Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Iowa Football: What can be done to fix the running game with former Hawkeye running back LeShun Daniels

Starting point is 00:00:00 Can the Iowa football running game be fixed? We talked to a former Hawkeye running back. LaShawn Daniels back with us this week. We break it down today. Locked on Hawkeyes. You are locked on Hawkeyes. Your daily podcast on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network.

Starting point is 00:00:17 Your team every day. Hey, welcome in. I'm Trent Condon. He's LaShawn Daniels. And this is the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for making Lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen every day. Available wherever you get podcasts. Make sure to give us a five-star review. And if you're watching us on YouTube, hit that subscribe button. Helps us get in front of more

Starting point is 00:00:49 Hawkeye fans. Today's episode of Lockdown Hawkeyes is brought to you by GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account, and use code LOCKDOWNCOLLEGE for $20 off your first purchase. That's GameTime. La LeSean, welcome back. Game in. Feeling good. Utah State. Boy, those first couple of possessions, it looked like, here we go. And then we still had three and a half more quarters of football to be played in the offense. Went into the old Kirk Ferris lockbox and didn't see a whole lot from there.

Starting point is 00:01:19 But how are you doing? Doing well. Doing well. I mean, I can't really complain too much about a win starting off the season on the right foot and, you it I'm like oh geez here we go again uh it's right and then we got to sit in the north end zone for the first time so took the kids to their first game well my daughter had been before but my little guy Jack it was his first time at the Hawkeye game super hot not a great one for the kids but we made it to the third quarter and then it was time to hit the car and get on the road back home as they were they were a little overheated there but got to see those first couple of possessions things were looking good really the biggest storyline though of the football game was Iowa gets a win that's great

Starting point is 00:02:13 but their inability to run the football and in those situations you know in the third quarter in the fourth quarter when you're trying to assault the game away against a Utah State team that was out without their best defensive tackle, gave up a ton of rushing yards a year ago. I just couldn't run the football. Let's start right there. What you saw from the game and how concerned it makes you after what you saw? Yeah, it was definitely a little bit frustrating from a running game standpoint. I thought the offensive line did a pretty good job in pass protection.

Starting point is 00:02:41 you know, a running game standpoint, I thought the offensive line did a pretty good job in pass protection. Really night and day difference of what we saw last year in that department. But I felt like the run game kind of saw a lot of the same issues that we had saw last year in the run game. And a lot of it came from Utah State got plenty of penetration. It felt like every single time that, you know, he tried to run the football. My brother was, you know, trying to get it running outside.

Starting point is 00:03:11 Guys were getting upfield and forcing, you know, the backs to make cuts sooner than they would have liked. And then when it was run inside, again, creating that interior pressure, which, again, forced the running backs to make additional cuts that, you know, you don't want to see or you don't want to have in the running game, especially if you're trying to get some momentum early on, you know, in the drive to help your offense stay on schedule, to help you stay on the field longer. So those were some initial thoughts just when I was watching it live that I happened to see quite a bit. And I'm not sure if it's, you know, guys not entirely confident

Starting point is 00:03:48 on what their assignment is or coming off the ball, you know, at the right time on the snap count. But everything just kind of seemed like operations seemed slow from an offensive line standpoint. And then that allowed Utah State to create some penetration um you know in the run game which again led to you know less than stellar performance in that department really did and I think we both believe that it's not a running back problem Caleb Johnson we've talked about his talent so much and we're both just enthralled with what he can be and and the kind of talent

Starting point is 00:04:23 that he has Jazzy on Patterson he's got some juice to his game. I'm really impressed by him. And he got a real competent veteran guy in between with LaShawn Williams. You feel good about that. It goes to up front. And the question that I keep coming back to is schematically, is this something, though they don't run nearly as much zone blocking as even back when you were playing not too long ago, They have used a lot more gap blocking hat on hat doing those kind of things.

