Iowa capped off its regular season home slate with an 82-61 win over Northwestern. It was also Senior Night for Jordan Bohannon, Austin Ash, and Connor McCaffery. Yes, this was Jordan Bohannons actual last game in the Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Over the last six years, Bohannon has become the all time Big Ten 3-point leader and holder of several Iowa records including total 3-pointers made, 3-pointers in a game, FT%, assists, and total games played. Bohannon, who has inspired young generations that haven’t even been alive long enough to know Iowa basketball without him, finished the night with 18 points and four assists. 

While his career in Carver may be done, JBO says “There’s a lot more games left to be played, a lot more memories to be made.” The sixth year senior is determined to “take this team places that no one thought [they] could be in,” and he will have that opportunity in a few weeks as he plays in his fourth NCAA tournament. 

Senior counterpart, Connor McCaffery, continued his hot streak from behind the arc going 5-9 with 17 total points. McCaffery has battled through several injuries during his time at Iowa, but his leadership and basketball IQ is second to none. Connor has never been known for his shooting abilities or athleticism, but he plays every possession like his last and leaves it all on the floor, which is just as important when building a successful program. Hopefully Connor keeps this confidence and continues to shoot, as it is just the right time for another hot hand to arise on offense with tournament play right around the corner. 

Senior sharpshooter Austin Ash came in late in the second half and got his final three points in Carver off of a routine deep logo three. The crowd was practically begging him to shoot it, and when it splashed in everyone was up on their feet. It was the final hurrah of what has been an exciting end of the season for this team and has completely silenced the annual “Fran Fade” crowd. Even though Ash got a Senior Day last season, it was without his parents on the court or fans, so this time around for him “..was really surreal. It was a really cool moment.” Ash will not only be missed as a weapon from downtown, but as an ideal teammate who has always provided energy regardless of active contributions on the court. 

Senior manager, Jack Devlin, also had a night of his own as he hit a half court shot during a timeout in the second half. The whole arena exploded, along with the players who made sure to run over and swarm around Devlin, making the moment even more special and heartwarming. Jack has been an integral part of the team since 2018 and the relationships he has formed with both the players and coaches will last long after his time at Iowa. 

Watch Jack Devlins half court shot here.

He may not be a senior, but Keegan Murray continued to strengthen his case for NPOY, leading all scorers with 26 points and 18 rebounds. That marks Keegans eighth double-double of the season as he broke into the top ten of Iowa’s all-time scoring list on Monday night.

Once again, Iowa’s defensive intensity was there from the tip. Iowa held Northwestern to a season low 17 points at half on 22% shooting. Tony Perkins, who had a career high shooting night at Nebraska, showed off his defensive strengths coming away with five steals. Northwestern head coach, Chris Collins, said that the team has been dealing with flu issues, which goes to show why Boo Bouie (14.6ppg, 30.6 min) only played six minutes before having to head to the locker room. This slow start proved too much to overcome with the Hawkeyes leading by 19 at the break and as much as 30 in the final minutes. 

Iowa has all the momentum going into two tough road games against Michigan and Illinois, who have both beat the Hawkeyes once this season. Iowa will face off against the Wolverines this Thursday at 8pm. They will then close out the regular season on Sunday in Champaign at 6:30pm. Both games will be televised on FS1.

The post Basketball: Senior Night v Northwestern 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.

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A look ahead to the contest between Northwestern and Iowa tomorrow.

The Hawkeyes had a few opportunities to close the game out against Purdue last weekend in West Lafayette. In a game where Iowa had a few spots of momentum it was, the defense that couldn’t hold it together for four straight quarters.

Purdue scored 38 points and accumulated almost 450 yards of total offense.

That was the most points Iowa had given up all season and the most yards it had given up since the Wisconsin game.

This weekend, the Northwestern Wildcats will make the four hour trek west and come into Iowa City being the leaders of the Big Ten West. Sitting at 5-4 overall and 5-1 in conference play, the Wildcats have the inside track of representing the division in the Big Ten Championship in a few weeks time.

When asked about the outlook of the division the rest of the way, as well as the Iowa and Purdue going on just before its games against Notre game kicked off, Northwestern Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald offered little insight into that.

“I was watching for a little bit, but no I’m not aware of our status.”

Northwestern offensive lineman Tommy Doles said after the Notre Dame game that the end goal is still insight and a key to getting closer to their goal starts this weekend against Iowa.

