The Walk Off -- 'It’s like when Rocky and the Hulk met' (with video)

Here's The Walk Off, courtesy of HawkeyeNation.com and Jon Miller:

Q: What do you think about early season staff changes?

Kirk Ferentz: Have there been a couple?

Q: The Houston OC, Wisconsin OL coach.

Ferentz: Oh yeah, last week. I don't know. I am not in those situations. I don't know what is going on in Houston or in Wisconsin. I don't know.

Q: The Big Ten is taking shots now after last week, is it fair? Do you care?

Ferentz: I am just worried about our team right now. Our progress.

Q: Last year James Vandenberg sort of had a jump starte with no huddle looks. Do you toy more with that to get him going?

Ferentz: We have done some no huddle the last few weeks. We'll see.

Q: How would you assess wide receivers with new system, are they an A, B, etc?

Ferentz: I am not going to grade them. We are better than where we were in the spring. We were not real good in the spring. Not so much with the system but we had a lot of room for improvement. I thought we grew a lot in August. So now the next trick is to have that translate out to the field. It's not just the receivers, it's everyone doing their job. It all affects things. Pressure affects a throw or what have you. You don't give a route enough time to develop, a ball may go to the wrong spot. There are all kinds of things involved in the passing game.

Q: Does James have predetermined places he is going to throw to out of a huddle?

Ferentz: He has options. There are things he looks for that tell him where to go. there are more options when you have one read and one or two options off of that. It is complex, but that's not new.

Q: This may be a dumb question, but the true frosh receivers not playing now, is that because guys ahead of them are better in practice?

Ferentz: Yeah. We are trying to play our best players at all times, whether or not first year .

Q: Have you been pleased with James Ferentz?

Ferentz: He is playing well.

Q: CJ had quite a bit of attention on the final play underneath and over the top. Everyone will know who he is, how do you combat that?

Ferentz: He is a big target obviously. The good news is if they determine any player of ours to try to take him away it opens up options for other players. that is what you hope and is typically the case.

Q: Is it to be expected...offensive growing pains, does that go along with a new coordinator, changeover of staff?

Ferentz: That may factor in a little bit, there is no way to measure that. I think it's really more..had we stayed the same, I think we would be going through the same things. The change has not been a tremendous impact. It's just where we are at now right now.

Q: Is it players, coaches, play calls?

Ferentz: A product of our team right now. I don't think anyone is having mental trepidation right now. We have to play cleaner and better

Q: Are receiver hard to recruit here?

Ferentz: Uh.....It's hard to judge that, too. Recruiting can be a challenge any time. We have a former walk on starting at left guard right now. Our 2004 team had three walk ons starting. It's always a challenge. Before I say yes to that I would counter with DL. That is tough everywhere as is corner. There are a lot of challenges. You need good stories. We have had those, whether it is a former quarterback moving out like McNutt, or Hinkel, or Ramon Ochoa who after four years started making plays and defied all physics. He was slow and had shin splits on top of it. Like Ed Reed, he can't run faster than a 4.75 according to experts but he plays faster. Guys have to emerge and develop

Q: You get more linemen come out of Iowa than receivers.

Ferentz: Out of our state? that is fair. The first two skill guys who pop in my mind are Banks and Dwight in the same year. That doesn't happen a lot.

Q: Have you ever had talks with Mark Farley after taking one of his commits late in the process, any dialogue?

Ferentz: Typically, I don't talk to anyone during recruiting pre or post. It's like when Rocky and the Hulk met. It was just business. The Hulk said it was just show business. You just do what you do.

Q: Who has been faster in these first two games, the defensive backs or your receivers?

Ferentz: I haven't timed them I don't know. That is a good question.

Nothing new in regards to injury. Same captains. And then the avalanche of questions on the passing game, wide receivers and QB James Vandenberg started.

Defense, UNI redshirt frosh QB Sawyer Kollmorgen, considering true frosh WRs (maybe Fleming and Smith?), Phil Parker or doing the defense and is James Vandenberg too hard on himself.

Another Vandenberg question, FBS vs. FCS, UNI in FBS, Tanner Miller and his journey to UNI and then to Iowa, the competition for Iowa prep recruits and S Collin Sleeper is off suspension. (Video coming soon.)

The emotion question comes up in regard to rivalry games. Can drops affect a WR's playing time? (Video coming soon.)