On Iowa with Marc Morehouse

Aftermath and I mean aftermath . . .

Just when the defense seems poured and ready to serve as a foundation, someone kicks the scaffolding out from under it. You all can rip Adam Shada. He was out of position on the 39-yarder to Hardy, but think about it. Today was his first day at free safety, ever. He said after the game that he knew Tuesday and practiced. I'm not trying to cushion the blow for Shada. He's a tough senior and can deal. But think about what it says about where the program is right now. The best option at No. 2 free safety is a starting corner? That's the problem.

No one player or position is the problem. That's the problem. That speaks to recruiting and development. And that's as good of a theory as any right now.

Did you know who Jammie Kirlew was before today? That was the launching of an all-Big Ten campaign on the backs of Iowa's O-line. How far away is this unit? It's young, but how long will that work for you Hawkeye people? Seth Olsen limped off in the fourth quarter. Can't imagine that'll help. Next year? Is it that far away?

It's easy to jump on Jake Christensen. He's the quarterback. He admitted to some throws getting away from him after the game. I really think it's impossible to give any sort of definitive opinion on Christensen when he's being sacked nine times and hurried six more. If he goes under the bus, then make sure there's room under there for the O-line and a young group of receivers who had their share of problems Saturday. Christensen needs to make more of the "makable" plays. That's the biggest hit on him. I just don't see how you focus on his issues when everything else is collapsing around him. Literally, at times.

Iowa blitzed on the fourth-and-7 play that saw Kellen Lewis throw a 24-yard laser to Brandon Walker-Roby that eventually set up a TD. That's two killing blitz burns on Iowa this season. I have no conclusions here, just observations. Obviously, consistent pressure from the front four would help, but I have a hard time knocking a unit that has been the spine of the team, even if it's a 2-3 team.

Bradley Fletcher should take his day with James Hardy as a learning experience. That was as tough a first start as you're going to get. There's really not much else to say here. Hardy is a Plaxico Burress starter kit.

Special teams are an unmitigated disaster. From Adrian Clayborn's late hit 15-yarder to Austin Signor's missed extra point to Daniel Murray's wayward 25-yarder, total team disaster and here we are, wrapping it up.

A healthy roster breeds healthy special teams. It also produces a solid No. 2 free safety so the starting corner doesn't have to switch five games into his senior year.

There's no single problem. It's problems, plural, and that is the problem.

Stross was in on that drive

Are these phantom pains?

Hey, there's Trey Stross . . . and there he isn't

Then, insult to injury, Stross and tight ends coach Eric Johnson nearly came to blows on the sidelines. Stross must've said something not nice. Johnson was PO'd. It was an ugly scene, worse than the first half even.

Last thing this team needs.

And there's your season . . .

This drive .. .

Shada at FS . . .

First drive . . .

Trey Stross dressed . . .

Iowa receives . . . and let the internets burn!

Indiana wideout James Bailey . . .

That's not a bad thing for Iowa.

Freshman guard Julian Vandervelde is out there . . .

Jacody Coleman, is in today. He's running with the No. 2s at MLB.

The incredible journey of freshman Dezman Moses . . .

Reisner, the former Marion star, just took a rep with the first team. He'd be true freshman No. 11 in the lineup.

Signor is out kicking . . .

Klink, Moylan out . . .

Senior Bryon Gattas is in at linebacker. I haven't confirmed this but it sounds like Adam Shada, the second-year starter at corner, will move to free safety and junior Bradley Fletcher will play corner.

The only change I know of on offense is Dace Richardson in at left tackle and Kyle Calloway over to the right side with Seth Olsen at guard.

You don't need to hear James Hardy's stats against the Hawkeyes again.

GO CUBS, GO!!!!!

So, in honor of Jack, "Hey, hey!!"

For a second there, I thought Bill Murray was jinxing them. You know us Cubs fans, we're weird that way.

DJK story

It's good stuff. It's the kind of stuff that makes you wonder if you'd have the strength to see the situation and do the right thing. Lauren Koulianos is a nurse turned housewife (her word, not mine, so I'm using it too). Tony Koulianos, the dad, is an OB/GYN. They have two younger sons, ages 9 and 5. Four boys, two college-age, it's "Malcolm in the Middle," with one son a film student and another a Division I-A athlete at a Midwestern university. It's beautiful.

Here's some stuff I didn't get in:

Why didn't DJK end up at The Ohio State?: Lauren Koulianos said: "We're really unclear, really unsure what happened out there. It just kind of fell through and we're still not sure why. But things happen for a reason and Derrell had been recruited by Iowa the whole time. He called several people and visited Iowa. He always really liked it out there."

There was an internet report that DJK was going to walk on at Ohio State. Lauren Koulianos said that was never true.

On Kirk Herbstreit's ABC national TV man-crush on DJK (Herbstreit gushed about DLK two years ago at the Big Ten media days, also): "To be honest, that was quite a shock to us. I was very shocked. I was very, very surprised. If you're asking me if we have a personal relationship with Kirk Herbstreit, no. That was quite a surprise. He's an Ohio guy and follows football and Derrell was recruited by Ohio State, so he might've known about Derrell. That was quite a surprise and quite a compliment to Derrell, coming from him (Herbie)."

Was Stephen Koulianos an athlete?: "It's funny because everyone laughs. They are opposites. Stephen likes sports but never played. He's more outdoorsy and is also very creative."

What did DJK carry nearly every day as a kid?: "He would always -- and this is something anyone who saw him and anyone in this area would tell you -- he always carried his football. He always had a football, this little boy. No matter where he went he always had a football in his hand."

