Hawkeye Report Podcast
A collection of podcasts from HawkeyeReport.com
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The Chuck Long Podcast
11/23/2025
The Chuck Long Podcast
The Hawkeyes rallied in the fourth quarter from a double digit deficit to pick up their seventh win of the season. This week on the Chuck Long Podcast, we dive into what happened on Saturday in the Hawkeyes 20-17 victory over Michigan State. We talk about how Mark Gronowski and how much he struggled in the first three quarters of the game and how he picked it up and made huge plays in the fourth quarter. Long talks about what he would have done with Gronowski when he was struggling. Would he have potentially made a quarterback change? What did he think of the way Gronowski rallied and played in the fourth quarter? What was his analysis of the massive throws to Jacob Gill and Reece Vander Zee? We also discuss the crazy decision by the Michigan State head coach who said he wanted to challege Iowa return man Kaden Wetjen and how he paid for that decision. We then talk about hte Iowa defense and how they were able to get four straight three and outs in the fourth quarter. Finally we look ahead to the Nebraska game and how both teams will be on a short week and how travel on Saturday could impact hte Huskers in this game. What do we think of the new Nebraska quarterback? Finally, we pick some of the top games in the Big Ten during rivalry weekend.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 744
11/23/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 744
It's another post game edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast combined with Off the Air with Matt Randazzo as we break down the latest Iowa football game from all the angles. First we open discussing the Hawkeyes come from behind victory. How did Iowa rally from down by ten points early in the fourth quarter to raly and win by three points over Michigan State. What did we think of the incredible performance by Kaden Wetjen? How does he continue to make huge plays in the return game? Why do opposing teams continue to kick to Wetjen? Then we talk about the early struggles from Mark Gronowski that were the main part of the Hawkeyes offense for the first three quarters. What happened in the fourth quarter as the Hawkeyes rallied to win? What about the huge throws that he made to Jacob Gill and Reece Vander Zee? Finally we talk about the Iowa defense with four huge stops on the last four possessions from Michigan State. We also wrap up talking a little Iowa women's basketball after they beat Miami (FL) in Orlando on Saturday.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 743
11/20/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 743
It's a special edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast! To open the show we are joined by cross country and track and field athlete Will Ryan, who this week was named one of two Iowa student athletes named as winners of the Jackie Robinson Community Impact Award. The honor was created by the Big Ten to recognize student-athletes who strive to have a positive impact within their community along with excellence in competition. Ryan talks about his time as a teen at the University of Iowa Children's Hospital and the impact that Iowa athletes visiting him had on his life and how he has done that since arriving at Iowa as an athlete. He also discusses his Hawks Supporting Hawks wrist bands that athletes and others are wearing to support kids in the Children's Hospital. Along with that, Ryan is raising money for the Iowa Dance Marathon. To learn more about Hawks Supporting Hawks, To support Will Ryan at the Dance Marathon . After that, we dive into the rest of the Iowa sports news. Kyle Huesmann joins the pod to preview the Iowa women's basketball team playing Baylor on Thursday and we get the latest on Iowa women's basketball recruiting. Then we talk Iowa men's hoops. They have one final warm-up game against Chicago State on Thursday, followed by biggest tests next week. We dive into the men's team and what we think so far. We then move on to football and preview the game against Michigan State. Who starts at quarterback for the Spartans? What are we hearing on teh injury front for the Hawkeyes? Then we wrap up by picking games, including the Iowa game against Michigan State.
