Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - CRISIS?: Iowa's Offensive Questions Deepen | Will Reece Vander Zee's Injury DERAIL Hawkeyes' Passing Game?

Starting point is 00:00:00 Well, it was almost too good to be true after Iowa had one of their healthiest August camps in the 27 years of Kirk Farrants. And big injury, Reese Fander Z is hurt. We break it down today. Locked on Hawkeyes. 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 00:00:38 We are your daily source of Hawkeye news and information, talking to the world of Hawkeye Athletics with you each and every day. Today's episode of Lockdown Hawkeyes is brought to you by GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account, and use code Lockdown College for $20 off your first purchase. I am Trent Condon. I've been covering the Hawkeyes for over 20 years on the radio. You can hear me currently on the Iowa Sports Radio Network each weekday from noon to two. In fact, it's going to be set up in Iowa City today.

Starting point is 00:01:06 You can find me over at FryFest, excited to be over there. Well, Coralville, to be exact. And stop on by, say hello, as I'll be broadcasting live from noon until 2. And then our afternoon show will be there as well with Sean Roberts and Lucas Strain on the Iowa Sports Radio Network stations in Des Moines, Sioux City, Iowa City, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, and Quad Cities. I'm looking forward for my first time to actually be able to make it to Frye Fest. least for a little bit before I got to get back and call some high school football. We're going to talk a little bit today about some women's basketball as their non-conference schedule has been released.

Starting point is 00:01:38 We still wait for the men's schedule as they're looking to tie up a couple of bows on that front. We'll also talk a little bit more about the Albany matchup. I'm giving my prediction for the game, but we're going to talk a little bit more about what I expect to see some player projections and some opportunities. And I think some guys that are going to shine coming up on tomorrow's match. but we begin today with the big news as Reese van der Z has sustained an injury. As reported by Hawkeye Insiders David Eichold, a foot injury has led to Reese van der Z expected to miss about a month of the football season.

Starting point is 00:02:16 So let's go right here and start at the top of this conversation when we can anticipate Reese Van der Z going to be back. Not going to play obviously this week against Albany, not going to be there for the road trip over to Ames to take on the sun. Cyclones. The UMass game, don't think that's going to be a likelihood as they're just a couple of weeks away from that one. Even the matchup against Rutgers and Indiana, it's going to be maybe incredibly tight

Starting point is 00:02:40 when you look at that timeline. They do have a buy week, remember, after that matchup against Indiana. September 27th against the Hoosiers, the game in Kinnick Stadium, then there is a buy before they make their way to Camp Randall and take on Wisconsin. So with that, you definitely are left wondering if that would be a likely. timeline for him to be able to come back. And at that point, there's seven games left of the regular season and how that's going to play out. I know there's been some speculation and some thought that potentially

Starting point is 00:03:09 you keep him at the redshirt status, play just four games in the regular season, and still maintain a red shirt for Reese Van der Z. I still think he's too important for this Iowa offense. We saw the big body. We saw the physicality that he plays with. And you remember this guy in high school as he was coming in, multi-sport athlete had to do a bunch of different things. this is not a guy that was a full-time wide receiver. This is not a guy that was working on routes because he was playing other sports. He was doing other things.

Starting point is 00:03:36 He was doing other things at the high school level. And really my hope coming into this season is we were going to see Reese Vander Z take a big step forward as a wide receiver because for the first time he was dedicated completely to football and not playing other sports. But secondly, those little things, right? The route running, the footwork, the precision, all the things.

Starting point is 00:03:56 We know the physical tools certainly are there. Also, more reporting from David Eichold. He mentioned this was not something that happened during the course of a practice. This was not something that they were in a drill or anything like that, that he was just walking upstairs and felt some discomfort. So good reporting there by David Eichold over at hawkeye insider.com. Taking that a step further. So we go back, I think the last injury that kind of impacted really at this time of a year,

Starting point is 00:04:26 or this time of a game week, was, of course, a couple of years. years back with Cooper to Jean as that was in practice as they were trying to finally implement him into the offense and he got rolled up on and that happened here. Not the case with Reese Vander Z and this injury. More speculation. And that's all this is. But we saw the depth chart come out. And I think a lot of people speculated when you saw Sam Phillips in that starting spot. Well, maybe this was something that happened. Now, this just happened the other day. So this is not something where the depth chart came out before the injury. We'll put it that way. Take it a step further, though, and a little bit more to maybe get the mind moving. You do wonder if this was something and the kind of foot injury

