Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - INSTANT REACTION: Iowa Football embarrassed again in the Citrus Bowl vs. Tennessee

Episode Date: January 1, 2024

Trent Condon returns for the New Year after an embarrassing loss to Tennessee at the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.The Hawkeye were beaten soundly in most every phase of the game. But the offense was shut out once again and becomes the story in the final game with Brian Ferentz as offensive coordinator.The Hawkeyes had a little juice late in the game when Marco Lainez came in at quarterback and was able to pick up some yards running the football. But the passing game still struggled.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase.FanDuelScore early this NFL season with FanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook! Right now, NEW customers get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS with any winning FIVE DOLLAR MONEYLINE BET! That’s A HUNDRED AND FIFTY BUCKS – if your team wins! Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON 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) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It was a fitting end to an awful era of Brian Ferentz. It's over and it ends in a shutout. Iowa dominated by Tennessee in the bowl game, 35-0. The era is over, but is change happening for Iowa football? We'll talk about it all 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 get podcasts. You can also find 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 FanDuel Sportsbook. Make every moment more. Right now, new customers get $150 in bonus bets with any winning $5 Moneyline bet. That's $150. If your team wins, visit bandual.com slash locked on to get started. Well, it is over. And our Insta Reaction podcast as Iowa is pummeled at the hands of Tennessee.

35-0 is the final in this one. It got to see Nico Amaleve go out and do his thing. He was pretty good in the game. Iowa defensively certainly was not at the elite level for moments of this game that we anticipated. But as many times there is, there is a reason behind that. And it's the incompetent offense for Iowa. Once again, in this one, we will get to what we saw later in the game when Marco Linus

finally was given an opportunity and the frustration obviously that came down with that one but it was more of the same and as I mentioned at the top a fitting end to this era of Brian Ferencz a guy that was handed the keys to the car without his driver's license had no background plays, had absolutely no reason to be given this job seven years ago outside of who his dad is. And that's it. We can argue about nepotism and the merits and everything else. He did not have anything in his resume that said that this guy was going to be good as a play caller. In fact, his dad was never a play caller. And to be given that job at the time, I was not a proponent

of. I argued many times on the radio airwaves and with different people in podcasts that this was not something that was going to turn out well. And as we saw over the last two and a half years, this is why it was not going to turn out well. To believe that Brian was going to get somebody that was going to get the rigid nature of his father to change. That was unlikely to happen. And we saw, obviously, it did not happen. But coupled with a guy that is given a position and a hope that he's going to be able to dial something up different, right? And that was the hope, that we were going to see change that was going to be happening.

A guy that has a similar offensive philosophy as his dad, well, it's not going to happen. A guy that has absolutely no idea what he's doing in terms of route concepts, quarterback development, things that are important in 2023 and were important in 2016 when he got the job, those things that were important then are even more important now, and he has nothing that is going to go and is going to improve upon it. And the frustrating aspect is something that we're going to get to in the coming days and weeks as Kirk Ferentz looks for a new offensive coordinator. Is Kirk willing to make an adaption? For people to say that he's not going to change or he's not willing to change,

that's stupid. It really is. Kirk Ferentz has evolved. Kirk Ferentz has adapted as a coach. As quickly as we would like? Absolutely not. As quickly as he should? We can argue that. I get that part of it. But to say that he won't do it, it's just not true. Transfer portal. We heard going into last offseason, oh, he's not going to get involved in that.

Never. What does he do? He brings in a lot of impactful transfers, including what was to be the starting quarterback in Cade McNamara. He has changed. After 2014, the last time they saw Tennessee in a bowl game, it was another dreadful performance. It was hideous. It was ugly.

And what did they do? They made change inside the program, and it led to 2015 and undefeated 12-0 regular season. Change has happened. Evolution has happened for Kirk Behrens. Now, the one part that I'm willing to listen, at this point in his career, is he willing to make that kind of change?

Is he willing to evolve at the level he needs to offensively? I think we can definitely go on both sides of that one. Back to what we saw on the field. It was hideous. Now, Iowa gets a short field. They punch it down there. They to what we saw on the field. It was hideous. Now, Iowa gets a short field. They punch it down there. They're inside the five-yard line. And this is Deacon Hill.

