The Career of J.D. Clark (NCAA 14)

[Hellisan]

Around the NCAA: Week 8



Big Ten is looking strong in 2018

Bad year to try and break into the Big Ten. Ohio State took over the #1 spot in the
nation this week on the strength of their early schedule, leap frogging Notre Dame
and Miami, each of which are still unbeaten. Michigan and Minnesota are also in the
Top 10, and Nebraska, Michigan State and Illinois are also in the Top 25. Just
outside the Top 25 is Wisconsin, which is clearly deserving of being ranked.


Miami continues to get the job done

The Hurricanes hit a last second 26-yard field goal to take a 38-35 victory over in
state rival Florida State. Miami is now 6-0, while FSU is 2-4. Two teams going in
totally different directions even though the talent gap is extremely narrow. FSU had
a little something in them at the end, going on a 21-0 tear in the fourth quarter
before Miami kicked the game winner.






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Out of curiosity are you still using the front page sliders? Great stuff as always man

No sir... It's been kind of a tossup and I don't have any to recommend or hang my hat on right now. Two games ago was Heisman with default sliders and adjusted penalties. Last week was some All American sliders I've been working on. I really liked the way they played but it's early.

Those 4 INTs really hurt. Looks like Wisconsin is yet another team that will test your defense.

Yeah I think it's going to be a barnburner if we can score, a blowout if we struggle.

Tumultuous several weeks here for you. I absolutely love the storylines you are creating and the level of immersion is fantastic. Hoping you can turn things around against Wisconsin. Great work with this!

Thanks Cheese. It all comes down to stressing the depth chart and it's going to be crazy how much talent we lose this offseason as well. I just hope we can bounce back and have a good 2018 because if we don't, things might become kind of ugly.

Bad game. Gotta put it behind you.

That picture of PSU CB Gavin Means, for some reason, looks so phenomenal -- not that all the other pictures aren't; they're fantastic, too. It's just, being stretched to be the headline picture, the angle of the player, the mud on his pants and the crowd in the background ... it's one of the best pictures I've seen captured on this game (which is saying something because Lop is always A+ in his Hawai'i dynasty). If you scroll fast enough it looks like a real life picture. Well done. Helps the immersion so much.

Thanks man. I wish I could take credit for that one. After each game I make sure I'm ready to get the auto snaps that the CPU takes. Yeah, 3/4 are just some guy running with the ball by himself, but there is usually one with a different perspective, and sometimes they're very good. I keep an eye out for these and this one in particular I really liked. Glad someone else liked it too. I am humbled that you read the report and always enjoy the commentary. thank you.

This is good stuff, man. Just caught up!

Thanks, bro!

[Hellisan]

The Importance of Nile Kinnick to UI



Iowa's football stadium is called Kinnick Stadium. Not Lincoln Financial Stadium, or Hard Rock Stadium, or *gasp*... TCF Bank Stadium. Of course, this is one of the great things about college football - that so many of the traditions remain unchanged. The vast majority of stadiums haven't been named by some corporation for an embarrassingly small fee. But why is it named Kinnick stadium? Why is there a gigantic statue of its namesake, Nile Kinnick, on the grounds? You might know it's named after Nile Kinnick. You might even know he was a Heisman Trophy winner. If you know more than that, you may not need to read the rest of this.

What does Nile Kinnick mean to the University of Iowa? Let's start with some bullet points. I've then pilfered a quote and an entire news story written about the subject. I'll provide a link to the story below.

• He was an Iowa boy, born and raised in Adel, Iowa.
  
• He almost attended and played football Minnesota - but made the right decision and played for UI.
  
• He graduated with distinction and gave the 1940 commencement speech at Iowa. He maintained a 3.4 GPA majoring in Economics - academics were more rigorous in 1939 too. Thus, he was a really good example of a student athlete.
  