Starting point is 00:05:06 like this, if it was something that was bothering him beforehand, if it was something that was in there, and maybe it slowed him down a little bit or led to him not being able to go at 100% like you'd anticipate. Just speculation, again, on my front, but something to put in the back of your mind. So what does it mean for Iowa? Well, as mentioned, he was not listed as a starter, the three wide receivers that were listed as the starters coming into the year. Sam Phillips was ahead of him at one spot. Of course, Seth Anderson and Jacob Guilty, two other guys that were listed as starters. And those guys are going to get a bulk of the snaps. And certainly when we look forward to week number two against Iowa State, we anticipate

Starting point is 00:05:45 that's going to be the case. Some other guys, though, are going to get an opportunity. And I think a lot of people are going to get an opportunity, certainly in this game against Albany, as we'll talk about here in just a little bit. But this is an opportunity. But this is an opportunity for a guy like Jared Bowie, who was injured in the spring, didn't get a ton of time. You wonder timing-wise what his timing is like right now with Mark Rodowski. But I thought we saw a couple of things last year from Bowie that leads you to believe that maybe he's going to be a guy that can be helped out a little bit more. I'm going a step further from that.

Starting point is 00:06:18 We go through these wide receivers. Seth Anderson, not a big guy. Sam Phillips, a little guy. Jacob Gill, not big by any means for a wide receiver, kind of average size, I guess you will, for that. Kane Weechan, not a big guy. Jared Bowie, not huge. K.J. Parker, we'll get to it a moment.

Starting point is 00:06:39 He's another speed guy. And then you have Dayton Howard. We saw Dayton Howard scored the touchdown a year ago against Maryland. Good size. Runs well for a 6-5 guy. And if this could be a potential opportunity for him, and certainly at the times where they want to have that exercise, ex-wide receiver at the position

Starting point is 00:06:57 that you have two completely different body types with Sam Phillips out there and Reese Van der Z. But maybe it's in the red zone. That that's an opportunity where in the red zone, you want to have that bigger wide receiver. You're trying to get a matchup that you like, that tall receiver, you're throw it to a pile on, go up and get it.

Starting point is 00:07:13 Reese Van der Z makes those kind of plays. Maybe that's the opportunity for Dayton Howard and something to keep an eye on on Saturday. I mentioned KJ Parker. And starting last season when he showed up on campus. This was a guy that came up continually. When you're talking with people, kind of that that next group of player looking for some of those young guys, KJ Parker's name continued to come up. And he's a guy, I think, that has an opportunity now to maybe ascend it, maybe even

Starting point is 00:07:40 put himself in position to be that fourth wide receiver out of the three mentioned guys ahead of them. So that's what it looks like right now. Caden Weech is another guy. We'll see if it plays out. there was a lot of talk back when he made the decision to come back that he wanted to diversify his portfolio for the next level a little bit more and be able to become more of a wide receiver than just a return specialist and they're hoping to do that and there's going to be opportunities there this is a great time for this to happen we know the back half of the year the middley part of the year a schedule gets difficult and yes you love to have rys van der z back out there certainly for the indiana game if you can but with that by week in there how that's going to impact things but But it's a blow, no doubt out, and something that's going to be impactful. Another thing to think about, and speaking of those red zone targets, and I brought up Dayton Howard, if that's going to lead to maybe some more two tight-end sets when they get down there, using Addison Estringa, using Zach Ortworth, using those guys in different situations when normally maybe Van der Z would be out there and one of those bigger targets down in the red zone.

Starting point is 00:08:44 And if it leads to a little bit more usage out of the tight-end position. So that's the big news of the day, as Reese Van der Z will be. be out for about a month with the injury and certainly a blow-in for a guy that missed seven games last year with an injury. You hope that this is something's going to end for him very quickly because the upside is certainly there, a guy that is going to be able to help this team, and I still think help this team, certainly this football season. Mention the game on Saturday as we get ready for the matchup against Albany, 5 o'clock kickoff at Kinnick Stadium and plenty of time to get well lubricated and get ready for the football game.