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The Chuck Long Podcast
11/17/2025
The Chuck Long Podcast
It's another edition of the Chuck Long Podcast! Tom Kakert and Chuck Long take their weekly look back at the Iowa football team and what happened on Saturday. This time it's a look back at the fourth game this season that got away from the Hawkeyes, the loss at USC on Saturday afternoon in rainy Los Angeles. We open discussing the 26-21 loss to the Trojans. Long really loved the way that the Hawkeyes started the game, basically for the entire first half with Tim Lester clicking on just about every play he called. Long discusses what he saw from the Iowa offense and how he wished that they would have stuck more with the run game in the second half. We weigh the idea that perhaps they were a bit too conservative in the second half? Also we look at the other side of the ball. The pair of USC wide receivers really impressed Long with what they were able to do. What did we think of the pass coverage? Was it simply a couple of great receivers making plays? How much of a factor was the weather in this game and when it stopped raining, was that the point when USC got their offense going? We also look into the idea that these four losses could have a mental impact on the Hawkeyes in the final two weeks of the season and how Senior Day is a pretty significant distraction. Plus we talk Big Ten Football and pick some games for the coming week.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 742
11/16/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 742
It's another post game edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast. We have a lot of ground to cover and Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo do just that following Iowa's tough 26-21 loss at the hands of USC at rainy Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday afternoon. We start with what went right for Iowa and that was just about everything in the first half. We discuss the trick play that resulted in quarterback Mark Gronowski catching a touchdown pass from Reece Vander Zee. We also talk about the fast start for the Hawkeyes overall, scoring on their first drive and using the pass to do most of the damage. Then we flip to what went wrong and there was some of that too, but a lot of it was simply the USC receivers going out and making huge plays. We discuss Makai Lemon and Ja'Kobi Lane and the impact that they had on the game and how Iowa's defensive backs would play good in coverage and still come up short. Finally we talk about fan frustration that we are seeing on social media and how this Iowa team is so close to being really good this year, but how they have been just a few plays short of that level of success. We also look ahead to senior day and update some significant injuries to the Iowa offensive line and secondary.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 741
11/12/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 741
It's peak crossover season for college athletics and the rest of this week and into the weekend is certainly the case for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesman break it all down from football, to both basketball programs and recruiting, to field hockey, women's soccer, and both wrestling programs. First we open the show with a look back at the Iowa game against Oregon. What are our final thoughts on that dramatic game and is this going to be a Hawkeye Football season that will be remember by three plays that kept Iowa from being undefeated? Then we move over to this weekend and discuss the match-up with USC on the west coast. Iowa has not had a great deal of success out there in road games and we talk about that along with what looks like another heavy rain game for the Hawkeyes to navigate on Saturday. We also dive into what we see from the Trojans this season. They have a very talented quarterback and two very good receivers on offense to go with a solid defensive unit. After that we switch over to women's basketball where Kyle gives us the rundown of the Hawkeyes win over Evansville and his visit with former Hawkeye Molly Davis, who is a graduate assistant there. He also previews the Hawkeyes in-state battles this week, starting with hosting Drake on Thursday and then traveling to UNI this weekend. We also discuss the Hawkeyes signing a five star hoops player in the Class of 2026 today and what the latest is on another five star prospect who is considering the Hawkeyes. We then move over to men's basketball where the Ben McCollum also signed a player today in 6-8 forward Ethan Harris. We discuss him and what McCollum said today about recruiting in general and where they might be headed with signees in the spring. Also, we preview the game on Friday night against Xavier, who has struggled early in the year. Finally we wrap up with Kyle previewing Iowa field hockey in the NCAA Tournament on Friday, the Iowa women's soccer team hosting an NCAA Tournament game on Friday, and we also note our coverage coming this weekend of a special event for the Iowa women's wrestling team wrestling on a battleship and the Hawkeye men's squad at the national duals. And we also pick some college football games!
