Hawkeye Report Podcast

A lot of ground to cover this week on the podcast and much of it involves the quarterback position for the Iowa Football team. First, we take one final look back at the Northwestern game and what we saw there and the play of Brendan Sullivan.  Then we look at everything that has happened since the game on Saturday that includes a new depth chart that includes Sullivan as the starter and doesn't include Cade McNamara. We discuss McNamara suffering a concussion and how he will miss this week and will almost certainly be questionable for next week at UCLA as he goes through the protocols. Then there is a potential injury to Marco Lainez, who was listed as the starter, which would elevate Jackson Stratton as the Iowa backup quarterback this week. Who would be Iowa's third stringer this weekend? We have that news on the pod.  Then we preview the game against Wisconsin. What have we seen from the Badgers? Are they a decent team who has beaten bad teams and struggled when they step up in class? What have we seen thi

This week on the Chuck Long Podcast we review his weekend in Iowa City as the Grand Marshal of the homecoming parade before getting down to talking Iowa Football.  Of course we open with the change at the quarterback position. What did Chuck see from Cade McNamara before he threw the pick six and was he simply never the same after he took that big hit at the end of the first quarter?  Then we discuss what Chuck saw from quarterback Brendan Sullivan once he took over in the middle of the second quarter. What did Sullivan do well and how did he do throwing the football? How much of an impact did his mobility have on how Iowa was able to get their offense rolling in the third quarter?  We look at the new two deeps released on Monday that have Sullivan starting and McNamara not on it, assuming he is dealing with concussion symptoms. What will this week be like in terms of prep for Sullivan and how will it be different being at the top of the depth chart?  Also, we talk Iowa's peformance on defense and the great d

It's the recap and reaction version of the podcast. Tom Kakert flying solo in this one talking about the Hawkeyes convincing win over Northwestern on Saturday afternoon. Does Iowa have a full fledged quarterback controversy or was it already decided today in the win over the Wildcats? What did Kaleb Johnson say that should have cemented what Iowa does moving forward and what might Kirk Ferentz do? Then we talks about the Hawkeye special teams and a great day for punter Rhys Dakin and return man Kaden Wetjen, who finally took one to the house fo a score. Finally we wrap up the football side of things with a look at the Iowa defense. We knew they would rebound and they did on Saturday, holding the Wildcat offense in check.  Then we turn our attention to basketball and recap what we learned from the exhibition game against Minnesota Duluth. The three big man proven players, but it was an uneven performance by the point guard position. What were the highlights and concerns coming out of the game?  You can also ta

It's going to be a busy weekend of Hawkeye sports and the podcast previews all of it. We open the podcast by discussing the Kirk Ferentz presser from Tuesday and standing by Cade McNamara as the starting quarterback for the Hawkeyes. Also Kirk's comments about who makes those decisions...hint...it's not Kirk. We also talk about the Hawkeyes struggle with tackling and how they should bounce back this week.  We then preview the game against Northwestern. We detail that the Wildcats are headed to Iowa City with several key players who will be sidelined due to injuries. Is this a great bounce back spot for Iowa against a poor pass defense put out there by the Wildcats? Then we move to more global thoughts on Iowa football and how this team will finish up the season in the final five games of the year and is Iowa State's success influencing some of the Iowa fan frustration?  Finally we talk recruiting news, preview the Iowa men's hoops team playing an exhibition game on Friday night and we want to see from that ga

The Hawkeyes played poorly in East Lansing on Saturday night and we discuss it from all the angles on the Chuck Long Podcast. We open by looking at Iowa's struggles on defense and specifically tackling. What happened on that front to make them vulnerable in the run game and what can Phil Parker do at one of the two cornerback positions moving forward? Then we move over to the offensive side of the ball and the struggles of Cade McNamara throwing the ball on a consistent basis. What were the thoughts on the playcalling of Tim Lester and why was it a struggle to move to the ball in the first half. Should Iowa look to Brendan Sullivan as an option for a few series and see how that goes for the offense?  We look at Iowa facing Northwestern and give some thoughts on the Hawkeyes overall national stats, particularly on defense and what is concerning on that front. Plus we talk about the Wildcats this season and how they have performed. Could this be a game where Iowa throws the football more? After that we move on

