Across the country, phones are lighting up the same way. Each notification signals a new era: the NCAA’s revenue-sharing model, which allows 319 Division I schools to pay athletes up to $20.5 million directly. That’s a theoretical $6.5 billion in year one. The cash flow is real. And visible. Florida’s football parking lots gleam with Dodge Chargers and Challengers. Michigan’s star quarterback, Bryce Underwood, can be seen flashing his diamond pendants on Saturdays. Money is moving fast, and mostly into the hands of 18-to-22 year-olds. Few will say where their checks go. But it’s not hard to guess. Let your imagination run wild. 

This Galleria mall in Houston, Texas is huge. Three million square feet. Three floors. More than 400 stores, two Westin hotels, a skating rink, and a private health club. It’s tied for second largest mall in the United States. The pure white porcelain floors feel fancy to even look at. On level one, outside the Louis Vuitton store, Brian Allen is window shopping. The Iowa football defensive end is repping black crocs, a black and red Chicago Bulls shirt and gray Iowa sweatshorts. Janelle and Ephraim Lee, his siblings, stand beside him. Ephraim played football at Penn. Janelle, basketball at Holy Cross. Both competed before the era of revenue sharing. Brian is the lucky one. And he’s treating them to a shopping spree.

“Since we’re all grown now we’re not in the same house that often,” Allen said. “I wanted to do something nice for them.”

They meander beneath the towering glass balconies, scents of high-end fragrances seeping from luxury perfume stores. At LIDS, a baseball cap store, Brian purchases a tan Los Angeles hat with a black brim for his sister. $50. He snags a Kill Bill t-shirt for his brother from Prestige. $70. When it’s time to shop for himself, his eyes lock onto a denim jacket from Dior. He flips the tag over, revealing the price. $8,000. 

“I had never been inside these boujee stores before,” Allen said, chuckling. “But I quickly put that back on the shelf.”

On the same level of the mall, Allen strolls into Balenciaga, the sunset orange floor contrasting the black shirt he spots. Printed on the center is a “B” logo, crowned by orange and gold flames. The same flames are stamped on each sleeve. 

“Only a couple hundred,” he said.

Every year, the game of college athletics shifts closer to a business. Christian Lorenzo, a defensive lineman at Illinois State, knows this better than most. He’s transferred twice, first from Illinois, then Georgia State. He’s been chasing the best fit. And the best offer. Now, he uses his revenue sharing checks to help his little sister, Natallia, pay for her cancer treatments. 

That kind of movement doesn’t surprise Kyle Strongin, a certified NFL and collegiate sports agent.

“Somebody’s always gonna pay more for you somewhere else,” Strongin said. “It’s like unrestricted free agency.”

Strongin, an agent for Brian Allen’s teammate and Iowa safety Xavier Nwankpa, is also managing more than $80 million in NFL contracts for 15 players this year. Many of these athletes he’s been with since college. Before NIL and revenue sharing, Strongin’s job with these athletes was much different. Getting paid to play was a distant dream. Now, in a changing world, naivety takes precedent. 

“Their first experience with taxes is always a shock,” Strongin said. “Whatever you think you’re going to get, you get 50% of that.”

“Uncle Sam takes a lot of your money.”

It’s not just agents and players who have to adapt to this new system. Brennan White, the assistant athletic director and general manager of NIL at Illinois State, is constantly attempting to stay afloat. A mid-major like ISU, White says, was set up to fail from the start. And while he tries to work as seamlessly as possible with players like Lorenzo, it’s tough to keep them around.

“It’s all one big game of blind poker,” White said. “We have to guess what they’re being offered to leave, which is way more than we can ever afford.”

And he’s right. Larger schools can hit the $20.5 million threshold set by the settlement, while the Redbirds can’t come close, according to athletic director Jeri Beggs. The financial gap shapes recruiting, retention, and even daily operations. White feels the pressure.

“I can’t get athletes to respond unless I have checks,” White said. “We were destined to fail from the start.”

Others were destined to succeed. Or, at least, neglect the food chain beneath them.

Brandon Hansen doesn’t fish. He doesn’t even really play video games that much. But he has no problem shelling out cash to partake. With the help of his new funds, Hansen has dropped a whopping $900 on fishing rods and lures. He’s drained another $1,200 on PC equipment. A teammate of Tuerk’s at Illinois, Hansen has fallen into the temptation trap of revenue sharing freedom. 

“He’s kind of a habitual spender,” Tuerk said. “He’ll just go out and get anything.” 

This summer, with the rise of pickleball, Hansen decided to have some fun on the paddle market. You know, as one does.

“He got the most expensive paddle out there,” Tuerk added. “He just buys shit like that.”

But not every program takes such a laissez-faire approach. At Iowa, head football coach Kirk Ferentz is wary of certain spending habits. And there’s one he despises most: food delivery. 

The concern isn’t the meals themselves but how the money flows. Hawkeyes use Black Card, an app-based platform that allows student-athletes to purchase meals and groceries at local restaurants. Delivery services like Doordash aren’t included.

