Latest / The Lunch Rush with Trent Condon / Weekend Recap as Iowa pastes Minnesota, Iowa State falls to BYU, Bill Seals talks Cyclones & Nick Athan previews the Chiefs on MNF

Transcript

Weekend Recap as Iowa pastes Minnesota, Iowa State falls to BYU, Bill Seals talks Cyclones & Nick Athan previews the Chiefs on MNF · The Lunch Rush with Trent Condon

0:11
All right, good afternoon. Welcome Miller and Condon on a
0:15
Monday. It's the Iowa Sports Radio
0:17
Network. Trent Condon, Ken Miller back at
0:19
it for a couple of hours. We're glad you're with us as we
0:22
kick off the six hour block of Iowa based programming here on
0:25
the Iowa Sports Radio Network. We are flag shipped out of Des
0:29
Moines sports station one O 6.3 KXNO and we'll be with you for
0:34
the next couple of hours. Here's what's coming up on our
0:37
program toward the bottom of the hour, probably 1225 five Bill
0:40
Seals will join us. We'll talk football with Bill.
0:43
We'll talk basketball with Bill. As Northwestern paid a visit to
0:47
Hilton yesterday. We'll get an update on that.
0:50
I see Bill Fennelly squad in action tonight as they'll get
0:53
their exhibition home portion underway.
0:56
But Bill Seals on Iowa State coming up at 12:25.
0:58
Then Nick Athen, chiefs blitz.com.
1:01
What does he expect to see tonight?
1:02
It's the chiefs. It's the commanders.
1:04
Commanders without Jay and Daniels, but they do get their
1:07
two receivers backed who were their offensive of threats and
1:10
Maclaurin and Debo Samuels. So we'll talk to Nick about
1:14
Monday Night Football. Bama, Bob Trent and I will recap
1:17
the weekend in college football. We'll do that to kick off the
1:20
1:00 hour. And then Scott Doctorman, who
1:22
was at Mechanic Stadium on Saturday night.
1:26
We will pick his brain, what he saw and his latest playoff
1:31
projections with Iowa. For now, on the outside looking
1:35
in. Good to see you, Trent Condon.
1:37
I wish we could have a a better discussion to start.
1:41
Oh, yeah. As your survivor goes down in
1:43
flames. Yeah, I did not know who you,
1:46
who ultimately had, you know, turned in.
1:49
I knew that Cincinnati was on your list.
1:52
And when I saw the score, boy, you're home free.
1:55
And then all of a sudden you weren't home free.
1:57
Nope. What was Cincinnati?
1:59
It was down to there were three that I had circled.
2:02
There were three on my list now. One of them I quickly went off
2:06
the Patriots because they have The Jets 2 more times what their
2:10
schedule still entailed and that Browns defense and just because
2:13
though the Patriots winning streak was at 4:00, they hadn't
2:16
played very good defense. And the Browns jumped out to
2:18
lead in the game. And mom, maybe I got this one.
2:21
I ended up with Cincinnati. The other one was Houston.
2:23
I mean, they were. I just loved that spot.
2:25
I mean, that was one of the picks we talked about Friday.
2:27
You thought it was a little crazy.
2:29
I just it was more of a situational thing than anything.
2:31
I really liked Houston in that one.
2:33
But I went with the Bengals up 3824.
2:36
I mean up throughout the whole game and he can't get a stop.
2:41
I mean, the two point conversion to make it 3832.
2:44
I don't know if he got in and an important spot like that.
2:47
I'm I'm sure there's not many people, but I was one of the
2:50
people in Iowa that was screaming at my TV.
2:52
Well, my brother in Why just no, just give him the 238 And I felt
3:03
like I was cooked and then the run 3938 you're down 1st and 10
3:08
at the 40. You still need 20 yards for for
3:12
at least a field goal shot and. Mcpherson's got a pretty good
3:14
leg. My wife's maiden name, by the
3:17
way, McPherson. I always joke that it's her.
3:20
That's her cousin, you know, and I thought it was going to come
3:23
down to her cousin having to make a field goal.
3:24
We never got there because Zach Taylor is an idiot and he runs
3:28
the ball on 1st down. They get stuffed and.
3:30
Stuffed they mean. I don't they even make the I
3:32
don't think they gained a yard. Meanwhile, I felt for you.
3:38
I felt for you. It's such a great contest.
3:40
It's such a son of a you know what it truly is.
3:43
But half the pool got knocked out yesterday.
3:46
So they're down to about 2000. All right, Hawks and clones
3:48
played over the weekend. Let's start with a good and that
3:51
is clearly Iowa and Trent. You know what they are getting
3:53
good This team. It's like it's not every year.
3:57
Ference's team's peak in November.
3:59
It's been the majority of them since he's been at the
4:01
University of and this team looks as though it's trending in
4:04
that direction again. Lumpka's back back-to-back, good
4:07
games. Lutmer's emerging as a star.
4:10
You know, I feel about enteringer Montgomery Weiskopf
4:14
looked like he's not out of play.
4:16
Oh, there were so many guys that that you can single out in this
4:19
football game on the defensive side of the ball.
4:22
Phil Parker, obviously, you know, at the at the top of that
4:25
list, but it's the offense, it's running the football, it's
4:28
catching the football, it's the quarterback.
4:31
There's there's a lot of things to like about this Iowa team,
4:33
Trent. There really and truly are.
4:35
I haven't looked at this number, I think I heard it and I didn't
4:38
even see it in print so it could be off but I believe Kurt
4:41
Ference is 23 and two in his last 25N games. 23 and two.
4:47
Wow. And he can make the jokes about
4:48
the Big 10 W and and regardless, I don't care what you're playing
4:52
in. Who's in front of you?