And again, with the caveat that we'll put in there often. Not all the time, but often. Good kid. You feel for him. Saw the tears in his eyes after the Big Ten Championship game. He was devastated. This is a guy that didn't play a ton of football. His high school career was cut short during the COVID season.

Just doesn't have a whole lot of reps. And frankly, he should have never been in this spot. He really shouldn't. Anybody that saw him play at Wisconsin, people that were at practices, remember Wisconsin does have open practices, talked to people that were involved that have been there. They didn't think that Deacon Hill was a Big Ten quarterback.

Let's put it that way. And for Iowa to continue to trot him out there over the final nine weeks of the season, and what turned out to be months and months of season, it was a disservice to Deacon Hill. He's not good enough. And you're putting him in a situation that makes him look bad. It looks you as coaches look bad, but it makes him look bad. 11 fumbles, seven interceptions in seven games of quarterback. That's bad. It's scheme. It's scheme. It's system.

It's a guy that just isn't talented enough to be able to do it at the Big Ten level. Doesn't have the requisite reps. He had one good game against Rutgers. And if you remember back in that game, also in that game, he had one of the worst interceptions you'll ever see, maybe outside of the two interceptions

that he threw here today. Just across the field, late situation, a field goal opportunity. He came back and played well in the second half, but he was awful in the first half of that game. I mean, that's what we're talking about. The high watermark is a game where he played okay for a half of football, and they kept trotting him out there. And that is Kirk, and that is Brian. I don't know what it is. This is something that I have struggled with for years now, understanding how Kirk Behrensen, a football guy,

where accountability is number one. You're accountable for your mistakes, for your decisions, what you do. Accountability is paramount in the Iowa football program, and yet at the quarterback position for the last five years, there's been no accountability. Go out there and be the most turnover worthy quarterback in college football. You continue to try them out there. You be Spencer Petras and just be absolutely awful and no accountability. There is nothing short of injury that makes you lose the job.

Why Kirk Ferentz? You make a mistake, you fumble the football as a running back, you're done. You make mistakes out there, it doesn't matter. Defensive line, linebacker, you make a mistake anywhere else. Hell, we saw it the last game of the year against Nebraska. You had a kicker that was struggling, boom, you go with the walk-on that hadn't kicked all year long. But at the quarterback position, the most important position in sport, he is unwilling to make a change. Now, change has been forced upon him, but there have been clear-cut decisions, easy decisions, and Kirk has not been able to do it.

His brain is broken when it comes to quarterback play. We will get into what we saw from Marco Lioness. Now, was it great? Great would be probably a little bit of an overstatement. You can see why he's still got a long ways to go. But there was athleticism. There was excitement. There was a guy that could actually move in the pocket. What? I haven't seen that in decades. Yeah, a guy that could actually move in the pocket what you haven't seen that in decades yeah a guy that could actually pick up a first down with his feet and not on a sneak play it's backyard football it's kind of fun quarterback i don't get it i don't understand it but it is something that kirk barrett struggles with to the nth degree. We'll talk about that as we continue here.

It's Dennis' reaction as Iowa gets clubbed at the hands of Tennessee. 35-0 shutout in Brian Ferentz's final game as offensive coordinator. Boy, he was really dialing some stuff on. What a game plan he came up with there. Ridiculous. We continue here. Locked on Hawkeyes. Today's episode of the Locked on Hawkeyes podcast is brought to you by the FanDuel Sportsbook.

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FanDuel. Visit FanDuel.com slash LockedOn to make your first bet an easy layup. FanDuel.com slash LockedOn. FanDuel, official partner of the NFL. Trent Conant back with you once again here on the LockedOn Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for making LockedOn Hawkeyes your first listen every day on an instant reaction to just an embarrassing loss at the hands of Tennessee.

Offense was bad. The defense wasn't very good. Just some of the quotes too. Listening to Brock Osweiler and Dave Fleming throughout the course of the game, it was that was embarrassing too. I mean, five-yard pass as they're backed up before the fumble inside the five.

