Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Iowa Football Game Week, Hawkeye Wide Receiver Questions

Episode Date: August 26, 2022

LeShun Daniels & Trent Condon get together for the final podcast before it becomes Game Week! They open up talking about the preperations that the team goes through getting ready to go from camp time into Game week and what it's like for a Hawkeye football player.Then also talk about taking on a good FCS team and the issues that can come up and how Coach Ferentz gets the guys' attention. A look at the continued depleted wide receiver room and talk about how the Iowa offense is going to have to evolve and change. Also a look at the way that Iowa recruits wide receiver and what can change to improve that for the Hawkeyes.Finally the guys talk about the Big Ten West quarterbacks and who they'd rather have between Spencer Petras, Tanner Morgan or Graham Mertz. They finish up with some picks with the Big Ten football games this weekend including Nebraska vs. Northwestern & Illinois vs. Wyoming.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!LinkedInLinkedIn jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at Linkedin.com/lockedoncollege Terms and conditions apply.Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.BetOnlineBetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Eight days away from kickoff, Iowa continues to have questions and concerns at the wide receiver position. What's game week like for a player? We'll talk about that with LaShawn Daniels and our picks for week zero. Nebraska Northwestern, Illinois on the grid, and all coming up on today's Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. You are Locked On Hawkeyes, your daily podcast on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Trey Condon, LaShawn Daniels back with you for another edition of the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for making Lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen each and every day.

We're brought to you today by BetOnline. Today's episode here, BetOnline has you covered this season with more props, odds, and lines than ever before. BetOnline, where the game starts. Well, LaShawn, we're going to get into a few of our picks a little bit later a couple of Big Ten teams already coming up in action this week with week zero over in Dublin it'll be Nebraska against Northwestern and Illinois they get Wyoming coming in for the opener so three Big Ten teams get started for the Hawkeyes they are eight days away from the opener

and let's start right there, LaShawn. That week, as you kind of flip into preseason mode, getting ready to the season, and now getting ready for the actual game week, what that kind of evolution is and flipping the switch, getting ready for a real game. Yeah, for starters, like now, I mean, really at this point, like they probably have already, like for sure the coaches have already started game planning, right? They've already started because obviously first game of the year, you want to start off strong.

You want to start off one on one and all right. So coaches already start doing the game plan stuff and we start slowly working into working on, you know, scout teamwork, right? Where the offense goes up against you know scout defense and what they're expecting um for the upcoming week same thing with the defense going against scout offense right some of that starts getting mixed in a little bit of practice but basically there's still going to be a quite a bit of Iowa on Iowa stuff until we hit Monday. And then once we get to Monday, now we're in, you know, regular routine, right? Where, you know, first day, it's going to be probably, you know, regular down and distance stuff.

So, you know, first and 10, second and six, et cetera, focusing on that part of the game plan. second and six, et cetera, focusing on that part of the game plan. Then, you know, Tuesday comes along and now we start talking, you know, regular down and distance blitzes, right? You start mixing the blitzes a little bit and then Wednesday comes and now you got third downs. What to expect on third down, what to expect in the red zone, et cetera, et cetera.

But all in all, this part of the season, this is when it starts getting exciting, right? Now you're like, okay, like the season's here. Like now we're actually, instead of going from Iowa on Iowa stuff, now we're focusing on Iowa versus Scout, right? So you start getting a little bit more excited because it's like, okay, we've put in all this work for the past, you know, nine months, and now it's time for us to actually get out there

and start hitting someone else besides our own players. So it's definitely a little bit exciting, but now a lot of it is going to become a mental piece because obviously everyone's been training hard. All the teams around the country have gone through fall camp, right? They've gone through summer strength conditioning, and now it's like it's time to play football. All the teams around the country have gone through fall camp, right? They've gone through summer strength conditioning, and now it's like it's time to play football.