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The Chuck Long Podcast
11/10/2025
The Chuck Long Podcast
This week on the Chuck Long we have plenty to discuss with the former All American Hawkeye quarterback. This week we begin with the heartbreaking loss on Saturday to Oregon. We review everything involved in the game, starting with spotty special teams play, including giving up two points on a bad snap by the Iowa long snapper. Has that been a problem area all season? Then we move on to Iowa's struggles on defense against the run. What happened up front for the Hawkeyes? After that we talk about the two huge drives that ended the game. First, we discuss the impressive 93 yard drive led by Mark Gronowski. What did Long see on that drive from the Iowa quarterback? Then we get his views on that drive by Oregon QB Dante Moore, inlcuding that incredible throw that essentially won the game. We discuss the importance of leadership this week in bouncing back from a tough loss to the Ducks and we start our preview of USC. What do we know about the Trojans so far this year and what type of offense does Lincoln Riley run? What will the challenge be like for Iowa this week on both sides of the ball? Finally we wrap up with a look back at the weekend in the Big Ten. Who had a good weekend? Who had a rough one? After that we pick games for the upcoming weekend of college football.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 740
11/09/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 740
It's our combined post game podcast with Matt Randazzo from the Off the Air Show. This time we are breaking down the Hawkeye gut punch loss on Saturday to Oregon. We start with where it ended, the drive by the Ducks to get into the red zone and kick a game winning. How Iowa almost got a stop and then one big passing play changed everything. We then work backwards to the outstanding 93 yard drive that Mark Gronowski guided down the field for a score to give the Hawkeyes the lead for the first time in the game. What went right in that drive and the big plays that Iowa and Gronowski made in it. How the Iowa quarterback has been pretty clutch in recent weeks. We talk about the concerns that came out of this game, including a regression in tackling by the Iowa defense after it had been improved in the last three weeks. Also we talks about hte special teams issues in this game that proved costly, specificially a pair of wayward snaps, Finally, we wrap up discussing what's next. Can Iowa get off the deck? How will they do it? What will they be facing in USC and what do they have to play for with the College Football Playoff now out of reach.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 739
11/06/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 739
It's a three man weave on the Hawkeye Report Podcast this week. Tom Kakert, Matt Randazzo, and Kyle Huesmann come together this week to talk about Iowa women's hoops, Hawkeye men's basketball, and we preview the huge football game this weekend between Oregon and Iowa. First, we talk about the start of the college basketball season and begin with the Iowa women's hoops team. They were dominating in their performance, pulling away for comfortable win. Kyle Huesmann guides us through our discussion of the season opening win and what he saw from Hannah Stuelke and Ava Heiden on the court as they led the way for the Hawkeyes. Also, could there be a change in the starting lineup needed in the near future? Then we are off to talk about the beginning of the Ben McCollum era of Iowa men's basketball. It was a strong performance from the Hawkeyes, scoring 101 points in the win over Robert Morris. We talk about the strong start from the Iowa team and how they established their defense. What did we think of the rest of the game and the play of Bennett Stirtz and his teammates? After that we move on to Iowa football with a huge game coming up on Saturday afternoon. Iowa hosts Oregon and the winner stays alive to make it to the College Football Playoff this year. We run down the Ducks roster on both sides of the ball and the challenge they present. We discuss what the Hawkeyes need to do on both sides of the ball to beat Oregon and give our prediction for the outcome. Plus we pick several other games this weekend.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 738
10/31/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 738
While the Iowa football team is on a bye this weekend, that doesn't mean that the folks at Hawkeye Report are taking time off. In fact, we have a lot going on with a busy week of Iowa sports to discuss on the podcast. We open this week with Kyle Huesmann breaking down the Iowa women's basketball team and their exhibtion game on Thursday evening. Who were the surprise players from the game and who made the biggest impact on the contest? Did this impact how we view the Hawkeyes heading into the season and what might the fearless forecast look like this year? Then we move on to the Iowa men's basketball team. They start play on Tuesday and we have not yet had the chance to see them play after having a pair of secret scrimmages. What did we hear from those scrimmages and what might be an area of concern coming out of them? We look at some amazing Ben McCollum stats and give our fearless forecast for the upcoming season. We move on to Iowa football where a rather honest quote from Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker about Oregon has set off Ducks fans. Is it much ado about nothing? What do we make of the Oregon team being a 6.5 point favorite Finally we move to wrestling where Tanner LaFever joins us to break down everything he learned at Iowa westling media days for the men and the women. What were some of the storylines coming out of what Tom Brands had to say? What about the Iowa women, who will be chasing the first NCAA title in the history of the sport?
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The Chuck Long Podcast
10/27/2025
The Chuck Long Podcast
The Hawkeyes dominated the Golden Gophers on Saturday afternoon and we are breaking it all down on the Chuck Long Podcast. We get the views of Chuck Long on the performance by Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski. What does he say about how you need to view the Hawkeye signal caller in terms of his total yards? We also discuss how this game was basically decided in the first quarter and certainly early in the second quarter after Iowa has scored on a punt return, interception return, and scores on offense. We discuss the remarkable achievement of Iowa returning an interception for a score in 18 straight seasons. We also talk about the comparision of Kaden Wetjen and Tim Dwight as far as punt returners. Lastly, we talk about how just about every year we see the Iowa defense really take steps to improve during the season and how they have done that in a rather dramatic way in the last few weeks, particularly when it comes to tackling. Then we look ahead to the bye week and get Long's thoughts on the way that Iowa should apporach their work this week. Would it be the same way as the first week? Can players make a leap during bye week? Yes, they can. Finally we take a trip around the Big Ten and what we saw this past weekend and wrap up picking games this week in the Big Ten and around tthe country.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 737
10/26/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 737
It's the post game podcast with Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo. We breakdown the Hawkeyes dominating win over the Golden Gophers, which was a victory from beginning to end. Iowa dominated Minnesota from the start of the game, scoring on a the first drive of the game and building a 31-0 lead at the halftime break. We discuss the Hawkeyes scoring in just about every way possible. They scored on a traditional touchdown on offense, a pick six (for the 18th straight year) and also a punt return by Kaden Wetjen. We breakdown all those key plays that helped builid that lead. Also we are talking about Mark Gronowski and his performance. All he does is win and keep Iowa moving in the right direction. Then we discuss the Iowa defense and their improved play, particularly when it comes to tackling and creating turnovers in the last couple of weeks. Then we look ahead to the rest of hte season. There are four games left in the regular season and plenty to play for this year for the Hawkeyes. Why do Ferentz teams get better as the season goes along and which games remaining are the toughest on the schedule.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 736
10/24/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 736
It's a special edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast as Tom Kakert and Tanner Lafever are joined by Mark Bader from FloWrestling to discuss his outstanding documentary on Iowa women's wrestling and their first year of competition. By the way, Bader and FloWrestling got the finish that they hoped for as Iowa won the national championship. We discuss how this project came together heading into their first season of team competition and how he had to convince Iowa women's wrestling head coach Clarissa Chun that she should allow them into the wrestling room to chronicle that season. Bader discusses what the challenges were for the project and who some of the stars of the documentary were from a wrestling perspective and how he was able to tell their stories. He also talked about how he had a breakthrough moment with Coach Chun and what that fairytale ending came together perfectly for the project. You can watch the three part documentary for FREE at this link: Part three is released next week.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 735
10/23/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 735
It's getting to that very busy time of the year for Iowa athletics and the Hawkeye Report Podcast has you covered on all the fronts. Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann are on the podcast to review what we have learned this week and preview a busy weekend ahead. We open with a quick look back at the win over Penn State and some last notes on what we learned from that game. Then we move on to this week and what we have learned in our press conference with Kirk Ferentz and talking to the Iowa players. What will happen this week at middle linebacker for the Hawkeyes? Who will Iowa be getting back from injury this week and how do they fit into the plans? Then we preview the game this weekend against Minnesota. While PJ Fleck is the anti-Ferentz in terms of his personality, he's built a program that mirrors Iowa in a lot of ways as far as how they go about winning football games. We discuss the Gophers and what we have learned about them heading into the game and how they match-up with the Hawkeyes on Saturday afternoon. We also talk about a potential busy weekend for Iowa football recruiting before moving on to Iowa men's basketball where the Hawkeyes will host Texas Tech in a secret scrimmage on Friday. What should Iowa fans be looking to learn from that scrimmage this week? We then move on to talking Iowa baseball, which wrapped up their fall ball this past week. Also, we talk some field hockey as they host two big contests in Iowa City this weekend. Then we wrap up by picking some college football games, including the Minnesota/Iowa contest.
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The Chuck Long Podcast
10/20/2025
The Chuck Long Podcast
This week on the Chuck Long Podcast, we open discussing the fact that it was 40 yards ago this past weekend that Iowa and Michigan matched up in a #1 vs. #2 game at Kinnick Stadium. We get Chuck's memories of that historic game. We take a long look back at the Hawkeyes win over Penn State. We start with the performance by Mark Gronowski, who had runs of 67 and 38 yards in the game against the Nittany Lions. What did Long think of his performance as he ran for 130 yard in the contest. We get Long's thoughts on the overall play of the Hawkeye rushing attack. How underrated is Kamari Moulton as a running back? How well is the Iowa offensive line playing right now? On the other side, what can be done to get the Iowa passing attack moving? Also we talk about the Iowa defense, which continues to get better with each passing game. This was potentially the best game of the career of Xavier Nwankpa. We look at his performance and the fact that Iowa is really using the blitz more this season and it's been very effective, particulaly late in the game. Then we preview the game against Minnesota and discuss whether P.J. Fleck is trying to build a program that looks almost exactly like Iowa under Kirk Ferentz. What will be the keys to that battle for Floyd of Rosedale? Finally, we wrap up picking games this week, including the win of Minnesota vs. Iowa.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 734
10/19/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 734
It's the post game Hawkeye Report/Off the Air combo podcast with Matt Randazzo and Tom Kakert. We have a whole lot of ground to cover following the Hawkeyes come from behind victory over Penn State on Saturday evening. It was a wild rollercoaster ride for the Hawkeyes, who fell behind by more than ten points in the second half of the game before rallying to win by one point at Kinnick Stadium. We discuss the early mistake by the Hawkeye offense and how the Nittany Lions cashed in. How Iowa rebounded more than once on Saturday evening? We talk about the play of Mark Gronowski. Was this the Mark Gronowski game? How did he win this game with his legs? What were our thoughts on Kirk Ferentz going for two points earlier in the game? What do we think of the response to post game question about a 66 yard field goal that was blocked and returned for a score? We also take a quick look ahead to next week when the Hawkeyes and the Gophers renew their rivalry for Floyd of Rosedale.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 733
10/16/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 733
It's been a very busy week for those of us who cover Iowa athletics. That means it's a great time to fire up the Hawkeye Report Podcast to discuss everything we have learned and preview upcoming events. Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann open the show talking hoops. We have had back to back media days for the Iowa women's basketball team and then the men's team on Wednesday. We open with the Iowa women and dive into a deep discussion on the 21st ranked Hawkeyes and the potential starting lineup, the potential concerns involving shooting, what we think are the keys for this team and most of them involve Hannah Stuelke, and a whole lot more. Then we move over to the Iowa men's team, who had their media day on Wednesday. We discuss what we learned at media day this week and thoughts on the overall roster. We look at how good point guard Bennett Stritz is at controlling the game and why Iowa fans shouldn't be concerned with the rumored results from the secret scrimmage last weekend in St. Louis. Really interesting coversation regarding both basketball teams. After that we slide over to Iowa football as they host Penn State this weekend. Really more of our discussion involves the wild week that it has been for the Nittany Lions following the firing of James Franklin. What do we expect from Penn State this weekend? We also discuss the story that most aren't paying attention to and that is the Nittany Lions will be starting a backup quarterback on Saturday night at Kinnick Stadium. We then wrap up by picking several huge games in college football, including the Penn State/Iowa game.
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The Chuck Long Podcast
10/14/2025
The Chuck Long Podcast
This week on the Chuck Long Podcast, we are talking a whole lot of Iowa football, along with the latest news in the Big Ten. We open the show reviewing the Hawkeyes one-sided victory over Wisconsin. Long discusses just how poorly the Badgers performed and how stunning that was to him given how the program was so strong for so long under recent coaches. Also, we talk about the strong performance of the Iowa offense and defense. We go in-depth on what Long saw from Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski. How did he perform coming off his knee injury? Did he look good throwing the football? What about running and did they limit that in the game plan? We discusses the key to the game, which was the Iowa ground game and how the Hawkeyes won the game up front and on the other side the Hawkeye defensive line intercepting a pair of passes and controlling the line of scrimmage. Then we move on to this week and the stunning firing of Penn State head coach James Franklin. How does Long think that will impact the Nittany Lions this week? Will they play for the new coach or have they basically checked out on this season? Finally, we pick several games involving Big Ten teams this weekend.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 732
10/13/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 732
It's a later than normal post game podcast. Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann look back at Iowa's win over Wisconsin on Saturday night. We discuss the Hawkeye dominant win over the Badgers and what we learned from it. What did we think of Mark Gronowski's performance coming off his knee issue. Did it impact what he could do running or throwing? What do we make of the change with the backup quarterback position? What does that tell us about Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown why did he jump to the second spot during the bye week? We also look at the Iowa defense and what we saw from their performance. The impressive interception by a pair of defensive tackles, particularly by Aaron Graves, who looked like he got in for a touchdown. We talk about some of our disputes with the grades from Pro Football Focus this week and more. Then we wrap up looking ahead to the Penn State game with the news on Sunday that head coach James Franklin has been fired. Iowa plays the Nittany Lions this week and what impact will this have on the game? What about the season ending injury to Drew Allar and what that means for the quarterback position? Will this team rally around the replacement coach or is this Penn State team kind of done this year?
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 731
10/10/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 731
We are approaching what we like to call crossover season for Iowa athletics. That is when Hawkeye football and basketball are both front and center in the mind of Iowa fans on the court and on the field. This week was Big Ten Media Days in Chicago for the Iowa men's and women's basketball team and we were front and center with plenty of coverage. We open this show talking about the Iowa women's basketball team and what we learned from Iowa head coach Jan Jansen, along with Hawkeye players Hannah Stuelke and Kylie Feuerbach. How is Stuelke doing in her quest to become an outside shooter? What did Jensen say about the recruiting efforts in 2025? Who will be the backup point guard and what do the Iowa players have to say about Chit Chat Wright? Then we move over the Iowa men's team, who were represented by head coach Ben McCollum along with Cam Manyawu and Bennett Stirtz. They had plenty to say about the strength and conditioning improvements that they have made and impact it will have on their games in the Big Ten. They talk about several of the players on the roster and what they have seen from them and the particular emphasis on playing defense. We also get McCollum's view of secret scrimmages, like the one that they will play this weekend. What does he like to work on in those events? Finally we talk Iowa football and get the latest on the status of Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski for Saturday's game at Wisconsin. Will he play against the Badgers? Will he be limited at all? Who will be his backup in this game? Will it be Hank Brown or Jeremy Hecklinski? What are our predictions for the Iowa/Wisconsin game and several other Big Ten games?
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 730
10/02/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 730
It's a mega podcast this week with Tom Kakert, Kyle Huesmann, and Tanner Lafever coming together to discuss the latest in Iowa Hawkeye athletics. This week we open the podcast with huge news on the Iowa women's basketball recruiting front. Iowa picked up a commitment from five star forward McKenna Woliczko. Kyle Huesmann has all the details of the commitment from the talented 2026 prospect and what led her to pick Iowa. We we also discuss how she fits into the Iowa roster next year and what the potential is for her to bring along a couple other four or five star players in the Class of 2026. Then we do a bit of women's hoops projections for this fall. What do we think the starting lineup and rotation will be this winter? After that we side over to the Iowa men's basketball team and what their starting lineup could be this winter. Then we move over to the sport of wrestling and Tanner Lafever discusses a women's meet against Oklahoma State. After that he goes weight by weight for the Iowa women and who might be in the starting spots. Following rundown of the women, he flips over to the Iowa men's wrestling squad and what their starting lineup might be this season. After that we update the injury status of Mark Gronowski. With Iowa on a bye this week, is it possible for him to be back for the Wisconsin game? Could his injury keep him out longer than many think? We discuss it and other things that the three Hawkeye coordinators had to say this week. Finally, we pick some games today, with the lines provided by BETMGM.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 729
09/29/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 729
It's a special edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast to start your week. We are joined by Jesse Shaw, who is the new Chief of Staff for Iowa Basketball under head coach Ben McCollum. We learn about Shaw and his background. How he played college basketball with McCollum and who was actually the better player. His path into doing what he always wanted to do, which was coach basketball and the journey he went on, starting with being a graduate assistant on a staff with McCollum, who was an assistant coach. We discuss what a Chief of Staff does at the college level and some stuff that he handles on a daily basis. That includes studying data on rebounding and how he also hits the recruiting trail for the Hawkeyes, including trips overseas to see players. We discuss the importance of having six players come with them from Drake to help establish the culture of the program and how helpful that has been this summer, much like it was helpful last summer. We talk about what he has seen from Trey Thompson since he arrived on campus in late July and the progress that he has made as a player. Finally we discuss the Big Ten giving Iowa no soft start by starting the conference slate at Michigan State and we talk about the type of players that McCollum likes to recruit in terms of style and size, which was really interesting.
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The Chuck Long Podcast
09/29/2025
The Chuck Long Podcast
This week on the Chuck Long Podcast, we are taking a look back at the Iowa loss to Indiana on Saturday afternoon at Kinnick Stadium. But, before we start to breakdown the game, we talk with the Chuck Long about his visit to Kinnick Stadium this week as his 1985 Iowa Football team gathered for their 40th anniversary. He talks about a surprise visitor who returned for the reunion and much more. Then we get into the game and discuss how Iowa has tended to win in the margins, but in the two losses this year they have really lost both games in the margins. We discuss the struggles for the Hawkeyes in the area of tackling, special teams errors, penalties, and losing the turnover battles. How have they impacted the Iowa team this year? More importantly, how can they address them in the bye week? We discuss the play of both quarterbacks who saw action, Mark Gronowski and Hank Brown, who filled in during the fourth quarter of the game while Iowa's starter was out due to a possible knee issue. We talk about the call on third down late in the game before Drew Stevens missed 42 yard field goal and if it was a good call. We also discuss the bye week and what Iowa should be doing in practice this week. Should they be doing tackling drills to work on that area of their defense? We also review the Big Ten this past weekend and look ahead to the upcoming game this Saturday.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 728
09/28/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 728
For a good amount of Saturday afternoon and evening, it looked like the Iowa Hawkeyes were about to end their struggles against ranked opponents and pick up a huge win over Indiana. Instead it was frustrating defeat that included a key missed field goal and missed opportunities. Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo have their usual post game podcast breaking down the Iowa Football team game from all the angles. We discuss the missed opportunities from the game, the injury to Mark Gronowski and what the latest is on his health status. What do we think of the play of Hank Brown in his place? What about the Iowa defense and the struggles when it comes to good, solid and firm tackling? Should we be concerned with special teams for the Hawkeyes? What about the stuggles of Drew Stevens, particularly from shorter distances, and should be there concerns about Iowa's punt protection after another blocked punt this week? Plus we talk about the break for the Hawkeyes this coming week and what that means for the team and what they need to do moving forward.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 727
09/25/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 727
It's another busy edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast. We are in the middle of the Iowa football season and we open the podcast this week talking a whole lot about Iowa women's basketball recruiting. It seems like the recruitment of five star 2026 prospect McKenna Woliczko is close to a decision and plenty of rumors and hints from good sources on Wednesday indicating that Iowa is in a good position to land her. Kyle Huesmann gives us the latest on what he is hearing and we preview the visit this weekend from fellow five star guard Addison Bjorn. What are the chances that the Hawkeyes could land both five stars? Who else is still on the table for Jan Jensen and her staff? We also preview a big recruiting weekend for the Iowa men's basketball program. Tom Kakert previews the visit from four star combo guard Quentin Coleman from St. Louis. What are the Hawkeyes chances to land him? Then we get to the preview of the visit the high scoring Indiana Hoosiers football team. We look at some of their eyepopping stats that they have put together this season and who their key players are on both sides of the ball. What's Iowa's path to victory in this game? Why is the play up front along the line the key to the game and could Kaden Wetjen end up with a return for a score for the third straight week. We also discuss what we think of hte swagger filled head coach in Curt Cignetti? What are our predictions of the final of the Iowa game and several other high profile teams in the world of college football?
