Coming Soon: The Miami Diaries

I'm so excited, I'm soooo exciiiiited, I'm so......scared...

2009: Iowa Football Top 10

Back in May, I compiled a list of who I thought would be the top 10 players of 2009.  Here's that post for evidence.

This is my pre-2009 list.  Not too shabby for putting it together in May.  Of course, Jewel tore his ACL and Bulaga had a "condition."

1. Bryan Bulaga

2. Amari Spievey
3. Adrian Clayborn
4. A.J. Edds
5. Pat Angerer
6. Tyler Sash
7. Ricky Stanzi
8. Ryan Donahue
9. DJK
10. Jewel Hampton

So here's the post-2009 list.

1.  Adrian Clayborn
2.  Pat Angerer
3.  Amari Spievey
4.  Tyler Sash
5.  Dace Richardson
6.  A.J. Edds
7.  Bryan Bulaga
8.  Marvin McNutt
9.  DJK
10.  Ricky Stanzi

Some clarifying points on the list:

• Adrian was a bit of reach on the pre-2009 list at #3 as he had a good, but not great 2008 season.  However, I had a feeling that he could turn into an impact player and he did just that.  Clearly the best player on the team this season.  Also, Adrian announced today he was returning for his senior season.  Merry Christmas, Hawkeye fans.  Adrian is here to deliver presents BCS titles and eat your cookies opposing teams' quarterbacks. 
• Pat Angerer is probably the least talked about, under-appreaciated first-team All-American in Hawkeye history.  Yes, everyone loves his quotes and his general demeanor.  People forget he had the 5th most tackles in the nation.  5th!
• I put Dace at 5 because he was easily the best offensive player for the first half of the season.  We probably drop a game if he wasn't in there.  He wasn't on the pre-2009 list cause no one, including me, thought he would ever play again.  Will he be a Hawkeye in 2010?
• Marvin McNutt and DJK could be in each other's spot.  DJK had more catches.  McNutt had more touchdowns.  That's the reason he gets the edge.
• Bulaga is at seven because he got abused by Brandon Graham and O'Brien Schofield in the games after coming back from the thyroid.  He still dominated at times and certainly will eventually return to form, it's just a matter if it's as a senior with the Hawkeyes or in the NFL.
• Agree?  Disagree?  Let me know.

You Just Know Norm Has This on Repeat

You may remember (but probably not) that there was only one thing to do after Iowa's Orange Bowl announcement:  rage all day to this...




...press the restart button on the raging.

Video by clarez1029

Finals Week: Rise of the Hawkeye, Decline of the Grades

Watch this while I struggle through five tests this week...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVL_5hJ9FyE

Video by herkeyhawk3

There's Only One Thing To Do In Time's Like These...

The Search for Sombreros: An Afternoon Delight

This is a story of two roommates, one of their fathers, and a burning desire to wear sombreros to Iowa's home finale against Minnesota.  Wearing sombreros not only visually states that we want and intend to go to the Party Bowl, but it piques female interest in Caucasian males disguised as Mexican rancheros.  Utilizing a photograph and a literary device called foreshadowing, we found the sombreros.

That's my roommate with the cactus.  To protect his identity, we'll call him Fred. 

The man to his left (our right) is Fred's brother, we'll call him Ryan. 

The photo-shopped man underneath him is Fred's father, we'll call him Craig.

*Scene:  2:30 pm, Friday afternoon, one day before Minnesota.  I had just finished a meeting with a CBS Executive and my last class before Thanksgiving break.  Fred and his father had just returned from the casino where Fred had won $400.  Everything was alright.

2:44 PM:  Fred and Craig pick me up to being our sombrero hunt adventure.  Obvious first stop: the mall.

3:00 PM:  We arrive at the mall parking lot.  Instantly, we watch a Jeep tailgating the rear end of a Ford Taurus driven by high school girls.  Because high school girls are the epitome of cool, they were screaming obscenities out the window.   I'm certainly not reprimanding this, I have screamed a fair share of obscenities out car windows, just not at three in the afternoon in a mall parking lot.

3:05 PM:  Fred and Craig began the sombrero search on their own because I had not yet eaten that day.  I have no idea how I hadn't passed out from hunger yet, but that's irrelevant.  Fred and Craig traveled to the stores in the mall we figured would most likely have sombreros:  Target and Hot Topic.  I chose to eat at Panda Express (Orange Chicken, yummy yummy).  Quick sidenote:  Can you even imagine if there was a Panda Express downtown?  It would trump Taco Bell in every possible way.  I would be 300 pounds and completely broke due only to late night dining.

3:20 PM:  Fred and Craig returned, only to inform me that neither of the stores had sombreros.  Label us disappointed.

3:30 PM:  Next stop, the local Salvation Army.  Although they did have a hat section, no sombreros in sight.  Also, you couldn't pay me $1000 to put on one of their stocking hats from the collection.  Yikes.

3:50 PM:  Craig said that one of the workers at Hot Topic mentioned that we should try Hobby Lobby.  Hot Topic and Hobby Lobby go together about as well as non-douchebags and Ed Hardy.  However, I had high hopes.

4:05 PM:  We arrive at Hobby Lobby.  To be honest, I have never in my life set foot in a Hobby Lobby, but I figured they have tons of useless crap in there, why not sombreros?

