Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Rapid Reaction: Iowa Collapses to Missouri in the Music City Bowl

Episode Date: December 30, 2024

Trent Condon returns with a Rapid Reaction Podcast after the Iowa football team falls to Missouri 27-24 in the Music City Bowl.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Rocket MoneyCancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster with Rocket Money. Go to RocketMoney.com/lockedon today.GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.FanDuelThe NFL Playoffs are almost here, but it’s not too late to get in on the regular season action with FanDuel because right now, new customers can finish the season strong with TWO HUNDRED and FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS if your first FIVE DOLLAR bet wins. Visit FANDUEL.COM to get started.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

Well, that was a frustrating one. Iowa lets one slip away to finish off a disappointing 2024 season. 27-24, the final. Iowa falls to Missouri, a collapse. And what happened to the offense in the second half? What happened to the defense all game long? A lot of questions today. Locked on, Hawkeyes.

You are 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. 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. Hit that subscribe button while you're there.

Just takes a moment and helps us get in front of more Hawkeye fans. Well, here we are and searching for answers to finish off the season at 8-5. That is how we will remember the 2024 Iowa Hawkeyes. You are what your record says you are, and this team is 8-5. A lot of disappointment, a lot of frustration, some bright moments certainly, but overall, one of those days that you're just left questioning Iowa football, what the future holds, and what this program is going to be going forward. As you start off the football game incredibly well,

march right down the field after getting a three and out, an incredible drive out of Brendan Sullivan, who looked as sharp as he has at any point in his Iowa career, right down the field, little touch pass for the touchdown, and Iowa races out 7-0. After Missouri responds, you come right back with Caden Weedgen and the 100-yard yard touchdown return and things are rolling and this offense was able to make plays throughout the course of the first half you saw

Brett and Sullivan doing a lot of good things I think throwing the football and the things that we're hoping for but when the pressure started to ramp up a little bit you saw that during the course of the second half he was at times a little bit too shaky in the pocket a little bit too reliant on those legs. And that's been the knock throughout his whole collegiate career on Brennan Sullivan. When things get a little bit shaky, he either tucks it or runs too quickly, or when things are getting that, he almost gets going too fast, if you will. And that's something that you kind of see a lot at the basketball.

As a basketball player, you see those guys that just get going too quickly and are not able to make those good decisions. You saw it in the interception. It's just a throw that you either have to make earlier, but you can't make it on the run like that. As the player's coming back, you see the defender is also cutting in on the ball. It's just a throw. We talked about the interceptions going back to the last time we saw them

as a starter against UCLA. And those throws late across the middle, just plays that you can't make. And these are the things that continue to crop up with Brennan Sullivan. There's plenty of good and plenty of things that you look at and say, yeah, this is, this is a guy that can at least be at minimum competent as a starter at the big 10. But I think that's it. He has exciting with the legs and he can make some plays and that's good. But is he going to be able to stay upright over the course of 12 games with the style

that he plays with the way that he has to play to be effective? I just don't think so. I don't think you're going to get that out of Brendan Sullivan. But we got plenty of things to decipher, plenty of things to break down here on this rapid reaction podcast. I will be with you also coming up this evening with the sound off show on 1040 WHO news radio, 1040 WHO sound off. That should be starting at about 630 is when we're estimated to go on. So because of that, I'll be a little bit short here. I got to make my way over to the studios in

downtown Des Moines and get set up for that one. But let's get into a whole lot here. Now talk about the offense at the top and there's a lot of good there's some frustrating as we've talked about but we also have to talk about this defense and I think a big question not just about this year but going forward is has there been something that has been I guess in a way figured out with the Phil Parker defensive scheme they'd been playing before this season at such an elite level. To anticipate that Iowa was going to continue to play at that kind of level, that they were going to be able to continue to play top five level every single season,

it's just not sustainable. It's not likely. You can't play at that level. When in college athletics with the turnover, it's not going to happen. And we knew there was going to be some kind of step back. Now, I think a lot of us, myself included, thought that step back was going to start to happen next year with all the guys returning this year. But you look around and you look at this defense this season. Deontay Craig was excellent today. Where

was he the rest of the season? He was so good. You're like, where was this guy that had seven and a half sacks as a sophomore two years ago? And we never saw that guy again. I know he was banged up last season, but this year he was out there. He was healthy for a defensive lineman. He just, he couldn't get there. And we see it today. Xavier Wampa had an incredibly disappointing year. Quinn Schulte, I think was better as a sophomore than he was this year. The number two quarterback, and number three, and number four. A huge disappointment, I think, from all those guys. TJ Hall had moments.

