It is almost August - time for camp news

[uihawk82]

We are heading into the month of more heat and humidity, low winds and sticky nights, and of course Hawkeye football camp. This is when it gets fun for the hawk fans and college fb fans in general. I and others await a lot of news coming from camp about which players are on the upswing, how the position battles are going, and whether some younger players can or might make an impact. Before we know it the games will be here and by week 3 or 4 there will be a bit more crispness in the morning air and temperatures and there will be that feeling of dryness that accompanies Autumn returning. Just a great time of year in Iowa and along with it comes football.

I am looking forward to information about who will be the top two running backs, whether the Off Line seems to be run blocking better, and how Stanley and the WRs and new TEs are clicking. Also, what will be the news about Nixon and the D LIne backups.

What are your big items to look for in camp?

 

[DDThompson]

Before we get to camp news, I’ve recorded the BTN’s Iowa Classic football games to watch in August prepping for the season and I have s few questions:

1) who in the heck chooses these games?

2) why would any “classic” have a losing Iowa team at all unless maybe they upset a #1 or #2 ranked team much less against a meh team (like 2007 MSU)

3) why show the 2018 Nebby game where we let them back in the game instead of the blowouts the couple years before?

4) Pittsburgh at Iowa 2010 a classic a decade later? WHY?


Just stretching the complaining muscles....

 

[homes]

Before we get to camp news, I’ve recorded the BTN’s Iowa Classic football games to watch in August prepping for the season and I have s few questions:

1) who in the heck chooses these games?

2) why would any “classic” have a losing Iowa team at all unless maybe they upset a #1 or #2 ranked team much less against a meh team (like 2007 MSU) Good question, ask the answer to No. 1.

3) why show the 2018 Nebby game where we let them back in the game instead of the blowouts the couple years before? Because the Big Ten so wants Nebraska to be relevant, while waiting for hell to freeze over.

4) Pittsburgh at Iowa 2010 a classic a decade later? WHY? They meant to show the 2015 game, but loaded the wrong game, and when they discovered it they thought, rather than changing it - what's the point, no one other than Iowa fans will give a damn, just run it.


Just stretching the complaining muscles....

 

[AreWeThereYet]

So what day does camp start.

 

[DDThompson]

Well done. Thanks for the laughs

 

[Lumberman]

NFL camps are going and Hockenson is getting rave reviews each day. Hasn’t dropped a pass, runs terrific routes and he and Stafford have been “unguardable” on the red zone deep corner route, that Hock always comes down with.

He is changing the attitude about his pick with Detroit fans already. They weren’t happy with him being the pick in round because Detroit tried that and failed a couple of times in the recent past.

 

[kameltoez102]

The only camp news I care about is that there were no injuries, or at the very least no serious injuries. Iowa cannot afford to lose anyone early in the season

 

[Lumberman]

Since Iowa’s camp still hasn’t started I found this looking through some notes about Titans camp:

Amani Hooker, playing with the first team, picked off a pass during a late 11-on-11 period.

Marcus Mariota floated a pass for receiver Tajae Sharpe that appeared to be deflected by cornerback Malcolm Butler. Hooker came down with it for the interception.

The fourth-round pick, whom the Titans traded up to draft, then stayed on the field to get some time with the twos. The Titans like the Iowa product for his versatility in the secondary, and he’s had a nice start to his first camp.

 

[Northside Hawk]

Since Iowa’s camp still hasn’t started I found this looking through some notes about Titans camp:

Amani Hooker, playing with the first team, picked off a pass during a late 11-on-11 period.

Marcus Mariota floated a pass for receiver Tajae Sharpe that appeared to be deflected by cornerback Malcolm Butler. Hooker came down with it for the interception.

The fourth-round pick, whom the Titans traded up to draft, then stayed on the field to get some time with the twos. The Titans like the Iowa product for his versatility in the secondary, and he’s had a nice start to his first camp.

I just got back on Friday from a week in Nashville. I got plenty of glimpses of the Titans stadium right there on the banks of the Cumberland River across from the Hard Rock Cafe, Lower Broadway, and all the honky tonks. Had many mental images of Amani Hooker making plays in that stadium this year.

 

[guffus]

Iowa did not play Pitt in 2010. No wonder you don't consider it a classic.

Pitt did play at Iowa in 2011 in a game I consider memorable because it had such a bizarre comeback for a team like Iowa. Iowa did absolutely nothing for almost 3Q, down 24-3 late in the 3rd and down 27-10 in the 4th. Then JVB went to the no huddle and all the sudden they discoverd Pitt could not cover little known freshman WR KVM and Iowa roared backed to win 31-27.

The weird part was after the game I was not jumping for joy, I just felt confused. Did Iowa really just do that?

Then for a couple of weeks everybody was super excited about Iowa's new no-huddle offense. That is until Iowa played PSU and scored only 3 points, and Iowa never played the no-huddle ever again.

 

[NikeHawk21]

Things I would like to hear from camp:

-Kallenberger steps up and earns the starting LG spot

-Goodson is the real deal. That’s more for the future but if he can be a game changer maybe he can get a few touches this year.