Starting point is 00:04:50 Still, the tenets of things are what they do with the zone blocking scheme and with the change and the inability to cut block. Now that backside guy, how many times does it look like, boy, they got the edge set out there. They're running outside zone. And here comes a guy, either a defensive end or an outside backer, or even a safety from the back side it cuts it down for a two-yard loss is it schematically an issue what they're trying to do in the changes in the rules in college football yeah um you know i feel like that that definitely limits um opportunities for big plays on on cut backs for sure especially in the in the zone. I mean, you think back when I was playing or, you know, even running backs before I was playing, like a lot of big runs would come from,

Starting point is 00:05:31 you know, pressing the front side of a play. And then, you know, you get a great block on the backside, allows you to stick your foot in the ground and, you know, read that cutback and make, you know, make a big play from there. and you know read that read that cup off and make uh you know make a big play from from there so um it definitely has obviously forced the iowa staff to change up how you're going to block those places again you don't want to get called all for a penalty on it especially on the long run i mean remember when we were playing rutgers when i was playing you know we come in half i scored 75 yard touchdown but they call you know a legal low block or whatever on the backside.

Starting point is 00:06:08 So and again, it forces it forces, you know, as your offense lined up to block differently and it makes those backside blocks a lot harder. So now you're forced to, you know, stay on that front side of things, because if you try to cut back, right, there's going to be a you typically there's going to be a defender in your face there so yeah there's definitely some some schemes and things that you can do and part of it is again i mean getting back to to running these the gap schemes and running the power plays and and things of that nature but i know that's not what you know coach ferentz typically like to to do um He knows that there's a time and place for those, but typically, again, he loves his own run. So coming up with a way to make, to get back to doing what you do and doing it effectively is that's part of

Starting point is 00:06:56 the reason why those guys are getting paid the money that they are. But you also got to look at it like, Hey, if we can't do the things that we want to do, especially on the backside of blocks, you're going to have to continue to stay with those gaps. look at it like, hey, if we can't do the things that we want to do, especially on the backside of blocks, you're going to have to continue to stay with those gap schemes, continue with the counter plays, and just continue to work on it and improve on that. And part of that, again, is going to help the offensive line

Starting point is 00:07:18 getting off the ball on the first step, preventing those defense alignment from creating penetration of the field. And I think they'll have an opportunity to do that this week. I know Iowa State has some younger guys on the defensive line. You don't have a first round draft pick on the edge either. So that makes it definitely going to make it a little bit easier. But it's going to be a tough football game on Saturdayurday so definitely making sure that you're sounding your technique and making sure that hey we at least let's try to keep the guys on the line of scrimmage not let them create that penetration you know a yard two

Starting point is 00:07:55 yards into the backfield um because even if you do end up getting a block on them it makes it much more difficult on the running back and then now know, they're getting contacted in the backfield instead of, you know, at least two, three yards past the line of scrimmage. So the big question remains, can it be fixed? I mean, is there a way that they can fix this thing in season, either schematically, playing better? I thought the guard play in the run game was really bad, but it wasn't just them alone. Logan Jones, I thought, was really solid.

Starting point is 00:08:25 Pass protection was really good, but in the run game, the guard play just wasn't up to snuff. And this has been really a four year process. I mean, you go back to even 2019, that was a really good Iowa team. And a couple of games where it showed up big time was the inability of the guards. That was here. They had a Larrick Jackson on one side, Tristan Wirfs on the other, Tyler Linderbaum in the middle and the guards weren't good enough and i'm concerned because i think mason richmond definitely is taking his step forward and becoming a really good a tackle out there logan jones has made that leap this year but the guard play so when he kind of put it all together can this running game be fixed this season it's a great question i mean obviously

Starting point is 00:09:02 you you're gonna see you typically see from from football teams the biggest jump from week one, week two, because obviously now you've got live tape, you've got you've seen everyone in the live environment on the football field. And it really allows you to make the additional adjustments as a coaching staff and as a player. Like, OK, this is what I was trying to do last week i had some success doing um this and i had less success doing you know this other thing so obviously trying to understand get those guys understand like hey this is what we're looking for because there there was definitely plays out there where you're like okay like these guys these guys look good like this is what we're looking for in a run game um so it's not like they like they don't know what

Starting point is 00:09:44 to see and what to expect and but as you just mentioned yeah it's been an ongoing going issue and i feel like definitely the scheme is going to have to help the guys a bunch but again when you run when you're running uh gap schemes you're running counter plays like those guards are a pretty important part of of of those of that blocking scheme um whereas when you run into the zone play um you know whether it's inside zone or outside zone like those interior blocks are pretty important but if everyone has some type of of movement usually the running back can pick and choose um what they want to do even if they don't get you know great blocking up front so it's a great want to do, even if they don't get, you know, great blocking up front.