That's at least something. I believe Dave Fleming said that twice. At least that's something. Third and manageable. My wife scoffs. I don't think there is a manageable on third down for this Iowa team. And she was exactly right.

It just on and on and on. Laughing during the game as the teachers are getting honored. manageable on third down for this Iowa team. And she was exactly right. It just on and on and on. Laughing during the game as the teachers are getting honored. For every touchdown, this amount of money is going to go to the teachers. Those poor teachers. I mean, no money's coming from the Iowa side of things. The quarterback spot. So as we saw at Deacon Hill, there is some numbers out there, EPA per play,

and basically measures on a per play basis what a quarterback is. Deacon Hill throughout the course of his tenure at the quarterback position for Iowa has been a negative, meaning it would be better for Iowa just to kneel the ball as opposed to Deacon Hill take a snap. And that continued throughout the course of this game. that continued throughout the course of this game. Negative three yards per play, meaning when he took a snap, it was basically, on average, a loss of three yards per play. That is with the pick six in there, the fumble inside the five-yard line, the touchdown on the goal line, just on and on and on. He's not good. We finally get to see Marco Lainez. And Marco Lainez,

he's got a long ways to go. You saw that as a thrower. But he's got some wheels. He can move around. He can make some plays. There's real excitement to be said about a quarterback that can make those kind of plays. And he could do that. You see on the other side Josh Heupel who this year had for their standards Tennessee after what they did the year previous a disappointing year eight and four Joe Milton was perfectly serviceable taking over for Hendon Hooker this year guy that played when Hooker was injured a season before, began his career at Michigan. In fact, got beat out by Cade McNamara for the quarterback position with the Wolverines.

But he's not part of the future. He'll go off. He'll get drafted four, five, six rounds, something like that. And with his big, strong arm, he'll get an opportunity, maybe to be a backup or a third teamer, could be a developmental guy. And we'll see if any quarterback coach or offensive coordinator can kind of unlock the skills that are there for Milton with that strong arm.

But his career was coming to an end in this game. And though we find out this week that Nico Amileva was going to be the starting quarterback, this is something that had been in the works throughout bull prep. This was something that was happening. In fact, it likely wasn't even Joe Milton's decision. Or if he was, he was going to go into the game as a backup. Heupel understood for the betterment of his program going forward, it made a whole lot more

sense to get Amuleva ready for this football game as opposed to a guy that's not going to be a part of it. Iowa went the exact opposite approach. Iowa tried it out the worst quarterback in college football, and statistically it's not even close. That's what Deacon Hill is. A guy that is not going to be your starter next season and maybe can be your number two i would hope not because we saw it when the number two's thrust number one how bad it was but instead of using this as a time

to develop marco linus and instead of using this to see if this guy at minimum next year can be your number two quarterback and again again, improve for next season and give yourself a real opportunity. And for whoever that new offensive coordinator is, to get some real film in there, now they double down again. And they keep going back to the same things. It's Kirk Ferentz again, we're there in practice. Well, you know what? I understand you're there in practice. But obviously, the way that you evaluate and recruit quarterbacks is wrong. Because there is not a way in the world, when you look back over the last five years, of what they've done, of what they brought in.

Spencer Petras, awful. Alex Padilla couldn't beat him out. Alex Padilla, bad. Deacon Hill, bad. Cade McNamara, not good. Not healthy this year. We can put that in there. Even when he was out there, not very good. Continuing on, the guys that left. You had a guy that won a bowl game for you a season ago, and he gets jettisoned out the door. And Joe Labus, Carson May, goes out to Wyoming, not playing there. I mean, how Iowa, time in and time out, how they can get the worst of the worst,

that's an evaluation problem. Also, it's a schematic problem. That's another part of this. This scheme does not work. The passing tree route. It looks like Iowa is just stuck in mud, right? You see guys like they're walking in place. Now, you can't have the drops. Caleb Brown had a couple.

You can't completely go away from that. But overall, the scheme coupled with the quarterback play, it has not worked for a really long time. For every high water mark that Brian Ferentz had, the Ohio State game, the USC bowl game against them in the Holiday Bowl, those are great. You know, there was also going to be a dud right around the corner. That was going to be just an absolute hideous, hideous performance that was going to be following up.

