Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - STUNNER: Iowa Hawkeyes SHOCK Penn State in THRILLING 25-24 Victory | Is Kirk Ferentz's Team a PLAYOFF Contender?

Starting point is 00:00:00 Somehow, some way the Iowa Hawkeyes got the victory. 25-24 over Penn State. 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, your team every day. And I'm Trent Condon, and this is the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for making Lockdown Hawkeyes

Starting point is 00:00:31 your first listen every day. I've been covering the Hawkeyes for over 20 years. I was there with you at Kidding Stadium and you might be telling it by the voice here as we come to you late after the victory by the Hawkeyes. Still battling and going to be battling through this one. But boy, what a fun, fun night that it was as Iowa gets it done 25, 24.

Starting point is 00:00:51 Today's episode of Lockdown Hawkeyes is brought to you by Fandul. Right now new customers can bet just $5. And if your bet wins, you'll get $300. in bonus bets to use across the app, download the app today. Well, of course, we are talking about all the factors in the Iowa victory, what it means for Iowa going forward and what is still out there for this Iowa football team. The play of Mark Ornowski, absolutely incredible running the football in the fashion. We haven't seen from a quarterback in a really long time.

Starting point is 00:01:21 We'll talk about those numbers as well. Iowa finding a way to win as we go through a bunch of different angles to this one. Let's start with the positivity And there are negatives There's some frustrating aspects And we'll certainly talk about those But I mentioned this a few weeks back And the Fellowship of the Miserable

Starting point is 00:01:38 That is out there That cannot take a fun night at Kinnick Stadium You cannot take a victory from your team Against a frustrating Penn State team That has four losses now Yet still an incredibly talented team We're not going to sit here and go through And paint some negative pitcher

Starting point is 00:01:57 That's not what I'm going to do. Look, I think anybody, and you everydayers, you certainly know this. I'll call a spade of spade. If I would needs to be called out, if there's things that are happening that are just deplorable, then we're, yes, we're going to talk about those. But if your takeaway from this one is Kirk sucks, this coaching staff doesn't have it. Now, who cares? This probably isn't going to be the program for you.

Starting point is 00:02:23 The negativity, there's people that will live in that world. And when it's there, I will call it. But this one, to do that, to be in Kiddick Stadium, to be able to experience what we saw on Saturday night is what makes being a Hawkeye fan great. And what makes cheering this program on, this university, and having something that we can point to. Because Iowa going to win a national championship in our lifetimes?

Starting point is 00:02:52 Probably not. And people will point to, look at what Indiana is doing. That's a once in a lifetime situation. There's a losing his program and power conference history that is doing this. The likelihood of that happening, of catching lightning in a bottle in a place like Iowa is incredibly low. I also remember how they did that. He also spent big time in the portal to make it happen. Mendoza didn't come cheap.

Starting point is 00:03:17 Iowa went out and spent and got a quarterback and we start there. Mark Grinowski. And a day where he gets intercepted early, often deflected a ball. after a performance where you can see he's still just not comfortable going down the field and really going through his progressions. And we'll go back and we'll rewatch the game and we'll have that for you here early in the week. But when you watch this the second time, one of the things that I'm going to be looking for is to see go through those passes again

Starting point is 00:03:48 and see how deep into his progressions is he getting. Because you go back to last week and he made the return against Wisconsin. and they didn't have to do much in that game. But I thought you saw a guy that was going through a quick. That worked out incredibly well here because there were times that the runs were certainly there. And had to play late in the first half. We'll get to that a little bit later on.

Starting point is 00:04:10 Of course, the decision by Kirk Ferrence with the field goal attempt, all the different aspects that go into it. But back to Grinowski, the toughness that he displays with what looks to be a pretty significant injury. Kirk mentioned after the game. He's still not 100%. This is still a guy that is battling. But he's battling to stay on the field. He's not going to take his ball and go home.

Starting point is 00:04:35 He's not going to whine and weep and throw out asinine Instagram posts like the previous quarterback. It's not who he is. It's not how he's wired. And it's good that we have him on our side. These are the kind of people that you go to war for. These are the kind of people that you fight for. This is how you grind out victory.

