Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Instant Reaction: Iowa Football Eliminates the Noise in Win at Maryland

Episode Date: November 23, 2024

Can the Iowa Hawkeyes football team maintain their momentum after a stunning 29-13 victory over Maryland? With standout performances from Kaleb Johnson and Jackson Stratton, the Hawkeyes are making waves in college football.Explore how Kaleb Johnson's impressive 164-yard game and Jackson Stratton's unexpected rise as quarterback are reshaping Iowa's offensive strategy. Host Trent Condon breaks down the game-changing plays and defensive highlights, including Jay Higgins' resilience and Drew Stevens' kicking redemption. Discover how these key players and Coach Kirk Ferentz's tactics are setting the stage for Iowa's future challenges.Tune in for an in-depth analysis of Iowa Hawkeyes football and uncover the strategies that could lead them to further success.For your next listen, check out the Locked On College Football podcast! From NIL deals to never ending conference realignment rumors, Spencer McLaughlin gets you ready for an exciting season on the gridiron! Click HERE to listen now. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your Team. Every Day.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!ZBiotics Pre AlcoholGo to zbiotics.com/LOCKEDONCOLLEGE to learn more and get 15% off your first order when you use LOCKEDONCOLLEGE at checkout. ZBiotics is backed with 100% money back guarantee so if you’re unsatisfied for any reason, they’ll refund your money, no questions asked.Mint MobileTo get the new customer offer and your new 3-month premium wireless plan for just $15 a month, go to mintmobile.com/lockedoncollege. See Mint Mobile for details.Skylight FramesWe've got the perfect gift for you! Skylight Frame is the touchscreen digital photo frame your whole family will love. As a special, limited-time offer for our listeners, get $20 OFF your purchase of a Skylight Frame when you go to SkylightFrame.com/COLLEGE.5-Hour ENERGYWhat’s your Fan Fuel this week?! Whatever it is, do it with a 5 Hour Energy! Available on 5HourEnergy.com. Shipped nationwide.PrizePicksDownload the PrizePicks app today and use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE and get $50 instantly when you play $5! You don't even need to win to receive the $50 bonus, it's guaranteed! Prizepicks. Run Your Game.https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONCOLLEGEROYDownload Roy for iOS or Android and enter referral code LOCKED ON and you’ll automatically be entered into a sweepstakes to win $5,000 cash. Visit JoinRoy.com for additional details. No purchase necessary, void where prohibited. Get off the sidelines and into the NIL game with Roy.GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.FanDuelYou can start the season with a big return on FanDuel. New customers can place a FIVE DOLLAR bet and you’ll get started with ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS - if you win your first FIVE DOLLAR BET ! Visit FANDUEL.COM to get started.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)Follow Trent Condon on X: https://twitter.com/trentcondonLISTEN TO THE PODCAST: APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-on-hawkeyes-daily-podcast-on-iowa-hawkeyes-football/id1441592240SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0GTyz5ygevcGXdTF6QSoEoYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnHawkeyes

Kirk Ferentz does it once again. In a trying week for Iowa football, the Hawkeyes go on the road and they get a dominating victory behind the ground game and just enough in the passing game. 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 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 find us on YouTube. While you're there, hit that subscribe button. Helps us get in front of more Hawkeye fans.

And we're with you each and every day, including today. Instant reaction after the Iowa 29-13 win against Maryland. Today's episode is brought to you by GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account, and use code LOCKDOWNCOLLEGE for $20 off your first purchase. Well, one of the crazier weeks in Iowa football, the continued

rumblings, rumors, speculation about what was happening. Jamari Harris doesn't make the trip. Cade McNamara doesn't make the trip. We talked a lot about that late in the week and leading up to the game, but it's not about the guys that didn't show up. It's about the guys that were there, and that's what we're

going to talk about here today. Let's get all of the extras away. We got a quick turnaround before the Black Friday matchup against Nebraska as they get ready to kick off against Wisconsin. Let's talk about what we saw on the field. Enough of the histrionics, enough of the extras. The guys that went to College Park, Maryland, and battled and got a victory. I said it earlier in the week, and these are the times that we see

