Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Interviews with Iowa Football Coordinators, Caitlin's Season Ends, and Women's Basketball Ticket Frenzy

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Iowa football coordinator spoke earlier in the week. We break down what Tim Lester, Phil, and LeVar all had to say about this football team in the bye week for Iowa football. Plus, we talk little hoops, women's basketball sellout for the season, and Kaitlin Clark sees her season come to an end. 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 welcome in I'm Trent Condon and this is the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast thanks for making Locked On Hawkeyes your first listen

Starting point is 00:00:43 every day we're available wherever you find. You can also watch us on YouTube while you're there. Hit that subscribe button. Helps us get in front of more Hawkeye fans. If you're on the podcast only audio side, five-star reviews. Greatly appreciate that. Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Place your first $5 bet and you'll get started with $200 in bonus bets guaranteed. Visit FanDuel.com to get started. Well, a look back to earlier this week when we heard from the three coordinators for Iowa football. Tim Lester, the offensive coordinator, newly minted and what he's done with this group. Absolutely outstanding.

Starting point is 00:01:21 Of course, longtime defensive coordinator Phil Parker and LeVar Woods running these special teams and a couple of nuggets from each and every one of those conversations. A couple of things first with the most important one, it is offensive coordinator. I mean, it's what dominates. It's definitely what we look at and talk about the most is the offensive side of the football, even as we've seen defensively, special teams-wise, Iowa played an elite level offense. It generates clicks. It generates watches. It generates conversation.

Starting point is 00:01:50 If you're at the bar or going to have a coffee or breakfast with your crew, whatever it is, that is where the conversation normally starts. And when you look at this offense this year, are there warts? Absolutely. But if you can't look at this offense and see the real change that has happened, the evolution of what they're doing, running the football, and it's not just Caleb Johnson, it's not just taking this dynamic running back with an incredible skill set and unleashing him. That's not what it is on the surface level. Yeah, he's having a great season, but you see,

Starting point is 00:02:21 there is so much more to this. And it goes back to Tim Lester and the implementation of the Shanahan offense. Go back to a conversation we had during spring football, and when we were able to hear from Tim Lester and talking about what he was working to do, implementing the Shanahan offense, and hearing Kirk Ferentz say it was changes for him. He is old school. He is stodgy. And there has been some certain parameters of football

Starting point is 00:02:45 that Kirk Ferentz wasn't going to be able to get past. And part of that is his own blocking scheme. Well, that is part of what they're doing. That is still a piece of Iowa football. And it's a huge piece of the Shanahan offense. Now we're talking about the Kyle Shanahan offense, but go back to his dad and Mike Shanahan and those tenants of what the Denver Broncos were.

Starting point is 00:03:07 And it didn't matter how many injuries they had at the running back position. You know, they were going to be great up front. They were going to cut you. They were going to zone block you and they were going to do it well. It is evolved. Kirk Ferentz though, had not evolved his system under a stooge son had not evolved. It was still this old school thinking. And because of that, we are left wondering exactly what they are, what they were going to be, and if there could be real change. It has happened. We've seen this change in the running game for the better. And an evolution of what they're trying to do has led to Iowa being one of the

Starting point is 00:03:40 best Russia offenses in college football, yet still looking to get the improvements we're looking for in the passing game. And I believe it will come. I believe we will get there. And Tim Lester believes the same. This guy has been a breath of fresh air. He has been completely different

Starting point is 00:03:59 than what we've seen in the past at this position. Ken O'Keefe buttoned up, kind of boring. Greg Davis in over his head. Brian Ferentz goes without saying. You don't have to be a good person. You don't have to explain things well to the media and to the fans to be an offensive coordinator. That's not what a big piece of the resume is. But he does that.