The enthusiasm is there, and so are the nerves. Maybe sitting by senior running back Albert Young on the bus ride to Madison last week helped: Said Albert Young, "We sat on the bus next to each other, he's just ... I know he's always trying to learn, and that's what you like. He's always asking what to expect, what's it going to be like from here and there, I think just real eager to see what's going on."

Maybe I should've waited to do a big story on a player who's resume is just beginning to fill out. I'm sure Kirk Ferentz would've voted for that. No matter what he does Saturday, Iowa needs DJK, James Cleveland, Paul Chaney Jr. and Colin Sandeman to make plays that they weren't expected to make until 2008 at the earliest.

Ultimately, the team could come out stronger because of the strife at receiver. Football works that way sometimes.

Periphery week 5

The tailgate music has a little more of a party theme, it being homecoming and all. As a UNI grad, I look back fondly at homecoming. See, UNI, the quintessential third wheel, kicks off the majority of its football games at night, except for homecoming. We had a parade (never made it) and got to tailgate (where I was when the parade was going on). We'll never forget the great meat spill of '87 and the fire extinguisher fight of '88. For the invention of the beer and Twinkies breakfast, look no farther than Dancer Hall 11th floor, '85.

From the iPod:

"To Be Young (Is to be sad, is to be high) -- Ryan Adams. Yes, the some from "Old School." This lyric ties the weekend together quite nicely, "I've got a bone to pick with you, and I'm sure you know it's true."

Indianapolis -- The Bottle Rockets. This is the only song that had anything "Indiana" in it. If you're in a fighting mood, it'll fit in quite nicely. "I'll puke if that jukebox plays John Cougar one more time."

Barstool Blues -- Neil Young. "If I could hold on to just one thought for long enough to know. Why my mind is moving so fast and the conversation is slow."

King Kong -- The Kinks. This one goes out to all those No. 47s out there. "Everyone wants to be King Kong."

Look Out for that Train -- The Pontiac Brothers. "I'm going, my back's to the wall. I'm going, I touched them all. Going, going, gone." It's not a must-win, but it is.

Libation

Old Style Light -- Since it's homecoming, we're returning to our roots. I looked it up on the website "Beer Advocate" and found a whole bunch of dudes with college football logos offering reviews. This is from some guy with a Nebraska logo, "Ridiculously easy to consume and not have to think about it. A good, cheap, pound'em down beer for the game (whatever game that may be, baseball, football, hockey)."

Remember, the "N" is for knowledge.

The Cubs . . .

I still have a hard time demonizing the poor little Brewers.

Kirk Ferentz radio show

The pink lockerroom thing is never going to go away.

Indiana wideout James Hardy on the pink lockerroom: "Girly. They say that's a way to get their opponents nonchalant, I guess. It didn't work for me. It's cool, as long as I've got a place to hang my stuff up. That's the only thing that matters to me."

Good answer, James.

Glen Mason digs the Iowa D . . .

I respect his opinion, so I sought it out for the story I did on Iowa vs. Indiana's spread offense for Thursday's paper. The story ran long, so I had to take out some stuff that I wanted to keep in. I lose those battles some times. Or I should say I let editors win. Lets them feel like they matter. I feel I should throw them a bone every now and again.

Mason had high praise for Iowa defensive coordinator Norm Parker and his work at Iowa.

"I'm a big fan of the Iowa defense and what Norm Parker has done year after year after year after year. They don't have to make wholesale adjustments [against the spread] and they hold up pretty darn good no matter if you're throwing the ball or running the ball, if you're in a two-back set or a one-back set, if you're a spread offense or an option offense.

"You have to out-execute them because you're not going to out-scheme them."

Mason said Iowa's coaches are "fundamentalists," meaning they coach and teach football and don't rely so much on tweaks and gizmos and "exotics."

"Everytime I talk from a coaching perspective, I say there are two kinds of coaches, there are fundamentalists and there are schemers. With every system you can do that, but Iowa is definitely fundamentalist. They are sound. They are well-coached. And you know what? You're going to have to out-execute them to beat them because you're not going to out-scheme them."

So, there's a little extra. Before this blog, this would've been deleted. I don't know if it's worth it or not, but hey, the internets is free, right?

Now I have to go back to simultaneously mourning and cursing Blackhawks owner Bill Wirtz, who this morning died at age 77. The guy was an American success story who just happened to ruin one of the three sports franchises that have been with me for my 40 years (Packers and Cubs are the others). He pulled a "Titanic" on the Hawks, crashing them into the ice and leaving everyone in the murky depths.

Hey, we're sports fans, too. In my house, the big college football passion was . . . Loras College. We lived across the street from the Rock Bowl.

The Gundy-Carlson thing . . .

"If you believe the rumors and the rumblings . . ." I'm going to trust the editors here. The Oklahoman is a trusted newspaper that wouldn't let me in the door. This is the same as citing "sources," so you have to trust that the editors knew and were satisfied with the sources.

"Tile up the back stories told on the sly over the past few years, and you see a pattern that hasn't always been pretty." Again, trust the editors. "Stories on the sly" would be a tough sell at a lot of newspapers. So, the Oklahoman editors probably knew where those stories came from and were satisified with the credibility.

"Word is that Reid has considered transferring a couple different times . . ." I'm sure this is true. Again, a columnist or reporter doesn't go there without something solid to back it up. But this type of language leaves the column open to the kind of tirade Mike Gundy laid down. A cited source would've given Gundy no leg to stand on.