What we saw from Marco Lainez is a guy that's athletic, that can move around, that could actually, I don't know, run his own read, run some RPO, do the things that the evolution of college football have gone on to. And just because you run an RPO or run out a shotgun, it doesn't mean you can't be a physical football team. That's something that Kirk needs to wrap his mind around. You can still play ball control running the ball out of shotgun.

You can still have spread elements and still do the things that are tenets of football. Go watch an Oregon game. Go watch a lot of teams that run with physicality. They just do it a different way. It doesn't have to be the old school pro style offense anymore. We've seen it just doesn't work. This thing's cratered. And we got some more numbers coming up for you here on Locked On Hawkeyes.

Some of the most ridiculous numbers of the season. We mentioned 11 fumbles, 7 interceptions, and 7 games for Deacon Hill. That is a bad one. There is no doubt about it. Oh boy. We got a lot more coming up here on Locked On Hawkeyes. Some damning numbers and a look towards the future. What is the future of Iowa football and is the concern real? Who's going to be that new offensive coordinator? We'll do that as we continue here. Wrapping things up on an instant reaction Monday

Happy New Year's Eve this is the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast Trent Conant back with you one final time here on the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast as always thanks for making Locked On Hawkeyes your first listen every day. Well, as we put a wrap on things, I mean, that game stunk, right? It would just, it will be one that will be, it won't be forgotten because there's been plenty of bad games.

But we go back to the last time they played Tennessee, the Hawks-Slayer Bowl. I was going out there middle of the second quarter as things were getting away, trying to get some, get some good ideas for what we can call this one. We call that tax layer bowl, the Hawks layer bowl. Somebody came up with a couple of funny ones. I mentioned maybe we go with something like the cheese, dick bowl, cheese, dick,ensive Bowl, something like that. They came back with Cheese Deek.

Yeah, Cheese Deek Bowl. That'll be a good one to remember a little play on that one. The Citrus Bowl, I got a kick out of that one. That one was pretty good too. Oh boy, it was bad. And the final numbers are about as bad as you can imagine. Deacon Hill finishes 7 of 18, 56 yards, and the two interceptions along with the fumbled loss

inside the five-yard line. Caleb Brown, three catches, 39 yards. Also two drops, two important drops. Well, one important drop. The other one would have made it 4th and 11 as opposed to 4th and 25, whatever it is. Addison Strangler, two catches, 14 yards. Niko Raggini, two for three.

Steven Stilianos's one for four. And new offensive coordinator, can you please figure out why Iowa, for 20 years now, cannot run screens to the running backs? One catch for no yards for LaShawn Williams. Why has this been such an issue? I don't get it. I really don't. Why is it so dang difficult for Iowa to set up any kind of screen plays

for a running back? You go back to Ken O'Keefe early on, that was the only way they were able to move the football with the old tunnel screens and bubble screens that they ran. That was the only way they could get up and down the field was running that. Well, come on. You can't just set up a screen to a running back. It's just such a rarity for that day.

Anyway, uh rushing final here marco lion is there it is six carries 51 yards average 8.5 yards per carry it was fun right he got a little chuckle in a game that was frustrating and out of hand and all right we got a little bit out there but he also saw throwing the football two or seven for four yards he's got a long ways to go as a passer. He missed a couple of throws that were there. Now came in for the first time. I'm not going to kill him for that, but let's also not go overboard here. I think that Marco Lyon as was all again, all of a sudden going to completely change what this team was. Would have they been able to move the football

better against Michigan? Maybe here, if he would have got the start today, I think you can argue that, but let's slow down on anointing him some great start. He can move. It's a change. Torrey Taylor in his final game in a Hawkeye uniform, sadly finishes up with seven punts

for 360 yards. Speaking of those yardages, these numbers are just, they're baffling. The numbers that are out there as it pertains to this game and what we saw. Where is it at? Right here. Scrolling through. Iowa has 1,212 more yards punting than gained on the offensive season,

and that was at halftime. So 1,200 yards more punting. Okay, that's bad. We know the Iowa offense is bad. Why is that so bad, Trent? Okay, 1,200, that's a big number, right? Just very simply, 1,200, big number. No other team in the country,

