Iowa

Kirk Ferentz: Iowa football’s offense ‘starting to click a little bit’ as season nears

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1 year ago

August 23, 2024

Kirk Ferentz: Iowa football’s offense ‘starting to click a little bit’ as season nears

IOWA CITY — Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz didn’t definitively announce a starting quarterback Thursday for the Aug. 31 season opener against Illinois State. He did, however, offer what the current pecking order would look like if Iowa were playing this week:

Cade McNamara
Brendan Sullivan
Marco Lainez

That’s on par with what has largely been expected.

The quarterbacks’ performance during the Aug. 10 Kids Day at Kinnick open practice stirred some concern externally, particularly about McNamara, who struggled mightily. But Ferentz sounded optimistic about what he has seen recently.

“There’s been some back and forth, some ups and downs, those types of things,” Ferentz said Thursday. “But both guys this week have just looked more comfortable and they’ve done a lot of good things. Cade’s done a really nice job. I think he’s had a really good week. And I think Brendan’s done the same thing.”

More: If Iowa football has resilience of 2023, Kirk Ferentz suspension could be minor hiccup

The last two years have been tumultuous for McNamara, who suffered consecutive season-ending knee injuries. He has appeared in just eight games combined over the last two seasons, so there are bound to be bumps on the road as he gets set for the 2024 season. The hope is that leads to results in the end.

“It’s just good to see him the last couple days look more relaxed,” Ferentz said. “He wasn’t pressing, trying to force things and things like that. And I’m no expert on quarterback play but I know you can’t do that stuff. And it’s the first time I’ve seen him, stand there on the field with him, where he looked like he’s more comfortable. And just maybe a little bit more feeling better about his whole world, if you will.”

Ferentz said both McNamara and Sullivan have been getting reps with the first-team offense, indicating there isn’t a wide gap between the two. Ferentz was asked on Thursday if Iowa would consider going into a game with a plan of using both.

“We’ll consider anything,” Ferentz said. “The game plan would probably look a little different for either guy … Our preference is to have a 1, 2, 3. We’ll see how that shakes out. But we’re gonna keep an open mind all season long about our entire football team.”

Around this time last year, Iowa’s quarterback room was not in a great place, something that became brutally clear as the season went on. But now with the health of McNamara, the addition of Sullivan and the development of Lainez, it seems to be trending upward.

“The big takeaway is we’re much healthier at that position in terms of game experience, depth, those types of things,” Ferentz said. “And Marco’s doing a good job, too.”

Seeing growth on offense

Despite the fact that Thursday was marred with talk about recruiting violations and suspensions, Ferentz shared a fair amount of promising updates. Ferentz seemed encouraged by what he’s seen as the Aug. 31 season opener rapidly approaches, notably pertaining to development on offense under new coordinator Tim Lester.

“I actually think things are maybe starting to click a little bit,” Ferentz said. “We’ve pushed past the ‘We’re in camp’ mode and seeing some cleaner execution. Defensively, we’ve got a lot of veteran presence there. Offensively this is all new. And I think it’s starting to click a little bit for them.

“We’re gonna have some ups and downs when we start playing competitively. But I think we’re making progress and the guys have been nothing but willing and anxious to learn. Most importantly, they’re demonstrating that it’s starting to resonate a little bit with them.”

More: Leistikow: A day of remorse for Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz, who owns up to recruiting mistake

Beyond the quarterback position, wide receiver is another question mark on offense. On top of that, Kaleb Brown will miss the season opener against Illinois State as punishment for a June arrest on charges of OWI and possession of a fictitious license, ID card or form. Wide receivers coach Jon Budmayr is also suspended for the game, along with Ferentz, due to a potential recruiting violation.

Still, Ferentz has continued to talk up the wide receiver unit. It’s somewhat surprising given the struggles of that group over the past few seasons, coupled with the fact that they are young and unproven entering this campaign.

“I’m really optimistic about that group,” Ferentz said. “I don’t know what it’s gonna look like here the first couple of weeks, literally like who’s gonna be playing or how much, that type of stuff. But I think the potential right now for growth in that room and the potential for that becoming a really productive unit, I think it’s there for us.”