It's a little later than we had hoped, but a lot of ground to cover in this post game podcast. We open with a look back at the Hawkeyes ugly road loss at Michigan State. What went so wrong on Saturday night in East Lansing? We start with the Iowa offense and their struggles in the first half with just 58 yards of total offense. Then they improved in the second half scoring 20 points. Iowa fans are calling for a change with Cade McNamara being benched? Will that happen? If not, why not?  The real surprise was Iowa's defense struggling to the level it did with tackling. What caused that struggle to happen? Why could they not get off the field at any point in the game? What could or should Iowa do at the other cornerback position after the struggles they experienced on Saturday? Then we look at one of the big news items of the week and that is Chris Doyle breaking his four year silence to speak for an interview. What did we think of the interview? What did we think of what the former Iowa strength and conditioni

This week on the podcast we open talking about the win over Washington. Once last look at the game and why it might be important to this team since they played the full sixty minutes and did so in all three phases of the game.  Then we move on to preview the contest against Michigan State. They have a very talented quarterback in Aidan Chiles, but he is also turnover prone so far this year. We discuss what we have seen from the Spartans on both sides of the ball. Why their rush defense might be a problem for them going up against Kaleb Johnson in this game.  We move on to talk more college football. There was a second half of the Big Ten projection this week that says Iowa finishes in a four way tie for first in the Big Ten regular season. How realistic is that result? We look at the ESPN FPI to see how difficult the remaining games are this year and rank them from toughest to easiest.  After that we move on to talk some college basketball. The Ken Pom rankings for this year are out and Iowa is ranked higher

This week on the Chuck Long Podcast, we open the show not talking Iowa football. If you are interested in helping kids in the Quad Cities at the Children's Therapy Center, please hit the link and buy a raffle ticket. You could win $5000! GiveButter.com/QrtgES Now on to Hawkeye Football. We have a lot to cover. Iowa beat Washington. We look back at the Iowa offense and their success. Starting with the recording setting running of Kaleb Johnson. Long discusses the ways that Tim Lester and Iowa and giving many different looks in their run game and how they get him the ball in the passing game. Speaking of the passing game, what about the play of Cade McNamara? What did he do well on Saturday? We also talk about the defense for the Hawkeyes, along with the great day for the Iowa special teams unit.  Then we move on to preview the game against Michigan State. What do we think of the Spartans and how concerning are their with exciting young quarterback Aidan Chiles, who also has issues with turning the football ove

Iowa came out and took care of business on Saturday afternoon at Kinnick Stadium. The Hawkeyes rolled, particularly in the second half on their way to a 40-16 victory and it was also the 200th win at Iowa for Hawkeye head coach Kirk Ferentz. In our post game podcast we discuss the significance of the victory for Kirk Ferentz. It's #200 and that means a lot to him and his player. We talk about the players reaction and what they said about their head coach after the game.  We also get into the game and how this was their most complete game of the year. For the first time it was the full sixty minutes and not one half significantly better than the other. What did we see from the Iowa offense? In particular, the running of Kaleb Johnson, who seemingly can't be stopped even when you know he is running the football. We also look at the performance of Cade McNamara and what he did well in the game.  We also discuss the defense and special teams. We talk about the pass rush making an impact and making life tough for

(Please note, we had some audio issues at the end of the podcast. Sorry for the abrupt end to things) In this edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast, Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann discuss what we learned at Iowa women's basketball media day. It was a busy day talking with the Iowa women's players and head coach Jan Jensen about the upcoming season. We discuss the potential lineup for the Hawkeyes and how there might be a true freshman starter this season. We also look at the impact that Lucy Olsen is having on this team and how it might be impacted by Hannah Stuelke missing part of the summer and Syd Affolter missing time leading up to the start of the season.  We look at the freshman class and who might contribute. Who might be the backup point guard and how that answer could eventually change with a point guard getting healthy enough to play this season. We also discuss how the outside world of college basketball might be underestimating this Iowa team heading into the season.  Kyle also discusses the Iowa so