Starting point is 00:10:26 So it's a great question. I don't know if they will be able to fix it, you know, make it look perfect, you know, this week, but I am definitely expecting significant improvement from, from week one to week two, because again, that's typically when you're going to see your biggest improvement throughout the season. And then you're going to continually get incremental improvement changes

Starting point is 00:10:46 throughout the year. LaShawn Daniels, breaking it down with here, Trent Condon as we talk on the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. As we continue, what's it like to play in Ames? We'll talk about the rivalry. We'll talk about LaShawn's time on the sideline and in the game and some of the vitriol that certainly came his way from the Cyclone fans. We'll do that as we continue here.

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Starting point is 00:12:07 Post your job for free at linkedin.com slash lockdown college. Again, that's linkedin.com slash lockdown college to post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply. Trey Cotton alongside LaShawn Daniels back with you once again on the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for making Locked On Hawkeyes your first listen every day. We got the NFL schedule opening up tonight with the Chiefs and the Lions, your NFL team, your Major League Baseball team, NBA, NHL. We got you covered. Not only that, Locked On Big Ten, Locked On Fantasy Football, Locked On Bets.

Starting point is 00:12:41 We got you covered here on the Locked On Network. And thanks for being with us here on Lockdown Hawkeyes. All right, LaShawn, as we roll through a road trip to Ames, it's a rivalry game. There's a dumb trophy attached to it. Not the pewter family trophy that we had for all of what a week before that thing went away with the family looking up with the corn stalks in their hand. But let's start right there.

Starting point is 00:13:01 The rivalry game, kind of what it was for you, not an in-state guy. Yeah. You know, it's definitely something that I feel is important. It's definitely important. Again, there's there is a trophy on the line. You know, every time, anytime you get an opportunity to play for a trophy, regardless of what it is right it's a big opportunity for for you know team for the players so so you definitely get really really excited for and the fact that it's essentially the de facto College Iowa State Championship game like it's like you want you like you want to have those bragging rights

Starting point is 00:13:40 like just as a being as being competitor you're gonna get over you're gonna be excited you definitely want to have those those bragging rights like just as a being as being competitor you're going to get over you're going to be excited you definitely want to have those those bragging rights um and you know obviously it's been a rivalry for it's been a rivalry game for for a long while now so you definitely want to get you definitely want to get up and get excited for it and um you know being an out-of-state guy uh i obviously understood the importance of rivalries i mean being from ohio you definitely understand rivalries there whether it's college nfl like importance of rivalries. I mean, being from Ohio, you definitely understand rivalries there, whether it's college, NFL, like you got rivalries really like essentially like all over the place.

Starting point is 00:14:11 So you know that anytime you get to go against a team that, you know, your guys, especially your in-state guys don't like, you want to get up for your teammates and you want to be like, okay, yeah, this is our opportunity to hold these bragging rights for another year as we typically have been doing. So you get excited for that game. You understand the importance of it, the fact that there's a trophy on the line, the fact that you want to have those bragging rights and you want to do it for the rest of your, you know, in-state teammates that have been around this rivalry for a long time. Yeah, you definitely get excited and get up for it. So what is it like playing in Ames?

Starting point is 00:14:54 It doesn't matter where you go. I can tell you from a fan perspective, but for you being in the game and coming out of the tunnel, making your way. What's it like playing a football game in Ames? Coming out of the tunnel, making your way. What's it like playing a football game in Ames? Yeah. So, I mean, usually for the Iowa game, it's always a great environment. Like, it's an environment that you sign up to play college football for. I mean, going into a hostile place, going into your rival stadium,

Starting point is 00:15:22 and, you know, they pack the stadium. Like, that's what you want. Like, especially being at a high-level competitor, you want to they pack the stadium like that's what you want, like especially being at a high level competitor. You want to go into that environment and, you know, you essentially you want to shut those guys up because, again, you're walking out and you got to take a long walk. Because, again, that's where they used to. That's where Ohio State's home locker room used to be. So so for starters, they've got a pretty nice visitor locker room can't really complain about that but it's a long walk and you've got to walk through that old building over there

Starting point is 00:15:52 you come around and then you walk down the ramp and then you've just got their fans all right down there yelling all types of nonsense to you whether it's whether it's adults, students, kids you know grandparents whoever you, whether it's, whether it's adults, students, kids, you know, grandparents, whoever, like they're yelling, yelling all types of nonsense.

