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

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Introduction

Since this is the last NCAA game for the foreseeable future I plan to create something that sticks, and to take my time with the presentation and story line. I plan to really report on and analyze my team. I aim to innovate in my own way although I have already noticed people doing some of the things I plan to do since people are so creative here. All my rules are going to be created irrespective of those and toward what I think will challenge me, although some might be similar.

I'm naming the coach of this dynasty after my late grandfather. Like many in his generation he died too early, after fighting multiple myeloma for a long time. He was a tough son of a bitch, funny as hell, with a wicked sense of humor. He served in the Korean War, he played semi-pro football with the Hayward Raiders, the forerunner to the AFL's Raiders. He was the first sheriff of Poway, California. He could hit a golf ball 300+ yards with persimmon woods. He accomplished so many things it's hard to keep track of it all.

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Disclaimer: All material within this dynasty is fictional. All media from other sites used for entertainment purposes only and I do not profit from its use.

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sliders - Based on sets that I found here... an amalgamation. The basic tenet of the starting slider set was that the penalty settings contribute to gameplay. So some of them will look a little strange. Also, the purpose was to create a lot of big plays. The sliders were set up to allow for bad tackling, high scores, consistent with college football in the aughts and beyond. These have been tweaked and re-tweaked, and will continue to be changed if necessary. I do not promise I will update, but ask away if you're curious.

Settings - ALL AMERICAN - Updated 6/27/20
Offsides - 51
False Start - 77
Holding - 96
Facemask - 58
Offensive PI - 25
Defensive PI - 100
KR/PR Interfererence - 25
Clipping - 40
Intentional Grounding - 75
Roughing the Passer - 54
Roughing the Kicker - 16

Custom AI - (User/CPU) - Updated 1/12/19
QB Accuracy 5/55
Pass Blocking 45/60
WR Catching 40/50
RB Ability 50/80
Run Blocking 25/90
Pass Coverage 45/55
Interceptions 70/70
Rush Defense 20/80
Tackling 45/50
FG Power 50/75
FG Accuracy 0/35
Punt Power/Accuracy/Kickoff Power 50 ALL

Disclaimer
I post these only because I am inevitably asked about them a lot. I used to be really good at NCAA, now I'm not. I also play with a style that doesn't benefit me, i.e. running a lot of bad plays and staying away from "money" style plays (NCAA has so few this year, I really enjoy that). I don't recommend them as a difficulty thing - they're just for me. I have other gameplay "rules" such as missed field goals based on Kac/Kpw and calculating the odds that I can control my team on 3rd down by my QB's AWR to assist in difficulty of winning games.


General Settings
Quarter Length: 9 minutes
Game Speed: Normal
Player Min speed Threshold: 25
Home Field: On
Ice the Kicker: On

Injuries - I will be creating injuries for myself based on random numbering...

Preseason: in the preseason I will "draw" a random number from 0-3 via Random.org to determine how many preseason injuries I have. In any case of determining an injury, I will use the process detailed at the end of this section to determine who actually gets hurt.

In-Season: I will draw a random number from 3 to 7 to determine how many players get hurt. For each one of those I will draw a random number between 1 and 14 to determine which week during the season he gets hurt. This will determine my base number of in-season injuries. Finally, I will watch during games to see players that took a particularly vicious hit, or fall, or twisted their body in a weird way yet didn't get hurt.

Player Injury Selection: For any injury determined in the above scenarios to be injured, I will draw a random number between 1 and 70 and arrange the players in alphabetical order on the view/edit roster screen. I'll then navigate to the player in question and do a random.org number draw against his injury rating, from 1-99. If the number is above his injury rating, then he is the one to be injured. If it's below his injury rating, then I move up or down the roster based on a heads/tails coin flip. This gives the existing injury some weight in determining who gets hurt and who stays healthy. When a player is determined to be the one that gets injured, I'll again do a random number draw to determine the length. In-game fall or hit injuries: I will do the number draw against their injury rating 5 times and if the number is above their injury rating once in those 5 tries then will be determined to be injured.

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Coach Starting Level: 1
Coach level Progression Rate: Slowest
Starting Team: Idaho
Changing Teams: at my whim and pleasure - I mostly like to track my own recruits' careers

Scouting Limit: 25% (per scout session) no matter the coaching letter. I haven't changed who I'm recruiting based on the scouting very often, so I enjoy the scouting process and it takes away from my total recruiting points. So I've scouted as much as I want to: 9/2016 Update

Other Coach Power Limits: Will adjust as I go. I will avoid the overpowered stuff.

Redshirting: I will try to redshirt most everybody. If they are talented and have playing time as one of their top 3/important pitches,and would be the best option then I will consider playing them as a true freshman.

Swaying Players: I have no experience on this, but would always try to keep it realistic. A Junior that's over 93 OVR will most likely be a stud/NFL worthy so I will not sway him back, however I don't see it as a "sim" thing to let players go pro that aren't good enough.

Recruiting Thoughts

I eventually went with a "do no evil" style approach, and combined with my custom progression which is lesser than the CPU for the team, have not regretted it.

My only thought for someone looking for recruits: Draw a line somewhere in the 3-star group and treat the bottom of those 3-star players as 2-star.

Why?

Go and look at each rating as a group. You'll find like 25 five-stars, however many 4-stars (couple hundred) and then more than a thousand 3-stars, and only 200-something 2-stars. It's really screwy and lame, and I feel very inaccurate. So just allow yourself to recruit from the bottom of the 3-star group as 2-stars. For the most part they're no better.

