Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - AWAKENING?: Iowa's Offense COMES ALIVE on the Road at Rutgers | Will This MOMENTUM Carry On?

Starting point is 00:00:00 Iowa puts up 38 points in a road victory against Rutgers. Iowa goes to 1 and 0 in the Big Ten. We react to what we saw and hope for this football team and certainly the offense after what we saw in Piscataway. You are Locked-on Hawkeyes, your daily podcast on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. Hey, welcome in. I'm Trent Condon, and this is the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for making Lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen every day.

Starting point is 00:00:39 Today's episode is brought to you by Mazda. Like our players, we sweat every detail because when you make every move count, pulling off the unexpected is only the beginning. Stay tuned later for highlights of this week's moving the game forward. Mazda move and be moved. Glad to have you board with us here and a late night edition of Lockdown Hawkeyes as we go live here after the Iowa 38, 28, 28 win against Rutgers. And one of the wilder games that I can remember back and forth,

Starting point is 00:01:09 a lot of issues, a lot of concerns, a lot of positivity. So we can go a multitude of different directions. Glad to have you aboard with this here as we take a look back upon things and what we saw. Start at the beginning, I guess is the easiest place to go. And the opening kickoff brought back for a touchdown by Caden Weege. Now, you might have to help me out a little bit here because I was working tonight. And I was broadcasting the Ankeny versus Ankeny Centennial football game on radio. So, yes, I had it on up in the booth, but there were some things that I missed,

Starting point is 00:01:41 including this one, because I take a peek over, they're getting ready to kick off. I look, and it's six nothing. What the hell just happened? Well, Kate Wegett saw the replay, ran it back 104 yards for the touchdown. What we continue to see out of Weechin and what he has continued. been doing in this return game after that performance in Ames and what he has bounced back and done is nothing short of incredible. I mean, you have to be incredibly excited about what this is.

Starting point is 00:02:08 And one thing that we talked about leading into this football game is Rutgers as a program, and Greg Shiano is a head coach that does dedicate a lot of time to special teams. And so many times, Iowa, you know, has to win that battle in the special teams. And though it wasn't perfect tonight, they definitely had the advantage from the opening kickoff on the field goal late to give them the lead before Rutgers responded what we saw obviously overall the return game that also continued at the end of the first half the weegean gets knocked down at the 14 yard line and nearly went back for another one there but weegean his return

Starting point is 00:02:45 ability the speed that he has just what iwood does the dedicated coach and what levar woods has done you know there might be some youngsters out there that coach wilson back when he ran the special teams about 15 years ago, it was a disaster. And I think I was calling for his head about every single day on the radio. But here we are today. And what LeVar has done with these units, it's not perfect, but you can tell the work that they put into it. And like a program, and when the talking heads and the national people, when they look at Iowa, and though maybe things will change a little bit after this 38-point performance, you continually hear, though, that they don't dig deeper, right? And they don't look at things like special teams of what Iowa was.

Starting point is 00:03:29 I thought Dakin bounced back and was much better from what we've seen from him to this point in the season. But definitely, as we had our grades earlier in the week, might have to bump that one up a grade level, special teams after what we saw in this one. But then the breaking story, certainly in most of the first half, was I was inability to get off the field. Another thing that we talked about leading into the game was that wide receiver group and just how good and talented that group was. And I think everybody saw that from Ian Strong. And if that's Ian Strong at 100%, thank God we don't have to see that dude at 100%. Holy crap is he a stud. It's not just that he's big, you know, 6-4-220. Making contested catches going up, the physicality that he plays

Starting point is 00:04:17 with. I mean, just bullying his way around the field. He finishes with eight catches, 151 yards. And Iowa, I thought a lot of times had good coverage. Those dudes were just making plays. And you a couple of that with the other big receiver in Duff. We talked a little about Sheffield, who was involved early in the game, and I thought he was a good guy. But Iowa couldn't find a way. But this is Phil Parker. Now, what made this one different is we're so used to seeing this happen early in games, where Iowa giving up some yards, giving up some chunks sometimes, but they're able to slow down, maybe get, you know, a field goal attempt.

Starting point is 00:04:56 Maybe it happens a couple of times, but just not the onslaught that Iowa saw. But Phil Parker, went to the halftime locker room, came out with the game plan, well, we're just not going to sit back. We got to apply pressure, and they did that. And for, what, four drives of the second half really made Calic Manus uncomfortable.