Starting point is 00:09:21 We'll talk about what we're going to see, player projections when we come back, what we expect to see here from the Hawkeyes on Saturday. We'll do that as we continue, locked on Hawkeyes. College football is back and I couldn't be more excited. The tailgates, the rivalries, the energy in the stands, there's just nothing like it. But let's be real. Actually getting tickets can feel like more of a battle than the game itself. Endless cues, hidden fees, prices jumping at checkout.

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Starting point is 00:11:18 for the season. And with my fingers crossed it, it's going to be better than what I projected yesterday. Let's go into what we think we're going to see here on Saturday against the Great Danes who kind of look like a mess. All right. Let's start at the quarterback position because, well, that's always the top of the box score. And we'll go right there. Mark Grinowski. I got Grinowski going 1115, 15, 155 yards, a couple of touchdowns. And let's put this one in here, too. Gradovsky's going to have one nice run. It's going to be one of those ooze and Oz. Maybe it'll be some physicality that he does. Maybe it's just a scramble on a third and long situation and picking up a first down. But I do think he's not going to run a ton in this football

Starting point is 00:11:57 game. And I think they want to keep that number pretty low in this one. But I think there will be one that'll lead to some happy Hawkeye fans with what he does with his feet. I don't believe he's going to go the whole time, though. I think Hank Brown's going to be in there. And not only is Hank Brown going to play, but they're going to let him chuck it around a little bit. I got Hank going four, six, 38 yards. And he also throws his first career touchdown in a Hawkeye uniform. So three passing touchdowns for the Hawkeyes on Saturday. Let's go to the running back position. Kamari Molten coming off the soft tissue injury. I don't think they're going to use him a ton. I think they want to get a lot of these running backs an opportunity. Nine carries, 55 yards,

Starting point is 00:12:35 something like that for Kamm. Moulton. I think you'll see plenty of Jazzy on Patterson. One of the healthier running backs in this one. Got him at 11 carries, 71 yards in this one. T.J. Washington, Terrell Washington Jr. got him with six carries. in the game, a couple of catches as well. We know about his diverse skill set and how they want to also get him involved in the passing game. Xavier Williams got him down for four carries,

Starting point is 00:12:58 got five for Nathan McNeil, the true freshman, think he's going to be out there a bunch of the fourth quarter. We'll go all the way to number six. Bremed Doll, think he'll get a couple of carries late in the game as well and get his first carries in a Hawkeye uniform. Let's go next to wide receiver, mention well, there's three passing touchdowns in this game.

Starting point is 00:13:14 Who's going to get them? One for Seth Anderson. He's going to have one big play in this football game. Sam Phillips, I think he's going to have one of those o'er-or-a-plays. You're going to show that speed and get to lead to a lot of excitement with the speed that we're going to see from Sam Phillips, four-for-62 from Phillips. Jacob Gill, solid, dependable, a standard Jacob-Gill game. Four catches, 39 yards for him. Here's Addison Ostranga. Mentioned that tight-end position and maybe a little bit more usage for them.

Starting point is 00:13:41 Three-for-29 and a touchdown for Estranga. K.J. Parker, he's going to catch that touchdown from Hank Brock. I mean, how's that for a call? If I hit this, one, I need to make my way back to Vegas. And Dayton Howard gets in there, he gets a catch. There you go. There's a run through that. A couple other ones, a couple of predictions for the players. Carson Shire will lead the team in tackles. Now, not a ton because I don't anticipate the starters are going to play a whole lot in this football game. Eight tackles in the game for Carson Shire to lead the way. How about an interception from T.J. Hall? Get him off on the right start for his senior campaign and a couple of sacks for Ethan Hirk. Finally, special teams.

Starting point is 00:14:17 Dakin will hit a couple of boomers. Hopefully not too many. Two punts. That sound good. Let's let him knock off like a 60-yarder. Another good one we'll call it a day. And two-for-two in field goals for Drew Stevens. So that's what I got my player projections coming up this weekend in my anticipation.

Starting point is 00:14:33 You missed it yesterday. I got Iowa winning this one, 41-0. Shut out on the board. See some offense. See some highlights. Have a good time. Everybody's out there. Everybody gets to touch the football offensively.

