Iowa

5 reactions/overreactions from Cincinnati Bearcats football game at Iowa State Saturday

Published

1 year ago

November 17, 2024

5 reactions/overreactions from Cincinnati Bearcats football game at Iowa State Saturday

AMES, Iowa – The first University of Cincinnati Bearcats Big 12 football game at Jack Trice Stadium was far from a pleasant experience. Iowa State came from behind in the first half, then outplayed UC in the second half to win going away, 34-17.

UC quarterback Brendan Sorsby had pulled the Bearcats within three points, 20-17, with a 41-yard fourth-quarter touchdown run, but Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht engineered a pair of late scoring drives in the game’s final four minutes. Just like that, a three-point game disintegrated.

Tensions were high afterward based on the vocal displeasure that could be heard from outside of the locker room. It’s understandable, as a three-game losing streak has the Bearcats at .500 on the season after they were 5-2 a month ago. Again, the late loss to Pitt in Week 2 haunts UC’s bowl possibilities with the Bearcats still needing one more victory to qualify.

Both teams had under their normal total offense figures (439 average for both coming into the game). Iowa State outgained UC 387-353, but the Bearcats outrushed the Cyclones by 135 yards. At night’s end, Iowa State led in the most important category: points. That leads to another week for UC coaches to try to get the team bowl-eligible. They have two more opportunities: at 7-3 Kansas State and then at home with 6-4 TCU.

5 reactions/overreaction to another Saturday night Big 12 loss

1. One-dimensional offense for UC in recent weeks

REACTION: The downfield throwing game has all but disappeared. Brendan Sorsby’s 141 rushing yards were fun to watch, but the 66 passing yards featured just two completions to tight end Joe Royer and one to top receiver Xzavier Henderson.

OVERREACTION: Sorsby can’t throw. That wouldn’t quite be fair, as he spent most of the early season as one of the top NCAA passers statistically. The defenses have dropped back in the last two games.

“If you’re dropping eight (players) and everyone’s in the defensive backfield, there’s nowhere to throw it,” UC coach Scott Satterfield said. “They’ve struggled stopping the run. You have to take what they give you. You don’t want to force the ball and have another turnover.”

After three turnovers vs. West Virginia, Sorsby was clean until he fumbled midway through the third quarter at the Iowa State 13-yard line. The fumble was forced by Hamilton High School product Malik Verdon of the Cyclones.

2. A record-setting night for UC for the wrong reason

REACTION: The Bearcats were penalized 13 times, four more than their previous high of nine at Colorado. Several were on false starts which caused great angst post-game.

“We can’t do that if we want to win football games,” center Gavin Gerhardt said. “All five of us know that, Four of us had a false start and that’s unacceptable.”

OVERREACTION: They’ve played in loud venues before. What gives? As it turns out, some defensive gamesmanship coaxed UC into some of those flags. UC’s offense goes on Sorsby’s clap. According to Satterfield, Iowa State was mimicking a clap by slapping the pads of their nose guard.

“A noise that sounds like a clap makes your guy jump offside,” he said. “That’s illegal. Sometimes it’s hard to tell. The last one we got they smacked the defensive tackle to move him over. When they smack him, what does that sound like?”

After a week of preaching poise and patience, the Bearcats were undisciplined and repeatedly flagged.

3. Nothing special on special teams

REACTION: Mason Fletcher had a rough night. No argument there. He had a 56-yard punt but a 37.3 average. That’s because a bad snap forced him to quickly recover and get off a 24-yarder. The most costly was a kick before halftime that bounced backward and went recorded as an 18-yard punt. That gave Iowa State field position at the UC 38-yard line before halftime and they were able to kick a field goal to tie the game at 10.

OVERREACTION: Boot the punter. Satterfield said Mason Fletcher was healthy after making a hard tackle the week before against West Virginia. On the other hand, you would go from one Fletcher to another as Max Fletcher is waiting in the wings. Max Fletcher actually averaged over 46 yards per punt last season at Arkansas, about three yards better than Mason.

“The punt team was horrendous tonight,” Satterfield said. “The field position the last two games is unacceptable.”