Starting point is 00:04:54 that for a long time in the first half, you look like the better team. And then for a stretch, you didn't. And you're down 21-10. And it feels like hope is lost. But I'll tell you, inside the stadium, that was not the feeling. There were still that special aspect

Starting point is 00:05:10 of Kinnick Stadium. And what makes Kinnick Stadium amazing. To be able to go through these and relive it and see it time and time again, what I was able to do And do it because of you, the fans. We heard Trace McSorley, as they were talking about that in the broadcast, watching the replay and saw that quote on social media.

Starting point is 00:05:38 He called it the, what, most difficult, loudest, that's what it was, loudest stadium that he had played in, both college and pro. That says a lot. Played in some big games, played in some big games at Kinnick Stadium. And for him to say that, Says a lot. All right. Grinowski, let's take a look at the numbers. And he finishes with 130 yards passing in the football game,

Starting point is 00:06:03 just eye-opening performance out of him. 130 yards out of your quarterback. The Iowa quarterback is doing that. So here's the numbers. Grinowski, not cares, 130 yards, the two touchdowns, had the quarterback sneak, had the four-yard around another keeper, and, of course, salting the game away. The play that set up the touchdown by Caden Weechin.

Starting point is 00:06:27 The play where it was designed, zone read to go outside. Instead, he cuts it in, makes a guy miss, and then is off to the races, and can't win that race right now with that knee. Still, set that up. I mean, just completely change the trajectory. I wonder, how is Iowa going to go 75 yards with the limited passing game that they have? How are they going to do this? You rip off a 67 yard.

Starting point is 00:06:53 order. That's going to help. And it did. And then the final play before the kneel down. You need a first down. It's third and six. What do we all think's going to happen? Every single one of us. We're in the middle of the line, put it back with a little time left on the clock, and then hope to hold on for dear life. Instead, he gets it. Tucks it. A beautiful fake, by the way. I mean, those little things when you look at Iowa football and you talk to anybody that's been to a practice anybody that's been involved former players they'll tell you it gets tedious

Starting point is 00:07:35 it's monotonous you're doing the same things over and over and over again and that's why you see the hand placement of the defense alignment you see the offensive line they're just they're so well trained and well schooled to do all these different things and while that's happening you have the other component in a situation like that where you're going to play out that fake,

Starting point is 00:07:57 yes, you need to have your hands right. You need to play out that fake correctly in order to get everybody suck in. They do it. Garnaski darts up the left side. First down, ball game, Iowa wins. I was 5 and 2. And we know.

Starting point is 00:08:16 I think we all know, right? What this could have been. We'll talk big picture a little bit later on. and get into that. But we've got to start here at the top here with Mark Grodowski. Let's talk a little bit deeper about the game. We're going to go through a little bit. Got to talk about the defense as well.

Starting point is 00:08:31 What an outstanding performance. Special teams with some questions and Kirk Farrant's with some questionable choices. We'll talk about it all as we continue reacting to the I will win over Penn State 2524. This is Locked on Hawkeyes. The NFL season is here and Fandul has an offer. want to miss right now new customers can bet just five dollars and get 300 in bonus bets if you win that's right pick a bet put down five bucks if it hits you'll unlock three hundred dollars in bonus bets to use across the app vandal app so much fun to use a lot of different things that

Starting point is 00:09:09 you can get involved in maybe it's the same game parley maybe you're just round robin and a bunch of bets seeing if you can come up with something big they got you covered there and their player prop menu as as deep as you are going to find out there so many different things and not just before the game, they have live lines out there as well for those player props that you can jump into like I do on the Fanduil app. Whether you're a casual fan or love diving deep into the stats, Fandual makes the game day experience so much better. What are you waiting for? Visit Fandual.com to download the Fandual app today and get started. That's Fandual.com. Today's episode is also brought to you by Quo.

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Starting point is 00:11:35 Helps us get in front of more Hawkeye fans, podcast side, five-star reviews, all of that. A big thank you. And, of course, you every dayers, as we are your every day. Iowa football podcast, your daily Iowa Hawkeye podcast right here on the Lockdown Network and couldn't do it with our everyday listeners, our everydayers here on Locked On. We continue as we look back at the 25-24 win over Penn State. I'm back into the game. I mentioned early, the early interception by Grunowski off the deflected ball.