4:53
You put together that kind of record in the last month of the
4:56
season over a sustained period. I think that says a lot.
4:59
And this team, they look so different than that outfit we
5:04
saw in September defensively. Without a doubt.
5:06
Think back to that Rutgers game. They were the first half
5:10
certainly of that that was as. Bad.
5:13
It was terrible both teams but but.
5:15
Yeah. So last year we talked about the
5:16
quarterbacks. Quarterbacks were bad last year,
5:18
but you had the rest of the defense, right?
5:20
You still have Jay Higgins out there making plays and on and on
5:22
and on. This was top to bottom.
5:24
Defensive line can't get, the linebackers are green, the
5:27
backfield can't tackle. I mean, this was all three
5:30
levels of that defense were brutal.
5:33
And here we are today. What a difference.
5:35
And they can line up against anybody and feel like at least
5:38
minimum slowed them down. I mean, that's what this defense
5:40
is morphed into during the month of October, the running game,
5:44
that offensive line, we're not at 2002 levels yet.
5:48
No, but you know what you're inching up I don't think you'll
5:51
ever get. There, and I don't think so
5:52
either. But this is a really good group.
5:54
That group was special for a myriad of different reasons.
5:57
He had the converted tight ends with Bruce Nelson and Robert
6:00
Gallery. Gallery was an All American.
6:02
You had that what they were. When you saw Gallery out there,
6:06
240 lbs trying to play tackle his freshman here and becoming
6:10
the 315 LB behemoth that he built himself into.
6:13
You have that component to it. 2002 is rare.
6:15
Fight air. That was the best line in
6:17
college football. 2015 they were called the best.
6:20
They weren't. I think the second best
6:22
offensive line in the fairness tenure is 2008.
6:25
That was another one that it took a little while for that
6:28
team to get going. That was the one to beat Penn
6:29
State in the Green Out game. Sean Green was running all over
6:32
people, but it was the offensive line that was playing at a high
6:35
level. And they got to the Outback
6:36
that. Year they did and throttled
6:38
South Carolina in that game. That is where they're trying to.
6:42
I think this has a chance to be the second best offensive line
6:45
in the Kirk Ference tenure. We're talking 27 years.
6:48
That says a lot. Moulton, he's good.
6:51
He's just, that's hard. He's a good running back.
6:54
Elite, great. No good.
6:56
He's a good running back. They got depth at that position
6:59
and Mark Gronowski is a difference maker running the
7:01
ball. Nope, he is.
7:03
Kaden Wegen is a difference maker.
7:05
It's time we started ranking him and there's been a bunch of good
7:07
returners in the fairies era. This guy's just otherworldly.
7:10
He really and truly. Is, you know, I want to take you
7:12
back to when he was one of the final guys.
7:16
We're waiting. Were they going to use their
7:17
final year? You know, was he going to come
7:19
back and, you know, at minimum he was going to get a try out as
7:22
a returner, an elite guy like that.
7:24
But one of the things that we said and we heard at that time
7:27
was he wanted assurances that they were going to use him more
7:31
than just a returner. And yeah, we saw him, what, half
7:33
dozen times in a jet sweep? But not very many right now
7:36
we're seeing other than the jet sweep.
7:38
And they're doing other things and getting him involved.
7:40
Now, the other component to that is also it goes back to him,
7:43
because I heard when he showed up, he didn't know how to run a
7:47
route. I mean, at the Big 10 level, he
7:50
didn't know what it took to be a route runner.
7:52
And now you're getting that, that play up the left sideline
7:55
where he made a little Juke up there, but that's a beautiful
7:57
route to get there, to get the opening, catch the ball and then
8:00
go up the sideline. He put in the work.
8:02
They gave him the assurances that, yes, you're going to be
8:05
used and now a weapon like that that kind of knows what he's
8:07
doing offensively and already just has the skill set to go
8:10
along with it. That's dangerous.
8:11
We bring up Phil Parker a lot, and understandably so.
8:15
Is is the time we started to include Tim Lester in some
8:17
conversations? What a difference an inept
8:25
defensive or offensive coordinator left town.
8:28
You're bringing in Tim Lester and what a different strength.
8:31
I mean, he's got his personnel, he's got his playbook fully
8:34
incorporated right now. And I think you're seeing the
8:36
fruits of that. He understands, too, what it
8:41
takes at Iowa. He understands that the wide
8:44
receivers are still, there's limitations there.
8:46
There's still certain things. They're also so.
8:49
Try and find more place for Reese Vanderzee.
8:51
Hey, absolutely get him out there, boy.
8:52
I mean, training wheels are off now.
8:53
You come off the injury now against Oregon, he needs to be
8:56
out there 5560 cents. I mean, he needs he's that
8:59
important because another reason the Vanderzee is so important
9:02
though, it wasn't a red zone touchdown.
9:03
It was a 29 yarder. The tight ends are bad.
9:08
They're tight ends by Iowa standards.
9:10
By Iowa standards, absolutely. For what we have grown
9:13
accustomed to, this is a bad group now.
9:16
Your best one was out for the year and a Stranga Ortworth has
9:19
told us he's not a good blocker, and he said that he knows that
9:23
Vanami, who's been banged up, he's young.
9:25
He's still started as a walk on. So you have a group that
9:29
certainly isn't there. Well, you need those kind of
9:31
targets, those guys that normally you'd be looking at in
9:33
the red zone. Those you need that big body guy
9:36
and you have that in van der Zee.
9:37
But for Tim Lester to be able to put this together to the
9:41
perception still out there, but it is changing and and people
9:44
and you hear it and yes, it's still in a way you kind of hear
9:47
the mock 41 three. What's happening with the Iowa
9:49
off. It's still in a mock.