Gundy obviously had an agenda. And "the fat kid" reference was way over the top. Will Jim Carrey play Mike Gundy in the movie? I wonder if Bobby Knight called with a congratulations? I think Gundy did a disservice to his team and Okie State's fans by ranting and leaving without a word on what probably was his biggest win at OSU. It was quintessential grandstanding.

Yesterday, Carlson asked Gundy what was wrong and what were his specific beefs with the column, which he said was "three-fourths inaccurate." Yeah, no answer was forthcoming. Way to back it up, Mike. You register very high on the boob-o-meter.

I've been on the receiving end of a few of these. A couple of times, I've deserved it. I talked to the party and we resolved it, mostly gentlemanly and never in front of cameras. Well, once in front of the cameras. The college football attitude toward the press is "necessary evil." I'm OK with that. We're never going to be drinking buddies but as long as there is respect, that's fine. But darn it, Kirk, can you give us a redshirt freshman or two?

OK, I'm probably universally hated for breaking down that column. The sports journalist creedo is very protective. We all have each others' backs. I'm just coming at you with what goes into my thinking, not questioning theirs. I don't know what went into the planning. Like I said, I'm sure the editors knew about and were satisfied with the sources. I just don't like to leave myself open.

Jim Polzin, getting after it . . .

Anyway, when the inadvertant whistle play went down Saturday night in Madison, UW sent its pool reporter, Jim Polzin of The Capital Times, to interview head official Dave Witvoet, an official already held in contempt by you Hawkeye people.

The officials made the right call. The best thing for Iowa would've been to recover the ball out of that pile. LB Mike Humpal had it, but he was rolling while trying to gather it in. The only beef the Hawkeyes had was with the laws of physics. The ball somehow shot out of that pile like it was fired out of a potato gun. No, the laws of physics don't come with a pool reporter.

Here's some of Jim Polzin's interview with Witvoet (Jim didn't hold back):

JP: That is where you ruled it was fumbled, it looked like on TV . . .

DW: That is where it was fumbled. That was confirmed by replay. The ball was fumbled at the 3-yard line and it was loose in the end zone.

JP: Do you konw who blew the whistle in the end zone?

DW: One of the officials.

JP: Has that happened to your crew a lot over the years?

DW: No. Doesn't happen very often at all.

I loved that last question.

Earth to Mike Gundy . . .

Though I wonder if it'd work for Mike Gundy. Mike, I saw the Troy game. You have bigger worries, my main man.

Here's the YouTube.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=5VytIZZzee0

Got a letter today . . .

It was a clip of the Iowa "big picture" story I wrote last week. "Old Truck" wanted to point out that I goofed on a there/their. And he was right. I blew it.

Now, you're probably thinking I'm PO'd, getting shown up by "Old Truck," but that isn't the case at all. I don't mind when someone rubs my nose in language and those types of mistakes. It helps me tighten things up and get better. A couple years ago on the golf tour, I had "track" of land instead of "tract." This was pointed out to me by some former CR city councilman, can't remember the name. Hey, thanks for the correction and I won't make that mistake again. I'm afraid I can't make that promise to "Old Truck," but I will be more careful.

And yes, we do have people whose jobs are to read copy for such errors. They do their best, too. Frankly, I'd rather not leave it up to them to save my their/there and I'll just leave it at that.

Pretty sure "Old Truck" won't get this. Snail mail is a rarity at the newspaper anymore. It's the guy from the Fort Madison prison or that sour, bitter Bill guy from Iowa City. I just wanted to let "Old Truck" know message received and please right again.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Kirk Ferentz Show

The show is taped on Saturday night/Sunday morning when the team returns from a road trip or when it all ends over at Kinnick. So, this wasn't much later than when Kirk spoke to the media Saturday night.

Here's what Kirk said: "It's a little soon to say. I think we're going to be without Tony and Andy Brodell also, both of those guys, for awhile."

The late Chris Penn is on Miami CSI now. He was a cool cat, RIP.

Klinkenborg

When an Iowa player is hurt -- and I'm sure this goes for a lot of football teams -- the training staff boosts his helmet. They don't want them doing anything crazy. They took Klink's helmet.

A minute later, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted someone sprinting down the Iowa sideline. It was Klink.

The kid was tired and dazed and there he was trying to prove himself healthy enough to finish the game.

Two plays later, he was back in.

He gets my "Brett Favre" award this week. (Klink is a big Packers fan, so he might get a kick out of that.)

These are notes for the paper tomorrow . . .

By Marc Morehouse

The Gazette

MADISON, Wis. … On sever al occasions during Saturday night's 17-13 loss at Wiscon sin, Iowa's defense responded to down and distance with different personnel mixes.

Six defenders dropped into coverage on a third-and-3 in the first quarter. A nickel package, one extra defensive back, showed up a few times. Defensive coordinator Norm Parker also used a 3-4 align ment with an extra lineback er, blitzed cornerback Brad ley Fletcher and also had linebackers dropping into zone coverage on wide reciev ers.

Outside linebacker A.J. Edds was outstanding in coverage, picking off a pass that led to a second-quarter field goal and breaking up another pass intended for wide receiver David Gilreath.

Parker was emphatic when he said the personnel changes weren't born out of what hap pened in the final minutes against Iowa State in week 3. The Cyclones lined up five wide receivers in a spread set and found wide receiver Phil lip Bates being covered by linebacker Mike Klinkenborg. The result was a 38-yard gain that led to the game-clinching field goal.

``We had some success with it (personnel groups),'' said Parker, who made his first postgame interview appear ance in years. ``It doesn't have anything to do with that pass we had last week that you guys have talked about, if that's what you want to talk about.

