Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Iowa Football: Grading the win vs. Wisconsin, a look at UCLA & Scott Dochterman joins the show

Starting point is 00:00:01 No politics, all Hawkeyes. Today, Locked on Hawkeyes, we will talk with Scott Dockerman from The Athletic. A look at the numbers from Pro Football Focus and grading out the win against Wisconsin. Plus, we hear from Kirk Ferris after his press conference. 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.

Starting point is 00:00:35 I'm Trent Condon, and this is the Locked on Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for making Locked on Hawkeyes your first listen every day. We're available wherever you find podcasts. You can also watch us on YouTube. While you're there, make sure you hit the subscribe button. Helps us get in front of more Hawkeye fans. Today's episode is brought to you by GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account,

Starting point is 00:00:56 and make sure you use the code LOCKDOWNCOLLEGE for $20 off your first purchase. Well, let's get into it today. We got Scott Dockerman still coming up today. A lot of Iowa football talk with him, the Big Ten as a whole, as we get ready. And of course, the initial rankings come out for the college football playoff in the 12-team bracket, though Iowa not in the top 25. There was a three-loss team in there, though, in Louisville, but we know that dream is dead. Let's get into it though and kick things off with a couple of different things. Start with the press conference from Kirk Ferentz. We got the numbers

Starting point is 00:01:29 from Pro Football Focus. Always like to dive into those, but up first, Kirk Ferentz press conference that went like many of them did. I don't think there were any high level things to come away. Cade McNamara will not be available this week. That's probably the biggest one. It will once again be Jackson Stratton. We talked about that when the depth chart came out and the possibility that Cade McNamara was not going to be able to make it a go. And with the long flight to LA, that appears to be the case. So they will be without him. That means an extra, a new captain will be out there, but it will be Brennan Sullivan back out there at the quarterback position and something I think that makes us feel good. We're going to talk about UCLA a little bit more, but Kirk Ferentz was some really good praise. And this UCLA team has been somebody that I've been on.

Starting point is 00:02:11 We mentioned this just the other day, every dayers, you remember this and you look at that gauntlet that they were playing at the beginning portion of the schedule. Of course, we didn't know how good Indiana was at that time. They played LSU in a non-conference game. They had a really difficult schedule early on. And since then, they really started the Penn State game. And I kept an eye on that one, A, because I had a wager on it, but because I knew that Iowa obviously was going to be facing UCLA. And you started to see that team show a little bit.

Starting point is 00:02:39 They let one slip away against Minnesota, but back-to-back wins now on the road. Victory, of course, last week against Nebraska and the week before that against Rutgers. So I'm doing it with a couple of pretty big road trips that they had. This team can move the football. They can do some different things and a lot of praise by Kirk Ferentz. And again, we'll talk about that a little bit more. Maybe one of my favorite moments, though, of the press conference was towards the end of it. And the question was just about obviously going out there, playing out West.

Starting point is 00:03:09 We know the history has not been kind to the Hawkeyes traveling out West. And certainly for regular season games, you got to go back to the 80s, the last time that they won one out West. But asked about, you know, the appeal of playing the game in L.A. Is there anything there? Is there an appeal? And he said, not really. But it was very frank. They're going out there to play a football game. This is not a bowl trip. This is not a celebration. This is another conference game. And it's an important one for this Iowa football team. And it's important to continue to stack up

Starting point is 00:03:35 these victories and get those good graces and to continue to pile up the victories and potentially get a return trip to Florida, have a nice bowl game, put a bow on what has been at times a frustrating Pile up the victories and potentially get a return trip to Florida. Have a nice bowl game. Put a bow on what has been at times a frustrating season, but you can still have a lot of good things that come out of it. And Kirk said exactly that, talking about the trip out there. It's a business trip. They're going to go out there, do their thing,

Starting point is 00:04:01 hopefully get a victory and get back out on the road, get ready with a bye week in front of them then, and 15 days then in between games before they depart out to Maryland for the next trip with a bye week on the horizon after the game against UCLA. A couple other things. Talking about Xavier Wampa. I thought it was interesting. Obviously came in with a ton of accolades.