And everyone's going to be physically ready, but a lot of the pieces now is going to be the mental football game. It's a game week here, and you're getting ready. You guys played some pretty good FCS teams. You played UNI early once, and you took on season number two. An FCS team certainly has got to get your attention. They've got top 10 rankings in their own division, and Kirk, he's not a guy that's going to exactly let you guys overlook anybody. No, no, no, no.

Coach Aaron does a great job of making sure that guys are focused, right? No matter who the opponent is, right? Whether they are an FCS opponent or, you know, a college football team, right? It's the same focus, same preparation every single week, and that does not change, right? So I'm sure they're watching tape from the guys last year, and everyone knows that it's going to be a new team, right? It's no exact team from year to year,

but obviously they're going to be watching a bunch of tape from last year and trying to hype up the guys like, hey, they've got really, really good football players because i mean again they're still the vision one program and it's hard to win in college football um i mean uh fbs teams lose to fcs teams all the time i mean heck i was victim to one right so like um it's it's not going to be a game that they're going to take lightly right and they're going to prepare the same way i think they prepare for every single game. And it's the first game of the year, right? So it's pretty tough to sleep with preparation goals for that first game of the season.

South Dakota State, pretty talented team. They played for a championship. They were in the spring season of 2020. They were really good that year. This program has elevated, maybe not quite to the tier of North Dakota State, but just a notch behind them. This is a dangerous team that comes in. Iowa's got to be ready to go.

LaShawn, one of my big talking points here, going back to spring football on my radio show, has been a little bit of the concern that is happening. If things get off to a slow start, what if we see a three and out right away? And South Dakota State responds. They march down the field. They're up 7-0, and Petras comes out and throws a pick after that. It's going to get ugly in Kinnick. And I've been there for some ugly moments.

I've been when the Boo Birds are out to Hawkeye players. And certainly it's not a great feeling even for a fan base, I think, in general. He might be a little lubed up, and you're booing when he shouldn't be, those of things but when it gets negative you were part of that you mentioned that North Dakota State game and I remember just kind of the grumbling inside of Kinnick that day and and some of the frustrations that came out I know it from a fan side what about it from a player side when you can almost feel that negativity start to seep in from the stadium yeah i mean you you definitely feel it right and then sometimes like because not only do you feel as players the coaches feel it like

you kind of feel like that that kind of cloud just kind of goes over like that that our sideline right and and guys like start pressing you feel like guys just start pressing and try to make plays right i mean you think back to that north dakota state game i mean it was honestly i mean and guys like start pressing, you feel like guys just start pressing and try to make plays. Right. I mean, you think back to that North Dakota state game. I mean, it was honestly, I mean, I, even looking back at it today, right. It was a game that we should have won. It shouldn't have been an issue. Right. It was a game that we should have, we should have won. Right. There are, there are plays that were really there to be made where,

you know, where there are plays that guys, we normally make that we just, we just didn't make that day. Right. And when that when that cloud negativity starts to, you know, hover over your sideline, it's definitely not a good feeling. And you're trying to do whatever you can as a player. Right. To mitigate that. Right. So then you start getting into the spot where, oh, now you're trying to do a little bit more than what's called you, more than what your role is. And that's when guys start pressing and then you're prone to making more mistakes, things like that. And that's exactly what happened during that North Dakota State game. I mean, you know, whether it was on, you know, in the run game on offense or was in the past game

or even us blocking, right. It was just things that we normally took, take care of and that we handle and that we just didn't. Right. So booze and stuff that comes like that from your home bands is definitely not easy, but, but we get it right. People are, our fans, they're passionate, passionate group of fans. And we totally understand that right I mean it's part of the thing it's one of the things that comes with playing big time um college football um but it does have an effect but I will say this that the coaches will are always trying their best to try to mitigate that as much as possible and try to get guys to focus on the most important play which is always the next play. So it's wild. And it's interesting.

