Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - DISASTER: Iowa Hawkeyes FUMBLE Double-Digit Lead—Did Mark Gronowski Cost the WIN?

Starting point is 00:00:00 Iowa lets another double-digit lead fall away in the second half as they fall to USC 26-21. Frustrating, rapid reaction here, Locked-on Hawkeyes, and where does Iowa go from here as a frustrations mount in Iowa football? 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,

Starting point is 00:00:34 and this is the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast, your daily Iowa Hawkeye podcast coming to you on the road today as we're up in Jefferson at Wild Rose Casino at a meet and greet with Dallas Clark today. And that's why we are out here today with a rapid reaction. Thanks for making Lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen every day. I've been covering the Hawkeyes for over two decades and following the team for all 45 years on this earth.

Starting point is 00:00:57 And this one will go down as one of the more frustrating games. not just to the Kirk Ferrence era, certainly in my history of watching Iowa football. Up double digits at the half, 21, 10. We jumped on during halftime and talked a little bit about it, and you did have that feeling at the half that Iowa should have been up more. They played almost a perfect first half outside of the second drive when they went three and out, and looking up at the scoreboard, knowing obviously how good this USC offense is and how talented those wide receivers are, 2110.

Starting point is 00:01:30 and felt like it should have been more. We go back to what happened in the first half of the game, starting with the drive that take the lead right away. They come out passing. They're making plays down the field. Jacob Gill up the sideline. The fourth down pass to Dayton Howard has jump Iowa jumps out. Then Mark Radowski with a quarterback sneak to get in.

Starting point is 00:01:49 The Iowa special to make it 21, 217 at the time. It just everything was going well. But we talked about it at the time. and the inability for Iowa in late-half situations to get things figured out, it's just, it's inexplicable. You know, Iowa, at the end of the first half, has an opportunity to put points on the board. And they just can't. You got timeouts in the pocket, the mismanagement of the clock, your hustles of the line,

Starting point is 00:02:16 use a timeout there. It's just the simple little things that for whatever reason have been incredibly difficult for Kirk parents during his tenure as the head coach. Why they have so many issues with clock. management is absolutely befuddling yet here we are and a game that ends up being a five-point game and if you get a field goal there we don't have to go for it on fourth down a field goal could win the game depending on the way it plays out and we know it's not going to play it in the same fashion but regardless these are the frustrations that continue to mount with iowa football

Starting point is 00:02:47 this is a good football team there's a football team that certainly i think has exceeded some expectations coming into the year and how well they played in these rank games but Playing well is what it's about. It's about winning football games, and they can't figure it out. This one, certainly more frustrating than what we saw, I think, a week ago against Oregon. I was making fun of the Oregon fans for still whining a week later about the calls in that one. Fitiating was awful in this one. A couple of calls.

Starting point is 00:03:21 One of the biggest ones, maybe, was the Miss Face Mask on Kamari Bolton. As he's running, I'm going to play later in an interception by Mark Grinowski after a tip pass. Grinowski struggled again, throwing the football. And the amount of plays that he left on the field makes you wonder, they got receivers there. We continually harp on the inability of these wide receivers to get separation, to be able to make plays. There were guys open. Mark Grinowski missed him. Mark Grinowski, for as good as he is, as a runner, has limitations in the past.

Starting point is 00:03:57 passing game. And you wonder as we start to look to the future, and that's what it is now. Because the best case scenario, this team finishes 8 and 4 and goes to Tampa, goes to Vegas, goes to some bowl game. We'll see how many people opt out. But that is the reality of this. Gernowski as a passer, this isn't good enough. And is there more of this offense when you look to the future and whoever that next quarterback may be? Hank Brown going to be fighting, obviously, with Jeremy Hecklinsky, the Wake Forest Transfer, who has supplanted him now as the number two currently. But they go into spring.