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2013/2014:The Idaho Vandals delivered great news to their fans when they were selected to join the Mountain West conference alongside BYU for the 2014/2015 season. Predicted by the Idaho Statesman to win two games, they instead managed to win five games on the season. The Vandals beat North Texas 37-34 to start the season thanks to stout defense in the second half and forcing a pair of short field goals in the fourth quarter. The team played well against a more talented Wyoming team but ultimately lost in overtime, 42-49. Northern Illinois powered through Idaho by the final score of 23-47 and eventually won the National Championship on the legs and arm of Heisman Trophy Winner Jordan Lynch. In Week 4, Washington State threw for 450 yards in taking down the Vandals 23-34. Homecoming was week 5 against Temple and the team responded with a comeback 34-31 win with Austin Rehkow kicking the game-winning field goal as time expired. The Vandals simply could not keep up with the vaunted air attack of Fresno State as Derek Carr threw for 420 yards and Idaho lost 25-48. The worst two games of the season ensued, as the Vandals were pummeled 5-48 by as surprisingly talented Arkansas State team, then after a bye week traveled to Ole Miss where they were humiliated for a payday, 14-70. The final third of the season was expected to be the easy part and the Vandals were able to pick up three wins in four games, beating Texas State 28-25 in overtime, dominating Old Dominion 44-10, losing at Florida 13-48, and prevailing against New Mexico State in Las Cruces, 34-27. Ultimately, Coach Clark was very happy with the outcome. Wide Receiver Dezmon Epps was named team MVP. The season overview is located on page 10.




2014/2015:The Vandals were a resounding success by most accounts in their first season in the Mountain West. Although the defense rated 3rd worst in the country, it was still significantly better than hit was the previous season, when they were dead last. The season began in Gainesville, FL as the Vandals were surprisingly competitive in a 22-32 loss to SEC powerhouse Florida. Blessed with a strong home-oriented early season portion of the schedule, the Vandals went on to win six of their next seven games and seven of their next nine as they built a 6-1 home record on the season. They hammered South Alabama 62-37 and upset co-newcomers BYU 49-42 at home before going on the road and getting torn up to the tune of 358 rushing yards by Brett Smith and the Wyoming Cowboys, 41-10. The next three games were played at home and included a 42-13 win against Idaho State for Homecoming before the Vandals ambushed Boise State 35-28 on Ag Days week behind a nearly perfect game from Chad Chalich. The Vandals followed that game up with a 27-24 win, also at home, against UNLV before winning their only road game of the season against San Jose State, 34-30. Four wins in a row was unprecedented in recent Idaho football memory but the fun wouldn't last as they had a rude awakening in Moscow in a 17-38 loss to Nevada and eventual Heisman Trophy winner Cody Fajardo, who threw for 322 yards and 3 touchdowns with no interceptions, and tacked on 51 ground yards and another score. After winning their final home game of the season on Dad's Weekend against San Diego State thanks to a big game by Dezmon Epps, the team hit a major speed bump in getting blown out in their final two games of the season at Hawai'i (31-37) and at Fresno State (31-58) as the defense collapsed. After a 7-5 regular season the team was invited to play in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl, which was won in comeback fashion against Ohio. 24-20 in one of the most exciting games of the season. The win gave Coach Clark an 8-5 record in year two and a winning record overall as the Idaho Coach, which is not easy to accomplish. JUCO transfer Dan Wilcox was named team MVP on the strength of 109 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and 4 sacks as well as a pair of interceptions and a pair of forced fumbles. Epps was named Offensive MVP with 69 receptions, 1,073 yards, 11 TD, and Kristoffer Olugbode was named most inspirational player after his hard work in the offseason resulted in being named the most improved player on offense and the starter at running back. Olugbode fought through a litany of injuries and led the team with 793 yards rushing and 8 touchdowns.




2015/2016:The 2015 Vandals had a good season by any reasonable measure. They were spotted in the Top 25 for the first time - even if it were only for a week - and won 7 games in a row at one point en route to a team record 10 victories. The 7 wins in a row were second all-time to the 8 wins in a row the 1971 team produced, which matched that team's season total. Idaho avoided BYU on the regular season schedule which was a good thing. They hosted Central Michigan to start the season and came back in the second half to win 38-28, with Deon Watson catching two second half touchdown passes. The team traveled to Auburn where they were manhandled in a 38-20 loss, with Auburn gaining 254 yards on the ground. The team hosted Utah State for homecoming in week 4, and played one of their best games of the season in taking down the Aggies 42-17. Next the team had three games in a row in the road. They took a big step forward by beating Wyoming 34-9 as Bully Filoteo had another 100+ yard rushing game and began making believers out of the Idaho fan base. Boise State was too tall of an order, and got revenge for their defeat at the hands of Idaho the previous year, 34-28. The team was able to regroup and hang on to beat San Diego State by the final of 30-22 after getting a big lead early. Houston and Idaho put on an epic show in which the Vandals outlasted the Cougars 51-48 in double overtime. The team allowed 564 yards of total offense, but Jayshawn Jordan put his name forever in the lore of Idaho football by intercepting two passes, returning one for a 61-yard touchdown. The second came in the second overtime as Jordan picked off John O'Korn in the end zone to set up the game-winning field goal. That win set the Vandals up for five additional wins in a row, as they took down UNLV 26-10, Nevada 40-24, Fresno State 41-29 - Coach Clark's first win against the Bulldogs - Before hanging on for a tight 23-17 victory against San Jose State then destroying Hawai'i in the Kibbie Dome, 50-14 to end the regular season 10-2. Tasked with playing #1 Brigham Young University in Provo, the Vandals made a game of it for awhile but eventually succombed to the pressure posed by eventual champion Taysom Hill and company, 41-21. Disappointed by the conference championship loss, the Vandals had little energy left and were beaten physically by the Colorado Bufaloes 34-26 in the Maaco Las Vegas Bowl. Senior Dan Wilcox was named the team's MVP for the second consecutive season as he had another monster effort. Bully Filoteo was named the team's offensive MVP after he went over the 1,600 yard mark with 18 touchdowns. Jayshawn Jordan was named the team's most inspirational player after moving from cornerback to strong safety and providing the team with some of the most clutch plays of the season.