• He played during a time when teams did not for the most part rack up big stats. Yet he played multiple positions and was very good at all of them. He almost never left the field, playing 402 of 420 minutes and leading his team to one of the greatest seasons in Iowa history in 1939. He held 14 school records at one time, a few of which still stand today. He won the Heisman trophy and several other awards, including the AP male athlete of the year (beating out Joe DiMaggio, Byron Nelson, and Joe Louis).
  
• As a student athlete he had the mind and disposition of a statesman. His Heisman Trophy speech is still remembered today. According to Bob Brooks, Iowa Radio Announcer, 1943-1997: "His speech at the dinner in New York City was the greatest speech any athlete has ever made in that situation. There is nothing like it, and I don't think there ever will be. I've done this for 70 years, and most of the time since 1939 I just have carried this little cassette in my briefcase to every Iowa game. It is Kinnick's Heisman speech. Sometimes I just play it to remind myself what a student athlete is all about."
  
• He died serving his country.

Everybody's All-America
By Ron Flatter
From ESPN Classic:

"When you could have a hometown boy like that, had that grit, that determination, straight A student, all-around good person, good values, it gave you a lot of pride. All of that holds a lot of sway over the imagination in the minds of people like me from the state of Iowa," says Sen. Tom Harkin about Nile Kinnick, the 1939 Heisman Trophy winner.

He's the son every mother wanted to have, the boy every father wanted his daughter to marry. He was also the man whose fate was the envy of no one.

Nile Kinnick is someone who reminds us how overused the word "hero" is in sport, since he is one of the few who actually fits the description. He was a Heisman Trophy winner, Phi Beta Kappa student and a man of letters who chose not to parlay his varsity block into a professional football career. Yet even with all these accomplishments, Kinnick's life tends to be paraphrased more by the way he died.

Kinnick became one of 407,000 Americans who lost their lives in military service during World War II. Less than four years after he accepted the 1939 Heisman by saying, "I thank God I was warring on the gridirons of the Midwest and not on the battlefields of Europe," Kinnick was killed in a training flight in the Caribbean waters near South America.

Such is the legacy of Kinnick that his likeness is on the face of the coin tossed at the start of every Big 10 football game.

He was born on July 9, 1918, in Adel, Iowa, the grandson of a governor. He was a star athlete in football and basketball at Adel High School for three years before the family moved to Omaha, Neb., after his junior year.

Kinnick grew to be 5-8 and 170 pounds. He never was very imposing, nor was he a particularly quick athlete. But he made the most of what he had.

After failing a football tryout with Minnesota, Kinnick went to Iowa, later saying the campus "is almost like home to me." His shifty running style helped earn him the nickname "The Cornbelt Comet." But his play didn't help Iowa win in his first two seasons: The Hawkeyes went 1-7 when Kinnick was all-Big Ten as a sophomore in 1937 and 1-6-1 in 1938 when Kinnick was slowed to a near halt by an ankle injury suffered in the opening game.

In 1939, Irl Tubbs was out as coach, Eddie Anderson was in, and the path was cleared for Kinnick's senior season. Like many of his teammates, Kinnick seldom left the field. So prevalent were 60-minute men on the undermanned Hawkeyes that the team was nicknamed "The Ironmen."

Kinnick was on the field an average of 57 minutes per game. He played 402 consecutive minutes against Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Purdue, Notre Dame, Minnesota and Northwestern before a separated shoulder in the season-finale against the Wildcats forced him to the sideline.

In the season-opening 41-0 romp over South Dakota, Kinnick ran for three touchdowns and dropkicked five extra points. The next game, with Iowa trailing by three points, his fourth-quarter touchdown pass gave the Hawkeyes a 32-29 victory over Indiana.

Against No. 2 Notre Dame, Kinnick scored Iowa's touchdown and kicked the decisive extra point in a 7-6 upset. A week later, his seven completions accounted for 157 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns in a stunning victory over perennial power Minnesota. This prompted one Chicago newspaper to print the headline, "Kinnick 13, Minnesota 9."

A victory over Northwestern would have given Iowa the Big Ten championship, but Kinnick was injured in the third quarter and the Hawkeyes struggled to a 7-7 tie, dropping them to a 4-1-1 second-place finish behind Ohio State. With an overall record of 6-1-1, Iowa was ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press poll.