Starting point is 00:14:43 It'll be one of those good games in Kinnick Stadium. A little more football here for you As things just wrapped up this evening in college football As I'm recording for you here on a Friday And watching through the Big Ten games Well, of course, it started up with Boise getting upset by South Florida But into the Big Ten. So I flip it on and I'm watching Rutgers

Starting point is 00:15:10 And they're comfortably ahead and all of a sudden here comes Ohio It's an Ohio team that didn't have huge expectations coming into the season. Their quarterback Navarro was able to move, and I thought that was eye-opening. He had some big plays in the run game and also threw for 240 yards in the game and threw three touchdowns against this Ruckers defense.

Starting point is 00:15:30 Calick Manus is back again at QB for Ruckers. As I said yesterday, when we were projecting the season, I love Iowa in a short week, making their way to Ruckers. They've been good in those Friday spots against Nebraska in the past as well. And I think they're going to be ready to go for that one. Calic Manus, you've seen them. And it doesn't always inspire confidence in the way that that guy was. Then we go to a couple of more.

Starting point is 00:15:55 That'll be on the Hawkeye schedule. Start with Minnesota, a very lackadaisical effort against Buffalo. Phil Fleck gets the win. Congratulations. Buffalo gets the cover. Congratulations to be on that one. But Drake Lindsay made a couple of big plays in the game, at one that stretched it out to that 13-point lead

Starting point is 00:16:17 on a wide open blown coverage. I know Buffalo returned a ton defensively, 10 starters back, and that's why I like them in my handicap is what they returned. Darius Taylor, he's a really good running back, but it looks like another Minnesota team, and unless a touchdown gets taken off the board for Iowa, it's one game, overreacted, yeah, that's what we do.

Starting point is 00:16:40 Still, we feel even maybe better about Iowa's chances against the gophers than I did coming into the season. season when I thought they were going to win the game, but it might be tight. I don't know about that. I did give Iowa loss to Wisconsin and talk about second-guess of yourself. Yuck, the Badgers. Now, they lose their starting quarterback as Billy Edwards got hurt very early in that football game,

Starting point is 00:17:00 and they had to go to Danny O'Neill, the backup in that spot. O'Neill showed a little shiftyness running the ball, but, boy, I don't know if it's going to happen for Luke Vickle. and I was messing around a little bit with Ryan, our guy over at Lockdown Badgers in our Big Ten squad show last week and gave him a hard time that they were going to lose eight straight to lose the season. Luke Fickle was going to be fired. Luke Fickle went out, got a new offensive coordinator, somebody that makes a whole lot more sense for Wisconsin,

Starting point is 00:17:34 getting back to ground and pound, run the ball. They struggled against Miami of Ohio. Chuck Martin's a great coach. It's a great defense of mine, but that one, Bucky, this might be a rough year with the schedule that they have coupled with the way they looked, yuck. And then, of course, our neighbors to the West, the Stinking Huskers.

Starting point is 00:17:57 2017, this kid made a great play in the end zone of what could have been a game winner for Cincinnati, and they survived. 95%, 98% maybe. Nebraska fans in the stands and air ahead for that one. Did you walk away impressed? That's the Big Ten.

Starting point is 00:18:17 And I just mentioned four opponents that are on this Iowa football schedule. And I think with each and every one of them, I walked away a little bit disappointed. Ruckers letting a very average Mac Ohio team hang around and have an opportunity a couple of times late in that game.

Starting point is 00:18:33 Nebraska, even though they dominated the box score, they've done that before against Iowa, but letting Cincinnati, had he hang around and finally made a play late in a game to actually get it done in a three-point game. Minnesota, Wisconsin, I go from all those games being concerning. In fact, I have Iowa down for two losses when I made my predictions yesterday against Nebraska and against Wisconsin and I'm definitely second-guessing myself about that one. We'll see. Teams change. Teams evolve. Teams get better throughout the course of the year, but it wasn't exactly the best step forward

Starting point is 00:19:07 in week number one for the Big Ten on a Thursday night. We continue Lockdown, Hawkeyes. We got more coming your way, including a look at the non-conference schedule for the women's basketball team that is coming your way here in a moment. Before that, though, we want to hear from you. Locked on wants to hear from you right now, and we got this request out there at this time. We put together a survey just to learn more about our listeners and make your favorite podcast even better.

