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

[Hellisan]

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

Crazy that this is like 5 months off of being 5 years old. You're one of the OGs of this board for sure, always glad to see you keep this going. I hope I can keep my dynasty going that long. Either that or we get a new game in that timeframe, but I'm not holding my breath lol.

Sent from my SM-A520W using Operation Sports mobile app

I always felt that although NCAA died, we had a chance to make something special out of the game because it was good, and there were no more games coming out that were making us rush through our dynasties. You really see that with dynasties like those of Cheese, Jeezy, and others regardless of which game they chose to play their "forever dynasty" (lol). Always gotta look at the bright side in life I think.

It's back!

Every time I see your name I laugh because some of us have been around long enough that we were named FirstTimer and now are named "Old Hoss" Glad to be back, for sure.

Good luck against the Illini! I had to restart my Illinois dynasty as the file was accidentally deleted so I'm going to start that undertaking this week.

That gives me a chance to sort of read from the start, which is somewhat rare. Good luck with the new dynasty. Sorry to hear about losing it, that stinks. I always vow to my daughter that if she erases my dynasty she'll be out on the street.

[jpfine]

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

Good win against Northwestern!!

[Hellisan]

2020 Week 10 Game Report: Illinois at #6 Iowa

[superjames1992]

Re: 2020 Week 10 Game Report: Illinois at #6 Iowa

I just got caught up with this again. Fantastic stuff, as always! One of, if not the best, presentations I’ve ever seen on these forums.

[jpfine]

Re: Introduction and Table of Contents

Wow close game but good to get the win against Illinois nonetheless

[Hellisan]

Re: Introduction and Table of Contents

I just got caught up with this again. Fantastic stuff, as always! One of, if not the best, presentations I’ve ever seen on these forums.

Thank you, superjames. Kind of difficult to just jump back in after so much time away due to school. I was trying to remember more than 5 or 6 names on my team which is kind of surprising.

Wow close game but good to get the win against Illinois nonetheless

Yeah it would have been disastrous to lose that one. We had to find a way to hang on and we did; just barely.

[Hellisan]

Recruiting Update



Two additional verbals following win against Illinois

Those close to the program say 3-Star tight end C.J. Terry of Elmwood Park, IL may have been the #1 player on the board for Iowa. Clearly, he was a priority for the Hawkeyes, and he has now given his verbal commitment. Terry has a well-rounded game that lends to usage as a three-down tight end. He can run block, pass block, and has great hands. While not the fastest, he should be able to get open by running good routes.

Additionally, the team has received a verbal commitment from Raymond Sloop, a defensive tackle from Vinton, IA, or about a 1-hour drive from campus. Sloop is projected to be a depth player, however the team does have a significant need at defensive tackle.

[Hellisan]

Week 11 Preview, 2020 Season

Purdue is bringing up the rear

The Hawkeyes move to 8-1 on the season after hanging on to beat the Illini. They move up to #3 in the rankings, and a BCS championship berth is the obvious goal. More than ever though, this team must attempt to take things game by game, play by play. Even against Purdue, they can't focus on the next opponent. Ok, ok... There may be a scout or two doing advance work on Michigan State two weeks from now. But the players must remain focused! The Hawkeyes have the edge against the Boilermakers in almost every way, but they must be very careful not to commit too many turnovers against a scout secondary. For that reason, the running game is going to need to be on point. In a couple of weeks the Hawkeyes are projected to get a massive boost to their defense when strong safety Kory Walker returns from a broken wrist that has sidelined him for much of the season. Although Anthony Reyes has played well in his stead, Walker is an irreplaceable component of a secondary that has struggled at times against the pass, and was not struggling prior to his injury. Walker, in fact, is the best player on the entire defense and easily its most intelligent. If the team can survive until they get him back, their odds at getting to the promised land increase dramatically.


