Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Iowa Hawkeyes' Josh Dix: The Game-Winning Hero & Another Portal Quarterback name for Iowa

Starting point is 00:00:00 Josh Dix walks it off. A buzzer beater and an important Iowa basketball win. What does this mean for the future of this Iowa basketball team? Plus, more portal shopping. Another name at the quarterback position for the Hawkeye football team. 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.

Starting point is 00:00:34 Come in, I'm Trent Condon, and this is the Locked on Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for making Locked on Hawkeyes your first listen every day. We're available wherever you find podcasts. You can also watch us on YouTube. While you're there, hit that subscribe button. Just takes a moment and helps us get in front of more Hawkeye fans. Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook. You can kick off this big season with a big return.

Starting point is 00:00:58 On FanDuel, new customers can place a $5 bet. You'll get started with $150 in bonus bets if you win your first $5 bet. Visit fanduel.com to get started. Well, there is so much going on in the world of Hawkeye athletics. We get ready for signing day coming up later today. We will talk about that in the coming days and the prospects making their way to Iowa City. We're going to take one final look back at the win against Nebraska and the grades from Pro Football Focus. And another name in the transfer portal is Connor Wigman,

Starting point is 00:01:30 apparently with some interest in Iowa or vice versa. We'll talk about that, a couple other names that are popping in the portal and what Iowa's doing in the shopping aisles. But we kick things off today after the game winner against Northwestern in a game that Iowa led by 17 in the first half, let the lead slip away down six with less than two minutes to go. Iowa gets it done. The 30 footer from Josh Dix at the horn, 80-79 the final as Iowa gets the win, goes to 1-0 in Big Ten play. And that's one of the main reasons we talked about the importance of this basketball game for Iowa. Iowa has just struggled so mightily in these early basketball games throughout the course of the Fran McCaffrey tenure. This is something that is a semi-new addition to the Big Ten slate.

Starting point is 00:02:19 It's been happening for less than a decade now. Iowa is just 2-11, though, in these early Big Ten games coming into this one here this evening. Get win number three. That's an important one. We've talked about some of the bad losses that are in there. It's not just losing, but losing to some bad teams, losing home games that you just can't afford. And for Iowa, even in the years that they made the NCAA tournament, a win here or there, these little things can be the difference between having to play in the years that they made the NCAA tournament, a win here or there, these little things can be the difference between having to play in the second round. Villanova against Zaga, as we've seen in the past,

Starting point is 00:02:51 taking on some of the difficult teams as opposed to maybe getting an easier draw, getting an opportunity in that round of 32 to have a more winnable matchup, and you have to do these things. This team has been banked up. We know that Peyton Sanford has not been right with the wrist injury that he's been dealing with. Josh Dix, he's been sitting out. No Seydou Traore in the game this evening.

Starting point is 00:03:12 Cooper Koch was gone tonight. Looks like he's going to be gone for a while with his shoulder injury. There's just a ton going on with this team. They've been banked up. Owen Freeman's been banked up. And just up and down this roster roster we haven't seen a completely cohesive unit in the first half of the game they were knocking down shots and it really started with the aforementioned wrist injury guys with Peyton Sanford and Josh Dix I mean they got going

Starting point is 00:03:35 early on he could just see some called misplaying now re-watching this game on Peacock after I got home tonight so I was out calling on the high school basketball with a former Hawkeye. Wade Lookingbill did the Waukee Northwest, and they got some dudes going up against Ankeny Centennial this evening. So, in fact, we were able to watch the final shot go in, watching on our phones as Josh Dix hit the buzzer beater. So I had to go back and watch it on Peacock. Talk about just awful, awful experience, though.

Starting point is 00:04:06 Rewatching games is fine. back and watch it on peacock talk about just awful awful experience though re-watching games it's fine i re-watch every game a second time after trying to watch it live but uh having to do it on peacock with the when you fast forward they automatically plays a commercial it was it was tiresome it was troublesome hey at least we're in a day and age though when we can still do that and make it happen so we're not going to complain too much, but not a fun experience. That aside, let's get into it. And I mentioned the first half and the way this Iowa team was playing, what they were able to do in the first half, racing out to that lead. Yes, it's hitting shots. I mean, that's a component to it.