Starting point is 00:12:06 Iowa, how about Xavier Wampa? In fact, let's go there. This defense was on the field of a ton. And yet with all that. Iowa was on the field. I think it was 74 plays is what they ended up giving up. 74 plays is what Penn State ran in this game. They're out there, over 36 minutes of time and possession.

Starting point is 00:12:26 Yet with all that, Penn State, yes, with a new quarterback, I get it. Still, you hold this team overall 74 plays to 3.6 yards per play. It's incredible. Iowa, by the way, on the other hand, in the yards per play statistic, they came in at 6.4, it's a healthy number, and certainly a healthy number when your passing game isn't very good. Penn State had a little success. They were able to run the football a little bit. Grunkbeyer had that one good drive that they marched down the field in the second quarter.

Starting point is 00:13:00 Really, that was the biggest one that he was able to put together. But back to Wampa. And it wasn't just that he had an interception, got that off the ball that bounced up in the air, turned it down inside the one-yard line. and it says if I would take the lead. But the physicality that he's played with, and that has stepped up in a big time way really throughout the season. This wasn't a one-off. Arguably, I think maybe definitively,

Starting point is 00:13:26 this was Xavier Wampa's best game in a Hawkeye uniform. But this has been trending this direction. We're seeing a guy that is doing more, that's been able to do more, certainly in the course of this season, on the back end of this defense and the physicality. wrapping up, finishing plays, and we've seen a lot of that this year. And it all culminated tonight with his best one.

Starting point is 00:13:50 Also had a force fumble in the game, a big tip of the ball cap, Xavier Wampa, and what he was able to do. Zach Lutmer, he was running around making plays, really like what we see out of him, his versatility now. We talked about him playing cornerback last week against Wisconsin. And speaking of that, when they did that, that meant that Deshaun Lee was not on the field. and it's very easy for a guy that has been in and out of the lineup for a guy that has been there as a starter,

Starting point is 00:14:17 that a reserve, that a nickelback, and just a bunch of different things, right? For her, him to pout, bitch, moan, complain, whatever phrase you want to use. And he did. And Kirk mentioned that also in the post game. And I think that's important. And again, that shows you the DNA of this program.

Starting point is 00:14:38 It shows you those things that don't show up when you're watching the football game. But guys stay engaged. And guys don't do that. And instilling those kind of qualities in a football program, one of the great strengths of Kurt Farrants. There's weaknesses. Don't worry, we'll get to some of those here a little bit later on. But I want to give a shout out to Deshaun Lee.

Starting point is 00:15:03 Had the interception. Also, late in the game, who was on coverage on that final pass? from Penn State before Grinowski had the keeper that salted it away. It was Deshaun Lee that was there on that one. I thought Montgomery again was solid at minimum. Feels like he's been an upgrade. Jade Harrell did get out there a little bit as he returns from injury, but does it have the feeling to you that this is going to be Jade Montgomery's job in the middle?

Starting point is 00:15:29 Carson Shire, he was flying around making plays. Entering her, again, he was outstanding. And a game where the defensive line was a little bit quiet. I thought the back seven certainly stepped up in a big-time way, and we saw a lot of good things out of them. Something's off with special teams again. Something is wrong in the kicking department, and this has nothing to do with the 66-yard attempt to end the first half.

Starting point is 00:15:56 Look, the left side of the line got blown up. That's why that happened. Yes, there's going to be a lower trajectory. And I'll be honest at the time, I didn't have a problem with it. and yes you can look at it revisionist history and say oh what a dumb decision but at the time here's the other part

Starting point is 00:16:14 and I've heard a lot of this because before the whistle came Drew Stevens took a kick and he didn't get there I mean it's short got about halfway in and that's where my seats are

Starting point is 00:16:28 and so saw Drew Stevens did not have full effort though on that kick I mean that was not him give it in his all And you're, yeah, you're definitely on the reaches of things. I mean, he's got to hit one basically perfect to kick at a 66-yarder. He's not Brandon Offrey of the Cowboys. That's not who he is.