``That play didn't have any thing to do with it. If we had to do that one again, we'd do what we did.''

pu,sh Questionable call

Parker also wasn't pleased with a pass interference call on Iowa strong safety Harold Dalton early in the fourth quarter.

Wisconsin quarterback Ty ler Donovan threw a pass along the UW sideline. Dalton hit and knocked wideout Luke Swan to the turf, but the ball was clearly not in tended for Swan. It sailed well over his head and to ward wide receiver Kyle Jef ferson, who caught the ball on the bounce.

It was third-and-3 at UW's 39. The penalty moved the ball to Iowa's 48. Tailback P.J. Hill finished off the 68- yard drive with a 2-yard TD run, giving UW a 14-10 lead with 9:42 left in the fourth quarter.

``I thought the ball was uncatchable, but that the way it is,'' Parker said.

pu,sh Good, bad

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz is pretty much fed up with the field goal/PAT unit. For the second week, the Hawkeyes had a field goal blocked after a breakdown in the middle of their line of scrimmage.

Freshman Daniel Murray had a 36-yard attempt turned back in the third quarter.

``It's just hard to under stand the PAT/field goal block,'' Ferentz said. ``Not taking anything away from our opponent, but that shouldn't happen. That just shouldn't happen, if you're executing the way you should. That one's tough to understand.''

Ferentz was quick to point out the positives on special teams, and there were more than a few.

Wide receiver Derrell John son-Koulianos had two kick returns for 63 yards, includ ing a 44-yarder that led to a field goal. Reserve running back Jayme Murphy caused a fumble on the initial kick off of the second half, giving Iowa the ball at UW's 24. Freshman Daniel Murray stepped in for injured Austin Signor and hit two of three field goals, including a 41-yar der. After junior wide receiv er Andy Brodell left with a hamstring injury, freshman Colin Sandeman went in at punt returner and returned three for 26 yards.

``I think there's a lot of room for optimism,'' Ferentz said.

Ferentz seems content with punter Ryan Donahue, who averaged 36.2 yards on nine punts. Donahue also had a punt partially blocked that went for just 18 yards.

``He didn't quite get the hang time at times and he had the one that wasn't real pretty, but overall I think he's doing a good job and he's coming along,'' Ferentz said. ``I think he's got a very good future.''

pu,sh No. 2 tight end?

With Tony Moeaki's injury, the Hawkeyes have some real depth issues at tight end, especially if you consider the two-tight end sets Iowa often uses.

Junior Brandon Myers is No. 1 now. Walk-on sopho more Tyler Gerstandt was used sparingly after Moeaki left in the first quarter. True freshman Allen Reisner, from Marion, has traveled with the team but hasn't played and still is a redshirt candidate.

``It's a possibility,'' Ferentz said when asked about Reis ner playing. ``We'll have to talk about it and think about it now. It certainly changes the complexion of things.''

pu,sh Richardson returns

When freshman guard Ju lian Vandervelde left with an ankle injury in the first quar ter, junior Dace Richardson moved in at right tackle, pushing junior Seth Olsen down to guard.

Richardson started eight games last season, but hasn't been in the lineup because of knee injuries. He had surgery just before fall camp started and sat out the first three games.

Ferentz liked what he saw in Richardson's three quar ters.

``He held up a lot better than I would've guessed,'' Ferentz said. ``That wasn't the master plan coming in just based on what I saw in practice. That's a positive, too. At least he was able to hang in there, I wasn't sure he could do that.''

Aftermath

Kirk Ferentz gave a thumbs up to O-tackle Dace Richardson. Richardson played tackle after Julian Vandervelde left with an ankle injury. I think this is the O-line you're going to see for awhile -- Richardson and Seth O on the right, Raf at center and Meade and Calloway on the left. Vandervelde was cleared to go back into the game.

Tony Moeaki suffered elbow and hand injuries, Ferentz said. He suffered a dislocated elbow and a broken hand. On the same freaking play! No timetable was given, but he's out until the bowl or longer.

Andy Brodell suffered a severe hamstring injury, Ferentz said. Who knows on that one. Devan Moylan lost last season to a severe hamstring injury. Nine years of doing this, you can kind of read Ferentz's mood when he discusses injuries. He was grim last night.

Ferentz said the team grew, but that's not what they came to Madison for. He said the race is a lap in and there's a lot football left.

Here is referee Dave Witvoet's explanation of the P.J. Hill crazy fumble deal in the first half (I'm just pumping in his raw quotes because I don't know the rule and I don't care to know it at this point in the evening): "We had a whistle blown while the ball was loose in the end zone. It was an inadvertant whistle. By rule, come back and [the] offensive team has a choice to either replay the down or take the ball where the ball was fumbled. So Wisconsin would like to take the ball at the 3-yard line where it was fumbled."

Yes, Witvoet is the official that sent Ferentz into fits at Michigan last year.

More Witvoet (on why Wisconsin got the choice): "That's because the ball was loose. Nobody had the ball. When you blow an inadvertant whistle, nobody has the ball. You have to go back to the point where the ball was lost, which on this play was at the 3."

Who knows where he got the 3, but other than that, it sure sounds plausible.

DJK

Jake Christensen really needed that. It was a thing of beauty. They might've hit it a play earlier if Brandon Myers could've seen the ball in the lights.

Donovan is good, but Iowa has him rattled. The Badgers made two plays on their TD drive, going to Luke Swan for 31 yards on the play after Bradley Fletcher was inserted for injured Adam Shada and Hill's big run to the end zone. It was beautifully blocked.