Starting point is 00:04:38 Iowa finishes the game averaging 1.15 points per possession. Good against this Northwestern team. They finish the game with, let's see, looking through some of the big numbers here. 52% scoring percentage. Time leading, 29 minutes. That's what I was looking for. 29 minutes.

Starting point is 00:04:56 Trailed in the game, 8.5 minutes and 2 minutes of time. That was tied. Points in the paint. Iowa with 38 points in the paint. A big part of that was not just Owen Freeman, who had some stretches of stagnation in there overall. He knocked down a three-pointer. That was great to see what they were able to get out of him on that front.

Starting point is 00:05:16 Seven to nine from the floor. Hit that three-pointer. One of four from the free throw line we've talked about in the past. Got to be better. And they were able to pull this one out. Seven rebounds in the game for him. How about four assists as well for Owen Freeman? Those doubles were coming. I was able to move the ball out quickly. And you can see Northwestern, they were making an effort to try to get out of there. Not able to have him go to work against Nicholson and

Starting point is 00:05:38 the other bigs for Northwestern. I thought Owen Freeman really had a good game. Lajay Dambale, and I thought Owen Friedman really had a good game. Lajay Dembele, when Cedar Treyarch comes back, you wonder where the minutes are going to come from. And he didn't have a ton of minutes in this one. He finishes with just 16. It was a lot of Drew Thelwell playing out there together. Price Sanford had another nice game.

Starting point is 00:06:03 The shooting that we talked about from the outside. Payton knocking down four three-pointers. A couple of them in the first half. Dix with three, including the game winner. Another guy I want to mention is Brock Harding. Now, he doesn't knock down a three-pointer in this game. I don't want to say I've been too hard on Brock Harding. But I've always just had concerns about him gaming and game out at this level.

Starting point is 00:06:26 Because of his size that he was going to be able to, importantly defend we know he can run a team we know he can make great assists we know he could get the team in the right spot offensively and do those kind of things but if he continues to play at this level he finishes the game eight assists again now did have four turnovers in the game missed a big free throw himself down the stretch, but 6-10 from the floor. He shot the ball much better, I think, than a lot of people anticipated this year, myself included. Brock Harding's a good player. And Brock Harding, yes, there are going to be those matchups,

Starting point is 00:06:57 but they're going to need him to be bigger. You know, for a while, I was all on the Drew Thelwell trade. And though Thelwell, I think, is still going to be an important piece of this team. Also, I didn't do it to deride Brock Harding. But you see the calm demeanor that he brings to the team, the confidence that he has out there, a little bit of swagger. And there's times that Iowa basketball needs that kind of swagger. They need the attitude that they get from a guy

Starting point is 00:07:25 like that. And just credit to him, the way he was out there, gets the assist on the final play. Now, that was an easy one. It was the only guy open as Dix hits the fadeaway 30-footer, but there we are. The game winner, just absolutely incredible. In fact, I want to listen to it from the perspective of Gary Dolphin. Dolph on the call, on the radio network, and just hearing not just him, but Bobby Hanson, I just really enjoyed that part of it. They are there every single time. They go through it a lot.

Starting point is 00:07:59 Let's take a call from Learfield on the Hawkeye Radio Network and take a listen to the game winner. call from Learfield and the Hawkeye Radio Network. And take a listen to the game winner. Rock looking, looking, gets it to Dix. A long three for the win. It's good!

Starting point is 00:08:13 Josh Dix nails a three! A fadeaway, fallaway three at the buzzer. Wow. And the Hawkeyes defeat Northwestern by one. We think 80-79. This is a call from Learfield and the Hawkeye Radio Network.