Starting point is 00:05:14 And it's probably unfair, because, you know, what I think of Aethan Callic Amonis, I think of a guy that we saw four years ago when he was a freshman in Minnesota and he wasn't good and he's improved immensely now we'd have those kind of weapons but that's certainly going to help things also but he is making strides forward

Starting point is 00:05:30 but Iowa dialed it up I mean how many times did you see throughout the course of the evening T.J. Hall right there dude just makes the play Deshaun Lee right there making a play speaking of making plays good to see Jaylon Watson out there a late in the football game

Starting point is 00:05:45 because he's going to be a guy I think it's going to be important piece, certainly for the future and very well could play a role this season. But the defense, the issues, they were able to slow him down, but we really go to the big story. And that is what we saw out of this Iowa offense. In a night where they left points on the board, Mark Grinowski, with 14 minutes left in the ball game, the underthroat, who was wide open for a touchdown. That missed there. The miss field goal just absolutely

Starting point is 00:06:21 sliced that one off the side of the foot from Drew Stevens. That was a bad miss. And I went back and looked because we talked about some of the issues potentially that were there for Iowa and were there certainly with the snapping issues that we talked about before. But really, it wasn't anything like that. The hold was a little bit slow spinning the laces away.

Starting point is 00:06:43 But come on. I mean, that can't matter for Drew Stevens. And as we talked about last week with the misses that he had, it just for me, it brings back those memories of two years ago at the end of the season when he was not in the right headspace. Now, he came back and hit one to give eye with the lead 2421. Credit to him and looked really good on that. It looked good on the extra points.

Starting point is 00:07:06 I don't think it's a big concern. We know he's got the leg, right? It's not a leg talent thing, but because of that and the way that it went a couple years ago. The other thing that's kind of unfair, all right. So he was really struggled in that game against Nebraska two years ago. And they bring in meter. But he didn't get opportunities in the Big Ten championship game, then a week later against Michigan,

Starting point is 00:07:27 and then in the bowl game. So that's probably unfair. Maybe that's just a me thing, and I need to get over it. Let's hopefully Drew Stevens gets over it. But this offense putting up 38 points. Let's talk about it a little bit more. We're going to get into Mark Grinowski, his performance and what we saw. In a way, Mark Grinowski, I certainly grew up in front of our eyes,

Starting point is 00:07:48 but what we saw from Mark Grinowski and the physicality that he played with, is this something that is going to maybe propel this team. We're going to tackle that when we continue here. Stay right there. We continue with more. A rapid reaction podcast on Lockdown Hawkeyes. This episode is brought to you by Mazda's moving the game forward. For those who believe it's not just about playing the game,

Starting point is 00:08:12 it's about redefining it. There are moments that do more than put points on the board. They move crowds, move culture, and keep moving the game forward. This week's moment that moved the game forward is Mark Grinowski's rushing touchdown to put this one away. It was not quite the tush push, but are pretty dang close to it. You got Hayden Large in there pushing the pile forward. Third rushing touchdown of the ball game, talk about defining the game. The physicality of Mark Dornowski definitely did that.

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Starting point is 00:09:49 wayfair.com that's wayfair w a y f a i r dot com wayfair every style every home Trent kind of back with you again here on lockdown hawkeyes thanks for being with us to making lockdown hawkeyes your first listen every day tough physical felt like a Hawkeye win. Though the scoreboard didn't indicate that at 3828, not what we saw. And with our locked-on community that we have here with all the Big Ten teams, we have a group chat and heard from both locked on ducks, a host, excuse me, Spencer McLaughlin, and locked on Hoosiers, Jacob Goings. And they're both wondering, what's going on here? A little bit concerned? Maybe, maybe. Let's hope that's the case, and certainly the case, next week with Indiana rolling into town.