“He always tells us not to use it,” Iowa receiver Dayton Howard said. “He’ll say, ‘it’s three bucks to a dollar.’”

If you’ve ever Doordashed before, you’d know he’s right. Ferentz doesn’t oppose all the benefits of the new system, though. At Iowa’s media day on August 26, the coach often criticized for his stubbornness to change seemed just fine with the new rules. 

“I think that’s really so deserved,” he said. “The world has changed, I think it’s great that money is going back to athletes.”

When the money is used right, of course. Many who do follow his frugal advice reap the benefits. Last year, former Hawkeye linebacker Nick Jackson put all of his NIL money into VOO, an S&P 500 mutual fund. Where the average high-yield savings account earns 4–5% annually, VOO has returned 14% since 2010. 

His lake house has to have jetskis. A big deck. Maybe a boat. Definitely a slide. And a diving board. When he’s ready. When he’s skinnier. That’s what Iowa football’s starting center Logan Jones would buy if he had “throwaway” money. For now, he’s putting his hard-earned revenue shares toward something more meaningful: supporting local missionaries at the Newman Catholic Student Center in Iowa City.

“We’ve really been able to help people,” Jones said. “It’s been super gratifying to see them get closer to God.” 

He’s done more than lend a hand. Every dollar Jones contributes helps missionaries spend time with students, attend conferences, and build relationships that go beyond the football field. Father Jeff Belger, who works closely with the team, sees a greater purpose in Jones’ giving. 

“Sooner or later, these players will need an identity that sticks with them,” Belger said. “I think this brings balance and a bigger picture to something that can be consuming.”

For Jones, that “something” is money. It has swallowed young minds. He’s trying to avoid that. And for a player who wasn’t even baptized last year, his mission and commitment with Newman keeps him grounded. Faith funding now. Lineman cannonballs later.

The finger of Eddie Tuerk presses into his car’s push-to-start button. His infotainment system flickers to life. The odometer reads 94,000 miles. Outside the football complex, leaves tumble across asphalt, stirred by the Autumn breeze. He leans back against the leather seats, hands on the wheel once again. This season, he’s carved out a role on special teams, inching closer to something that finally feels earned.

“There’s a lot of guys who deserve money but don’t have the recognition,” Tuerk said. “Revenue sharing evens it out. We’re all putting in a shit ton of work.”

Every dollar in their pockets carries the sweat of unseen hours. And whether that spending goes to faith, fun, fashion, or foolishness; each choice tells a story. They’re no longer just playing the game. Now, they own a piece of it.

The post Cash in Hand  appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Iowa amassed a 17-0 lead early in the first quarter. A muffed punt and fumble recovery gave Iowa two quick opportunities to score. A seven-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Smith and a 15-yard rushing touchdown by Tyler Goodson got the Hawkeyes out in front early.

From the second quarter on, Northwestern controlled the game. Northwestern scored two touchdowns in the second quarter. Iowa made one field goal, but with time expiring in the first half, Caleb Shudack missed a 52-yard field goal attempt as the ball hit the upright.

Northwestern would go on to score halfway through the third quarter and take a 21-20 lead. Neither team scored for the rest of the game.

 Turnovers continued to be a problem for the Hawkeyes. Instead of fumbles, interceptions plagued the Hawkeyes. Spencer Petras threw three interceptions, all in the second half. Two of those interceptions halted drives in Purdue territory. The third interception sealed the victory for Northwestern within the last minute of the game. Petras seemed to struggle in the second half of the game after getting off to a hot start in the first quarter.  

“These games are really close, but we just need better execution,” said Petras. Petras finished with a line of 26 completions on 50 attempts for 216 yards and one touchdown and three interceptions.

While Iowa as a team struggled, junior defensive tackle Daviyon Nixon cemented himself as a playmaker on the Hawkeye defensive line. Nixon finished the game with one forced fumble, one-and-a-half sacks, three tackles for losses, and 11 total tackles. Nixon encouraged his teammates throughout the entire game.

“We got to finish. It’s a family thing and if we all come out there together, on the sideline, we got to stay together as a unit and stay together as a team and finish. I need everyone participating. I need everyone hyped up… We came out there for a reason and that’s to get the job done,” said Nixon.

Iowa seemed to give up on their run game late into the game. They rushed the ball 23 times throughout the game and passed the ball 51 times. Head coach Kirk Ferentz said that Iowa did not run the ball effectively.

“Historically, if you look at those numbers it means the outcome wasn’t good… That’s something we are going to want to address because we don’t want to play that way. I’ll go on record saying that we don’t want to play that way, we’re looking for a lot more balance,” said Ferentz. 

In a normal season fans would expect to pack Kinnick Stadium on the home-opener. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, fans were not permitted to attend the game. Only family of players from Iowa and Northwestern could attend. The official attendance of the game was 1432.

“It was a little weird feeling, but that doesn’t matter. We got to go out there and play the game. Fans help. They help a lot with their energy, but we don’t have that right now, so we got to play off our own energy,” said senior wide-receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette.