“We set out to win the West this year and that’s what we’re planning to do,” Doles said. “We’re going to learn our lessons from this game and then put it away really fast, because we have a big one coming up next week.”

A big one, indeed Mr. Doles.

It is of note that Iowa is still ranked eight in the country in total defense. Even before last week when Iowa’s defense was still in the top five, top ten is nothing to snuff about. Iowa gives up around 284 yards per game. The only other Big Ten defense ranked in the top-20 is Michigan. Michigan gives up a measly 216 yards per game.

On the ground, Iowa is the fifth-ranked rushing defense in the country allowing just over 86 yards a game to its opponents.

At times this season, the Wildcats have entirely abandoned the run. There was a three game stretch in September and into October where Northwestern did not mount more than 32 yards of rushing offense in any of its games. The past few weeks, on the other hand, the ‘Cats have tallied 418 yards of rushing offense and a total of seven rushing touchdowns.

The passing defense for Iowa ranks in the top 40 nationally. Not as fantastic as its rushing defense, but still better than over two-thirds of the other programs in the FBS.

Northwestern has had games where it passes for over 400 yards and games when it passes for under 150.

Offensively for the Hawkeyes, they will be back at home. The Kinnick crowd is sure to give them an extra boost when at times the past few weeks they haven’t been able to find one. The defense will also be back on its own turf and ready to get to Northwestern quarterback Clayton Thorson.

Iowa and Northwestern will kick off shortly after 2:30 p.m. You can listen to coverage of the game at KRUI’s Mixlr page.

The post Iowa v Northwestern Preview appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Jimmy Nash recaps the contest between the Hawkeyes and the Wildcats.

IOWA CITY, IA- In a tale of two halves, near record breaking performances, and senior night. The Hawkeyes emerged victorious.

Iowa (13-18, 4-14) defeated Northwestern (15-16, 6-12) 77-70 at Carver Hawkeye Arena on Sunday night.

In the first half, Iowa shot lights out scoring 45 points while Northwestern scored 28. In the second half, Iowa scored 32 points while Northwestern scored 42.

“It was nice to have one of these games going into the Big Ten Tournament,” Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery said. “We knew that we needed this performance to show what we were capable of doing.”

At one point in the first half, Iowa led by as many as 22 points. That lead got that high thanks to the three. Guard Jordan Bohannon has six 3-pointers in the first half. The team made nine 3-pointers throughout the entirety of the first half.

“I said you have to get your swag back.  He was doing a good job of running the offense (the last few games), but he needs to be aggressive like that for us to win,” McCaffery said.

Going into the break, Iowa was shooting over 48 percent from the field and controlled the rebounding battle.

Iowa built the lead back to 22 in the second half after Northwestern started the half on a little run.

Scottie Lindsey was the only real offense that Northwestern had the entire night. Lindsey launched a Carver Hawkeye Arena record-tying nine 3-pointers in the night’s contest. Lindsey finished the game with 32 points, a career-high for him.

“I was proud of my guys for continuing to fight,” Northwestern head coach Chris Collins said. “With all the injuries it would’ve been easy to just lay down and let Iowa run away. We kept fighting.”

The charity stripe is really where Iowa gained its advantage.

Iowa attempted 23 shots from the line and made 17. Northwestern attempted only seven free throws and made three.

Jordan Bohannon was four of five from the line tonight. He was chasing a record.

Bohannon made his 33^rd and 34^th consecutive free throws in the first half to tie Chris Street’s school-record. He went to the line to attempt the front end of a 1-and-1. He intentionally missed it.

“That was something I have had on my mind the last couple of games and the last few months,” Hawkeye guard Jordan Bohannon said. “I talked to my brother and we had the same agreement that it wasn’t my record to have.”

Iowa will head to New York City to faceoff against Illinois in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday. Tipoff is set for 4:30 p.m. (CT).

The post White-Hot Bohannon get Hawks past ‘Cats appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The biggest factor in Iowa’s favor as well as the largest deterrent is the young, raw talent of the Hawkeyes. The best player on the team is no doubt a dynamic sophomore, Tyler Cook. At 6-9, the forward out of Saint Louis flashed looks of high potential consistently throughout his freshman year. Tyler Cook’s effect on the game cannot always be shown in his stat lines; however, Cook’s impacts every possession, regardless of his possession of the ball.