A halfback who was the team's main passer, Kinnick threw for 638 yards and 11 touchdowns as well as rushing for 374 yards on 106 carries (3.5-yard average). He also made 11-of-17 dropkick conversion attempts and scored 41 points. By passing, running or kicking, Kinnick was directly involved in 107 of Iowa's 130 points that season. He also made eight interceptions.

He finished his career with 1,674 yards rushing, 18 interceptions (an Iowa record that lasted half a century) and an average of 39.9 yards per punt.

The Chicago Tribune's version of the Big Ten MVP award preceded Kinnick's winning the Walter Camp and Maxwell awards, further validating the prevailing opinion he was the nation's best football player. On Dec, 6, 1939, his acceptance of the Heisman Trophy became a seminal moment - both in athletics and in oratory.

Kinnick opened by saying, "It seems to me that everyone is letting their superlatives run away with them this evening, but I want you to know that I am mighty, mighty happy to accept this trophy."

Standing in front of patriotic bunting and wearing a broad shouldered, double-breasted, pinstriped suit that was fashionable at the time, Kinnick closed with a thought that mirrored the uneasy anticipation of American involvement in a war that was still an ocean away.

"If you'll permit me," he said, "I'd like to make a comment which, in my mind, is indicative perhaps of the greater significance of football and sports emphasis in general in this country. And that is I thank God I was warring on the gridirons of the Midwest and not on the battlefields of Europe. I can speak confidently and positively that the players of this country would much more, much rather struggle and fight to win the Heisman award than the Croix de Guerre."

After hearing the speech, Bill Cunningham wrote in The Boston Globe, "The country is OK as long as it produces Nile Kinnicks. The football part is incidental."

Kinnick's celebrity became so strong, he was named 1939's top male athlete in the country by the Associated Press. The honor was particularly noteworthy considering his competition included Joe DiMaggio, Joe Louis and Byron Nelson.

With a 3.4 grade-point average and the senior-class presidency on his résumé, Kinnick passed on a possible career in the National Football League, turning down a $10,000 offer from the Brooklyn Dodgers. Instead, he chose law school at Iowa.

In August 1941, Kinnick decided war was imminent and joined the Naval Air Corps Reserve. While waiting to be called to active duty, he was an assistant coach for Iowa that fall. On December 4, three days before Pearl Harbor, he reported for duty.

"There is no reason in the world why we shouldn't fight for the preservation of a chance to live freely," he later wrote in a letter home. "No reason why we shouldn't suffer to uphold that which we want to endure. May God give me the courage to do my duty and not falter."

On June 2, 1943, Kinnick was flying a training mission from the U.S.S. Lexington off the coast of Venezuela when he experienced engine problems. Rather than try a dangerous landing on the Lexington and endangering personnel, he attempted an emergency landing into the Caribbean.

Although a boat arrived on the scene within eight minutes, and rescue parties searched for several hours, Kinnick's body was never found amid the oil slick. Nile Kinnick was 24.

"I never had a shock like that in my life," said Al Couppee, blocking quarterback on the 1939 Hawkeyes. "Hell, I thought he was going to live forever."

Nile Kinnick's name certainly has. He was inducted into the charter class of the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951, and not only did the Hawkeyes retire his No. 24, they named the football stadium in his honor in 1972.

http://www.espn.com/classic/biography/s/Kinnick_Nile.html

Kinnick's Heisman Trophy Speech:

.

An Excellent Story about the "Ironmen," the 1939 Iowa Hawkwyes

http://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/almost-gone-not-forgotten-iowas-ironmen-20140903

[shipfb21]

Re: The Career of J.D. Clark (NCAA 14)

I'm still working my way through this masterpiece, haven't caught all the way up yet, but I'm close. I just wanted to u how much I have enjoyed ur dynasty. The graphics are beautiful. The write ups are well written. I really enjoy how u are starting to bring in some new characters. The thIng that really grabs me n keeps me invested, is the realism. Coach Clark knew it was unlikely that idaho would ever be one a football hotbed, competing for national championships. I applaud u for keeping this real and not making idaho into a national power. Knowing if coach clark wanted to reach a higher level in coaching, he would have to move on to a bigger school with more resources. However, he didn't jump at the money. He stayed true to his character n accepted a job, in Iowa, that fits him both from a football perspective and lifestyle perspective. Just wanted to chime in and thank u for creating this gem.

