BTN visits the Hawkeyes

I'm watching the Big Ten Network's visit to Iowa City today. I'll post anything interesting as it happens. Feel free to comment.

First some news:

-- BTN host Dave Revsine posted on Twitter that KOK told him if the season started Tuesday the only OL in question would be Kyle Calloway. During the open scrimmage, Calloway said he's suffering from an IT band strain. He said he's working through it.

-- Offense prepares players "very well for a possible future in pro football."

--

-- No DJK on Tuesday. Nursing an injury. You'd think he needed a good camp, with that whole depth chart thingie that's kind of hung there since April. I guess when I say "good camp," I mean healthy, disciplined. Worth watching.

-- No Jewel. Still nursing the knee. No surprise. Kirk Ferentz told Columbus radio that he hoped Hampton would return this week. So far, no go.

KOK talking now.

-- RBBC, for non-fantasy geeks, that's "running back by committe." Paki right now has the most experience. Hopeful that Jewel makes it back through here "real soon."

-- Pro scouts like Iowa's OL and TEs, "tested tough."

-- Camp emphasis from KOK perspective: System taught and learned, fundamentals and techniques, master them. In high school, do exactly what you're told. Here, wants players to participate in the process. (Timeout, holy crap, Adam Robinson, that kind of blocking will keep you on the bench!)

Returning leaders for the Hawkeyes: Stanzi, Jewel and DJK. Two of those three didn't practice Tuesday.

On RB: Ways away from replacing Shonn Greene. Long way to go, Gerry DiNardo says. Howard Griffith mentions true frosh Brandon Wegher. "Made some nice runs in 9 on 7." Adam Robinson, doing well, real burst. RBBC. They need Jewel Hampton back. (That was my thought after the kids day scrimmage. Jewel is their best RB.)

On DL: Much farther along at DT. Ballard inside, we wouldn't know he was a DE moving inside. Ballard has to understand how to play down there. Work in progress. Work the part. Mike Daniels will play some, too. Three DTs in good shape. Mentally replacing MK/MK is the tough part, but it looks good so far.

Mike Hall . . .

Darrell Wilson mic'd up.

Not happy with Troy Johnson. He really likes Jeff Tarpinian. Loves Pat Angerer. Really on Troy Johnson, who's moving from OLB to MLB.

They like the bodies on the DL.

Norm, BTW, looks and sounds great. We were talking about the Cap One Bowl earlier. I took the elevator to the field with Norm after the game. He didn't look good. I thought that was it as far as coaching. Great to see him in good health.

Norm on DL: Ballard down to DT. (Makes sense.) Advantages of simplicity: "You've got to keep it simple because the offense is going to make it hard for you." Too busy thinking, not playing.

Norm on DBs: Prater and Castillo mentioned at LCB. Lowe and Hyde mentioned. "Think we'll be all right."

Norm biggest challenge: Eight of 11 back. "Getting those guys to understand to be better. Should be better than last year, year smarter, stronger and better."

Mike Hall . . . with CB Amari Spievey, big art class guy, loves to draw. Swahili, also. (Notice the hole in his ear where the earring was.)

Whoa, Keenan Davis catch. Wow!

FB Brett Morse in red jersey.

Stanzi misses open Stross who beat Hyde.

OL is (from right to left) Dace, Doering, Raf, Gettis and Bulaga (no red jersey, back full go).

Paki seems to be the No. 1 back. Wienke might've been the second QB in. Hard to tell. OT Kyle Calloway is practicing and just false started.

Riley Reiff seems to have gone from starting left guard to backup left tackle, which is where he started camp. Gettis must've made some strides.

KOK mic'd up: Break the huddle, Keenan, break the huddle. That's pretty good! (On a nice grab by Moeaki.)

11 on 11 (first D vs. scout O)

1) Drop 88. 2) Reverse long gainer for Ben Evans. 3) False start. 4) Wienke zone read, Klug blew up. 5) Edds pass breakup. (Wegher running on scout team, BTW.) 6) Option to Nick Kuchel.

1 O vs. 1 D

1) Paki finds a crease and goes. (Did Edds ding a shoulder on that one, walks off rotating it? Remember, he had surgery in the offseason) 2) Paki, nowhere.

1 O vs. 2 D

1) Stanzi misses McNutt, who wasn't open (Cato). 2) (Chaney and Nordmann in at WR) Paki, short gain. 3) Decent run by Adam Robinson. (Apparently, Cody Hundertmark is now a full-fledged DE.) 4) Decent A-Rob run.