Starting point is 00:04:18 Talked about Xavier a lot. I called a lot of his games in high school on the radio, and you saw a guy with incredible game-breaking speed, his ability to close on people with the football, either a runner or somebody trying to catch the football, is as good as I've ever seen at the high school level. And it just hasn't clicked at the level that I think a lot of people anticipated, myself included, that it would early in his career. But he's playing his best football of his career. And there's something to be said about the Iowa football program. It's not for everybody. I mean, you

Starting point is 00:04:48 have to do things that are not always easy. You have to, there are no shortcuts in the Iowa football program. And as we see with Caleb Johnson and Kirk brought him up as well, you see it was Xavier Wampa. You continue to do those things. You do the little things and, and over time, it's going to start to click. It's going to start to hit. And you're seeing that from Wampa, you continue to do those things. You do little things and over time it's going to start to click. It's going to start to hit and you're seeing that from Wampa. It's really good because he's a good kid. He's really easy to root for. A local kid, you hope for the best for him and it feels like

Starting point is 00:05:14 that light bulb's really come on and being pushed by Cohen Entringer, that's another one. Also, talking about Deshaun Lee, a guy that was a non-factor against Michigan State. That just hideous loss that they had in East Lansing. Didn't play in the football game. Didn't play a defensive snap and goes out there, plays his best game as the pass deflection in the end zone, which would

Starting point is 00:05:35 have been a touchdown without him yanking it out of there. And then gets an interception a little bit later. Those kinds of things. Those are the good stories. Those are the kinds of stories that Iowa football needs if they're going to succeed. Well, speaking of succeeding, let's take a look back one final time at the win against Wisconsin. Years ago, Brett Bielema was talking about when he was at Arkansas, a game, was it beaten Texas? I think it was. And he called it borderline erotic. I mean, that's what it was, Just pounding Wisconsin in that kind of fashion.

Starting point is 00:06:06 So let's take a look at the numbers. And another week and another just eye-opening numbers coming in from Pro Football Focus. So start with the offense and start at the quarterback position. There wasn't a ton there. 7-10 passing, 93 yards for Brendan Sullivan. He grades out as a 61. A 60.7 in the run game. Thought that was a little bit low, but all told,

Starting point is 00:06:27 that's what you're going to get right now from this Iowa offense in the passing game. Here's maybe the most surprising element, though. The running back position. Your lowest graded running back of the three was Caleb Johnson. He grades out as a 63.2 overall. That's below average. A game where he scores three touchdowns goes over 135 yards and that's a below average performance that's what the numbers from pro football focus say i didn't see it now kamari molten and jazzy on patterson both those guys

Starting point is 00:06:58 played well uh 76.8 for kamari molten maybe his best game in hawkeye uniform and we saw jazzy on patterson doing what he does, running hard. And those guys are going to be a big part of the offense, certainly next season. The fullback position, we don't talk about it a lot. He enlarged, though, out there doing his thing, clearing things out and making his play. So the wide receiver position, Jacob Gill had the touchdown. He's a top-ranked guy out of the group at the wide receiver position. he's a top ranked guy out of the group at the wide receiver position uh date howard a 57 jared bowie 55 53 for kate and weechin and uh seth anderson the lowest grade at a 46.3 out of him

Starting point is 00:07:34 pass number 44.8 not great again in a game where you throw for less than 100 yards you know anticipate it and certainly when most of those yards go to the tight end go in the tight end position zach ortworth and you know zach ortworth didn't play a ton he's not a guy that has You know, anticipate it. And certainly when most of those yards go to the tight end, go in the tight end position, Zach Ortworth. And, you know, Zach Ortworth didn't play a ton. He's not a guy that is going to wow you with speed. He's not going to be a guy that is a behemoth in the running game. He's just a good, solid tight end. He's a good football player.