Starting point is 00:10:46 This was the Mark Grinowski I thought we were getting. And whatever happened in that first game, I know left such a sour taste in the mouth for many people, myself included, coupled with missed opportunities a week later against Iowa State. And the drops, the last two weeks, definitely have been a part of it. And maybe that has negated the positive steps that we've seen for Mark Renowski. in the passing game. There were opportunities. We talk about the short-arm pass to Ortworth

Starting point is 00:11:18 that would have been a touchdown to give an Iowa at the time of 28-21 lead. Instead, it was 24-21. Ultimately didn't matter, but mattered at the time. And certainly after Rockers marched right down the field and took the lead, 28-24, you have that feeling. Oh, boy, we cannot afford to lose this football game with what's still on the schedule for Iowa.

Starting point is 00:11:37 But they didn't. And it was Grinowski, tough running. Moulton had a really nice carry, a couple of nice ones in there, got them down to the one-yard line. Now, I had one that almost popped out as I would just take in the lead, and that would have been a disaster in its own right. But what you see out of Mark Grinowski, and there was something that just popped up on the screen

Starting point is 00:11:56 as I'm sitting in the parking lot trying to leave Ankeny and watching the game on my iPad in a parking lot like a weirdo, because that's what I am. And as I'm doing that, you can hear in the audio, somebody after the touchdown, yeah, Mark. And that excitement, that leadership, that toughness, it's just a style that works for Iowa. Yeah, we want to continue to see more out of the passing game.

Starting point is 00:12:20 But we saw it. They were taking shots. We saw early in the game, Phillips with a drop, tough catch, but still one you got to have. It definitely leaves you thinking that there can be growth out of this team. 38 points up, running the football incredibly, well. And we've got to give credit as well to the offensive line. And what the guys up front are doing from Jennings Dunker comes in a preseason all-American.

Starting point is 00:12:50 Some people consider the best right tackle in all of college football. You look at Logan Jones, but Bo Stevens and Kate P for the first time he's seeing extended action. What we've seen from Trevor Loughke and the growth that he makes and talk about excitement for his future, you're doing this as a sophomore, what his future is going to be out of that group up front. It really is an exciting time knowing that you can go out there and do it. Jazzy on Patterson comes in. It does what Jazian Patterson does.

Starting point is 00:13:18 You throw molten, though, and he is different. We got to see a little bit of Nathan McNeil. This team's going to be able to run the ball, but again, it goes back to what you have with Mark Grunowski. And how many times here these last few years you get even those third in three situations and he feel dead? I can't do it with the passing. They're going to run and they get stuffed.

Starting point is 00:13:40 It's going to be fourth down, and we know it's going to happen. I was going to punt it away. And now the confidence that you have on third and one, the confidence to go for it on a fourth and one, those kind of situations are just absolutely different than what we're used to. My buddy, Bama, Bob, and if you listen to my radio show on the Iowa Sports Radio Network, you hear Bama with us on Mondays and Fridays. He sent along this note a little bit earlier today. The last time that Iowa scored 38 points or more in a Big Ten conference game,

Starting point is 00:14:10 was on October 18, 2008 must have been on the road because last year they did it, of course, against Wisconsin. Regardless, putting up 38 on the road, man, that's beautiful. It really was. There's work to be done. Here's another component that we talked about is, I mentioned all throughout the offseason. Every day or so you probably got sick of me here and talk about it.

Starting point is 00:14:33 But I knew this season, Iowa had to win games at times differently. There might be a slug fest still in there. There still might be one of those hideous games that we've grown accustomed to over the last five years. In fact, well, the game of two games against Iowa State was one of those games, and unfortunately Iowa was just on the wrong end of it. But with what they have, with Indiana, with Oregon, with Penn State, with USC, these teams can all score and score in bunches. And if you expect even win one of those four games, you're not going to win at 1712, right?

Starting point is 00:15:06 you're not going to be able to just get in a bare-knuckle brawl and think you're going to beat those teams with the offensive talent. And this was kind of the JV version of what I was still going to see. And they put up 38. Now, Rucker's defense, albeit, is not very good. And we saw that again at times in this one. Still, to be able to do it, they proved it. They proved that they can win a game like this.

Starting point is 00:15:32 And this is something that we haven't seen before that Iowa can go out and win in this fashion. Not win by blowout against a bad team. Win by blow up like last year against Wisconsin. None of that. What you saw here is a team ready to go, sold out crowd. Ruckers sets a attendance record for this one. They're charged up.

Starting point is 00:15:53 And Iowa was able to make the place. How about Mark Grinowski too? I've played to the crowd a little bit. Who didn't hollering with the student section? I love it. A guy with some moxie. A guy that carries himself that way. The other thing with Iowa quarterbacks here recently is they didn't have the full compliment.