Jordan Bohannon, Isaiah Moss, and Brady Ellingson will be dominating the guard spots as sophomores and juniors. Bohannon and Moss can both score off the dribble and distribute to make plays at will, even as mere sophomores. Ellingson, however, will be more of a pure point guard. With the powerhouse Tyler Cook at forward, clear leaders at guard slots, and depth at both forward and guard positions, Iowa Basketball will be successful if McCaffery can find a large player to play in tandem with Cook.

This large X-factor for Iowa will be the freshman center for the Hawks, Luka Garza. The 4-star recruit out of Washington DC will play the role which could put Iowa over the top. The 6-11 has already grabbed 18 boards through two games with 27 points in addition. In recent memory, Iowa loses the rebounding affair on a strikingly consistent basis. In addition to the young Garza and Cook, the returning Big Ten Conference 6th man of the year award winner, Nicholas Bear, will jump start the young Hawkeyes whenever needed. With a deep set of young big men behind Garza, Baer, and Cook, the rebounding deficit will improve moving forward.

Another reason for the jump into March Madness will be the schedule for the young Iowa team. With the only notable non-conference opponents coming on the road against both Virginia Tech and the rivaling Cyclones, wins will be racked up quickly prior to conference play. Iowa also draws one of the weakest schedules in the Big Ten Conference. The Hawkeyes will not travel to ranked opponents in #2 Michigan State, #20 Purdue, and #19 Northwestern.

Iowa will also not travel to rival Wisconsin and will only play Michigan State, Maryland and Indiana once. The Hawkeyes will reach 20 wins before the final stretch of the season. Three of the final five games will

play on the road with the last two facing ranked opponents. With an easier schedule than most, even if the young players do not improve in the expected ways, Iowa will rack up at least 22 wins before the Big Ten Tournament in the Madison Square Garden.

The graduation of Peter Jok will also allow the Hawkeye basketball squad to acquire a bid to the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Jok made up the core of last year’s team, leading the Big Ten in scoring. However, Jok also lead the team in shots taken. Despite leading in points, Jok shot a 7^th team best shooting percentage to return for it, behind the likes of Tyler Cook, Nicholas Baer, Ahmad Wagner, and others.

Contrary to popular belief from mainstream sports analysts, Iowa will benefit from the absence of Peter Jok for multiple reasons. Iowa will not be reliant on a one-man effort with multiple people getting involved. A team is much easier to stop with one man scoring instead of a team. The spacing of the floor will also be nicer for shooters with the best player in Cook playing in the post instead of Jok playing around the 3-point arc. All in all, Peter Jok is an absolutely great player; however, Jok’s presence hurt the team more at times than not.

Due to the young raw talent of the Hawkeyes in addition to lucky breaks in scheduling and an ability to involve more players than in years past, the 2017 Iowa Hawkeye basketball team will not only return to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in five years, but will chance running at Sweet Sixteen for the first time since the 1998-99 season. The next game for the 2-0 Hawkeyes will come against Grambling State on Wednesday, November 16^th at 7:05 pm CST at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The post Spoilers: Hawkeyes Dance in March appeared first on KRUI Radio.

This storied conference is rich in past glory, but the teams continue to make history every year. All fourteen teams are in a constant battle for supremacy in the conference and the 2017 Big Ten season is just getting underway.

14. Rutgers – 0 AP Votes – Notable Wins: N/A

(1-3, 0-1) Next Game: vs #11 Ohio State

Before losing in Lincoln, Rutgers got its first win on the season against the Morgan State Bears. The Scarlet Knights have struggled to get much going so far this season, but put up a fight against Nebraska.

Looking for its first conference win since Oct. 17, 2015, Rutgers has a tough test against Ohio State coming. Senior quarterback Kyle Bolin has thrown for a subpar 642 yards this season and they’ll need a more impressive outing from him if the team wants to beat a ranked team for the first time since 2009.

13. Illinois – 0 AP Votes – Notable Wins: N/A

(2-1, 0-0) Next Game: vs Nebraska

Illinois lost its first game on the season against #22 South Florida, but it wasn’t all that close. Quarterback Chayce Crouch was benched midway through the game in favor of backup Jeff George Jr. It wasn’t just the offense that struggled, the Illini defense allowed 680 yards of offense on Friday night.

Illinois has a good chance of getting a win at home and tying last season’s win total. Tanner Lee has been struggling for Nebraska and freshman running back Mike Epstein should thrive against a Nebraska defense that allows upwards of 350 yards a game.