Starting point is 00:04:36 And if both those guys stick around, they're going to duel it out to see who's going to be the starter next season, as long as Iowa doesn't go into the portal again. But that's down the road. We'll have plenty of time for that. Back to the game. And look at the second half. So Iowa goes first possession, five plays 25 yards, second possession, four plays, 19 yards, interception, the three and out, and then turnover on downs after finally moving the ball, 10 play 61 yards, and Gade Wichin, a shoe size down away from making an incredible play on the sideline.

Starting point is 00:05:16 Then late in the game, so we never got to see what the personal foul was. is against Iowa. I'm sure there was, but you do wonder, just a little bit, with what we saw in this officiating crew. Look, blaming the officials is for losers. And for your everyday listeners, you know, it's something that I do not like to harp on.

Starting point is 00:05:38 I would have got some calls that went their way to Deshaun Lee in the end zone. Easily could have been past interference. So we're just going to leave that to the side. Close. But we're past, the time that close is good enough. It's time to break through.

Starting point is 00:05:56 It's time to get wins. And I was not able to get the wins at this time for a myriad of different reasons. The defense in the second half was awful. And though guys were mostly in the defensive backfield in the right spot, they just couldn't make plays. You can get their head turned. Couldn't see the ball. What are the touchdowns to Lemon?

Starting point is 00:06:18 They had two guys right there. Two guys that were where you're supposed to be in coverage. And neither of them could find the football. But that's what you have. You go through and you look at this football game from up 14-0, you get outscored 26-7 the rest of the way. Everything's going right early. And then what happened?

Starting point is 00:06:38 Now, there is a reason. Excuse called what you will. However, when you're down three offensive line starters, it becomes difficult. You know, Iowa got to, what was it, about the 30. five yard line. Still, there was four minutes or so left in the game, a little bit more than four minutes. And I know a lot of people just want to see Iowa go out there and just pound the football. That's tough to do when you're losing both your guards. Early in the game, both Stevens went out, as he has a few times already the season. You have that part of it. Then you

Starting point is 00:07:10 lose Cade Piper. And then you lose Jennings Dunker. Maybe your best offensive lineman. So you're down to three backups on the offensive line. It's just, it's not as easy to just line up play bully ball and tried to salt it away and score, you know, in the final minute of the game. And we saw that, because I would try it. And it didn't work. Mackay Lemon, that dude's a stud. Ten catches, 153 yards, felt like he had 350. Dude was all over the place.

Starting point is 00:07:34 Elaine also really good. They got dudes. That's no surprise. But when you're up 217, when you're leading by double digits at the half, you don't expect it to go the fashion that it did. Another what if. Mark Grinowski finishes 12 to 19, 132 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Banner Zee won for one with that touchdown pass to Grinowski. DJ Vonamy, that kid's going to be good.

Starting point is 00:08:01 And we saw it again. He leads the team with four catches, 59 yards, both led the team in that category. Three catches for Wichin and what could have been so close on the sideline. Jacob Gill, just the one catch on that first possession when he went up the sideline for 44 yards. One catch for Vandersi, one for Ortworth, one for Howard, a touchdown. That capped off that opening drive, and Moulton for one catch with one yard. 15 carries, 90 yards. That's Kamari Moulton, what he did on the ground.

Starting point is 00:08:31 It carries 37 yards for Jazzy on Patterson. I anticipated coming into this game, we were going to see a little bit more Patterson, and we did. We shouldn't have that big run on the reverse that, as Iowa was looking to, to march down the field and potentially take the lead late in the football game. Xavier William just won and nearly a catch on that deflected ball. What if that's what we're playing with this team? And that's where we are at this point in time. All right, let's get into some of the comments that are coming in here as we're coming to you live on YouTube.

Starting point is 00:09:07 Again, live from Wild Rose in Jefferson. Great place to come. We're looking for a place to watch the game. Always a good time out here at Wild Rose Jefferson. Let's see. 2D might be the biggest meltdown I've ever seen from a Kirk team. I can't believe what I just witnessed. That was a meltdown.

