Iowa
Why Luke Fickell stuck with Hunter Simmons at QB in Wisconsin Badgers’ 37-0 loss to Iowa
Luke Fickell acknowledges Badgers should have considered going in the ‘other direction’ at QB
Wisconsin Badgers coach Luke Fickell comments on loss to Iowa Hawkeyes
Luke Fickell reflected on Wisconsin’s 37-0 blowout loss to Iowa, which left him ‘dumbfounded in a lot of ways.’
MADISON — One starting quarterback in this year’s Heartland Trophy game seemed to be fully enjoying “Jump Around.”
Iowa’s Mark Gronowski could be seen exuberantly jumping during the Camp Randall Stadium tradition as his team had a 30-0 lead over its rival.
Wisconsin’s Hunter Simmons, however, had much less motive to jump around as the Southern Illinois transfer struggled throughout the game. Simmons went 8-of-21 — about 38% — for 82 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. He had a third turnover on a backward pass that was recovered by Iowa and officially counted as a fumble.
For as much as Simmons struggled, though, Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell continued to lean on the Southern Illinois transfer at quarterback rather than giving San Diego State transfer Danny O’Neil an opportunity in the 37-0 loss to the Hawkeyes.
“We were reeling on both sides,” Fickell said. “So it wasn’t something I went in at halftime and said, ‘What’s the opportunity, what’s the chances here?’” Where we were at and what we needed to be able to do — we still felt like there were some things there, and he gave us the best chance.”
More: UW schedule | Box score
All three turnovers were in the first 16 minutes of game action. At that point in the game, Simmons was 2-of-7 for 23 yards. From that point forward, Simmons went 6-of-14 for 59 yards.
“I’m not saying after the first three picks in the first quarter that he didn’t maybe settle down a little bit, but we were just never able to find anything down the field, to create any energy or momentum or establish any drive,” Fickell said.
O’Neil, in comparison, has completed 70.6% of his passes this season with five touchdown passes and five interceptions. He was benched in favor of Simmons ahead of UW’s 24-10 loss to Michigan and saw only three snaps (without any passing attempts) against the Wolverines.
“You’re probably right,” Fickell said in response to the Journal Sentinel’s question about not switching to Danny O’Neil at quarterback during the Iowa game. “It’s something that we got to take a good, hard look at. And no disrespect to Hunter, but probably was an opportunity or some situation where we should have went the other direction.”
Regardless of whether it’s Simmons, O’Neil or the currently-injured Billy Edwards Jr. at quarterback, Wisconsin’s next few games will likely not be any easier. No. 1 Ohio State visits Wisconsin on Oct. 18, and No. 2 Oregon hosts the Badgers on Oct. 25 before UW’s second bye week.
Iowa
Groundbreaking held for Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity’s 16th Woman Build
IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) — Volunteers broke ground Saturday for Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity’s 16th Woman Build, honoring a retired University of Iowa nursing professor.
Liz Swanson, a retired nursing professor, was chosen as this year’s honoree for her decades of impact. The Women Build program focuses on including women in every step of home construction.
While the home is built in Swanson’s honor, it will go to a fellow nurse and mother of three. The family applied through the affordable housing program.
Swanson said she’s proud to be part of a project that directly connects to her nursing legacy.
“It’s very special to have the unique opportunity to help the nurse who is working nights,” Swanson said.
Swanson said stable housing gives families the security to plan for the future.
“It means security for families. We talked briefly to the children and they said, ‘we’re gonna have our own bedroom,’” Swanson said.
Volunteers are set to begin work on the home in August. Those interested in volunteering can find more information here.
Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.
Iowa
Iowa Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 Midday results for May 8, 2026
The Iowa Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big with rewards ranging from $1,000 to millions. The most an Iowan has ever won from playing the lottery was $343 million in 2018 off the Powerball.
Don’t miss out on the winnings. Here’s a look at Friday, May 8, 2026, winning numbers for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 8 drawing
37-47-49-51-58, Mega Ball: 16
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick-3 numbers from May 8 drawing
Midday: 0-5-8
Evening: 9-9-2
Check Pick-3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick-4 numbers from May 8 drawing
Midday: 0-2-7-3
Evening: 0-7-0-6
Check Pick-4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 8 drawing
14-16-21-43-51, Bonus: 03
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Iowa Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 3 (Day): 12:20 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 3 (Evening): 10:00 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 4 (Day): 12:20 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 4 (Evening): 10:00 p.m. CT daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Iowa editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Iowa
Iowa SNAP restrictions raise concerns over confusion, impact on summer food aid
IOWA — Iowa’s new restrictions on SNAP benefits are drawing concern from advocates who say the changes could make it harder for families to buy food and could put future summer assistance for children at risk.
The state’s SNAP waiver took effect January 1, 2026, limiting what items can be purchased based on Iowa’s taxable food list. While that includes widely discussed restrictions on soda and candy, the policy also affects certain prepared foods, creating confusion for shoppers.
“Something as small as whether or not a utensil is included in a food item actually impacts whether or not you can continue to purchase that item using your SNAP benefits,” Paige Chickering, Iowa State Manager for the Save the Children Action Network, said.
Advocates say the rules can be difficult to navigate, especially for people relying on quick meals. Items like prepackaged salads or sandwiches may or may not qualify depending on how they are packaged.
At the same time, new legislation slated for the next session at the statehouse could make those restrictions more permanent by requiring Iowa to continue seeking federal approval for the waiver.
That’s raising additional concerns about the future of Summer EBT, also known as “Sun Bucks,” which provides food assistance to children when school is out.
“This makes that food assistance dependent on a decision made in Washington, D.C. that is just arbitrary and not really dependent on the needs of Iowans and Iowa children,” Chickering said.
The program is expected to help around 220,000 children in Iowa during the summer months. Advocates worry leaving it up to federal approval of the waiver could jeopardize that support if policies change. They also point out that SNAP plays a major role in addressing hunger compared to other resources.
“We know that for every one meal provided by an emergency feeding organization, SNAP provides nine,” Chickering said.
Advocates say they support improving nutrition but argue there are more effective, evidence based ways to do that without limiting food choices.
For now, organizations across Iowa are working to help families understand the new rules, while also pushing lawmakers to reconsider how the policy could impact food access moving forward.
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