Starting point is 00:07:56 And he continues to make plays. And excited about his development, what he can still turn out to be. But a great performance out of him. Johnny Pascusi did not have a big performance, according to the numbers from Pro Football Focus, a 38.6 overall. Kind of a surprising one there. Let's finish up on the offense with the offensive line. I mentioned earlier in the week, Jennings Dunker was one of the top tackles in the nation. He grades out with an 82. Logan Jones, a really good grade for him at a 76.9. And that was with the passing block grade. That was a 29.7. That shows you how good he was in the run game. Connor Colby was the same,

Starting point is 00:08:32 really good in the run game. Both Stevens coming back. He was over a 70 with a 71.7. They need those guys. Lowest graded guy was Mason Richmond down at a 52 amongst all the offensive linemen that played. But still, you're getting production out of this group. Getting Stevens back is a big step forward, and we see that ground game. 329 yards rushing against the Badgers. That feels good. Let's jump over to the defense and get you those numbers from Pro Football Focus. See if they match up with what we were seeing with our eyes.

Starting point is 00:09:02 On the defensive line, it was Aaron Graves, top rated with a 71.9. Deontay Craig next up with a 66.7. Deontay Craig's a guy that hasn't had the season that I thought he would. Tackles for loss, getting the quarterback, those kind of things. Still, he's been incredibly solid throughout the course of this year. Will Hubert, didn't play a ton, only a handful of snaps. He's a third-ranked guy on that one. Y.A. Black is a 59, and I just, when I see numbers like that for Wyatt Black

Starting point is 00:09:31 and knowing just the way that he controls the line of scrimmage and then gives the ability for the linebackers to make play and the defensive ends to make play, you've got to know ball. You've got to know the way and the scheme that Iowa plays, and it feels like at times pro football focus doesn't have that. Jeremiah Pittman, Brian Allen, the lowest rated guys. But I thought both of those guys had a couple of moments, including Pittman, who made a couple of nice plays. Linebacker, it was Nick Jackson, of course, at the interception.

Starting point is 00:09:56 68.7 for Jackson. Tackle grade of 81. Outstanding out of him. The lowest rate guy out of all the linebackers have played and it was fisher jayden harold was out there and van kirkritz um jackson rexrock was also out there lowest graded guy was jay higgins what do you watch come on jay higgins lowest rated just ridiculous all right let's go to the defensive backfield there's deshaun lee at the top great game out of him mentioned that a little bit bit earlier. Xavier Wampa right behind him. Quinn Cholte had a good game. Over a 70 grade for him. 65 for Cohen.

Starting point is 00:10:29 Entringer, Jamari Harris was a 64. And we saw some other guys out there a little bit, including the freshman, Jalen Watson, who checks in with a 63.2 in his limited snaps. Your lowest ranked defensive player in the back field was Sebastian Castro. I don't get it sometimes.

Starting point is 00:10:46 We continue here at Locked On Hawkeyes. We're going to hear from Scott Dockerman from The Athletic. Going to talk with Doc a little bit about everything going on in this Iowa football team and how they're getting ready for the matchup against UCLA and making the road trip out there. We'll do that as we continue. This is Locked on Hawkeyes. Guys, ever feel like you need a little boost in the bedroom? It's time to stop worrying about your performance and get

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Starting point is 00:12:52 Get Doc in here, Dr. Trenton. Ken, thank you for coming on, Scott Dockerman. How are you? I'm doing great. How are you doing? Doing well. I can't believe that I'm getting followed by Tavian Banks. That's just a miracle.

Starting point is 00:13:06 You're leading the way. I played against them in high school. Did you really? How'd it go for you, Doc? We won one game, and the final game I've ever played was against them when they kicked the poop out of us in the playoffs. Nice. Good stuff. Well, Doc, look, you were there.

Starting point is 00:13:22 You were in the press box to watch Wisconsin. You saw with your own two eyes. It's just a different offense with Brendan Sullivan on the field. Just the threat of him running the football. They didn't wow you through the air by any means, but he was accurate when he was asked to throw the ball for the most part, I thought. It's just a different offense with Brendan Sullivan,

Starting point is 00:13:41 a dual-threat quarterback on the field leading Tim Lester's offense. Well, you get, you can do it multiple ways, but I think the way that they do it by having somebody who is able to run, it really gives you a net positive from that position, which really hasn't been the case at Iowa for a while. I mean, if you can do it through the air, that's great. But in their situation, because you have a quarterback who's able to take off, it just changes the dynamic of the defense. And then when your offensive line can blow people up the way that Iowa did on Saturday, you know, you really can see the positives of what Brendan Sullivan brings.