12. Nebraska – 0 AP Votes – Notable Wins: vs Rutgers

(2-2, 1-0) Next Game: at Illinois

The nonconference has been a disappointment for the Huskers. A 1-2 start got athletic director Shawn Eichorst canned and head coach Mike Riley cannot afford to lose this one. Considering the next two games are Wisconsin and Ohio State, this contest becomes all the more important.

Junior QB Tanner Lee has disappointed for Nebraska by leading the Big Ten with nine interceptions through four starts. He’s thrown 146 times for 898 yards, but has cost his team plenty of chances down the stretch. This will be a great stage for Lee to prove that he’s worth his weight.

11. Northwestern – 0 AP Votes – Notable Wins: N/A

(2-1, 0-0) Next Game: at Wisconsin

Northwestern was a sleeper pick to win the Big Ten West this season, but after the walloping at the hands of Duke, it’s not looking as likely. Clayton Thorson has been uninspiring thus far and the defense hasn’t backed him up.

The Wildcats have turned the ball over seven times in three games and they head to Camp Randall Stadium for its toughest test of the year. Wisconsin has a Big Ten best +5 turnover margin so far and will not make it easy for Thorson.

10. Maryland – 0 AP Votes – Notable Wins: at Texas

(2-1, 0-0) Next Game: at Minnesota

You’ve got to feel for this Terrapins squad. Both Tyrell Pigrome and Kasim Hill have suffered season-ending injuries and the team is now relying on sophomore Max Bortenschlager. Regardless of who’s throwing, the team will depend on star wide receiver D.J. Moore who leads the conference in receiving yards (323) and touchdowns (four).

Winning in Minneapolis is much easier for an east coast team now than in frigid mid-November, so that’s one solace the Terps can take. The team has done well to take care of the ball thus far and Bortenschlager will have to improve quickly to compete at TCF.

9. Indiana – 0 AP Votes – Notable Wins: at Virginia

(2-1, 0-1) Next Game: at Penn State

Freshman running back Morgan Ellison ran for 186 yards and two scores in his first career start which is great news for Indiana. The team struggled on the ground in its first two games and Ellison will need to exploit Penn State’s linebacking corps to stand a chance.

There’s no real chance that Indiana wins this football game in Happy Valley and the near future doesn’t look much better for the Hoosiers. However, the team gave Ohio State a run for its money in the first half a month ago and can still air it out despite the defense’s deficiencies.

8. Michigan State – 0 AP Votes – Notable Wins: N/A

(2-1, 0-0) Next Game: vs Iowa

Getting dismantled in East Lansing by Notre Dame is no way to end the nonconference slate, but no one expected an insane Spartan resurgence this season. After a forgettable 3-9 season, MSU sophomore Brian Lewerke leads the charge to kick off the Big Ten schedule against Iowa.

Sparty is favored in this one, but the team will have their hands full against the Hawkeyes. The team’s only test thus far has been a home blowout, so the team will need to reset for the Big Ten schedule. The team is already much better than last year and improvement is certain.

7. Purdue – 0 AP Votes – Notable Wins: at Missouri

(2-2, 0-1) Next Game: BYE

The Boilermakers have been an oddity of sorts in the Big Ten. Purdue has gone from nearly upsetting the defending Heisman winner on opening weekend and dismantling Missouri last week to losing handily at home to Michigan and its backup QB.

Switching between Elijah Sindelar and David Blough has been a roller coaster for the team with both QBs notching over five touchdowns so far. Heading into a bye week will give the coaching staff enough time to evaluate its shot caller scenario before the Minnesota game.

6. Minnesota – 3 AP Votes – Notable Wins: at Oregon State

(3-0, 0-0) Next Game: vs Maryland

PJ Fleck has rowed the boat to an undefeated nonconference schedule and his defense has dominated. The Gophers have allowed three touchdowns in as many games and have six takeaways so far.

At home against Maryland, Minnesota and its running game should roll over an already depleted Maryland squad. The Terps have allowed 39.5 points per game in their two contests against FBS opponents and its third-string QB will struggle to keep up.

5. Iowa – 16 AP Votes – Notable Wins: at Iowa State

(3-1, 0-1) Next Game: at Michigan State

A heartbreaking loss in the final seconds has Iowa reeling, but the team showed that it can fight to the finish with any Big Ten team if they’re at Kinnick. However, the team will be in East Lansing against Michigan State and hasn’t faced the Spartans since the Big Ten Championship in 2015.