-Nixon and or Shannon stepping up on interior Dline

-Waggoner or VanValkenburg look the part as quality backup DEs

-WRs continue their ascend

-TEs show the ability to make plays

-Along with the Goodson point it will be interesting to hear about the other freshman that weren’t here in the spring (Belton, Castro, Hutson, Lee, Miamen, LaPorta, etc.)

 

[guffus]

I agree. You never know, but hopefully Goodson can be that change of pace back you want to get a few touches a game, at least in his first year.

Of course I thought that IKM had the speed to maybe be that break away guy, but that has not worked out so far. I don't what exactly has stunted IKM's development. Is he still hurt? But it's clear that Sargeant and Young have passed him on the depth chart. Whatever it is, I hope that IKM bounces back this year and gets his share of carries.

 

[NikeHawk21]

I agree. You never know, but hopefully Goodson can be that change of pace back you want to get a few touches a game, at least in his first year.

Of course I thought that IKM had the speed to maybe be that break away guy, but that has not worked out so far. I don't what exactly has stunted IKM's development. Is he still hurt? But it's clear that Sargeant and Young have passed him on the depth chart. Whatever it is, I hope that IKM bounces back this year and gets his share of carries.

IKM has definitely battled injuries, but to me he just didn’t have the patience or vision of a quality back even when healthy. Speed is not the only thing that matters when looking for a quality back.

 

[NorthKCHawk]

I think this season will boil down to line play. I think we have enough talent and depth in the back 7 on D and the back 6 on O to be a really, really good team (even assuming an injury here and there, which is gonna happen).

What I want to hear in camp is that steel is sharpening steel on both lines. I would venture to say that no team in the country can boast the type of NFL prospects we will have hitting each other every day at the tackle and DE spots. 3 projected 1st rounders and another good prospect going toe to toe. Pretty exciting.

But, where the rubber will meet the road this year will be what we get in the middle. Both middles of each line have some intriguing young prospects and veterans who have shown flashes, but if we are honest with ourselves, we really do not know for sure what we have.

Those five positions are by far the most intriguing to me, and will dictate whether this is a 7 win team or a double digit winning team.

 

[ChosenChildren]

Before we get to camp news, I’ve recorded the BTN’s Iowa Classic football games to watch in August prepping for the season and I have s few questions:

1) who in the heck chooses these games?

2) why would any “classic” have a losing Iowa team at all unless maybe they upset a #1 or #2 ranked team much less against a meh team (like 2007 MSU)

3) why show the 2018 Nebby game where we let them back in the game instead of the blowouts the couple years before?

4) Pittsburgh at Iowa 2010 a classic a decade later? WHY?


Just stretching the complaining muscles....

1. 2015 Pitt was a classic. They like to show close games....Iowa won on a 57 yard field goal. That doesn't happen very often.
2. 2007 MSU was not a classic.
3. 2018 Nebby was a classic because of the walk off field goal. Again, a very close game after a valiant Nebraska comeback

 

[RobHowe]

Camp begins Friday.

 

[NikeHawk21]

1. 2015 Pitt was a classic. They like to show close games....Iowa won on a 57 yard field goal. That doesn't happen very often.
2. 2007 MSU was not a classic.
3. 2018 Nebby was a classic because of the walk off field goal. Again, a very close game after a valiant Nebraska comeback

Last years Nebby game was not a classic to me at all. If Iowa would have lost it would have been a choke job for the ages. Kirk not taking the three score lead heading to the fourth quarter was an idiotic coaching decision.

A fake punt and a few prevent defense scores got Nebby back in the game. Nebby never possessed the ball in the 2H with an opportunity to take the lead. Maybe if Nebby would have won it would have been a classic game for them with a miraculous comeback... but that was not a classic game for Iowa at all. Iowa was expected to win and was pretty much in control through three periods before almost pissing it away with bad coaching and bad play but hung on to beat a 4 win squad.

 

[Robowe]

NFL camps are going and Hockenson is getting rave reviews each day. Hasn’t dropped a pass, runs terrific routes and he and Stafford have been “unguardable” on the red zone deep corner route, that Hock always comes down with.

He is changing the attitude about his pick with Detroit fans already. They weren’t happy with him being the pick in round because Detroit tried that and failed a couple of times in the recent past.

 

[Robowe]

Since Iowa’s camp still hasn’t started I found this looking through some notes about Titans camp:

Amani Hooker, playing with the first team, picked off a pass during a late 11-on-11 period.

Marcus Mariota floated a pass for receiver Tajae Sharpe that appeared to be deflected by cornerback Malcolm Butler. Hooker came down with it for the interception.

The fourth-round pick, whom the Titans traded up to draft, then stayed on the field to get some time with the twos. The Titans like the Iowa product for his versatility in the secondary, and he’s had a nice start to his first camp.

 

[Ree4]

IKM has definitely battled injuries, but to me he just didn’t have the patience or vision of a quality back even when healthy. Speed is not the only thing that matters when looking for a quality back.

Exactly, look at Freddie Russell