Starting point is 00:09:25 And even with the meltdown, the opportunities that were there, frustrating. Tyler, Captain Clueless needs fired. What an idiot coach he has turned into. I can't get there, but I understand your frustrations. Cole says, How do we not know that when a quarterback gets in his rhythm, them against us. He had to send pressure. Great point. And that's something that was befuddling

Starting point is 00:09:50 until late in the game when they finally applied some pressure. Watson got hit with the pass interference call that was if he at best. He saw the wide receiver. I mean, he had his arms wrapped around Watson. Still hand fighting. It's normally going to go against the defensive player. Wampa was perfect on that blitzma. I haven't just chucked it up there. But before that, they were just sitting back. And before that drive, what was a four consecutive drive? I think they finished five straight drives that ended in a score for USC and they're just sitting back. I get it. This team has a lot of guys, right?

Starting point is 00:10:23 Yeah, it was, five straight. So after the turnover on downs, when Iowa got the fourth down stop on the second possession in the first half, touchdown, field goal, field goal, touchdown, touchdown. And the amount of pressure that was being applied by Iowa was minimal. Now, the only reason that I was able to hang with Indiana is because of the pressure that they brought. I get it. You don't want to put Mackay Lemon in space alone.

Starting point is 00:10:46 I understand. But guess what? You had a couple of guys there, and it didn't matter either. That one is definitely head-scrashing. Good point there from Cole. He also continues, how do we not understand that? How can we let them pass the ball on us like that? Yeah, absolutely cool.

Starting point is 00:10:59 Tyler, checking in. Tyler says Kirk went full idiot turtle mode. I was hoping the D would win the game. That's the other part. You know, we've grown so accustomed to the defense bailing out Iowa in these kind of games. throughout the last 27 years that's just not happening anymore.

Starting point is 00:11:16 And not just this season, last couple of seasons. The defense has not been able to get the record stops to win these games. There's times where you feel more comfortable with the offense than the defense in late game situations, which is just incredible. I can't wrap my mind around that one. Hawks win again?

Starting point is 00:11:33 Well, not this one. That's his handle on YouTube. Wife asked me earlier, who is our next quarterback? I think it's going to be Hecklinsky. The reason for that is Hicklinski, more of a runner, a guy that can do more with those, like, now he's little. I mean, he's listed at 5-11. If he's 5-11, then I'm 5-11, and he's not 5-11.

Starting point is 00:11:50 And I'm not 5-11. But regardless, I mean, short quarterbacks can get by. That's not a huge deal. Sometimes you've got to move the pocket a little bit more. It can distress what you're doing a little bit in the RPO game, but that's gone away. And where's the slow mesh? Where are the things that we saw at least a little bit at the beginning of the season,

Starting point is 00:12:07 those have completely been taken out of the playbook, and those are a little bit more difficult with a short, to quarterback still. I'm feeling okay at minimum about that. Rests are 100% in USC's pocket. Even then, the coaches are terrible. All right, Tyler. Not sure Iowa wins another game this season.

Starting point is 00:12:24 Tyler, Michigan State's terrible. Michigan State's brutal. I think they're going to be fine next week. And Nebraska, we'll see. Their backup quarterback came in, played well last week against UCLA. We'll see about that one. They got a road trip on top of it, Nebraska does, for the Iowa-Nabraska game

Starting point is 00:12:43 because they have to go out to USC. I think they're going to be fine. I think they're going to win some more. Tyler, sorry. Gronk is a pastor's a joke. Yeah, we talked about that. He just, he's not good enough as the thrower. You know, for this offense to take the step forward

Starting point is 00:12:56 that we anticipated this year, he's been dynamic. He's been better, I think, than anybody could have anticipated as a runner. But as a passer, yeah, they're definitely holes. Michael Wright, Kurt can't win against ranked teams anymore. His legacy is sad. Not going to be there.

