Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Heartbreak in the Hawkeye State: Iowa Falls to Iowa State in a Cy-Hawk Shocker

Starting point is 00:00:00 What was that? A collapse in Iowa City as Iowa falls 2019 to Iowa State in the annual Cy Hawk game. It was a disaster. Where we laid the blame? All over the place. Today, Locked on Hawkeye. You are Locked on Hawkeyes, your daily podcast on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day.

Starting point is 00:00:30 Hey, welcome in. I'm Trent Condon, and this is the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for making Locked On Hawkeyes your first listen every day. We're available wherever you find podcasts. You can also watch us on YouTube. While you're there, make sure you hit that subscribe button. Helps us get in front of more Hawkeye fans. Today's episode is brought to you by 5-Hour Energy.

Starting point is 00:00:51 Go to 5hourenergy.com and use promo code LOCKEDONCFB to receive 20% off your order. Well, need plenty of 5-Hour Energy to get through this one as the frustration certainly boiled over on Saturday evening. Iowa out to a 13-0 halftime lead. A lead by two late in the ballgame. Give up plays and give opportunities to Iowa State. And Iowa State took them. And they get the credit and the victory.

Starting point is 00:01:21 2019, the final in this one. A decision to go for two in the third quarter. A decision all over the place that you can look back upon and just say, what could Iowa possibly be thinking? What could Kirk Ferentz possibly be thinking? There's a ton of angles here to break down, and we'll try to touch them all here throughout the show today. Frustrating, no doubt, but in a way not surprising. And, you know,

Starting point is 00:01:47 the old adage, playing to win, playing not to lose, I think there's certainly a semblance of that in this conversation. This was a lot of bad choices and a lot of bad things that had to kind of go the opposite direction, right? And it just did. Iowa was not able to make the plays necessary. Iowa had a lot of boneheaded decisions that were out there, giving up a long touchdown, a 75-yarder that just can't happen. And Xavier Wampa did not play after that, at least that I saw on the football field. Those are plays that can happen. Their first touchdown of the game, TJ Hall has two hands on him, and Higgins just made a great play. I just took it away and got the touchdown in that one.

Starting point is 00:02:31 But late in the game, it's a Ferentz special. It's Ferentz ball. We're going to sit on it. We're not going to try to do anything. We're just going to get out of here with the victory. That's the thought process. This is what we have learned with Kirk Ferentz. It's not about style points. There's nothing to go along with it. God forbid we try to make it

Starting point is 00:02:48 easy on ourselves, right? No, we're just going to try to find the easiest way to get out of there without trying to do too much. Just try to get the victory. And it works. And it's worked for the better part of two decades that they've been able to pull out these kind of games. But when it doesn't and it happens, this is where the frustration lies. This was a game there for the taking. This is a game that Iowa should have run away from. And they didn't. They didn't make the adjustments.

Starting point is 00:03:22 They didn't do the things that were necessary. So let's go back to a few, I think, headliner plays and how we get here in this collapse by the Hawkeyes. I think game number one is looking back at the first half. And Kirk mentioned this after the game, that when it was brought up, some late game situations, two-point conversion, why you take a penalty, a five-yard penalty in a field position

Starting point is 00:03:45 game when you're putting the, punting the football back to them, a lot. We'll get to those as well because they're inexcusable. They are. They're inexcusable to not have the football mentality to be able to figure these things out or at least come up with a realistic explanation instead of moving the goalposts. And that's what Kirk did. And that's disappointing. Now, we know when Kirk Ferentz is challenged with his football acumen, when he's challenged with his hideous clock management throughout the years, game strategy, we know he fights back because he doesn't have a good response. That's what happens.

Starting point is 00:04:23 But that's sad. In the first half, upset of nothing. Things are cruising along. It's looking good. Offense is looking good. Cade McNamara's crisp, he's sharp. 8 of 11 in the first quarter. You're mixing run pass.

Starting point is 00:04:43 This is looking like a real offensive football team. Now what happened afterwards is inexcusable. Okay, McNamara finishes 5 of 18. 5 of 18 from the second through the fourth quarter. That's Deacon territory. But not just 5 of 18. Finishes 5 of 18 for 27 yards and two interceptions. A Hail Mary that he can't get 50 yards down the field.

Starting point is 00:05:13 And a huge turning point interception early in the first half. You get great field position. You come up with this play. All right, maybe it's going to be the one that knocks them completely out, puts them away, 20-0 game over. Except the play wasn't there. And instead of actually making a read, you guess, they make a terrible throw. But before that, in the first half, Iowa with the football two different times, first and goal inside the five-yard line.

