Good Timey Radio Hour

Welcome to the Good Timey Radio Hour, where if you can't spot the sucker in five minutes it's because you're the sucker. ...

It's Maryland week where the mascot is a Terrapin. I had this nifty picture of a turtle eating corn but it didn't translate. Computers ... err.

Voice of the Hawkeyes announcer Gary Dolphin starts with basketball, and says women's coach Lisa Bluder will join the show before Kirk Ferentz. Iowa is lucky to have Bluder. She's a great representative of the community and university as well as a terrific basketball coach. Those are my words, not Dolph's.

Bluder's bunch was 18-0 at home last year and was the only team to boast two academic All-Americans last year in Ally Disterhoft and Sam Logic. That's a key selling point for Bluder, along with a top-20 recruiting class.

Dolph mentions the men's basketball team gets started with an exhibition on Thursday and he's anxious to see the newcomers. I couldn't agree more. They've got six returnees who have played a ton of minutes and eight who haven't. They need at least three, if not four, to come through to get back to 20-plus wins for the fourth year in a row.

Dolph says there's a lot of competition for Hawk Talk tonight, with game two of the World Series and the high school football playoffs. There's really nothing better than high school playoff football. There was nothing more exhilarating for me as a high schooler than to win a playoff game and nothing worse than losing one. But it's the best.

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When it comes to the 10th-ranked football Hawkeyes, Dolph says, 'They're running around with a target on their backs' but they're 'rip roaring and ready to go.'

Dolph brings up the sudden retirement of Minnesota Coach Jerry Kill for health concerns on Wednesday. Dolph passes a lot of credit toward Kill, who resurrected the Gopher program.

'There's not a more down-in-the-dirt football coach than this guy,' Dolph says. No doubt. The dude could coach. Kill reminds me of some of my older family members who were farmers. They liked to drink coffee and watch games, but when they worked, it was up to you to keep up. Kill is cut from the same cloth.

'We're all saddened by that because Jerry's a good guy,' Dolph said. 'He said in the month of November you'd better be able to run the football or you won't have a chance in the Big Ten.'

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Tom Brands will appear on the program next Wednesday to talk 'Grapple on the Gridiron.' Iowa has sold more than 30,000 tickets for the wrestling event. If the weather cooperates, that's a once-in-a-lifetime event.

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Marco in Fort Madison asks about injuries and how they're looking. Dolph prefers to wait until Ferentz gets on set. But he mentions what was said on Tuesday. 'They're a heck of a lot healthier than they were when the left Evanston,' Dolph said.

Mike in Dubuque (who might be the state's most inquisitive basketball fan) really is excited because of the running back situation. That angers AIRBHG.

Dolph talks about a car that he's seen that brakes by itself, a 2016 Volvo. It has a radar in the windshield with a 360-degree camera. Sounds pretty cool. It will be on display on the south plaza. Kirk likes it, says it is more difficult to design a car like that than stop someone from gaining a first down.

More banter about cars. Kirk says it's more sophisticated than what he does. Probably not as popular in most of this state, at least not this month.

Finally on to football. Dolph asks about the bye week. Kirk said he tinkered with the schedule based on health. We went over this on Tuesday.

On the injury front: 'Nobody will be 100 percent until January,' Ferentz said. Says Tevaun Smith is full speed, and Iowa should get LeShun Daniels and Boone Myers back.

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Clyde in Dyersville wants to know about Darian Cooper's availability. Kirk doesn't want to outright say it, but Cooper's not going to play. His knee injury was devastating. He hasn't practiced. But Cooper remains around the team and Kirk calls him a 'tremendous young man.' Kirk also says tight end Jake Duzey isn't all the way there, but he's getting close.

Jerry in Waukee likes the offensive line blocking but is concerned with Maryland's pass rush. On another question, Tevaun Smith and Jerminic Smith will not be in the game at the same time right now. They both play the same 'X' position and with Tevaun Smith out, Ferentz wants to get Tevaun back in the flow. Seriously, it's not because he hates you guys.

Dolph got smooth pronouncing Maryland defensive end Yannick Ngakoue's name. No hiccups. He's in midseason form. It's probably because everybody knew his name from last year's game.

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Dolph asks about Maryland's five turnovers against Penn State.

'It's wonderful if they'd do that for us,' Kirk says, 'but we're not expecting it.'

Kirk dates himself comparing Perry Hills to Bobby Douglass and Joe Kapp. They were old-school running quarterbacks in the old black-and-blue NFC Central in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

'I'd say the quarterback is as good of a back as they have,' Ferentz said.

Anthony in Des Moines asks about Matt VandeBerg (who was a bit dinged up after the Northwestern game but is fine) and the Rose Bowl if Iowa goes to undefeated.

He's also surprised Dolph hasn't said 'hug and kiss those radios' like Jim Zabel. 'I wouldn't dare steal Zabel's famous quote,' Dolph said. That's legend status there (like Bob Brooks, Ron Gonder and many others on the print side).