9:51
It wasn't. It wasn't two, it was it 2 years
9:53
ago that Vegas is putting up a number for how many points they
9:56
would score the entire year. Yes, yeah, that was and
9:59
everybody was pounding the. Under the drive for 3/25.
10:02
Right, because that seemed like a gift.
10:05
And I mean, there were. Vegas was mocking the Iowa
10:08
offense. And here we are, right?
10:10
It's not that they're elite. No by any means, but what a
10:13
refreshing change just to see this.
10:15
And it's particularly when your boy flex on the other side of
10:18
the field and just rubbing his nose in it because here's my my
10:23
tick on into the week was you know what?
10:25
Franklin is pretty quarterback, yes, and I think he still is.
10:28
Yes, Lindsay's fine. We can see he's a young
10:31
quarterback and he's a different guy at home than he is on the.
10:33
Road, I think the whole team is. Yes, absolutely their their
10:36
splits at Minnesota are pretty significant.
10:38
One of my favorite moments. Third quarter Flex still with
10:42
the goose egg, has to use a timeout with three seconds left
10:44
so he kicks with the wind and get on the scoreboard there.
10:48
And the other part, it wasn't 4th and 11, it's 4th and three.
10:51
You're down 34. Nothing.
10:53
We. Wanted points.
10:54
What a wimp. Didn't want that goose egg.
10:56
But man oh man, they just pounded him.
10:58
Absolute # him. So they get a week off and I
11:00
don't like that particular this time.
11:02
They're playing good football right now.
11:03
Wish they could keep playing the schedule.
11:05
Since they can't, let's go to Iowa State where they got off to
11:09
a really good start. Had opportunities to build up a
11:11
a convincing lead on BYU. Could never do it for whatever
11:16
reason. Berbach Meyer is a hell of a
11:18
player and for BYU, who was coming off their emotional win
11:23
over their rival in Utah the week before, the country was all
11:28
over Iowa State for that very reason that this team has to
11:31
have a let down. Iowa State is going to catch.
11:34
They're catching them at the right time.
11:37
That wasn't the case. The second-half was all BYU.
11:41
Rocco Beck, he's going backwards.
11:46
Regression. Is it seem like that to you?
11:51
Yeah, he's not. He doesn't look like the same
11:53
guy that we saw certainly a year ago and for long moments the
11:57
year before and the same guy that we saw in August and most
12:01
of September is a regression. Is there an injury?
12:04
He's taken some hits. I mean, go back to.
12:06
That, Oh my God. The Cincinnati game when he got
12:08
lit up, game before that he took.
12:10
What a player, too, and he's right back in there.
12:12
He's taken a pounding and it goes back year after year after
12:18
year. The offensive line sure is going
12:20
to be different. Did we hear it again in August?
12:23
Oh, yeah, we sure did. And did we buy it even for a
12:25
moment? Yeah, we did.
12:28
Even after we tell ourselves at some point like this every
12:30
single year, we're not going to buy you and I look at each
12:33
other. Not this year.
12:34
Not this year, Miller. We're not going to fall for it.
12:37
We fell for it again. We did.
12:38
Left tackle is just getting this swinging gate started the play.
12:42
That 75 yard pass and run to Eskeldsen.
12:46
Here we go. Him early in games, He's yeah.
12:49
Is there a better water man in the first drive or even the
12:52
first 2-3 plays of a game? If you're ever in another state
12:54
and you can bet, bet the first touchdown score, yes,
12:56
absolutely. That would be a mad guy you may
12:58
want to invest in because, yeah, they get him involved early and
13:02
then nothing. I mean, had a couple of drops.
13:06
Did will McLaughlin get hurt? Do you know?
13:10
He must have 'cause he was, he got a couple of sacks early in
13:14
the football game and then I don't think I saw him again.
13:18
He must have left the field 'cause he was unbelievable.
13:21
At least early. The secondary's, I mean there's,
13:26
there's young depth there. I guess it's just not ready
13:29
right now. Flora Roccobecht throwing it to
13:34
the wrong guy. And yes, it was pass
13:36
interference in the corner of the end zone it was.
13:38
But you, you can't rely on an official to make that call even
13:43
though he should have. It's football after after all.
13:45
You see it on Thursday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday,
13:49
Sunday, Monday. Missed calls.
13:50
But it shouldn't have come down to that cause Seoul had a step
13:53
on his man right off the line of scrimmage.
13:56
He was in the clear and his hand up in the air, but Bronco never
14:00
looked that way. He missed him, he didn't see him
14:03
and that's a touchdown. Flora had one hit him right in
14:05
the between the two and the one. That's a touchdown.
14:08
On the punt. 2727 God yes that got walked into it.
14:15
Get away. And was it the punt returner?
14:18
I mean, you put it on Flora that he wasn't screaming loud enough
14:21
and he telling those guys. Fire, fire, fire.
14:23
Yes, whatever. Somebody.
14:25
Is it on him or is it just a guy now where I'm going to keep
14:28
pushing and shoving because this is going to be one of the few
14:30
snaps I get a game, so I'm going to get out there and hit.
14:32
Well, you just gave the ball back to him in a tie football
14:34
game. I need to go.
14:35
Ahead and then it goes the other direction.
14:37
To your point, very quickly. For McLaughlin, he played 20
14:41
snaps in the. Game.
14:41
So he had to have got, yeah, something must have happened
14:44
there because and he's been sadly mean linebacker.
14:47
You get he's hurt a lot, but that's too bad 'cause he was off
14:50
to a terrific start in that football game.