Starting point is 00:05:35 The first at the one and a half. And you have Caleb Johnson, who we know is the best running back on this team. It's shown up the first game and a half of the season. Didn't play in the first half of week one because of a suspension. Do you have him out there? No. Nope, nope, nope. Not going to do that.

Starting point is 00:05:56 God forbid. No. We're going to get cute. We're going to go with the kid that does it right, Kamari Moulton. He'll be in there. Even though you have one running back that's 220 pounds, along with speed, and you got another one that's a Buckeye. Nope, that's going to be our goal linebacker.

Starting point is 00:06:11 Why? God knows. Because I should know. And I don't think Tim Lester or Kirk Ferentz could come up with a realistic explanation that's actually true. They want to get Kamari Moulton involved. explanation that's actually true. They want to get Kamari Mould in the ball.

Starting point is 00:06:28 But not only that, in the six goal-to-go plays that you have, you throw it four times. You don't have Caleb Johnson in there once. You set up plays that just weren't there. And then when you see your inability to move the football inside the five-yard line six different times in the first half, you score a touchdown to make it 19-7, and then you go for two. At the time, I was fine with it. I didn't make a 14-point game.

Starting point is 00:06:57 I understand the reasoning, the math. It was late in the third quarter, what, four minutes and change, I believe, left at that time. But then when I thought through, and you think through just how awful they've been in two-point conversions in general, chasing points in the third quarter, and that they can't move the football from the three-yard line. What are you doing? But we don't need to talk about that.

Starting point is 00:07:20 The bigger deal is what happened in the first half. Well, that's true, Kirk, but you were in that spot. Dean White complained about what happened in the first half. Well, that's true, Kirk, but you were in that spot. Dean White didn't complain about what happened in the first half. That didn't matter when it was 19-7. Get the extra point. You didn't. Comes back to bite you to lose by a point. So you have that.

Starting point is 00:07:35 You have the decision not to play Caleb Johnson in your goal-to-go situations. Why? Who knows? That's what did it. But then not only that, another just baffling clock management strategy, both at the end of the first half and the second half. I mean, Kirk gave us a twofer in this one. Two different times he screwed up end-of-game,

Starting point is 00:07:55 end-of-clock situations in each half. That final one, when it went to fourth and goal, go for it. Pin them deep. 10-0, 13-0. Go for the touchdown. Go for the kill. Go for the three-score lead. If you do get a score, a touchdown in that spot,

Starting point is 00:08:17 maybe that buries them right there. Maybe it's game over at that point. And if you don't get it, make them go 98 yards. So you don't do that. You go after a punt. You give him a free field position in that one from the 50. Just, again, inexcusable. I mean, all these things had to play out in this fashion.

Starting point is 00:08:36 And that's what makes this game just so absolutely baffling, how all these things had to happen. And here we are. I know. Each play individually, we can argue about the merits and what happened, and yes, those other guys, they have scholarships too, and we can go through all that, and I understand all that. I get it all. But to have these things stack up, to have them happen, and as we've talked about throughout the course of this summer,

Starting point is 00:09:03 to have this play out in this fashion, the margin for error for Iowa football is thin. Kirk makes it thinner at times than it needs to be. Now, in the past, it gave them the ability to pull off big upsets, to pull a shocker against a Penn State and Michigan, hang around, make a play, to pull a shocker against a Penn State and Michigan, hang around, make a play, and he can steal one. But it also allows opponents to get you. Central Michigan a decade ago, that team was putrid,

Starting point is 00:09:35 and he lose that football game. Now we also learned that that Iowa team was putrid in their own right. But when a couple of breaks, a funky bounce, just in general, football starts to even out. You take Iowa's best chance of making the college football playoff for the foreseeable future. Next year, they're going to return six starters. I mean, they're going to have to be shopping heavily in the portal to replenish that roster.

Starting point is 00:10:01 The schedule gets much more difficult over the next two years than what they have here. You allow this to happen? You allow a team that was ready to be buried. 13-0, you get the ball on the 42-yard line, you run a cockamamie play, your quarterback doesn't make a read. Your quarterback finishes 5 of 18. A lot of blame on Kirk, but he's not alone. We'll talk about more. Blame, frustration. It is prevalent in this one. Iowa Falls 2019 to Iowa State. We continue. This is Lockdown Hawkeyes. Look, stayed up late. I use five-hour energy. It is something that gets me through the course

Starting point is 00:10:44 of the day. Use it early. Use it late. Whenever I need that boost, whenever I need that I use 5-Hour Energy. It is something that gets me through the course of the day. Use it early, use it late. Whenever I need that boost, whenever I need that pick-me-up, 5-Hour Energy is for me each and every time. With zero sugar and a convenient portable size, it's the perfect pick-me-up for getting stuff done. The 5-Hour Energy website has flavors galore. They have watermelon, tropical burst, grape berry.