4:15 PM:  After searching and failing aimlessly, I approach a college aged guy regarding the whereabouts of the sombreros.  Instantly I noticed two things about said guy.  #1.  He hated his job more than I hate mine.  #2.  Hobby Lobby may be his employer the rest of his life.  I know this because when I approached him, he greeted me with a "What's up, dude?"  When I asked about sombreros, his response was "Shit, dude.  I don't know, man.  I don't think we have any.  But I'm not sure, dude." 

Although he was a moron, he led us in the weirdest and most interesting direction of the entire trip.

He mentioned that he knew of a small, Mexican grocery store located behind Taco John's.

4:35 PM:  After no less than 10 minutes of searching for the aforementioned store, we finally located a building with a "La Lupita" sign on.  Figuring this was what the Hobby Lobby duder was talking about, we discussed both the possibilities of going in the store of coming out alive.

4:40 PM:  After minutes of second guessing, we decided the need for sombreros was greater than the need for our own lives.  Upon entering the building, I see some of the most disturbing things I've seen in my time in Iowa City.  These weren't just normal, "That's sorta weird" type things.  These are like signs that are in horror movies when you know that you're screwed.  Like finding a relatives head located somewhere in your house.  Or suddenly the phone lines and your cell phone don't work - AT THE SAME TIME.  Those kind of disturbing things.  (Signs you'll die in a horror movie:  you're a young, attractive virgin, you're black, or you're stupid.  All these things mean you're dead.). 

Anyway, Craig, Fred, and I enter La Lupita.  The first thing we see is a lady with a helmet on leaving the "store."  Check.  Next, an extremely elderly gentleman who can barely walk exits.  It's like they knew we were coming in.  Check.  We notice that there is one cashier and he is standing behind a tinted, probably bulletproof glass barrier.  Check.  Finally, this wasn't actually a grocery store, but a collection of miscellaneous goods.  How the Hobby Lobby guy knew about this place is the real question.  It had everything from cowboy hats to cornflakes to marshmallows to jacks.  It was a crazy place.  Seeing no sombreros anywhere and fearing for our lives, we bolted to continue searching.

5:00 PM:  We drive across town.  We are discouraged, but not defeated.  We must have the sombreros.

5:10 PM:  Our group searches both Stuff and Goodwill only to come up short again.  Craig contemplates buying some shoes at Stuff for his wife for Christmas.  That would have ended up being the worst decision of the trip.  Please note we should have been murdered in a Mexican grocery store.  And buying your wife discounted shoes at the Stuff boutique is a worse decision.  She'll notice and you'll be in an endless hell.  Trust me, Craig.

5:30 PM:  Fully demoralized at this point, we begin discussing alternate options.  Some of them being: calling Carlos O'Kelly's to see if they rent their birthday sombreros, going into restaurants to see if they have sombreros on the walls (we did this), or trying to find a young child's birthday fiesta siesta. 

With none of these options being at all plausible, we decide that all hope is lost and it wasn't meant to be.  My mood at that point was somewhere between Ryan from the O.C. and Brock Lesnar.  I was an emotional explosion waiting to happen.

5:35 PM:  Fred is driving to our apartment.  Talk of watching the miserable Hawkeye basketball team begins.  This is the worst.

5:40 PM:  On our way home, we drive past the Aero Party and Rental Shoppe.  Craig things we should stop.  I'm pouting.  Fred agrees with Craig only because of their father-son connection.  Fred pulls the car into the lot and we hop out.  Through the window I see items I haven't seen in any of the other stores:  huge palm trees, streamers, etc.  I begin to get excited.  The excitement turns to anxiety, so I run into the store.  The lady at the counter looks at me funny, mainly because I'm 21 and running into/through the store like a child.

It was at this point that I knew this was the place.  I began laughing, slowly at first, while furiously pacing in between shelves.

Finally.  I had found them.  Sombreros stacked gloriously into the air.  My laughter turned hysterical, Fred had joined by that point too.  And I couldn't stop.  Just laughing.  We purchased six sombreros, a package of fake mustaches, and an inflatable cactus.

Mission Accomplished.

7:00 AM, the next day:  After a hard night of.....studying, our apartment begins the ritual of the trek to Kinnick.  Quick showers, Lupe Fiasco blaring, and we're off with our tickets, sombreros, and mustaches.

10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Check out -2:50 of this video.  Clearly, I was appalled at this guy.  Who wears a beret and brings a dog to a football game?  Per Mar isn't going to stand for that type nonsense.  Especially the beret.

10:00 PM, Saturday Night:  The Brother's (The bar, not the movie where everyone thinks Spiderman is dead, so Donnie Darko begins to romp with Padmé, but Spiderman isn't dead and goes apeshit.) bouncer asked if the sombrero was going to be a problem.  Obviously it was.  Obviously I answered, "Of course not."  Little did he know, my sombrero and I were about to ruin some girl's birthday.  Live and learn, bouncer.

The real lesson from this story is this:  don't be afraid to spend 3+ hours on a Friday afternoon in search of a necessity.

Dear God, please let us go to the Fiesta Bowl so we can bust out the sombreros with good and righteous reason.  I'm wearing mine to the airport.