2016/2017: the 2016 Idaho Vandals won 10 games for the second year in a row. By any reasonable measure, the leadership of the athletic department and the university as a whole is pleased as could be. Under coach Clark, the total offensive production has increased every year, and this year the Vandals had the highest offensive yards per game and total points scored per game in their history. Kent State visited Moscow to start the season and were beaten handily, 40-21 on the same week a randy announcer's comments made Sarah Pellier an overnight sensation in the Palouse. The team had a bye week before traveling to Albuquerque, New Mexico and taking down New Mexico, 42-14 with Eric Lawson throwing for 353 yards and 2 TD, including 101 yards to walk-on wide receiver Terrance Carstens who would have a great first season with the team. Then it was back to the Kibbie Dome, where in a game that was much closer than the score would indicate, the team took down UNLV by the score of 42-21 when Youmani Jones had a 90-yard kickoff return near the end of the third quarter, which spurred the team to 21 fourth quarter points. The team traveled to Fort Worth where they were supposed to be fodder for the TCU machine, but stunned 0-3 Horned Frogs with a fourth loss. In week 6 "The Squad" dominated Utah State 43-8, but things took a turn for the worse for the defense when John Fenner injured his leg and missed the next couple of games. After their second bye week, the team traveled to Pasadena and lost in triple overtime to the UCLA Bruins 52-60 while allowing Jerry Neuheisel to pitch a near perfect game and allowing 580 yards of total offense. Boise State traveled to the Kibbie dome and backup QB Nick Patti were too much for the Vandals, handing the team a 27-31 loss. The team bounced back from the consecutive losses with wins against San Diego State and Nevada, but were hammered by Fresno State on the road by the final score of 39-62. Zack Greenlee won the Mountain West conference offensive player of the game award for the third week in a row. During the three-week streak that helped Fresno to the West division championship, Greenlee completed 64% of his passes for 1,274 yards and 17 TD against 0 INT. The Vandals got back on the winning side the next week on the road against San Jose State as Austin Rehkow nailed a game-winning field goal as time expired in a 41-38 win. Hawaii was also up to the challenge of providing the Vandals with a difficult game - the Vandals held the Warriors scoreless in the final two and a half minutes to win by three points, 34-31. The Vandals missed out on the Mountain West Conference championship game thanks to the Fresno State loss, and dismantled Temple in the Poinsettia Bowl to win their tenth game of the season. Senior HB Bully Filoteo was named the team's MVP after finishing second in the nation in rushing yards (1,837) and first in touchdown runs (27). Utah State transfer Travis Parrish was named the defensive MVP. Deon Watson was runner up for the offensive MVP but deserves mention as he tied for the NCAA lead in receptions and provided steady leadership and great run blocking all season, coming in second in pancakes on the team. Watson was named the most inspirational player.




2017/2018: the 2017 Idaho Vandals won 10 or more games for the third year in a row, finishing 11-3. The Vandals started off with a bang, traveling to Columbus, OH and dealing Ohio State a devastating 38-31 loss. The Buckeyes played carelessly and the Vandals seized on key opportunities with star of the game Russell Ivey intercepting two passes and picking up a sack and forced fumble. Wake Forest were ranked coming into the Kibbie Dome but were not after getting wiped out 59-17 by the Vandals. Next to be slayed in the dome were Colorado State on Homecoming as Richard Montgomery had a career best day with 207 yards of total offense and 3 TD in a 43-10 win. Eric Mitchell announced his presence against the Rams with 4 sacks in a season he went on to tally 17 to lead the nation. Ag Days is always a hit in Moscow and Washington State helped the Vandals celebrate with 1153 yards of total offense. Eric Lawson threw a 9-yard touchdown to Terrance Carstens to beat the Cougars in OT, 44-41. The Vandals went on the road against New Mexico and in slow, rainy conditions held the Lobos to 152 yards of offense in a 30-8 win, with Zach Cable and Eric Mitchell combining for five sacks. The offense and special teams unit were on point as Idaho dominated San Diego State 56-17, with 535 yards of total offense and a 100-yard kickoff return by Youmani Jones. After Oregon and then Michigan could not win with the #1 ranking attached to their names, Idaho earned the #1 spot in the nation for the first time in their history. With the in-state rivalry game on the road this year, Boise State forced three interceptions by Lawson and rode Aaron Baltazaar to a big 34-27 victory that knocked Idaho from the top of the rankings. Idaho shook off the painful defeat and handily defeated UNLV on the road the next week, 41-13. The Vandals were without starting QB Lawson against Nevada and played a solid team game to gut out a 35-17 victory. Lawson again was unavailable the next week back in the dome as Fresno State came to town - an iffy proposition. Freshman running back Buck Archie gained 170 yards on the ground as the Vandals held Fresno somewhat in check for the first time in Clark's career, winning 24-21. The Vandals got Lawson back against San Jose State but he struggled. Nevertheless the team dominated the trenches and defended the dome once again, 45-28. Idaho wrapped up the regular season with a convincing 31-6 win against Hawaii in the dome. The Mountain West Conference Championship Game was held in Colorado Springs with the Vandals squaring off against Boise State. For the second time in a season, the Broncos downed the Vandals at an inopportune time, 28-24 in a game that saw six field goals and Baltazaar once again dominating in the second half. Despite the loss, the Vandals were invited to play in the Sugar Bowl against the LSU Tigers. The Vandals couldn't mount much of a challenge at the end of a long season and were crushed 55-21 in New Orleans. Senior DT Eric Mitchell was named Defensive MVP, while left tackle Mike Powell was named the offensive MVP for the Vandals following their 11-3 season. The Vandals ended the season ranked in the Top 10. Before the bowl game and thereafter, rumors came to the surface that Coach Clark was considering numerous jobs around the country and that a change of scenery was in the cards for the coach who changed the Vandals fortunes for the better.