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Starting point is 00:11:39 LOCKEDONCFB, to receive 20% off your order. This offer is only valid until September 30th on one order and cannot be used with other promotions. The code is not good on subscription orders. Once again, code LOCKDOWNCFB to receive 20% off your order. Go to 5hourenergy.com today. Trent Conant back with you once again on the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. As always, thanks for making Locked On Hawkeyes your first listen every day.

Starting point is 00:12:12 A long list of blame to go around. We mentioned Xavier Wampa getting beat and then being benched for the rest of the game as Cohen Entringer came in from him, giving up the 75-yard touchdown. Now afterwards, Jay Higgins, he tried to shoulder some of the blame. Jay Higgins was not benched in the game. Xavier Wampa was. Hugely disappointing for a guy that came in with as much hype, as much pub. We know he was banged up last year, and to have that happen for an upperclassman,

Starting point is 00:12:37 it's inexcusable, but it did. And that's one. Reese Dakin, he's not Torrey Taylor. He likely never will be Torrey Taylor and left a lot out there. A lot of opportunities. And though he was okay, unfortunately, they need better than okay. When your quarterback goes 5 of 18 for 27 yards over the last three quarters, you're going to need more out of your punter.

Starting point is 00:13:03 They didn't get it. The defensive line got whooped by an Iowa State offensive line that was frankly bad in week one against North Dakota. They got whooped. They got handled by that group. Luke Lachey, where was he? Played the quarterback? Absolutely. How about Tim Lester? I mean, we're going through, and there's a lot of layers to this one. Kirk, he's at the top. Yes, he gets the big check. He gets the most play. The way this played out, there was a lot of things that he screwed up.

Starting point is 00:13:35 But it's not just him and him alone. Players make plays. Players do things. And Luke Lachey didn't have anything going his direction. You're taking on a linebacker core that had true freshmen out there, a linebacker core that was down realistically their top three linebackers coming into the season, maybe four, depending on what you think of Willich. That's what we're talking about.

Starting point is 00:14:04 Luke Lachey, no catches. Not only that, but the game plan. And as the game evolved and changed and as it was going through, you got Caleb Johnson doing his thing. Great. That was awesome. As we've talked about, we know he's a stud.

Starting point is 00:14:20 But we've been hearing about motion. What did we see last week in the second half against Illinois State? Taking LeShea out, moving him out wide, creating some separation, creating some matchups that make sense. Where was that today? We had other components. Jet sweep motion.

Starting point is 00:14:41 We've been hearing about this, right? You got Caden Legion. He's got speed. We know he's about this, right? You got Caden Legion. He's got speed. We know he's got wheels, right? Where was that? How about you move the eyes of this young linebacker core that not only is young and inexperienced, but just doesn't have the reps at this level?

Starting point is 00:14:59 We're simplifying it. And this is something that drives me nuts about Iowa football throughout the whole 26 years. They're so damn predictable, right? Offensively, you can just see what they're going to do. And the hope, and blame me, we're actually believing that there was going to be hope that what we were going to see is going to be different because already by game two, they're reverting back to the same things.

Starting point is 00:15:24 That's packaged up a little bit differently, but it's ultimately the same. And the quarterback play. I mean, think of what we've had to watch here over now the last five years. Three years of Spencer Petras. Last year, an injured came back to Merritt before Deacon Hill came wade Waddling out. And now we see in Cade McNamara, that is very truthfully, he's compromised.

Starting point is 00:15:54 He's physically not there, or maybe mentally not there. When it's good and it's simple, and they put in the scripted plays in the first quarter, that looked good. And he got it going against a very okay Illinois State team at the FCS level. But they were also playing the second half against a Big Ten team. And they're going to wear down, and I was able to do that. But what we saw from him, and maybe the biggest indictment, is the inability to get the football down the field on the final play of the game.

Starting point is 00:16:23 The missed opportunities. They had Caleb Brown streaking up the final play of the game. The missed opportunities. They had Caleb Brown streaking up the left sideline. Miss. I mean, that's a throw 85%, 90% of college quarterbacks make, and he didn't. You have a backup quarterback that has shown an ability, at minimum, to be okay at this level. Personally, I don't believe that Brendan Sullivan's a guy.