Mike Hall . . . Stanzi stinks in basketball. McNutt, Moeaki and Clayborn are the best. The beard stays, apparently. (Big talk now. Talk to me in a month, my friend!)

 Mike Hall . . . Edds. Angerer, emotional leader. Tough road schedule. Worst diet . . . all good. "Chugs candy."

1 O vs. 1D

1) Pass to Chaney, complete for about 8. 2) Outside zone, Paki gains a couple (not really tackling). 3) Ballard sack (Doering whiffed, Robinson ole'd). 4) Pass Moeaki for about 20 (wow, he's a beautiful athlete). 4) Pass inc. (someone did something wrong). 5) Angerer breaks up pass to Reisner. 6) (Calloway in first team RT EDIT: Dave Revsine twittered and said that wasn't Calloway but walk-on OT Matt Tobin. Upon further reveiw, I can't tell, so go with Tobin.) Hunter stops Robinson. 7) Nordmann drop.

 2 O vs. 2 D

1) (Wienke is running the 2s, wonder if he's jumped ahead of Vandenberg) Pass inc, Lowe break up.

1 O vs. 1 D

1) Dace jumps. 2) Nordmann drops (Stross haven't seen much of). 3) Stanzi misses open Moeaki and is picked by Brett Greenwood. 4) Sack (this is blitz pickup). 5) Pass inc, missed Chaney (had time). 6) Sack Klug.

 2 v 2 blitz pickup

1) (Vandenberg in) Pass to Kuchel. 2) Pass inc, Hyde breaks up. (No redshirt for this kid.) 3) Sack. 4) Pass inc. 5) Wienke in; 39 drops pass.

KF interview

On RB: "Jewel out for week and a half. We're waiting and seeing. He's working his way back in. We'll just have to wait and see, but in the meantime, we're going with the guys we  have and Paki O'Meara has done a nice job. Robinson has been a pleasant surprise. He's done a good job. We're just kind of working through it from there."

Road schedule: "We talked about it extensively throughout the summer. The strenght staff had reminders weekly for everybody on that front. We talked about it briefly in the spring. Bottomline, it's tough to win in this conference on the road, you throw in Iowa State on top of that. It's like a conference game for us. We have five very tough contests and a couple are on at night-time. I must've made somebody mad at the Big Ten Network. If we're going to have a good football team, we're going to find out on the road, certainly. (They done more might practices than normal to get ready for night games.)"

 On Stanzi: "We're going to have to be better in the passing game and give the running game a chance to catch up. We're certainly not surrendering in the run game at all. We plan on being good that way. It's nice to have a veteran quarterback. . . ."

 On DTs: "It's been interesting to watch our guys. Broderick Binns made a move last October, early November and right on through the bowl period, really practiced well. We're pleased with the way he's developed. Mike Daniels hs done a nice job inside. Those are two young players who've come up. We're fooling around a little bit right now with Christian Ballard playing inside and outside. We've got high hopes for Karl Klug. We think he's going to be a real fine player for us on the other side. And Clayborn is back at the end. We feel like we've got good guys. We'll probably rotate six or seven through there. I don't think we're going to have guys in there for 60, 70 snaps a game like King and Kroul were."

Like the most: "Attitude, work ethic. In and out with injuries, tough to get feel where we're at totally. Hopefully, get some continuity and be ready to play a game, because we're not now."

 Final words

 Top freshman: WR Keenan Davis. "I think we're going to see him in a lot of highlight tapes this year," Griffith said. DiNardo likes Hyde, "I think he's going to be good enough to challenge for some playing time, I think in the nickel situations."

Under the radar: Griffith says Broderick Binns. "He's good enough to allow them to toy with Ballard on the inside. Going to be a good addition on the outside. Got some long arms. Can extend. Going to give some tackles some problems." DNardo: Greg Castillo, got a chance without Jordan Bernstine (broken ankle, will redshirt).

Final thoughts: DiNardo --  Enough to be solid at LCB. Offense, need a tailback. Someone's gotta come out of the crowd. Doesn't like TB by committee. Road is a challenge. Griffith -- Fundamentally sound. gotta get TB settled. Stanzi poised for a big year.

Night and day from sprin, DiNardo said. He likey the Hawkeyes.

That's it.