Starting point is 00:16:11 And yes, that doesn't say there aren't deficiencies in Mark Gradosky's game because that would be unfair. There are. He's not an elite level passer. He's not an elite level processor. And people that watch the All-22 film will tell you the same thing. He's not great going through his progressions. But what you do have this guy is the leadership qualities. Spencer Petrus was a great leader, a guy that would stand up in front of the media.

Starting point is 00:16:34 to answer all the questions after a terrible performance. The problem, there was a lot of problems. You go back to Nate Stanley. Tremendous talent. It wasn't a talent thing, and you look at the numbers, and it's almost incredible that he was able to put those kind of numbers up, but he did because he's a really talented guy. But you talk to anybody that played for him

Starting point is 00:16:55 or was around the Iowa football at the proger. At the time, he was not that dynamic leader. He was not that jump on my back. I'm going to get there. You have that component with, Mark Gornowski. And if the growth continues from him, throwing the football, understanding the system, doing all those things, and then coupled with Tim Lester, also knowing, speaking to Tim Lester, how about down up, second down and six, up the right side as I would take the lead to

Starting point is 00:17:20 Dayton Howard. Got a smaller slot corner on him and just bust him. And a Dayton Howard guy that we've been hearing about, right? Had a touchdown last season out of Maryland, but he's been kind of forgotten. And to go to him to get the matchup that you want to make the play call, I thought Tim Lester was tremendous in his play calling in this game, dialing up the right things at the right times of one of his better games, certainly of his Iowa career that we saw. A lot of things to be excited about. So for now, let's turn the page. Let's talk about a little bit more about what we're going to see going forward. Plus, we'll get it into your questions here if you're hitting us up on YouTube, send them in right now on this live edition of Lockdown Hawkeyes,

Starting point is 00:18:03 and we'll get to those here in a little bit. Next week, it's Indiana. Big picture, what does this mean for the Hawkeyes? We'll do that as we continue. This is Locked on Hawkeyes. This episode is brought to you by Square. Your favorite neighborhood spots run on Square. There are certain businesses that truly make neighborhood feel like home,

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Starting point is 00:19:46 these players delivered when it mattered most. Let's break it down. Mark Grinowski, three rushing touchdowns. Look, we got to do it to Hawkeye fans. Mark Grinowski talk about delivering in a big way and salting this game away with the power up front. No hesitation, no delay. You've been watching week after week. This performance, please building hasn't been a fluke. Mark Grunowski is on a streak. And just night, Lake Grinowski delivered for the Hawkeyes, DoorDash delivers your Saturdays. With DoorDash

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Starting point is 00:20:45 I'm going to take a little swing here as, yeah, been doing a lot of talking here tonight. Maybe a little yelling at the eye. pad screen all right let's finish up here um as i said earlier if you missed it i was working tonight so didn't see every play very excited to go back and watch every play of the game anything that i missed um anything that maybe was not there and uh hit us up with your comments right now but big picture this says a lot and it gives me more hope going into next week against indiana a the extra day to prepare extra day to get healthy that's definitely

Starting point is 00:21:24 a component that is there. Indiana has a huge matchup this week. They got Illinois tonight, Saturday night, against the Lioni. They get in Bloomington. But Indiana's going to be going on the road for the first time.

Starting point is 00:21:40 And I think they're going to see a charged-up atmosphere on a charged-up Iowa team. As we talked about earlier with Grinowski, it feels like he is, he's building that rapport with the team and building the trust and building all those leadership qualities that you look for

Starting point is 00:21:54 in the quarterback. It gives me excitement. Not that this team's going to make the college football playoff. I'm not there yet. It's going to take a lot more for me to get there, obviously with that loss on the resume. Not that. But that this team can be a quality team,

Starting point is 00:22:12 that this team has an opportunity to pull off a major upset and not just beating Indiana, but even maybe a team are rung up from there. Still work to be done. And that defense has got to get cleaned up. yeah wide receivers were making plays but also you saw the running back he had holes too second half when they dialed up the pressure that was one thing he didn't mention bad work out of me max lewellyn what a tremendous performance i would get the interception

Starting point is 00:22:41 how about rax roth on the i nt as they finally force a turnover but getting the quarterback making uncomfortable him and herkett on the block field goal boy just so many things that And that's the part, going through this right after the game, just so many pieces of this team victory that got us to this point. I thought it was interesting. Coach Ferrence talking, listened a little bit to the postgame show with Dolph and on TV after things wrapped up. And he was having a good time with it, no doubt.