14:52
So Iowa State, they get Arizona State.
14:54
I watched a lot of that game on Saturday night, didn't think I
14:57
would. But the Blue Jays were down and
14:59
I watched the Arizona State 'cause I wanted to see them.
15:02
This is a different team without Levitt, and you have to hope
15:05
that he cannot answer the bell. I think it's concussion and
15:09
ankle for him. He took a couple of shots in
15:11
that game. If they had, if they don't have
15:14
him, Trent and and Tyson, I don't know what his status is
15:17
going to be. Ivy State's got a good chance to
15:19
win this football. Game.
15:20
Oh, not a good chance. A great chance.
15:21
But if he plays. They're a different team.
15:24
They're a different team. Then it's yes, it's going to be.
15:28
What's the backup? Sims?
15:29
Is that the kids? Name the kid Who was it?
15:31
Jeff Sims? Yeah, the kid who was it in a
15:33
brat? Georgia Tech.
15:34
Awful. When they had the ball late
15:36
there 2416 like back of their ten I think is where they had it
15:40
in the final and like. There's no way.
15:42
None. There's no shot.
15:43
None whatsoever. He picked up like 7 yards on a
15:45
run. They didn't have any time outs.
15:46
Here he goes. Tick, tick, tick.
15:47
And it was over from that one. Now Houston tickets still alive,
15:50
by the way. You know what?
15:51
They look pretty good, Fritzkin coach, obviously.
15:55
Can. Yeah.
15:57
It's we'll get into more of that conference where we talked to
16:00
Bama Bob, but. We'll also probably talk a
16:02
little bit more about LSU. Talk about a swing and a miss.
16:05
I loved LSU night game. So Kelly's fired.
16:09
And I've told you before, LSU is always kind of my been my second
16:14
team. My my great uncle was the
16:15
wrestling coach at LSU in the 70s and 80s before wrestling
16:18
disbanded. And not just LSU, but across the
16:20
SEC. So I've always liked LSU because
16:22
of that. You lived in Baton Rouge
16:23
afterwards. Remember back in those days,
16:25
folks, look at what Hayden Frye was making back in the 80s.
16:28
It was like 70 grand a year. What would they make?
16:30
So him as a wrestling coach was probably not making much.
16:32
He just went back and coached high school wrestling and was a
16:35
PE teacher at at the high school in Baton Rouge that he taught at
16:39
before he got the LSU job. But the stories that he had
16:43
about that place and when you see this and and I don't know
16:46
how much you dove into the story yesterday because there's
16:48
football going on. But to know at LSU you have,
16:52
well, the governor's mansion is a couple miles away from Tiger
16:55
Stadium. And the approval that has to
16:58
happen, it is unlike. And in order to fire him you
17:02
mean? It is unlike any other situation
17:05
in college athletics the way that it is intertwined with
17:09
Louisiana State athletics. It is the biggest thing in the
17:12
state. It's bigger than the Saints,
17:14
even when the Saints are good. It's bigger, obviously, than the
17:16
Pelicans. LSU football is their biggest
17:19
thing. Period.
17:21
Stop, end of sentence. Yes, there's pro teams.
17:23
There is nothing like LSU football.
17:25
They have a library that is dilapidated, that is getting
17:29
money in, that needs renovation of millions of dollars, and yet.
17:33
What do they do $26,500 every day for the next 7 years?
17:38
Every day. They find the $50 million they.
17:40
Were working the privates the the owners are the the donors
17:44
boxes on Saturday night during the game and then got back to
17:48
work on Sunday and went to the governor's office apparently at
17:50
some point during the day yesterday to get the final sign
17:53
off. When you are and reason Les
17:56
Miles got another year, that's because he had the governor
17:58
backing. It's completely different.
18:00
It's weird. I wish my great uncle was still
18:02
around. He was one of my favorite people
18:04
just to talk to the stories. Him and Dale Brown, the old LSU
18:07
basketball coach, were best of friends.
18:08
Yes, best of friends. And those stories were
18:12
incredible. He came back to Iowa with
18:14
grandpa or with with my uncle a couple of times.
18:16
And just the stories that those guys would tell on and on, it is
18:20
something completely different. So when you're looking at the
18:22
LSU job, it's not just the elite talent that they have.
18:25
There is so much extra that goes into it and this is going to be
18:31
it's the best job it's. Yeah.
18:33
It's the best job because of the talent you can do the way that
18:35
they're they're going to do anything, yes, they're going to
18:38
do everything to their power financially to make it work,
18:42
even though we can argue maybe they shouldn't.
18:44
They have some other issues in that state.
18:45
But that's the reality of the spot.
18:48
But it's also weird. It's different.
18:50
You are not just a football coach when you're at LSU.
18:55
Yeah, fascinating. Just the number of dollars that
18:57
are out there for coaches, just go away. 26,000 a day, every day
19:02
for the next 7 years is what Brian Kelly's going to make.
19:06
All right, we'll get into more of that, obviously with Bama Bob
19:08
coming up. We'll take a time out.
19:09
We'll get Bill Seals in here. I watched the first half on
19:12
ESPN. Plus, Alex Cohen, the former
19:16
Iowa Cub, now Chicago Cub, marquee backup announcer, play
19:20
by play guy. He had the ESPN plus call from
19:24
Hilton yesterday. I was really impressed with a
19:27
couple of the newcomers against Northwestern.
19:29
Torre, Torre, for sure. Torre and Dominic Nelson.
19:34
Oh yeah, yeah, Nelson looks as though he's the.
19:36
Party 17. I'm not sure what he finished
19:38
with. He was off to a good start in in
19:40
the first half. I watched the first half and
19:41
then I watched football, but I just wanted to get a look at
19:43
them. Nate Heisey had a nice game.