[Hellisan]

Re: The Career of J.D. Clark (NCAA 14)

I'm still working my way through this masterpiece, haven't caught all the way up yet, but I'm close. I just wanted to u how much I have enjoyed ur dynasty. The graphics are beautiful. The write ups are well written. I really enjoy how u are starting to bring in some new characters. The thIng that really grabs me n keeps me invested, is the realism. Coach Clark knew it was unlikely that idaho would ever be one a football hotbed, competing for national championships. I applaud u for keeping this real and not making idaho into a national power. Knowing if coach clark wanted to reach a higher level in coaching, he would have to move on to a bigger school with more resources. However, he didn't jump at the money. He stayed true to his character n accepted a job, in Iowa, that fits him both from a football perspective and lifestyle perspective. Just wanted to chime in and thank u for creating this gem.

Lot of times I wait a few posts before responding, simply to save space, but this response was unbelievably thoughtful and kind. Much appreciated. As with anytime someone says they read, it is humbling. Unlike many others who may post to entertain, I genuinely make these for myself. I know that sounds selfish, but my memory is so poor for things like this that people will say "I enjoyed that dynasty from such and such team with that one awesome player back on MaddenMania," and I'm just like yeah... i remember that dynasty in general, but I need to be reminded of this individual player. It's that bad. Being able to read through and re-live games even from THIS dynasty is valuable to me because I'll forget key details. It's practically the sole reason I post. But when there is someone else that sees value in it, it's tremendously humbling and appreciated. And I'm amazed at a site that is experiencing difficulty with people trolling each other in some parts of the site that everyone here is so incredibly kind and that is the second reason, just being involved with you kind folks. Thanks for the very kind words bro.

[Hellisan]

2018 Week 8: at Wisconsin

[gsutiger]

Re: The Career of J.D. Clark (NCAA 14)

Nice win over the Badgers that is one hostile environment to go in and win a game

[Cheese2121]

Re: The Career of J.D. Clark (NCAA 14)

I was about to leave a post congratulating you on the win over Wisconsin and I do send my best on that but I wanted to take a moment to applaud you on the sentiments on the previous page. It is the kind words, the sentiments and the camaraderie that make this not only a world class report but also make you a stand up guy and class act. Keep being you. Happy to share this corner of the internet with ya.

[Hellisan]

Around the NCAA: Week 9



Rankings have been inaccurately marked all season

In the weekly around the nation segments I have been incorrectly marking the AP
Top 25 rankings as BCS rankings all season long. I apologize for the mistake. This
week, the rankings were officially released for the first time and I typed up the
regular ole AP rankings instead. Another mistake. But really, the top of the BCS
rankings are pretty much identical. Switching to the BCS rankings (for real) next
update.


Illinois knocks OSU from atop the Polls

Illinois has had an up and down early part of the season, and they are back on the
upswing after knocking off #1 Ohio State the same week the Buckeyes took over the
top spot. Illini barely beat an FCS team to start the season, 28-27 before handing
#14 South Carolina a 56-23 loss in week 3. The Illini then lost two in a row, to
Rutgers and #3 Michigan. The Illini held a 21-14 lead at halftime and were able to
hang on in the second half by forcing and recovering a key fumble.


Gophers Golden again with a big comeback

Minnesota moves to an impressive 8-0 with a win against #17 Mississippi State. The
Bullfrogs had a 20-10 lead with 5:54 remaining in the first half, leaving fans of the
Gophers a little on edge. The Gophers responded with a pair of touchdowns
including one just before halftime and one early in fourth quarter. The defense shut
out MSU in the second half, with the help of a timely interception.