The Boilermakers are certainly struggling this season, entering the game at an unimpressive 1-6. Quarterback Taylor Brown will have his hands full as usual. Starting running back Erick Lynch is out for the week with an abdominal strain. Word is, the Boilers are considering putting fullback Richard Johnson at running back at times, which is something that would suit the Hawks just fine. Although the team as a whole is poor, the defense has some bright spots, including defensive end Jimmy Martinez. Martinez has not had great production to date, but has a ton of talent. Additionally, the Boilers line up three corners who can cover and run, and all three can also tackle and hit like a ton of bricks. It's one of the better groups of nickle corners the Hawkeyes will face this year. Other than that, the Hawks can expect to have the edge at most other positions.

[Hellisan]

2020 Week 11 Game Report: Purdue at #3 Iowa







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Big thanks to patriotway and Deegeezy who have already responded to the Dynasty reporter and reader poll on the most important aspects of dynasty reporting.

That poll can be found here, I invite everyone to take a moment or two and fill it out!

Thank you!

POLL HERE

[jpfine]

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

Wow, huge win for the Hawkeyes, glad to get those kind of numbers! I’ll be voting soon for your poll!

[Hellisan]

Recruiting Update



Seven verbal commits follow week 11 victory

Much of this year's recruiting work culminated in the Week 11 visits with Purdue in town. Due to this year's schedule not having a home game after Week 11, this was the big visit of 2020 recruiting.

In a class that will likely not be large but should be reasonably well ranked (Top 30 projected), there seven commitments following the four prior, bringing the projected class size to around 11-16 players.

The seven players who made verbal commitments after this game offer a mix of promise, potential, and talent. They range from a 1-star in-state cornerback with some athleticism but with work to do on his game to a 4-star center that some close to the team believe will be one of the top 3 in the country.

That center is Ambrogino "Gino" Pollino, out of Broomall, PA. With Clark prioritizing the offensive line every year, Pollino is a huge "get" because he lacks any obvious weaknesses and could be a fantastic, pro-ready player by the time he graduates. Pollino is a year in, year out all-state selection and his team is projected to win the state championship for a second straight time. Pollino is also an all-state wrestler. Although he's a capable pass blocker, he is known as a potentially elite run blocker. The team is understandably excited to have gone into Nittany Lions territory and come away with a player of his caliber.

Pollino wanted to attend either Notre Dame or Penn State. The Nittany Lions did not offer him a scholarship. Notre Dame lost to San Jose State during his visit, and Pollino said his visit to Iowa, including the campus, was exactly what he was hoping for.

"When I really thought about it, I wanted to get out of the area so Notre Dame and Iowa were both great options for me," said Pollino. It came down to the visit, and I had a great time at Iowa."

Another interesting player providing a verbal commitment was Damarja Mesun out of Sheboygan, WI. The Hawkeyes have done a nice job of building depth at the linebacker position the last couple of years, and Mesun is another nice add to this group. He fits a similar mold as Reginald Clancy, Brandon Butler and current starter David Bryant, even if he is a little more on the development side than those players. He will have all the time he needs to develop with the depth ahead of him.

The team is highly focused on the midwest this season, having avoided the chance to recruit several high level players out of California who were interested in the program. Oklahoma is clearly a priority, and the team continues to sign as much Iowa talent as possible, for when some of the high end talent can be found in state once again.

Aside from Pennsylvania (Pollino), the only states from which Iowa has drawn verbal commitments from are Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Texas, Wisconsin, and Oklahoma.

[djp73]

Re: Recruiting Update

with the win over Ohio and no Michigan this year you have a good shot at the Big 10 I would think. What's the goal.

[Hellisan]

Week 12 Preview, 2020 Season

MSU, Iowa rubber match on deck for Clark, Stockstill

What could have been a game of the week candidate between 1-loss, Top-10 teams become slightly less exciting after Michigan State traveled to Bloomington Indiana and allowed the Hoosiers to take a 24-7 halftime lead, which eventually led to a 21-34 loss for the Spartans. Give Indiana credit because they are now 6-3 and are threatening to break into the Top 25, but any way the situation is looked at, it was a devastating loss for the Spartans that an athletic director will not stand for.