Sophomore quarterback Nate Stanley has put up impressive numbers through four games, passing for 12 touchdowns and only one pick. The reason for Iowa’s success, however, his supporting cast. Linebacker Josey Jewell led the team in tackles and managed a fumble recovery and interception in the loss versus PSU. The defense will put plenty of pressure on the Spartans, but there will be memories of the championship game two years ago.

4. Ohio State – 1016 AP Votes – Notable Wins: at Indiana

(3-1, 1-0) Next Game: at Rutgers

Since losing at home to Oklahoma, the Buckeyes have rolled over some relatively measly competition at home. Traveling to New Jersey, OSU is favored by 30 against a team struggling to put up points.

Freshman running back J.K. Dobbins leads the conference in rushing yards (520) and will likely keep pushing the bar against Rutgers. J.T. Barrett is regaining form since his dud against the Sooners and doesn’t get another true test until Penn State on Oct. 28.

3. Wisconsin – 1023 AP Votes – Notable Wins: at BYU

(3-0, 0-0) Next Game: vs Northwestern

The Badgers are rolling on defense, allowing 10 points per game entering this home contest. Hoping to take an early lead in the Big Ten West, Wisconsin is touting a prolific offense to pair well with the intimidating defense.

Freshman back Jonathan Taylor is hitting the ground running 438 yards on only 53 carries. This is good news for the Badgers as the Wildcats have allowed over 150 rushing yards per game. A fast start is in the cards for this team as NW doesn’t match up well in any category.

2. Michigan – 1088 AP Votes – Notable Wins: vs Florida, at Purdue

(4-0, 1-0) Next Game: BYE

Michigan is running a fine-tuned machine through four weeks. The Wolverines lost ten starters from their stellar defense last season, yet haven’t missed a beat. Tallying an astounding 18 sacks in the first four games, this D is lights out.

The real issue is the offensive unit. Inconsistent Wilton Speight left the Purdue contest with an injury and John O’Korn picked up where he left off, throwing for 270 yards, one score and one pick. The season will be decided on the success (or lack thereof) of the offensive side, but the blue and maize look quite impressive through four.

1. Penn State – 1304 AP Votes – Notable Wins: vs Pittsburgh, at Iowa

Winning a night game at Kinnick is no easy feat and it seemed like the Nittany Lions wouldn’t be able to get it done when trailing by four with less than two minutes on the clock. However, Heisman candidate Saquon Barkley’s bulging stat line (305 total yards, one TD) proved too much for the Hawks to handle as Penn State won on the final play.

This team is not only the best team to watch in the Big Ten, but arguably the best to watch in the country. This averted upset proved that Barkley is even better than imaginable and that quarterback Trace McSorley’s stats and game management are for real. Penn State is the all-around most complete team in the Big Ten, hands town.

The post Big Ten Football in Full Swing appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Pop on the television on any given weekday or weekend and chances are there is going to be an intriguing college basketball game on.

When the academics are done and there is nothing else to do in the middle of the day or night, I often find myself partaking in the viewing of men’s college basketball.

As I sat down to brainstorm ideas for this article, I thought about which games stood out to me.

Without further ado, here are the ten most memorable games I have watched so far this college basketball season (in order of date played).

 November 22, 2016      

The teams: Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne Mastodons v #3 Indiana Hoosiers

The result: Mastodons 71 Hoosiers 68

The skinny: Not only are the IUPU schools my favorite group of satellite schools, they also have the most fun name to type. The Mastodons took down the Hoosiers in Fort Wayne and left everyone in awe.

Obviously this was an early season hiccup for the Hoosiers, but for a team that is on the bubble like themselves this loss will come back to haunt them.

December 3, 2016

The teams: #11 UCLA Bruins v #1 Kentucky Wildcats

The result: Bruins 97 Wildcats 92

The skinny: Both teams just ooze NBA prospects. This game was back and forth the entire way and the guard play was outstanding for both teams. Could this be a preview of a matchup in late March or early April? Only time will tell.

December 17, 2016

The teams: #6 Kentucky Wildcats v #7 North Carolina Tarheels

The result: Wildcats 103 Tarheels 100

The skinny: Malik Monk proved to me that he is easily one of the best guard at this level by scoring 47 points. Kentucky has the young guns and North Carolina has the veterans. Those two recipes that have made up these two incredibly exciting teams to watch moving forward.

January 4, 2017

The teams: #1 Villanova Wildcats v #18 Butler Bulldogs

The result: Wildcats 58 Bulldogs 66

The skinny: Villanova has a great backcourt in Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart.