One name Ferentz spoke at length about was receiver Jacob Gill. The Northwestern transfer didn’t come in with eye-popping numbers, but apparently he has carved out a niche on the offense leading up to the season.

“He’s been really just a great addition,” Ferentz said of Gill. “The (transfer) portal’s an interesting place. We don’t live there full-speed. But we thought he’d be a guy that could maybe help our football team, and he’s just been a great addition. Really focused, really mature. He’s got a veteran presence and really workmanlike the way he goes about what he does, how he practices, how he prepares, everything about him in this building. Really exemplary and not a loud demeanor, but just shows up every day and really performs. So he’s been a really good influence on a very young group.”

A couple other areas of note are depth on the offensive and defensive lines. On the O-line, Ferentz mentioned Tyler Elsbury and Nick DeJong as players not expected to start who could add quality depth. On the defensive line, which arguably has bigger holes to fill, Ferentz pointed to Max Llewellyn, Brian Allen and Jeremiah Pittman as reserves who could play key roles.

Other notes

Leshon Williams has returned to practice, though he is being limited in terms of volume. Coming off the best season of his college career, the running back has missed time leading up to the 2024 campaign with an injury but now seems to be trending in the right direction. “He made a really nice blitz pick-up coincidentally (Thursday) morning, which allowed us to have a good completion on a play,” Ferentz said of Williams. “So he’s been paying attention, he’s been doing a good job. Hopefully he’ll be good to go.”
Koen Entringer, expected to be one of Iowa’s top reserves at safety, has been back at practice after missing a significant amount of time due to injury (defensive coordinator Phil Parker already confirmed such earlier in the week): “He looks like he’s fully healthy out there and he is,” Ferentz said of Entringer.
Redshirt freshman running back Kamari Moulton suffered what seems to be a minor leg injury. Ferentz is hopeful that Moulton will return soon.

Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com

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Takeaways from Iowa State basketball record-setting win vs Alcorn State

Published

1 hour ago

December 4, 2025

Press Room

Takeaways from Iowa State basketball record-setting win vs Alcorn State

AMES — At one point during the second half of Iowa State basketball’s win over Alcorn State on Dec. 3, Nate Heise knocked down a 3-pointer and the PA announcer was halfway through saying Milan Momcilovic’s name before offering a quick correction.

With the way things were going on Wednesday night, could you blame him?

Not only did Momcilovic start by going 8-for-8 from beyond the arc, but it also felt like the rest of the Cyclones couldn’t miss.

No. 9 Iowa State bulldozed visiting Alcorn State, 132-68, setting team scoring and 3-point records along the way.

Coach T.J. Otzelberger called a timeout, not even two minutes into the game, to settle his team down after a sloppy start that led to an Alcorn State 7-0 run, fueled by uncharacteristic turnovers. His players got the message and quickly put things out of reach with a 29-4 run.

The Cyclones (8-0) held a commanding 65-28 lead by halftime. They led by as much as 66 points, with 5:58 left in the game.

Momcilovic finished with a game-high 27 points and five steals. Jamarion Batemon added 26 points and shot 7-of-10 from deep off the bench. Joshua Jefferson had a 24-point, 10-assist double-double in a turnover-free outing. Heise and Killyan Toure each had 13 points, while Dominykas Pleta added 12.

Here are three takeaways from the Cyclones’ win:

Jamarion Batemon on Iowa State basketball’s recent offensive success

Iowa State basketball sets several team records

The Cyclones’ 22 made 3-pointers and 132 total points are new program single-game records.

With just under six minutes to go, Jefferson ran out in transition and considered going for a layup before kicking it out to an open Momcilovic. The junior converted with a corner 3-pointer that gave the Cyclones their largest lead of the night and officially broke the program’s 3-point record.

Iowa State previously made 18 3-pointers in a 92-89 overtime win at Kansas on Feb. 4, 2017.

Batemon caught fire in the second half, recording 17 of his 26 points after the break. He also sank one final long-range basket with under a minute to go, helping the Cyclones officially set the record at 22.

“It was amazing to just have that kind of fun with your guys,” Batemon said. “We work for it every day, so to see that kind of performance like that, it was amazing to see.”