Starting point is 00:16:47 I still maintain that Iowa's best hope is to get Cade McNamara fixed, to get him both physically get the rust off and mentally in the right space, that that is Iowa's best path forward in order to happen. But I'll tell you what, what we saw over those last three quarters makes me look like an idiot. I look like an idiot a lot. Look, I thought I was going to cruise in this game. I threw the first two quarters plus.

Starting point is 00:17:12 I thought I was home free. But you don't punch it in from the three. You don't punch it in from the one and a half. You try to give them a field goal at the end of the half. You come out, have a play call that is awful, and then you just continue down that path, but not only a play call that was dead on arrival, but then force a ball back.

Starting point is 00:17:33 And then you continue throughout the game, and you go for two instead of taking a point. You got that one. And then the late-game situation. I mentioned the first half, but late game. You put it back, but before that, you take a delay a game. When you're sitting on three timeouts, you're not going to need them. Iowa State is out of timeouts.

Starting point is 00:17:58 You have a punter that has not shown an ability to get off a powerful punt at the collegiate level. shown an ability to get off a powerful punt at the collegiate level. Not in practice. Not in the bubble. Not in the practice facility. Hasn't been able to show it to turn one over big time in a game. And now you make him go five yards more. And Kirk said after the game, and this is ridiculous,

Starting point is 00:18:19 said, well, it might have gone into the end zone. I mean, why? But what is one of the strengths of Iowa football? Their coverage unit. How is Torrey Taylor so great throughout the years of putting and pitting teams back within the 10-yard line? Even the five. It wasn't just him. Like he's not hitting pitching wedge up there and they're just rolling back and then they settle down.

Starting point is 00:18:44 No, it was because of the Gunners. It was because of the coverage team. Those were the guys that were busting their ass to get down there and they're just rolling back and then they settle down. No, it was because of the Gunners. It was because of the coverage team. Those were the guys that were busting their ass to get down there and make the plays. But now, what, they can't? No. Not buying it. Bad punt. Fair catch at the 22.

Starting point is 00:18:57 A bunch shorter feet. And as we're laying blame, we've got to put some on Phil Parker. And you can say it's not fair. Without Phil Parker, what would this program be? Kirk Ferentz wouldn't still be here without Phil Parker. I think we all know that. He has propped up this program and done just a wonderful job. Norm Parker was great.

Starting point is 00:19:18 Phil's better. And Phil has shown an ability to adapt, to change, to evolve, something that the offensive coach, the offensive line guru, has been unwilling to do. Instead of going out and finding a wanted offensive coordinator, he took the easy way out. My first thought on Tim Lester was probably right. I hate to say that somebody's a yes man.

Starting point is 00:19:48 I'm just doing what Kirk wants, but what did it look like to you on Saturday? That's what we got. That's what it was. So that's where we are. And many of these things, oh, and mentioning Phil Parker. No timeouts.

Starting point is 00:20:07 78 yards to go for a touchdown, but they're playing for a field goal. And Sebastian Castro got beat. He's looking to jump her out of the game. Defense trying to do that. Why are they a man? There's, I get it. I'm second-guessing Phil Parker. Yes, this is dumb, I get it. I'm second guessing Phil Parker. Yes, this is dumb.

Starting point is 00:20:26 I get it. But boy, in that spot, in that situation, where you're trying to move them to the middle of the field, so they have to run clock, just didn't make a lot of sense. Head scratching all around. And it took all of those things individually, stack them all up. That's how Iowa lost this football game.

Starting point is 00:20:49 Any one of those, what, 10 things that we've talked about here today, any one of them go a different direction, we're likely having a different conversation. But you are what your record says you are. And Iowa's one and one. What's left to play for? What direction does this Iowa team go? One more non-conference game. It'll be Troy coming up on Saturday. And then Big Ten play begins.

Starting point is 00:21:15 We'll talk about that as we come back. More frustrations abound. This is the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast. Today's episode is brought to you by Ibotta. It's summertime, means it's barbecue season. Stock up on all your grilling favorites and earn cash back on every purchase you use with Ibotta.