Starting the season 0-2 was not what many had expected at the start. This loss leaves Iowa as a long shot in the Big 10 West race. This is only the second time the Hawkeyes have started a season 0-2 with Kirk Ferentz as head coach.

The Hawkeyes look to get their first win of the season at home against Michigan State on November 7. Iowa will have one less day to prepare as the team will not have practice on November 3, the day of the upcoming election. Michigan State is fresh off an upset win over in-state rival Michigan. The game starts at 11:00 AM.

The post Hawks lose home-opener to Northwestern, fall to 0-2 to start season appeared first on KRUI Radio.

They fought valiantly in their Big Ten opener, but unfortunately they fell short to Wisconsin (3-1, 1-0 in Big Ten) 28-17.

Ultimately, it was two big special team blunders and a long Badger drive that cost Iowa (3-1, 0-1 in Big Ten).

Both were fumbles, the first one was knocked out of Kyle Groeneweg’s hands the second came courtesy of Shaun Beyer’s foot inadvertently grazing the ball before being recovered by the Badgers.

It was the latter one that stung the most for the Hawkeyes as it set the Wisconsin offense up in the red zone and they capitalized with a touchdown.

“We made some critical errors,” coach Kirk Ferentz said. “If you’re going to win in the Big Ten you’ve got to play cleaner football than what we did tonight.”

The game started in the typical rough-and-tumble play that is to be expected when these two teams meet.

Both teams scored touchdowns in the second quarter, Wisconsin on a 6-yard pass and Iowa on a 20-yard pass from Nate Stanley to Noah Fant to make it a 7-7 tie going into half time.

It was Iowa who came out strong to start the second half, kicking a field goal on their first drive, then after Wisconsin put up 7, the offense rallied again once again on a Stanley to Fant connection that made it 17-14 heading into the fourth.

All game long the Hawkeye offense seemed to be grooving to the tune of the Kinnick faithful.

Stanley put up 256 yards with two touchdowns and only one pick, Ivory Kelly-Martin returned after missing the previous two games with 79 yards on 14 attempts, and T. J. Hockenson had a big night catching three passes for 125 yards.

But the grooving stopped I the fourth.

The same Iowa offense that had put up 332 yard in the first three quarters, managed just 72 in the fourth, 27 of those yards came on a meaningless last-second play.

Perhaps the most disappointing blunder for the Hawkeye offense came on their first drive of the fourth quarter, when Stanley missed a wide open  Hockenson on first down.

“I just missed that throw,” Stanley said. “I think that would’ve set the tone for a good drive because he would’ve caught it a ran for a while. That’s definitely one I want back.”

Instead of the drive starting out with a big gain, the Hawkeyes were forced into second and long, then a three-and-out.

That made way for the Badgers to do their damage, and they did just that.

With 5:40 to go Wisconsin got the ball on their own 12 and put together a steady drive which took them all the way down the field and ended with a 17-yard pass from Alex Hornibrook to A. J. Taylor to put Wisconsin up 21-17 with 57 seconds to go.

A Stanley interception and 33-yard touchdown run by Alec Ingold officially sealed Iowa’s fate.

“It hurts,” Safety Jake Gervase said of the loss. “When you play as hard as you can for sixty minutes it hurts. We got to play better. Credit to Wisconsin they played better tonight in all three phases.”

As always, Ferentz will allow the players 24-hours to get over this game and then its on to the next.

Iowa has a bye week next weekend, but they will travel to Minnesota on the 6th of October at TCF Bank Stadium.

The post Kinnick Magic A No Show Vs Wisconsin appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Besides the point of the insanity of this game, if there is a play that needs to be analyzed the most in the winning one.

For those who haven’t seen the play, this will be crucial in seeing the field and following along with me.

https://youtu.be/xskiXon53kY?t=5m13s

First things first, let’s give some background knowledge of the spot Alabama is in. Freshman QB Tua Tagovailoa (for the sake of the readers and my typing let’s just call him Tua) just took a huge sack instead of throwing the ball down to his check down man for an easy gain. The mistake from Tua put Alabama in a 2nd down and 26 yards to go on the 41. Alabama needs to get back yards and hopefully get close enough to get a shot at the first down. Because of this offensive coordinator Brian Daboll calls for a play to do exactly this. The play is Gun Y Trips Weak Seattle

Okay okay, I don’t expect everyone to know exactly what this means so I’ll explain it to you. Gun is the basic formation, Gun is just a short way of saying Shotgun, which I hope people know what that means. Y Trips Weak is the formations package basically telling the players what way to lineup for the play. The Y in the package stands for the Y receiver, which in this case is the tight end position, so the package is calling for Trips on the strong side of the field with the Y receiver. For anyone who doesn’t know what the strong side of the field is, it is the side where Alabama has their tight end lineup. For this case, Alabama has tight end Irv Smith Jr on the right side of the field. That sets the right half of their formation as the strong side of the field, with the left side being the weak side of the field. The weak part of the call is telling the halfback where to lineup next to the QB. So, obviously halfback Najee Harris lineups on the weak side of the field next to Tua. Lastly, Seattle is the concept of the play, for this it’s the passing concept that Alabama wants run for their play. For Madden nerds including myself, Seattle is most otherwise known as Four Verticals.