The Cyclones also broke another record from that same season. On Nov. 20, 2016, Iowa State defeated The Citadel, 130-63.

Batemon’s final 3-pointer also gave the Cyclones the single-game team scoring record.

Iowa State was unselfish in its record-setting performance, with assists on 33 of 46 baskets.

The Cyclones also set new marks for most points scored in a single half by an Otzelberger-led team. Iowa State had 60 points in the second half against Syracuse last week, but it followed up by dropping 65 first-half points against the Braves and then 67 second-half points to finish off Alcorn State.

The program record for most points in a single half was 76 points against Omaha on Dec. 31, 1991.

“We’re not necessarily in this to try to break records; we want to play to a standard and play the best we can every possession,” Otzelberger said. “It’s great to see some of our guys with their confidence get going, shooting the ball the way that they are, so we’ll just continue to do the hard work and play one possession at a time, but for the work they put in, they should feel good about the way they shared the ball, the way they shot the ball. Now we need to continue to get better doing it.”

Cade Kelderman and Jamarion Batemon on Iowa State scoring records

Iowa State’s scorching-hot shooting display

Over Iowa State’s last 60 minutes of basketball action, which includes the second half of the Cyclones’ 95-64 slaughter of Syracuse on Nov. 26, Iowa State has amassed 192 points. That’s an impressive 3.2 points per minute.

Since the second half against Syracuse, Iowa State is shooting a blistering 68-of-96 overall (70.8%) and 28-for-41 (68.3%) from beyond the arc.

When you break it down by half against Alcorn State, Iowa State shot 22-of-29 (75.9%) and 10-for-12 from deep in the first half. There was a slight dip after the break, but the Cyclones hardly missed a beat, shooting 24-of-36 (66.7%) and 12-of-18 from long range.

“It was a lot of fun,” Iowa State guard Cade Kelderman said. “Felt like everyone on our team couldn’t miss.”

Defensively, Iowa State generated 27 turnovers, which turned into 48 points the other way.

The Cyclones also won on the glass, once again, outrebounding Alcorn State, 32-18. Iowa State had 10 offensive rebounds, which turned into 20 second-chance points.

It was an all-around dominant performance.

“Our defense has to set the tone for everything,” Otzelberger said. “How we dictate and the physicality we play with always translates to the same thing on the offensive end, so our greatest performances defensively usually translate to things going well offensively.”

Iowa State basketball coach T.J. Otzelberger on Dom Nelson’s health

Iowa State guard Dominick Nelson is day-to-day, Cade Kelderman ready to step up

Dominick Nelson didn’t get to join in on the high-scoring affair and was a noticeable addition to the Cyclones’ injury list.

He did not play against Alcorn State and is day-to-day with a groin injury, according to Otzelberger.

“In the game against Syracuse, something that he kind of tweaked it — a lower-body, groin (injury),” Otzelberger said. “When we got back, it was a little bit more sore than we thought. Didn’t have great burst or range of motion. He’ll continue to be evaluated, he’s getting workouts in and when he’s ready to be reintegrated, we will do that, but I’d say at this point he’s day-to-day.”

Iowa State coach T.J Otzelberger on guard Cade Kelderman

With Nelson and Tamin Lipsey dealing with groin injuries, it looks like the Cyclones will be counting on Kelderman to step into the rotation.

The Waukee native carved a niche for himself as a dependable player who could fearlessly step into extended minutes at the end of last season when the Cyclones were bogged down by injuries. The junior guard played well enough that he was promoted from walk-on to scholarship player.

Kelderman had seen some action this year, sparingly, but against Alcorn State, he entered the game early in the first half and reappeared throughout. He had seven points, seven assists, four steals and no turnovers through 16 minutes.

“We knew that his opportunity would come and more opportunities are going to continue to come his way, so what I really value and appreciate about Cade is he’s an everyday guy,” Otzelberger said. “He’s a competitor, he’s a winner and when you call his number, he’s going to step up for you. We saw that again here today.”

Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.

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Iowa

Iowa State basketball breaks points, 3-point records vs Alcorn State

Published

14 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Press Room

Iowa State basketball breaks points, 3-point records vs Alcorn State

The Iowa State basketball team made history Wednesday night.