He also wasn’t happy that Iowa State’s Stevo Klotz scampered away on a fake punt call. There could be some personnel changes by next weekend on special teams, but it seems like he would stick with Mason Fletcher for now.

4. Another pre-halftime Cincinnati Bearcats blunder

REACTION: Why so many late second-quarter miscues? That would be a solid question and the Fletcher 18-yard punt was the latest after the Bearcats failed to aggressively move the football when they had it in the final minutes of the half. Iowa State took the 10-10 halftime tie and momentum shifted. To date, UC has either missed field goals or other scoring opportunities in seven of their games right before halftime (Pitt, Miami University, Texas Tech, UCF, Arizona State, Colorado, Iowa State).

OVERREACTION: That’s just football. That’s a common reply and probably an under-reaction. Too many instances become a trend.

5. Yogi Berra’s philosophy still lives

REACTION: “It ain’t over, ’til it’s over,” the Yankee Hall of Famer was known to say. If you look at the Big 12, that might be true. Saturday night, BYU suffered its first defeat losing to Kansas which has now knocked off the Cougars and Iowa State in consecutive weeks. Arizona State, a team UC beat 24-14, went to No. 16 Kansas State and beat them. Kenny Dillingham’s Wildcats are 8-2 with one of those losses coming at Nippert Stadium. West Virginia, gifted a win by UC, is still looking to get bowl-eligible as Baylor beat them in Morgantown. Eight Big 12 teams have qualified for bowl games with the Bearcats and Mountaineers both one win away

OVERREACTION: It’s over. (Please read the above paragraph.)

Road ahead for Cincinnati Bearcats

UC has another tough task Saturday, Nov. 23 when they travel to Manhattan, Kansas for the Kansas State Wildcats. UC hasn’t had a win in that series since 1966. The teams last played in 1995 and 1996. UC lost a heartbreaker to Kansas State 23-21 at Nippert in ’95, then Rick Minter’s squad was taken to task by Bill Snyder’s Wildcats 35-0 in Manhattan the following year.

Worse yet, just as Iowa State lost the week before their game against UC, Kansas State was defeated at home by Arizona State 24-14 Saturday, fueling their fire for the Bearcats.

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Iowa

Man sentenced for killing 4 people appeals his sentence to the Iowa Supreme Court

Published

4 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Man sentenced for killing 4 people appeals his sentence to the Iowa Supreme Court

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Luke Truesdell’s attorney has filed as of Sunday to appeal his sentence to the Iowa Supreme Court.

Truesdell was sentenced last week to three consecutive life sentences plus 50 years for the deaths of four people killed in rural Linn County.

A jury convicted Luke Truesdell, 36, in November on the first-degree murder of Brent Brown, 34; his girlfriend, Keonna Ryan, 26, of Cedar Rapids; and Amanda Parker, 33, of Vinton. They also found him guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Romondus Cooper, 44, of Cedar Rapids.

His attorneys previously argued multiple reasons for a retrial that could potentially be brought up again.

They said that one juror was overheard talking about news on the case.

They also said the prosecutors inflamed the jury, rather than focusing on the facts.

His lawyers said there is no direct evidence that Truesdell committed the murders.

Truesdell’s defense also pointed to Truesdell’s father, Larry Tuesdell, who was found covered in blood at the scene but never fully investigated. Authorities have not been able to locate Larry.

The state disagreed, citing overwhelming evidence including DNA on the murder weapon, eyewitness testimony and video of Truesdell entering the garage where the four people were found dead.

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Iowa

2026 Iowa high school boys basketball state tournament brackets, schedule

Published

16 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

2026 Iowa high school boys basketball state tournament brackets, schedule

The Iowa high school boys state basketball tournament is just around the corner and the full field has now been set.

By March 13, four teams will be crowned state champions and there are plenty of worthy squads vying for the title. On Tuesday, the final brackets were released and we now have a clear picture of the eight teams in each class hoping to take home the trophy.

Here’s a look at the first-round pairings and the full state tournament schedule for next week’s IHSAA action.

Class 4A Iowa boys state basketball tournament schedule

State quarterfinals, Monday, March 9

No. 4 Dowling Catholic vs No. 5 Dubuque Senior, 5:30 p.m.
No. 1 Cedar Falls vs No. 8 Urbandale, 7:15 p.m.

