what fryfest is about it's what this week's about is just remembering all the fun times and getting ready to make new ones here in in a new college football season yeah very excited to hear from Jared dze um the guy who you know has had some tragedy in his family over the last year but um and we haven't just heard a lot from him in general over the past uh past couple years but um he's somebody I'm excited to hear some of his stories that he's got to tell about those those latter years of Hayden Fry's time in Iowa and you know what what those you know late 90s years were like um you know finishing up his career there yeah and and again Don Patterson a guy who just last week saw him at practice so he is still around the program as as much as anybody and Phil's always popping up here and there and I think he still helps out on some of the the big events too he's just as good as they come so that's going to be some awesome conversation thanks in advance to Mike for helping out with Logistics on that sure yeah you learned a lot about technology in the last year because this podcast a lot of help from from Brent one of our Engineers here and he's going to come down with me but we're going to grab their feet and and send it along so people from home can watch because I know everyone can't get to the I River Landing on Friday uh but cool event every year a lot of Hawkeye fans a lot of stuff going on and the panels I have are are awesome I think last time I went was a couple years ago when they had the 15E for U 2004 team um got Scott Chandler and now I'm blanking on players who who were actually there um but Drew Tate Warren Hollow all those guys so it was very cool yeah waren Hollow was there he's a huge celebrity from that one touchdown catch he had in his career and it's maybe the most famous touchdown in history 100% pretty awesome so uh and you mentioned Scott Chandler his uh head coaching era starts Friday on Eastern iot first game as head coach at Iowa City Liberty so we've got a little change I guess for uh Eastern iow this year too if we want to plug the high school stuff too sure yeah yeah we're going to be obviously airing as we normally have on Friday nights at 11 o'clock on FOX um G kill kill that outro music bring that down for just a hot minute um so we're gonna have uh High School coverage on Friday nights um going to be you know getting pushed back I'm sure some weeks with some college football and World Series games and what have you um but then we're going to be re-airing those on Saturday morning what time is it they air on Saturdays uh man you caught me on a bad one it's before the I think it's I was just Mitch me up I'm like I don't know leads into big what Chang is this year big listen um I think 9 the show :30 sound right 9:30 yeah show up and do the job that's what we're trying to do yeah no but but Eastern Iowa te is always a blast I mean I'm just excited about so many of the first year head coaches this year guys like Scott Chandler who's in his first year at liberty another former Hawkeye um Jason Dumont left left Regina is going over to um uh West Liberty G another Liberty is having Hawkeye head coach um got some Hawkeye connections of course Dustin Ellsbury the older brother of Tyler Ellsbury is a first year head coach of Regina John Nester Senor the father of of course John Nester on the Hawkeye roster he's the first year head coach at West Branch a lot of first year guys this year and a lot of interesting story lines I'm sure we're going to see a lot of Hawkeyes on the sidelines of these games yeah I feel like every wide receiver for Iowa in the last like 10 years is coaching wide receiver somewhere vanderberg is a soulen Keenan Davis is at Liberty uh and there's a few other guys I'm blanking on Ed hle is always doing stuff too so there's plenty of hawkey around and yeah the Kirk faren coaching tree we talk about the Hayden fry one the Kirk farens one continues to grow as well so uh if you have missed any High School football previews ow and Curtis have done a lot of them Curtis was off we'll give a lot of CR credit to Owen Curtis took vacation at the right time too to get away so uh tons of stuff to to consume ahead of week one of the high school football season plenty of football coming we're pushing 80 minutes on this podcast we've wasted too much of your time we will see you back here in studio on Monday for that eye on the Hawks recap we'll recap Illinois State look ahead to Iowa State but again 1:00 Friday tune in that panel discussion that's going to be a ton of fun and follow us all on social media we'll have plenty of stuff from kenck on Saturday hope to see you there he