Folks, this one might not make the paper. That was nearly two hours in the first half.

Iowa's inside blockers

Iowa's defense is putting out a superhuman effort.

Wisconsin . . .

James Cleveland, that was bad, man.

Moeaki done

My bad on Brodell

#91 UW is blowing up Iowa's offense.

Keeping track of the wounded . . .

Myers

Brodell is done

It's ice

Moeaki guess

Julian Vandervelde has his left shoe off. He's out. Dace Richardson in at tackle and Seth O moves down.

Moeaki

Vandervelde, left ankle.

Cast on Tony Mo's left elbow. He's done. The last time I saw that was Ed Hinkel at Purdue.

Iowa receives

DE Kenny Iwebema has a wrap on his left calf. He had one late last week, too.

Travel squad . . .

Arvell Nelson . . .

With James Cleveland dinged up (no idea what the ding is), it's smart just to have Nelson ready.

Kirk Herbstreit

Get ready for some slightly off insights, people. It's pretty much the norm when national TV gets its hands on the Hawkeyes. Fair-intz becomes Furr-enz and they just don't quite know the team like they should.

Leg injury for freshman O-lineman Bryan Bulaga. No timetable for his return.

Why . . .

Bret and Kirk

.186 . . .

Bret and Norm are talking at the 36 . . .

Gary Dolphin just said it's time Paul Chaney does something. Yeah, he's been dressed for one game in his career so far, so yeah.

No idea what it means . . .

Just as this blog had yesterday at 2:32 p.m. . . .

Wisconsin has a boatload of streaks going, including the nation's longest winning streak at 13 and a nine-game home streak.

The Bielema-Iowa connection is a bigger thing for fans than it is for Bret Bielema, according to UW radio guy Matt Lepay.

Norm Parker is on the 14-yard line talking to Kirk Herbstreit right now. So, there's that.

Iowa's specialists are on the field. It's Murray and Donahue.

You know you're here early when . . .

Albert Young is doing some funky stuff with the football.

Walking into the stadium, I saw one Iowa fan narrowly avoid arrest. Cops are on bikes up here and they have breathylizers. If you draw attention to yourself and blow the wrong number, it's an early night for you. The columnist can tell you a little about Madison jails this time of year.

Jake and Andy just went up the tunnel.

Norm Parker is chilling on the bench with Lester Erb. It's that nice of a day here.

Periphery week 4

I met my wife in the Wisconsin Dells. We were lifeguards at Noah's Ark Water Park. The place I lived in then was a hellhole and it's STILL standing.

We had some trouble with the columnist one road trip, but I don't have authorization to go there.

From the iPod:

1. "Dream Vacation" -- Gear Daddies. The chorus is "(something, something) dream vacation in the Dells." I once had this band over to the apartment in lived in during my ill fated grad school year in IC. They might be septic servicemen by now.

2. "The Badger Song" -- The Dead Milkmen. It's just a goofy song about a badger. The U-Dub would never endorse this;

3. "Halloween Head" -- Ryan Adams. Oct. 1, Iowa Memorial Union. I'll be the old guy there. Ear muffs, people. Ear muffs.

4. "Badly Bent" -- The Tractors. This is not a song about a dented tractor. This is a song about what happens when you spend 12 hours tailgating.

5. "Unsatisfied" -- The Replacements. This song is too cool for my kids.

Libation

Autumnal Fire (from Madison's Capital Brewery) -- Kinda sweet doppelbock. Brown sugar, cakey and dry as it warms up. Caramel and maple candy also present. Finishes with a whisper of warming booze. Capital Brewery says, "A blazing rich beer, this is a doppelbock based on an Octoberfest personality. Warm and intriguing, the perfect "Brandy Snifter" beer."

If that isn't tailgate, I don't know what is.

I don't ask this very often, but e-mail me the best and most interesting meats you eat around the tailgate scene. I'm guessing there are some interesting menus up there.

BTW, you did get the Daniel Murray hint, right?

Hayden Fry

The $90 ticket is up to you guys, so is the season tickets deal. I see both ends of the argument.

But one thing I've always thought about Hayden is that he "gets" Iowa and Iowans. From the "ANF" stickers down to how he connected with fans, he always seemed to hit the right note with ya'all.

Daniel Murray

We'll see what kind of kicker Daniel Murray is Saturday.

Attrition . . .

He said they have plenty of players. He focused his answer on two players who played (Alex Kanellis and Ryan Bain) and left the program. Kanellis was forced to retire from the sport after recurring problems with headaches. Unhappy with playing time, Bain transfered to Kent State.

He's right, but his answer didn't take potential, continuity and overall health of the program into account.

That said, however, outside of the 2005 recruiting class, the attrition hasn't been horrible.

Here's what I have for the 2004-06 classes, what should be the guts of the football team.

2006 CLASS

17 freshman recruits on Signing Day

1 transfer (Bryon Gattas)

16 freshmen remaining on team

LEFT: Amari Spievey

2005 CLASS

21 freshman recruits on Signing Day

1 transfer (Marshal Yanda)

12 freshmen remaining on team

LEFT: Kalvin Bailey, Ryan Bain, Justin Collins, Justin Edwards, Vernon Jackson, Alex Kanellis, Corey Robertson, B.J. Travers, Marcus Wilson

2004 CLASS

20 freshman recruits on Signing Day

1 transfer (Walner Belleus)

15 freshmen remaining on team

LEFT: Ted Bentler, Lucas Cox, Shonn Greene, Kyle Williams, Ettore Ewen

RECRUITING FIGURES

58 freshman signees

43 remain

15 departed

(Does not include Julian Smith)

REASONS

Spievey – grades (Iowa Central)

Bailey – grades (NIACC)

Bain – playing time (Kent State)

Collins – homesick?

