As Nebraska enters a crucial fifth season underneath head coach Scott Frost in 2022, we determined to take a look at the place issues stand with the Huskers’ 12 opponents popping out of spring practices.
We conclude this collection with Iowa, a staff trying to find one other Massive Ten West title.
Tom Kakert from HawkeyeReport.com gave us his ideas on Iowa and their last recreation of the season towards Nebraska in Iowa Metropolis.
Iowa has a singular scenario in its quarterback room. Brian Ferentz added quarterbacks coach to his offensive coordinator title though he has by no means performed nor coached quarterbacks earlier than.
The quarterback place group was a weak level of Iowa’s offense final season and was a spotlight for the spring and through this offseason.
As for the gamers, veteran Spencer Petras is again for his fifth season with the Hawkeyes and has began in 19 video games over the past two seasons. He accomplished 165-of-288 passing makes an attempt for 1,half of one mile in 2021 with 10 touchdowns and 9 inceptions.
Junior Alex Padilla performed in 9 video games in 2021, beginning in three video games. The Colorado native accomplished 55-of-114 passing makes an attempt for 648 yards for 2 touchdowns with two interceptions.
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Iowa is hoping for an enormous enchancment inside its quarterbacks place this fall.
2. Strengthing the offensive line
The glue to Iowa’s offense, heart Tyler Linderbaum, was chosen because the twenty fifth general decide within the NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. Linderbaum was the Rimington Trophy winner, a first-team AP All-American and the Massive Ten Convention Offensive Lineman of the Yr in 2021.
Iowa allowed 18 sacks and 91 quarterback pressures within the 2021 season in response to Professional Soccer Focus. Linderbaum allowed six pressures all season and just one sack.
The Hawkeyes averaged 3.4 yards per stick with it the bottom in 2021, which was down from 4.5 yards per carry in 2020. Strengthening the offensive line and filling the massive gap within the center now with Linderbaum within the league is excessive on Iowa’s precedence listing.
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3. Rebuilding the Line of defense
Iowa has misplaced loads of expertise over the past couple of years on the line of defense. Most just lately, the Hawkeyes misplaced defensive finish Zach VanValkenburg, who signed with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent.
They’ve three starters returning in Noah Shannon, Logan Lee and Lukas Van Ness. Kakert stated there may be some younger expertise as nicely, for instance Yahya Black who performed 287 snaps on the road final season.
Kakert stated Iowa wants to determine its cross rush and he is seeking to see if they will discover a option to get to the magical variety of 30 sacks once more in 2022.
Early outlook on Nebraska vs. Iowa
Kakert: “It is all the time a giant recreation. And Iowa has dominated the collection in recent times. When Nebraska joined the Massive Ten and Iowa was enjoying them, I stated it does not turn out to be a rivalry till each groups begin profitable and sort of alternating and for some time it was Nebraska dominating the collection. And I used to be like, eh, it is not likely a rivalry till Iowa begins profitable. Then now, it is actually not a rivalry in that sense as a result of Nebraska hasn’t gained.
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“They have been aggressive video games. They usually’ve been actually good video games. Two of them in recent times, determined within the final minute on subject targets: the Keith Duncan subject purpose at Memorial Stadium and Miguel Recinos hit one a few years in the past in Iowa Metropolis.
“However I believe it is nonetheless a extremely good rivalry as a result of it is actually spirited, particularly in Western Iowa the place you’ve got obtained that cross-section of Iowa and Nebraska followers.
“I believe this 12 months is gonna be a extremely good recreation. And I believe Nebraska is de facto pointing to that recreation, simply because Scott Frost needs to get that program shifting in the proper course.
“I am going again to the outdated (Nebraska Athletic Director Shawn) Eichorst when he stated that they measured themselves towards Iowa, and I believe that is sort of the place you bought to be proper now too with the West with Iowa being the defending champion of the Massive Ten West.”
2022 win-loss prediction for Iowa
Kakert: “I often make my prediction on July 4, so this isn’t my official prediction but. But it surely’s attention-grabbing taking a look at Vegas, and so they’re beginning to concern their over/underneath for win totals and I used to be at 7.5 and I used to be sort of shocked by that. I believed it is perhaps a bit of tick increased.
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“I believe Iowa they’ve two robust Massive Ten crossover video games this 12 months. Michigan involves Iowa Metropolis. And we noticed what Michigan did to Iowa within the Massive Ten championship recreation. So there’s a bit of revenge there, but additionally a realization that that is a fairly good Michigan staff too. And Iowa has to go to Ohio State and Ohio State’s usually thought of most likely the No. 1 staff within the convention going into this 12 months.
“So should you’re taking a look at two losses there, you then determine someplace alongside the road you stubbed your toe. So I am pondering that Iowa might be a 9-3 staff at this level going into the season. In order that’s sort of my method early prediction for the Hawkeyes this 12 months.”
Kaleb Henry is an award-winning sports reporter, covering collegiate athletics since 2014 via radio, podcasting, and digital journalism. His experience with Big Ten Conference teams goes back more than a decade, including time covering programs such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oregon Ducks, and USC Trojans. He has contributed to Sports Illustrated since 2021. Kaleb has won multiple awards for his sports coverage from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kaleb was a Division I athlete on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Track and Field team where he discussed NCAA legislation as SIUE’s representative to the Ohio Valley Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
The No. 15-ranked UCLA men’s basketball team suffered its first Big Ten Conference loss of the season, falling 66-58 to Nebraska on Saturday afternoon at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The defeat dropped the Bruins to 11-3 overall and 2-1 in the conference. Despite a strong defensive start, UCLA’s offense struggled, particularly from beyond the arc, where they shot just 4-of-28 (14.3%).
Coach Mick Cronin was blunt in his assessment of the game when he addressed the media postgame.
“We didn’t play well enough to win against a good team on the road.” he said. “That’s really all I have to say.”
Cronin didn’t mince words when evaluating the performance of his bench players.
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“Dylan Andrews has got to play way better or Dominick Harris or Trent Perry got opportunities today,” he said. “They played a combined 17 minutes, neither one of them scored. I told them they were going to get an opportunity with Eric out. They played for 17 minutes and didn’t get a basket.”
The Bruins’ struggles from the floor were evident, as Cronin pointed out.
“If you shoot the ball as poorly as we did, the only chance you have is to take care of the ball,” he said. “You can’t give them 17 points off your turnovers. You’ve got no chance, can’t overcome it. It’s just math at the end of the day.”
UCLA’s poor shooting performance was highlighted by a drastic dip in their 3-point shooting percentage.
“We shot 42% from the three in the month of December as a team. Today we shot 14%,” Cronin said.
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He explained that when the Bruins couldn’t hit their shots, Nebraska’s defense tightened, making it even harder for UCLA to score.
“They did a good job, but I got to be honest, we missed a ton of open shots,” Cronin said. “They just try to take the paint away from you, and what happens is, in Basketball, and this isn’t just this game, when you can’t make a shot, they pack it in even tighter. You start making shots, all of a sudden, their cutting, their laying it in because you’ve got to open your defense up. So, the floor gets real, real small and easier to defend when nobody can make a shot.”
Despite the tough loss, Cronin was quick to credit Nebraska for their defensive effort.
“Their players did a great job on the defensive end. They were the better defensive team today, and that’s why they won,” he said. “I don’t think environment has anything to do with anything, I just don’t. I think it makes it more fun for the players … somebody cheers so you play better? Not a big believer in that.”
Tyler Bilodeau led UCLA with 15 points, while Lazar Stefanovic added 10. Kobe Johnson contributed a career-high 11 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the offensive struggles. Despite solid individual efforts, UCLA couldn’t find consistency as a team, especially from long-range.
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The Bruins will return to Pauley Pavilion to host Michigan on Jan. 7. Cronin and his team will need to refocus and recover from this setback as they continue their Big Ten journey.
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NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) – It’s really going to feel like winter as we go through the next week with highs falling through the 30s to mainly in the 20s. There will be lots of cloud cover this week, and we will be on the western fringe of a snow system that will give light to moderate amounts of snow and ice to the Central Midwest. For us, some could pick up 2-3″ of snow as it stays breezy from Saturday through Sunday.
A very chilly Saturday to start the weekend.(Maxuser | Justin Craft)
Saturday we kept mostly cloudy skies with snow showers/freezing rain; it was breezy with highs in the lower 20s. Sunday snow showers taper off late morning/ early afternoon, then we keep the mostly cloudy skies; colder with highs near 16. We’re under a winter weather advisory until 6:00 pm Sunday.
About another inch or two of snow through Sunday morning across Greater Nebraska.(Maxuser | Justin Craft)
Monday we will have partly cloudy skies with highs near 30. Tuesday brings mostly cloudy skies with highs in the low 20s. Wednesday we will have sunny skies; warmer with highs in the mid-30s.
Thursday look for partly cloudy skies, it will be breezy with highs in the upper 30s. Friday sunny skies and highs near 34. Next Saturday partly cloudy skies and highs near 43.
Seasonably average temperatures coming up across Greater Nebraska.(Maxuser | Justin Craft)
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