We saw a few things out of Deshaun Lee, but those guys, they were bad this year. Let's be frank, they were bad this season. The second cornerback spot was a huge weakness for this team. Sebastian Castro, he regressed this season. The second cornerback spot was a huge weakness for this team. Sebastian Castro, he regressed this year. Nick Jackson and Jay Higgins, those guys played well, but short of that, who exceeded your expectations on the defense this year? I think the answer is nobody, because we expected Jay Higgins to be really good again this year, and he was really good, and Nick Jackson was really good. But then you couple that with all those guys that regressed or were stagnant this year or didn't take that step forward.

Hercut was good. Llewellyn was good. Wyatt Black was, he plugged the middle. But Aaron Graves, was he great? No, he's good. Solid. And that's what we get. And now you look forward.

And schematically, is Iowa going to have to come up with something different you know the move from the 4-3 defense bringing that cash position it brought some new life into the iowa defense and what they were because they were regressing at that point in time and they were just getting bludgeoned to death by outside linebackers trying to guard receivers so they moved to the cash and it led to a big step forward is it the jimmies and Joes or is it something schematically that teams have just figured out? Because this defense couldn't get off the field and they couldn't get off the field against Missouri

and they couldn't get off the field against UCLA and they couldn't get off the field against Michigan State. We're not talking about Ohio State. We're not talking about Oregon. We're not talking about Penn State. By the way, those programs, well, the last two, are going to be at Iowa's schedule next year, along with Indiana. So we're not talking that they played exactly the heavyweights of the Big Ten

and the defense couldn't get off the field. And though we saw improvement out of the offense this year, and that leads to these big questions. The big questions about where this program's going, what is next, and if it's time for to change. Look, I get it from both sides, right? There's people that think I'm too hard on Kirk Ferentz.

There's people that think that I don't take it hard enough on Kirk Ferentz. Like, I understand it. And that goes with the territory, and I'm not complaining about it. But I get it. Because I love what Kirk Ferentz has done for this program. I love the successes. I love the highs. I love the number of games and the high moments that we've had.

And the sustainability and just year after year, knowing that you're going to have a good team. Maybe not a great team, but you're going to have a good, solid team. And for some people, that's not enough. And for some people, it's now all about the playoff. Or it's a winning national championship. I don't think I was ever going to win a national championship in football, but that's what you want.

And everybody's wired differently as a fan. I get that. Everybody has their own expectation. I can tell you the reasons. Maybe some of your expectations might be out of whack, but I get it. Everybody sees the world differently. Everybody views their sport team differently. And I understand all that.

And so, yes, there are times that I'm probably too easy on Kirk. There are times that I'm too hard. But's the next step we saw improvement but with that schedule next year is brendan sullivan going to be the guy that's going to lead them suddenly to a nine and three season ten and two come on i don't see that happening do you and then we see a first half where it's fun, it's entertaining, and then the lockbox comes out in the second half, and it's just blah. No thought, very vanilla. Is that Tim Lester? Is that Kirk Ferentz? I know a majority believe that it's Kirk Ferentz, and it's hard to argue. And we came into this game. And last week, we talked with Tom Caker from Hawkeye Report.

We talked to a bunch of the beat guys. And on my radio show, you can hear on the Iowa Sports Radio Network. And we talked to all these beat guys throughout the course of the week. They said, look out, look out. They're going to be throwing the ball. I guess they threw the ball a little bit more. Still, final numbers. Brett and Sullivan, 14 of 18 for 131 yards

and a touchdown and a pick. Threw it 18 times. Look out! 18 passes! Whoa! They didn't unleash anything. They didn't show us exactly

I think what we were hoping for. Now they were able to run the football incredibly well. And that was great to see. It was even minus KJ out there. No Caleb Johnson. It didn't matter because they were able to run it. And I think Bolton showed maybe even a little bit more burst. I was impressed by Jazzy on Patterson.