Kirk Ferentz's teams at their best, back against the wall, in a corner, when everybody is counting them out. I wasn't counting them out, but I thought this was going to be a tough football game, and I was surprised that Iowa was favored like they were. They won the game by 16. I was shocked by the team total, which was 26 and a half. They go over that one. It was a dominating performance on the ground. Caleb Johnson being the dude once again, just continues to make plays, continues to look so good. How about that seven yard run up the left side when he stiffs are stiff arms two different guys on it i just he's a beast the control that he plays with the pacing that he has the ability to set up and

read the blocking he's incredible to watch and the likelihood is we're going to see him just one final time in a hawkeye uniform on black friday against nebraska let's enjoy it because this dude has been absolutely special what he's done this season breaking Sean Green single season rushing touchdown record that was great to see for him and he said afterwards in the postgame interview I'm BTN he's not done he's still got more coming for the Huskers next week we know Caleb is the man and he finishes the game 35 carries 164 yards and a touchdown credited as well to Kamari Moulton. Moulton goes out there and fumbles early in the football game.

Just looked like he never got the exchange. And saw a couple of times Jackson Stratton maybe turned the wrong way on a couple of handoffs. That wasn't the case on that one that led to the fumble. And that's going to happen. This is another part that is kind of underrated. It's just those simple things, the little things like handing the football off. You go from a quarterback that you've taken hundreds of reps from

throughout the course of camp going back to spring football, and you go to a new one. It's just a little bit different from every single guy that's handing you the football, and that was the case there. Molten coughs it up. Iowa had a great drive early on. I've got to mention Tim Lester. The game plan that he put together. A very simplified version of what they want to do offensively.

Playing to the strengths of your quarterback and that's what they did with Jackson Stratton. He's got a strong arm so what do we do? We put him in those situations with those deep outs, those deep ins. Those kind of plays that he can make. Keep it away from the middle of the field for the most part, use the strong arm, stretch the boundary that way, and then, of course, rely on the ground game as Iowa was able to do.

They were also able to rely on the ground game in a game where Jennings Dunker, arguably their best offensive lineman, was out because of injury. So Jennings Dunker is out. It's Nick DeYoung who came back for an extra year. He was a guy that had finished up what looked like his playing career. There wasn't a starting spot for him, though he was going to compete. I always liked his versatility,

the ability to play both inside and out, just because they really don't have a ton of those guys right now. They're trying to build up the Trevor Locks of the world and players like that, that eventually are going to be tackles. But as we talked about in the past, this has been a team kind of built with a bunch of guards and they didn't have that prototypical tackle. Well, Jennings Dunker is that dude. He's got the size out there along with the strength and the athletic ability to get outside against some speed rushers. And we see Mason

Richmond's going to be likely a guard at the next level. And I believe he will be an NFL guard. He's not your prototypical left tackle, but he has to play there just because of the way this offensive line has been built. So here comes DeYoung into the game and he was adequate at the very least. The game where they pile up nearly 300 yards rushing. I thought he did a really good job on that front. Patterson got five carries in the game as well in the ground game. Jackson Stratton talked about what we saw from him. Guy's got a carries in the game as well in the ground game. Jackson Stratton

talked about what we saw from him. Guy's got a live arm, that's for sure. And, you know, here's the exciting thing. As I mentioned, Tim Lester. What excites me, I think, most is they found Jackson Stratton basically the scrap heap, right? I mean, this is a kid, left Colorado State, didn't have anybody even looking at him. He goes to a camp, opens it up, Tim Lester comes and watches him, likes what he sees, gives him just a walk-on opportunity. But if Tim Lester, in that short of time, can find a guy with that kind of arm talent, a guy that just won a Big Ten road game, even against a Maryland team that's not very good, regardless, he was able to do that.