Starting point is 00:08:33 Gary Dolphin on the call. And you hear Bobby Hanson in the background to get those good vibes going. And I do wonder about this squad. We saw the attendance again was not great for a Big Ten opener on a Tuesday night. I guess 6 o'clock tip off as opposed to seven, but the excuses are out the window. And I know how ugly this would have been if Iowa didn't find a way to get the victory, right? We know the negativity that would continue to seep in, the frustrations that are out there, and will continue to be out there for this Iowa team.

Starting point is 00:09:07 They go down in the Ken Pomeroy rankings, down to 50th in the country after the win because it was closer than the experts predicted, five and a half the line on FanDuel. Iowa was favored by six at Ken Palm. They win it by a point. But this team's fun to watch. This team competes, and they're competing on the defensive end of the floor, and what you saw in the first half and the ability to force turnovers and get the Northwestern playing outside of the pace that they wanted to, and the good things

Starting point is 00:09:36 about this Iowa team, I believe they can be better. I believe this team can be different, and I just want to see them be completely healthy. I want to see this team at 100% what they're going to look like because I think the upside is there. I really do. This is not just fanboy talking here. I truly believe that this team has a chance to be a little different. The swagger, the confidence, and the ability to beat teams in different ways. That's something we just don't get with Iowa very often.

Starting point is 00:10:09 Now their defensive numbers did fall down after this one, down to 78th in the country now in defensive efficiency. The offense sitting at 38th, which is down from where they normally are. Get healthy. We'll see about Traore if he's going to be able to go against Michigan. Boy, if you could go steal that one, look out. And then next week, the matchup against Iowa State Thursday night should be a fun one in Carver.

Starting point is 00:10:33 And that one will feel a little bit different, I'm sure, attendance-wise compared to what we saw. And maybe that's what it'll take for people to get back out there. After Dix hits the game winner, seeing him race over to the end of the floor, the students that were there coming down there in the open area behind the basket and celebrating with him, it was good to see. Josh Dix said after the game,

Starting point is 00:10:52 he'd never hit a game winner before in a game and said that was pretty cool. Yes, yes it was. Fun night of basketball outside of that stretch in the second half when they gave up the lead. And again, down six, inside of two minutes left. You just don't do that very often. And Iowa finds a way to get the win, an important one.

Starting point is 00:11:10 1-0. Stop the count. Hawkeyes in first place in the Big Ten. Let's get into a little portal shopping. There is another quarterback now with some interest in Iowa, and vice versa, it appears. Connor Wigman of Texas A&M. He plans to enter the portal when he's available on Monday.

Starting point is 00:11:29 We'll talk about his fit with Iowa. Another name for the quarterback position and what Iowa's doing in the portal. Plus, a look back at the win against Nebraska and the numbers from Pro Football Focus. We're talking football as we continue. This is Locked on Hawkeyes. Do you hate the team you drafted in season-long fantasy but want to stay in the action? Introducing Better Together, the first cooperative daily fantasy platform

Starting point is 00:12:02 where teamwork triumphs. Talent. You can play with your friends, not against them, pick more or less on real time player stats, strategize with your partner to boost your odds and climb the leaderboard together. So grab a friend and join the social daily fantasy movement at better together. Better together is the first cooperative daily fantasy sports application.

Starting point is 00:12:24 Better together provides a sense of camaraderie and enhances the social experience of watching sports with your friends. And it also makes you realize that daily fantasy sports is fun alone, but like a lot of other things, it's better with friends. It's a way to stay connected with friends when you just can't watch sports together in person the same way. Puts your group together in a chat and takes it to the test let's take your group chat and see exactly if your group is the best download better

Starting point is 00:12:51 together now in the app store and sign up using the promo code locked on that's locked on for a chance to play in a contest against me because winning alone is fun, but it's better together. Trent Cotton back with you once again here on the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. As always, thanks for making Locked On Hawkeyes your first listen every day. It's time to talk football and the portal. As we know, the portal is going to be incredibly important for this Iowa football team. With what they have lost, what they're going to be losing,

Starting point is 00:13:34 it is going to be a transitional year next year for Iowa football. On the surface, looks to be a lot of holes to fill. Quarterback, offensive line, tight end position, maybe that's another area to look at, though they're happy with the young guys that are in there. Defensively, defensive tackle is going to be huge with the departure of Y.A. Black as he's going to be off and hopefully playing at the next level.

