The Walk Through

Is the mascot really named Testudo? I kind of like that.

Visited the White House last night. What fantastic history. Thank you, Tyler Lechtenberg.

- Iowa is going for its fifth straight road victory today.

- The wide receiver group here is Derek Mitchell, Jacob Hillyer, Andrew Stone, Damond Powell, Riley McCarron, Tevaun Smith, Matt VandeBerg and Derrick Willies.

- RB group here: Jordan Canzeri, Mark Weisman, LeShun Daniels Jonathan Parker. No Damon Bullock, at least out on the field right now.

- All the TEs are here.

- Jake Rudock and C.J. Beathard threw with the WRs. True freshman Tyler Wiegers is here. He's the No. 3, as far as I can tell.

- Iowa skill dudes take off to the lockerroom.

- WR Kevonte Martin-Manley is on the field now. He's good. Sorry, I didn't include him above. I've been told Damon Bullock is here and he's good to go. I've heard everyone is in today except fullback Macon Plewa. That's a shoulder injury and it might be awhile.

- Former Hawkeye linebacker Pat Angerer retired from the NFL this week. He's a guest on Iowa's pregame radio. He just said, 'I've played with a lot of guys from Maryland and only one of them was smarter than me.”

-Maryland radio: C.J. Brown is the QB. He's a sixth-year senior. Knows it all. It's his team. He's not looking over his shoulder. Caleb Rowe is kind of UM's Beathard.

WR Stefon Diggs is great. Long and Leak are outstanding WRs. No real consistency from the offense. Big speed and athleticism on the outside.

Running game? UM radio guy is giving the check to Iowa.

Radio guy said UM DL is undersized. DE Andre Monroe is terrific. LB Cole Ferrand also is terrific. Need to be athletic. Biggest concern radio guy said.

Special teams helped early in the season. Teams are kicking and punting away from Diggs and William Likely. Punting has to be better (Iowa knows that, too).

- Quick stadium review: It's choppy. Nice pressbox, giant stack of bleachers across from the box. Open endzone on one end and old-school bowl with bleachers on the other. Don't like either end zones. It's too open. You can see the entire campus and that's pretty and everything, but it's choppy as far as architecture. It's too wide open. Think Illinois' stadium, but even more wide open. Feels as though they kind of pieced it together.

I do like the bricks. That does give it a Big Ten feel. The Big Ten has brick stadiums for the most most (off the top of my head Michigan State and Penn State are old-school metal).

It's called Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium.

No, I'm calling it Byrd Stadium.

- There is wind today.

Marshall Koehn just badly miss hit a 48-yarder. Like chunked it. His next attempt was beat down by a stiff north wind and short. He just made a 48-yarder from the left hash. I think that's the long into the wind (on your TV, it'll be the bowled-in end, not the one with the brick building).

- Whoever wins the toss will likely take the wind. There will be kick returns today, and that favors Diggs and UM.

- DT Darian Cooper, who's out for the season after knee surgery, did make the trip. He's from the Washington D.C. area.

- KF: QB is one place Iowa has bona fide depth.

- KF keys on Diggs: They're committed to spreading the ball out. You can't load up in one area. Designed runs by QB and his improvisation. Have to make UM earn it. Can't give up the big play.

- KF: Special teams have to rise up. UM will be a challenge.

- KF: Loves Monroe. UM isn't a classic 3-4, looks more like Iowa. The fourth DL is a linebacker, rush end.

- Riley McMinn sighting! He's dressed today. First time this season, I think.

- UM QB Caleb Rowe has a torn ACL and is out for the season. He was kind of UM's 'thrower.” Split some time with CJ Brown. He's out.

- Guard Jordan Walsh is here and looks fine. Remember, he suffered the ankle injury on the second play last week and left the game. I think he goes.

- FB Macon Plewa has a shoulder injury and didn't make the trip. Radio says he could go after the bye.

- Walsh is probably. Muscle strain for Willies and cleared to play.

Radio cut out severely.

- OK, I wrote too soon. The starting OL in team session was Tommy Gaul at center and Austin Blythe at right guard. Walsh worked with the No. 2s.

That is the only lineup change.

- No. 2 DL was Mike Hardy, Nathan Bazata, Jaleel Johnson and Bud Spears.

- No. 2 OL is Cole Croston, Walsh, Eric Simmons, Mitch Keppy and Ike Boettger.

- There's a heckuva wind. Expect the coin toss to reflect that.

l Comments: (319)398-8256; marc.morehouse@thegazette.com