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Starting point is 00:20:00 We come back with more here, Lockdown Hawkeyes. A look at the Iowa Women's Basketball, non-conference schedule, and what it looks like for this team that's going to look a whole lot different again this season and the evolution of the women's basketball program. That's next, Locked on Hawkeyes. Hey, Hawkeye fans, are you still paying full price for gas? Stop leaving money behind. Get real cash back every time you fill up with the free upside app.

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Starting point is 00:21:30 Welcome back one final time to Lockdown Hawkeyes. I'm Trent Condon as we count down. to kickoff with Iowa facing off against Albany on Saturday. As we continue on the podcast, a look at the Iowa women's basketball team. So their schedule was released for next season and some good games in there. Now it opens up very quickly against three teams that should be, well, one's an exhibition. Ashland. I don't know Ashland.

Starting point is 00:22:02 Have you met Ashland? I don't know Ashland. Southern. That's it. Southern University comes in with for Louisiana. That should be domination. Evansville and been very good in the Missouri Valley. That is Drake, who has been good in the Missouri Valley, followed up with a road trip to you and I.

Starting point is 00:22:17 But now here's when things get a little spicy. I will be heading to Orlando, and they face off against Baylor in their first game down there. We'll follow it up with a matchup against Miami. So a couple of good games there before Thanksgiving for the Hawkeye women and a good measuring stick for the program. Then back home for two more. It's Western Illinois coming in from McComb,

Starting point is 00:22:39 followed up by Fairfield. After that, it is Iowa State. They'll be taken on the Cyclones. That is December 10th as they will this year go on the road to Iowa State to face the cyclones. Two more in the non-conference. It's Lyndonwood on December 13th, and then they'll wrap up the non-conference portion of the schedule with the big one against Gino Oriama and Yukon.

Starting point is 00:23:04 Baylor, Yukon. Miami. Of course, the in-state game against Iowa State, who should be good again this season. Pretty good on-conference schedule and a pretty good slate here for Jan Jensen's squad. As we know what they're going to look like, obviously, with Hannah Stulke, which he's going to bring. The newness coming in with Addie Deal. Some of those young freshmen from last year, are they going to take a step forward in their sophomore year? The hype train, obviously there with Ava Hayden after what we saw, the glimpses that we saw out of her last season. Hayes coming in as well in that freshman class, along with Addie Deal.

Starting point is 00:23:38 It should be another fun season of Iowa basketball. We mentioned a little bit yesterday about what a big recruiting weekend it is for the Iowa women coming up this weekend as it'll be McKenna Wollichko, who is coming in. In fact, saw a picture of her that she tweeted out her and her family making their way to Iowa City. I know you're going to make it great at Kinnick Stadium. I'm going to make it sound good in there as well of what we're going to see in the that one and should be a good one. Hey, one final thing on that football note, I found this interesting. So after, I put out a tweet yesterday about your prediction, what Iowa football, what their record is going to be in 2025. And Hawkeye fans, you answered

Starting point is 00:24:20 with this. So I put it this way. Four options. That's what you get on Twitter. Ten and two or better, nine and three, eight and four, or seven and five or worse. And a little bit to my surprised because I thought maybe the number be higher. What I predicted, 8 and 4 was the winning result. Now, it was with just 38% of the vote very closely, followed up by 9 and 3 where 37% of you. So overall, we're talking about 75% of you expect I would be either 9 and 3

Starting point is 00:24:54 or 8 and 4 this season. 10% of you chose, 10 or 2 or better, and then 15% 7 and 5. worse. So those are results you can find us on Twitter at Lockdown, Iowa, and you can find us there each and every day. Thanks for being with us, as always, and making Lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen every day. We'll have one more bonus podcast coming out for you on Saturday morning. Had an opportunity to talk with Tom Caker on my radio show Friday. We'll pass that along to you as well coming up a little bit later on and get you set for Iowa football. Five o'clock kickoff against Albany. Shout out to you every dayers with us each and every day. And a big thank

Starting point is 00:25:31 you to everybody out there hit subscribe if you're watching us on youtube five star reviews on the podcast side i really appreciate it we'll talk to you again tomorrow until then go hawks

Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - CRISIS?: Iowa's Offensive Questions Deepen | Will Reece Vander Zee's Injury DERAIL Hawkeyes' Passing Game?

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