I think that gives you hope. I mean, his eye for talent. As we mentioned the other day, you look at when it was Brian Ferentz and John Budmeier that were choosing the quarterbacks. They brought in Cade McNamara, Deacon Hill, and James Rezar. Yeah, that Troika are the ones that they brought in. He goes out, he brings in Brandon Sullivan, which was exciting at the very least, and Jackson Stratton. I mean, you talk about how far they've surpassed just what we've seen out of those three quarterbacks,

which is absolutely crazy to say. I remember when Jackson Stratton committed. He found out he's a walk-on. It was ho--hum Look, I do a show every single day here We're talking Hawkeyes every day We're looking for content And it was two minutes at the end of a show Because we never thought we would get here And yet there they are Credit to him

Speaking of credit How about Drew Stevens? This guy lost his gig a year ago. And speaking of the Nebraska game, this is a player that was benched. He had some struggles leading into that game, was struggling with the kicking. You talk about the mental side, because as you see again today, it's never been a physical issue for Drew Stevens. He has one of the strongest legs that I was had at the kicker position and they've had some dudes

some powerful legs and he's not the biggest guy by any means either another tackle in the game too but five field goals doing it win on his back or not i mean that 54 yarder i think was good from 70 i'm just absolutely mistled it in on the line drive kick to bounce back in that fashion and to put yourself in conversation to be an all Big Ten player, to put yourself in the conversation likely going into next season on the Groza award watch list. This dude is just putting together another monster season and to bounce back in that fashion.

Look, in today's age of college athletics, things don't go well. End of the season. Doesn't get a chance to kick an extra point or field goal in the final two games in the Big Ten Championship and the bowl game a season ago. A lot of players, not from around here, find a place back home. I'm sure there would have been a ton of ACC schools that would have given him an opportunity. He didn't. He stuck it out.

He stayed. He got it done. And with it, he's now got a tremendous opportunity in front of him and a guy that is probably going to get an opportunity at the next level there's only 32 of those jobs in the nfl but he's going to be going i certainly think that you're going to have so a lot of talk here about iowa on the offensive side well they play two sides we'll talk about that as we continue let's talk about the defenses. They play incredibly well. Had a shout-out in the first half.

Maryland got a little something going in the second half, but the Iowa Ds showed up in a big-time way. What does this mean going forward? We'll talk about that as we continue. Locked on, Hawkeyes. Today's Rapid Reaction podcast is brought to you by game time well basketball season is here you love the sounds the sights what it is to be in the arena women's basketball carver hawkeye arena sold out every single time you're looking for tickets well they got you covered with game time and game time has a new feature called game time picks it makes getting tickets to see your favorite

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for $20 off. Download GameTime today. What time is it? Game time. Trent Cotter back with you once again on the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast as I'm taking a peek up and watching the end of the Ole Miss-Maryland game. Ole Miss-XCV Florida game. Back with you. Rapid reaction right after things conclude here with the Iowa win against Maryland

29-13 talked a lot about the offense and given a lot of flowers there let's go to the defensive side of the football Jay Higgins playing hurt not shutting it down would have been easy for him to do and he's a guy that you could definitely understand he came back for another year he came back for another season and the season has not gone the way that we wanted. However, he's out there gutting it out, gets another interception, his fourth of the season, leads the team in tackles once again. Love Jay Higgins. Love what he means, and really the embodiment of an Iowa football player.

You put in the work, you put in the time, you build yourself up, and eventually the payoff is going to be there, and that's certainly been the case for Jay Higgins um Ethan Hercut boy what a performance out of him six tackles three tackles for a loss in the game he was all over the place I love that out of him TJ Hall learning on the job still has work to do but got that interception thought he played well, even giving up a big play early in the game. I thought TJ Hall really stepped up, and he can continue to see kind of what he is and what he's going to be for this Iowa football team.

A couple other things in the game. We mentioned Hercut on the other side, Llewellyn. You know it's just eventually a matter of time before he's going to get to the quarterback, and he did at the end. And I love looking through the stat sheet here and seeing Drew Stevens on the tackle list with the tackle in that one. Iowa slowed them down. It was a team that came in the most prolific passing team in the Big Ten.