Starting point is 00:04:23 And his explanation of Cade McNamara being 11-13 with the way he charts plays the quarterback. There's a quarterback that played at a high level. There's a quarterback that did a lot of great things. There's a quarterback and now a coach that knows the position unlike what they had previously. And if he says he was 11-13, that some of the missed passes that you saw in that game were good plays, I'll take his word for it. I really will. I think everybody that has listened to me

Starting point is 00:04:54 through the last two decades on the radio, that has watched me here on Lockdown Hawkeyes for the last couple of years, I think every one of you know, I'll call a spade a spade, and if God needs to be called out, they need to be. Tim Lester, I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. I wouldn't do that with the previous guy because he didn't deserve it anymore.

Starting point is 00:05:13 Tim Lester deserves that. And if that's what he says, I'm going to believe it because what I'm seeing is still potential. I understand. People want to see the deep shots. And the noodle arm, Cade McNamara comments that continue to filter in on social media, here on this page in the comments section. I get it. He doesn't have a strong arm.

Starting point is 00:05:34 He's not going to be able to throw that 25-yard out route, the stop route, the big arm plays. He doesn't have that. But let's stop that he can't throw the ball 30 yards. Come on. Use a little bit of reasoning. Just go back to the first game of the year. You see him without even planting his foot. He threw it 41 yards in the air. The Hail Mary was a disaster against Iowa State. The Hail Mary was hideous. Yes, I get that. And I saw it with my own two eyes. I was right there with you. I saw it.

Starting point is 00:06:03 It was bad. But to think that he can't throw the ball 40 yards, come on. Use a little bit of reasoning. He can. He's already done it this season. They need to take more shots. But the way that game played out, the way that it dictated

Starting point is 00:06:19 he didn't have to throw the ball. If you're going to win a game, and this is what Tim Lester said, the old Haydenism, scratch where it itches, that's what it was. Tim Lester also said they had some deep shots lined up in the game and some passing plays, and he was overruled. Now, I wonder about overruled. That was a part of the conversation when he brought that up. Was he being a little cagey, a little funny, a little goofy,

Starting point is 00:06:41 or was it really Kirk saying, no, we're running the ball? I would love to get a truthful answer on that because if it is Kirk just overriding what Tim Lester's trying to do, that is a little bit concerning. That worked. Obviously, it worked in a 31-14 win against Minnesota, but if we get back into that conservative nature, the conservative nature that at times has bit Iowa in the butt

Starting point is 00:07:05 in some of these games of the past, including this year against Iowa State, that's where concern starts to come back. All that aside, loved what we heard out of him. He believes that they're very close to even improving more. I can see it. Is it going to be a team that's going to chuck it around 40 times and throw for 250 yards

Starting point is 00:07:25 a game? No, you don't have to. Not with this running game continuing to do this. And there's more elements and the complexity of this offense. Now with the bye week, there is still more to be unleashed. We see it against Ohio State. I think it's unlikely because that Buckeye team, it's not just about the offense with Ryan Day's outfit this year. They're a whole lot better on the defensive side. You saw that a year ago and it's continued this year. A whole bunch of dudes took a whole bunch of money to come back for another season with the Buckeyes and you're seeing that show up on both sides of the football. Is it unwinnable? We'll talk about that next week. We'll get to that at that point. It wasn't though just Tim Lester that was talking. We also got to hear from Phil Parker and from LeVar Woods.

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Starting point is 00:09:32 Trent Conant back with you once again on the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for making Lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen every day. All right, let's continue our conversation on Iowa football and what we heard from the coordinators. Let's go next to Phil Parker. We got salty Phil Parker. Maybe it's the shoulder surgery that he had. Maybe there's still some things that he'd like to tune up, including what we saw in the second quarter of the game, a couple of third-down conversions for touchdowns.

Starting point is 00:09:59 Ooh, those ones sting, both of those. But they bounced back, played an incredible second half, held Minnesota to just over 60 yards of total offense in the second half of the game, slowed down Brosmer and the rest of that crew, and they couldn't get anything. You know, one thing, you look at this defense, the question was asked about the inability right now

Starting point is 00:10:17 for them to get to the quarterback, get there at a high level. And Phil, I don't know if it was defensive, but he said, quarterbacks get rid of the ball quick. They do. And that's something that has certainly changed and evolved with quarterbacking throughout the years. As we see the ball get out for most every offense so quickly, it's hard to rack up those sacks.