19:46
Munchilovich is really struggling to shoot the
19:48
basketball. And they can't afford that.
19:49
They can't afford that that and that's back-to-back games.
19:51
But, but, but if it's going to happen now, it's the time to
19:54
happen, all right Now it's the time for KX&O.
19:57
Maybe there's winners all over the state except for this.
20:01
Radio. Yeah, let's make it happen here.
20:02
Come on. Let's get $1000 winner at KX and
20:05
o.com. The keyword this hour is bank.
20:07
Go to kx&o.com. The keyword just pop it or just
20:10
type it rather in the pop up box.
20:12
That will appear as soon as you log on BANK at KX and o.com.
20:16
And you don't have to be in a KX&O listener.
20:17
If you're listening in Sioux City or Iowa City or Cedar Wrap
20:20
or the Quad Cities, all the stations on the network, you do
20:24
have to go to kxno.com, but all of you are eligible to win.
20:28
So. Let's make it happen. $1000 this
20:31
contest will go for a couple more weeks, so we got some time,
20:33
but let's get this out of the way.
20:34
Miller and Condon underway. Bill Seals will join the program
20:38
next. More Iowa State conversation.
20:39
We come back. It's the Iowa Sports Radio
20:41
Network. I'm Hillary Congon, welcome back
20:54
Iowa Sports Radio Network, Des Moines sports station one O 6.3
20:57
KXNO Bill Seals covers Iowa State cyclonereport.com
21:02
cyclonereport.com part of on three media and Bill joins us.
21:06
Bill Trenton, Ken, thank you for coming on.
21:08
Good to speak with you. Let's do the football before we
21:10
get into yesterday's basketball game, the final of the
21:13
exhibition games. Great start to the game.
21:17
Bill thought they had a chance to, you know, build the lead
21:20
even further, but it didn't happen.
21:23
BYU Bachmeier gets going in company and BYU goes on and wins
21:27
convincingly. Obviously the the the, the
21:31
incident on the punt return, the Goye getting moved into it,
21:34
others, there was a handful of things that went wrong, Bill,
21:38
but obviously now the water is getting a whole lot deeper as
21:41
far as their chances, if they're even still alive.
21:44
I can't believe that they are. It looks as though any chance of
21:48
getting back to the championship game has come and gone.
21:52
Yeah, there's there's a lot of teams around them in front of
21:56
them. And Iowa State still got a
21:58
pretty tough stretch of games to go to.
22:00
So even even to win out, they've got to win out in those.
22:05
And that includes hosting Arizona State and going on the
22:08
road to face TCU and then Kansas, Oklahoma State.
22:12
So still a pretty tough stretch for the Cyclones here from here
22:17
on out. So, but I mean, first and
22:19
foremost, they got to clean a lot of things up and and a lot
22:23
of untimely mistakes, penalties, turnovers, I mean, you you name
22:29
it, they've just plagued this team over the last several weeks
22:32
and kind of reared their ugly heads again on on Saturday.
22:36
A lot of frustration out there, a lot of things that you can
22:39
point to. Can't ask the question.
22:41
Is it fair to say that Rocco Beck has regressed that we're
22:44
not seeing the same guy that we certainly saw last season and
22:48
and even 2 years previous? He's taken a lot of hits, but
22:51
they're just so many times. I saw off from your notes with
22:54
the PFF numbers, just two of eight under pressure for 13
22:57
yards and the two interceptions in the game.
23:00
Has Rocco taken a step back in your mind?
23:03
Well, I'm not sure that if he's taken a huge step back.
23:06
I think that a big thing the last couple years has been
23:10
having Jaden Higgins and Jalen Noel.
23:13
I mean those guys, Matt Campbell likes to use the term erasers
23:17
when when describing, you know, big time impact players.
23:21
Well, I think those guys were erasers a lot of times too.
23:24
They made tough catches. And you look at the one that
23:27
that Bramer made on Saturday, the Higgins and Noel, that was,
23:31
I mean, they were making those tough catches all the time.
23:34
And I think that not having those two and there's been a lot
23:38
of consistent inconsistency at that wide receiver position.
23:42
And it just guy guys have not been on the on the same page.
23:46
I mean, you look the the Jekyll and Hyde nature of Saturday's
23:50
game. Gosh, they go up top.
23:52
They hit the 75 yarder to Eskeldson and look like they're
23:56
really on their way and they're there later on they're they're
23:59
driving could have taken a 24 to 7 lead and then backed.
24:05
And Eskeldson not on the same page on that one.
24:08
That goes for the interception and you know, Seoul turns
24:11
upfield and was wide open there. For a a second there, it seemed
24:16
like he could have been hit in. That would have been a three
24:19
touchdown lead for Iowa State or three score lead for Iowa State.
24:23
Yeah, I, I hear the *** the Higgins and Hole Knoll thing and
24:26
they're absolutely legit. Can we say that they made the
24:29
quarterback look better? I mean, you can look at it that
24:30
way too, that maybe he wasn't as good as we thought that he was
24:34
and now we're now we're kind of seeing that.
24:37
Yeah, those. Guys were those guys were huge.
24:39
And I think we're really we're really seeing it this season.
24:43
So well, it's just been kind of been up and down and and
24:46
Townsend's had his games, but also has disappeared for the
24:50
most part and and some others. So they're just not getting that
24:53
level of production right away from those two transfers that
24:57
we're supposed to come in and and really impact this team.
25:01
You know, the running game, we thought we're going to see a big
25:04
year maybe out of Carson Hansen, a Busama, one of the two at
25:07
minimum. It just hasn't clicked.
25:09
It goes hand in hand with the blocking.
25:10
Is that is that where more maybe the blame should go?
25:13
If you're looking at what's the bigger problem, running back or
25:16
offensive line in the run game, where would you look, Bill?
25:20
Well, I, the, the PF grades are not, you know, not encouraging
25:25
for the offensive line. But I, I saw another, I don't
25:28
know, I don't have exactly what the name of the analytic site
25:31
was that they had Iowa State as one of the top offensive lineman
25:36
offensive line groups in the country.
25:39
So I mean, and then again, the PFF thing, they don't, they
25:42
don't know what an offensive lineman necessarily was supposed
25:45
to do on a given play either. So I think particularly an
25:48
offensive line with PFF, it's really hard to tell, you know,
25:52
with those grades. But I I've been really impressed
25:56
with with the job though that they've done in in the run block
26:00
aspect of things. And they were running the ball
26:03
outstanding against against BYU on Saturday.
26:07
I think I had, I had put it in my game story, Hanson and Sama
26:12
in that one and averaged, I think it was like 7, 7 1/2 yards
26:18
per carry out of those guys. And then you and then you go
26:21
back to why, why those two carried the ball 25 times.
26:27
I mean a boost. Sama had 24 carries himself
26:30
against Colorado went for $1.77. They still couldn't win that
26:34
one. But gosh, when that they, when
26:36
that's working, I'm not sure why they didn't go, didn't go back
26:39
to it because they had great success on Saturday.
26:42
No, they really did. Hanson had Buck 52, including
26:45
that one long one that that he was caught from behind.
26:48
You know, I thought maybe made an emergence and I and I, I'd
26:52
like to see more of him in that wide receiver spot.
26:54
And we keep waiting for Eli Green.
26:56
I thought maybe he had one of his.
26:58
They still didn't use him a ton, but they when they went to him,
27:01
he was available, maybe one of his better games at at his
27:06
position this year, Bill. And he's had a few of them when
27:09
he's gotten when he's gotten his chance, he's he's taken
27:13
advantage of it. In fact, I, I think he doesn't,
27:17
he hasn't played a lot of snaps. I do that PFF first look report
27:21
kind of an update on the top five graded players each team
27:25
going into the Saturday game. And regardless of snap number of
27:30
snaps, Eli Green is the highest graded white for the Cyclones.
27:35
Yes. And, and just the the limited
27:37
amount of time that he's played, he's been he's been really good.
27:42
So yeah, you'd like to think that that he would get used more
27:46
actually take that back. He well, he and Eskeldson are
27:50
each a 64.3 so Carson Brown in there as well.
27:55
But yeah, and the, the time that we've seen Eli Green and even
27:58
Carson Brown, gosh too, you know, when his numbers been
28:01
called, he's made some tough catches as well.
28:03
So, and who knows, maybe there's some competition brewing there
28:07
at that wide receiver position as well.
28:10
I mean, Rocco had completed passes to I think it was 11
28:14
different players on Saturday. So yeah, it just seems like a
28:18
lot of lot of options right now, but it's just a matter of kind
28:22
of zeroing in on the ones that are that are working the most
28:26
consistently. Bill, kind of hard to look at
28:28
this Arizona State game until we know about Jordan Tyson and Sam
28:31
Levitt. I know you put the numbers up at
28:33
from PFF, but until we know the availability of both those guys,
28:37
kind of hard to preview this match up.
28:39
Yeah, it really is. I'm I'll, I'll start pecking
28:42
away at this the game preview on Thursday and that'll at least
28:47
kind of give me the benefit of Wednesday's Wednesday night's
28:50
availability report. But yeah, I mean, that's when
28:54
you you look at those two guys being out and, you know, it's no
28:57
wonder that this team is struggling a little bit.
29:00
But we we saw what, what Levitt did in the Big 12 championship
29:05
game last year. And I think that Arizona State's
29:09
done for, for the most part, they've done a pretty good job
29:12
and, and turning the turning the running game over to relief
29:15
Brown. Yes, yes, he is really good.
29:20
So I think that they've got the skill players around Levitt.
29:23
But yeah, you're right. I mean, Tyson's an 83.2 highest
29:27
graded offensive player for the Sun Devils and Levitt a little
29:31
bit behind him. But yeah, I mean, those are two
29:33
of the top probably, well, two of the top three players that
29:37
they've got on offense for for ASU.
29:40
Yeah, I hope it's Jeff Sims because he's not very good at
29:42
all and Levitt gives him a much, much, much better chance.
29:45
If it's Sims, he's just easier said than done.
29:47
But trying to shut down relief. They list him at 59.
29:51
There's no way he's like a 57. He's a good player.
29:53
He's fun to watch. Anyways, basketball yesterday,
29:56
Bill my my take away watching and I only watched the first
30:00
half, but you can see why they love Torre and they've got
30:04
something in Dominic Nelson. Yeah, those were definitely, I
30:08
think the two standouts in that game yesterday and and they,
30:12
they, they really, they, they didn't, they didn't miss a beat
30:15
from from Taman Lipsy not not being out there.
30:18
Certainly they're going to love getting him back.
30:20
We'll see if that happens by a week from tonight with that FDU
30:24
game opener. But yeah, our our all, all of
30:27
our those in attendance for good first impressions out of Toray
30:33
and contributed in three, well, four different categories really
30:37
between the what the 11.6 rebounds, 5 assists and also had
30:44
that had those 3 steals as well. So I mean, he stuffed the stat
30:48
sheet. He had some open looks.
30:51
He knocked down well, one of the one of the three pointers, but I
30:54
think he's a guy with with mom Chila Beach and we saw what Nate
30:58
Heisey could do. And I think Toray, he's going to
31:01
have a lot of open looks this season.
31:03
So I think it's just a matter of he's got to knock down a a good
31:07
percentage of those. And and in Dominic Nelson,
31:10
another one, he likes to get the ball downhill, got to the free
31:13
throw line 6 times, played 32 minutes.
31:17
Very impressed with with him. He had four.
31:19
He also had four what, 4 assists and, and four steals as well.
31:24
Iowa State forced what's I believe 17 turnovers in that
31:28
game, 14 on 14 went for steals. So I mean, that's that that's
31:33
right in Iowa State's wheelhouse force that the turnovers get out
31:36
and transition and and drive the ball.
31:39
No question about it. Yeah, you mentioned Heisey had a
31:41
really good game, no doubt. Bill sealscyclerreport.com.
31:44
Bill, what do you got coming up this week?
31:46
Some more recruiting coverage coming out of last weekend had a
31:50
list of game day visitors in town.
31:52
Some new offers a 2026 safety out of Oklahoma that recently
31:59
decommitted from Army, new target for them.
32:02
So he's going to come back and take an official visit in a few
32:05
weeks. So I get caught up with him and
32:07
yeah, lots of well, basketball news.
32:11
We got another availability later this week on Thursday.
32:14
So we're in the the middle of crossover season.
32:16
And then, you know, big day and Ames tomorrow with the the
32:20
weekly press conference. Good stuff.
32:22
Thank you. Bill Seals, appreciate you
32:24
coming on. Talk to you next week.
32:26
Thanks guys. Have a good one.
32:27
YouTube Bill Seal, cyclonereport.com All right,
32:30
Monday Night Football. We'll preview the Chiefs with
32:31
Nick Athen. Chief splits.com.
32:33
That's next. Miller and Condon on the Iowa
32:35
Sports Radio Network. I know he Canton welcome back
32:45
Monday Night Football course. You can hear it right here on
32:49
Des Moines sports station one O 6.3 KXNO Westwood one has that
32:53
one Kevin Harlan, Kurt Warner, right?
32:55
I think Kurt Warner's part of the Monday night crew as well.
32:58
I know Harlan will have it and you can hear it right here.
33:00
If he can't be in front of your TV set.
33:02
Nick Athan covers the Chiefs and has for decadeschiefsplitz.com
33:07
is his latest stop. You have been doing it for
33:10
decades dude. I have been doing this.
33:13
I've been you and I've been doing this for what, 35 years?
33:16
30 years like that, 30 for me. Yep, good stuff.
33:19
So I guess when it comes to obviously we know Jane Daniels
33:23
is going to play for Washington, but when it comes to the Chiefs
33:26
offensive line, might that be maybe the where you're keeping
33:30
an eye? We know Simmons isn't going to
33:32
play and now it sounds like Trey Smith is.
33:36
I think he's he's in doubtful or.
33:37
Out. He's out, he's out.
33:39
I'm playing tonight. So the offensive line.
33:41
Guess what depth will be tested? Yeah, well, thankfully they have
33:46
Jalen Moore, who I think will even when Simmons comes back, I
33:50
I think Moore will probably stay the starter.
33:53
That's just my opinion. At Taylor's expense.
33:55
No, no, no, no, no at Josh Simmons.
33:58
Wow. It's going to take Josh a little
34:01
time. You know he's been gone, what,
34:03
three games? He'll be gone this week.
34:05
The rumor is he's going to be back either before the Buffalo
34:07
game or during the bye week, but I don't expect him to play until
34:11
after the bye week. So I think he's going to have
34:13
to, you know, get in football shape.
34:15
They're going to have to feel confident that, you know,
34:18
everything is is on the right trajectory.
34:20
But Jalen Moore gives him a lot of of of you know, he's been
34:24
terrific. And Mike Caliendo, I mean, he
34:26
started what, six games or seven games, including the postseason
34:29
last year. He looked really good against
34:31
the Raiders. So I'm not I'm not as long as
34:33
there's not another injury, I think they're OK there.
34:36
But I think that I think there's no, excuse me, there's no reason
34:41
to play Trey Smith tonight, especially with the Bills game
34:44
coming up. And let's be honest, all the
34:46
Chiefs fans are looking past, you know, this game.
34:49
And I, I, I remind him what the same thing I said after they
34:52
play the Jaguar somebody and I don't look past to get to the
34:55
Lions. So I don't think they'll make
34:56
that mistake again. Yeah, the Mariota is not James
35:00
Daniels. We know that.
35:01
But he's going to run around, make some plays.
35:03
Remind me, have the Chiefs struggled against running
35:06
quarterbacks, guys that can move it?
35:07
Because all three games he's been able to do it.
35:10
There's going to be some issues passing the football that comes
35:13
up with Mariota, but how are they against running
35:15
quarterbacks? Well, I mean, you know, they've
35:18
had their issues and it just depends on how they use Leo
35:22
Chanel, you know, are they going to make him a spy?
35:25
Dick Bolton does some spy work as well.
35:27
And I think you have to do that with running quarterbacks
35:29
because if you don't, you know, you know, a three yard run could
35:33
turn into a 20 yard run. And you add the fact that Terry
35:37
McLaren is going to play and the Devo Samuel is going to play.
35:40
You know that they haven't they haven't played for a few weeks,
35:42
obviously. But you know, listen, we all
35:45
remember the miracle in Arrowhead with Mariota catching
35:48
his own path and defeating the Chiefs in the playoff game.
35:51
So fans are a little cautious when it comes to Mariota, But I
35:56
mean, there's no comparison between him and Daniel.
35:59
No. None.