I love our conversations now, LaShawn, just being able to get your perspective. I've been a Hawkeye fan for my whole life, you know, and been going to games since the 80s and just getting that perspective because, yeah, I'm just a guy anymore that goes and has a couple of beers before the game and maybe gets a little too loud at times and has fun with my buddies. But these are still college kids. These are guys now half my age. In fact, these could be my kids if I would have started a little bit earlier

with my family. It's just wild to think about that and bring that perspective because I'll tell you, as a fan, there are times that you guys aren't young guys. You're the guys that you're rooting for. You have that perspective that they're just robots you're the guys that you're rooting for. You have that perspective that they're just robots out there. But there's feelings involved, too. I mean, I can't imagine that.

I remember I was in college at the time. Kyle McCann in 2001, way before your time. Iowa was playing great against Michigan. It's early in the Ferentz era. It was before the breakthrough moment. They got Michigan on the ropes. And it was him or Brad Banks. Who should be the quarterback? And McCann comes out on the field.

He hadn't done anything wrong, but the Boo Birds were there because people wanted to see Banks come back into the game. Even at that time, even as myself, as a 20-year-old, I felt terrible for the dude. And sometimes we forget that part. We forget you guys are real people, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. that part we forget you guys are real people right yeah yeah yeah so booze at home definitely aren't uh the best feeling but when you're on the road and you're making their fans boo you're like

okay there we go like we're doing something good um but but yeah the booze from the homestand you're staying from the home fans it's definitely tough but i mean these guys are tough guys they're not gonna let a few booze um you know totally derail them right and they understand like hey when we're getting booed they're getting booed most of the time for a reason right because the play just hasn't been up to the standards but now when it comes to quarterbacks now that might be a little different story but um for the most part yeah like like the guys understand it, and they don't take it too personally. We are going to continue, and the questions continue to mount at the wide receiver position.

We'll talk to LaShawn about what Iowa can do, how this offense can evolve, and if these wide receiver questions remain, just how difficult it is to do everything that the Iowa offense wants in 2022. That's as we continue on the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. Today's episode brought to you by BetOnline.net. It's the fastest and the easiest way to check in on all your betting needs. BetOnline has you covered. Reviews and news of every league.

College football, of course, starting this weekend. Golf, NFL, Major League Baseball, NBA and NHL right around the corner. They have you covered with the top online resource for all your sports wagering information, live in-game betting scores, and podcasts all at BetOnline. Head to BetOnline today or use your mobile device to learn more about the action happening today. BetOnline, where the game starts. Trent Connan and LaShawn Daniels back with you on the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast.

LaShawn mentioned the wide receiver position, a position that is, well, it's just baffling looking at numbers. You look at the offensive line and there's normally anywhere between 13 to 18 scholarship offensive linemen. Defensive line has kind of gone that same direction. Iowa's been recruiting more and more of those kind of tweener guys. Maybe they're a safety, maybe the linebacker, but they're a great athlete.

There's always three, sometimes four scholarship quarterbacks there. Running back, you know about that. Five, six, seven running backs. Wide receiver, though, where you're playing at minimum two, sometimes three, four, up to five wide receivers, Iowa just doesn't devote the same amount of scholarships there. At minimum two, sometimes three, four, up to five wide receivers. Iowa just doesn't devote the same amount of scholarships there. I guess it kind of goes hand in hand with the style of football that the Hawkeyes play.

Yeah, yeah. I know we talked a little bit about that just before this. And it's frustrating. It's definitely frustrating, especially me now being a fan. It's different than when I was in the building. When I was in the building, it was like, yeah, like whatever we have, we have. Right. And we know like those guys are going to go out there and make plays. And although I still feel like guys are going to go out there and make plays. Right. It's always a good thing to get more talent in the building. Right. Especially through the scholarships right sometimes obviously you do find a superstar walk on like iowa does year in and year out um but in the

skill positions i feel like that is a little bit more more difficult to achieve especially at the wide receiver position right so the situation that i was in right now where we got some guys that are down um and when you lose two really good players um to the transfer portal in the off season it doesn't bode well right for uh that receiver group for this first upcoming week of the season so it seems like we're missing um like you said, kind of devotion to that wide receiver position. And I know that they're not neglecting it in recruiting. Right. I'm sure that there's plenty of guys that they're offering that really good football players that could come in, make an impact for sure. But you look at Iowa's offense. Right.

