Iowa

Top strategist resigns from DeSantis-backing super PAC with less than a month before Iowa caucuses

Published

1 year ago

December 17, 2023

Top strategist resigns from DeSantis-backing super PAC with less than a month before Iowa caucuses

NEW YORK (AP) — The top strategist for the embattled super PAC backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ‘ campaign for the White House resigned Saturday night in the latest sign of trouble for the GOP hopeful less than one month before voting begins with Iowa’s kickoff caucuses.

Jeff Roe, the top adviser to Never Back Down, is the latest senior staffer to exit Never Back Down, which has been the largest outside group supporting DeSantis’ candidacy.

He announced his departure on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, hours after The Washington Post published a story focused on internal disputes and suspicions between Never Back Down, the campaign, and other DeSantis allies that included accusations of “mismanagement and conduct issues, including numerous unauthorized leaks containing false information.”

“I can’t believe it ended this way,” Roe wrote on X, sharing a statement in which he said he “cannot in good conscience stay affiliated with Never Back Down given the statements” in the story, which he said were false.

Numerous senior members of Never Back Down have been fired or resigned in recent weeks, including two chief executives, the group’s chairman and its communications director. At the same time, DeSantis’ Florida allies have created a new super PAC, Fight Right, which had earned the public blessing of the DeSantis campaign.

The Associated Press reported earlier this week on growing concern among some within DeSantis’ operation that interactions between his campaign and his network of outside groups were blurring the lines of what’s legally permissible.

Super PACs are legally barred from directly coordinating with campaigns. But multiple people familiar with DeSantis’ political network said that he and his wife had expressed concerns about Never Back Down’s messaging as his Iowa poll numbers stagnated — concerns DeSantis’ team then shared with members of Never Back Down’s board, according to multiple people briefed on the discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share internal discussions.

Some of the board members then relayed the DeSantis team’s wishes to super PAC staff, which was responsible for executing strategy, the people said. DeSantis’ campaign has denied any wrongdoing.

Never Back Down had taken an unprecedented role in the election, overseeing functions normally handled by campaigns. The group was charged with organizing voters through a massive door-knocking and get-out-the-vote operation, organizing campaign, as well as advertising, and has spent tens of millions of dollars on commercials this year.

Roe, one of the Republican Party’s most prominent strategists, ran Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s 2016 presidential campaign, which beat former President Donald Trump in that year’s Iowa caucuses, and also worked as an adviser on Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s winning run. But he had little preexisting relationship before this year with DeSantis, who has long struggled to maintain close relationships with political consultants.

Weighing in on his social media site from Las Vegas, where he is watching a UFC fight, Trump late Saturday cheered the news. “Jeff Roe is out—GAME OVER for DeSanctimonious!” he wrote.

DeSantis has staked his campaign on Iowa, where Trump is leading by wide margins in recent polls.

The super PAC was seeded with more than $80 million from DeSantis’ political accounts this spring.

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Iowa

Mizzou Football: Iowa Hawkeyes Preview

Published

3 hours ago

December 27, 2024

Press Room

The last time Missouri played Iowa, future NFL 1st round quarterback Blaine Gabbert was driving Missouri late in the game until he threw game-sealing pick six to future Buffalo Bill Micah Hyde.

It’s been 14 years since the Tigers played Missouri’s Hat, and during that time Iowa has been fairly consistent if not uninspiring: some of the worst offenses you’ve ever seen paired with the most effective defenses on the planet. All they do is beat teams they should beat and play the most boring brand of football you can think of. But, hey, it works!

And now, Missouri – minus its best athlete and lineman on offense – goes up against yet another elite-tier Iowa defense and a lackluster offense that struggles to do even the most basic stuff consistently well. Should be…fun?

When Missouri Has the Ball

Missouri’s Offense vs. Iowa’s Defense

When a defense is 6th in the nation in SP+ there’s very few things that they struggle with. And, in particular with the Hawkeyes, they are the most basic bitch defense you can think of: no big plays allowed, mediocre havoc, one of the most accurate tacklers in the country, and one of the more effective scoring defenses out there. It’s going to be zero fun watching an underwhelming Mizzou offense with several weeks off try to restart the offense against these eleven defenders.

Run the Ball

Usually, Iowa has supremely stout run defenses but that isn’t the case this year. The Hawkeyes rank a shocking 106th in rushing success rate allowed, as well as 119th in opponent’s opportunity rate. We all know that Mizzou would prefer to run the ball 50 times per game and this is the group that will let them do it. The Tigers should shoot for at least a 48% rushing success rate.

Keep Up with the Chains

Iowa’s defense in standard downs: 74th. Iowa’s defense in passing downs: 42nd. But considering that Iowa pass defense ranks 30th overall it would be best to avoid all obvious passing down situations and keep the Hawkeyes guessing. A 45% standard downs success rate should suffice.

Finish Your Dang Drives

This will be the second straight stingy scoring defense Missouri will see, and Mizzou was able to crack open Arkansas’ stranglehold inside the 40 in their matchup this year. Iowa, on the other hand, comes into this game with a mere 3.7 points allowed per opportunity, almost right where Arkansas was. Missouri has scored at least 20 points in every victory this year and Iowa has allowed at least 20 points in every loss so let’s start there: 6 scoring opportunities at 3.5 points per opportunity for a total of 21.

When Iowa Has the Ball

With two quarterbacks and one of the best running backs in the country missing this game, Iowa’s already anemic offense will be sputtering with backups at the key positions on offense. Missouri hasn’t been nearly as stout defensively as the year has gone on but should see a renaissance against a bad unit with backups.

Keyword: should.

Stop the Run

Iowa isn’t very good at running the ball but they are 5th in the nation in run rates on standard downs with a 73% chance of running the ball in that situation. They also rank 52 in running the ball in passing downs (35%). Stop the run -> make them pass -> profit. I’d like to see Iowa’s rushing success at 40% or less.

Turnovers!

Given the amount of fumbles and types of passes batted around, Iowa should have turned the ball over 10.7 times and, in reality, they’ve had 11 turnovers, so they’re right on track. But Iowa’s defense should have had 19.6 turnovers while in reality they’ve grabbed 24. So the Hawkeye’s have benefited from a little bit of luck and an opportunistic defense…and Mizzou’s defense is going to need to flip the script. Mizzou’s defense has been good at taking advantage when the opportunity presents itself and they need to ride that to a +2 in the turnover department.

Conclusion

Iowa is a more extreme version of Missouri which means this game could go very quick and be very boring. Mizzou’s penchant for waiting until the 4th quarter to score points would be a very bad idea against this type of opponent, but Iowa’s offense could be so ineffective that it might not matter. Hopefully we’re pleasantly surprised by an entertaining game because this has all the makings of a snoozer of a low-scoring result.

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How to watch and listen to Miami vs Iowa State 2024 Pop-Tarts Bowl game: Live stream, TV channel, and start time | Goal.com US

Published

11 hours ago

December 27, 2024

Press Room

How to watch and listen to Miami vs Iowa State 2024 Pop-Tarts Bowl game: Live stream, TV channel, and start time | Goal.com US

Everything you need to know on how to watch Miami vs Iowa State 2024 Pop-Tarts Bowl game – team news, livestream, TV channel, and start time.

Two teams just shy of a College Football Playoff berth are set to clash in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, aiming to end their seasons on a high note.

Listen to the play-by-play of the game on SiriusXM

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Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch and listen to the Miami (FL) vs Iowa State 2024 Pop-Tarts Bowl game, plus plenty more.

Miami vs Iowa State 2024 Pop-Tarts Bowl game: Date and kick-off time

The Hurricanes will take on the Cyclones in a highly anticipated 2024 Fenway Bowl game on Saturday, December 28, 2024, at 3:30 pm ET/ 12:30 pm PT, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

How to watch Miami vs Iowa State 2024 Pop-Tarts Bowl game on TV & stream live online

TV channel: ABC

Broadcasters: Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (color) and Cole Cubelic (color analyst) are on the game call.

Streaming service: FuboTV

Streaming the game with a VPN

Unable to watch this game due to broadcast restrictions? A VPN could be the answer to your problems.

NordVPN is our pick for the best VPN service in 2024 when streaming live sports. You can even try NordVPN risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

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How to listen to live play-by-play commentary of Miami (FL) vs Iowa State 2024 Pop-Tarts Bowl game

Audio Stream: Away: 198 (CAR), 952 (NE) | Home: 84 (CAR), 84 (NE) | National: 80 (CAR), 80 (NE)

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Hear exclusive interviews with players and coaches, plus expert analysis from the top names in sports radio. Listeners will need either a Platinum or Streaming Platinum plan.

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Miami vs Iowa State team news & key players

Miami Hurricanes team news

Miami boasts the top-ranked offense in the country, averaging an eye-popping 44.2 points and 538.3 total yards per game during the regular season.

Cam Ward, a transfer from Washington State, has shattered numerous school records this season, amassing 4,123 passing yards and 36 touchdowns with a 67.4% completion rate and only seven interceptions. His primary target, All-American Xavier Restrepo, has yet to confirm his participation in the bowl, while senior running back Damien Martinez, a future NFL draft pick, has announced he will play.

Iowa State Cyclones team news

On the other side, the Iowa State Cyclones come into this game with a 10-3 record (7-2 in conference play) after a tough 45-19 loss to Arizona State in their last outing. The Cyclones were tied 10-10 in the second quarter before conceding 35 unanswered points. They were outgained 467-341 in total yardage, turned the ball over three times, and converted just 7-of-14 third downs. Rocco Becht threw for 214 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception, while Jayden Higgins hauled in seven catches for 115 yards.

The Cyclones have also suffered defeats to Kansas and Texas Tech but secured victories over North Dakota, Iowa, Arkansas State, Houston, Baylor, West Virginia, UCF, Cincinnati, Utah, and Kansas State. Iowa State’s offense has averaged 31.2 points per game with 254.6 passing yards and 161.7 rushing yards per contest, while their defense has allowed just 21.5 points per game. Rocco Becht has completed 59.3% of his passes for 3,235 yards, 22 touchdowns, and nine interceptions this season, with Carson Hansen contributing 670 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns to their ground game.

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Iowa

Storm Tracker Podcast – Scouting the Opponent – Iowa State

Published

19 hours ago

December 26, 2024

Press Room

Storm Tracker Podcast – Scouting the Opponent – Iowa State

Marcus Benjamin, publisher of CanesCounty.com, is joined by Bill Seals, publisher of CycloneReport.com, to discuss the matchup between Miami and Iowa State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

First, Seals shares his thoughts on the feel of the Iowa State program going into Saturday’s game (2:07) and what the Cyclone is looking to prove in Orlando (4:08).

Next, Seals talks about the strengths and weaknesses of Iowa State and whether they were exposed against Arizona State in the Big 12 championship game (7:00).

Seals describes the type of offense Iowa State runs and the looks to expect on defense (10:03). He also shares thoughts on the matchups to watch between the Hurricanes and Cyclones (13:37).

Next, Seals shares his thoughts on ISU QB Rocco Becht and what makes him dangerous (14:51).

Benjamin and Seals discuss key players who will not play in the bowl game (16:20) and share predictions of the outcome (19:53).

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