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The Chuck Long Podcast
09/21/2025
The Chuck Long Podcast
The Iowa football team went on the road and scored 38 points in a win at Rutgers. This week on the Chuck Long Podcast, we discuss the Hawkeyes hard fought road victory. We open talking about the game itself and get Long's views on the game plan that Tim Lester put together. Does it take time for an offensive coordinator to figure out a new quarterback and are we seeing progress on that front from Lester and Mark Gronowski? Is the game plan reflecting that and what does Long think of the fact that Gronowski is running the ball in the mid teens in terms of attempts each week? Would you want that a big lower? We also discuss the red zone offense for Iowa and how Lester is looking to get Gronowski out on space to make a play with his arm and his legs and what does his run game threat do to a defense in that situation? We also discuss Phil Parker making adjustments on defense and how bringing more pressure changed the game. Will Iowa have to bring more pressure moving forward due to the pass rush not being overally explosive? We preview the game against Indiana and is Curt Cignetti kind of lack Hayden Fry in that he brings a little swagger to a program that has been down and he's backing it up with his teams performance? How dangerous is this Hoosier team coming off dropping 63 points on Illinois? We also talk about the fact that this weekend will be a reunion of the great 1985 team that Long was the starting quarterback and captain of the team that won the Big Ten title. Then we pick some games coming up this weekend.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 726
09/20/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 726
It's another post game edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast. This week it's Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo breaking down everything that happened at the game on Friday night at Rutgers as Iowa moved to 3-1 on the season with a come from behind win over Rutgers. We look back at all the fireworks that took place in the first quarter, including the opening kickoff which saw Kaden Wetjen race 100 yards for the first score of the game. We discuss the overall performance of the Iowa offense and in particular the improved play of quarterback Mark Gronowski, who continues to grow with each and every start. We also talk about the adjustmentst that Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker made in the second half brining more blitz looks and trying to disguise those looks to help make them work. Plus we sort out the Iowa running back situation and give our thoughts on that and a few other important topic around Hawkeye Football
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 725
09/17/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 725
It's another jam packed edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast. Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo take one final look back at the win over UMass and the 206th victory for Kirk Ferentz. We look back at the performance of Mark Gronowski and some of his comments on Tuesday about what happened in the previous game. Plus one last discussion about Ferentz reaching a win milestone and how he has quickly moved on to the game against Rutgers. Speaking of Rutgers, we move on to that next. What do we know about the Scarlet Knights, who are averaging over 40 points per game and have reached 30 points or more in seven straight games? We talk about their offense and injury issues that they have along their offensive line and with one of their key receivers. We also discuss what we know about their defense and what we expect the Hawkeye offense to present on Friday night in New Jersey. We also talk about the Iowa injury situation and the possiblitity of Kamari Moulton being back on Friday and what that might mean for the run game, which will be without Xavier Williams. Who might be the featured player against Rutgers? We talk a little men's basketball recruiting with the additon on a new verbal commitment and the next targets for Ben McCollum. The men's and women's Big Ten schedules will be out on Thursday. We preview that and pick some games this weekend, including Iowa at Rutgers.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 724
09/14/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 724
It was a record setting night for Kirk Ferentz and Iowa football. This week in our post game pod, we look back at the Hawkeyes beating UMass, 47-7 and how it was night to honor their long time head coach, who picked up his 206th win at a Big Ten head coach. Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo gather for a late night podcast to breakdown what Ferentz had to say after the game, particularly their slight change in the game plan that included more downfield shots in the passing game in the first half. We talk about what Ferentz had to say about injuries on the team and if Kamari Moulton could be back next week? Will he play against Rutgers? What about the meaning of this record setting victory for Ferentz? What did the Iowa players have to say about it after the game and the special relationship that they have with their head coach? We wrap up talking a little basketball recruiting. Iowa picked up a four star commitment in the Class of 2026. What do we know about Ethan Harris and what kind of an impact can he have on the Hawkeyes next fall?
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 723
09/11/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 723
It's another edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast with Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann. We open this week with a look back at the loss to the Cyclones and one last group of takes on what went wrong in that game and how close the Hawkeyes were to winnning on the road. Then we discuss the loss of Addison Ostrenga and the impact it will have at the tight end position. We also talk about what Kirk Ferentz and Mark Gronowski had to say this week on Tuesday to the media. What about Iowa taking more shots down the field? What did Kirk Ferentz say about the Hawkeyes throwing the ball more this week against UMass? After that we preview the game against UMass, who is the opponent this week. We discuss the several injuries to the UMass roster, including at quarterback. Is this a game where Iowa really needs to score more than 40 points and can they do that? What about the Iowa defense? Are there concerns there with a low number of sacks and no interceptions so far this year? We then move on to talking about Iowa men's and women's hoops recruiting. We update the visitors who are coming down town and previous visitors who are closing in on a decision. Then we wrap up by picking some of the top games this week against the spread.
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