And you look at the production that you get out of a quarterback position as of late and, you know, the really opportunities that receivers get. Like if I'm a, you know, a high three star or four star recruit and I'm looking at teams and places I'm considering to go play college football, I was probably not one of those teams that i'm really considering right if i really want to if i really want to go out there and and uh catch football right i mean you saw um even with kevin casper's son right he went and he committed to oregon right i mean it's a it's honestly it's a smart decision by him right like if i'm just looking at it as a receiver right i'm comparing the programs i'm like why why go to iowa right where you know i might have an opportunity to be a really good receiver or i could go to oregon where i know for a fact i'm gonna get several several opportunities um to be able to catch the football so it's it's tough because of the style that i was offense runs um to get some of those good guys

um but obviously they're they're the ones that are getting paid to go out and recruit and get some of these guys in the building. So I don't know what type of strategy has to change or what they have to do to try to bring more guys in. But I feel like that has definitely been a position of need. And it's been like that for honestly quite a while. Well, they only have been right now. That's a scholarship wide receiver. And that's Nico Reg that for honestly quite a while. Well, they only have been right now. That's a scholarship wide receiver.

And that's Nico regaining, who is currently injured with a foot injury. You have three sophomores, Arlen Bruce, Keegan Johnson, and Devante Vines. Vines, of course is dealing with the wrist injury.

Looks like he's out probably about half the year. Keegan Johnson, though we saw the picture of him to practice still reports are he's not close to 100%. Brody Brecht, he's been dealing with the hamstring. And they're just talking about one true freshman in Bostick who, I mean, the dude looks like he's 170 pounds soaking wet. He's got some size to put on here.

I know they're excited about a couple of the walk-ons. Alec Wick, a kid from Regina. Ed Hinkle was his coach. So maybe Eddie taught him some tricks from back in his day when he was a great receiver for the Hawkeyes. Some of those other walk-ons, I saw Jack Johnson from Valley a whole lot over here in West Des Moines. He's a

really talented guy, but we're still talking about walk-ons going up there and a schedule where you've got to beat Michigan and Ohio State. And he got the behemoths over here in Wisconsin and Minnesota and Nebraska in the West. It's a scary proposition here. And if Keegan Johnson is not 100%, if he's not ready to go,

him, no Reganey, you're looking at going into the Iowa State game with Arlen Bruce and really a bunch of walk-ons. I mean, that's it. You're not going to be able to win that game, I don't think, 10-7, are you? Yeah, I mean, probably not, right? Probably not, right? I mean, granted, right, Iowa State did lose some weapons on the offense, right? But they're a team that usually can put points on the scoreboard.

So in general, right, 10 points usually is not going to be enough to win football games, especially not in Power 5 football games. So they're going to have to do something right. They're going to have to obviously get these guys that are there. They have to get them up to speed. Right. And I see those guys are going to have to go out there. They're going to have to make plays. I mean, it's not going to really be too many excuses for it, but it also is tougher. It puts a position, a tougher position on the quarterbacks because now like the quarterbacks obviously at this point in

time like they know like like we got to step up we got to perform um and we got to do some good things we got to put these good things on football field right if we're going to be able to get to the goal it's where we want to get right especially now as offensive coordinator and coach brian ferentz right he's looking at probably looking at the group like i have to be better as often as a coordinator we have to put more points on the board so we can take more pressure off the defense and now when you're missing those receivers right and you know that the quarterbacks haven't have been struggling a bunch at times over the past couple years it's like okay where are we going to go to get get these plays um to be made um come on saturday so it's going to be So it's going to be interesting.

It's going to be kind of a wild, wild ride, at least early on in the season while we get some guys back. But yeah, we're definitely going to have to do something on the recruiting front to try to get some more receivers in the building that can go out there and make plays. And no offense to any walk-ons, right? Because I'm sure odds are one of the walk-ons are going to be, end up being a really good football player.