Two years ago, in Coach J.D. Clark's initial Big Ten foray, the Hawkeyes lost when a kicker missed an extra point late. Last year, the Hawkeyes were able to turn a 14-6 halftime lead into a 31-23 home victory thanks to a nearly perfect performance by QB Eddie Allen, who threw for 232 yards and 3 touchdowns against 0 interceptions, and ran for another 74 yards and a touchdown. The play of the game for Allen was when he eluded a sack attempt in the backfield then stepped up and threw a perfect 12-yard touchdown pass to Emmery Nelson that put the Hawkeyes up 28-16 late in the third quarter.

The Hawkeyes won their ninth game of the season and are now ranked #3 at 9-1, and 7-0 in the Big Ten. Iowa are first in the Big Ten West standings, with 7-3 Nebraska, 5-2 in the conference, behind them in the standings. Nebraska needs Iowa to lose to Michigan State and then would have the chance to beat the Hawkeyes to get into the conference championship game if they win against Northwestern this week. Despite chinks in the armor, the Hawkeyes are winners of seven straight heading into this matchup. The Spartans are unlikely to have another down game offensively back to back, considering the talent on hand with the offense. This is one of the most talented offenses the Iowa defense will have the pleasure of facing this season. Coach Clark indicated he will stick with Daniel Norton ahead of Kenard Goodman at running back. Norton has been effective of late and Goodman has fallen off a bit, but both will receive carries, in addition to the rushing yardage leader, quarterback Eddie Allen. Another change is that Horozewski Switalski has been permanently made the starting fullback for the rest of the season. Mike Johnson has been demoted. The team has been waiting for the 6'2", 277 lb. Johnson to play up to his size and capabilities he shows catching the ball in practice. He has not been able to take that mindset on to the field consistently, so Switalski will be given a chance. He is known as a better blocker than Johnson.

The Spartans have to be kicking themselves right now. They were on the periphery of the BCS Championship game discussion before losing to Indiana, and certainly would have given themselves a shot if they could have won out. Now they're staring at a completely different situation. They are still in the driver's seat in the Big Ten East, so winning the conference championship is still a worthwhile and attainable goal. It has been a difficult season for the Big Ten East as a whole, with MSU being the only team with fewer than three losses.

[Hellisan]

2020 Week 12 Game Report: #3 Iowa at #16 Michigan State




Clockwise from Top left: Jaivonn Bender is congratulated by teammates after scoring on a fumble recovery, which was forced by linebacker Brian McFadden, far left. Kenard Goodman makes a defender miss in the open field. Patrick Greer catches a touchdown pass from Sam Lumpkin for the Spartans. Eddie Allen loses a defender. Rick Stockstill complains to the refs. The defense celebrates a big stop. Eddie Allen is once again named player of the game.



Thanks to the following Operation Sports members who have responded to a poll on the most important aspects of dynasty reporting:

Deegeezy
patriotway
jpfine
superjames1992

That poll can be found here, I invite everyone to take a moment or two and fill it out!

Thank you!

POLL HERE

[Hellisan]

Re: Week 12 Preview, 2020 Season

Wow, huge win for the Hawkeyes, glad to get those kind of numbers! I’ll be voting soon for your poll!

We're on a little bit of a roll now, having won like 9 games in a row or something. All hands on deck for a game against Nebraska after a Week 13 Bye. Going to do a Week 12 national update, next season I'm definitely going back to weekly updates, I missed that this season but will have some slow periods coming back up once school starts again. Thanks for checking in JP

with the win over Ohio and no Michigan this year you have a good shot at the Big 10 I would think. What's the goal.

Winning the Big Ten is goal 1A, because that has been a huge deal for us getting stuck on that. It's a must. I'm getting angry just thinking about it but no matter how bad a season Ohio State or whoever else we face has had, I know it's going to be a very tough game. Thank you for chiming in old chum!

Glad to see you reporting on a more regular basis Helli - should be a good game with Michigan State - they could be looking to come out quick after the loss to Indiana.

They played great on offense, and they were even tough in certain areas on defense making it difficult for us to get big gains on the ground, but eventually with the threat of Allen we were able to do that. He makes everything easier. When Allen is not available to keep the ball, totally different ball game for the other guys. Good to see you around Proof I hope you're doing well man!!