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2018/2019: The Hawkeyes got off to a flying start against cupcake UMass, shutting out the Minutemen 38-0, and getting 214 rushing yards and a TD from Nigel Atkinson. Next up were rival Iowa State, who made a series of mistakes that ruined their chances as the Hawks won 28-10. After a bye week, the team traveled to Athens, GA where they surprisingly drubbed #8 Georgia 40-14 as the squad racked up 601 yards, including 403 on the ground. Legendary pundit Iron Dragon predicted a high scoring game against Minnesota and that's exactly what developed, with the Hawks losing in OT, 38-44, after a missed field goal. The Hawkeyes fell to 0-2 in the Big Ten the following week, 24-44 against Penn State, with two quarterbacks combining to throw four interceptions. Sitting at 3-2, but winless in the conference, it was time to get a win, and the Hawkeyes came up with what would be their best win of the season in hindsight, downing eventual BCS National Champion Wisconsin, 23-16. The return of Michael Tyson keyed the team on defense and the team avoided turnovers, forcing and recovering a pair of fumbles in return. Northwestern were 1-5 coming into the game the following week, but Iowa needed overtime to win, 40-33. Without injured Nigel Atkinson for much of the game, Ahmad Horne broke off a 22-yard run in OT that led to the winning run by fellow backup Daniel Norton. After WR James Hubbard was kicked off the team two weeks prior, 12 additional players were suspended for the Illinois game, and six were eventually dismissed. In the meantime, Iowa lost 7-10 to the Fighting Illini, in part due to three interceptions thrown by Masin Barnes. In a game that could have sent the season on an even further downward trajectory, Iowa scored 21 fourth-quarter points to come from behind against Purdue, 38-31. Masin Barnes bounced back from a series of tough games, and Atkinson was back to his old self. A week after winning a game they should have lost, Iowa missed an extra point to lose agianst Michigan State, 27-28. Senior Day against #12 Michigan found the Hawkeyes playing in a snow flurry with half a foot on the ground. They responded in bad weather conditions by thumping the Wolverines 24-7 with Nigel Atkinson going for 162 yards and three touchdowns. The most disappointing loss of the season was Nebraska - the Cornhuskers won 47-42 and hung on late to win it, but the difficult part was watching the Huskers pile up 355 rushing yards, including 181 and two TD by the QB, Chad Mullins. All that was left was facing off against Western Michigan in the Litter Skeezer's Pizza Bowl, and the team drummed out a 38-14 victory for their eighth win of the season against five losses.



2019/2020: Iowa had a bit more press than in most seasons as running back Nigel Atkinson was favored to win the Heisman by pundits. The Hawkeyes would beat both participants in the BCS National Championship game, Michigan and Ohio State. It was the second season in a row they beat the eventual national champion as they went 13-1. The Hawkeyes faced a highly ranked Texas squad to begin the season and scored 16 points in the fourth quarter of a tight game. Clark gambled on a run play with 14 seconds left and no timeouts - Atkinson punched it in for the win 40-38 victory over the more talented Texas squad, starting off what turned out to be a magical season. The annual rivalry game against Iowa State proved to be a doozy as the Hawkeyes needed some big plays from bit players and two momentous missed field goals by ISU kicker Michael Allen to come away with a 35-28 victory. The defense had seven sacks and allowed just 250 yards of offense in drubbing Kansas 41-14. It was not necessarily easy - a 46-yard TD run by Eddie Allen gave Iowa a tenuous 17-14 lead against lowly Kansas at halftime before they ran away in the second half. The Hawkeyes also lost DT Clint Smith for what was anticipated to be the remainder of the season. Smith would made a surprise return in the bowl game. The first sign that the team could be really good was when they physically dominated Minnesota,28-3, winning Floyd of Rosedale. After ambushing Ohio State as the coach of Idaho, coach Clark upped the ante by stunning the Buckeyes 55-35 in a game where everything seemingly went right for Iowa. Atkinson scored three TD, and James Howard's 30 yard INT return for a touchdown infused some late-game momentum just as OSU appeared to be coming back. Another day, another trophy as Wisconsin stood no chance in rainy conditions, 21-3. Jonathan Brooks had three sacks as Iowa dominated on defense, stopping the Badgers on all three fourth-down attempts. To this point in the season, opposing teams were just 2-14 on fourth down attempts, a success rate of just 14%. Iowa's 30-24 victory against Northwestern was the most insane game of the year. It was the second game of the season the Hawkeyes essentially won because the other team missed multiple field goals. This time, they were both in overtime. The defense held Illinois to 9 first downs and 146 yards of total offense in a 24-3 victory. Purdue was drilled 24-6 as Brooks bettered his previous effort with 4 sacks on his way to a school-record tying 18 sacks. Michigan State were just 1-4 on touchdowns in the red zone as they held Atkinson to just 55 yards but the Hawkeyes won 31-23 on the strength of big plays by QB Allen. The combination of famous NFL cousin Emmery Nelson and Allen was too much for Michigan, 34-14. The duo of Allen to Nelson continued to get the job done as Iowa went to 12-0 against Nebraska. With the game tied 14-14 at halftime, Iowa made adjustments to the Huskers' constant blitzing to make big plays in the second half and win 38-22. After everything went right in their first matchup, a rematch with Ohio State, the Hawkeyes once again got most of the breaks but were physically dominated and lost in the Big Ten championship, 17-24. The key play was an audacious sweep to the motioning wide receiver, avoiding a safety with a 100-yard touchdown run by wide receiver Ray Robinson to make it 21-0 in the second quarter. After losing the only game of the season they could not afford to lose, Iowa was placed in the Capital One bowl of all games, and dominated Texas A&M 28-10. Atkinson dominated with 232 rushing yards and 2 TD, showing up Heisman winner Jonathan Brooks of TAMU in the process. In a close-but-no-cigar season, perhaps the best developments were off the field, as the Hawkeyes hauled in a very good recruiting class.