Starting point is 00:16:46 He's got a strong leg, but that guy is one of one. Regardless. So I don't think anybody should use that as definitive proof that it shouldn't have happened. The decision in general, I know people go back to Iowa State game last year and would rather see that than arm punt that we got from me. McNamara still I didn't hate it at the moment I think there was an opportunity there still might be for a long one just maybe not 66 yards back though to Drew Stevens and another miss field goal outside of that just pushed a little bit right um look like everything was good

Starting point is 00:17:26 and we talked about the Indiana game the laces were in laces were not out on that one they were in to the kicker but it's hard because we know it's not a talent thing for Drew Stevens but I mentioned this at the beginning of year when we saw his first miss kick and just because of how poorly it went at the end of the year two years ago I think we're all just a little bit concerned here you're more nervous than you would be with a guy with this kind of talent with a guy that is there now with Nick Catings and career field goals in University of Iowa program history

Starting point is 00:18:04 a guy that we know has the leg certainly has the ability and you just go back to is it something happening between the head and is it the long snap is it whatever it is something just looks off with him and got to give credit though to Reese Dakin Dakin only had two punts

Starting point is 00:18:25 and yes one of them went into the end zone for a touchback but still he had a couple of bombs just absolute missiles and this was the Reese Dakin I thought we we're going to see throughout the course of the year. For a long time last season, I thought he was a bit of a disappointment, but he came on in the back half of the year. And I know we have pretty high standards for our putters here at Iowa, but Dakin,

Starting point is 00:18:49 really, really good on that one. It needed that. You needed to see that growth out of him in the second year as the starter because he's got another one in front of him and hopefully two more after two more. And then you're good to go and you'll figure out who the next punter is going to be. what else special teams uh we did another big return he's just he's so special um getting him involved a couple of different ways getting him some different looks you have to do it you know looking for playmakers and you're going to have to scheme some things up tim lester i definitely

Starting point is 00:19:21 was able to do that you know the touchdown that he had on the jet sweep i i don't think he gets in if he's not grabbed by the defender there because that defender almost spat him back in it didn't look like he was going to get the edge. It did look like he was going to get the edge and had the ability to turn it back up. That thing was going to be stretched out and probably bumped out of bounds. Instead, the defender just got a small piece of him, hooked him, and that little hook, I think, turned him back inside, was able to get him into the end zone after the Grinowski, a big time run. Keep going. Van der Zee, got to see him out there. There were a couple of times later in the game. Where's Van der Zee? Get him out there more. I know

Starting point is 00:20:00 he's getting back from injury. I want him out there basically every snap. But Um, had that good catch. It was short of the first down, but that good catch in the first half of the game where he came diving in, got taken off his course, rerouted it and was able to make a dive and grab about a yard shy of the first down. Speaking of short of the first down, yes, uh, short of the first down late in the first half. Also, before I got the interception with Grinowski, something you got to know. It's, it's where the ball is when you start your slide. it's not where your feet are it's not where you end up a quarterback and you're giving yourself up it's back there and he was short i don't know if he was a full yard short but he was definitely short i thought of the first down again another thing we'll rewatch and get a recap of a deeper dive into everything after this one gets done as you could hear voices struggling kennick was great kennick was loud another one of those fun environments so happy to be there so we continue to persevere and make our way to through this. Let's see. What else did I have

Starting point is 00:21:05 in my notes for the game? I got a couple more before. Sean Lee talked about him. Oh, yeah. I talked about Kirk Farrantz and the press conference, the emotional Kirk that was there. I didn't like the way at the end of the first half was going. Just clock situations, it's

Starting point is 00:21:22 not one of Kirk Farrants of strings. And those are things that at times leave you head scratching, but you got the win. Oh, here's the other thing. I had the notes. Iowa, and yes, if you were sitting around me, you heard me probably yelling. Run the ball! I said run the ball a lot.

Starting point is 00:21:40 Run the ball, run the ball, run the ball, because it's really all that they could do. But you have two different two-point conversions. And I thought that Kirk went forward too early. There was 19 minutes and 19 seconds left in the game when he went for the first one, 21-16, and that one failed. And then again, after you take the 25-24 lead, you can still run the ball on a two-point conversion. The way this team is built, guess what you should do?