The Bulldogs are everyone’s favorite Cinderella team a few years ago. The Big East is an underrated conference and it will be a dogfight to see who is on top of the standings at the end of the season (pun intended).

January 21, 2017

The teams: #14 Arizona Wildcats v # UCLA Bruins

The result: Wildcats 96 Bruins 85

The skinny: Arizona came into Pauley Pavilion and took care of business. They have the most underrated freshman in the country in Lauri Markkanen. With Allonzo Trier back from suspension, Arizona is going to make some noise and these two will be leading the way.

January 25, 2017

The teams: #2 Kansas Jayhawks v #18 West Virginia Mountaineers

The result Jayhawks 69 Mountaineer 85

The skinny: The score is not what I was interested in, it’s what comes after the game. West Virginia Head Coach Bob Huggins gets a $25,000 bonus every time he beats Kansas. While that is certainly a nice lump sum, Huggins donated this bonus to charity. The Mountaineers are another team to look at critically when filling out your bracket.

January 28, 2017

The teams: #2 Kansas Jayhawks v #4 Kentucky Wildcats

The result: Jayhawks 79 Wildcats 73

The skinny: Kansas had an absolutely crazy week towards the end of January. Themselves and Kentucky will be some of the most battle tested teams headings towards the end of the regular

season.

February 4, 2017

The teams: Iowa State Cyclones v #3 Kansas Jayhawks

The Result: Cyclones 92 Jayhawks 89

The Skinny: Iowa State is a team that just does not go away. They can score in bunches and hang around with the best of them. Not to mention, the Jayhawks had a 51-game winning streak at home. Playing in the toughest conference in college basketball, the Cyclones will be prepared for the Big 12 Tournament come March.

February 9, 2017

The teams: #5 Oregon Ducks v #10 UCLA Bruins

The result: Ducks 79 Bruins 82

The skinny: Oregon and Baylor have the most flourencent uniforms in the country and it’s not even close. Anyway, the Ducks have experience and have played well down the stretch in past seasons and have the right leadership in place to make a deep run.

February 12, 2017

The teams: Northwestern Wildcats v #7 Wisconsin Badgers

The result: Wildcats 66 Badgers 59

The skinny: After previously going 14-1 at the Kohl Center, the Wildcats get another resume boosting win.

They have been playing without starting swingman Scottie Lindsey for a little bit and have really clamped down on the defensive end. If you are a member of the Northwestern community, Selection Sunday could be Christmas in March for you.

If I could watch every game, I would. Time does not allow me to do that. The rest of the season is sure to be all fine and dandy.

March Madness is right around the corner. Boy, I can’t wait.

The post Memorable Games and a Look Ahead appeared first on KRUI Radio.

You would not have known it after watching their offense work against the Iowa defense.

In their 38-31 victory over Iowa, the Wildcats gained 198 yards in the rushing game and 164 through the air, with the bulk of those yards going to just two players.

Justin Jackson led all rushers with 26 attempts for 171 net yards and a touchdown for the Wildcats. No other Wildcat gained more than 19 yards rushing. Wide receiver Austin Carr tallied 73 yards on 6 catches, three of which went for touchdowns. No other Wildcat receiver had more than 18 yards.

“We do good, and then we give up too many big plays,” said Iowa safety Brandon Snyder of the Iowa defense. “We just have to be better on our assignments and trust each other.”

Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald said that eliminating the mental mistakes is what made the difference in the offense compared to their first four games.

“I think the offense has been there,” said Fitzgerald postgame. “I just think that we’ve self-inflicted wounds.”

The Wildcats did not have many self-inflicted wounds on Saturday, as they were flagged just once in the game for five yards. On the flip side, Iowa was flagged six times for 70 yards.

There was a scary moment late in the third quarter when Northwestern’s Brett Walsh was blindsided while on punt coverage and needed extensive medical attention following the play. He was carted off the field and was able to give the fans an encouraging “thumbs-up” on his way out. All tests came back negative, and Walsh was able to travel with the team back to Evanston on Saturday night.

Iowa’s offense struggled yet again to run the ball, tallying only 79 net yards on the ground. Although LeShun Daniels, Jr. and Akrum Wadley each scored touchdowns (Daniels, Jr. one, Wadley two), each of their longest rushes went for just nine yards.

C.J. Beathard was sacked six times in the game, and it made it hard for the Iowa offense to get in to a rhythm, let alone stay in a rhythm.