2020/2021: The 2020 season begins on page 96. In an interview before the season, Coach Clark specifically called out a few players that he expected to lead them in 2020. No predictions were made about the success of the team, but DaShawn Olden, Eddie Allen, and Kory Walker were some of the names Clark predicted would be leaders on the team and facilitate success. Clark also talked a lot about freshman cornerback D.J. Halloway who was lighting up practices. As it turned out, the Hawkeyes won their second official NCAA 14-endorsed championship by defeating the Georgia Bulldogs in the BCS National Championship. All of these players were key to the season. Olden was named the team MVP after being named an All American and paving the way for the awesome ground attack for the balanced offense in 2020. Allen was the key yard gainer, leading the team in both rushing and passing and accounting for a combined 37 touchdowns. Walker, unfortunately, missed most of the season with an injury but returned in time to join his teammates in winning the championship. Middle linebacker Brian McFadden continued his stat-stuffing ways and was named defensive MVP. Finally, "Weapon X" Halloway intercepted three passes and ran one back for a touchdown in the championship game to put a big exclamation point on what was otherwise a roller coaster of a season for the freshman - even if he did also lead the team in touchdown receptions on just 14 catches. The season began in familiar Kinnick against #24 Texas, where a fourth quarter field goal was the difference in a close win. The Longhorns would finish #2 in the nation, bouncing back from the loss in a big way, so this turned out to a be a huge win for the Hawkeyes. Two weeks later, Kinnick was the site for the next game against disdained Iowa State which the Hawkeyes won going away with a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns. Freshman corner Jaivonn Bender was key, picking up an interception, but Clark was not happy with the win, saying Iowa State would have thrown for 400 yards if they had not dropped so many passes. Walker also sustained a broken wrist in the game that would keep him out until the conference championship. It was on to Boone Pickens stadium in week 4, where Oklahoma State handed the Hawkeyes a disappointing blowout loss. Allen had one of his worst games of the season, and was hemmed in on the ground. After this game, Coach Clark determined the wide receivers needed to be strengthened a tad, and pulled the redshirt off fresman wide receiver Doug Durbin. If you had told Coach Clark the team would claim the 2020/2021 BCS National Championship after this game, he would have shot you a really mean glance. Rutgers were up next and got wrecked 50-14 as the Hawkeyes began what would be an 11-game winning streak to end the year. Eddie Allen threw 6 touchdown passes, the team racked up 259 yards on the ground, and Halloway came away with a late interception, the first of his career, and also scored a touchdown on offense. The Floyd of Rosedale was on the line in the annual game against Minnesota and the Hawkeyes kept it for another year with a 28-10 victory. Eddie Allen scored on a 70-yard touchdown run, and found Halloway for another touchdown on offense. Next the #9 Hawkeyes faced off against #1 Ohio State in the Horseshoe. Allen was at his best in a narrow 30-28 win, turning in touchdown runs of 77 and 67 yards as the team racked up 330 yards rushing. The defense, led by McFadden (10 tackles, 2 TFL, sack, 2 forced fumbles) took advantage of OSU's lack of a good quarterback as Justin Hunter completed just 9 passes for 50 yards on the day. Brian McFadden improbably topped his prior game as #8 Iowa took down Wisconsin 31-20. McFadden (17 tackles, 3 TFL, sack, INT, and fumble recovery) was named NCAA defensive player of the week in what was probably the best single game performance of his career. Proving how good he was is that it's probably up for debate. After a lengthy absence, Iowa were back on the dynasty scene at the nearly 5-year mark of this dynasty (thanks young22 for pointing that out) with a new game preview and a determination to crush Northwestern. The Wildcats were not complicit. It took a career effort by Kenard Goodman (18 car, 119 yds, 2 TD) and another big day on the ground by Allen (11, 115, 2), as well as yet another big performance on defense by McFadden (6 tackles, 4 TFL, sack, INT, forced fumble) for the Hawkeyes to eek out a 41-36 win at home. In the difficult Big Ten, it was yet another tough game in a 20-14 victory against Illinois the following week as the team had to survive an injury scare to Allen to hold on. Finally it was a laugher against Purdue as Iowa won 45-19 as Allen threw for 284 and three touchdowns with an additional 97 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Halloway intercepted just his second pass of the season and returned it for a touchown to put the nail in the coffin late. The now #3 Hawkeyes could not let their guard down as they traveled to Lansing the next week to face #16 Michigan State. The turning point was a forced fumble by McFadden (10 tackles) which was picked up at full speed by corner Jaivonn Bender and returned for a touchdown. Allen had to step up and win the game with a precise drive late in the fourth quarter, 41-37. Strong safety Kory Walker, who some thought might return against MSU, instead missed his safe date against Nebraska, a game which the #3 Hawkeyes won easily, 45-20. Bo Pelini got pissed and Iowa got the win. Daniel Norton, senior halfback, began to pick up the pace late in the year with 21 carries for 112 yards and 2 touchdowns and would go on to bigger and better things later. Walker was listed as questionable, but insisted on playing as a date with #7 Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship was all that stood between the #2 Hawkeyes and a berth in the BCS Championship. In a game that was not quite as close as the 42-35 score would indicate, Iowa won for Coach J.D. Clark his first conference championship in four tries. Iowa hammered OSU in the first half, leading 35-10 at the break and hanging on for the win. Norton scored three of the eight touchdowns he would score between the last three games of the year, Allen toted the rock 14 times for 177 yards and 2 toucuhdowns, and McFadden had 7 tackles and a huge interception in the first half. Kory Walker salvaged some of a mostly lost year with 10 tackles. Calvin Sanders, Georgia quarterback, was named Heisman trophy winner after an incredible season, and #1 Iowa were paired with #2 Georgia in the BCS National Championship Game, a matchup of 1-loss teams. Unfortunately for the Nielsen ratings, Iowa played their best game of the season start to finish in destroying the Heisman winner and his squad, 41-20. Sanders was picked off four times, and when he wasn't intercepted he was knocked out of the game so his backup could be intercepted. Norton bruised, bashed, and pounded away at the Bulldogs' defense for over 100 yards and three touchdowns, and McFadden had another insane game including a sack and an interception. Halloway came away with three of the five interceptions, and returned the last for a game sealing touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Coach Clark and Hawkeyes held aloft the the Coaches' Trophy and sat atop the college football heap at the conclusion of the 2020 season.