Starting point is 00:10:35 We saw them, though, dial up pressure a little bit more. They used almost exclusively, it was Nick Jackson was the guy that was coming in, the extra guy coming in in the blitz package that they employed and slowed down Minnesota on Saturday night. So that was a piece of it there, but you look through. I love what we've seen out of Brian Allen. I think Max Llewellyn's another guy that can get to the quarterback. I will love to see them see Deontay Craig move inside more on those third and long situations,

Starting point is 00:11:00 something that they've employed a couple of times at this point in time, but he's exactly right. The sack numbers for many teams are not going to be the same way, but the way this front is playing against the run, you have to be incredibly happy about that. Deontay Craig has not got to the quarterback this year, yet he is playing as stout as he probably ever has in his Iowa career against the front. What you're getting in the middle with Aaron Graves and Y.A. Black,

Starting point is 00:11:22 Y.A. Black playing that defensive tackle position, you're not going to rack up tackles. You're not going to have a whole lot of stats. But if you plug up the middle, it's going to allow everybody else to make those plays. And he's doing an incredibly commendable job at that. You just look at the rushing numbers this season. Iowa State wasn't able to run it. Minnesota wasn't able to run it.

Starting point is 00:11:40 Two teams that, at least in past years, that's where they were built. And they weren't able to do it against this Iowa front. We know the linebackers are studs. He was also asked, Phil Parker was, about the big plays that they've given up. You can see the frustration from him. Not only is Phil Parker obviously the defensive coordinator. Remember, his background and what he still coaches is defensive backs. And those long touchdown plays, every coordinator hates them.

Starting point is 00:12:04 I think it goes to another level with Phil Parker. And you saw the frustration definitely that was there in that one. You get Phil Parker, you know what it's going to be. I think you're going to see them

Starting point is 00:12:15 dial up more pressure. And also remember, we've seen this in the past. When Iowa has struggled to get to the quarterback, they have evolved and they have changed. The evolution of this team

Starting point is 00:12:23 just in general, moving to a 4-2-5 and bringing in that cash position, what's that meant and the improvements we've seen out of this defense. Another one where I think there's another layer for this team, and that's the excitement about this Iowa football team. We're four games in. I still think there's another level really for all of them to play. All three levels of this football team I think can improve. There's going to be improvement. We didn't see many of them to play. All three levels of this football team, I think can improve.

Starting point is 00:12:45 There's going to be improvement. We didn't see many of the deep shots. We didn't see kind of that leaky black back end of things that we saw against Troy, of course, against Iowa state. Those were not there at the same level. Jamari Harris continues to play an incredibly high level on the defensive

Starting point is 00:12:59 side of the football. And then we wrap things up here in the football conversation with LeVar Woods, maybe the most impactful part of the three. And then we wrap things up here in the football conversation with LeVar Woods. Maybe the most impactful part of the three-port conversation with the coordinators is not what LeVar talked about with the punter spot and Dakin and what Drew Stevens is going into. We'll get into that momentarily. But what he said when it was brought up in his opportunity to go on home football Friday nights and go watch his son Mason play.

Starting point is 00:13:28 That's not the case in a lot of programs in the country. Kirk Ferentz's greatest strength as a football coach, I believe, is the building of culture, of football culture, of cultivating a group of guys from all kinds of different backgrounds, from all kinds of different areas, and getting them to buy in, to believe, and having a culture where guys are happy to come back, where guys are proud of where they come from. There's a lot of football programs out there, a lot of successful programs that don't have that same thing. And you talk to past players, you talk to people that have been part of this program, and they will tell you the same thing. Yes, there has been negatives. And it's not for everybody, as we know. But if you put in the time, you put in the work, and you do it the way that

Starting point is 00:14:16 they want you to do it, you're going to see good things. But for LeVar to sit up there and get a little teary-eyed, knowing that he could be coaching a lot of different places and it wouldn't be the case. There would not be the chance to watch his son play many games in his final season at the high school level. And Mason's coming to Iowa, and he's going to likely play for LeVar, and that's going to be great.