36:00
None. None whatsoever.
36:02
No, it's a major, major drop off.
36:06
Four and three. Still crazy to sound because
36:09
everyone thinks they're the best team in the AFC and I don't
36:12
think I know. About that.
36:14
What it well and who is is it because you'll play used to?
36:17
The Colts are on the Chiefs schedule.
36:19
Obviously. You mentioned the Buffalo game
36:21
next week and Buffalo looked to get well yesterday, at least for
36:23
one week. They got 2 with Denver coming
36:26
up. Houston Chargers already have a
36:28
win against them. You know, get out your crystal
36:31
ball when it comes to the conference.
36:34
You know, if there's if there's a if there's a layup sort of
36:37
game, it's tonight. But after this, I mean, that's
36:39
murderer's row. And the Chiefs have already gone
36:41
through one series of murderer's row, you know, early in the
36:45
season and and they kind of struggled to get out of the
36:47
gate. So, you know, if you're a Chiefs
36:49
fan and you look at the schedules of all those other
36:51
teams, the only one that has a difficult path is is the Colts.
36:55
Their schedule gets really tough after after their game this past
36:59
game against Tennessee, it gets incredibly difficult.
37:02
Are the Broncos Broncos listen, team, I love the way they play
37:09
football. I, I, I, you know me, I'm not a
37:11
Sean Payton guy and I, I ever said if the quarterback avoids,
37:16
you know, that sophomore, that sophomore jinx, this is a really
37:20
good football team and they can't beat the Kansas City
37:22
Chiefs in one of two games. I don't think they can tweak
37:25
them. I think that's a tall.
37:26
Order. But never count a team with a
37:29
great defense. I think the Chiefs defense is
37:32
playing better. You know, so I'm not I'm not
37:35
still stolen on the Chargers yet.
37:37
There's still something missing from me that I just I think that
37:40
was more result of the Vikings defense being really bad and the
37:45
Broncos the same thing. I mean, let's be honest, the
37:47
Cowboys defense is college level.
37:50
It's really, really bad and they just take care of business.
37:54
They beat up on a bad team, which is what good teams are
37:56
supposed to do. So I think it's the Chiefs and
37:59
the Broncos at this point, Hard for me to say this.
38:03
Chiefs and the Broncos, I think are 1221 when it comes to the
38:07
best team overall team in the AFC.
38:10
I'm still not sold on the Colts yet.
38:12
I mean, I'm just I'm not sure I can trust the quarterback quite
38:15
yet, though he's been impressive.
38:16
But if you're if you're a Broncos fan, you're pumping your
38:20
chest. If you're a Chiefs fan, you're
38:22
pumping your chest. But with the Chiefs have to face
38:26
Buffalo, bye week, Denver and then they got a home game
38:31
against the Colts and then four days later they play
38:34
Thanksgiving against the Cowboys.
38:36
That's that's a really tough stretch.
38:39
And they have championship DNA. But it's far more difficult for
38:42
the Chiefs over the next month than it is for any other team in
38:47
in that that's ahead of them at the moment.
38:49
Isn't that too bad? Go ahead.
38:50
You feel awful, I can tell. I hope you there he.
38:53
Just I can tell you're upset. Hey, we are 8 days away from the
38:57
NFL trade deadline. A lot of talk about maybe
39:00
running back as there isn't a difference maker for the Chiefs.
39:03
Maybe some help on that defensive line.
39:05
What are you looking at as we approach the trade deadline?
39:09
I think there's three areas that Chiefs have to upgrade.
39:11
I think running back is 1 now. I've heard a lot of briefs, Hall
39:15
chatter. It's not going to make the
39:16
Broncos, Chargers, the Raiders very happy.
39:18
But the but there's, you know, a very strange thing happened last
39:22
week. You know, ASA Pole was on the 53
39:24
mat roster for The Jets and on a Thursday, which is the easiest
39:27
day to get a guy through waivers, he suddenly gets cut.
39:32
He's on the Chiefs practice squad Friday morning or Friday
39:34
afternoon. Something tells me the Chiefs
39:37
and Jets are working on a trade because you don't make that kind
39:39
of move on a Thursday to help your to help your opponent.
39:42
So I think Greece solves a strong option for the Chiefs.
39:47
I think Phillips, the defensive end down in Miami, former
39:51
Bronco, if I'm not mistaken, is is is is got a chance to be
39:55
maybe a key target from Kansas City.
39:58
But you know, defensive tackle, defensive end and running back
40:01
to me are the three the three areas I hope they address at
40:05
least two of the three. But if they trade for all, you
40:11
got a crowded running back room, which means someone either has
40:14
to be traded, go let go or someone's going to be really
40:17
upset. So.
40:20
Chiefs are going to make a move, maybe not 2 moves but at least
40:24
one move this week before Buffalo just to get in the Bills
40:27
head because that game is super critical for the Bills.
40:31
They have to win it, and if the Chiefs win it, they pretty much
40:34
knock the Bills into, you know, a playoff team for the rest of
40:37
the way. Yeah, they'll be have the
40:39
tiebreaker over so it'll go through Arrowhead yet again.
40:43
Chiefs blitz.com. Chiefs blitz.com for Nick and
40:47
his crew. Daily content during the season.
40:49
Chiefs blitz.com Nick, thank you, bud.
40:51
We'll talk to you next week. All right, guys.
40:54
Appreciate you have a good one. You do the same.
40:56
Hour 2 Coming up Bama, Bob Trent and I will recap the week in
40:59
college football. Scott Duckerman on the Hawks and
41:02
on college football Mr. Monday Night will make an appearance
41:05
Miller and Condor on the Iowa Sports Radio Network.