2021/2022: The 2021 season begins on page 114. In a November 14, 2020 article, Eddie Allen's 28-2 record as a starter and 93% winning percentage were discussed after the Junior quarterback led Iowa to an impressive comeback against Michigan State. All Allen did after that was win each and every one of his remaining games including a second championship to go 41-2 as a starter, with a 95.3% winning percentage as Iowa's starting quarterback. The Hawkeyes opened the season at home against #7 Georgia Tech, but the Yellowjackets would not be long for a ranking in 2021. Iowa won 41-17, and coach Clark immediately began feeding Larry Lloyd the ball with Kenard Goodman ineffective. The two would share carries for much of the year, trading off big games. Lloyd ran for 128 yards in his debut, and sophomore linebacker Brandon Butler was the MVP with 10 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble as the vaunted GT running game was shut down. Next it was off to Ames to play Iowa State. The Cyclones had the game tied at 21-21 at halftime thanks to QB John McIntyre playing out of his mind. That was put to a stop in the second half as ISU was shut out and Iowa won 52-21, with Eddie Allen accounting for four touchdowns. Defensive backs Joe Gibson and Jaivonn Bender had interceptions in the second half. Rutgers was on the slate next and were on the receiving end of Iowa's biggest margin of victory of the year. Allen was pulled early in the blowout, yet still tallied five touchdowns as the offense rolled up 593 total yards. Freshman TE C.J. Terry burst onto the scene with 6 receptions for 64 yards and 2 TD. Linebackers Brandon Butler and David Bryant ran the show on defense with two sacks apiece, and Joe Gibson and D.J. Halloway picked up interceptions. Halloway also picked up a late touchdown from freshman Nathan Malone, which angered Rutgers coach Eddie Gran. Rutgers would bounce back from an early loss to an FCS squad and the beatdown by Iowa to post an 8-5 record after going 2-10 in 2020. This was good for second in the B1G East. Iowa had another easy week on the slate in Bloomington against Indiana. Khayman Chia powered the defensive effort with a pair of sacks. The sophomore would ultimately lead the nation with 12 sacks. Iowa next welcomed Minnesota to Iowa City, and Larry Lloyd greeted the Golden Gophers with 235 yards on 22 carries, and a pair of touchdowns. It was Lloyd's best effort of the season, but he was injured in the game and had to miss the next several weeks. Eddie Allen threw for just 177 yards, but had five touchdown passes to five different receivers in a 48-21 victory to retain the Floyd of Rosedale. Another home game was up next as the Hawkeyes and Wisconsin tallied over 1,000 yards of total offense. Ultimately, three turnovers doomed the Badgers in a 47-31 Hawkeye victory. Eddie Allen (276 passing yards, 3 TD, 83 rushing yards) and Kenard Goodman (22 car, 146 yds, 2 TD) were the stars of the show, with C.J. Terry adding yet another touchdown reception to his freshman year stat line. Brandon Butler tallied 12 sacks and an early interception for Iowa. The Northwestern Wildcats always seem to give Coach Clark problems, and it was no different this season as the 44-34 win was much closer than the score would appear at first glance. Allen helped to overcome turnover woes by adding 182 rushing yards and a touchdown to a typical passing day, for three touchdowns overall - one, of course, to C.J. Terry. Linebacker Brandon Butler again had an interception in the 44-34 win. Iowa showed how far the gap has grown between Iowa and Illinois in a 51-28 romp in Champaign the following week. Quarterback Jordan Howard threw for 384 yards and three touchdowns but the Fighting Illini were run out of the building anyway as Iowa ran up 264 yards on the ground. Allen threw for 231 and 3 TDs in the win. Junior Tyris Wyckoff, who had a fairly quiet season from his defensive tackle position, had 5 tackles and two sacks. The next three weeks would bring snow, and Eddie Allen didn't adjust to the changing conditions right away. Purdue gave the senior problems in a low scoring 24-13 win as he completed just 9 of 20 pass attempts and ran for just 42 yards. The loss of C.J. Terry at tight end hurt, as Terry would miss several weeks and not return until the bowl game. The struggles ultimately were overcome by the running game as Kenard Goodman ran for 130 yards and a touchdown, and the team got Larry Lloyd back from the injured list. (19 car, 86 yds). Before the game, Jordan Parsons was activated to bolster the pass rush and the small, speedy defensive end was able to pick up a sack to pair with two sacks apiece by Keegan Slack and Tyris Wyckoff. It was telling next week when the Hawkeyes shut down the air attack of Michigan State, which had given the squad trouble . The defense was beginning to pick up the pace as D.J. Halloway played well on both sides of the ball with his snaps limited on offense. The sophomore played well, with two deflections on defense and a touchdown reception on offense,, and fellow sophomores Khayman Chia and David Bryant combined for three sacks to hold MSU to just 297 yards of offense after giving up 513 yards the previous season. Just barely-ranked #22 Notre Dame (5-6 record) were almost blown out but put up 22 points in the fourth quarter to make Iowa sweat a bit. Larry Lloyd was back to his yardage-chewing ways with 146 yards and two touchdowns, and Allen found three different receivers for touchdown passes. It was an emergency the next week as the good old desktop PC went down and we had to improvise with a basic update for the Nebraska game. The 35-21 score was fairly close, but the Cornhuskers were held to just 218 yards of total offense Larry Lloyd (12 car, 95 yds, 1 TD) and Kenard Goodman (17 car, 114 yds; 5 rec, 67 yds, TD) once again proved to be a good combination, complementing one anothers' talents. Khayman Chia and Jordan Parsons each had a pair of sacks in the win, and Jaivonn Bender returned an interception 61 yards for a touchdown. The Hawkeyes avoided Ohio State in the regular season, but predictably, the Buckeyes were waiting for them in the conference championship game. After considering the various factors, Clark predictably went with a fairly similar approach as the last time the two teams faced off: Make Jonathan Hunter throw the ball. The inaccurate Hunter struggled in this regard, as multiple drives were stopped short due to easy throws that were missed. One of the ugliest plays of the season from the perspective of the opponent was when Hunter threw a pass directly to Joe Gibson in the flat, in press coverage on a receiver against a screen pass. Gibson sauntered in from 15 yards out. The poor performance by Hunter allowed the Hawkeyes to overcome the talent gap again and come away with a 42-35 victory that allowed them to go back to the BCS Championship game. Larry Lloyd was a big part of that success, helping Eddie Allen overcome a difficult passing day with 177 yards rushing and three touchdowns. With the game close at the end, Khayman Chia picked up a pair of sacks against All American right tackle Joe Robertson on the final drive. It was Chia's best moment of a spectacular 12-sack season. The BCS National Championship game against Oklahoma could not have been scheduled at a better location than the Rose Bowl from the perspective of these two Midwestern teams. The Hawkeyes and Sooners engaged in a back-and-forth affair that started slow, with four turnovers in the first half (two apiece) before the pace picked up and it turned into a full-blown shootout. Larry Lloyd was injured, Kenard Goodman fumbled and was rendered ineffective, and Eddie Allen was once again ready to pick up his teammates when it mattered most and when the chips were down. After guaranteeing a win, Allen authored a stunning hail mary to D.J. Halloway for the winning points as time expired to top off a career steeped in heroics. Allen completed passes to 10 different receivers in the game for 364 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Sooners kept Allen in check on the ground, but he tallied 58 yards on 16 carries and had a touchdown on the ground for four overall. Three freshmen who dominated last year's BCS game, now sophomores, again played key roles. After intercepting three passes last year, D.J. Halloway pilfered the game-winning touchdown pass from goat Obadiah Steele. David Bryant and Brandon Butler, who each had interceptions last year, did it again in the first half. With Allen graduating, it is youngsters like these three and Larry Lloyd who will determine the success of the team moving forward. Allen rides off into the sunset as one of the most decorated athletes in Iowa history, and certainly among the most clutch.