*Photo Credits, Top to Bottom:  Quad City Times, Matthew Holst of the Iowa City Press-Citizen, The (Cedar Rapids Gazette, Des Moines Register

*Video Credits:  KCRG

*Adventure Credit:  Fred and Craig

100 Hours

As mentioned before, I have been working on this project called 100 Hours.  Though it does have it's flaws, I think it turned out really, really cool.  There's a bunch of really sweet football pictures, a football video that I did, and tons of other pictures from Halloween weekend.

Check it out

Quick Editors Note:  Life/school has been busy/hectic recently.  Since this site employes a writer of one/me, that usually means nothing gets posted.  Many apologies/sorries. 


*Photo credit to Scott Miller.  Touchdown credit to DJK.

The Turnover: Northwestern

What really happened Hawkeyeland this weekend?

Before we get to breaking down the awfulness that was Saturday, I realized that something much more devasting had happened.  While checking out the Google Diagnostics for this site for class, which by the way are super creepy and even more proof Google will soon take over the world, I found something very disturbing.  The word "mustache" is only the 63rd most common word Google found while crawling my site.  It was behind words like yards, plays, tackle, and school.  Pathetic.  This aggression will not stand, man.  I'll try to make up for it in the future.  Until then...

Mustache.  Mustache.  Mustache.  Mustache. Mustache.  Mustache.  Mustache.

There.  That should do the trick.

Welcome to Heartbreak

Godspeed Rick

Everyone who was paying attention to this team knew it was going to lose eventually.  It had too many flaws.  Too many injuries:  Richardson, Robinson, Greenwood, Bulaga, Sandeman, and more.  Too little continuity among the offensive line.  Too few guys on offense that can take over game.

The loss was probably going to happen.  That's a fact.  Maybe at Ohio State.  Maybe Minnesota.  Maybe in the Rose Bowl.  No one thought it would be at the hands of Northwestern.  Or quite literally, at the hands of Northwestern DE Corey Wooten, who planted Stanzi and the Hawk's hopes of a national title firmly in the north end zone turf.  Suddenly, Stanzi, his ankle and his gigantic-offense-leading cajones were no longer available to bail out the struggling offense.  For all his throws into quadruple coverage, four interception quarters, and general craziness, he is the the face of the offense.  His calm demeanor allows for the drive at Michigan State, the fourth quarter explosion versus Indiana.

This time Stanzi wasn't there to rescue the Hawkeyes.  Instead, he was standing on the sideline with a boot and crutches.  Standing where he'll remain for the rest of the regular season. 

Dear James...

                         VANDYBALL?

With Stanzi out for good, your Iowa Hawkeyes QB is redshirt freshman James Vandenberg.  He threw a pick on his first pass against Northwestern.  He went 9-27.  He couldn't lead the Hawkeyes to any points.  He has to make his second collegiate start against the Big 10's best defense in the Horseshoe.

All signs point to the fact that the Hawkeyes are screwed this weekend.  I don't necessarily think so.

I like Vandenburg.  A lot.  He's got a live arm, didn't get happy feet in the pocket, and threw it away when he needed to.  Of course, he missed throws I believe he can make.  The overthrows to McNutt in the endzone and to DJK on the fly can be attributed to adrenaline.  Making your first start in front of 70,000 people with a perfect season on the line would do damage to anyone's nerves.

However, Ohio State won't care one bit.  It certainly is going to be extremely difficult.  I'm excited to see what the young gun can do though.  This year, I've learned not too be surprised.

Quick Slants

                               The only good thing that happened all day. 

• 
  
  The Hawkeyes lost the turnover margin 4-1.  That can't happen against OSU.
  
  
  
• 
  
  DJK has looked good on kickoff returns.  However, he's stopped on some his routes lately.  Don't know what the deal is there.
  
  
  
• 
  
  The Rafael Eubanks holding call on Brandon Wegher's TD run was terrible.  Terrible.  Also, Wegher is ultra fast.
  
  
  
• 
  
  Here's to hoping Greenwood is back this week.  Although Conklin hasn't looked too bad in his spot, experience is everything.
  
  
  
• 
  
  Iowa will need to use their tight ends to move the ball.  They've been in helping the offensive line.  Moeaki has to be out getting double teams or making plays. 
  
  
  
• 
  
  Will Adam Robinson be back this week? It couldn't hurt.
  

*Photo credit to Matthew Holst and Dan Williamson

In Terms of Arbitrary Wishes I've Made While Blowing Out Candles On a Birthday Cake, Here's #1: Every Day SHOULD Be Saturday

That may be the longest title for a blog post in the history of mankind.  In fact, it might even be against the laws of journalsim.  Either way, erroneous.  On both counts.

Because it's Northwestern.

Anyway, it's sorta been a slow week for a variety of reasons.  The foremost being that I had three tests this week over material that, much by my own choosing, I only had mere hours to learn.  Just trying to flex some mental willpower.  Nothing to see here.  Moving on. 

The second reason is that I'm teetering on the verge of cough/runnynose/lost my voice sick and can't move sick because everyone and their mother was out Halloween.  Therefore, I budged many long lines only to not move and eventually leave because the cover for the establishment was ridiculous.  Also, I saw many moms out on Halloween.  NOT acceptable.  While mothers usually hold a bit of an attraction for because their loving, caring, and nurturing nature, a Halloween mom holds the opposite attraction.  You should be taking care of your families, not participating in college-fueled debauchery.  Shame on you.  Hi mom.