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Starting point is 00:22:59 as we react to the frustrating Saturday afternoon in Kinney. Great day, great weather. I did remark and mention this a couple of times. I think you even put out a tweet about it. I was shocked the few Iowa State fans that were there in attendance. I mean, this is something normally where you're seeing 7, 8, sometimes 10,000 out of the 70,000 in the stands for this one not the case so started going games full time in 96. in high school still uh make the drive down with a buddy hang out with some of the older guys from my hometown and and always have a

Starting point is 00:23:36 great time and so we've been coming this game for a long time unfortunately my freshman year for a long time. Unfortunately, my freshman year, that was when the winning streak came to an end. That was fun and seen a lot of pain. The 98 game, 27-9, Iowa State comes in and wins it, ends the 15-game losing streak. We found out there's actually a trophy for this thing. That one stunk. 2002, boy, another dreadful one. That one was very difficult to swallow up 24-7 at the half. But in a way, these last two are even more frustrating. Now, Iowa's inability to punch the football in from inside the five in both games proved to be the difference. Two years ago, it was going to the fullback who fumbles. Iowa State proceeds then to take the football and drive 99 yards for the score after that fumble. And State proceeds then to take the football and drive 99 yards for

Starting point is 00:24:25 the score after that fumble. And then this year, twice in the first half, inside the five-yard line, inside the three-yard line, and just six points to show for it. Iowa's inability there very well proves to be the difference in both of those games. This one felt different though. It felt different maybe also because of the lack of Iowa State being there, but just how it played out. Because there was still that feeling, at least for me, that Iowa would find a way. All right, we're putting the ball back.

Starting point is 00:24:57 What is Kirk doing? Why is he taking this delay? Okay, fine. But the Iowa defense is going to get a stop. Gave up 20 in the second half. That can't happen either. You just can't. Flukes, whatever it is, but you just, you can't give up 20 points in a half.

Starting point is 00:25:12 At home, they did. And that's where we are. So what's left? Look, this Iowa team's not going in to Columbus and beating Ohio State. It's not happening. Not with what we've seen out of Gabe McNamara, not what we've seen out of this team to this point. That's not happening.

Starting point is 00:25:32 So there's a second loss. And that's where it starts to get frustrating. Look, they should bounce back this week. Yes, Troy won double-digit games a year ago, but they've been drilled in both of their games so far this year. Huge turnover. Their coach left. I think they only had five, six starters back from a season ago. They are completely rebuilding. This should be a get-right game, and you'd hope to see that. Then you go to

Starting point is 00:25:54 Minnesota. But revenge, that stuff doesn't matter. You gotta go out and beat them. Should Iowa? Yeah. Even on the road? Absolutely. Then it's that Ohio State game. And then from there, in order to even have a glimpse of a Big Ten championship or getting to the Big Ten championship game and with it, the college football playoff, that means you have to go perfect against Washington, Michigan State, who looked a lot better than I anticipated that they would in their game against Maryland. Northwestern, Wisconsin, UCLA, Maryland, and Nebraska. They go perfect. Or it's another year in Tampa.

Starting point is 00:26:37 It's a year in Tampa, though, in the new era of college football. college football. And again, when you look at the future, what the future holds for this football program, what the schedule is going to look like, it gets scary in a hurry. Next year, Iowa has Oregon, Penn State, Nebraska, USC, Michigan State, Wisconsin on the schedule. That's 2025. Wisconsin on the schedule. That's 2025. 2026, how about this? Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska, Wisconsin, and a road trip to Washington. That's what awaits them the next couple of years. This was the opportunity. This was the chance. Nine starters back defensively.

Starting point is 00:27:24 An offensive line that comes back intact. Offensive line that still has its own set of issues, as we saw again on Saturday. The pieces were there. The chance was there. And they blew it. They blew it in a rivalry game. Now it's Iowa football under Kirk Ferentz. And they'll circle the wagons. And they'll rebound and they'll have a rivalry game. Now it's Iowa football under Kirk Ferentz, and they'll circle the wagons,

Starting point is 00:27:46 and they'll rebound, and they'll have a nice season. But it won't be a special season. That's out the window. There is not a realistic path for this team in today's environment to come back and do something special. Nice? Absolutely. They can do that. Special's gone for Iowa football.

Starting point is 00:28:09 That'll do it for today. We got you covered throughout the course of the week. We'll hear from Kirk on Tuesday and many of the assembled players as they get ready for the matchup against Troy. And we will continue to break it down each and every day with you. We'll continue to talk and go a little bit deeper. I'm sure there's a couple of things that I missed. Do the rewatch. We'll get the grades from Pro Football day with you. We'll continue to talk and go a little bit deeper. I'm sure there's a couple of things that I missed. Do the rewatch.

Starting point is 00:28:27 We'll get the grades from Pro Football Focus on you. Got a couple of guests coming up this week. It'll be a busy time, but we got you covered. Your team every day on the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for making Lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen every day. We'll talk to you again tomorrow. Go Hawks.

Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Heartbreak in the Hawkeye State: Iowa Falls to Iowa State in a Cy-Hawk Shocker

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