Starting point is 00:13:11 Look, go back to the end of Hayden. Do you remember the 3 and 8 at the end? Do you remember, you know, 97 with the preseason expectations and then falling on their face like they did? Or remember the good times. We'll remember the good times. And this is not nearly as frustrating as the end was during Hayden Fry. Can't get there with you.

Starting point is 00:13:30 Bobby Hansen, the Bobby Hansen or a Bobby Hansen? We're top 15 in defense and special teams. I would disagree on special teams. Reese Deakin, terrible. I had an opportunity to pin him inside the 10, couldn't do it. do it. Reese Dakin has been a huge disappointment this year. He's taken a major step back from, I don't think, that good of a freshman campaign.

Starting point is 00:13:48 And I understand. Rack going to have probably another Tori Taylor. If it is going to be decades down the line, I mean, Regi Roby, Jason Hanson was good. We've had good punters. Tori Taylor was another level. Reese Dakin, though, not good. And we've had issues all season long with the kicking team, with snaps. Can't say that the special teams are at a high level.

Starting point is 00:14:11 Eight and four is Kirk's ceiling in the new 18-team Big Ten Conference. People need to realize we're not going to make the 12-team playoff until he's gone. See, Bobby, I can't. I can't go with you there. I just can't. This team being this close, they're a whisker away. And yeah, they're not there.

Starting point is 00:14:29 You are what your record says you are. But I don't think that a coaching change is suddenly going to make Iowa a college football playoff contender year to year out. Where was the blitz, Cole? Yeah, I just talked about that one. absolutely their passing game was in rhythm yeah you disrupted no no doubt about that one i think you have that one exactly right time to have a talk about our defensive line and the non-existent pressure on the quarterback right there with you um this has been an issue all season long from d2 this is something that has continually been an issue for this team and this is another one that's

Starting point is 00:15:04 been the last couple of years not sure what the reason is is it you don't have the athleticism on the outside. Hercut, Llewellyn, neither of those guys I don't think you're going to be considered elite speedsters off the edge. Can you get that with the Brian Allen? Can you get that with the Kenneth Merriweather or down the line? Some of the young guys,

Starting point is 00:15:25 you know, Joseph Anderson in the wings, potentially. First quarter, a thing of beauty. It was, Sarah. Oh, we'll always remember the first quarter. No blitzes, Timothy Malley, and the no face mask call. That one's going to linger for a while, no doubt about it. Defense, not the problem.

Starting point is 00:15:41 problem. It's not bad. That's not what I'm saying. I'm not saying the defense is bad. But yeah, disagree. Bobby's not the problem. All right, we got some back and forth going on here. We continue on the comments here in a rapid reaction podcast, locked on Hawkeyes. Let's see what else we got. I've got USC back in the game. I told you I don't like to complain about officials, but I'm not going to disagree with you, Mitchell. Another one for Mitchell, 30 holding calls on USC. Yeah, it felt that way, didn't it? Just every time you look do you see a guy getting pulled yanked here we are frustrated and that is the reality of what we're living with guys it's time to wrap this one up we will go back tomorrow night

Starting point is 00:16:29 watch this one again and we'll have a full breakdown of everything the way it went i am going to be keeping an eye and i think i'm going to be keeping a tally on some of those hold calls that you guys are talking about we're going to get into that a little bit more in the full rapid ration podcast. That's not as rapid. The Sunday recap that we'll have for you, Sunday evening into Monday morning. That'll be in your feeds and your drive-in on Monday.

Starting point is 00:16:51 Thanks for being with us and making Lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen every day. We are your daily Iowa Hawkeye podcast. If you're watching us on YouTube, hit subscribe if you're on the podcast side, five-star reviews, all of that helps us get in front of more Hawkeye fans. The Lockdown Network, we are now

Starting point is 00:17:06 number one for podcasts and a big thank you to all of you for making that possible frustrating disappointing here we are we'll talk to you again on monday until then go hawks

Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - DISASTER: Iowa Hawkeyes FUMBLE Double-Digit Lead—Did Mark Gronowski Cost the WIN?

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