In a dominating win over Alcorn State, the Cyclones broke their own program records for total points scored, with 132, and 3-pointers made in a single game with 22. The previous record for total points was 130, which was set against The Citadel on Nov. 20, 2016. The previous 3-point record was 18, which Iowa State hit in a game against Kansas on Feb. 4, 2017.

In total, nine different players scored points and five of them drilled a shot from beyond the arc in the victory. Three different Cyclones also scored over 20 points, while three more scored 10 or more. Milan Momcilovic led the way with 27 total points and eight long-range baskets. At one point, he had made 8-for-8 of his 3-point attempts, but eventually missed one late in the second half.

On the night, the Cyclones were 22-for-30 and shot 73% from 3-point range. The 132-68 victory helped Iowa State improve to 8-0 on the season.

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Iowa will be the coldest state in the US. Maps show how cold it’ll be.

Published

1 day ago

December 3, 2025

Press Room

Iowa will be the coldest state in the US. Maps show how cold it’ll be.

Iowa is expected to experience the coldest temperatures in the Lower 48 due to a surge of Arctic air.
A weakened polar vortex is allowing frigid air to spill into the U.S., creating a winter-like weather pattern.
Record-breaking low temperatures are likely through Thursday, with light snow chances but minimal accumulation expected.
A gradual warm-up is forecast for the weekend, but temperatures will remain below normal with chances for light snow.

Temperatures across Iowa are forecast to plunge to the coldest in the Lower 48, dipping well below zero as a surge of Arctic air sweeps in.

The broader weather pattern will stay active and winter-like through the end of the week and into the weekend. A recent stratospheric disturbance weakened the polar vortex, allowing frigid Arctic air to spill into the U.S. and shift the jet stream, bringing snow and wintry precipitation to several regions.

While the heaviest snow will target the Rockies and High Plains on Dec. 3, Iowa will primarily feel the effects of a strong cold front and fast-moving clipper systems sweeping through the Great Lakes and Midwest.

“An active winter-like pattern will continue to bring the threat of winter weather to multiple areas of the country through the end of the week and into the weekend,” the Climate Prediction Center said.

When is the coldest air expected in Iowa?

Dangerous cold will dominate the forecast through Thursday, Dec. 4. Record-breaking lows are likely early Thursday, and even daytime highs will struggle to climb out of the single digits and teens. Winds will ease overnight, but the extreme cold will persist.

By Friday, Dec. 5, temperatures moderate slightly, but the pattern remains active into the weekend.

When will temperatures warm up in Iowa?

After the deep freeze, a gradual warm-up arrives Friday, Dec. 5, though temperatures will still run below normal.

The weekend and early next week look unsettled, with a series of disturbances tracking through the Midwest. While confidence in timing and amounts remains low, light snow chances will return periodically. Anyone with travel plans should monitor updates closely, as even light snow combined with cold conditions could impact roads.

Is snow expected in Iowa?

Light snow showers are possible today, Dec. 3, along the trailing cold front.

Additional chances for snow are possible on Thursday, Dec. 4, as another clipper system passes through. Accumulations in Iowa should remain light, but the bitter cold will dominate the story, with temperatures running well below normal for early December.

Several weak systems will ripple through the region, bringing occasional chances for light snow. While significant accumulations appear unlikely, even minor snowfall could cause hazards as low temperatures keep roads slick.

“Anyone with travel plans this weekend should monitor the latest forecast updates, because while at this time the probability of a significant snowfall event is low, even lighter accumulations could still impact travel conditions at times,” the National Weather Service office in Des Moines wrote.

Maps: Temperature lows in Iowa

Fort Dodge is set to see the coldest temps in the U.S. on Thursday, Dec. 4, reaching -16 degrees overnight.

Wednesday night through Thursday morning, Dec. 3-4

Thursday night through Friday morning, Dec. 4-5

Friday night through Saturday morning, Dec. 5-6

Iowa weather watches and warnings

Here are the watches and warnings for the area.

Stay informed. Get weather alerts via text.

Brandi D. Addison covers weather across the United States as the Weather Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network. She can be reached at baddison@gannett.com. Find her on Facebook here.

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