Alright, now lets flip sides to the other side of the ball, and focus on Georgia plan for this play. Georgia since they’re riding high on a huge sack to drag Alabama down to their 41 in a 2nd and 26 position. Georgia runs a basic 3-4 defense, nothing too complex as head coach of the Bulldogs, Kirby Smart, has a mentality of just outplaying other teams with speed and athleticism. This is evident in the majority of their season where they love to run twists and blitz meanwhile having their secondary hold and cover the receivers 5-10 yards off the line, and hopefully long enough for their defensive line to get to the quarterback, basically not allowing short passes and betting on their pass rush to have an effect before long pass concepts can develop. This is very similar to the recently well spotlighted Jaguars defense, where they run this concept to perfection. Another example of this is the play right before the one we’re featuring. They run a basic 3-4 against Bama and although Tua on this play has number one receiver Calvin Ridley open on a deep comeback 15 yards downfield, Georgia gets to Tua and forces him to beat them in the breakdown of the pocket which causes him to never see Ridley and take the sack.

After this, they line up in the same sequence of Cover 2 Man in the 3-4 Eagle package. This means that Georgia will be in the 3-4 Eagle formation, this is telling the players where to lineup. In a basic 3-4 lineup there will be 3 defensive tackles, the one of in the middle is considered as the nose guard, with 4 linebackers. For the linebackers, there are 4 different positions for each backer but were just gonna focus the outer two as the middle two aren’t important to the play. The one that will sit on the strong side no matter what is called the Sam backer, he is the fast guy who is strong as pass rushing but can be expected to cover the Tight end or in this case the slot receiver. The guy on the weak side is called the Will backer, he will always sit on the weak side of the field. The Will is usually known for also being fast but being more reliable on sealing the edge preventing cutbacks and reverses. Also, he won’t have to rely on pass coverage very much so he’ll most likely be better suited for rushing the Quarterback.  The Eagle part of the call tells where for the linemen and linebackers to lineup, this is also known as the defensive front. There are three main ways for them to lineup. Eagle, Over, and Under. Eagle is just known as the base way to lineup in 3-4. You can tell which one the defense is in by the way of where the nose guard defensive tackle lineups. If the nose guard lines up on the head of the Center, that means it’s Eagle. If he lines up on the strong side of the Center, it is Over, and finally, if he lines up on the weak side of the Center it’s Under. The Cover 2 Man part is the coverage concept for the rest of the secondary to run. In this example it is Cover 2 Man meaning that there are only two safeties and they will both be running zones at the top of the field, meanwhile the Man is calling for man coverage on the receivers, meaning they will be covering the man instead of covering a zone of the field.

Alright, now on to the spotlight play. Alabama lines up in Gun Y Trips Weak and Georgia goes into their  3-4 Eagle. Because of the trips on the strong side, it forces the Sam backer to cover the slot receiver. Fortunately, Georgia had subbed their normal Sam backer for a defensive back making it a false nickel coverage, meanwhile still being in a 3-4 Eagle. This also forces the strong side middle linebacker to cover the tight end. Leaving the weak side middle linebacker on a spy since Tua is an athletic and mobile QB. This allows for a large opening in the middle of the field in front of the safeties. To attack this space, Alabama wants to run Seattle which will allow for both the tight end and Slot receiver to get into this zone which is the main concept of Seattle. The tight end is supposed to attack this space on the left hash being the throwing window for him, meanwhile, the slot will be attacking for the right to the middle of the hash markers with that being his throwing window. The picture will show this. Obviously, the slot receiver takes primary responsibility of being the main read for the quarterback as the tight end will drag down the middle backer allowing for the slot to be in a 1 on 1 with either the safety or sam backer depending on if the backer breaks off of him to cover the check down being ran by the running back, attacking the middle of the field. It is important to understand this concept as this is exactly how Alabama won the game on this play call.

As you can see in the picture, the safety on the left Dominick Sanders, is cheating out of position to his left. This is all because what we previously were talking about. In Cover 2 Man both of the safeties have to cover the top of the field not letting anyone behind them. Thus, it opens up the middle of the field 10-15 yards downfield. Since, Sanders is an intelligent player he cheats in on his left assuming that Alabama is about to attack this area, which he is correct on. Although, when the plays starts he goes back to his normal area, but he is constantly reading Tua’s eyes looking at where he is reading the field which keeps him cheating over to his left and playing more in the middle of the field. This entire time as Tua is looking on the right side of the field, specifically for his slot receiver as the play is designed for, and due to the cheating by Sanders at the beginning of the play. Tua knows that as long as he can freeze Sanders in middle of the field by looking him off, he’ll have his receiver on the streak open for the bomb over Sanders. 