Starting point is 00:14:40 But when you see those components and you see what it means, you can see why coaches want to stick around for a while. You see why positions in the Iowa football program are coveted. And it's because of Kirk Ferentz. It's because of the culture that he builds each and every time. Drew Stevens goes without saying. We've been singing his praises since the beginning of the year. It was something that I certainly wondered about in the offseason, what this was going to look like, how difficult was it going to be for him to bounce back after that disastrous

Starting point is 00:15:09 end of the season. And it wasn't just the benching at Nebraska. That thing had started to leak oil a little bit in its own right for Drew Stevens as the season went on. Missed a couple of kicks. You can see the confidence wasn't there. And the confidence was something that LeVar talked about. And it kind of goes deeper than just football field. It goes into that sports psychology angle that you have. He had confidence, but it was almost like a false bravado. Now it's confidence because he truly believes. And that's a difficult thing to entap. Talent's never been an issue for Drew Stevens.

Starting point is 00:15:44 The guy showed up, though he's not the biggest guy. He's had leg strength. He's had the ability. Ability was not the problem. It's getting to that next tier and to bounce back after a benching, then to play two final games, and all you get to do is kick off. He was kicking balls out of bounds. I mean, you just think of how you have to be mentally in a comeback, and he has been brilliant at the kicker spot. And they haven't needed him at the same level because of the past offense. Didn't know what they were doing in the red zone,

Starting point is 00:16:11 and now suddenly with Brendan Sullivan in there, wow, look at what a confident. You can score touchdowns inside the red zone. It's not illegal. Yeah, it's true. We're learning that as Iowa football fans this season. And then Reese Dakin. And look, it wasn't taking shots.

Starting point is 00:16:25 It was just reality. The first three games of the year, Reese Dakin was bad for the standard that had been built by Torrey Taylor. And is it unfair? Yes. But it was truthful.

Starting point is 00:16:36 After what we saw, and for the people that were trying to paint this picture that, yeah, there'll be a step back, but it'll be minimal. It wasn't minimal. It was significant than what we've seen. He had his best game in an Iowa uniform.

Starting point is 00:16:47 They needed that. Had some fun with the showing of the muscles after he got bumped on the punt and gave Iowa a first down on that one. Reese Dakin, he's going to be good. Is he going to be Torrey Taylor? Likely not, because Torrey Taylors don't come around very often. Got to go back to the early 80s when I was a little kid.

Starting point is 00:17:04 I was a baby and a toddler. We saw Reggie Robey out there for the Hawkeyes. That's the kind of talent we're talking about. Reggie Robey into Tory Taylor. Every 40 years, Dakin can be really good. And I think he's going to be really good. That's what you're shooting for. Just don't put your expectations that high

Starting point is 00:17:21 that he's going to reach those heights that we saw with Tory. With that, we continue here at Lockdown Hawkeyes and wrapping things up with a little basketball talk. Just don't put your expectations that high that he's going to reach those heights that we saw with Torrey. With that, we continue here at Locked On Hawkeyes and wrapping things up with a little basketball talk. A big, big story for the Iowa women's basketball team. And Kaitlyn Clark sees her season come to a close. We'll do that as we continue. This is Locked On Hawkeyes. Today's episode of the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast is brought to you by prize

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Starting point is 00:19:06 It's guaranteed at PrizePix. PrizePix, run your game. Trent Conner, back with you one final time on the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for making Locked On Hawkeyes your first listen every day. All right, wrapping things up here with a little basketball talk.