The third reason is that, as BlackHeartGoldPants puts it, it's justNorthwestern.  Or the preferred way, JUSTNorthwestern.  There's really nothing to see here.  If Kafka doesn't play, it'll be a piss pounding of epic proportions.  Which in 2009 Hawkeye terms means we'll win 21-3 and hold the lead the entire game.  If Kafka does play, he's their entire offense.  Northwestern is so boring there is nothing to write about them.  Coming from a guy who just wrote a tangent about Halloween moms, that's saying something.

As much as I like plagiarizing...

And trust me, I do.  I can't here.  The college football blog, Every Day Should Be Saturday, is genious.  Seriously, if every day could be Saturday, I would be overcome with emotion.

Anyway, this article is amazing.  Here's a taste...

   

The redemption of the Dennis Dixon curse. If anyone should be allowed to get silly early about a possible national title, it’s Oregon, who is certainly owed some back credit by the college football universe for the heinous case of Dennis Dixon and the slight flick Crazy Old Testament God gave his ACL two years ago. Without that Dixon is a clearcut Heisman winner and the Ducks’ ambition knows no bounds, so in repayment for that go ahead and look forward to the eventual gutting of whatever Big Ten team you face in the Rose Bowl. (Unless it’s Iowa, where you lose despite having 600 yards of offense and allowing less than 250 yards total to the Hawkeyes. You have no choice.)

Did you hear that, Northwestern?  You have no choice.

Plug, Void of Shame

No Turnover this week due to 3 tests and a lack of time.  I'll post something later in the week.

On a happier note, I've been working on a photo-documentary project called 100 Hours.  I'm not quite sure how the finished product will turn out, but it should turn out to be one of the cooler things I've done in college.  If you're a UI student, you can join the literally dozen readers of this site to help out the project.

For more info, the website is...  100hours.jmc.uiowa.edu

Could It Be?

I've actually been thinking about this for awhile.  Iowa 2009 = Ohio Stat 2002.  Tough defenses, unremarkable offenses, freshman running back(s), close victories.  Could it Be?

I was about to research the smilarities, recently.  Luckily for me, the great Big 10 blog The Rivalry Esq., broke it down better than I ever could have.  Here is their article.  GO TO IT!

A few of my favorite similarities they found...

1.Ohio State faced two out of conference BCS opponents in 2002. One from the Big 12 (Texas Tech) and one from the Pac 10 (Washington State). Iowa faced two out of conference BCS opponents this year. One from the Big 12 (Iowa State) and one from the Pac 10 (Arizona).

2.Ohio State rebounded from a 5-3 Big Ten Season in 2001. Iowa is rebounding from a 5-3 Big Ten Season in 2008.
 
3.Ohio State played South Carolina in the Outback Bowl in 2001. Iowa played South Carolina in the Outback Bowl in 2008.
 
9.Ohio State was ranked Fourth in the BCS Standings heading into Week 9 in 2002. Iowa is ranked Fourth in the BCS Standings heading into Week 9 this season.



10.Ohio State won six games by 7 points or less in 2002. Iowa has already won four games by 7 points or less
 
Are these similarities mere coincidinces?  You decide.  Luckily for us, it looks like there will be two games won by more than 7 points.  Thank God.  I'm going to have cardiac arrest soon if this continues.

The Turnover: Michigan State

What really happened in Hawkeye land this weekend?  hint:  spillin that MCNUTT.

Still in disbelief. 

Destiny?

There is something undeniably special going on with this Hawkeye team right now.  And I love every aspect of it.  Let's just make a list of all the things that have gone on this season so far.  In no particular order:

1. 
   
   Shonn Greene bolts to the NFL.  Running back in waiting Jewel Hampton tears his ACL in camp.  Paki O'Meara fumbles twice in the season opener against UNI.  Say hola to two freshmen:  Adam Robinson and Brandon Wegher.
   
   
   
2. 
   
   Dace Richardson.  His career was thought to be over.  Doctors had to cut his freaking knee and move it over to relieve stress.  Up until this games injury, Dace had been playing well enough to garner a mid-season 1st Team All-American Award.  More on Dace later.
   
   
   
3. 
   
   Iowa needed two consecutive blocked field goals to ward of UNI in the home opener.  TWO!!!!
   
   
   
4. 
   
   Bryan Bulaga is out for the next three games with a thyroid condition.  False rumors were his career was in jeopardy.  His replacement, Riley Reiff, plays well enough in his absence to earn a starting spot.
   
   
   
5. 
   
   The Hawkeyes put its only beatdown of the year on a mildly respectable Iowa State in Ames.  Even great Iowa teams go there to lose.  See 2002.
   
   
   
6. 
   
   Marvin McNutt has an open house party against Arkansas State.  He provides many hors d'oeuvres and his guests have a great time.
   
   
   
7. 
   
   Iowa blocks a Penn State punt in a punt-safe formation and goes on to win in Happy Valley.
   
   
   
8. 
   
   Stanzi throws a pick-six on the first offensive play of the Michigan game.  The Hawkeyes recover and oft-injured Tony Moeaki puts on a two TD clinic against Michigan.
   
   
   
9. 
   