Just like that, Tua looks Sanders over, checks to the left and lets it go to an open DeVonta Smith for the championship winning touchdown to end the game. It is all because of this cheating over to the middle of the field that allowed for Devonta Smith to get open since Georgia’s cornerback covering Smith let him go thinking that he would have Sanders for help. However, there was no Sanders even near to him.

In defense, if Sanders had stayed in position, Tua still had his slot receiver open in the middle of the field for at least a 15 yard gain meaning Alabama still would’ve gained major yardage on the play, but it would’ve caused Alabama to try and convert a 3rd down, which they were only 3-14 all game. It also would’ve given Georgia a chance to get a stop and force a field goal out of struggling and rattled kicker, Andy Pappanastos, who was only 2/4 and had previously missed the potential game winning kick by a far measure. I’m not saying Georgia would’ve won, I’m just saying that Alabama would have a much better chance at losing without Tagovailoa playing the Seattle call like a professional pianist, and if we can learn anything from this game,  anything can happen in the national championship.

The post Chalk Talk: How Bama beat the Bulldogs appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Linebacker Josey Jewell began the success for the Hawkeyes, bringing home the infamous Lott Impact Player Trophy. This trophy represents a player that defensively had the most impact on his team. Specifically, the IMPACT stands for: integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community, and tenacity. Jewell beat out star players Micah Kiser, Harrison Phillips, and Minkah Fitzpatrick. Now, Jewell stands among the ranks of players such a J.J Watt, Luke Kuechly, and Jabrill Peppers, who have all previously won this award. Jewell was named Lott Player of the Week twice throughout the season.

In addition, Jewell received Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Award, Big Ten Linebacker of the Year, First Team All-Big Ten in both the media and coaches selections, the Jack Lambert Award for best collegiate linebacker, Writers Association First-Team All-American, and AP All-American first team.

Josh Jackson also completed an outstanding junior season for the Hawkeyes. Jackson finished tied for first in the country for interceptions, fourth among interception yards, and first in passes deflected. Jackson finished as a finalist in the Jim Thorpe Award for best defensive back. He finished as a top three finalist, falling to superb defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Jackson took home a slew of other awards as well. He was named AP All-American first team, Writers Association First Team All-American, Walter Camp First-Team All-American, Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year, First Team All-Big Ten, and won the Jack Tatum Award.

In all, what appears to be the last game for Jackson, and what will be the last game for Jewell as Hawkeyes, make sure to tune into the Pinstripe Bowl on December 27th to witness the high-flying talent of both Josey Jewell and Josh Jackson.

The post Jewell, Jackson Represent Iowa In Collegiate Awards appeared first on KRUI Radio.

With only one weekend remaining in the College Football season, most teams have their eyes on the postseason. At 7-5, Iowa will likely be on unfamiliar grounds this year; meaning no Insight or Outback bowl. Out of the three bowls that seem to have interest in the Hawks, only one has ever featured an Iowa team… and that dates back to 1991.

It’s worth noting that out of the eight Big Ten teams eligible for bowl season, Iowa has the second worst record out of the bunch. However, the Hawks should be able to compensate with a proven fan base that is willing to travel. For the first time in a number of years, the Hawks could be playing a bowl game outside of Florida or California… not entirely probably, but definitely possible; although I’m not sure how much of an upgrade New York would be in late December.

Without futherado, let’s check out where the Hawks could play this holiday season:

MUSIC CITY BOWL (ACC VS BIG TEN/SEC)

Why you should want it:

Do you love Iowa football? Country music? Do you want to go to the bowl game without spending bowl game money? Do you hate flying? Well then do I have the bowl game for you! The Music City Bowl is most definitely what many Hawk fans will be hoping to see come December 2nd. Not only is it an easy drive (about 81/2 hours), Nashville will also offer country music prominence that most Iowa fans will love.

Why you should not want it:

For Hawk fans hoping for a tropical winter vacation, this bowl game is not for you. While it will be warmer than Iowa, it won’t be paradise by any means. Other than that, there’s not a ton to complain about… Nashville seems like a prime location to get the masses of Hawk fans rolling in. Look for Nashville to be monsooned with Iowa folk if the dominos fall right.

The Hawks would likely be matched up a humdrum SEC team in Nashville: either Kentucky or a the coachless Texas A&M Aggies. While this may seem favorable, I’m not sure how confident I would be going against the spread attack of the SEC. Although, it would be great for the young secondary to see.

Destination Rating: 9

HOLIDAY BOWL (PAC 12 VS BIG TEN)

Why you should want it:

Who wouldn’t want to visit beautiful San Diego in the dead of winter? There are not many places that could beat San Diego in terms of a destination spot for cold weather teams. This place is a tourist’s dream and is only a short two hour drive to LA. Definitely the destination for Hawk fans who want to see the warm weather.

Why you should not want it:

Flying out and staying in Southern California is definitely a pretty penny. On top of that, Iowa would probably see themselves matched up with a quality Pac-12 opponent, meaning they would be closer and would probably out number Iowa fans. SDCCU stadium has a somewhat bad reputation as a venue. All of this goes without mentioning what happened the last time Iowa played in Southern California. Still stings a little.