2022/2023: The 2022 season begins on page 132. After two national championships in a row, the team was ranked #12 out of the gate. Discussion of the team in the preseason was centered on the quarterback position. For the first time in years, the position was up in the air without Eddie Allen at the helm. Nathan Malone was tabbed to start with Antwione Harkless mixed in here and there. Not to give anything away, but the conversation about the quarterbacks will likely to continue into the 2023 season as the lack of a proven signal caller was likely the difference between a 12-win season and another national championship. The season started at home with a conference game against Maryland which was over at halftime with Iowa leading 21-0 en route to a 34-10 win. Larry Lloyd toted the rock 19 times for 101 yards and a touchdown, while Kenard Goodman picked up a pair of touchdowns. Khayman Chia, freshman Jordan Kijenmij, and Jordan Parsons had sacks with Chia getting a pair. Unfortunately, Parsons suffered an ugly compound leg fracture and this game would be the end of his career. Next up was the annual matchup against rival Iowa State. Freshman strong safety Drew Farmer and cornerback Joe Gibson had back to back interceptions returned for touchdowns as Iowa picked off five passes in total in a 49-17 win. A big road trip was next and the team were ambushed in rainy conditions by #11 Auburn and upended, 20-27. The Tigers ran for 213 yards and Matt Bobo (second team All American) was a one-man wrecking crew with 6 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Tyris Wyckoff was a bright spot on an otherwise dreary day with 2 sacks, but it wasn't enough. The Hawkeyes licked their wounds and had a trip to Bloomington Indiana up next. The game was more adventurous than Coach Clark would have liked with Indiana forcing four turnovers. When Larry Lloyd is on form a lot can be overcome, and his 177 yards with 3 touchdowns, including a 75-yard touchdown run were enough to escape with a 41-33 win. Tyris Wyckoff was once again a force to be reckoned with as he registered three sacks. Next up, new coach Jimmy Lake welcomed Iowa to their annual rivalry matchup and fight for the Floyd of Rosedale against Minnesota. Iowa were in for a near shootout with a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by the talented Andre Davis making the final score closer than the game was. Larry Lloyd had this game in the palm of his hands the entire time, carrying 29 times for 157 yards and 2 TD, adding another touchdown on a reception. A bye week that was supposed to be a point of renewal turned sour when Lukas Halligan - uncharacteristically struggling in the early going - suffered an injury in practice and would miss the rest of the season. It was on to Wisconsin and another battle for the Heartland Trophy. Nathan Malone struggled, throwing four receptions as Wisconsin dominated on the ground. Bad decision making at key moments led to the Badgers spitting the bit as Iowa got away with one, 24-17. Brandon Butler returned an interception 78 yards to give Iowa the lead early in the fourth quarter and Larry Lloyd went for 120 yards and scored the game winning touchdown. Iowa, now 5-1, welcomed 5-2 Northwestern to Kinnick Stadium in week 9. It would be a tale of good news and horrible news as the Hawkeyes held the Wildcats to just 144 yards of total offense and no points. Jordan Kijenmij had the best game of his young career with 5 tackles, 4 TFL, 2 sacks, and a FF. The bad news: Larry Lloyd went off again with 27 carries for 151 yards and 2 TD, but sustained a broken leg that would keep him out the rest of the season. Week 10 welcomed the annual Proctologist Bowl against Illinois - You figure it'll be o.k. but it's definitely going to be uncomfortable. Nathan Malone reached his zenith before the fall in this one with a last-seconnd touchdown pass to NeShawn Talley that gave the #2 Hawkeyes a 27-23 victory. The Hawks struggled on the ground without the injured Lloyd but D.J. Halloway stepped up on defense with an interception returned 58 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter which helped matters greatly. Purdue were next up at Kinnick and it took four overtimes and 64 points for Iowa to complete their 25th home victory in a row, which led the nation. Malone struggled early, completing just 3 of his first 10 passes, before Antwione Harkless was brought into the game with Purdue leading 24-0 late in the second quarter. Harkless threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Nick Vessel to begin the comeback and slowly the Hawkeyes caught up. Kenard Goodman did his best Larry Lloyd impression with 129 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns and Armand Holmes had his moment of the season with a 70-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter which was almost enough to offset all his drops. Harkless was money in the overtime periods, running for two scores as Iowa outlasted Purdue, an underrated and very hated rival, 64-56. A huge game awaited #3 Iowa next at #7 Michigan State and Harkless was officially inserted as the starter. Once again, the Cardiac Kids from Kinnick had a serious game on their hands, one that Harkless won with a last second and no timeouts touchdown pass to none other than NeShawn Talley, the same dude who caught the game winner from Malone. MSU, without starting quaterback Aaron Lewis, didn't have quite enough in the tank to take down the Hawkeyes despite a solid defensive effort. The Hawkeyes suffered another significant loss as star CB Lionel Robinson was lost for the season with a back injury. For the second time in three weeks, an opponent was without their starting QB as the Crimson Tide, Alabama, tip-toed their way into town to give the Hawkeyes yet another difficult game. This one was as even as you could wish, except that Alabama gave up one more turnover - perhaps the one Jaivonn Bender intercepted and took 54 yards to the house in the second quarter. The Hawkeyes survived 37-31 and traveled to Lincoln, Nebraska for what would be just their third, and final, blowout victory of the season as they dropped the Huskers, 38-17. D.J. Halloway joined Bender the week before in returning an interception 54 yards for a touchdown for the second straight week. Khayman Chia began to round into form that would see him win his secondn Rotary Lombardi trohy, and Reginald Clancy had the best game of his career with 6 tackles and 2 sacks. Time to get serious, and that's just the attitude #6 Michigan State brought to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship game. And they had their starting quarterback, Aaron Lewis at the helm this time. Sparty once again were able to cause trouble for the Iowa offense, forcing two turnovers as Lewis worked out the kinks after coming back from an injury. Lewis took over late and guided his team to the Big Ten conference title despite Coach Clark's best efforts, 24-27. Harkless completed 29 of 37 passes for 303 yards and proved to be a much more accurate passer than this season's alternative, but was held to just 6 yards rushing in this one thanks to the Spartan defense. Iowa were selected to play in the Capital One Bowl against Auburn, allowing Iowa to exact a painful form of revenge, again in rainy-bordering-on-monsoon conditions. NeShawn Talley was again the man catching a huge touchdown pass and B.J. Harrison kicked the game winning field goal in a 16-14 game that was a bit of a drag, just like the weather. Nonetheless the Hawkeyes got even with Auburn for the year, and earned an impressive 12th victory. Not bad for a down year.