That said, it's always better to have more, more scholarship guys is because that just, that's just going to make your football team that much better. Good stuff. LeSean. No doubt. Hey,

thanks for making lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen every day. I want to tell you right now going on the ultimate college football preview is happening. It's a seven episode preview with college experts. I was to tell you right now going on the ultimate college football preview is happening. It's a seven episode preview with college experts. I was a part of it. So I got to hop on with the guys from Wisconsin and Minnesota. Boy, it was fun throwing shade there.

LaShawna, I posed this question though to the guys as we were going through. We're doing kind of that next tier of the Big Ten after Michigan and Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan State, kind of the next group and we were a part of it. But of those three quarterbacks, Spencer Petras for us in the Hawkeyes, Graham Mertz for Wisconsin, and Tanner Morgan,

who has regressed so much over the last two years, yet a quarterback. You're just an average offensive team for this year. You're not Iowa. You're not Wisconsin. You're not Minnesota. You're not Minnesota. Just an average college football team.

Who would you want to be your quarterback for 2022 that's a really really tough question definitely a loaded question to be honest uh see i don't know i don't know right i mean like if i'm an average football team right the one act to be able to do is really just take care of the football right not not turn the ball over right and make decent decisions with football and i feel like for the most most part spencer does a relatively good job of taking care of the football um and i think he does too good of a job right where i feel like he's obviously playing really really cautious like all the time.

And some of the other guys, sometimes they do kind of let it let it let it go a little bit. But to be honest, I honestly have no idea who I would choose to be my quarterback. If those if those three were my options, I don't know, we're probably going to be doing a lot of running football, a lot of, a lot of play actions, try to avoid as much drop back passes as possible. Who did you, who did your guys pick or who did you pick?

Who the other guys pick? Well, that's very, very interesting. Nobody wanted, nobody wanted Graham Mertz. That was, I think a consensus out of everybody,

Tanner Morgan. And it was, well, you know, he's got Sriracha back, but as offensive coordinator when he was so good back three years ago, but that wasn't the question, right? It was, you're just an average team. It's not reuniting with anybody. It's nothing like that. I think ultimately Petras, because of the arm strength, maybe has the most upside.

If you put a good offensive line in front of him, I still want to see what Spencer Petras is. And because of the upside, I guess I lean, but it also shows, I think everybody that has watched our podcast and listen, understand I'm not a huge Spencer Petras fan, but if I'm taking them over those other two guys,

imagine how bad it's got to feel for Wisconsin and Minnesota. Yeah. Those schools are in a tough division quarterback wise, right? It feels, it just feels like that way in the, tough position quarterback-wise, right? It just feels like that way in the Big Ten West right now. Outside of Aiden McConnell at Purdue, yeah. Yeah, outside of Purdue, it's like,

where is the quarterback play coming from the Big Ten West, right? So it'll be interesting to watch. Now he ends up being a really, really good quarterback this year. Well, you can find that conversation. It's the ultimate college football preview on your Odyssey app. You can also find it on YouTube or you get podcasts. Again, it's the ultimate college football preview. And also had some fun throwing a little shade at the Minnesota guy, Kane, over there and talking about his love with Phil Fleck.

That guy bothers me to no degree. That's one thing. Kirk and I, there might be times that I kind of disagree with some things. Certainly offensively, they've done. There's one thing that we do not disagree with. P.J. Fleck, that guy's a punk. You didn't have to deal

with him, though. Yeah, I never had to deal with him, but just watching him from afar, definitely an interesting character. That's not your coaching style, is it, LaShawn? No, not at all. There's no rowing the boat happening with you guys? No, not at all.

We'll wrap things up as we continue here. We're going to talk about a couple of games happening this weekend in the Big Ten. It's the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. All right, LaShawn, final thing here as we come back, and that is two games in the Big Ten this week. We'll keep a running tally here, and we'll use BetOnline and the betting odds here, not just picking the games.