Starting point is 00:13:57 The linebacker spot, obviously Jay Higgins and Nick Jackson departing. And then the defensive backfield. Iowa struggled all season long to find a second quarterback and play a bunch of different guys in order to get there what is that going to look like there how about the safety position quinn schulte moving on a lot of different holes to plug yes you want to develop the young guys yes there are guys in the pipeline that they're excited about and they feel are going to get there but this this is the time. Still, it comes back to quarterback. And I understand there is maybe a sense of dread for some Hawkeye fans out there that after what

Starting point is 00:14:32 happened with Cade McNamara, the disappointment from the highs that we felt two Decembers ago, this guy that won a Big Ten championship in Michigan just seemed like he was a perfect fit for the Hawkeyes. No, he wasn't a gunslinger. No, he wasn't going to be a guy that was going to throw for 3,500 yards and 30 touchdowns, but he was going to be a placeholder. He was going to be accurate. What we didn't know, maybe he was just broken physically and in a way mentally from all the injuries that piled up. And then not just the injuries that he had at Michigan, obviously the injuries that he had at Iowa. The devastating injury that he had on his quad

Starting point is 00:15:10 before season number one even began. Then when he came back, he was not 100% playing through it and eventually tearing his ACL. This season, not trusting himself, not trusting maybe his footwork. You saw some issues mechanically with him, missing throws that he just didn't miss when he was the Michigan quarterback. We didn't get the guy I think any of us anticipated. Injuries are a part of that.

Starting point is 00:15:35 Maybe there's more. And because of that, I know a lot of people just say, you know what? They tried this. They spent too much money in the portal. Look, there's some ridiculous numbers out there that people believe that Cade McNamara received from the Swarm Collective. It is not millions of dollars. It's not even a million dollars from everything that I've been told. It is, yes, more than a traditional player. We're not talking about breaking the bank.

Starting point is 00:16:00 We're not talking about all of their money went to Cade McNamara. And that's why they weren't able to fill holes. I mean, that is a narrative that is out there that's frankly just dead wrong. You have to continue to upgrade this position. We saw Tim Lester do wonders with this rush offense and turn them into a hugely productive unit, still without having much of a passing game. And the hope is if you get that quarterback situation figured out, what more this thing can be. Tim Lester has made me a believer.

Starting point is 00:16:31 And I was not a fan of the hiring when it happened. I thought it, well, A, the process took way too long. And secondly, that there should have been somebody out there with more of a pedigree, more of a pedigree at the collegiate level that was going to be able to get it done. He was a defensive analyst with the Packers a season ago, and it just felt like a thud. I was wrong, and I'm happy to admit when I'm wrong when it's something good that happens like this.

Starting point is 00:16:59 But the other thing that gives me excitement is he brings in two quarterbacks this summer. Brendan Sullivan from Northwestern after the Wildcats decided that they were going to toss him to the side. And Jackson Stratton, two guys that were not big money guys, two guys that were not surefire guys that were going to improve the position. And he made both of those guys competent. Jackson Stratton started when he showed up. He was fifth string. He was the fifth quarterback on the roster.

Starting point is 00:17:36 And though I don't believe he's a guy that's going to take you to big heights in the Big Ten, he's at minimum a competent backup quarterback. And if you can find a guy like that, that was 4-17 throwing the football at Colorado State, that nobody in the country wanted, that was going to camps just to get noticed. And yet, Tim Lester saw that and said, I can work with that. To take Brendan Sullivan, a guy that struggles reading defenses, a guy that was cast aside at a Northwestern team that has their own issues offensively, and to turn him into a guy that looked pretty solid, that's exciting. But there is a certain limit with both of those guys.

Starting point is 00:18:14 And when you're talking about, as we mentioned, Miller Moss yesterday from USC, a guy that put up some huge numbers, his first start in the bowl game a year ago, just a monster performance there, Had some big games this season. A guy that has arm talent, that gets you excited. The latest name is Connor Wigman. And Connor Wigman was ridden out of town. If you look at his numbers this year at Texas A&M, they were awful. Now he's injured.