Starting point is 00:16:10 And, you know, that, that stuff, that stuff like got, got me jacked. It got the rest of the team jacked. You're like, okay, like, yeah, like this is, this is what we're looking for when it comes to a, to a hostile environment. So that, that I think got everyone pretty, pretty fired up from the players and the coaches. And then when you go back into the locker room after you've warmed up, you can just feel the energy. You can feel everyone's in there, just kind of ready to explode and go out there and show

Starting point is 00:16:40 off. It's going to be a fun environment in this one. So let's talk about what we anticipate we're going to see Saturday afternoon, 2.30 kickoff on Fox. Iowa State, they had a lot with the gambling investigation. They lose their starting quarterback. They're starting running back. A couple of other big pieces coming into the season.

Starting point is 00:16:59 One of their offense alignment. They get the 30-9 win against UNI over the weekend. It was pretty ho-hum. They got the pick six early. They got a big return that set up their second touchdown, and they put it really in cruise control. They only ran 48 offensive plays in the football game. I went back and watched it on Sunday night, LaShawn.

Starting point is 00:17:16 It was hard to really get a great feel of this team and certainly where they are right now offensively, just the way that that game played out. The only loss that you had in your career while you were at Iowa came in a year that that came in. Oh, and two, they look terrible the first two weeks and they found a way to get you guys over in Iowa city.

Starting point is 00:17:33 So it's a rivalry game, but what do you see when you look at the cyclone team? Yeah. Obviously they're, they're dealing with, you know, some new guys and some spots, especially at quarterback,

Starting point is 00:17:47 you know you know, some new guys and some spots, especially at quarterback, you know, you know, when you're dealing with all the off the field stuff that has kind of happened with, with them off season and, you know, they come out and again, they start fast against a UNI team that has typically always played, you know, us in state of phone. It's pretty, pretty tough. So definitely to come out and start Sonny Strong in that manner, definitely probably gave them some positive momentum moving forward. But like you said, again, they only played about 50 snaps the other night. So, you know, you don't really kind of get a good grip

Starting point is 00:18:23 of kind of what you're going to expect. And typically what you see in their first game, regardless of how they play, they play, they turn it up an entire different notch when it comes to playing Iowa. So you never know what you're going to get, but, you know, you know, offensively, they're going to be they're going to be relatively consistent. They're going to try to get the ball to to their playmakers and really look for you know those one or two typically pretty big plays uh throughout the game to really kind of keep them into it and then you know defensively they have typically played with i think a three down front especially um as of late especially because obviously you're in big 12 you got to be

Starting point is 00:19:03 able to have uh you know those extra extra dbs and 12, you got to be able to have, you know, those extra, extra DBs and extra linebackers to be able to cover guys. So typically going to expect that three down front. So again, it does open opportunities in the run game as well. So, you know, I'm really, really excited to see how I was going to come out and adjust, especially with, with Cade dealing with his quad and the struggles that we saw in the run game last week. Because again, typically in this game,

Starting point is 00:19:33 if you can outrush the other team, you're going to have a pretty good chance of winning the ball game. So I'm going to be excited to see how Iowa comes out and how they adjust to what they're doing. But, again, you know that Iowa State's going to come out. They're going to play tough. And they're not going to let Iowa just walk in there and, you know, make it an easy game. Good stuff. LaShawn Daniels joining us here on the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast and his weekly hit with us. We will continue.

Starting point is 00:20:10 Last week, your boy TC got the win in our season-long pick contest. We got, what, a couple beers on the line, lunch. We'll figure something out next time. We actually get to hang out. You going to make it, by the way, you going to make it to Iowa City for any games? Have you taken a look at the schedule yet? Funny you just asked me that because Matt Vandenberg asked me that last night and I was like, oh, I actually don't know yet. That's still TBD.