We've got to do it against the point spread. First game coming up tomorrow, it is Nebraska against Northwestern. It'll be 11.30 a.m. kickoff Central Time for us here in the Great Midwest. 1130 a.m. It'll be on Big Fox. The point spread currently, I'm looking at circa 11 and a half is currently the number. Nebraska favored by 11 and a half. Who are you taking? Pats, Cats, and the Points?

Or are you going to be laying it with the Cornhuskers? As much as it pains me to say this, I'm definitely probably going to be leaning with the Cornhuskers. Last year, obviously, they had a tough year. They've had tough years for a while. But all that being said, virtually every single game they played was a one-score, almost a one-possession. tough years for a while but all that being said right virtually every single game they played was a one score almost almost a one possession um like one plate football game right you see they

they've got to replace some guys on offense but i know they have several guys on defense that are coming back um so i feel like they obviously have some talent there right they're nebraska they're always going to have some type of talent. That football program. And my guess is that they're going to obviously correct a bunch of those things and probably win some of those closer games that they had. And I just feel like just talent-wise, when I look at roster to roster, that Nebraska, they have the upper hand on talent, where Northwestern probably has the advantage on coaching.

But I don't know if that coaching advantage is going to be good enough for them to be able to overcome the amount of talent I feel like that Nebraska has over Northwestern. That's kind of where my pick is. I'm right there with you. I'm on Nebraska. I think Casey Thompson, the quarterback who comes in from Texas, if you saw him late in the year, he was banged up.

He was a really good quarter back at the beginning of the season, really leading up and through the Oklahoma game before he got hurt in that game. I like Casey Thompson. I think he's going to cut down on the turnovers we saw from Martinez here lately. I think Nebraska, at minimum, is getting back to a bowl game this year. Hopefully it's just like a 6-6 type of season of the year. But yeah, I think they get it done. Remember, they also dominated Northwestern a year ago.

I just don't see Fitz making that big of a move here as quickly as they would need against them. I'm going Nebraska. I'm going to lay the points with you. So we're on the same side. Game 2, our second game of the week. It is Illinois. They play Wyoming. Wyoming lost a ton off of last season's team. This is one that, in fact, this is one of my first bets of the week. It is Illinois. They play Wyoming. Wyoming lost a ton off of last season's team. This is one that, in fact, this is one of my first bets of the year when these points started coming out this summer. I jumped aboard right away. I got it when Illinois was just a

10-point favorite. Now you got to lay a little bit more. Illini are up to a 13-and-a-half. I like his style of football. He knows how to win in the Big Ten West. I also think they're going to go over their win total this year. I'm going back-to-back with the favorites, something I hate to do. I normally am an underdog player, but I'm going back to the well again. I'll lay the points with the Illini. How about you, LaShawn? Yep, same thing.

I'm rocking with Illinois. Honestly, I feel like, obviously, they're going to have their brain of football. They're going to be doing a bunch of running football. They'll probably pass a little bit more this year than they probably did last year, but just feel like talent wise, again, Illinois, probably going to have a lot more to make a bigger impact than they do over at Wyoming, right? I don't think Wyoming has their back. So I'm feeling pretty strong about Illinois and they're probably winning

pretty probably handily. And I bet they will cover the spread. So we're on the same side in both the games. Well, nobody will get a lead after week one. We know that week zero, the college football slate as LaShawn and myself are on the both on the same side this week, next week, it'll officially be game week. LaShawn we'll talk on Monday.

We'll get ready for things. Hopefully, we'll have a depth chart. I did find out earlier today, sometimes they release that depth chart the Friday before game week. Not going to be the case this year, so going to have to wait until Monday. Hopefully, we'll have that depth chart and a lot of conversation coming up on Monday, then a Friday

podcast, and it will be game day at Kinnick Stadium, eight days away. Boy, what a time of year. LaShawn, hey, back to you and your group out there on the gridiron coming up here today as your teams get started. Should be a lot of fun. Thank you. Yeah, we're pumped.

We're ready to rock and roll. We'll do it again next week. This has been the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast.