Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - REBOUND: Iowa Hawkeyes 2025 Year in Review—Why 2026 Will IGNITE a Hawkeye Comeback
Episode Date: December 29, 2025Iowa Hawkeyes face a pivotal crossroads after a season of mixed fortunes. Can Kirk Ferentz’s team turn close losses into a 2026 breakthrough, or will program questions persist into the new year?Tren...t Condon reviews Hawkeye Athletics’ highs and lows: Mark Gronowski's quarterback commitment and injury drama, Caitlin Clark’s jersey retirement, NCAA Wrestling disappointment offset by Stephen Buchanan’s title, and Fran McCaffery’s abrupt departure. Spotlight shifts to football as Tom Kakert checks in from Tampa, sharing practice insights and looming running back changes amid transfer portal frenzy. The duo debates Iowa’s matchup against Vanderbilt, player motivation, and how tackling woes and quarterback play may decide the bowl game’s outcome. Women’s basketball also surges with standout performances from Ava Haydn and Addy Deal. With roster moves and strategic shifts ahead, are the Hawkeyes set for a bounce-back year or further uncertainty? Don’t miss the breakdown and inside scoop.Follow Trent Condon on X: https://twitter.com/trentcondonLISTEN TO THE PODCAST: APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-on-hawkeyes-daily-podcast-on-iowa-hawkeyes-football/id1441592240SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0GTyz5ygevcGXdTF6QSoEoYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnHawkeyesEverydayer ClubIf you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!GametimeToday's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply.RugietIf you’ve been thinking about taking the next step, now’s the time.Head to https://Rugiet.com/LOCKEDONCOLLEGE to get 15% off your order for a limited time.Rugiet Ready. Feel present. Feel confident. Feel ready. FanDuelToday's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Football season is around the corner, visit the FanDuel App today and start planning your futures bets now.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) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Discussion (0)
2025 for Hawkeye Athletics was filled with some highs.
Unfortunately, many lows.
I'll look back at the year that was for the Hawkeyes
and why it sets up for a better, 2006.
You are Locked-on Hawkeyes,
your daily podcast on the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Part of the Locked-on Podcast Network,
your team every day.
Welcome in.
I'm Trent Conn.
and this is the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast.
Thanks for making Lockdown Hawkeyes, your first listen every day here on the
Lockdown Network, now number one for sports podcast.
I've been covering the Hawkeyes for over 20 years on the radio here in the great state
of Iowa, including currently on the Iowa Sports Radio Network.
You can hear me each weekday from noon to tune on stations across the state,
including Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, the Quad City, Sioux City, and our flagship 106.3 KX&O.
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Today, we're going to take a look back at the season that was in Hawkeye Athletics,
some of the good, many of the bad, but why this is going to be, I think, a very good season coming up here
as we changed the calendar over to 2006 for Hawkeye Athletics.
We'll also be joined by Tom Kaker from Hawkeye Report.
Port.com. He is in Tampa for the Reliacquest Bowl against Vanderbilt. We'll get some of his
reflections on things, opportunity to talk to the players, the coaches, and some of the things
coming out there, including a big question at the running back spot, what that's going to
look like going forward. And Tom, with some good insight there. Plus, we're going to take a
look back at Iowa, getting their second conference win of the season, a dominating win on women's
basketball against Penn State yesterday. And I look forward as the men's team later Monday afternoon
and we'll go up against UMass Lowell in their final non-conference game
and what we'll be looking for in that one.
But we begin today with a look back at all of 2025.
And I just filled in some gaps here,
some different things that jumped to the top of my mind,
kind of came up with a list and might be a little bit out of order,
but chronologically taking us through the year that was in Hawkeye Athletics.
And we start and we go back to January of 2025.
The big story of that time certainly was Mark Grinowski.
His commitment to Iowa after we talked a lot.
After the season came to a close,
the Music City Bowl loss that they had to Missouri last year
and a difficult schedule we knew was coming up this year for Iowa football
of what it was going to look like.
And Mark Bernowski, his commitment,
I think really changed our perception of what this team was going to be.
Now, less than 24 hours later,
we also found out he was going to have to go under the knife.
He was going to be out with shoulder surgery
and not be able to play during spring practice.
And that led to plenty of content,
and certainly here, a lot that we talked about coming into the season.
But definitely the big storyline of January was just that.
As we move into February, a couple of things jumped to mind.
First, Hawkeye adjacent, and that was Cooper DeGine, his pick six for the Eagles in the Super Bowl.
Definitely a big headline, though not playing for the Hawkeyes, the Hawkeye connection.
Speaking of not playing for the Hawkeyes anymore, how about February 2nd?
Caitlin Clark gets her jersey retired and the upset victory that Iowa had that day against USC,
really solidifying themselves, bouncing back after that losing streak they had,
the five-game losing streak that the women's basketball team had at the beginning of
conference play, going in, beating USC and getting that victory.
One of the big headlines there.
We jump into March and look back at Hawkeye Athletics in 2025 and a few different things.
Let's start with wrestling, another frustrating performance at the NCAAs.
The fourth place finished there.
More disappointment now improved from where they were the year previous when they finished
fifth in the country. Still fourth at Iowa, we know that is not the expectation where anybody
expects this program. But one big positive, and that was Stephen Buchanan, becoming Iowa's first
national champion since Spencer Lee, also becoming the first ever at 197 to win a national
championship. That had been the tough spot for Iowa historically and got one there with Buchanan
coming in and getting a national championship. And one of those good stories, certainly at the end.
Over to a little basketball in March, Iowa loved what they did, just getting back to the tournament,
They won that first game.
It didn't go very well against Oklahoma in the round of 32 as they were blown out by
Jenny Baranches squad in that one, 96 to 62.
Still, after Caitlin Clark getting back to the NCAA tournament, incredibly important, I thought,
for the program.
The Iowa men battle back beat Nebraska on the road to get to the Big Ten tournament,
then won a game there beating Ohio State before losing and what proved to be
Fran McCaffrey's final game to Illinois in Fray McCaffrey fashion.
106.94, they lose to the Illini.
season comes to a close. And with it, Bray McCaffrey very quickly fired after that.
That, of course, leads to Ben McCollum. And that sets the stage for this season coming up in
2006. And what we have, Iowa off to a very good start and obviously conference play looming
around the corner as we get through this final game against UMass Lowell.
Bennett starts also a big story following along with the portal class that he was able to put
together. We look at the spring, some good weird softball season, coaches leaving all kinds of
of tumult. That team battled, though, had themselves close to me. Being an NCAA tournament
fell just short. The Iowa baseball team got off to a great start in Big Ten play, falter late and
just missed the postseason as they finished third in the Big Ten, but not enough as they
basically, at minimum, had to get to the championship game and probably had to win the Big Ten
tournament. That didn't happen. But another good, successful season for Coach Heller's group.
We get through the summertime when there's very little happening. Let's fast forward here to what we
saw during the fall. Kirk Farrantz becomes the winningest coach in Big Ten history. That is certainly
going to be one that is going to be remembered and talked about for a long time. Anthony
Herron there on the field after the game concluded all the positive feelings that came out of
that passing Woody Hayes and becoming the winningest coach in Big Ten football history.
Really, when he looked back of the season, I think we're going to remember more than anything,
not the blowout wins against Wisconsin and throttling Minnesota. And those were fun, Nebraska,
getting those three trophy games,
A, one of the other trophy games,
the Iowa State game falling short.
And I think when we look back of this season,
the four losses by 15 points.
Now, here's another thing.
2025 is not over.
And as we're going to get to,
the matchup against Vanderbilt,
certainly can change the equation for Iowa football
and the way that we look at this team
and look at this program, certainly,
what they do in that matchup.
I think that's going to be certainly a big storyline
is if they can get a win against Vanderbilt
and the losing streak and maybe catapult them forward.
And we talk about that with basketball, both men's and women.
We talk about that, I think, on the football field, too.
There's been a lot of people that have equated what we've seen this season back to 2008.
I definitely can see the cops.
Can see slow start, a lot of close losses.
But when they were playing at their best, they could play with anybody in the country and ended up beating.
This team hasn't beat those top teams.
That team did that late in the season with the win against Penn State and the domination
against South Carolina in the bowl game.
But more than importantly, I think is what that did.
going forward. What 2009 turned into, if that happens, I think this year is going to be looked back
even more fondly for Iowa football. And then one other thing, the lost Iowa State in wrestling,
I think that's going to be remembered because it's been so rare. And we go back two decades,
the last time Iowa State beat Iowa in wrestling. I think that's definitely one we have to put on
the list for this season. A couple losses in basketball, hard fought games against the Cyclones
in Hilton, but the wrestling one, maybe one that's going to linger a little bit more. All that being said,
Maybe not the highlights we wanted for a year in 2025, but I am bearish in
2006 and what still can be certainly going forward.
Well, we continue here and let's get down to the bowl game.
Let's head down to Tampa.
Tom Kaker for Hawkeyeer Report.com.
He is down there covering the game.
We'll get his perspective after hearing from Tim Lester, hearing from Kirk Barrett,
Phil Parker, a bunch of the players down there as they get ready for this game and get
ready for the future.
Transfer portal, it opens on Friday.
What's Tom hearing on that front?
We'll talk about that next as we roll through.
It is a Monday edition.
Thanks for being with us.
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Tom Kekert runs hawkeyei report.com.
He's in Tampa.
That's where I was getting set to take on Vanderbilt on Wednesday morning, central time anyways,
and Tom joins us.
Hello, Tom, Trent and Ken.
How are you?
I'm doing good.
I'm not ready to finally head outside for the first time today
after we get done talking,
so I can get some fresh air.
I've been right in all days.
Oh, I figured a celebration.
You guys were out too late watching the Bears game last evening.
We were watching the Bears game, Mr. Chad Lysdick and I.
We're watching our beloved bears and, you know, yeah.
Hanging in the hospitality room?
Yes, of course.
John James is holding the hold of the port.
Is he still there?
That's unbelievable.
He's unbelievable.
All seven, I think I'm, I officially, I think I'm the only one that's covered all seven.
Isn't that something?
Yeah, John, the first person I saw when I walked in the hotel with John James.
Yeah, he's the media liaison, runs the media room and certainly looks after the media.
Good stuff.
Well, let's catch up with what you've been, what you've seen.
I know you've been able to watch what.
20, 15, 20 minutes of practice, and then some of the off-the-field stuff.
Just the takeaway or two, Tom, somebody that you might thought might be practicing,
that isn't, or I'll just open the mic up to you, and what have you seen?
Yeah, it's been interesting.
Focus a little bit on the defense the other day, just watching what they're kind of doing,
trying to combat Pavia and trying to set things up against Pavia,
and maybe we'll see Jaden Herald a little.
bit more in run situations, and then you'll probably see Montgomery out there, a little more
in the past situations, maybe some Jackson Rex Roth, and they're a middle linebacker in some
of those past situations, but they've been really focused on keeping contained, keeping
Avia inside the pocket, and keeping in the middle of the field instead of sneaking outside.
So I thought that was interesting.
Offensive side, not a whole lot of interesting things to report, to be honest.
Just I think we're all focused a little bit more on Hecklinsky,
just trying to get a feel for him more than anything else.
It seems like he's going to be the guy next year, at least on paper right now.
So he's not a guy that we've gotten to really talk to yet.
So it's, yeah, just getting to watch him and how he operates a little.
bit, how he throws the ball.
Talk to Tim Lester about him, and he called him a gunslinger.
And he's going to throw the ball in spots sometimes.
And there's going to be some good with the bad with him.
I kind of get to feel like he's a little bit like Drew Tate, just kind of a guy that
kind of just lay, he can be a little reckless and he can be a little crazy, but, but he's
going to be out there kind of one of those guys that you would call like a ball.
or he just kind of goes out there and makes things happen.
Not comparing him to number four in Green Bay,
but I kind of get that vibe.
Gunslinger.
Yes.
Just take chances.
A lot of good.
Some, oh my God, I can't believe it.
But five inches shorter.
Right, yeah.
I'm not saying he is.
Yes, just this style maybe, yeah.
Hey, I want to ask you about running back.
We were speculating and read your post after listening to the interview they had
with Kamari Bolton up on the website at Hawkeye Report.
I know it led to a lot of speculation on the message board because that's what happens
on message boards.
But, you know, we've talked about Jazzy on Patterson.
Guy, he's done good things, but maybe an opportunity for him to go to a Sunbelt program,
go out there, have a good senior year or something like that.
That makes sense.
Do you anticipate more, will there be a surprise there?
And what about Omar Young and year number one?
Just hearing Bolton say, you know, just doesn't have the same kind of connection,
I think led to some of that speculation about Omar Young and your number one at the running back
spot.
Yeah.
And, you know, some of that is not really all that surprising because,
Those guys were recruited by Liddell Betts.
And Lodell Betts is a very different person than Omar Young.
And it might be very different.
You know, you're just, you got a different guy coaching him.
You probably don't have the same relationship with them.
You know, remember he came in late too.
It was more like February when they hired Omar.
It was, or maybe it was just right before spring ball started.
So it was this kind of a late situation.
So I think some of that's pretty normal.
that they would have some, I don't think they dislike Omar.
It's just they don't have that same connection with Omar.
And it's been pretty remarkable that Liddell had kept that room together,
given that there's, you know, only one or two guys are going to get a lot of carries.
And, you know, the year before with Caleb Johnson, it was Caleb Johnson,
and then maybe some scraps for some other guys every once in a while,
as it should have been with the season Caleb had.
Then you wondered if maybe some of these guys would just get frustrated, want to go somewhere else where they're going to be able to run the ball.
Maybe I just kind of feel like this is the time when, you know, Toronto, Washington seems like he's already out.
We haven't seen him here.
So I assume he's out the door.
And you mentioned Jasperison.
He seems likely a candidate to potentially leave to.
So there's probably some guys, but I don't.
since Camari's leaving. I know people
were worried, well, maybe Camari's leaving because
he's one, I don't get that. You're going to leave a starting job in the Big Ten?
I don't think so.
So we'll see what happens, but, you know,
I keep an eye on the portal. Maybe there's some guys
maybe that they would look at the fill in there. Maybe a guy that
might have been in Ames or something. You know, we'll see.
Interesting. Tom, I know that, you know, back
in the day, I think it was, I want to see, was it the Orange Bowl that Norm Parker was using
the Coke cups?
Yep.
Right.
The Orange Bowl.
Right.
So have you seen Phil Parker?
I'm not saying you had any props with him, but how was he preparing or getting his guys
ready for Diego Pavia?
That was interesting.
We talked to Phil the other day, just about preparing for Pavia, and he wasn't sharing a
whole lot.
He just kind of said, you know, we just, the big thing was Phil.
as always you just can't give up those explosive plays, those 25-yarders.
And that's, that's probably his wheelhouse.
That's what he does for a living.
I mean, he's a huge risk-taker.
He's a guy who's going to go out there and just try and make plays all the time.
And those last, like the last four games of the year,
and that's all he did was just go out there and just ball and make plays.
And average over 300 yards passing and running the football.
but the thing I wonder about with Pavia is
probably kind of gotten more concerned about being a celebrity than a football player
I could see that I mean we were
anger and I went to the WWE thing the other night
and he was he was in the ring there
you know getting involved with a match I mean it was
and of course you know Pat and I were booing him you know
we do you know so
it was fun but you know he was out of the UFC thing he's been out partying and all this
other stuff I just I wonder how much focus he's put on film study and everything else and
we'll see we're going to find out you mentioned maybe I was sniffing around the running back
spot fast forward to Friday and you look at it it's different there's only one portal window
so there's going to be even more guys that are going to be involved how much work has
Tyler Barnes and the rest of the staff, how much is done?
I mean, do you anticipate that we're going to get right away on that Friday, this Friday,
a handful of guys that are going to be committing to Iowa?
Is it going to be a longer process?
Take us in a little bit because it is different the way that the portal is going to look this season.
Yeah, it is because that, you know, I kind of had a little bit of a conversation with Tyler,
and he just said it's going to be a wild first five days of this portal.
And this is wild as it's ever going to be.
So I think you look for that, that it's just going to be just kind of a fever pitch.
But there's been conversations going on at every school with people who are in Tyler's position,
like the general manager or whatever they're calling it for their school, between those folks
and agents for players.
Those things are going up all time.
And it's been going on all the time for about a month.
and so there's some kind of quote unquote agreements probably that have been made with people
one thing I don't sense is going to happen as guys are going to take a lot of visits
I think guys are just going to have it's going to be like NFL free agents we're like
the bell rings and hey we're signing here we're signing here and you're going to get all
those graphics with I love my time here going into the portal kind of thing
you're going to get all those all those things happening it's going to be crazy for
probably about four or five days yeah fascinating times that we're navigating
navigating our way through when it comes to this so how do you what's the key to the game
tom once we get to wednesday morning uh i'm with you on pavvy i think that uh his mind is a
whole lot of places other than you know between the white lines we'll see he's a hell
of a player obviously um yeah but it doesn't seem like he's taking
This may be as seriously as some of the Hawkeyes are.
Keys of the game, what, Tom?
Containing Pavia and tackling.
As you guys know, I always have struggles tackling this year.
They just have.
They haven't tackled great at different points.
It got better midpoint, but I thought it kind of slacked off a little bit later in the year again.
So they've got to tackle well, and they've got to make some plays.
I look for Grinowski to, you know, the thing I completely,
back to with Grinowski, and I kind of brought it up to him the other day, was that he was the
Heisman of the FCS level, you know, and he's going to go up against the runner-up to the
Heisman.
I think Grinowski feels like he's probably got something to prove in this game.
Hey, I'm a running quarterback, too, and I also, you know, I won the FCS Heisman.
I'm a pretty good player, and I think he's probably got a little bit of a chip on his
shoulder coming into this game that maybe people should focus on him a little bit, too.
how's Kirk Ben this week going through another Outback Bowl you've been there for them all
Dolph's been there for them all and that's about it how's Kirk Ben any melancholy yet anything to
read in just kind of looking forward obviously for a guy the 70 years old so so yesterday it was over
and I taped a really good podcast I'd encourage people to listen to with dolphin pad over
went over to their hotel and just hung out for about about an hour and was walking out and I
look over in the bar area and there's kirk drinking a draft beer with tyler barnes and george
barnett so you know and waved over and waved at him they waved at me went over said hello and
i think he's having a fun time i think he's having a good time he's pretty relaxed uh but he's also
you know focused on winning i mean he takes these things seriously does that's the thing is
you know a lot of these places you know i don't know silly what's going on with some of the bowl
games with all these people out and out and everything.
I get the sense both these teams, for the most part.
I don't know about Pavia and, you know, the tight ends probably sitting out.
I mean, he hasn't practiced.
I mean, he's not playing.
But I think both these teams are pretty serious about playing in this game.
And that's what makes this game interesting, I think.
And the Big Ten's unbeaten.
One of the five and O, I think, since if you include the playoff win.
So off to a terrific start.
Good stuff.
Tom, when do you get home?
You'll be home on Friday to follow all the recruiting.
It's not the recruiting.
The portal being open and the transfer window wide open.
We'll be back Friday?
Yeah, yeah.
We're headed back the next morning.
Yeah, headed back 7.30 a.m. flight on New Year's Day.
So I've got to UCLA-I-I-W basketball game coming up, too.
Absolutely do.
Good stuff.
Tom, well, we'll impose on you again Friday.
Thanks for doing this.
Appreciate it, as always.
I report.com part of On3Media.
Thank you, Tom Kekert.
Thanks, guys.
Yep, everybody.
Good to hear from him.
Tom Kekert.
Thanks, as always to Tom for his time.
A lot of great information there, including a look ahead to the weekend and that
UCLA matchup.
I'm definitely going to be a big one on the hard one.
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Basketball on the hardwood
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We're going to talk about
Iowa's last non-conference game
on the men's side
and a dominating performance
once again from the Iowa women.
Neva Hayden
looking like an all-American.
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Lockdown Hawkeyes.
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your first listen every day.
As we wrap up, Iowa, UMass Lull, this afternoon,
their favor by 30-some points on the Fand will be a throttle.
One last time to see, though,
are we going to see a little bit more depth in the rotation?
Brandon Housen obviously has been a big part of our conversation.
That's what I'm going to be.
keeping an eye on. But I want to finish today with what we saw Sunday and a dominating
performance once again from the Iowa women as a throttle Penn State 9976 and really a
couple of big storylines that came out of this game. Number one, Emily Rodriguez was back on the
bench, though not playing, still dealing with the injury, the back injury that she has, still going
through that. We hadn't seen her even on the bench the last couple of games, a lot of speculation,
A lot of question marks that were there that Jan Jensen has answered about that.
But a possibility at the very least that maybe Emily Rodriguez is going to be a part of this team going forward.
The other part is the injury to Kylie Fairbott.
And that leads to Taylor Cremlow back in the starting lineup, who is very good.
She finishes with 14 points, knocked down a couple of three-pointers, four assists in the game.
Definitely saw her chit-chat right.
Once again, outstanding in her performance.
But one of the biggest takeaways was once again, Ava Hayden.
and her ability with her size to beat players down the floor.
You know, we know about Hannah Stolke, the speed that she plays with,
get up and down the floor,
the ability to beat post players up there and get easy layups.
And she had a solid game outside of the free throw line where she was 4 of 11,
but it's Ava Hayden.
Boy, just so efficient, so good,
the willingness to take the open jumper and then work,
footwork that she has in the post, just absolutely incredible out of her.
how Journey Houston continues to open eyes.
And how about Addie Deal?
You know, talking to the freshman, Addy Deal,
I know there were a lot of big time expectations for Addy Deal.
She was going to come in.
She was going to be the next Caitlin Clark.
Here comes his five-star.
Look, Caitlin Clark is a once-in-a-generation player.
And Addie Deal, I think some of the expectations that were placed on her were pretty unfair.
You can see the game starting to slow down for her.
That she's more confident.
She's just not taking the ball and trying to get to the rim every time.
she's letting the game come to her.
Addie deal is going to be important.
All these players, I think, are going to be incredibly important for what they are,
what they're going to be going forward.
But a good victory there for Iowa.
And now they got another big one on the horizon.
Up next, here comes Nebraska to town on the 1st of January.
That should be a tremendous one, Nebraska undefeated at 12 and 0 on the season.
They got some players, certainly you remember from the last couple of years there.
One o'clock tip off on January 1st with Iowa.
in Nebraska in women's hoops.
That should be an absolute barn burner.
Thanks for being with us.
We'll be back with you tomorrow.
We're going to preview the matchup of what to look for in the bowl game against
Vanderbilt and recap what we see in the men's basketball side and their matchup as
they face off against UMass Lowell in the final non-conference game and peek forward
to that big matchup over the weekend against UCLA.
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Getting ready for the bowl game, Iowa Vanderbilt.
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