Starting point is 00:14:18 And everybody's keyed on Caleb Johnson. Now they can't. And now you have two threats that can run in the backfield. And I think that's really going to, that really is a separator, and that's what we saw Saturday. Big difference maker. You mentioned that line up front. What is it that you're seeing? I know you're deep into the football world.

Starting point is 00:14:35 What are you seeing schematically? Yeah, we see the things, the shifts, the motions, those kind of things that are different. But what are you seeing in particular with the offensive line, the same group of guys and what goes from a decent run blocking unit a year ago to the elite level we're seeing this year? Well, health is a major factor. I mean, they were really banged up last year. And of course, when they're not performing, nobody wants to hear that as an excuse.

Starting point is 00:14:59 But it is a reality. reality but i think when you look you know secondly what's really important is that the minor tweak that tim lester made early in the season changed the dynamic of the running game and that is that they went instead of using outside slant and inside zone all the time they went to a mid-size zone and and that was that's right what old people like to call the off tackle but but it enables it enables caleb Caleb Johnson to get to that hole much quicker because it's, it's, you're not stretching it out. And then it enables the offensive linemen to get into their blocks and their change,

Starting point is 00:15:35 their aiming points on the second level defenders so much easier that they're not constantly having to try to reach these guys who are much faster than they are, which is, which is why they could undercut the stretch or get to the spot before the stretch got there so now that that mid-size zone is there it has just been a godsend for this offense because the we've seen we haven't seen blocking like this in a long time and then of course caleb johnson's skill set this is perfect for him because he's not necessarily a stretch guy as much as he is. Give him the ball and let him do one cut and run.

Starting point is 00:16:10 Yep, no question. Doc, I want to ask you about Drew Stevens. For the last, oh, I don't know, decade, they've been very fortunate at the place kicker. And they've usually got a couple. One guy's really accurate from 40 and in. One guy's got a really strong leg but you know hit and miss stevens is both of these guys i think i truly do i mean that kick that he missed what was it 54 56 whatever it was it had 10 yards on it at least doc i mean that thing

Starting point is 00:16:37 was going to sail through from north of 60 what are they comfortable uh with him sending on onto the field just i mean i know it changes week to week depending on conditions but what do you think uh is his range i think he could do i mean i think he could hit 60 and legitimately and i think it's just a matter of how comfortable are you if he hits the goal post you know like he did the other day i mean because he is good enough and but if you're trying it from 60, which is midfield, then you're giving it to the other team at midfield. If you don't make it, it's, it's a lower percentage kick.

Starting point is 00:17:12 But if you're at the end of the game you know, I know people very close to him were, were thinking that he should have been you got an opportunity at the end of the Iowa state game, even though it would have been a 60-plus-yard field goal. It's like that's a higher percentage than the Hail Mary attempt. I don't know if he would have made it or not, but that remains to be part of it. I think he is capable of hitting 60 anytime he's out there, weather permitting. He's a pretty good player, no question about it. UCLA. And, and, uh, you know, he is, he's a pretty good

Starting point is 00:17:45 player. No question about it. UCLA this week, a team playing much better, of course, got the win against Nebraska, but they've been trending in a positive direction here or last three or four weeks, short trip. And this is not going to Lincoln. This is going all the way out to LA. I know you're going to be talking to coach Ferentz here coming up in just a few minutes, but do you anticipate any changes either either practice schedule-wise this week or just anything they do in preparation with the short week? You know, usually they have Thursdays off, and that's where the walkthrough will be, and it'll still be Thursday morning. And then, of course, they're going to fly Thursday instead of Friday, so that's going to be part of it for them. Um, you know, it's, of course it's a longer trip. It's probably three and a half hours in the air from, from Eastern Iowa. So, um, I hope that they have, uh, you know, get their hydration in flight, but, but,

Starting point is 00:18:37 you know, it's probably not that dissimilar from going to the next trip, which is Maryland or going to Rutgers. I mean, it's just a little bit farther. They're going to play a little bit later at night, but now they've had a couple night games to get used to. So I don't see it changing their routine a whole lot. It's not like when they would go to Arizona, it was early in the season, and it was usually very late, 9.30 kickoff Iowa time, and it was also 100 degrees. I mean, now they're going in. it's an 8 o'clock Iowa kickoff