And yes, Edwards was compromised with that thumb injury, and then they knock him out a little bit later on. And still, it's a team with a couple of big-time wide receivers. Iowa playing without Jamari Harris, and they find a way. Kirk Ferentz gets another win. Put another one on the sheet for him. And we got one more to go in the regular season. Iowa gets their seventh win of the season.

Difference between seven and eight is not big, we got one more to go in the regular season. Iowa gets to their seventh win of the season. Difference between seven and eight, it's not big, unless you're holding a over seven and a half ticket or an under seven and a half ticket from back in the summertime from FanDuel, as I am. So we'd love to cash that one. But rallying the troops, getting it done, I'm just continually impressed. Though there's frustration And there's frustration

Not going for two when it's 25-13 A 13 point difference Is no different than 12 But they got the penalty, didn't get the play in Things happen You get frustrated But in the end, we've seen a lot of success And though this year has not gone the way

I think any Hawkeye fan anticipated that it would And I know there's frustration That grows within the fan base, we do have it pretty good. As we see our conference foes and our protected rivals, Nebraska and Wisconsin, kicking off here for bowl eligibility on November 23rd, I was safely there. I was had a lot of success. And as we've seen, a program's even more higher stature than Iowa, Miami, Michigan, where you can go through the doldrums. One bad hire can set you back. Kirk Ferentz has this program in a good spot.

Although next year will be a rebuilding year, he's done so many great things. Yeah, we want more. We all want more. I get that. But also don't miss what we have. And with that, we'll wrap things up. Rapid reaction here as the Iowa Hawkeyes get the win 29-13. Big weekend ahead. In fact, tonight, Iowa-Iowa State on the wrestling mat. Looking forward to that. Tomorrow, the Iowa women return to the hardwood as they take on Washington State. We'll also get into on our Sunday night, Monday podcast, we will dive into the disappointing loss for Iowa basketball on Friday night. Speaking of not overreacting, I don't think I'm going to in that one. I was got a rebound better. I told you before

that game, that was my biggest concern going into it. And I think that was a huge difference. I got to be able to knock down shots. Josh Dix isn't real healthy. You can see that with the wrist injury. Sanford has not shot it very well. Need to get Peyton going. Need to get Owen Freeman. Need a confluence of everybody coming together.

Traore was banged up. He had the massage gun on his leg. So there's a ton happening there, and you need to see this team get healthy. I think the upside is about as good as we've seen in many free-end teams. But you've got to be healthy. As we talk about the margin for Iowa football is not real significant. Same thing with the basketball team this year. I think they have a chance to be decent, pretty good.

Certainly a tournament team. And maybe even a little bit more than that. But you've got to get healthy. And you've got to get everything clicking. As big stretches coming up here after their Tuesday matchup against, uh, South Carolina upside upstate up, ups, up something. They, uh, then it starts to begin. You got the big 10 games. You got the Iowa state game still on the horizon. So really got to ramp things up and get that going again. We'll get into that a little bit more on the podcast. You can check it out always here on YouTube.

You can watch things. Make sure you hit subscribe if you're watching on YouTube, or you can listen. Just search Locked On Hawkeyes Podcast on your favorite podcast listening device, whatever it is, Apple Stitcher. We got you covered there, and you can find us that way as well. Thanks for being with us here. Rapid Reaction Iowa gets it done, 29-13. Also going to be coming up here in just a little bit on 600 WMT.

Myself, Marvin McDutt, and the whole crew with the post-game show after the Learfield coverage wraps up. And I will have you covered over there for that one. 600 WMT, 800 KXIC in Iowa City, and also on 95.7 Sports Talk Radio in Cedar Rapids with the post game show. I'll take you up until about 6 o'clock here this evening. I gotta run. I gotta get to that right now. Thanks for making Lockdown Hawkeyes your

first listen every day. We'll talk to you again tomorrow night. Thanks for watching and go Hawks.