Tuesday, March 10

No. 3 Waukee Northwest vs. No. 6 Johnston, 10:30 a.m.
No. 2 Waukee vs No. 7 Cedar Rapids Prairie, 12:15 p.m.

State semifinals, Thursday, March 12

TBD vs. TBD, 10:30 a.m.
TBD vs. TBD, 12:15 a.m.

State championship game, Friday, March 13

Class 3A Iowa boys state basketball tournament schedule

State quarterfinals: Monday, March 9

No. 1 Ballard vs. No. 8 Gilbert, 10:30 a.m.
No. 4 Pella vs. No. 5 Carroll, 12:15 p.m.
No. 2 ADM vs. No. 7 Xavier, 2 p.m.
No. 3 Storm Lake vs. No. 6 Solon, 3:45 p.m.

State semifinals, Wednesday, March 11

TBD vs. TBD, 5:30 p.m.
TBD vs. TBD, 7:15 p.m.

State championship game, Friday, March 13

Class 2A Iowa boys state basketball tournament schedule

State quarterfinals: Wednesday, March 11

No. 1 Kuemper Catholic vs. No. 8 Union Community, 10:30 a.m
No. 4 Treynor vs. No. 5 Grundy Center, 12:15 p.m
No. 2 Unity Christian vs. No. 7 Western Christian, 2 p.m.
No. 3 Regina Catholic vs. No. 6 Aplington-Parkersburg, 3:45 p.m.

State semifinals, Thursday, March 12

TBD vs. TBD, 5:30 p.m.
TBD vs TBD, 7:15 p.m.

State title game, Friday, March 13

Class 1A Iowa boys state basketball tournament schedule

State quarterfinals: Tuesday, March 10

No. 1 St. Edmond vs. No. 8 Woodbine, 2 p.m.
No. 4 Notre Dame vs. No. 5 Bellevue, 3:45 p.m.
No. 2 MMCRU vs. No. 7 Boyden-Hull, 5:30 p.m.
No. 3 Bishop Garrigan vs. No. 6 Marquette Catholic, 7:15 p.m.

State semifinals, Thursday, March 12

TBD vs TBD, 2 p.m.
TBD vs TBD, 3:45 p.m.

State title game, Friday, March 13

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Iowa State announces gymnastics program will be discontinued

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Iowa State announces gymnastics program will be discontinued

Iowa State University announced March 3 that it is cutting its women’s gymnastics program, weeks after abruptly canceling the remainder of the season due to what athletics director Jamie Pollard said were “unreconcilable differences” in the program.

Cyclone gymnasts were informed of the decision to cut the program by ISU associate athletics director Shamaree Brown in a meeting on Tuesday morning, two people with direct knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports Network.

Iowa State gymnastics head coach Ashley Miles Greig and her three assistant coaches were told that their contracts would not be renewed, the university’s news release stated. Miles Greig’s contract was set to expire after the season on June 30, 2026.

Cyclones gymnasts will have the option to remain at Iowa State to finish their degrees, or to transfer to another NCAA school to compete in gymnastics. If they stay at Iowa State, ISU will honor their scholarships. Iowa State’s release said its compliance department would work with the NCAA on waivers to help gymnasts receive an additional year of competition.

Tuesday’s announcement ended weeks of speculation about the program’s future that began when Iowa State canceled its gymnastics season on Feb. 8. In a statement at the time, Brown said the decision was because the Cyclones did not have enough athletes available to compete. In a letter to the gymnastics team and alumni on Feb. 17, Pollard wrote that the cancellation resulted from “a series of complex internal conflicts between individual teammates, coaching staff members, and parents,” language that Iowa State repeated in Tuesday’s release.

In a video released by the school, Pollard said Iowa State would take the next several months to decide which women’s sport would replace gymnastics so that the athletics department remains compliant with Title IX, a federal law that requires NCAA schools to provide proportional participation opportunities to men and women.

“I also want to say, this is not a financial decision. This is a student-athlete experience decision,” Pollard said in the video. “Adding another women’s sport will probably cost equal or more than what we’re already spending on the gymnastics program. This is about student-athlete experience.”