Starting point is 00:22:08 Probably run the football. At least maybe have more of an RPA look. I think that would probably make more sense, but what they're doing, and this dates back to the offensive coordinator before Tim Lester, those two-point plays, whoop, there's some ugly ones, ugly ones, as we go through that. So our final question for here. and this is a big one is what's still out there for this Iowa football team

Starting point is 00:22:35 playing for the pig this week my favorite rivalry game against Minnesota I'll talk about that this week then you get a buy week before the gauntlet of November you take on Oregon and yeah Oregon dominated Rutgers still that Oregon team kind of coming to Kinnock in November maybe with an early kickoff it's care? I don't think he should be. With the physicality that this Iowa team's playing at right now, yeah, they got speed. Yeah, they got some dudes. I was played teams like that. Of course, the road trip after that to USC. And even as USC

Starting point is 00:23:18 lost tonight to Notre Dame, there's a rainstorm. My team's got athletes and we know Iowa's struggles when they go to the west coast. After that, it's Michigan State. All right, you would Assume at home, that's going to be certainly the easiest one. Then you go to Nebraska, come down to a field goal, and Iowa will win. And Nebraska media and fans will be befuddled, but they kind of are always that way. That's what's left. And when you start thinking big, we'll do that when we come back.

Starting point is 00:23:51 Think of big for this Iowa football team. What is still out there for the Hawkeyes as we continue, lockdown Hawkeyes? Let's be honest, most of us can't even name all of our financial accounts, let alone what they're worth between 401K, savings and investments. It's easy to lose track, and that can mean leaving money on the table. That's why I started using Monarch, an all-in-one personal finance tool that brings your entire financial life together in one clean, easy-to-use interface on your laptop or your phone. Help me organize all my accounts, track my spending, and get a better handle on my investment.

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Starting point is 00:25:28 As always, thanks for being with this. hit that subscribe button if you're watching on YouTube or a five-star review would greatly help us on the podcast side. All right. Rapping it up,

Starting point is 00:25:37 what's still out there. Well, I mention the schedule. This is a schedule that isn't easy. But it's not impossible. That's the way this team is playing. And yes, you can point and say, oh, man,

Starting point is 00:25:51 this team should be six and one. This team could be seven and no. And yeah, and I think that's going to linger for us for a while. And certainly if Iowa takes care of business this week against Minnesota, I think that's going to be another one that will be there still.

Starting point is 00:26:05 Their backs are against the wall. But very simply, let's start with this. Iowa runs the table. Iowa finishes the season 10 and 2. They're in the college football playoff. There is not one realistic scenario out there that I can envision.

Starting point is 00:26:23 That Iowa doesn't get into the bracket at 12, 10, and 2. Yeah, the Iowa State law. Losses looking worse and worse. They've got a big game themselves this week coming up next week against BYU. That aside. That loss without your quarterback in the fourth quarter against Indiana, where your screen pass away from setting up a ship shot to win it.

Starting point is 00:26:45 Again, different conversation. And some of the other metrics that are out there. I'll be interested to see Sunday win the release of Bill Connolly's rankings. We talked about that last week, Iowa was 25th, how much higher maybe they go in his numbers this week. I don't think they're probably going to be ranked in the AP poll or the coaches poll, anything like that when they come out both Sunday. But you look at this team, they're building. Now, Kirk said before the season, he liked the team. He had a lot of questions, but he really liked this group, and that's starting to build.

Starting point is 00:27:19 And he looked at November under Kirk Ferrence recently, and what a great job this program is. Big opportunities. The kind of wins they put on the resume would put them there. But that is a long ways to go. And it's got to open up this week. And it's got to start or continue whatever your vantage point is against Phil Fleck and the Minnesota gophers. Rush off a win against Nebraska. They rush to the field.

Starting point is 00:27:43 They're fired up. Fleck, he's got to be at the forefront of everything. And the dude just bothers me, as you'll hear a lot this week. But this is a real football team. This is a football team that is built at a very similar fashion of Iowa. and it's going to be a bare knuckle brawl. It's going to be pushing and fighting for every inch of this one. Very well could come down to one big play, one big moment.

Starting point is 00:28:08 And it canic, you feel pretty good. That moment's going to go Iowa's way. We'll break it down as only we do each and every day here on the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast. It's hate week for this guy from North Iowa, Iowa, Minnesota, my favorite rivalry game. Iowa gets it done 25, 24 over Penn State. thanks for being with this and making lockdown hawkeyes your first list of every day i need some water i need some rest we'll talk to you again tomorrow on the lockdown hawkeyes podcast go hawks

Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - STUNNER: Iowa Hawkeyes SHOCK Penn State in THRILLING 25-24 Victory | Is Kirk Ferentz's Team a PLAYOFF Contender?

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