It was an unexpected busy day for those of us covering Iowa athletics. Before we dive into Iowa basketball media day news and notes, we open talking about the Hawkeye football team. More specifically, we discuss the departure of Kaleb Brown and Leshon Williams.  We dive into their performances last year and how we got to today where they followed the trend of players participating in less than four games and finding a new school by entering the portal. Were there hints that either were unhappy and looking to leave? Then we discusst the actual game in Columbus and how Iowa kept it close in the first half by creating a couple of turnovers and then delivering a class in how to let a close game turned into a blowout by three turnovers in the second quarter.  We look at the upcoming game against Washington. Is this a great spot for the Hawkeyes? What about the travel issue for teams either on the west coast traveling east or the east coast  traveling west. Finally we wrap up with a wide ranging and extended discus

Time to review the Hawkeyes last game and look ahead to this week with Chuck Long on the podcast. We open looking back at the loss to Ohio State. How did Iowa let the game get away from them in the second half with turnovers? We also discuss the decision by Kirk Ferentz to punt on 4th and 1 in the second quarter from midfield and if that was the right one.  We also dive into the play of Cade McNamara. He had three turnovers in the contest and has not thrown a touchdown pass against a power four opponent this season. What should Iowa do with the quarterback situation? Should they consider at move to Brendan Sullivan this week after he ran for 30 yards and led Iowa to a late score? Then we discuss the Hawkeyes struggles against ranked opponents the last few seasons? Is it because of the impact of NIL or are there other reasons why the Hawkeyes have had poor performances against ranked foes?  Before we pick the biggest games on a loaded college football schedule, we look at the Big Ten and how teams traveling mo

It's a jam packed edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast.  First, if you aren't a subscriber to the Hawkeye Report website, we have a special 50% off this week running until Sunday. Just hit the link and enter the code HAWKS  https://www.on3.com/teams/iowa-hawkeyes/join/ We start the podcast discuss the breaking news of a new commitment. Iowa lands 2026 quarterback Cash Herrera from San Diego. What do we know about the three star prospect? We discuss his skill set and also the quarterback position moving forward. Will Iowa hit the portal after this season? Then we preview Iowa vs. Ohio State. It's a very talented Buckeye team that the Hawkeyes will be facing. We break it all down from both sides of the ball and discuss if there is a path for Iowa to pull an upset. Can Iowa move the ball against the Buckeyes? We look at what Michigan State did last week against Ohio State in the first half.  We move to hoops and discuss men's basketball recruiting and why Iowa has missed on some targets in the last two weeks. W

Coming off a bye week, we didn't have an actual game to discuss on the Chuck Long Podcast, so we caught up with a great former Hawkeye to talk about his career and what he thinks of this year's Iowa football team.  Joining us is former Iowa running back Tavian Banks. His name has been mentioned quite a bit recently with the hot start to the season by Kaleb Johnson. Back in 1997, Banks had an even hotter start to the season in the first four games before traveling to Ohio State. We look back at his hot start that season and his thoughts on Johnson, who has seen on a limited basis this fall.  We also talk to Banks about his current job with the Des Moines YMCA and what that is like on a daily basis. We also discuss Banks and his prep career and love of soccer as a kid, along with his recruiting process, and perhaps the best Iowa high school game ever against Iowa City High and Tim Dwight.  Then we pick several college football game, including Iowa vs Ohio State before wrapping up the podcast. 

A little bit of everything this week on the podcast. We open with Iowa football talk and close with men's hoops and a little bit of Caitlin Clark discussion.  First, the Iowa football talk opens the show. We take one final look back at the Hawkeyes win over the Gophers and how Iowa was scratching where it itched on Saturday night in Minneapolis. Those words came from Hawkeye offensive coordinator Tim Lester, who met with the media this week.  We move on to discuss what Lester said about Cade McNamara and how positive he was about his development, even on a day when he threw for just 62 yards. We also talk about Lester being overruled on taking deep shots last week and who might have done that, plus why fans need to continue to be patient with the offense. We also discuss Phil Parker talking about the Iowa defense and stats he rattled off to support his group. Finally we discuss Levar Woods and his comments about the top end length of Drew Stevens field goal range.  The we look at if we still feel good about I