   Iowa rallies from down 10 at Camp Randall.  John Clay, who had smashed the ball down the throat of the Hawks for the first half could have been a Hawkeye. Poor decision.
   
   
   
10. 
    
    Dick Stanzi leads Iowa on a game-winning drive at East Lansing with 1:38 left on the clock.  With :02 seconds left, he hits converted QB Marvin McNutt, for the victory.
    
    
    
11. 
    
    Only one team, in the history of the world, including of course stories from the Old Testament, has won at Happy Valley, at Camp Randall, and at East Lansing.  That, of course, was the 1997 Michigan team that shared the national championship.  Of course, there are three home games left and that one game at the Horseshoe.
    
    
    
12. 
    
    Adrian Clayborn morphed into some kind of John Randle/Bruce Smith/Reggie White/JackLinksBeefJerkeySasquatch clone this season.  He's unreal.  I pray he stays.
    
    
    

A bit of personal irony here.  I watched Saturday Night's Michigan State game in the exact same spot I watched Tate to Holloway Capitol One Bowl game.  Same town.  Same house.  Same recliner.  Same television.  Same snack food.  Best part is:  none of those "same's" are mine.  It's also exactly 220.92 miles from my apartment.  It's been a weird year.  It promises to be a weirder one.  Indiana on Halloween.

This sucks so hard.  By NCAA rules, is Dace eligible to use my leg for the remainder of the season?

Media Darlings

The Big 10 gets a terrible reputation from the ignorant national media.  They say Florida, Alabama, and Texas are the only real contenders for the national title.  They say that Iowa isn't good enough because they needed two blocked field goals to beat UNI.  Wait, but Alabama needed two blocked field goals from the Gigantic Fat to beat Tennessee. 

They'll say that Iowa is slow, not innovative, and that the Big 10 is down, etc.  These national pundits will look at 15-13 and pronounce it an ugly win.  They'll say Iowa isn't flashy enough to be ranked this high.  And I might even consider what they were saying if they weren't complete idiots.  ESPN employs Lou Holtz.  Enough said there.  Even Shaun King, who has been giving Iowa props lately, said that he "loves what Kirk Ferentz is doing down there in Des Moines." 

The matter of the fact is that this game is what Big 10 football, and football in general, is all about.  It's about a battle of wills.  It's about who can impose their physicality until the other team breaks. It's about toughness.  I would love to see a team from the warmth of the SEC or Pac-10 play Iowa in the middle of November where the wind chill is -14 degrees.  Let's see how "speed" those teams have then.

This game was the epitome of Big 10 football.  Hard hits every play that could be heard on the TV.  Great line play.  Goal line stands.  Michigan State is the first team that has not wilted, but matched, when met with the Hawkeyes' physicality.  It wasn't the prettiest, but it was nowhere near boring.  Dare I say...slobberknocker?

The victory didn't come without a price though.  Colin Sandeman was knocked out.  Brett Greenwood had to be carted off the field.  Dace Richardson broke a bone in his leg.  Adam Robinson was on crutches post-game.  Brandon Wegher didn't play much of the first half with a rib injury.  I'm sure plenty of other Hawks woke up very sore Sunday morning.

The worst news is Dace.  As mentioned before, he was easily our most versatile and consistent lineman.  He played right tackle against UNI and both guard spots throughout the year.  Most people, including me, thought his career was over with.  He's been the feel good story of the year thus far.  If there's an individual that embodies what being a Hawkeye is all about, especially this year, it's Dace Richardson.  Never quit, never give up, and play until you run out of time.  Well, time has officially run out on Dace for this season.  Maybe he gets back for the bowl game.  Maybe not.  He sure does deserve it though.

Julian Vandervelde will step in to Dace's right guard spot.  The line from left to right will be:  Bulaga, Reiff, Eubanks, Vandervelde, Calloway.

The running back two deeps will probably go Wegher, O'Meara.  Pak-man is back!  Keenan Davis and the Great One, Marvin McNutt, will get more reps in Sandeman's absence.  The man you saw on your screen failing to make many plays in the absence of Brett Greenwood, was #20 Joe Conklin.  He's a walk-on from Iowa State.  So it is entirely possible he could have been trying to throw the game...only kidding.  Don't underestimate how hard it is to come into your first game cold.  It's incredibly difficult.  But he bit on the hook and ladder (amazing play) and then was the closest guy to Blair White on what was supposed to be the game-winning TD.  I'm sure a week of practice will do him wonders, but you can't instantly replace a 2-year starter.  Hawk fans bag on Greenwood more than any other player on the team, but his absence was noticeable.

The Manzi is a rock star.  Very similar to The Edge.

Quick Slants

• Iowa is 8-0 for the first time EVER.  EEEEVVVVEEEEERRRR!!!!!!!!!!  Seriously, think about it.  EVER.
• The offensive line finally played as a unit this game.  Bulaga and Calloway are returning to form.  That's scary to think that two of Iowa's best offensive players haven't been playing that well.  It's no coincidence that A-Rob went over 100 yards this game.
• If you split the season into 4-game 1/3's, the last four is, on paper, the easiest.  Three games at home to lower tier Big 10 teams, then the game @ Ohio State.  If Iowa has come this far with this brutal schedule, it would be absolutely crushing to lose one of the three at home.
• Adrian Clayborn was named Big 10 Defensive Player of the Week.  No surprise there.  He had two sacks, three TFL's, and one forced fumble.  Always impressive.
• Greg Jones was insane and should win Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year.
• This weekend:  We are all Cowboys.

*Photo credit to Dan Williamson of the Press-Citizen

The Turnover: Wisconsin

What really happened in Hawkeyeland Madtown this weekend?

A.J. Edds plays for God's team.

Madtown

Being that this was my first real road trip to a Big 10 stadium that wasn't Kinnick ( I think we can all agree Minnesota doesn't count), I knew that the weekend was worth reviewing in every aspect.  So, we'll start with the most important part:  tailgating.

...Or lack, thereof.  I knew we weren't in Iowa City when some friends of friends from Madison asked us what time we wanted to wake up.

"So, uh, what time do you guys wanna get up?  Sometime around 9, get to the stadium around 9:45.  Sound good?"

Actually, that didn't work for us.  Sorry.  We expressed our disinterest in their plan by cracking some fan cans at their breakfast.  Social norms were chucked out the window that morning.  Anyway, we arrived by the stadium at 8:30 am, only to find a barren wasteland of tailgating.  Sure, there are some spots of diehards, fraternity row, and some bars near the stadium.  It was clear, however, that Wisconsin tailgating doesn't even come close to Iowa City's.  We're on a different level, get used to it.  Tailgating Grade:  D

After a few hours of non-tailgating, we decided to check out Camp Randall.  For as lame as the tailgating was, the stadium was very cool.  I believe it's one of the oldest in the Big 10.  It's attached to the old Wisconsin Fieldhouse, so it's got a nice, historic feel to it.

This inside was bowl-shaped and gigantic.  Stadium capacity is around 80,000, plenty of seats for those cheese-loving, brat-eating fans.  The concourse inside was pretty cool too, featuring a Wisconsin apparrel store and typical set-ups of some Wisconsin football history. Stadium Grade:  A-

One of the things I was most interested to find out during the trip was the student section.  We had tickets for some south endzone seats.  Naturally, we  mosied our way over to the middle of the student section.  Now, had some Wisconsin fan done this, I would have incessantly harrassed him to the point where he wouldn't be sure if standing in an opposing student section was a good idea.  However, the most we got were some good-hearted jabs, even when the Hawks were down 10-0.  The real insult came when some orange starbursts were chucked at us, because no one likes orange starbursts.  It probably helped that my buddy Lundt and I run about 6'5 and 6'2 respectively. 

The student section, even if it was gigantic, didn't fill up until halfway through the second quarter and were never that loud.  Even the people that managed to show up by kickoff were borderline mentally incompotent.  A balding guy who was standing in front of us and couldn't have possibly been in college, unless he was an engineer, commented after John Clay ripped off a 6-yard run on the second play, "I thought your defense was supposed to be good."  Nice sample size, buddy.

They had organized cheers:  some were alright, some were terrible.  Especially the repeat of the PA "1st and 10 Wisconsin."  I'd rather hear "That's another Cyclone, FIRST DOWN!!!!!" then hear "firstandtenwisconsin" again.  That's how bad it was. 

Of course, their one redeeming moment was Jump Around.

Naturally, I missed jump around by one second.

Student Section Grade:  C-

Or course, after the Hawks did whatever they do in the second-half and escaped Camp Randall with the W, it was time to celebrate.  We went to State Street both Friday and Saturday night, exploring a number of bars along the way:  the Kollege Klub (which I snuck into cause the bouncers sucked), Brat Haus, Brothers, Wando's, the Pub, the Red Shed, and a few others I can't remember the names of. 

Wando's

Although downtown Iowa City is way better, Madison held it's own.  We spent most of nights at Brothers and Wando's and had enough fun at both places.  The real winner here is the Buffalo Wild Wings that is located downtown and open really late.  On both nights, I put down a combined 32 Honey BBQ boneless wings.  Moderation was not a theme of the weekend.  Also, there were police on horses.  Cool in it's own regard.

Nightlife Grade:  B+

One-armed tackles:  just another weapon in Adrian's arsenal

Quick Slants

• 
  
  This was Stanzi's best game by far.  He was in control, made great throws all day despite the lack of running game, and most importantly, won.  Stats:  17-32, 218 yards, 1 TD.  No INT's.  If he plays this way the rest of the season, Iowa could be a legitimate national title contender.
  
  
  
• 
  
  DJK is back with the program.  Thank God.  Marvin McNutt saw limited playing time because of an injured finger.  He should be back for Michigan State.
  
  
  
• 
  
  Daniel Murray sealed the game with a career-long 48 yard field goal.
  
  
  
• 
  
  Brandon Wegher averaged .1 YPG.  Mostly not his fault (looking at you offensive line), but ouch.
  
• Iowa is 7-0 for the first time since 1985  The hold sole possession of first in the Big 10 for the first time since 1990.
  
• The defense was getting absolutely worked in the first half by John Clay and the Wisky O-Line.  I have no idea why they went away from this in the second half.
  
• Iowa's defense injured some of the most important Wisky players:  John Clay, Garrett Graham, and probably more.  This defense is too good.
  
• Amari Spievey was a game-time decision.  Good thing he played because he had his best game this season with two picks.
  
• Iowa Football is affecting my life:  schoolwork, free time, weekends, sleep, everything.  I'm loving this season.
  

No Turnover: Michigan

Because life has insisted on repeatedly slapping my face for the majority of the upcoming week, the Turnover has been canceled due to lack of hustle.  And time.  UGH.

Of course there is this.  From fossilhawk at BHGP

Quick Slants

• 
  
  The aptly-named Michigan CB Boubocar Cissoko ceases play after being suspended indefinitely.
  
  
  
• 
  
  Another Stanzi pick six.  Yiiiikes
  
  
  
• 
  
  Going into the game, I thought Ryan Donahue was clearly the best punter in the Big 10.  Clearly, I was mistaken.  Michigan punter Zoltan Mesko was impressive all game, including a 61-yard beezy.
  
  
  
• 
  
  Denard Robinson is really, really fast.  Like 4.26 fast.  Good thing he can't pass at all.
  
  
  
• 
  
  The Hawkeyes are 6-0 for the first time since 1985.  Iowa is now ranked 11th going into Wisconsin.
  
  
  
• 
  
  Big 10 Offensive Player of the Week:  Tony Moeaki.  Six passes, 105 yards, two touchdowns.  Not too shabby for his first game back.  Obviously, this guy is a physical freak.  The key is just staying healthy.  Although not yet on the injured listed, Hawkeye House expects him to be back for the Ohio State game and the bowl game.
  
  
  
• 
  
  Speaking of Moeaki, Stanzi made a great audible for a well-designed play on Moeaki's first touchdown.  Stanzi read all out blitz and audibled.  Moeaki blocked for a second, let the linebacker covering him rush Stanzi, and then released up the seam.  Beautiful.
  
  
  
• 
  
  The defense finally allowed a rushing touchdown for the first time since Penn State last year.  This was the type of stat that, although very impressive, doesn't mean much.  Especially since Michigan had three rushing touchdowns.
  
  
  
• 
  
  Tate Forcier is a little girl.
  
  
  
• 
  
  Kinnick looked gorgeous from the blimpshots.
  
  
  
• 
  
  All around, it was a massive, massive weekend.
  
  
  

Could you define...Desperate?

Per the Gazette

A 22-year-old woman was arrested for harassing a Hawkeye football player during Saturday’s game.

According to a criminal complaint, Brittney J. Mears, of 2748 Heinz Rd., was sitting in the first row, behind the Hawkeyes’ bench, during Saturday’s Iowa-Arkansas State game at Kinnick Stadium when she repeatedly called out Hawkeye defensive end Adrian Clayborn’s name throughout the first three quarters.

Though Clayborn’s name was not listed in the police complaint, Clayborn filed a protective order against Mears this morning in Johnson County District Court, referencing the incident.

After Clayborn said he was “distracted and annoyed,” by Mears’ actions, police said she was removed from the stadium and charged with third-degree harassment, a simple misdemeanor.

According to court documents, the alleged contact from Mears began on June 28, when she was given a warning for harassment for driving past Clayborn’s workplace and staring at him. And on July 27, she sent a vulgar text message to Clayborn’s phone.

According to Iowa Courts Online, Mears initially pleaded not guilty to the third-degree harassment charge, but later entered a plea of guilty on Sept. 18 and received a deferred judgment.

The court records show she Mears was fined $100 and sentenced to 10 hours of community service. She also received a year of probation.

Mears remained in custody Wednesday at the Johnson County Jail on a $1,000 cash-only bond. Her trial is set for Nov. 13 at 9 a.m.

To say the least, it's been an interesting year for Adrian.

The Turnover: Arkansas State

What really happened in Hawkeyeland this weekend?

Stanzi likes his loincloths

The Hangover

I had one.  The Hawkeyes had one.  Everyone and their mother had a hangover Saturday morning.  Smack-dab in between two ABC Primetime games was pesky Arkansas State.  This was a trap game in every sense of the term.  Even Captain Kirk went as far as acknowledging it.  The Hawkeyes are very lucky that this was a Sun Belt team and not a Big 10 team, cause the performance was certainly lackluster. 

Iowa jumped out to a 14-0 lead very early in the game and coasted through the rest of the game.  This game was eerily similar to the Purdue game of last year.  Iowa had just come off a victory Penn State.  Iowa was playing an inferior opponent.  Iowa escaped with a victory.  Sound familiar?  Last year, Shonn Greene made Purdue safety Frank Duong his mistress, twice.  This year, Stanzi mixed in 296 yards passing with three long touchdown passes to go along with two interceptions; one of those picks scored six points for other team.  No good.

Spillin' it all over Arkansas State

Spill that McNutt

Marvin McNutt finally did what all Hawkeye fans thought he was very capable of:  take over a game and be a BIG TIME receiver.  4 catches, 121 yards, 2 touchdowns.  Hopefully, this can continue during the rest of the Big 10 slate.  He's big, fast, and has great hands.  The more he plays, the better. 

Plus, he recovered the onside kick that essentially sealed the victory.  Versatility.

To be honest, I only wrote this in a seperate section because I wanted to write that headline.  Colour me immature. 

There is no way Leonard didn't have an accident in his drawers.  Terrifying.