Pollard said that Iowa State conducted reviews of its gymnastics program in 2018 and 2023 stemming from unspecified issues. The 2023 review, conducted by an external law firm, led Iowa State to part ways with then-head coach Jay Ronayne. Miles Greig was hired in April 2023.

On Tuesday, Iowa State denied USA TODAY Sports Network’s public-records request for the findings of the university’s 2018 and 2023 gymnastics probes. In an email denying the request, Ann Lelis, a member of Iowa State’s office of general counsel, cited portions of state open records law that prevent the disclosure of personal information of students or public employees. Lelis also said the requested records were not subject to disclosure because they contained confidential attorney privileged documents.

In the video, Pollard said he asked his senior leadership team “to meet with those individuals in our department that work really closely with our gymnastics program and make a recommendation to me about what we should do going forward.”

The leadership team recommended to Pollard that the school discontinue the gymnastics program, Pollard said, and use those resources for a different women’s sport. Pollard accepted the recommendation from his staff, and he spoke with university leaders. “We are all on the same page,” he said. “This is the right decision for our athletics program and for our student-athletes.”

Cyclone gymnast Samantha Schneider, a redshirt freshman, wrote in an Instagram post on Tuesday that she was heartbroken by the decision and criticized Iowa State’s administration for deflecting blame onto the gymnasts.

“Terrible that this is the result of the lack of support from Iowa State’s Athletic Administration,” Schneider wrote. “For the last 5 months, we have come forward as a team regarding (certain) situations and environment concerns and nothing has been done to protect us as athletes on this team. The gymnasts should NOT be blamed or be sharing any part of the responsibility for this decision being made.”

A former member of this season’s coaching staff also mourned the decision in a text message to USA TODAY Sports Network on Tuesday. The person requested anonymity for fear of repercussions.

“At the end of the day this is unfair to the athletes and the alumni that have built this program and have continued to ask for better,” the coach wrote. “It appears that the department was looking for an easy way out or an easy solution, not realizing they would hurt a lot of people in the process. My only hope is that the athletes can come back stronger than ever.”

Miles Greig could not be immediately reached for comment when contacted Tuesday morning by USA TODAY Sports Network.

The Iowa State gymnastics team participated in four competitions this season before the athletics department shut down the remainder of the season on Feb. 8. Nick Joos, Iowa State’s senior associate athletic director for communications, told USA TODAY Sports Network at the time that the cancellation was due to a “combination of injuries and other health issues.”

During what ended up as Iowa State’s final meet against Denver on Feb. 1, several Cyclone gymnasts fell off the uneven bars. The Cyclones forfeited their next meet on Feb. 6 against West Virginia, with Miles Greig saying in a statement, “At this time, we do not have enough student-athletes available to safely field a team against West Virginia, and regrettably must cancel this competition.”

Two days after that, Brown met with gymnasts on Feb. 8 at Iowa State’s on-campus practice gym and informed them that their season would not continue.

Iowa State’s annual financial report submitted to the NCAA for fiscal year 2025 showed the gymnastics program generated $287,392 in total operating revenues with $1.69 million in expenses, a gap of about $1.4 million. Iowa State allotted 14 scholarships to gymnastics. Football and men’s basketball are the only Iowa State sports in which revenue exceeds spending.

Cyclone gymnastics recruits who had committed to the program for the 2026-27 season can commit to a different school or attend Iowa State and have their scholarship agreements honored.

Former Iowa State gymnast Shea Mattingly, whose last name was Anderson when she graduated in 2012, said she had been in contact with other former members of the team after Tuesday’s announcement.

“We’re all frustrated. We’re all angry,” Mattingly said. “That (Pollard) video made us all really mad, honestly. … It places all the blame on these student-athletes whereas the administration’s accountability in this, they hired these coaches that maybe it seems like they couldn’t handle the program.”

Mattingly said she and other alums aren’t giving up hope on the future of the program.

“I think we’re still going to fight,” she said. “So we’re going to send emails. We’re going to call. We’re going to do all we can, even though it seems his mind has been made up.”

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