133 of them that play FBS football, no other FBS team has more punt yards than yards on offense this season. Again, Iowa has 1,200 more punt yards, while nobody else in the country has more punt yards, period. Could be two more punts. Nobody. That's how bad this got this season. Absolutely hideous the last touchdown this for my buddy melt last touchdown was 163 minutes 38 seconds ago that was on the third down quarterback

sneak after two straight tries from the one yard line that's right 163 minutes, 38 seconds. Last time Iowa had a touchdown. Your final, Brian Ferentz. Race to 325, 350 with the bowl game. The Brian-o-meter, this is from my buddy Sean, finishes at 216. They needed to get to 350. That is an average of 15.43 points for a game.

That's right. Those numbers are ridiculous. There's more as we continue to go through and take a look at just how bad it was. This is from Chad Leistakow. Right after the game, he put out his initial thoughts. How about this? Deacon Hill, after the pick six, finished with a stat line.

7 of 18, 56 yards, three turnovers. Sacked four times. Of 24 dropbacks for Deacon Hill in the game, it ended Iowa 36 yards. for Deacon Hill in the game. And that at Iowa, 36 yards. This was a Tennessee team that had overall 11 guys not playing in the game, had four of their top five defensive backs

and cornerbacks not playing in this game, 24 dropbacks, 36 yards. But boy, he looks good at practice, doesn't he? Oh man, he's good. He's good at practice. Continuing on. Iowa finishes. This is from Sam Cooper. Iowa finishes Brian Ferentz's final

season as offensive coordinator, averaging 3.94 yards per play. Worst in the nation, no surprise. The third worst yard per play by a Power 5 team in the last 15 seasons. There you go. The last drive, the one that Linus had that got a little bit of excitement there.

Marco at quarterback. 13 plays, 53 yards. Longest drive of the day by 10 yards. And if you go back to when we heard from Brian Ferentz this week, Deacon is the starting quarterback. Deacon's played really good football for us. No. Deacon has led this football team to a lot of wins. No. He's been on the field while they won games. He hasn't led them to wins. And we expect Deacon to go the distance. Noah again. Brian with some swings and misses. Well, the good news

is throughout the course of the game, can make some money at FanDuel. Live betting this one. Live totals under. Iowa team total under. Just kept hammering it. How they had lines also up throughout the course of the game. What was going to result in the next one. Now, I got bit there because I kept going to the

button and only started turning the ball over. So, to result in the next one. Now, I got bit there because I kept going to the button and finally started turning the ball over. So that one hurt there. But overall, Iowa football 2023 season is in the books, finishing here on the first day of 2024. We are with you every single day here on the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast. We're going to talk more about the offensive coordinator position. Getting this right is paramount.

If Kirk Ferentz is going to reinvent himself one more time, he needs help at this point in his career. The stodgy, old-school football that he loves to play, you can still do it to a certain extent, but this thing needs a complete overhaul. This is not about getting an oil change. This is not about getting a new set of tires. This thing needs to be taken down from the top down.

We need to go back there. What was the old MTV TV show? Pimp Your Ride. We need to completely rip this thing down, all the way down. New engine, new body, new paint, new wheels, put a couple of TVs in there, get this thing to the 21st century. We need to pimp this thing out in a completely different way. Kirk has changed. Kirk has evolved. Kirk has done

this in the past. Nearing 70 years of age, that's more difficult. I leave you with this. This is my final tweet after the game went down. A fitting end to a terrible era of offense. Shutout again. He was a bully, an ass, and a terrible offensive coordinator.

Don't let the door hit you. Your ass on the way out. It's over. Goodbye, Brian Ferentz. This was bigger than Brian Ferentz. This is Iowa football that we all know and love. Kirk can get this right. Is he willing to?

We will see. We will be back with you again tomorrow here on Locked On Hawkeyes. It's your team every day across the Locked On network, and not just Locked On Hawkeyes. We've got you covered, obviously, on that side of things. Locked On Big Ten, Craig's doing a great job over there talking all things Big Ten football and basketball going on. Your favorite MLB team is Hot Stove getting ready to heat up again after we flip the calendar here to 2024.

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