Starting point is 00:19:08 in temperate weather. You know, I think it's yeah, I mean, the length of the flight is probably a little bit of an adjustment for them. What, an hour and a half that they lose? But overall, I don't think that it'll be that big of a deal. Doc, it's been somewhat of a revolving

Starting point is 00:19:23 door at right corner on Phil Parker's defense. Do you think Lee kind of, with his game against Wisconsin, has taken back a hold of that starting position? Yeah, for sure. I mean, he played really well. That was kind of his game where it kind of justifies him being in that spot. Not just the interception, because that was a great play. I mean, you could see him reading it, at least I could from the press box,

Starting point is 00:19:48 but where he sagged, where he saw the route, how he jumped it, and then, of course, took off and caught it with his hands and went up the field. I think overall that was a really good play by him, but I think overall he was much more consistent, and I think that's been the issue right now with Iowa. That cornerback position is people haven't been that consistent there yet. Now I think that they will be when they get an opportunity.

Starting point is 00:20:17 I think Deshaun Lee is the first one, and then we'll see what happens next year. But there'll be not only Jon Nestor, who's injured, and T.J. Awe, who's played, but Jalen Watson's gotten some run there, and I expect him to be fully competitive for that position. Well, we know that you're now covering college football as a whole nationally at The Athletic, along with your duties with the Iowa Hawkeyes. We get to see the rankings tonight for the first time. What are you keeping an eye on? What are you trying to ascertain out of what this committee says?

Starting point is 00:20:47 Now, I don't like the show because they just lie to us and they'll change what they do every single week. But that aside, what are you going to be looking for this evening, Doc? Hey, this show is all about you guys, man. It gives you something to talk about. Hell yeah. If they were to keep it under the vest, you guys would be like, what? Exactly. If they were to keep it under the vest, you guys would be like, what?

Starting point is 00:21:03 Exactly, yeah. But I think, you know, what I want to see is how are the conferences stacked up? I mean, we expect there to be four Big Ten teams, you know, probably in the top 12. I think we expect to see five maybe SEC teams in the top 12. You know, where are the teams that have one loss in the you know the acc and the big 12 like in iowa state or you know clemson after its loss or pittsburgh and some of those teams where do they stack up and you know i think you know we're all in for you know a surprise because traditionally we've gotten in where this time of year where you see like the teams with names and our potential either big bowl teams or playoff teams, and we follow them and then the local ones.

Starting point is 00:21:52 But, you know, now we're going to see where do people think of certain teams and programs nationally. And I'd like to see if, you know, Minnesota or Iowa or Illinois has some run, maybe gets the late part of the, you know, it ends up at 25. And if that happens, that does change some of the dynamics for teams. Go do your thing, Doc. Thanks for giving us the time that you did here today. We'll talk with you next Monday if your schedule allows.

Starting point is 00:22:15 Thank you, Scott Dockerman. Appreciate it. Thank you. Yep. See you, buddy. Scott Dockerman, as he had to leave a few minutes early, get back and cover that press conference. That's Scott Dockerman as he joins us and always appreciate the time from

Starting point is 00:22:27 Scott Dockerman. He was getting ready at the time for the Iowa press conference. We talked about that one a little bit early on. We continue here, Lockdown Hawkeyes. Let's take our first deep dive into UCLA. We'll take a look at the numbers from the Bruins, what the Hawkeyes could expect again Friday night, 8 o'clock kickoff central time, 6 o'clock Pacific, 9 o'clock Eastern. Well, let's hit them all. 7 o'clock Mountain, Hawaii. No, let's not go that far.

Starting point is 00:22:51 We'll talk about the Bruins when we come back. Iowa, UCLA, Friday from the Rose Bowl. We continue. This is the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. Today's episode of Locked On Hawkeyes is brought to you by Z Biotics. Z Biotics pre-alcohol probiotic drink is the world's first genetically engineered probiotic. It was invented by PhD scientists to tackle rough mornings after drinking. Here's how it works.