Armed forces stage major upset for the second time this year

Member that one time when Army stepped up and stunned Alabama with a 31-21
victory? Well, so does Navy and they duplicated the feat by handing #7 Clemson a
35-28 loss. The difference is, unlike 7-0 and #6 ranked Army, Navy isn't a particularly
good team. Or at least their 3-4 record would not indicate they are. In rushing mad
NCAA 14, Navy managed 378 rushing yards on 61 carries and held Clemson to 155
yards rushing, and that was that. Clemson QB T. Johnson was intercepted twice in
the second half, putting the nail in the coffin.


Oh, NOW they're losing

Washington was the team I really felt might be Coach Clark's second team when I
started this dynasty. There are so many reasons for this. I love the stadium, I really
do feel as if it's one of the greatest settings in college football, cliche' aside. But
they just wouldn't lose enough. I started researching various schools a couple of
seasons ago just looking at uniforms, stadiums, etc. Some of the stadiums you think
of as being great are badly rendered in the game or even have inaccuracies. I felt
as though the stadium design was pretty solid, even if it has sense been updated
and now looks nicer. But what killed me were the uniforms. The UW uniforms in this
game are simply bad. They have those weird old Nike designs and for some reason,
none of the classic, more basic designs were in the offing. This made absolutely
no sense to me. Maybe to the casual eye, they looked like the uniforms Washington
has always worn. And yes, the helmet was pretty basic and acceptable. However,
after looking at those uniforms I don't think I ever could have gone that route.

Furthermore, I'm really happy about the direction this took with Iowa.








Vandals down Aztecs 52-28, are now 5-1 on the season

Idaho easily shook off a first half kickoff return for a touchdown to dispatch the
visiting SDSU Aztecs. Terrance Carstens caught a pair of TD passes as the Vandal
offense exploded for 663 yards and held SDSU to less than half that. Eric Lawson
is having a season for the record books and in this game threw for 429 yards and
5 TD against 1 INT, completing 26 of 34 attempts.

Albert Hidalgo's day was just as impressive with 37 carries, 247 yards, 2 TD including
a long of 30 yards and 74 yards after contact. Carstens and Youmani Jones each
caught 8 passes, 145 and 138 yards, and 2 TD apiece. The defense was exceedingly
solid as they have been all season. Not many standouts, but Russell Ivey
intercepted a pass for the Vandals.


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Nice win over the Badgers that is one hostile environment to go in and win a game

Thanks bro, yah it was a tough environment but they just left too much out on the field.

I was about to leave a post congratulating you on the win over Wisconsin and I do send my best on that but I wanted to take a moment to applaud you on the sentiments on the previous page. It is the kind words, the sentiments and the camaraderie that make this not only a world class report but also make you a stand up guy and class act. Keep being you. Happy to share this corner of the internet with ya.

Thanks so much. I think it's kind of funny how great the environment is here and I know that you have a lot to do with that. You're one of the best guys out there Cheese, and along with Geezy and others it's just a great group here right now. I have been doing this stuff since the very beginning, or so I think. I think my earliest chise was a simple Madden one in 1999 or so. We used to do entire years in one post. Just scores and maybe a few sentences. But in that time I've been doing this I don't remember an environment which suited dynasty reporting as well as this one does. Great place to be. Thanks.


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[Hellisan]

Iowa Week 9 Preview - Northwestern Wildcats



Northwestern is a team with talent that's having a bad season. Perhaps they should
pull Jared Garcia as they have another just as good (on paper) in the wings. Garcia
has almost as many INT as TD and he's a big reason why the team is faltering. HB
Champ Davis wasn't the starter coming into the season, but with the starting HB
missing most of the season so far and not expected back for several weeks, Davis
has been an absolute revalation with his size, strength, and great acceleration.

The Wildcats have a slightly better defense on paper, but in reality it has just been
another story and the offensive line of the Hawkeyes matches up quite well against
the front 7.