I wondered if there was anything else there. It's just the frustration. I get it. And I have it with you. This was a winnable game. You're up 10 in the second half. Iowa doesn't blow these kind of games. They don't blow these football games. And yet they did. And that was another confounding part. And we can, the fourth and one play where it was, you saw, all right, you throw it to Gill, he's short, show their better view of the spot. Who knows? They didn't. Like this, this crew was awful. And Iowa got some breaks in this

game by this officiating crew. They're in over their head. You can see why the ACC isn't also random. There's a big two now in college athletics because that was dreadful. That was about as bad as those Sunbelt officials we got back in the Outback Bowl when Chad Greenway wasn't offside. I mean, that was just bad. And it wasn't just bad for Iowa. It was bad both ways. But get up there and sneak it.

Just do it. But they're dinking around. They're looking around. This is a bowl game. You've been around for a while. The excuses of, well, you know, the system's new. Not something like that every team from peewee all the way up to the pros they practice a two-minute drill and when you got a

fourth and one and if you're gonna sneak it you get up there and you sneak the damn ball okay looking around looking at the sideline trying to get line pointing over here pointing over that no that's not how it's done. Either that or run a real play. But they didn't. And we're left questioning a lot about this program. A few other numbers. Jared Bowie, early on, a couple of RPOs, that was good to see. Went up high for one of those receptions.

I thought that was really good. Jacob Gill had a bad drop. But still, we know that you at least have a solid receiver in him. TJ Washington, love to see him both as a runner and a pass catcher, getting him involved a couple of different ways. How about Caden Weegean? Of course, we mentioned the kick return, but also in the passing game. And that was something that was talked about,

getting him involved a little bit more in this game plan using the speed. He's got to be able to understand the playbook and where to go, but that's a part. And then you see Lachey with one catch, one catch for no yards. One thing I do wonder, and I do have concerns about Tim Lester's offense. Loved what we saw, obviously, in the throwing game. In the running game, excuse me, not the throwing. In the run game this year.

And the improvements that they made, the change of the evolution of the zone blocking scheme, just how much better it looked. Caleb Johnson's a reason for that. A veteran offensive line that stayed healthy is a reason for that. But there was also, you can see it like today. You had injuries. Dunker went out of the game.

They played without Logan Jones, and yet they were still able to run the football against a good rush defense in Missouri, and they were able to do it, I think, because of the scheme. The scheme makes sense. Now we got to see the passing game, and tight ends have to be involved. Look, Iowa's not going to win wide receiver battles right now. Iowa has to have a proof of concept that they're going to be able to throw the football to get wide receivers out of the portal and in high school recruiting, but if tight ends aren't involved,

I think that's a negative for Iowa. I don't know where Luke Lachey was this year coming off that pretty significant entry from a year ago. He didn't look like the same guy. Ortworth, maybe Estrenga, had the big play early in the game as he went up and made the 29-yarder on that third down. Beautiful play.

But short of that, Iowa has to have their tight ends more involved. We'll see if this becomes a real offense. I'm searching for answers, as I think a lot of you are. We'll continue here. Locked on, Hawkeyes. We're going to get into your comments. I see a lot of them piling in. You got any comments and questions?

Make sure to hit them up right now. Locked on, Hawkeyes. It is a rapid reaction as we continue. Stay right there. We're back with more in a moment. Today's episode of Locked on Hawkeyes is brought to you by Rocket Money. Well, sometimes you forget you're paying

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That's rocketmoney.com slash locked on. One more time, rocketmoney.com slash locked on. Trey Connick back with you once again on the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for being with us. Hey, hit that subscribe button. Just takes a second and definitely is something that helps us out. However the metrics come together, I don't know.

It's algorithms, right? It's all algorithms these days. Like it used to all be ball bearings, now it's all algorithms. Hit subscribe. Just takes you a second and really does help us over here. All right, let's get into some of your comments. And let's start with Timothy says, might need to get younger blood at coach. This is

the same story. We got two guys in the portal. Nebraska will kill us next year. Well, Tim, I've heard that from Nebraska fans for the last decade and still hasn't happened. So I'm not willing to go there. Nebraska also lost a lot of guys and though their fan base will tell you, well, they're guys they don't want. That's not a sustainable way to build a program. I don't believe the way Nebraska's trying to go about things. That aside, though, younger blood, will it matter? Is there a higher level that's realistic for Iowa football? I go back to that question a lot because, as I said at the top,

consistent winner. Iowa's going to be solid every single year. They're not going to hit the heights that we want, but you know they're going to be solid. And there's something to be solid every single year. They're not going to hit the heights that we want, but you know they're going to be solid. And there's something to be said with that. As we've seen Michigan fall on hard times. We have seen some elite-level programs. Look at Florida State.

They go 13-0 last year. They go 2-10 this year. We've seen so many top-level programs that have cratered. And Iowa's in a spot where, with the wrong hire, they absolutely can crater. Gary, the defense has not been good all season long. Absolutely right. It has been a huge, huge disappointment.

Tyrone Biggins. Is it really Tyrone? That's exactly why we'll not get a solid quarterback or receivers. Typical Kirk. About 10 with the entire half to sit on the ball and lose the game. And Parker, is he mental? I don't think so. Kept doing what wasn't working.

Chicken or egg, right? When it comes to the portal and what's happening in the transfer portal right now. They get Hank Brown. Hank Brown, probably more of a developmental guy, right? I don't think he's going to come in right away and beat up Brendan Sullivan for the job. But when you talk about Pribula,

a Gronowski, the kid that's now in the transfer portal from South Dakota State. Let's talk about Mark Gronowski because the kid that's now in the transfer portal from South Dakota State, let's talk about Mark Gronowski, because that's kind of the apple of a lot of people's eyes, mine included. I would love to see Mark Gronowski come in and be Iowa's quarterback for next season. He's a guy that would be drafted right now.

Fifth, sixth round, something like that, but he would be drafted in the NFL, coming off out of South Dakota State. And going to Iowa, what can realistically be done at Iowa next year that would catapult him up to the draft boards, make him, say, even a second day pick, a second, third round, something like that? What's realistic? Throw for 3,000 yards?

25 touchdowns? Can that be done? Look, it's been done not too long ago. Nate Stanley did it seemingly every single year. It's not that far back. Has Kirk regressed that much in five years? I hope not. I hope not. Terrible safety play as usual.

This comes from Steamy Grave. Yeah, safety play has been a huge disappointment wampa was benched uh we saw a lot of luttmer in the game quinn schulte a bad senior season out of him got him back and was excited about it just hasn't translated just hasn't worked yes safety play has been a bad bad year blake morris defense didn't blitz and the offense was it existed in the second half. Maybe it's time for Kirk Ferenc to go. Blake, you are not alone on that thought.

And yeah, just not dialing things up. And the only guy that they blitzed with over the back half of the year felt like it was Nick Jackson. That was it. We used to see Phil Parker early in his career. He used to dial up cornerback blitzes all the time. When's the last time we saw a corner blitz? You can count them one hand, I think, in the last couple of seasons. And dialed open at

the right times and just, it hasn't happened. And Nick Jackson, that's it. That's the only guy apparently that can blitz anymore. At least we know Sully's not the guy. This is from Taken. Also, our defense is no longer elite. Absolutely. And I think we can say that with Brendan Sullivan. Look, if Iowa goes into next year with Brendan Sullivan as the starter, he's going to have exciting moments. He's going to do some good things. He's going to have like the play on the goal line that he got knocked down at the one. Wow. There's going to be those wild moments. There's going to be times when the run game starts clicking. He's going to look good and the offense will look solid. But with what they have next year, and I keep going back to that,

they have to have a difference maker at quarterback, I believe, next year. And I keep going back to that. They have to have a difference maker at quarterback, I believe, next year. If Iowa's going to be even what they were this year, 8-4, they have to have a difference maker. And with what it is next year. So let me bring up the schedule. I got it right here.

All right. So next year, Iowa's Big Ten slate includes Indiana, college football playoff team. Michigan State, who just beat you this year. Minnesota, we know the game's going to go down to a wire. Oregon, the number one team in the country. And Penn State, still alive in the college football playoff. You also go on the road to Iowa State, who's beat you two of the last three years. To Nebraska, you know that's going to go down to a wire.

At Rutgers, Shiano's rebuilt that program, made them okay. You got to go to USC and to Wisconsin. Non-conference against Albany and UMass, along with that Iowa State game. Can you find six wins in there? Honestly, with Brennan Sullivan as a starter and the way we know this roster, can you find six wins in there? Honestly, with Brennan Sullivan as a starter and the way we know this roster, can you find six wins? I don't think I can. And this is not being sky is falling. This is not chicken little stuff. No, this is realistic. Look at this team. Look at that schedule. Where are the wins coming from?

This team is now 0-9 in their last nine games against ranked teams. And they're likely going to play 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 ranked teams next year. They go 1-6, pull one upset, even two, 2-5. The win in the rest of the games, and on top of that, let's take it to a seven and five. This is scary. It really is. I think he said it. Brendan Sullivan, not the guy. A package

guy, a guy that can make the situational guy that we saw this year and a good solid backup to have. Absolutely. A guy that's going to win eight games for him next year. I don't see it. Timothy Malley. Sorry, there's only one eight games for him next year. I don't see it. Timothy Malley. Sorry, there's only one guy to play him for this. I hired his kid.

Oh, yeah. We've gone down this road, Timothy, many times before and continues. Tyrone again. My fear is I will never see another coach. And I'm 47. Tyrone, I'm about the same age as you. I'm 45. I think we're going to see another coach

in our lifetime. They'll be wheeling Kirk's ashes out of the sidelines 30 years from now. Tyrone, thanks for putting a little chuckle into my world. I will lose this to the disappointment bowl from Roger. Most overrated defense in 15 years. I don't think that's a stretch at all. This one's going to go down probably in the same vein for me as the 2005 team. Remember that 2005 team? They returned Abdul Hodge, Chad Greenway, basically everybody in the back seven. But it was a bunch of new guys up front. And those new guys, including the defensive tackles,

who all turned out to be really good players. But it was Mitch King as a redshirt freshman. It was a Kroll was out there. I think it was a lot of young guys. And that defense just didn't play up to the level we are. And we saw a disappointing year. Blake, I was going to be lucky to go six and six next year. Yeah, I'm right there with you. Dom comes in and he's fired up. He calls them the suck guys, an atrocious team twice. Frustrating. No doubt about it. Well, good stuff here. Appreciate it for everybody joining us again. Unfortunately, got to run a little bit early in this one here today

as I have other duties going to be on the radio. If you want to call in to NewsRadio 1040 WHO, you can do that. We'll be on apparently right around 630 is when they said we're going to go live, but that can always change the way things are set up. So we will be live with you, 1040 WHO, statewide, worldwide. You can also hear it on the iHeartRadio app, be live with you 1040 WHO statewide worldwide. You can also hear it on the iHeartRadio app and just search for 1040 WHO. It'll pop up there. You can listen that way wherever you may be. Thanks for being with us. We're here with you every single day. That's what

we do on the Lockdown Network, your team every day. I talk about the Hawkeyes every single day with you. Pretty much 365. We are throughout the course of the season, so we'll have a ton. We'll have a reaction to the basketball game coming up here in just a little bit. Women's basketball coming up with a big week after their win against Purdue on Sunday. Tons to talk about.

That portal season, what's going to happen? Is Gronowski a realistic possibility? We got you covered. All angles here on Locked On Hawkeyes, your team every day. So just hit subscribe, and thanks for being with us, and thanks for making Locked On Hawkeyes, your team every day. So just hit subscribe and thanks for being with us. And thanks for making Locked On Hawkeyes your first listen every day. We'll talk to you again tomorrow and we'll talk to you tonight on News Radio 1040 WHO. Go Hawks.