“C.J.’s our leader,” Wadley said. “When he can’t really get going, it’s hard for the whole offense to get going.”

Beathard said that the team is not pointing fingers at one particular unit, but says the team has to play better collectively.

“We just have to play better team football as a whole,” Beathard said. “We have to get better in every part of our game.”

Much like what Fitzgerald said of Northwestern’s offense, Iowa offensive lineman Sean Welsh says it’s the mental mistakes that are plaguing the Iowa rushing attack.

“It’s the drive killers. It’s the penalties and it’s the sacks,” Welsh said. “It kills the momentum a lot. We need to be more consistent.”

Aside from the six sacks, a lot of things went well on Saturday for the Hawkeyes on offense. Beathard threw for 204 yards on the day, with the majority of those being credited to Riley McCarron and Jerminic Smith. Both players are expected to see an increased number of targets now that leading receiver Matt VandeBerg is sidelined with a foot injury for the foreseeable future.

McCarron set career highs in receptions with eight and yards with 78, and he also scored a touchdown late in the second half that gave Iowa their first lead of the game. The senior entered the game with only six receptions on the season.

On special teams, both McCarron and primary return man Desmond King had success in the return game. King racked up 162 total return yards on the day (77 punt, 85 kick), and McCarron had career longs with a 30-yard punt return and 54-yard kick return.

Even on another tough day at the office for the Iowa defense and rushing offense, there are some positives the teams can build on as they try to better themselves moving forward into the Big Ten season.

“It’s the 24-hour rule like always,” said head coach Kirk Ferentz after the game. “The bottom line right now is we’re a 3-2 football team with a lot of football left, but clearly we need to improve, and that’s the task for tomorrow.”

Iowa travels to Minnesota this weekend to play the Golden Gophers at 11:00 A.M. on October 8^th on ESPN2/ABC.

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Canzeri carried the ball a school record 43 times for 256 yards and a touchdown. The previous school record for carries in a game was 42, which was set by Sedrick Shaw against Michigan State on October 7, 1995. The 256 rushing yards are the third most in program history. The all time single game rushing record was set by Tavian Banks when he rushed for 314 yards against Tulsa on September 13, 1997.

He was also the only running back to take a handoff from quarterback C.J. Beathard. LeShun Daniels was held out of the game due to his lingering injury issues.

“You never really know what you’re capable of until you push through the barriers that you have set up for yourself,” Canzeri said after the game.

The biggest play of the game from Iowa came on Canzeri’s 75-yard touchdown run where he went untouched into the end zone and gave Iowa a lead they would not relinquish. That was Iowa’s longest run for a touchdown since Shonn Greene achieved the same feat back in 2008 against Purdue.

The Troy, NY, native has had numerous injury issues over his time in Iowa City, but this season he has put everything together.

He now has 697 rushing yards through six games, and he is well on his way to becoming Iowa’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Marcus Coker in 2011.

Canzeri’s teammates were amazed at the record-breaking performance.

“He does the little things right, and he’s one of the hardest workers on our team,” tight end George Kittle said.

“As offensive linemen, that is what we talk about paving the way for our running backs,” center Austin Blythe said in regards to Canzeri’s performance.

Perhaps the most important drive of the game for Iowa came in the fourth quarter was after Illinois scored a touchdown to get themselves within three points of the Hawkeyes. Iowa gave him the ball on the first twelve plays of the drive and melting almost four minutes off the clock.

“I knew my team needed me and I was tired, but I knew I needed to step up and finish strong and hold onto the ball,” Canzeri said.

Coach Kirk Ferentz was not concerned with the number of reps Canzeri was getting throughout the afternoon.

“We all saw something special with Jordan,” Ferentz said after the game.

“There was no pitch count. In a game like this, you have to roll with your best players. We had to,” Ferentz added.

Iowa cannot expect to have Canzeri carry the ball 43 times a game the rest of the way and stay fresh, but for today it worked.

The Hawkeyes will face a tougher test next Saturday when they travel to Northwestern to take on the Wildcats. Kickoff is set for just after 11:00 A.M. from Ryan Field in Evanston.

The post Canzeri’s Record Breaking Performance Propels Iowa to Victory appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Despite a roller coaster 2014 season, fans have reason to make Kinnick an electric atmosphere as two wins will likely give the home team a shot at the Big Ten title.