Edwards – playing time

Jackson – injury

Ewen - injury

Kanellis – injury

Robertson – grades

Travers – playing time?

Wilson -- grades

Bentler – transferred to Army

Cox – playing time?

Greene – grades

Williams – DNQ

The 2003 class, the class that would be fifth-year seniors, also lost a lot. It should be noted that this class contributed some true freshmen who were major players and completed their eligibility (Drew Tate, Scott Chandler). Here's the breakdown.

Chris Brevi - injury

George Eshareturi - playing time (Rutgers)

Tyler Fanucchi - playing time (Sacramento State)

Herb Grigsby - dismissed

Clint Huntrods - dismissed

A.J. Johnson - dismissed

Richard Kitrell - departed

Eric McCollom - playing time (Newberry)

Khaliq Price - departed

James Townsend - playing time (Rutgers)

Alex Willcox - injured (student assistant coach)

Jonathan Zanders - injured, departed

I'm not sure how to count Johnson and Townsend. They both played as true freshmen. Before Townsend left, he said he planned to take a redshirt.

No judgment here. I'm not sure if this is even a lot. Every team loses a certain percentage of players. I do know the 2005 class, that's a lot. I wanted to submit the names and numbers for your consideration.

From a sea of red . . .

Iowa State, what's wrong with those uniforms? Very cool.

On to Iowa . . .

Here's one way to look at it, Iowa people. Drew Tate's third career start was a disaster, 44-7 at Arizona State. OK, Saturday wasn't Jake Christensen's official No. 3 start, but it wasn't pretty. He missed a few receivers, a few receivers dropped passes (James Cleveland's drop on third-and-2 at ISU's 23 was a killer), he missed checks away from tipped blitzes and his decision making in a few decisions was questionable. The 7-yard sack on third-and-goal from ISU's eight wasn't a killer, but it did end up in a blocked field goal. On Drew Tate's fourth start, Iowa's offense shifted to pass-first and Tate was given the keys. Some tinkering needs to be done. All involved have to figure out what gives this offense, this cast of characters, the best chance to be successful.

Iowa State started a entirely new offense line Saturday, pretty much entirely new. The Cyclones didn't set the world on fire, but they did move the ball effectively enough to put Bret Culbertson into place for five field goals. ISU played to its strength, its dink-and-dunk spread option attack did the trick. The spread offense, we've been over this one. Iowa stuffed Northwestern's version of it in 2000 and has had mixed results since. The spread offense is here to stay. It's going to give the "bend but don't breaks" of the college football world fits until they learn to deal.

Special teams aren't helping. Get ready for the ups and downs of first-year specialists. The history is that the gong never goes off on these guys. Iowa kickers and punters stick and stay. Freshman punter Ryan Donahue seems intent on putting this to the test. The margin of error that this team has to endure right now can't afford mulligans. The kick Austin Signor had blocked looked low, but ISU did a great job crushing the middle of the Iowa O-line. He showed a lot of resilience when he bounced back and booted the 41-yarder to give Iowa the lead. He's improving.

Reserve safety Lance Tillison was arrested Saturday night and released. He's been suspended for two weeks. We don't know any of the details, but the judgment, not just this guy's, is in question.

Great picture (actually great pictures) in Sunday's Gazette of wide receiver Colin Sandeman's acrobatic catch in the second half. You can make out his eyes, which are on ISU DB James Smith and the smackdown he's going to lay on Sandeman. Very cool, Brian Ray.

Time to go into the tunnel . . .

The wind . . .

Could be a factor.

Carl Jackson good to go . . .

We have a number change . . .

Hey, not all of these are going to be gold.

Paul Chaney . . .

I like these ISU uniforms. The white helmets they're voting on now, I dunno. White helmets, Texas I can see. Penn State, I can see. Arizona Cardinals, white helmets haven't done a lot for them, ever.

ANF stickers?

The specialists just came out. It looks like there's a small yellow sticker on the backs of all the helmets. If that's it, it's not the size that Hayden had on the helmets. There were almost as big as the Tiger Hawk. BTW, "ANF" stands for "America Needs Farmers." Fry put them on Iowa helmets to draw attention to the plight of midwestern farmers. This was about the same time as Farm Aid and that John Cougar song, "Scarecrow."

The NCAA eventually made Iowa remove the stickers. I swear, the NCAA is a secret society dedicated to buzzkill.

Jerseys, the Cyclones are wearing white jerseys styled after the 1977 ISU Peach Bowl team. They're also wearing the yellow helmets from those days. The Hawkeyes are wearing their home blacks.

Periphery week 3

"Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers" -- ZZTop. I have no idea how this got on my iPod, but I'm glad it did.

"Blowin' in the Wind" -- Neil Young, a cover off "Weld, disc 1." This kind of sums it up for the Jack Trice experience. The wind whips through the plains and into the stadium via that unbowled south (I believe it's the south) end zone. I'll never forget Troy Blankenship's 400-yard punt into the wind in 2005. (OK, I know it was 68.) Hold on to your napkins, folks. And hold on to your toupee, newly retired Gazette columnist Mike Deupree! (Kidding, kidding. Mike's hair is real. Is Gary Dolphin's? Yes, and it comes with its own weather system.)

"Tony's Theme" -- Pixies from "Surfer Rosa." This goes out to you, Iowa tight end Tony Moeaki.