Starting point is 00:18:40 And the more I see about Connor Wigman, the more concerned I get with him. So this is what On3 Media had to say about him in the portal, and their write-up that came in from one of their national writers, who had this to say about the connections from Pete Nacos. Sources continue to tell On3 that Iowa is ready to bring in a top-level quarterback from the portal and pay the dollars needed. Wigman would be one of the most explosive players at that position in recent memory for the Hawkeyes. With Cade McNamara set to graduate, Iowa's ready to bring in a player of Wigman's caliber. A pocket passer, the Texas A&M transfer would probably need

Starting point is 00:19:19 assurances that some weapons were being put around him, end quote. Yeah, that'd be good too. that some weapons were being put around him. End quote. Yeah, that'd be good too. And this wide receiver room has improved also. And we saw Jacob Gill, another guy, didn't have much of a career at Northwestern, was just a guy.

Starting point is 00:19:37 He turns into Iowa's top wide receiver. Jerem Pui played every game, every snap of the final game of the year. And I think there's something there. Seth Anderson has speed. Can he stay healthy? We don't know, think there's something there. Seth Anderson has speed. Can he stay healthy? We don't know, but he's got speed. I would need speed on the field. They got some dudes, but you need a number one. You need a guy that can be that consistent down the field threat. They just don't have that guy right now. Could one develop? Potentially, not highly likely, but potentially that could happen. But when you're looking at the guys that

Starting point is 00:20:05 are there now you need that number one i completely understand that and if it's miller moss if it's wigman if it's anthony calandria from virginia whoever it turns out to be i was going to continue to go there and as we've talked about every day as you know we talk about the curtis rorke's the Luke Altmeier's um Max Brosmer up in Minnesota all these guys had really good seasons this year and these were not the top level quarterbacks they were not the guys that are getting hundreds of thousands and millions of dollars a year to play the quarterback position that's not what it is nice mid-level guys and you can develop them and with Tim Lester at the helm, I think

Starting point is 00:20:45 that there is more to unleash with this offense. I think he can do it, and that gives me excitement about all these names putting him together. The one concern I have about Wigman, well, one of many, is the injuries. This is a guy that's been really banged up, and two years ago, he redshirted after an injury after the first four games of the season. Then this past season, he was banged up all year long. Banged up against A&M, missed a bunch of games. Towards the end of the season, they finally went to Marcel Reed full-time,

Starting point is 00:21:16 and he wasn't very good, as you saw in the Texas game, though Texas defense can make a lot of guys not look very good. Wigman's a talented guy, but because of injuries, and after what I went through with the injury bug of Cade McNamara, that's something that does give me pause. That is something that would concern me from that front. Upgrade wide receiver, upgrade quarterback.

Starting point is 00:21:42 I don't feel like he can go into next season with Jackson Stratton and Marco Lyon as battling and backing up more likely right in Sullivan. This team needs help and they need a difference maker at the quarterback position. Without Cade McNamara could be a placeholder. He could be a competent guy. Let's shoot for more. Let's be more than competent. Let's get a good quarterback. Let's see somebody that can sling it. A guy that can make plays with not just his arm or his leg, but maybe both. Wouldn't that be something? Yeah, and that's allowed. I know Hawkeye fans, if you only watch Iowa games, you look around. Yes, other teams have guys that can do it with

Starting point is 00:22:20 both their arm and their legs. It's incredible to watch. Can't the Hawkeyes just get one of those guys? Let's hope. We'll talk about some more names here in the coming days. Mentioned Siding Day is coming up here today. We're going to get into that a lot more later on in the week and talk about the incoming prospects and who has a chance to jump in early and help out the Iowa Hawkeye team next season. And we'll talk about that with signing day here. It's just different in December. Don't like it. It's our new reality.