The Hawkeyes headed into a bye week with a convincing victory over Minneosta. We visit with former Iowa quarterback Chuck Long about what he saw on Saturday night as the Hawkeyes pulled away for a comfortable win over Minnesota.  We get Long's view of the Iowa offense that continues to be inconsistent at times, but is riding the amazing performances of Kaleb Johnson, who leads the country in rushing. Long goes into great detail about how Iowa is doing it with their middle zone run game each and every Saturday.  Then we talk about Tim Lester and his comments on Tuesday at the coordinators press conference. We talk about the use of scripted plays and some of the comments Lester made about scratching where it itches when it comes to plays working for the Iowa offense on Saturday.  Lester also talked about Cade McNamara and his performance. Was Lester right to say that McNamara played his best game this past Saturday? We also dive into Lester talking about how he evaluates quarterbacks and if they were similiar t

The Iowa Hawkeyes used a 24 point second half to rally past Minnesota and reclaim Floyd of Rosedale on Saturday night. Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo fired up the podcast machine late on Saturday night to recap the significant win for the Hawkeyes.  We look back another amazing performance by running back Kaleb Johnson. He gave full credit after the game, as he did all season, to his offensive line and what they are doing up front. But, is he also in one of those special zones as a back? After giving up 14 points in the second quarter and falling behind the Gophers going into the break, how important was Iowa's first drive of the second half that tied the game? It seemed to certainly inspire the defense as well as they allowed just 66 yards of total offense after the break.  We also look at the overall state of the offense. Cade McNamara said after the game that while they are happy with the win, they know they have plenty to work on in the passing game during the bye week. Also, just how important was this win

We have a special edition of the podcast as we are joined by Iowa women's wrestling head coach Clarissa Chun. Tom Kakert and Tanner LaFever discuss a variety of topics with Coach Chun, starting with building a program from the ground floor and how she has done that and what she learned along the way.  We also discuss the growth of women's wrestling on a national and local level and what that means to her, having a pair of the top wrestlers in the country show up in her program this summer to be part of the team, the impact of the new wrestling facility on the program and how attracting talent to Iowa City creates and iron sharpening iron mentality in the program.  Also we look at the development of the Iowa women's wrestling club and support that they are starting to provide along with athletes seeking out developing their own NIL opportunities at Iowa. 

It's Floyd of Rosedale week for the Hawkeye football team. Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo take one final look back at the win over Troy and more importantly the stats for the Iowa offense so far this season, which are pretty good. We also discuss what Kirk Ferentz had to say about potentially expanding the package run by Brendan Sullivan along the goal line and if it could be included on short yardage plays outside the red zone.  Then we dive into the game against Minnesota. What are some of the most significant keys for the Hawkeyes in this game? We dive into what we know about Minnesota so far? What are some general thoughts about their new quarterback? They have pitched a shutout the last two games and intercepted seven passes this season. What are they doing on defense and can we learn anything from their most recent opponent that they beat 27-0, who beat Iowa's most recent opponent earlier this year? Then we talk some basketball recruiting. We discuss the recent commitment from Navon Shabazz to the Hawkeye

A great new Chuck Long Podcast this week. We go deep into the weeds on Iowa football on a variety of fronts with the legendary Hawkeye quarterback. First we start with the win over Troy and we open with a discussion surrounding the big plays that the Iowa defense has given up the last two weeks. What can be done there and how concerning is it moving forward? Then we slide over to the offense and start with a discussion of Brendan Sullivan having a package of plays around the goal line. Was it a good move and should it be potentially be expanded to use in some short yardage situations in other areas on the field? We look at some of the impressive....yes impressive growth in the Iowa offense and their national stats, particularly the ground game. We compare what Kaleb Johnson is doing to what Shonn Greene did in 2008 when he set the single season mark for an Iowa player and the start of Tavian Banks back in 1997 and make a comp to an NFL player to Johnson. Plus why the ground game is working well.  After that w