"Born to Run" -- Bruce. I'm 40 and this plays to my crowd (actually, it plays over my crowd, the 50 folks). "The highways jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive," sang Chris Moltasanti in one of the last seasons of "The Sopranos." Can't remember which one. There were like three.

"Clash City Rockers" -- The Clash. Play this song when you get there Friday night or early, early Saturday morning. Play it again when you start to slow down. Play it when you start to lose it. Believe me, it works.

Beer suggestion

Fat Tire -- I'm just getting into being a semi-beer connoisseur. I have no idea what "mouthfeel" means. Rest assured, I'll figure it out. "Fat Tire" has always been one of those beers I've drank when I've had the opportunity. Benz Beverage Depot (yes, this is me mugging for an endorsement deal) recently started offering it. I've got six 22 oz. bottles in the fridge. This amber/red has a deliciously malty taste that's beefy and sustains slightly sweet. Some people complain about the smell. Probably the same people who know what "mouthfeel" is.

Hawkeye people, make sure you go mooch off my friend Andy Wolter's tailgater. He's an ISU grad and he's ardent, but I'm sure he'd welcome you with open arms on gameday. I'm not sure where his tailgate is, just follow the cans of Old Style Light. I'm sure Andy will be the only one.

Try to have fun and remember, you won't remember the score five years from now.

Fellas, easy on the flat-out insults . . .

In his blog on the JS website, he admonishes Iowa fans for coming up with a link to a phony story calling UW quarterback Tyler Donovan's intelligence into question.

The link, which has been taken down, showed up on HawkeyeNation and HawkeyeReport.

It went to a story that had an Associated Press byline that appeared to be picked up by ESPN.com. It was a false report that none of us would want to see written about one of our kids or brothers or sisters.

Jeff is mad at you guys, writing, "We understand passion. We also understand this attempt at 'humor' went too far."

Jon Miller, publisher of HawkeyeNation, took the post off his messageboards. Here's the link, but don't bother, it's already been pulled from wherever it originated http://hawkize.freewebspace.com/donovan.html. It shot for "The Onion," but ended up at Mad Magazine, which still has some sort of appeal, think "Comic Book Guy" from "The Simpsons." (Is Mad defunct? I think it might be.)

I have to side with Jeff on this one. I'm certainly not here to preach to you guys or come down too hard on anyone. I'm all for pranks. If Tyler Donovan is like all of the Division I-A college quarterbacks I know, he brushes this stuff off like toe lint. I'm sure the intention was jest. So now, go back and come up with something better, something that I can take to my executive producer friend at the Colbert Report (a UW alum, BTW) for use on the air. Or at least considered for use on the air (he won't, but just go with this for a second). How cool would that be! Consider it a class project. Humor rules, empty-headed bashing drools.

Is it me or has this week been way, way too quiet for an Iowa State-Iowa (or Iowa-Iowa State) week? I think this link-gate shows us that you guys are already in Madison, mentally. First things first, people.

The rivalry . . .

Reality: No. There was some pressure from a few state politicians to get the rivalry plugged in again in 1977, but that was it, pressure. In this day and age, I just can't see a politician willing to risk any PR nightmares to stick their nose into this. I want my people making the world a better place (and keeping my taxes reasonable). I don't want them scheduling football games.

Perception: This game means more to Iowa State than Iowa.

Reality: Kirk Ferentz brought the Cy-Hawk Trophy out to practice on Sunday and delivered a colorful speech on the topic. I think the best way to describe the Iowa vibe here is that they hate losing it more than they love winning it. Going on that, you could argue it means more.

Perception: Iowa State is 0-2. Iowa State is an easy mark Saturday.

Reality: Iowa State is doing its best Iowa '06 impression. Turnovers and big plays have killed the Cyclones, which were the same bugaboos that bothered the Hawkeyes all last season. I don't know if ISU is the best 0-2 team in the country, but its better than 0-2. One thing I'll always, always, always give Dan McCarney great credit for is breathing life back into this thing. Raise your hand if you knew there was a Cy-Hawk Trophy before 1998. Rivalries are rivalries when the game carries a whiff of uncertainty. The thing will never swing 15 games one way again and it might not swing five games one way. It's fun again. I know it doesn't feel that way when your side loses, but I also know the wins feel that much better.

Perception: ISU AD Jamie Pollard's $90 ticket this year has risen eyebrows in Iowa City and put the rivalry in jeopardy.

Reality: ISU AD Jamie Pollard's $90 ticket this year has risen eyebrows in Iowa City but it hasn't put the rivalry in jeopardy. The contract terms will most assuredly change after 2010. Iowa State needs the gate. Iowa wouldn't want the PR stink from pulling the plug on the thing. They're stuck together. I doubt either school would want to take this to court, but the next written document will look a lot different.

Perception: Iowa will win by a lot, 44-7.

Reality: Iowa will win, 34-17.

I feel like I get sucked into a tornado . . .

Some thoughts . . .

Andy Brodell is on the edge of being an all-Big Ten superstar. He runs good routes and he runs so well after the catch. He needs to be consistent with the catch part. He was last night and he was a weapon. He's totally consistent as a punt returner. It's early, but he might be the best in the Ferentz era at the job.

Same deal for Tony Moeaki. The one thing he really, really answered last night was the run after the catch complaint. Last week, he stumbled after a few catches and had 32 yards on three receptions. Last night, he had 112 yards receiving, including a 52 yarder. He's also on the edge of all-Big Ten.