But, we have a few things to go over before we get to that. During my two years at Iowa, Kinnick Stadium hasn’t been what it was growing up. Noise is down, empty seats are more apparent and boos are more common than statement victories. Fans have seemingly grown tired, stale and annoyed with what has been seen. Blame can be spread from players and coaches, but don’t forget, crowds are a part of this issue, too.

Through five home games this season, Iowa has managed an average crowd of 67,415. Kinnick Stadium holds 70,585, so we’re not too far from being sold out, but can still do better. This also does not mean that 67,415 fans sit in their seats from kickoff to final score. I’ve included a few pictures gathered from Tweets showing the card stunt against Northwestern taken just moments before kickoff.

There are a few factors that can excuse Iowa from having capacity crowds throughout the entire game. First of all, for many of the games fans are either getting sunburnt or frostbite. Once you had in the 11 o’clock kickoffs on Saturday mornings, low-profile matchups such as Northern Iowa, Iowa State, Ball State, Indiana and Northwestern, and the style of play that can put the San Antonio Spurs to sleep, and quite frankly most are probably surprised we’re seating over 60,000.

That’s not even taking into account the students that begin tailgating at 5 a.m. and either can’t make it to the game, or leave at halftime. Take a look at the card stunt again and see which section is missing fans. Just getting to the ballgame is part of the issue, but that’s not the biggest focal point here.

Kinnick Stadium is full of a beautiful black and gold mixture that houses some of what I biasedly call the most passionate and loyal fans in the country. What needs to be fixed there? Timing.

The student section is the source of most cheers and noise in the stadium, so fellow students, please read on.

Not to call out our incredible cheerleaders, but they have one thing wrong: When to start the “Let’s go Hawks” chant. We all really appreciate you trying to get the crowd going, but right before Iowa is about to snap the ball is not the time.

Quarterbacks need to be able to call plays, shifts, hot routes, etc. at the line of scrimmage and the other 10 teammates need to hear him. The nosebleeds should be able to hear Kirk Ferentz chew his gum – that’s how silent it needs to be.

Clapping and applauding after the play is reasonable, but it should go right back to being silent immediately after our approval is aware. Also be wary of the no-huddle, because then snap counts and the ability to hear Rudock becomes even more crucial to the offensive flow.

On the other side of the ball, 3^rd and 3 in the second quarter can be just as important as 2^nd and 7 late in the fourth. We need to always make the opposing offense know that Kinnick Stadium isn’t a friendly environment. At many points, the stadium will become lackluster, especially when the game is happening on the opposite side of the student section. Iowa home games should never feel like a neutral field.

Students, don’t forget that when we get loud, the rest of the stadium is always soon to follow. If you still have your voice on Sunday, you’ve let the team down. Imagine how much fun Iowa City will be if the Hawkeyes are battling for the Big Ten Championship. Having to go a day or so with a voice that squeaks from time to time isn’t much of a sacrifice in order to help make that happen.

In its last 18 home Big Ten games, Iowa is just 10-8. That’s against what has mostly been average – at best – competition, and shows that there isn’t much of a fear going into Kinnick.

Wisconsin is going to be, by far, Iowa’s toughest contest to date. The Hawkeyes are going to need everything going their way to come out on top, and that includes the fan base. It’s up to us to force the Badgers into false starts, delay of games, miscommunications and unnecessary timeouts. Scream, go nuts and represent your school in front of a national audience to set up a potential showdown with Nebraska on Black Friday.

And then do it again.

Let’s regain what made Kinnick Stadium one of the most feared stadiums in the Big Ten just a decade ago. Back our players to fire them up from the time Back in Black sounds to when the band plays In Heaven There is no Beer. Make opposing teams get on the bus with a loss and argue about if the receiver ran the route wrong or the quarterback called the wrong play. With five seconds left, make sure whoever is visiting us has no timeouts and has to throw an unlikely Hail Mary instead of have that chance at the game-winning field goal. It’s up to us to cause these circumstances and advantages that can make or a break a game, and in some cases, a season.

On a final note, showing your disapproval for a 3^rd-and-8 halfback draw is one thing, but booing the players as they head into the locker room is another. We as fans are there to help our team feel more comfortable than the other inside the bricks of Kinnick.

When Saturday rolls around do your pregame rituals, wear your lucky sweatpants and cheer your lungs out for a Hawkeye victory.

Just make sure we’re not on offense when you do.

The post Kinnick Stadium Public Announcement: Fans need to improve! appeared first on KRUI Radio.