Starting point is 00:23:10 He says something that he said to us in Las Vegas, too, at Big Ten Media Days, that he really likes this team. He just didn't know how good they were going to be. And we still don't know. But another thing we have to give credit to Kirk Ference about is his teams, seemingly every year, build. And they're building throughout the course of the year. And the team that we see in late October into November

Starting point is 00:23:37 is a much different team than we see in September. And if that growth continues, there's a chance to do some fun things this year. There is a chance to pull that upset to end the streak against top 25 teams. And they very well could have that opportunity next week. Certainly if Indiana wins against Illinois, that's going to be on the table for them. As Iowa's lost 10 consecutive against ranked opponents. But those opportunities are going to be there. And I walk away hopeful for this game.

Starting point is 00:24:07 It's not all fixed. It work to be done. But you can see the growth is happening in a lot of different angles for this football team. A couple of comments here for people watching us on YouTube. taken super gritty win from the hawks marks poise was impressive and he played his best game yet absolutely he continues to build more from taken despite buttoning it up in the second half defensively the secondary was burnt toast we play even more talented and aggressive offenses going for it's a great point something i talked about earlier this is the beginning test next week indiana they also have

Starting point is 00:24:41 tremendous receivers Oregon has got speed all over the field 10 state has got some dudes as they went to the portal and brought in a ton of talent USC might have the best collection, at least top three wide receivers of anybody in the country. And that's not to mention I was still having to face rivalry games against Wisconsin and Minnesota and Nebraska. Oh, by the way, Michigan State maybe has one of the best wide receivers in the country, too. Got to get a lot better there. Absolutely. Going to get ugly.

Starting point is 00:25:07 Yeah, I'm with you on that one taking. Haven't seen a shootout like that in an age beautiful from Brett Vitten. It's fun to win this way, right? Fun to win a game in a different way and good to see the Hawkeyes do. that. Howard needs more targets. McNeil needs more touches. I agree with you on both those points. What we've seen now out of Dayton Howard, absolutely. Got to get that guy involved. Big frame, and he's made plays now, a couple of different times in his career. Just too smooth. I see his comments and a big thank you to him and all the RVators out there with that watch

Starting point is 00:25:40 us every single day. That was the first time in a long time. I had fun watching an Iowa game. I heard that sentiment from a few different people. It was different. A good, game now let's that's how you spend two million dollars not on kate uh yes well speaking of kate his eastern tennessee butt darts what are they whatever they are they take on marco lionez's elon phoenix i think it's phoenix i think they're regardless if you're looking for something tomorrow night i'll be watching illinois indiana i'll be watching some of the other college football going on but if you're some kind of masochist and you want to watch that There you go, a PSA for you.

Starting point is 00:26:21 Former Hawkeye versus former Hawkeye, Marco versus Cade. No, thanks. That'll do it for today. I need to get some sleep. We will be back with you on Sunday night. I will actually go back and be able to watch all of this, anything that I missed.

Starting point is 00:26:35 And let's see, did it match up with the elation of a victory? We'll give it a deep comb second look as we do each and every day. Your team every day, that's what we do here on the lockdown network. I got you covered on the Hawkeye front every weekday. talking everything happening in the world of college football with the Hawkeyes. We got a lot of basketball. We talked earlier in the week about the release of the Big Ten basketball schedule. You can go back and look in the archives for all of that here on Locked-on Hawkeyes.

Starting point is 00:27:03 Thanks for being with this. Thanks to all of the great comments coming in and everybody joining us here today. We will be back with you on Sunday evening. Get ready for another big week against the Hoosiers. Enjoy the weekend. Hawkeyes got to win. It's Friday night. How awesome to that.

Starting point is 00:27:18 We'll talk to you again. Later on on Sunday, until then, go Hawks.

Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - AWAKENING?: Iowa's Offense COMES ALIVE on the Road at Rutgers | Will This MOMENTUM Carry On?

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