One thing about Iowa's D-line, it has a chance to find a bad matchup every game. Whether it's Bryan Mattison and Kenny Iwebema or Mitch King and Matt Kroul, one of them has the tools to make a tubby, slow lineman look very, very bad. It was Mattison's turn last night. He was unblockable. He tooled Larry Norton.

So the game has passed Norm Parker by? For the record, I've never thought this or questioned this with Parker or Kirk Ferentz. I have asked about the schemes, the philosophy. But passed Norm by? No. He brushes more football off his teeth in the morning than I'll ever know. The Adam Shada and Devan Moylan blitzes were great calls that were perfectly executed. I think on passing downs, Iowa LBs are playing a few more yards off the ball this year. Linebacker Mike Humpal got his second INT of the year last night.

It's going to be a ride with freshman punter Ryan Donahue. He had an 8 yarder and a 49 yarder last night. Coaches would probably vote for the 49 one.

Jake Christensen looked oh so comfortable running the show last night. He took what the defense gave, the pass. He looked very comfortable, very settled.

Ran into Jim Reilly . . .

Jim was in town for the game. As it turns out Jim's wife, Erica Richards, was inducted into the Iowa Hall of Fame this weekend. She played field hockey at Iowa from 1986-89.

Sorry, Hawkeye football fans, Jim and Erica have three girls. That might be good news for field hockey, however.

Dace Richardson is dressed . . .

DanPellaHawk . . .

Anyways, in that I mentioned DanHawkPella (or is it DanPellaHawk) is the O-line's biggest critic.

DanHawk, it was just making a joke. Enjoy the game tonight! Be glad you're not a Michigan fan.

Field report

I think drainage with the new south end zone will need some tweaking eventually.

Periphery

I tailgate once a year in an NFL city that is north of us and known for having its tundra frozen. But I'm just a tourist. We just drift through, drink a beer, eat some meat and go on to the next.

I totally respect and understand the ritual. I'm going to try to make some music and beer suggestions every week. Why not? To paraphrase the immortal John Blutarsky, "Grab a blog. Don't cost nothin'."

Music (from my iPod)

"Subject Drop" -- Pernice Brothers. I searched all 4,800 songs and this was the best one with the word "drop" in it. Let's let this subject to drop.

"A Kiss Before I Go" -- Ryan Adams. A beer-drinking heartbreaker, you'll all be singing the chorus by the end of the day.

"Get up, Jake" -- The Deadstring Brothers. This one goes out to Iowa quarterback Jake Christensen. It's an up ditty, very Stone-ish.

"Freak Scene" -- Dinosaur Jr. There's an "F" bomb or two in here, so ear muffs, people. It's very anthemic, which is what tailgate tunes call out for.

"Orange Crush" -- R.E.M. I'm not sure this is what Michael Stipe had in mind, tailgate, Iowa-Cuse '07, but it's a perfect fit. Ya know, the Orange?

Beer -- This week I'll throw out my favorite, Anchor Steam. It's a little pricey at $8 or $9 a sixer, but it's an excellent amber with a malt and caramel taste and a toasted feel. I'm no gourmet, but I've read that it goes with roast beef for those who are into that.

This is a night game, so it requires pacing. Greg S., a friend and co-worker, suggested last year before the Ohio State game that a nap and a few meals and maybe another nap would get you to the 7 p.m. kick. Nap, meal, meal, nap . . . or whatever order. It makes a lot of sense.

Sorry for the break . . .

Yesterday, I wrote about Mitch King, who has a motor and no off button. He blamed his hamstring injury last season on himself, not keeping himself hyrdrated. His brother, Vince, who happens to be a former all-American D-lineman at Wartburg, told me that Mitch keeps a five-gallon Culligan jug of water at his side when he's not a practice. I know it's kind of dorky for sportswriters to come up with nicknames, but I'm going to throw out "Culligan Man" for King.

This week I'm taking a look at the "stars" system that Internet sites have attached to recruits. Now, it's not an indictment on hype and over-the-top expectations, rather an explanation -- what they are, how they're given and how players perceive them. I'm going to track down how many stars a few current Iowa players had. My opinion on the stars is entertainment purposes only. They all have zero when they hit the practice field in August.

I thought John Riehl's piece on Amari Spievey was interesting. I loved Clinton Solomon's success story, leaving Iowa because of academics and then returning, playing at a high level and getting his degree. It'd be cool if Spievey could follow the path Solomon took from Iowa Central back to Iowa City.

Saturday, I don't quite have figured out but probably something on last season's goal line stand. Think about the sheer work that 8-play goal line stand took. Think about the mental toughness to push as hard as you can that many times that close to the goal line. Then, think about coming back from a pass interference penalty. First down from the 2 all over again. And think about it from the offense's perspective. I talked to a few Iowa offensive players about that. What's going through their mind on try No. 6, No. 7 and then when all the pressure is on.

I have DirectTV and, yes, I saw the last seven minutes of Appalachian State and Michigan on the Big Ten Network. I thought Mike Hart showed a lot of guts. The rest of Michigan . . . ouch, baby. That's gonna leave a mark. I wish there would've been more shots of fans in the stands after the game. They kind of reminded me of the shot Iowa sports sold after the Capital One Bowl, Warren Holloway catching "the pass" and LSU fans' faces caught in frozen horror.

That's college football.

One is done

King is back

King?

Haltime quick impressions . . .

Lloyd, Lloyd all null and void . . .

Turf report . . .

Kicker

Your starting left guard is . . .

True freshmen

Tyler Blum

Turf deal

Turf explanation

Here's how this will work, at least for today

Iowa leads the Big Ten in . . .