Starting point is 00:20:29 I was planning on hitting up the Northwestern game here at Wrigley for sure because, I mean, again, that's right up the street. But as far as a game in Iowa City, I don't know. I don't know yet. I'll definitely have to pick one out and, you know, head up to one. The Minnesota one looks like it could be a good one. Yes, absolutely. Well, speaking of that game at Wrigley,

Starting point is 00:20:49 we're doing a little production here right live on the air for everybody. I'm going to be there doing my radio show on Friday. I got some tickets to the rooftop for the game. And I will tell you, LaShawn, we could do Friday after my radio show, Friday afternoon, I'm going to be at Merkel's, the big Hawkeye park. Okay, yeah. We could do a live lockdown Hawkeyes Friday before the game. What do you think of that?

Starting point is 00:21:10 Oh, that would be actually pretty cool. Yeah, I'd like to do that. Let's do it. We could actually meet in person for the first time. And, well, I can get you for you winning last time. I'll get you a couple of them. We're going to have a good time. So we'll continue to work to set that up.

Starting point is 00:21:23 But, yeah, for you Chicago Hawkeye fans or anybody making your way to the Northwestern game in Wrigley coming up in November, Friday, I'll be doing my radio show from 11 to one on KX and O. And then afterwards we'll do a lockdown Hawkeyes live there for Merkel's. That'll be fun. And looking forward to that. We'll make our picks.

Starting point is 00:21:39 When we come back here on the lockdown Hawkeyes podcast and college football fans, as the season is here, lockdown is kicking up our coverage with Lockdown College Football Kickoff Live. It's each Friday. Lockdown's going to go live from 10 to noon our time, central time, on every Lockdown College YouTube channel. College Football Kickoff Live will cover everything going on in the world

Starting point is 00:22:00 of college football, from playoff implications to the big rivalry games, and go in depth. Like only lockdown can including insight and analysis from our stable of lockdown college hosts, covering their team every day, find locked on college football kickoff live every Friday from 10 to noon central time on any lockdown college YouTube channel. You won't want to miss it.

Starting point is 00:22:24 Today's episode of the lockdown Hawkeyes podcast is brought to you by Game Time. Well, it is a big ticket coming up certainly this week with Iowa, Iowa State. And buying tickets for your favorite event, including that one, shouldn't be stressful. Game Time is the fast and easy way to buy tickets for all the sports, music, comedy, and theater near you. Killer last-minute deals. Those last-minute tickets and the best price guarantee. You can stop stressing over the tickets and start getting hyped up for the event. Flash deals and last-minute tickets as well.

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Starting point is 00:23:28 you're going to know where you are. Buy tickets in seconds, two taps, and you're set. Download the GameTime app, create an account, and make sure to use the code. It's LockedOnCollege. That will get you $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, create the account and use the redeem code LOCKEDONCOllege for $20 off. Download game time today. Last minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed. Trent Codden back with

Starting point is 00:23:53 you alongside LaShawn Daniels for one final time here today on the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for making Locked On Hawkeyes your first listen every day. All right, LaShawn, let's get into it. And it's our picks presented by FanDuel. All right, let's take a look last week. I know I got you. It was last week, one in four for you, LaShawn. I know. That's not the stuff you're looking for.

Starting point is 00:24:16 You went with your dad's Buckeyes. I got you there. I had Indiana. I had Fresno, West Virginia. I could have had a great week. Fresno and Penn State. Oh, James Franklin. I could have had a great week. Fresno and Penn State. Oh, James Franklin. That was crazy.

Starting point is 00:24:28 Franklin wasn't there when you were playing yet, right? That was still the O'Brien era? He might have been there. I want to say he was there. Yeah, we played him in 2016. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That guy, he just bothers me. Bothers me even more because I had a ticket on that game on top of it.

Starting point is 00:24:43 So I like West Virginia coming to that one and the last-minute cover out of Penn State. So you got the win in that. No, you went West Virginia too. So 1-4 for you, 3-2 for me. Let's get it started here. Of course, we'll finish it up with the Iowa-Iowa State game. All these lines are available right now to fire at on FanDuel.

Starting point is 00:25:00 Let's kick it off with one of the biggest games, maybe the college football season, one of only two ranked matchups this week it is number 11 texas getting seven against alabama take it away you're up first leshawn yeah um this is gonna be interesting game uh again it's getting it was a phenomenal game last year uh alabama came to texas and you know really looked like that texas was gonna have them and you know, really looked like that Texas was going to have them. And, you know, there's some last last minute heroics from their star quarterback. You know, they were able to pull that one out. And I'm excited.

