Iowa
The Morning After: What Do We Have?
What do we have with this team, exactly? Does anyone know?
This is an Iowa team that, rightly, can hammer teams on the ground. They are indisputably better in that arena than what we’ve seen at Iowa in four years. We’ve seen Iowa struggle on the ground against teams at Troy’s level in the past. Not this year. Iowa has a good line when it comes to the ground game. They have a great stable of backs, highlighted by Kaleb Johnson (man crush levels are HIGH with that guy).
They can get after the quarterback in pass situations. They’re good up the middle. They can stop the run.
Iowa has what looks like a kicker that has returned to form. They have a punter with a big leg. He’s not Tory Taylor (yet), but he’s got the ability. They have a top-level return man.
But the quarterback play has been…shaky. Pass protection has broken down more than once. The defense gives up big plays. That’s consecutive weeks they’ve been burned. It’s made worse by the fact that they give up those plays right after Iowa scores. The special teams had a blow up. This was a 3-point game in the 4th quarter against Troy.
We’ve seen Iowa show their superiority for maybe 4 quarters of play scattered over three games. Their best stretch of play offensively was a game in which Kirk Ferentz was at home with a grandson making eggs. He gets back and the governor is re-inserted. That should rightly be a huge caution flag for everyone.
What is this team?
Whatever they are, they better figure it out quickly. The numbers look good overall. They had nearly 300 yards rushing Saturday. The offense still has struggles, but they’re better than they’ve been since about 2020. They have a professional play caller now, a guy that seems to start slow in the scripted portion of the game but that’s by design to feel an opponent out and set things up later in the game (Brian Ferentz, by contrast, would nail the script then still have 9 or 10 drives to figure out and he had no idea how to do that). They’ve shown they can get it done on the ground. But they are shaky in areas, and some of them are uncharacteristic of recent Iowa vintage.
League play starts next week. Do you feel comfortable about any of that through 3 games? I know I don’t.
Other Thoughts:
– My viewing experience for this game was again a bit choppy. I had another kid’s birthday party to attend – the dad has booze on hand at all times; a good friend indeed – so I got my first experience with Gary Dolphin and Pat Angerer on radio on the way there. I have to say – better than I thought it would be! Angerer’s still feeling his way through this so there’s some dead time that Ed Podolak would’ve filled, but without Ed it’s made Dolphin have to step up more to support a new guy in Pat. It might be the best thing that’s happened to Gary. It felt a little sharper from Dolph than I remember. He’s always struggled with basketball, but football? He’s ok. Angerer brings some younger fan energy to this – at one point on Kaden Wetjen’s kick return to start the second half, Angerer kept yelling “COME ON WETJEN!” It was great. Better than I thought it’d be.
– Cade. I don’t know. I just don’t know on him. There’s a new package for Brendan Sullivan inside the 20. That’s good for the team…but it’s not exactly a ringing endorsement of Cade and where he is right now. And to get the ball after Devonte Ross’s punt return with 1:00 left in the half and one timeout and sit on the ball…that won’t cut it, guys. It just won’t cut it. It’s poor clock management, and it’s made worse by the message it sends. You can’t get it done against Troy, with a 6th-year player under center? If you don’t trust him in that situation, when will you trust him?
– Special Teams breakdown on the punt. Everyone got sucked into the middle. That was as easy a return as I can remember.
– The big TDs allowed – is some of that inexperience for a player like TJ Hall? He hasn’t played a ton despite being a third-year player. Iowa gave up 253 yards of offense to Troy, and 125 of that came on two long plays. 128 yards allowed on everything else. The defense was good overall, but the two long plays make it look worse than it was.
– Kaleb Johnson will be on the list of finalists for the Doak Walker award. He’ll be in the final 3. 479 yards and 6 touchdowns through three games (really 2 1/2) will do that. Enjoy this season with Kaleb while you can – a year from now, he’ll be in the National Football League. I honestly can’t wait to see what he does up there.
– Good to see Jaz Patterson and Kaleb Brown back in the army. Cade’s best throw may have been the 18-yarder to Brown to keep the drive that ended in Patterson’s touchdown alive.
Also – did we know Cade is a laces out guy? I didn’t! I’d never noticed this before!
– The offense is more fun to watch. Truly, it is! I like having a professional play caller in the chair. As painful as some of it’s been, I actually want the defense getting off the field so I can see what this offense will call. It’s variety we haven’t seen in years. They are using a second quarterback, and in one instance, they called stuff out of pistol for him! I find that side interesting again.
– That said – Kirk’s back. The interest in that side can evaporate immediately with him back.
How much rain does Des Moines get? See the 5 wettest days on record
Wondering how the rainfall total compares? Here are the five wettest days on record for Des Moines, Iowa.
Drought conditions in Iowa improved for a second consecutive week, though areas of moderate drought expanded in parts of the state.
The U.S. Drought Monitor offers a state-by-state tracking of drought conditions nationwide. New maps and forecasts are released each Thursday. What are the current drought conditions in Iowa?
U.S. Drought Monitor map: How much of Iowa is in a drought?
The latest Drought Monitor report, released on Thursday, June 18, showed about 46% of Iowa experiencing some form of drought. This continues the streak of conditions improving week to week in Iowa. The previous report, released on June 11, showed that 63% of the state was experiencing some form of drought.
The most recent report reflects conditions as of 8 a.m. June 16, right as storms were sweeping through Iowa, with parts of eastern Iowa seeing more than 2 inches of rainfall. Light rainfall on June 17 led to areas like Iowa City and Burlington reporting around an inch of rain.