Dolph gets a bit confused about which bowls host the College Football Playoff (actually it's the Orange and Cotton). He's a little off about who will go to the Rose Bowl but that's like everyone else in America.

'That's like me understanding that car, the robotic car,' Ferentz said.

Iowa's bye week prep is like bowl prep for the younger players and backups. Scout team members get back into the Iowa system for a week and put some plays on tape.

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Dave (no location) asks about true freshmen quarterbacks Ryan Boyle and Drew Cook and likes how Brian Ferentz is coaching the offensive line with the interior line pulls. 'We are doing that scheme play a little bit more than last year,' Kirk said. 'It balances out our attack a little bit.'

As for the quarterbacks, C.J. Beathard didn't do much last week at all. That opened up practice for Boyle and Cook as well as backup Tyler Wiegers. 'I think they both have a chance to be good football players for us,' Ferentz said of Boyle and Cook.

Ferentz said most of the coaches were out Friday and Saturday looking at prospects during the bye week. He can't mention them by name but liked what he saw.

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A caller asks about recruiting in St. Louis area, and how recruits are turned to different staffers. Ferentz said tight ends coach LeVar Woods picked up Missouri in recruiting, including Kansas City, St. Louis and east of the Mississippi River.

Every coach has a geographic area and are the initial screeners for that region. Once the staff makes an offer or gets heavy into a recruitment, the geographic area coach coordinates it, then the position coach gets involved. Eventually the coordinator and Kirk himself gets involved.

Ferentz talks about the oddities of recruiting and mentions former defensive line coach Ron Aiken looking at a defensive lineman in Mississippi and then ends up taking a look at a quarterback in Brad Banks, who then clues Iowa toward his cousin, wide receiver in C.J. Jones.

Ferentz said Reese Morgan has the best eye of anyone on the staff. He credits Reese for going after defensive end Drew Ott and said there are no limits on finding good players. 'You can't squat and mine the obvious diamonds.'

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Kirk on Jerry Kill's retirement:

'I can't imagine how he felt. It must have been extremely difficult. Like most of us he started at a young age.'

Iowa was 2-2 against Kill when he was at Minnesota. Ferentz calls Kill 'a tremendous guy,' and 'I've got great respect for him as a coach. I lean toward his resume. Jerry has earned everything he's got.'

Ferentz said he became aware of Kill's coaching prowess when he was at Southern Illinois and later at Northern Illinois.

'I was hopefully nobody in the Big Ten would figure it out and they did,' Kirk said.

'His staff has been with him every step of the way. They're football coaches that really do a great job. When you see that formula work, it's gratifying.'

Ferentz praises Kill's integrity, saying 'just everything he stands for is good.'

'We need more people like Jerry in this profession.'

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Mitch in Albia asks about running back Akrum Wadley and says he reminds of former Iowa RB Fred Russell. Ferentz said he wants Wadley to get up to Russell's size and strength and continue to improve on ball security with better concentration. But Ferentz praised Wadley for holding on to the ball at Northwestern.

Mitch asked if Ferentz plans to coach at Iowa for another 10 or 15 years.

'I don't know if we want to throw that out to a fan survey,' Ferentz said. 'It wouldn't have been too good in January.'

'I do try to eat somewhat healthy most of the time and exercise regularly.'

'I hope we're doing it for a long, long time.'

Mitch had a question about whether or not the offensive line reached Ferentz's expectations.

'We thought we had a chance, but we knew it was going to take some time,' Kirk said. 'Jordan Walsh is playing his absolute best football since he's been here. Austin Blythe, same thing. Sean Welsh is playing tremendous football.'

He said the backs are blocking better than in his previous 16 years. That's impressive.

Ferentz said he recruited true freshman James Daniels to be a center. But effuses praise upon Daniels calling him 'an exceptional young man.' As he's said in the past, Ferentz would rather have players stay in high school than enroll early but this situation has paid off for Iowa.

'He's off to a great, great start,' Ferentz said. 'He did a nice job stepping in there the last game.'

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JJ asked about Drew Ott's ACL surgery — it was successful — but 'we feel bad he's missing an opportunity he's worked so hard to have.' JJ also asked about wide receiver Jay Scheel's development. Ferentz said Iowa has two seniors in big roles in Tevaun Smith and Jacob Hillyer. Iowa is going to have major competition for receiver spots next year and 'I think Jay is going to be in that mix for sure.'

Carrie from Pocahontas wanted to say 'Go Hawks' and she and her family will be there on Saturday. Her truck-driving husband usually calls but he's at the Pocahontas playoff game.

Dolph wraps with questions on Maryland all-everything (cornerback, returner, receiver, runner) Will Likely. Ferentz calls Likely 'a big challenge for us. I'm sure they'll have some things up their sleeve for us this week.

'It's kind of like trying to stop a really good running back. It's a team thing.'

Ferentz mentions also mentions good punting is crucial Saturday. We'll wrap this up with a quick kick.

l Comments: (319) 339-3169; scott.dochterman@thegazette.com