Iowa

What We Learned: Iowa Hawkeyes

Published

1 year ago

October 14, 2024

Well, that was something.

Saturday’s trip to Iowa looked more like a Field of Nightmares for the Huskies, as they were physically overmatched by both of Iowa’s lines on offense and defense, losing 40-16. Here are three takeaways from the loss.

Mistaken Identity

Coach Fisch said last week in the locker room before the Michigan game that “this is the game where we establish our identity”. They then went out and did just that, or so we thought. Then they ran into a black and gold buzzsaw.

Make fun of Kirk Ferentz all you want, the Drive for 325 was my favorite storyline of last season. But man…

He’s been there 26 years for a reason.

Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

As I said before the game, Iowa is going to drag you down to their level and beat you with a frustratingly effective run game, all the while controlling the ball and wearing down their opponent. They did just that against the Huskies, with Kaleb Johnson rushing for 166 yards and 2 touchdowns on 21 carries while also catching a touchdown from Cade McNamara, who was 8/14 for 108 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Iowa passing offense was efficient and effective when they needed to be, and Iowa’s great play on offense was due to a very cohesive and physical offensive line, which only gave up 1 sack compared to the Huskies giving up 4. The Hawkeyes were able to capitalize often, only punting twice on the day as they scored 40 points. This is how it feels to be bludgeoned repeatedly for 4 quarters.

The Huskies, however, were a different story.

Despite outgaining the Hawkeyes 393-328, an opportunistic, physical defense got to Will Rogers early and often, forcing Will Rogers to lose a fumble in the second quarter and get intercepted in the third, an interception which was entirely his fault. And despite two drives of 14 plays each to open the game, with each of those going over 7 minutes, they only resulted in 7 points. The Huskies 3rd down performance was also a factor as they went 5/15 on third downs. This underlines the struggles we’ve had all year with leaving points on the scoreboard despite moving the ball fairly well.

Some of that is due to Coach Fisch’s game management issues, illustrated most clearly in this game by his insistence on using Demond Williams in place of Will Rogers in the red zone in the first quarter, even after a false start penalty moved the Huskies from the Iowa 11 to the Iowa 16. You’d think that’d change his calculus a bit, but apparently not, as Demond stayed to finish the drive where a Grady Gross field goal was blocked.

This stands as the worst loss of the season to this point because it proves that even as we triumphed over Michigan last week, Iowa reminded us of what it’ll take to be competitive in this conference going forward. And we have a long way to go. So I say this:

Jedd, what kind of team is this? Is this a passing team? A run heavy team? Because as it stands right now, I don’t think we know. And we need to pick a lane if we want to be competitive, both this season and the next. Because we don’t have an identity right now! Iowa does, and that was the difference on Saturday! As former UW QB Brock Huard said on Saturday on the Fox broadcast, this is the difference between 25 years of continuity with Iowa and 6 months of continuity with the Huskies. But that doesn’t make our identity issues less prevalent, or this loss less demoralizing.

Special Teams Miscues

Going into the game, we had known about the Huskies’ struggles with special teams. But this game brought said struggles into sharp relief. The kick coverage is a glaring issue, as Kaden Wetjen, Iowa’s kickoff and punt returner, averaged 23.3 yards per kickoff return and notched 37 yards on his lone punt return in the second quarter, setting up Iowa with great field position on a drive in which they scored a touchdown. It’s something that you don’t notice until you’ve been given a reason to, and it’s an issue that special teams coordinator Jordan Paopao needs to confront, and clean up quickly. And yes, we need to talk about Grady.

It seems that he’s got the yips, as he hooks every field goal kick slightly, despite nailing them in practice. It also seems as though he struggles with the finer details of his kicks, as this is the second week in a row that he’s had one blocked, but that could also be due to Iowa getting past UW’s blockers. Plenty of stars have struggled with the yips in the past, but this is getting to the point where every drive is 4 down territory, and as a play caller, the lack of a guarantee of points on any given drive would make you anxious. What really makes me feel bad is that Grady is a great guy, and it hurts me to write this. But it is another issue that this team must fix, in a year that is full of them.

Get Right

This year, the roster has turned over a lot. We know this, we knew it coming in. But as the injuries have piled up, the cracks in the depth of this team have started to show. Sure, building a cohesive offensive line from scratch was never going to be easy, but this line is thin. Drew Azzopardi, the sophomore tackle, played the most snaps (82), and recorded a PFF grade of 32.2 out of 100 in overall blocking. Soane Faasolo played 56 snaps and recorded a grade of 29.2 overall. This could be due to Iowa being just physically better defensively, but when you’re getting consistently beat, and you have no other options due to injury, it’s obviously an issue of team health, which is why Coach Fisch stressed that “We need to get healthy this bye week. We need to get all of our offensive and defensive linemen back, and we have to go on the road and play another good Indiana team.”

Taken in sum, this is most definitely a team in a rebuilding year, but this performance is something that’s sad to see as a lifelong Husky fan. Thank goodness for the bye week, because it doesn’t get any easier from here.

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Iowa

Sheldon teacher named 2026 Iowa Teacher of the Year

Published

16 hours ago

October 31, 2025

Press Room

Sheldon teacher named 2026 Iowa Teacher of the Year

SHELDON, Iowa (KCAU) — A Sheldon teacher and instructional coach from Sheldon High School was named the 2026 Iowa Teacher of the Year.

Stephanie Pritts was named the 2026 Iowa Teacher of the Year on Thursday in front of a full house at the Sheldon High School gym.