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Starting point is 00:26:09 Thanks for being with us. Hit that subscribe button if you're watching on YouTube. We'd greatly appreciate it. Or if you're listening on the audio side, five-star reviews helps us get in front of more Hawkeye fans. All right, let's take a look at the Bruins. And Garber's their quarterback. He's a good player. He's put together a nice season.

Starting point is 00:26:23 He's been banked up this year, but he's a guy that can move around a little bit. Will make plays down the quarterback. He's a good player. He's put together a nice season. He's been banked up this year, but he's a guy that can move around a little bit. Will make plays down the field. He's aggressive, turns it over a little bit, but he is a guy that can definitely make plays. And I think that's where the concern lies, certainly in this one. You look at the team as a whole,

Starting point is 00:26:37 124th in the country in total offense, 133rd, that's last in a rushing offense, but they do throw it. Passing offense, 63rd. Pass efficiency, 64. So there's a Passing offense, 63rd. Pass efficiency, 64. So there's a team that can move the ball through the air, and that's certainly going to be the concern going into this one. But maybe the biggest part of this UCLA team, when you look at them statistically, is what they look like defensively. Mention the improvements that we've seen. Going back to the beginning of October when they took on Penn State. That gauntlet that they're going through, it started up Indiana, at LSU, Oregon,

Starting point is 00:27:11 at Penn State. I mean, they were all over the place, big time matchups, but they started to play better against the Nittany Lions. And they let one slip away against Minnesota, beat Rutgers and Nebraska the last two times out. And it's been their defense, and specifically their rush defense. Got a linebacker that's all over the field, a good, solid defensive line. They're sturdy up front. This is a physical team. Had a year ago, that's kind of how they were built, because they had a successful year a year ago,

Starting point is 00:27:37 and it's more the same this year for this UCLA squad. Defensively, 11th in the country in rush defense. They're giving up just 100 yards per game on the ground. Now you can get them through the air. Is Iowa going to be able to do that? That's going to be one to watch in this one. Can Iowa make enough plays? And can Brendan Sullivan do enough in the passing game? Can the receivers get separation? The likelihood is we're not going to see Reese Van Der Zee in this game. We're going to be again depleted at an already depleted wide receiver position. Maybe this is the game where we see Seth

Starting point is 00:28:08 Anderson get involved a little bit more because there's going to be opportunities, certainly throughout the course of that one. Defensively, this team has been a struggle, though, on defense, on third down defense. In fact, they are one of the worst in the country. So Iowa, getting those third and manageables, keep it third and three, third and four. Third manageable, Iowa's going to be in really good shape. If not, that's where the concerns go. A couple other things, pretty good in the special teams area, usually an area that Iowa wins and at times dominates. The special teams for UCLA is pretty good as well. And Deshaun Foster getting the wins the last couple of weeks.

Starting point is 00:28:45 Now, you do wonder if there's going to be a letdown after going to Nebraska and getting that victory. I think that there's a potential there for UCLA for that to happen. But this is not going to be an easy one. And this is not going to be kind of going back to about a month ago where you said, oh, man, this is going to be going to be able to cruise. It's a road trip. It's a long one. It's a place where Iowa normally struggles out on the West Coast in the Rose where Iowa normally struggles, out on the West Coast, in the Rose Bowl.

Starting point is 00:29:05 And we certainly all have memories of bad trips to the Rose Bowl. And let's hope this one changes against UCLA. We'll dive deeper into the Bruins here in the coming days. Getting ready for that one. We got coming up this evening, Iowa women's basketball. Their home opener against Northern Illinois. Thursday night, the men will be back in action against Southern in their second non-conference bye game of the season. A lot to get into.

Starting point is 00:29:28 It's a busy time, and happy to be with you each and every day. That's what we do here on the Locked On Podcast Network. Your team every day, and it doesn't matter who it is. Your favorite NBA, MLB, NFL team. We got you covered here. And not only that, you can also check out Locked on Big Ten. Craig Sheeman, putting the Big Ten first, does a great job of talking all 18 in the Big Ten.

Starting point is 00:29:52 You can find Locked on Big Ten on YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks for being with us again here today. We'll talk to you tomorrow. Until then, go Hawks.

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