The key for Idaho will be to neutralize the speed weapons of the NU offense, and
while playing offense themselves, not to get too greedy. The Wildcats have a lot of
speed in the secondary and if Barnes gets complacent they could start picking off
deep pass attempts.







The Vandals have had two recruits sign but are in the running for a lot of players.
The top of the board is where most of the competition is taking place, but there are
a number of players that the Hawkeyes are a virtual lock to sign. The chief mention
here has to go to FS Jay Cook. He was a relatively unheralded 3-star safety the
team was looking at early. The more we scouted him, the more we liked him and
we are convinced he's one of the top couple of safeties in the nation. Cook has the
Sean Taylor look (6'3", 210), just a chiseled monster with 94 SPD, 77 STR, 88 AGI,
85 ACC, 85 TAK, 83 HPW, 84 PUR. His zone coverage (74) could use some work but
he will have the time to get better as the team plans to redshirt him.

[BookWork123]

Re: Introduction and Table of Contents

Powers Garret has to be the best name in college football. Keep up the fantastic work!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Iron Dragon]

Re: Iowa Week 9 Preview - Northwestern Wildcats

Good to get back on track with a win. Army is creeping into the title picture.

[djp73]

Re: Iowa Week 9 Preview - Northwestern Wildcats

Just got all caught up. Fun season so far. Hope you'll schedule some games against Dane in the future.

[Hellisan]

2018 Week 9: Northwestern

Nigel Atkinson "visual injury" - head snapped back and goes down hard.
Would be cool if these had a better chance of being injuries in the game.
Head snap visible at slow speed.

[Hellisan]

Around the NCAA: Week 10



Auburn hands A&M First Loss

An unranked yet talented Auburn team hosted Texas A&M and handed them their
first loss of the season, 31-21. The key was holding the Aggies off the scoreboard
in the decisive third quarter. Auburn defender C. Shaw made 7 tackles, 2 TFL, Sack,
INT on the day.


BIG BIG TEN WIN

The Ohio State campus is buzzing after a victory over #10 Michigan State
See details below.


HURRICANES KEEP WINNING

Miami continues their perfect 8-0 mark with a conference win against Duke.


WOLFPACK WIN, LOSE STAR

Unranked NC State beats rival Clemson, but Greco will be sidelined for 10 weeks.
NC State moves up to #19 by ousting Clemson from the rankings. Lawrence Greco
is a talented senior fullback who sees time at running back. Greco has 122 carries,
539 yards, and 6 TD on the season to go with 5 rec, 72 yds, TD.









Vandals leave no doubt against Boise, win 49-28

Idaho has entered the Top 25 yet again and the country is finding out that Bobby
Petrino, with the help of son Nick at offensive coordinator, know how to drive a
fancy car once the keys are thrown to them. Eric Lawson is having an incredible
season and was nearly flawless in throwing for 303 yards and 6 TD on 20-32 passing.

The Broncos had a nice game on offense but lost two fumbles which hurt them badly.

Albert Hidalgo - 19 car, 179 yds, 1 TD; 4 rec, 52 yds, 1 TD
Terrance Carstens - 6 rec, 69 yds, 2 TD
Youmani Jones - 5 rec, 72 yds, 1 TD

Brandon Thompson - 10 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack, 1 FF, 1 FR
Damien Downing - 8 tackles, 3 TFL, 2 sacks

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Powers Garret has to be the best name in college football. Keep up the fantastic work!

I like the name too. I hope he improves to be a starting caliber player. I like him because he has a chance to be a well-rounded TE, which is nice.

Good to get back on track with a win. Army is creeping into the title picture.

Yeah they are. Now 8-0. Pretty incredible season they're having.

Just got all caught up. Fun season so far. Hope you'll schedule some games against Dane in the future.

Thanks for checking in Dj, much appreciated. It's been a fun season like you said, that's how I'd classify it. Will be interesting to see if that kind of thing comes to fruition. What if they faced each other in a big bowl game or something.

[Hellisan]

Breaking Story and Week 10 Preview