“It is just phenomenal. It’s actually really hard to describe because there are just so many people involved with what I do for a career. It was amazing to have all K-12 in one building,” Pritts said. “I should say Pre-K through twelve. Just all that extra added support for it just added to this experience. It was just exciting and so much fun.”

Pritts is a Sheldon native and has been a teacher for 23 years. She was selected out of a pool of nine teachers from across the state. Pritts also serves as Northwest Regional Teacher of the Year.

“It’s important to recognize the importance of good teaching; it’s important to recognize the importance of good education. This is the future of this great state, and we want to make sure we are giving them every opportunity to be the best they can be, and this is a way we can help celebrate that,” said Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds.

For Pritts, it was important for her students to see her win this award.

“I really hope that students really see that you put your mind to something, you have good work ethic, that you will move mountains and go so far,” Pritts said.

Now, as part of being the teacher of the year, she’ll travel the state to speak to other school districts and work with them, and hopefully learn from them also.

“I thrive off collaborating with other school districts. I look forward to not only helping support those school districts, but I look forward to learning from them as well,” said Pritts. “Because, like I said, we do a lot together and we can learn from one another. So, I do. I give but also receive.”

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Top Iowa high school football Round of 16 playoff games, and our predictions

Published

1 day ago

October 30, 2025

Press Room

Top Iowa high school football Round of 16 playoff games, and our predictions

The Iowa high school football regular season is over, and now it’s time for the playoffs.

Last week, teams in Class 3A, 4A and 5A wrapped up their regular seasons, while teams in Class A, 1A, 2A and 8-player kicked off the postseason with first-round games. That means it’s all win-or-go-home from here on out, with 16 teams remaining in all seven classes.

This week’s schedule is packed with exciting matchups.

We’re picking 10 games each week of the IHSAA season and attempting to predict the outcomes. Each week, we’ll provide an update on how successful – or unsuccessful – those predictions are.

We finished the regular season with a 63-27 record in our picks, after going 9-1 last week.

Here are our predictions for some of the best Iowa high school football Round of 16 games.

Ankeny Centennial at Johnston

This hasn’t been the Jaguars’ season, and the Dragons have come out on top in games that mattered most. So long as Johnston does what has worked against teams like Ankeny and Southeast Polk, the Dragons should advance to the quarterfinals. Johnston 30, Ankeny Centennial 13

Central DeWitt at Wahlert Catholic

On paper, Central DeWitt looks like the more complete team in this matchup, but Wahlert Catholic came out on top when these teams met in the regular season. That game was less than a month ago, and there’s a chance that the Sabers get their revenge in the postseason. Wahlert Catholic 19, Central DeWitt 14

Dallas Center-Grimes at Sioux City East

The Black Raiders boast a 2,000-yard passer in Cal Jepsen; the Mustangs balance a trio of receivers with Ozzie Grimm’s success in the ground game. If Dallas Center-Grimes can come out with a couple of turnovers, the Mustangs could end Sioux City East’s season. Dallas Center-Grimes 27, Sioux City East 20

Fort Dodge at Newton

Both teams enter this matchup with 8-1 records, and Fort Dodge has some difference makers on both sides of the ball. But the Cardinals are battle-tested, and Nick Milburn is a defender who can keep any opposing offense on its toes. Newton 35, Fort Dodge 21

Glenwood at North Polk

If the Comets are healthy, they should win this first-round game. But North Polk had to go without starting quarterback James Armstrong in the regular season finale against Gilbert, and things didn’t go well. Because Glenwood relies a lot on the run and the Comets struggled in that department against Gilbert, the Rams might have the advantage in this one. Glenwood 28, North Polk 17

Iowa City West at Cedar Falls

The Trojans look like a tough team to beat on both sides of the ball, but Cedar Falls has walked away with some upsets this season. Iowa City West should have the advantage with the number of impactful players on offense, though. Iowa City West 28, Cedar Falls 14

Southeast Polk at Ankeny

It’s difficult to imagine a playoff bracket without Southeast Polk making a deep run, but Ankeny looks like the stronger team on paper. Between Kael Roush and Daniel Larmie – and company – on offense and a defense that capitalizes on turnovers, the Hawks could send the Rams packing early. Ankeny 30, Southeast Polk 16

Underwood at West Marshall

Underwood’s offense runs through Garrett Luett, and it’s been difficult for opposing defenses to slow him down. But West Marshall’s defense loves to get after the quarterback, and if they can alter the Eagles’ game plan, that could be good enough for a win. Underwood 27, West Marshall 17

Van Meter at Roland-Story

Experience means a lot at this point in the season, and the Bulldogs have plenty after making it to the state semifinals last season. Van Meter should benefit from that senior leadership, as well as sophomore Christian Williams’ dominance on both sides of the ball. Van Meter 14, Roland-Story 12

Waukee at Iowa City Liberty

The Warriors pulled out some unlikely wins at the end of the season, but Iowa City Liberty came up with some upsets, as well. The Lightning’s defense, though, tends to capitalize on opponents’ mistakes, and that should benefit Liberty. Iowa City Liberty 35, Waukee 24

Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.

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Iowa State Wrestling Holds 2025-26 Media Day – Iowa State Athletics

Published

2 days ago

October 29, 2025

Press Room

Iowa State Wrestling Holds 2025-26 Media Day – Iowa State Athletics

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State wrestling held its annual media day Tuesday afternoon ahead of a highly anticipated 2025-26 season. You can watch head coach Kevin Dresser‘s press availability below.

ISU enters a season with seven past All-Americans on its roster for the first time since 1982-83.

The Cyclones open their season Nov. 8 hosting the Cyclone Invitational Presented by Daily’s Premium Meats.

KEVIN DRESSER PRESS CONFERENCE

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