A likely matchup in this one would be a Washington Huskies team that is only one year removed from a visit to the College Football Playoff. The thirteenth ranked Huskers would be a tough matchup for the Hawks as the load of the offense would probably fall on the run game.

Destination Rating: 6.5

PINSTRIPE BOWL (ACC VS BIG TEN)

Why you should want it:

If you’re a Hawk fan wanting to see a postseason win over anything else, this is your game. The Pinstripe Bowl is likely the least prestigious bowl the Hawks are being associated with right now, which would likely mean a lesser opponent. I’m not sure how many Hawk fans are dying to see NYC, but maybe I’d be surprised. Playing in Yankee Stadium could be cool, although I’m not sure how many people it could hold.

The Hawks would likely square off with an ACC basement dweller at Yankee stadium if this were to happen. I would personally root for Boston College to be the matchup as two of the country’s finest linebackers would square off (Harold Landry/Josey Jewell). On the other hand, we could also see Virginia in a game that would probably be a punter’s showcase. Let’s hope for BC or even North Carolina State.

Why you should not want it:

New York in December? Better bring the Carharts, Iowa. This would be a cold one. Not to mention the Big Ten basketball tournament is set to be held in NYC a short two months after bowl season. It adds a little insult to injury when you consider this was the last bowl game Iowa State played it. It gets even worse when you realize a Greg Schiano led Rutgers team beat the Clones by two scores. That being said, this seems to be as low of a bowl game as the Hawks will fall to.

Destination Rating: 5

The post Previewing where the Hawks could be playing this bowl season appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Now that Iowa State’s historically bad football team is ranked, do we pull for them to succeed?

The Cyclones haven’t felt a national ranking since 2005. They claimed the final slot in the AP Top-25 poll this week after defeating Texas Tech. This Iowa State team has accumulated five wins and only faltered twice.

Thankfully, one of those losses came to the Hawkeyes. The other at the hands of Texas in a game where quarterback Jacob Park threw the tantrum of a century. Realistically, Iowa State is a an overtime loss and an earlier quarterback change from being undefeated.

That is a stretch to make for a team that still has two losses but put all of this is perspective. Iowa State has played seven games and only lost twice. Let that sink in.

Those in black and gold have two common reactions to the Cyclones recent success.

And oh how they differ.

First of all, there are those who believe once Iowa has defeated Iowa State they no longer matter until the early fall matchup comes around again. These typically find it in their heart to root on the Cyclones on days they don’t play.

In all reality, what does pulling for them really do. One is in the Big Ten, the other the Big 12. A majority only pay attention when it is a cy-hawk battle in football, basketball, or wrestling. Does it really impact Iowa if they do bad?

The answer is no.

Especially if Iowa beats Iowa State, pulling for them can only help the Hawkeyes strength of schedule. Plus it legitimizes the rivalry in the nation’s eyes. A sweeping opinion is that the game, at least in football, is a burden to Iowa.

This is a simple, when Iowa State is good the rivalry is better as well. In hindsight, Iowa’s win in Ames could be their most impressive victory.

The other option, which seems to be more non-Iowa residents, is that Iowa State favor has no place in Iowa City. They’d like to see a winless season every year. They have been nearly satisfied in recent years.

This idea leaves no room for anything cyclone. Not in football, not basketball, and not in any sport. These are the die-hard Iowa State haters. They embrace the rivalry like those would see the Iron Bowl in Alabama.

In their eyes, regardless of circumstances, Iowa State must lose to Iowa and finish last in the Big 12. There is no room in their heart for a Cyclone.

It is a question that confuses many Hawkeye fans. When Iowa is good, it doesn’t matter. This year though, while Iowa currently boasts three losses, ignoring Iowa State is impossible. Fans are left with a moral dilemma, how to handle Iowa State being good.

Iowa State faces top-five ranked Texas Christian in Ames. Do you cheer for Iowa State?

The post How to Think About Iowa State appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: TJ Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers

Younger brother of future Hall of Famer J.J. Watt. Same college, Wisconsin, as elder brother J.J. Watt. Similar draft hype as J.J. Watt coming into 2017, as we see at midseason, the hype was not misplaced. 7 games into the season, T.J. Watt has put up tremendous numbers. 21 solo tackles, 5 additional assisted tackles, 4 sacks, and 1 interception. Very strong start from his first outings as a professional, looking forward to seeing this young man grow into the monster that T.J. Watt can become.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans

This may be a controversial pick for some, but a tough decision for me nonetheless. Running back Kareem Hunt and Quarterback Deshaun Watson will battle to the end of the season for the award.