Starting point is 00:25:39 I'm really, really excited for this one. But going into Tuscaloosa is going to be very, very tough environment to play. And you had a solid game, but probably not as good as you were expecting from, uh, you know, last week against, against rice. So, uh, I'm going to take Alabama and the points on this one, just because I feel like it's so tough to go into Tuscaloosa and, and win there. And I just, I honestly don't know if, if yours is, is, is that guy to guy to go ahead and, you know, really pull that off. I was disappointed in the line play out of Texas last week against Rice. They just didn't control the line of scrimmage like I thought they were going to. And now it's Alabama. And though Tristan, or not Tristan Burbs, Ken Proctor got knocked on his butt. I don't know if you saw that play. I did see that.

Starting point is 00:26:23 I had a little bit of a giggle on that one. But he's still, I mean, he's starting as a true freshman at Alabama. He would, he would definitely help out this Hawkeye offense. This season, but I'm with you, Alabama. And not only that, you know, so many of their big games throughout the years have been that CBS mid afternoon game. This is a night game and it's going to be charged up. I've been to Tuscaloosa for a game. It's a great environment. It's going to be accelerated even more here.

Starting point is 00:26:46 I'm going to lay it also. Give me Alabama laying the touchdown. Game number two, Texas Tech fresh off a loss to Wyoming. They got up 17-0, and then here come the Cowpokes coming back. Well, they got Oregon coming to town. The Ducks favored by 6.5. Yet, I'm going the other way. I watched a lot of that Texas tech Wyoming game.

Starting point is 00:27:05 It had a late start because of what some thunderstorms that were up in Laramie. I think tech's bounce was back. I think there's still a good team. It's a tough place to go. It's a road trip in your first game. And Oregon though, Bo Nix has been excellent and they put a ridiculous number up last week. I think Texas tech's going to be waiting here. I'm going to grab the points here. Give me the six and a half. Yeah, this will be an interesting, interesting game. I think Texas Tech's going to be waiting here. I'm going to grab the points here. Give me the six and a half. Yeah, this will be an interesting

Starting point is 00:27:25 game, I think. Because again, you know that Texas Tech, they're going to be charged up, ready to go, especially coming off a tough loss the week prior. I mean, because again, they started, they were really strong in that game. And then, you know, I don't know, must be something magical in that

Starting point is 00:27:41 Wyoming stadium or what. But it was a lot of craziness that happened towards the end of that game that they probably ended up swaying it the other way. But my thing is, I feel like typically Oregon plays pretty strong on the rough, especially on these road games early in the season. Obviously if you miss, don't count the Georgia game from last year,

Starting point is 00:28:02 but typically they play pretty, really strong when they come on the road early in the season. I don't think this year is going to be any different, especially, I really like the things that Bo Nix has done since coming to Oregon. I think he's been a really, really good quarterback for them and really has brought the offense, I think, that

Starting point is 00:28:20 Oregon has typically expected from their team. Give me the six and a half for Oregon. I think they're going to as expected from their team. So, yeah, give me the six and a half for Oregon. I think they're going to have a good season this year. Game number three. It is the big noon kickoff over on Fox. It will be Deion Sanders. What a surprise that was.

Starting point is 00:28:37 That was absolutely incredible as they beat TCU on the road last week. They come home this week. Nebraska comes in. A great old rivalry renewed. Once again, we saw this game a season ago and then Nebraska didn't get the win. And of course shot themselves in the foot is only Nebraska can in the game against Minnesota.

Starting point is 00:28:53 You can tell they at least have an adult on the sidelines, something they haven't had for the last five seasons there. I believe in Matt rule and may have not, it might not happen this year, but it's going to happen here. This is about value. So I'm somebody that does gamble every day. I look at the lines every single day.

Starting point is 00:29:08 And when the look ahead lines came out this summer, Nebraska was anywhere between a six and a half and a seven and a half point favorite. Now I'm getting a field goal. I'm going to grab that field goal. I'm going to grab Nebraska here and maybe slow down Dion and company here. Give me Nebraska. I'm there with you.