Starting point is 00:22:48 So much going on. Portal opens up on Monday. And you wonder about that. You'll see the verbiage. So Miller Moss is a graduate of USC. He's allowed to talk to people. He can go out there. And then you hear somebody like Wigman plans to enter the portal on Monday.

Starting point is 00:23:06 And though no contact can be made between coaching staffs and the player, remember players can have agents. Players have a lot of people that now handle these back channeling. That's the reason that the Kid Back to Mirror thing happens so quickly. And once we get to Monday,

Starting point is 00:23:22 be ready, folks. It's going to be a fun one. We'll have it covered at all angles here at the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. All right, let's wrap things up and take a peek back at what we saw in the win against Nebraska. Yeah, let's relive it one final time. The numbers from Pro Football Focus. Yeah, big shocker. Offensively, they're not great, but Iowa gets the win. We'll do that as we continue with more Iowa Hawkeye football talk on Locked on Hawkeyes.

Starting point is 00:23:50 Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook. Get ready to tackle all the NFL action with FanDuel. It's America's number one sportsbook. Because right now, new customers, you can bet $5. You're going to get $150 in bonus bets if you win. The FanDuel Sportsbook app gives you everything you need to place live bets on the NFL all in one place. You're watching a game.

Starting point is 00:24:13 You see something. You say, you know what? I absolutely love this team. I love this angle. I'm ready to fire. You can check out the latest stats, view live play-by-play, and so much more right there on the same page where you place your bets. Just visit FanDuel.com to join today.

Starting point is 00:24:28 You'll get started with $150 in bonus bets if you win your first $5 bet at FanDuel. That's FanDuel.com. Never waste a hunch. You make every moment more with FanDuel, an official sportsbook partner of the NFL. Back with you one final time. Locked On Hawkeyes. I'm Trent Condon. Hit that subscribe button if you're watching us on YouTube. Would really appreciate it if you're listening on the podcast side.

Starting point is 00:24:55 Five-star reviews. Let's get those numbers up there and get us in front of more Hawkeye fans. Wrapping it up, and we look back at the 13-10 win over Nebraska. So we look at these pro football focus numbers every week and a lot of times we kind of scoff at them right we look at them say oh that's wrong that's off that doesn't feel right let's go to the defense first because of the defense deserves most of the accolades here and Max Llewellyn is no surprise the top guy he finishes with an 89.7 grade.

Starting point is 00:25:26 He was all over the place, has the game-winning strip sack, gets it done on that front. Two sacks in the game, five pressures all over the field, and looking to the future, Maxwell and Boyd, the Urbandale kid, that's one to get excited about. Aaron Graves, another good performance from him. He's at a 77.7. Y.A.

Starting point is 00:25:45 Black right behind him, 76.5. And when he got injured in the first half of the game, things were going so poorly at the time. I said, Y.A. Black in his final game at Kinnick, if he gets injured substantially here, might be the worst thing. Well, they turn it around. Y.A. comes back out of the field and plays really well. Ethan Hurkett, playing the best football of his career at the end. He does have another review of eligibility. That will be one we're going to be keeping a close eye on to see if Hercut's going to come back for another season.

Starting point is 00:26:12 A few snaps from Will Hubert in the middle. Deontay Craig played every snap. Didn't grade out very well. I thought Deontay, though, really played an excellent game against Nebraska. Really liked what we saw and disagree with the number. His tackle grade was good with a 76 there. Jeremiah Pittman, after the YA black injury, he was out there a lot more.

Starting point is 00:26:32 Pittman's a guy that's going to need to take a step forward next season. He was a good third rotational piece, but you're going to need more from him certainly next season. Linebacker, stop me if you heard this one before. Jay Higgins is your top-ranked linebacker with a 73.9 grade. Great in run, stop me if you heard this one before. Jay Higgins is your top ranked linebacker with a 73.9 grade. Great in run, great in tackling. Pass rush was not great,

Starting point is 00:26:52 at least in terms of the grading skill there, but a great game in his final game at Kinnick Stadium. Nick Jackson, good, solid game with a 61 grade. Jayden Harrell played a couple of snaps. Kyler Fisher a few more. Both those guys with a 60 and a 55 grade, respectively. And finally, a defensive back.