However, Deshaun Watson appears to be more elite. Starting merely 5 games, Watson has still thrown for 1,297 yards, 15 touchdown, 5 interceptions, completing passes at a 61.5 percent clip. Deshaun has even rushed for an additional 202 yards with two touchdowns on the ground to compliment. Despite all this, an even more impressive stat is Watson’s total QBR at 80.8. This rating leads league, higher than the likes of household names such as Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and even defending MVP Matt Ryan. This earns him the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

Comeback Player of the Year: Rob Gronkowski, New England

Playing a mere 8 games last year, Rob Gronkowski had yet another injury riddled season. Despite playing only half the season, in two of the eight games, Gronkowski was nowhere to be seen with no receptions. His season ended with back surgery, putting Rob on the shelf for good. Entering the 2017 regular season, Gronkowski’s health and durability had become a large question mark for the New England offense. Nonetheless, the Gronk has bounced back in a way few experts projected. With 452 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns on 29 receptions, Rob Gronkowski has nearly surpassed the entirety of last season’s output. 25 receptions, 540 yards, and only 3 touchdowns was the 2016 statline among his eight outings. Barring another injury, *knock on wood* Rob Gronkowski should own this year’s Comeback Player of the Year award.

Coach of the Year: Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams

The Rams may just be the surprise of the year. Following a miserable 4-12 record, the 2017 offseason did not show many roster changes, expecting to repeat the previous season’s failures.

Despite only notably adding wide receivers Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods, the Los Angeles Rams has made unbelievable changes moving forward. Their 5-2 record can be accounted due to the mindset of Head Coach Sean McVay. Following up the abomination of a coaching job completed by Jeff Fisher, McVay continues the dominant march of the defense. Additionally, Sean McVay has made the necessary changes to turn around the offense from a piddling 14.0 points per game in the 2016 to an astonishing 30.3 points per game, the highest scoring offense in the league. Coach Sean McVay is the difference moving this Rams football team past its previous mediocrity, earning McVay the 2017 Coach of the Year award.

Defensive Player of the Year: Melvin Ingram, Los Angeles Chargers

Bringing in a mighty 8 and a half sacks and 25 solo tackles, the LA Chargers have a beast at linebacker. The six-season veteran has made strides from an already elite level. Melvin Ingram has also forced two fumbles, recovering one. Ingram seemingly steps up his game daily, with the best of his outings coming within the last three games. Incoming offenses must be wary when moving the ball in his direction, giving space for other elite defenders to make plays. Defensive ends Joey Bosa and Chris McCain, cornerbacks Casey Hayward and Desmond King, and the entirety of the Charger defense benefit from his mere presence on the field.

Offensive Player of the Year: Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs

Prior to this week, Alex Smith was the frontrunner for this season’s MVP award. Despite this, Smith is being thwarted by a younger, more mobile quarterback. However, do not dare take anything away from Alex Smith. Twelve years into the league, Smith is seemingly putting up his best numbers yet. Passing for 1,979 yards, 15 touchdowns, and zero turnovers. All of this coming on a 72.4 completion percentage, enabling the Chiefs a hot 5-2 start. This record not only leads the the AFC West, but also leads the entire AFC. Their record matched only by the Patriots and Steelers. Capping off his impressive numbers, Alex Smith leads the entire league in passer rating at 120.5, solidifying him as the Offensive Player of the Year.

MVP: Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles

Quite possibly the most difficult move was the decision to give the MVP nod to Carson Wentz. Despite having overall worse numbers by a slight margin, Wentz tops Alex Smith in a much more important category: Wins. The Eagles have soared high to grab the best record in the NFL, winning six of their first seven. Aided by the struggles of their NFC East rivals, as well as key injuries to top NFC contenders, such as Aaron Rodgers, Dalvin Cook, and Josh Norman, the Eagles seem to have a smooth ride to a first-round playoff bye. Wentz is passing for a remarkable 1,852 yards and 17 touchdowns, and completing 61.6 percent of his passes, with only 4 interceptions to rebut. Maintaining a total QBR of 72.7, a league wide third best, the impressive numbers by Wentz will be the determining factor for deep postseason success.

The post NFL Midseason Honors 2017 Edition appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The 2017 edition of the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Trophy Game did not disappoint whatsoever. The newest rendition of the rivalry game will go down as a classic battle between two hated rivals. While the game started off to a relatively normal 14-10 score at the halftime break, the pace quickly heated up in the second half.

A slow start did not deter either team from pouring on the points in the following half. Both offenses threw the other’s defense out of the game in the second half. This being despite the fact that Iowa came into the game with a nationally renown defense; only allowing Josh Allen and the Wyoming offense to only 3 points.

Prior to halftime, Stanley and the Iowa offense reestablished itself with a 91 yard, 10 play drive that ended with a Stanley to VandeBerg for a 17 yard touchdown. Matt VandeBerg missed majority of last season with a broken foot; this was his first touchdown catch following the injury.

With 7:21 remaining in the third quarter, Iowa took a commanding 21-10 lead with another 94 yard, 11 play drive. The drive was capped off with Wadley hurdling over the pile on the goal line for a 1 yard touchdown. However, Iowa State responded quickly, effectively, and immediately with 21 unanswered points, going up 31-21 with 11:46 remaining in regulation.

Jacob Park would throw for 347 yards and four touchdowns by the end of the game with Nathan Stanley throwing for 333 yards and five touchdown to battle. Following the 21-0 Cyclone run, the Hawkeyes would strike back and would eventually tie the game.