Starting point is 00:29:25 I think this is going to be a really close game. I think it's going to be a great game. Colorado, they came out. You're coming off that high of a win from the week prior. And obviously, Dion has been great in his career no matter what he's done. So he's definitely going to get to the team like, hey, we're obviously obviously not done yet that was just one game like we're on to the next but how did the team and the rest of it's gonna respond is what i'm curious to see obviously travis hunter was phenomenal played over 100 snaps last week and that he's insane uh chador sanders threw for

Starting point is 00:30:02 500 yards. But the Nebraska defense, I think, is going to play a lot better than TCU's defense did last week. And I think that's what's really going to keep this game close. It's going to be a really, really great game. But, yeah, I'm going to go with Nebraska on this one for the points. But I honestly have no idea who's going to pull this off. But I do think that Nebraska will be able to cover those three. Notre Dame, game number four.

Starting point is 00:30:30 They make their way to NC State to take on the Wolfpack. It'll be an early kickoff there. Also, 11 o'clock our time here in the Central Time Zone. Brendan Armstrong, the former Virginia quarterback now at NC State, did have a great game throwing the football, but ran it incredibly well in their week one win. Notre Dame, they're cruising after two easy victories in the first couple of weeks.

Starting point is 00:30:50 Well, Sean, I'll tell you, I think this is just a tricky spot more than anything. I'm grabbing the Wolfpack, getting a little more than a touchdown, plus the seven and a half. I was thinking Wolfpack. I really was. But I think, you know, I really feel like, obviously, again you the players can't control, you know, who they're going against.

Starting point is 00:31:09 But, you know, they came out and they did what they were supposed to do in the last two opponents. And let's see, Sam Hartman is another another really, really good quarterback. And I feel like he's honestly been the quarterback Notre Dame has kind of been looking for for the past several years. And I feel like the seven and a half points for Notre Dame, I think they're going to be able to go ahead and cover that. Because they've been so strong in the past game and they've been really strong in the run game as well. And I don't see that. I don't see any reason why that shouldn't continue even though they're gonna they're gonna be on the road it's not gonna be it's not gonna be a walk in the park game by any stretch of the imagination but I think that Sam Hartman is good enough to be able to help

Starting point is 00:31:56 them get those points in and we wrap it up of course with the Cy Hawk game Iowa at Iowa State this week the Hawkeyes currently a four-point favorite in this one. Iowa State got them a year ago, but last time Iowa State won in Ames, you got to go back to 2011. Boy, that was a long time ago. Twelve years ago, last time they won one of these games in Jack Trice Stadium. Hawkeyes favored by four. What do you got, LaShawn?

Starting point is 00:32:21 Yeah, I like the Hawks, to be honest. I really do. Even though, again, the run game wasn't as stellar as what you would quite expect, I feel like they're going to be better in that department this week. And even with K dealing with the leg, he's going to be able to get the ball out and I feel like get the ball to the playmakers and allow them to have opportunities to do it. And then, you know, last week, I feel like this didn't get enough or see enough from Iowa State offensively, even though, again, they won 30-9 and felt like the offense really never. And I think for me to be able to go ahead and think that they're going to be able to cover those points. So give me Iowa and I feel like they're going to come out strong and they're going to play you know Iowa football that we're used to seeing so two changes for me two things that have changed my opinion where I was all summer long when I was going to FanDuel when

Starting point is 00:33:13 they had the Iowa State lineup before the gambling investigation and I was fired non-stop at Iowa first Iowa State has a dedicated special teams coach and that's something that they haven't had in the past I think they closed the gap in special teams something that had been significant and a big time advantage i mean you go back to the 1817 game and the phone of the humble pun which is still just hilarious watching that play and the two idiots running in that is closed up and this is the one turning point for me i keep going back to john haycock one of the best defensive coordinators in the country it's this week brought to you by FanDuel. LaShawn looking to bounce back.

Starting point is 00:33:47 I got the early lead on the season, and we will be able to pay this thing off as we'll meet in person over in Wrigleyville. I'll cover it up, and we'll have details as we continue as we found out today here in just a couple of short months. That'll do it for today. Thanks, as always, for making Locked On Hawkeyes your first listen every day.

Starting point is 00:34:03 LaShawn, we'll talk to you again down the line. We'll talk to you next week and let's get a Hawkeye win. Yes, sir. Go Hawks.

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