Starting point is 00:27:08 How about Sebastian Castro? There was a lot of questions and concerns. Was he going to finish out the season? He was out there. He played well in his final game at Kinnick. Xavier Wampa with a 72. Good tackle grade out of Xavier Wampa. And we saw Wampa, I thought, in the back half of the year.

Starting point is 00:27:24 He had some really good moments. After what had been, I think, catarized his first two and a half years as a disappointment. He really turned it on. Good to see from him. Quinn Schulte after that with the 71. Then he get into the cornerbacks. TJ Hall, who played the whole way on one side, a 69 grade overall. Loved what we saw out of TJ Hall. A guy that he's got beat a few times. He got beat early in his career. Just keeps out there putting in the work and hopefully we'll see that big leap as we see so many times for TJ Hall next season. John Nestor played a ton in the second

Starting point is 00:27:56 half after Deshaun Lee was benched. Nestor finishes up with the 69 grade. Cohen entering her with the 66. Zett Luttmer with a 64. And there's Deshaun Lee with the 57. As mentioned, he did not see the field in the second half as Nestor came in for him. Defense, very, very solid. No surprise. Offense, that looked a little bit different. Started the quarterback spot with Jackson Stratton. He grades out with a 45 grade. And not only that, his one big pass play. It wasn't a pass. It was a lateral.

Starting point is 00:28:29 It should have been a run. It wasn't in the stat book, so he goes out over 100 yards of the game. He didn't really do that. Caleb Johnson, what more can we say? I mean, they grade him with a 60. There was nothing he could do. There was no running lanes. He had one big run.

Starting point is 00:28:43 Outside of that, there wasn't much room. Still has the big play, and obviously that proves to be one of the big difference makers there. Jazzy and Patterson at 58, 54 for Moulton. Again, there just weren't any holes against Nebraska. Wide receiver, Jacob Gill is the top-ranked guy with a 58, followed by Dayton Howard. Seth Anderson with a 55. Jarrett Bowie had the lowest grade. Here's the surprising part, though.

Starting point is 00:29:07 A 41.9 grade in his run blocking. Completely disagree with that. Zach Ortworth, well, it was just for one snap, but he caught a ball in it, so he grades out the best with an 87. Addison Estrangle at 59. Luke Lachey, not a great grade for him, 53 against Nebraska. Wrapping it up with the offensive line mason richmond your top rank guy with a 77.9 grade nick de young how about that these final two games maybe

Starting point is 00:29:31 the best two games of nick de young's career with the 73 connor colby after that kate peeper who played a couple of snaps when they went with six offensive linemen logan jones and then down at the bottom was bo stevens those are the grades and it's always fun to look back. We'll have the full season grades for you as well here sometime as we get ready for bowl prep. Again, coming up on Sunday, we will officially know the Hawkeyes' destination. Will it be Nashville? Will it be Tampa?

Starting point is 00:29:56 Could it be Charlotte? Those appear to be the most likely options for Iowa to wrap up 2024. Thanks for being with us here today on Locked On, Hawkeyes, and thanks for being with us each and every day. We got you covered. Recruiting Day, we will get into that for tomorrow's show. It was signing day happening today. A lot of different angles to talk about a lot of guys. The portal, it never sleeps, and there's going to be more and more information out there. We'll pass things along as we

Starting point is 00:30:23 hear them and see. A lot of it is rumor, innuendo. A lot of times it's just jumping to conclusions. You see a guy that would make sense, a guy maybe they recruited out of high school. Oh yeah, you make that connection. There's not even contact. It is a wild world. But we will try to keep you covered as best we can.

Starting point is 00:30:40 Thanks for being with us. Thanks for making Lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen every day. Josh Dix, how about the stones on the walk-off? Absolutely love that. Big win for the Hawkeye Hoops team. We'll talk to you again tomorrow.

Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Iowa Hawkeyes' Josh Dix: The Game-Winning Hero & Another Portal Quarterback name for Iowa

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.