The Cool

Frankly, this game was boring.  Really boring.  I don't know if it was the opponent, the lack of exciting plays, the weather, but it was one of the least exciting games I've ever been to.  Ever.  The game was never quite out of reach and never quite in jeopardy.  There's not really much to take from a trap game like this.

However, just when I thought the Saturday couldn't get any worse, this kid starts dancing and totally redeems itself. 

This was one of the coolest, non-football related things in Kinnick.  Myself, along with 20,000 other people in Kinnick, were in absolute bits watching him.  I hope and pray that this becomes a half-time ritual.  This kid will become a legend on campus. In fact, he probably already is.

Quick Slants

• Tyler Sash collected his 5th interception of the season.  It's getting a little out of hand.
• Bulaga played well the entire game.  Despite that, the running game couldn't get going.
• Iowa has the second-longest winning streak, behind only Florida.
• College Gameday will be at LSU-Florida thanks to Michigan losing and the Hawks playing poorly.
• Willie Lowe got picked on pretty bad most of the game.  Shaun Prater should return from a sprained knee this weekend.  Moeaki should return to action against Michigan, only to be re-injured instantly.
• Despite the plea, Karl Klug was not brought out in a cage.  Disappointed.
• Next weekend is a BLACKOUT.  A push for a Gold Rush through an athletic department poll was ignored.  The choice does make a bit of sense.  It'll be decently chilly for the game.  More people have black coats than gold coats.  Personally, gold would look better at night.  But if everyone participates, the BLACKOUT should be sweeeeeet.   

*Photo credit to Dan Williamson of the Press-Citizen

Bumped from the comments section due to Incredible-ness

Much love to "Anonymous" for the picture.  Pretty sterotypical username though.

Bulaga is Back!

To Health! And a regulated thyroid!  Cheers!

It's official.

The Hawkeye's All-American Candidate will be back in the starting line-up this weekend against Arkansas State.  Arkansas State is the Arkansas equivilant of Iowa State.  Except it's in Arkansas, so it's, you know, considerably worse.  If you had told any Hawkeye fan that Bulaga would be out during the stretch of @ ISU, vs. Arizona, @ Penn State, they likely would have responded OMG WERE SCRWED FIRE KOK CAN NE1 BLOCK?  

Per Kirk's press conference today, Bulaga had a thyroid condition.  Like Kirk said, if it happened on some garbage day in February (paraphrasing, of course) this would almost be a non-issue (aside from Bryan getting healthy in the Winter, rather than now).  However, as it stands, the great left tackle is back and will hopefully be paving defensive ends in the near future.  It'll be very interesting to see how he plays the first week back.

Implications

The odd man out is the Philly Steak Pita Riley Reiff.  For the last three weeks, Reiff has erased all thoughts about the Pita Pit streaking (though I'll never forget.  EPIC) and manhandled players much older than him in seriously difficult environments.  Although I expected there to be a gigantic drop-off after Bulaga went down, Reiff performed admirably considering the circumstances.  The only way a gigantic drop-off doesn't happen when an All-American candidate goes down is when another one is awaiting in the wings.  Although Reiff is the odd man out now, he's a damn good backup for a line that goes like this:  Bulaga, Richardson, Eubanks, Vandervelde, Calloway.  Iowa will win a lot of games this year based on the play of both lines.

Now that Bulaga has missed three games this season, it's entirely possible that he returns for his senior season.  His draft stock probably hasn't taken that big of a hit, but perhaps a bit of one.

The offensive line now has even more depth with game experience:  Reiff, Andy Kuempel, Josh Koeppel, Adam Gettis, and Dan Doering.  It's like the free CinnaPie Papa John's throws in with their 2-topping large.  Never, ever a bad thing.  And always useful. 

Other Notes:

Adrian Clayborn is now a captain after his insane performances against Penn State and Arizona.  He also got some beard time on the Big 10 Network.

Clayborn had the best quote on DT Karl Klug, "Karl Klug is an animal.  Next game we're going to bring him in a cage."  Let me just interject, while this is my own opinion, THAT WOULD BE SO FREAKING SWEET.  Put caged Klug on the platform the cheerleading bro's carry Herky out on, then set him in the middle of the field and watch him bend steel.

America Needs Farmers

Not a lightning bolt.

Have you been noticing that decal the Hawks have been wearing this season?  The decal isn't new, but I'm glad it's back.  As you can see from the picture, it says "ANF" which stands for "America Needs Farmers."  The NCAA has some crazy stupid rules (go figure) about decals on helmets that deal with advertising or promotion.  Iowa officials must have found a loophole in the system.  Either way, I hope it's here to stay.

Some History

From the immaculately reliable Wikipedia:

The Michigan Wolverines came into Iowa City with a perfect 5-0 record and the #2 ranking in the AP poll. It was just the 12th time in college football history that the #1 and #2 ranked teams in the AP poll would meet for a regular season game. It was the first such meeting where the victor scored the winning points on the game's final play. With two seconds remaining in the game and Iowa trailing 10-9, kicker Rob Houghtlin booted his fourth field goal of the day, this one from 29 yards out, as time expired to give Iowa a dramatic 12-10 victory over Michigan at Kinnick Stadium. Fry used the pregame attention to highlight the farm crisis in the state of Iowa at the time by putting ANF decals on Iowa's helmets, which stood for "America Needs Farmers."

Knowlege is power.