Here is the breakdown of current drought conditions in Iowa:
- 61% of the state of Iowa is experiencing no drought conditions
- 39% of Iowa is experiencing abnormally dry conditions
- 7% of Iowa is experiencing moderate drought conditions
- 0% of Iowa is experiencing severe drought conditions
Even though drought conditions have improved overall in Iowa, the area experiencing moderate drought increased from the week of June 11, particularly in northern Iowa. Much of Cerro Gordo, Hancock and Kossuth counties are under D1 conditions, with nearby Palo Alto, Winnebago, Floyd and Mitchell also in moderate drought.
Pockets of moderate drought also persist along the northwest edge of Iowa in Lyon, Sioux and Plymouth counties. In eastern Iowa, Jackson, Clinton and Scott counties saw their moderate drought status ease week to week.
Most of the U.S. is facing drought conditions
About 73% of the U.S. is experiencing some level of drought, a 2-percentage-point improvement from the prior week. Some of the most intense drought conditions are in the southeast and the mountain west.
Iowa Drought Monitor tracks conditions weekly
The U.S. Drought Monitor offers a state-by-state tracking of drought conditions nationwide. New maps and forecasts are released each Thursday.
The intensity levels range from abnormally dry, or D0, to exceptional drought, or D4.
Typically with D0 conditions, corn can show drought stress. Pond levels start to decline under moderate drought conditions and soybeans abort pods, according to the Drought Monitor. The Drought Monitor also has a look-back chart that compares drought conditions from 3 months ago up to 1 year ago.
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
Confirmed tornadoes were reported in Illinois and Iowa Wednesday night as severe weather descended on a large swath of the Midwest.
According to the National Weather Service, a confirmed tornado was reported near the small northeast Iowa community of Harpers Ferry at 5:10 p.m., while a second confirmed tornado rolled through Charleston in central Illinois at about 6:40 p.m. local time.
Both tornadoes were flagged by the weather service as a “particularly dangerous situation,” a rare designation used by the weather service for environments in which “strong and violent tornadoes” are possible.
Photos and videos obtained by CBS News showed extensive damage in Charleston, with downed trees and power lines. Hail that measured 2.75 inches was also reported in the Charleston area, according to the weather service.
“There are a large number of trees blocking roadways throughout Charleston at this time,” Charleston police said in a Facebook post. “Unless it is an absolute emergency, do not drive or attempt to go anywhere.”
The city of Charleston later declared a local state of emergency.
One cell phone video captured the terrifying moments what appeared to be a large tornado tore through Effingham, Illinois, located about 40 miles southwest of Charleston.
Larry Thies, coordinator for the Effingham Emergency Management Agency, told CBS News that initial information indicated damaged buildings, trailers, and downed power lines and trees. He said officials were working to set up an emergency operations center, but were facing challenges because internet was down in the area.
The extent of the damage to region was still unclear. There was no immediate word of injuries or fatalities. CBS News senior meteorologist Rob Marciano said there were at least seven reported tornadoes during the weather event.
According to utility tracker PowerOutage.us, at least 55,000 customers were without power in Illinois.
Earlier Wednesday, Marciano reported that more than 125 million Americans were facing severe weather advisories, including the Gulf Coast states, which were under flood alerts due to Tropical Storm Arthur. Speaking on “CBS Evening News,” Marciano said such ripe tornado conditions were rare for June.
“This is unique for June, this is unusual to have such a strong jet stream just screaming across the country, then you’ve got the summertime tropical moisture coming in…and then some cold air coming in,” Marciano said. “And winds coming at different direction, at different levels, creating that spin. So what that equates to is really the high probability of seeing, not just tornadoes, but intense tornadoes of EF2 strength or higher on the ground for a long time. And also damaging winds at 75 mph or higher, and of course big time hail.”
When is Juneteenth and how is the holiday celebrated
Juneteenth is coming up. Here is what the holiday is about and how it’s celebrated.
It is a busy weekend in Iowa City as summer officially begins on Sunday. From Iowa City Pride and Juneteenth celebrations, there is no shortage of activity happening around town.
Here are four events to check out.
Enter the whimsical world of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at Lower City Park
Thursday to Sunday: Riverside Theatre’s summer tradition, Shakespeare in the Park, has returned to Lower City Park. Catch a free performance of William Shakespeare’s iconic comedy, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” that follows the chaotic events of four entangled lovers and a troupe of actors wandering into a mystical forest. All of the free shows through the weekend start at 7:30 p.m.
Celebrate Juneteenth with live entertainment and community
Friday: The Black Voices Project and Dream City are teaming up to host the community-wide Juneteenth Celebration. At 1 p.m. Friday, June 19, at the South District Market Parking lot, enjoy live music from Kevin Burt, along with community presentations, activities for all ages, and a fashion showcase.
Show your pride at Iowa City Pride events
Saturday: Iowa City Pride is back for the 56th year. Principal events, the Pride Parade and Pride Festival, will start at noon on Saturday, June 20. The festival will be on the Ped Mall, and the parade will begin at College Green Park, working its way downtown along Iowa Avenue and East Washington Street. The festival runs from 12 to 9 p.m.
Catch a romantic comedy under the stars at FilmScene in the Park
Saturday: FilmScene in the Park returns at 9:15 p.m., Saturday, June 20, with a screening of the cult classic “13 Going on 30″ at Chauncey Swan Park. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Concessions, including beer and wine, will be available 30 minutes before the film begins.
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and education reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @rishjessica_
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