Starting point is 00:19:25 Kaitlyn Clark, her season comes to a close last night. Look, they got out and ran early, pushed that Connecticut team that is just so good defensively. I knew Kaitlyn would bounce back. She certainly did. Was able to hit some shots, score at high level, scored 25 points in the game. But you think what she's just gone through. This thing started just a couple of weeks past where we are right now. It was basically 11 and a half months of Kaitlyn Clark

Starting point is 00:19:52 being part of our basketball life. It started with the crossover at Kinnick and the basketball game played at Kinnick Stadium in front of over 55,000. Took my daughter to it. It was a great experience, just absolutely incredible to see what women's basketball has grown into because I followed the Iowa women's basketball program for a very long time. One of my roommates at Iowa, his wife, part of the staff for a number of years,

Starting point is 00:20:19 got to follow it, watch it, enjoyed it for a really long time. But I know attendance wasn't there. The fan base wasn't at the same level. And though the people that obviously followed the program loved it, they didn't see what it is. Megan Gustafson built the basement. Kaitlyn Clark finished the whole house. And to see what this is morphing into,

Starting point is 00:20:42 and we go from Kaitlyn and her 81-game season that started at Kinnick Stadium and ended last night. It's absolutely incredible. It really is. And disappointing. There's been a lot of negativity and some bad apples that have ruined what has been an incredible narrative. But she's brought the WNBA to a place where

Starting point is 00:21:02 most people didn't think you'd ever get and yet here it is this was a niche sport that was propped up by 25 years by the NBA and without the ownership's backing and their financial commitment this league would have died years ago

Starting point is 00:21:18 but here it is they were waiting for their savior and they found it in the 22 ponytail he is there Here it is. They were waiting for their savior. And they found it in the 22 ponytail. He is there. The final four that is set up this week with the both semifinal series are amazing. Those are the four best teams in this league. It's going to be great.

Starting point is 00:21:38 If you're a fan of this league and become a fan, as I was last night, after the fever finished up, I was flipping between the Padres and Dodgers game and also watching the Mercury and the Lynx. That's what Kaitlyn Clark has done for me, and I know I'm not alone. I can't wait to see what she's going to be next season. Knowing what it takes physically to succeed at this league, having some time away, the time to get bigger, stronger, continue to hone her craft, work on some of the elements that need working on a team that possibly can be improved. It's going to be a fun season.

Starting point is 00:22:12 It's going to be fun to watch her out there. It's also going to be fun to watch this Iowa women's basketball team coming up minus Kaitlyn Clark this season and doing it at a sold-out Carver Hawkeye Arena. How about that, Hawkeye fans? Kudos to you for the second consecutive year this thing sold out.

Starting point is 00:22:28 Now, a year ago, it was great. It was something new. It was something we hadn't seen before. But Caitlin Clarke and Kate Martin and Gabby Marshall put Caitlin Clarke. Now, Caitlin isn't there. And to still be able to do that is a testament to what women's basketball has become.

Starting point is 00:22:48 I knew when Juju Watkins comes in with USC, yeah, that thing was going to sell out. But to do this even before the season begins, it's awe-inspiring. It really is. And this Hawkeye fan base, we know how incredible you guys are out there. We know how great it is to be a Hawkeye.

Starting point is 00:23:06 Boy, that one came as a surprise to me and absolutely love it. The environment, this team's going to be fun to watch. They're not going to be what they've been the last couple of years, but certainly a tournament team. I think even higher than that, Lucy Olsen's going to be fun to watch

Starting point is 00:23:22 a different kind of point guard at that position. Some of the young players continuing to step up. Going to be an interesting year. Going to be a good year. And going to be good to see 15,000-plus in there every single time for the women's team. Men, not so much, and that's why they're playing neutral court games.

Starting point is 00:23:37 Quad Cities and Sioux Falls and Kansas City, that's a conversation for tomorrow. We'll talk a little men's basketball tomorrow because I love this men's basketball team. I think they're going to be good. Really good. At least where maybe expectations are. We'll talk about that. A little more football

Starting point is 00:23:53 and a whole lot more on a football Friday here on the bye week for Iowa. Thanks for making Lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen every day. For your second listen, find Lockdown College Football from NIL De deals to the never-ending conference realignment rumors. Spencer McLaughlin gets you ready for an exciting season on the gridiron.

Starting point is 00:24:12 Find Locked On College Football on YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts. We'll talk to you again tomorrow. Thanks for being with us. Until then, go Hawks.

Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Interviews with Iowa Football Coordinators, Caitlin's Season Ends, and Women's Basketball Ticket Frenzy

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