In the post-game interview, Iowa Head Coach Kirk Ferentz spoke on the fourth quarter rally, saying, “The one thing we did all day offensively — we responded. They took the lead there, they just hit us with everything there in the second half. Our guys responded a couple more times.” And respond the Hawks would. The Hawkeyes were challenged again as Iowa State would attempt put the game away with a 38-31 lead with 4:36 remaining.

The thriller continued as Iowa would march back 81 yards in 7 plays to tie the game. Stanley completed a short pass across the middle to Wadley to tie the game for overtime. “It was a dog fight,” said Wadley, “We knew we were going to get their best effort.”

A dog fight perfectly describes the classic Ames matchup which took place on September 9th. However, the match would end in overtime. The Iowa defense showed up to force an Iowa State field goal which set up Stanley and the Iowa offense to take home the Cy-Hawk trophy.

Akrum Wadley ended the game with a strong statline, with 118 rushing yards and a touchdown on 28 attempts. Wadley also caught 72 passing yards and another touchdown on 4 receptions. Stanley and Wadley both needed large outputs to match Park with future NFL wideout Allen Lazard and Junior Hakeem Butler.

Next week, Iowa State travels to play Akron at 11 am central time on CBS Sports. The Iowa Hawkeyes return to Kinnick Stadium to take on the North Texas Mean Green on September 16th at 2:30 central time on ESPN2.

The post Iowa, Stanley “Ames” Past Iowa State appeared first on KRUI Radio.

It was a tale of two sides coming into the game as the Cowboys, and their preseason Maxwell Award candidate quarterback and maybe one of the best quarterbacks in the league, Josh Allen, was looking to air it out against the young and Desmond King-less secondary of the Hawkeyes. On the other side, Iowa’s quarterback, Nate Stanley, was making his first college start against a veteran Wyoming secondary. Allen came out in the first quarter hitting his targets as he went 8-10 passing with 47 passing yards, connecting with Austin Conway for half of those completions. Stanley on the other hand ended the first quarter going 0-4 and was intercepted by Rico Gafford with a little less than 11 minutes to go. The Cowboys could not capitalize in the first quarter as the score was 0-0 after a quarter of play.

Wyoming scored first early in the second quarter with a field goal to give themselves a 3-0 lead; however, that would be the last time they would put points on the board. On the next Iowa possession, they marched down the field (thanks in part to a 4th down conversion and Nate Stanley’s first completion for a 19-yard gain) and took the lead with Stanley’s first career touchdown pass to Noah Fant on a 4th and goal. The Hawkeyes quickly stopped the Cowboys to get the ball back only to give it right back when Nate Stanley was sacked and fumbled the ball away to the defense with under a minute to go in the half.

The Hawkeye defense would not let the Cowboys score. Josh Allen was called for grounding which pushed them out of field goal position and then on a 4th down, Tim Zaleski muffed the punt which would set Iowa up on the 32-line of Wyoming. The next play, after an offsides penalty, Stanley found Fant again for his second touchdown pass of the game to make it 14-3 Hawkeyes going into halftime.

Wyoming came out in the second half on fire. The Cowboys were driving down the field but had a potential touchdown pass broken up at the last second by Joshua Jackson which ended the drive and stopped their momentum.

Halfway through the quarter, Nate Stanley gots his third touchdown of the day when a 45-yard completion is taken in for the score by Nick Easley to make the score 21-3. With all the momentum going their way, the Iowa defense forces Wyoming into a three-and-out.

The Hawkeyes turned it over again when Stanley fumbled after a big hit, setting the Cowboys up with good field positioning. The Cowboys still could not put anything on the board as they had a touchdown call reversed and missed a field goal that drive.

Wyoming would get the ball back only to have breakout corner, Josh Jackson, pick off a Josh Allen pass and run it back 41 yards to give the Iowa offense the ball back with good field position. Iowa then kicked a field goal on the ensuing possession to give us the final score of 24-3.

Running back, Akrum Wadley ran for over 100 yards for the game, something that Hawkeye fans are used to seeing as Wadley rushed for over 1000 yards last year. Speaking of the Iowa rushing game, they added another 1000-yard rusher in James Butler which makes Iowa the only team in FBS with two 1000-yard rushers in the backfield.

“We both feel strong about this year,” Wadley said of he and Butler sharing the backfield.” If we keep putting in the hard work and we keep grinding and running behind this line, we’ll be good, we’ll be fine.”

Hawkeye fans will have something to look forward to from one, if not both of these backs.

It is not often a team that has four turnovers wins a game by three possessions but Iowa somehow found a way to shut down Josh Allen and in the process, gave Nate Stanley momentum heading into the highly anticipated rivalry game next week against Iowa State at Ames.

The Hawkeyes still have some work to do on both sides of the ball and hopefully they will figure it out in time so they can bring the Cy-Hawk trophy back to Iowa City.

The post Hawkeyes Start the Season with a Win  appeared first on KRUI Radio.