2023/2024: The 2023 season begins on page 149. Coming into the season, Coach Clark named Joshua Mack his starting QB as the redshirt freshman beat out a couple notable names but really had no true competition, based on the way he and his competition played in practice; Mack had improved significantly during his redshirt year. With Larry Lloyd presumably healthy, a great offensive line led by Ambrogino Pollino - aka Gino - The offense had question marks but plenty of promise. The defense had very few, if any areas of question. Led by linebackers Brandon Butler and David Bryant with stalwarts such as Khayman Chia on the defensive line and cornerback DJ Hallloway, free safety Jay Cook and Lionel Robinson, Clark was confident. He was also impressed with his freshman phenom linebacker Dez Dillon III, a freakishly talented 4-star recruit out of a one-stoplight town in Oklahoma. Lloyd exploded during his senior year, remaining healthy and putting up over 2,000 yards rushing. That allowed the team to put up nearly as many points as the 2021-22 Hawkeyes, who also went 14-0, but allow 79 fewer points, making them Clark's most dominant team to date as they swept their way to Clark's third BCS Championship trophy. Lloyd was named the Offensive player of the year, David Bryant was named the Defensive player of the year, and DJ Halloway was named Team MVP. The season started with a warm-up game at home against CSU.Dillon III announced his presence with a sack and an interception in limited time with Butler and Bryant always on the field, and Iowa ran away with the game. Week 2 saw TE Jordan Kennedy - Mackey award winner AND 1,000 rusher, and his Maryland squad travel to Kinnick for a conference game. Butler returned a fumble 32 yards for a touchdown in the opening frame, Lloyd had 210 yards rushing and 5 touchdowns, and Iowa won handily. Next up: Iowa State. Dillon III and Bryant each returned fumbles for touchdowns and Larry once again did Larry things in a 48-14 rivalry win. Following Iowa's first bye week of the season, it was off to Lubbock and Texas Tech in Week 5. The Hawkeyes showed they were fresh with a season-high 594 yards of total offense, fueled by 371 yards on the ground. The Red Raiders took the lead with a 63-yard touchdown pass before the Hawkeyes scored 45 straight points in response. Rivals Minnesota once again made the trip to Iowa City, in week 6, where the Floyd of Rosedale heralded the toughest five-game stretch of the regular season. The Hawkeyes dispatched Minnesota 38-21, but Mack threw 3 interceptions and Iowa had four turnovers as a team. David Bryant made a season-high 13 tackles including three for loss and a sack, Brandon Butler and Keegan Slack forced fumbles, and Jay Cook and Dez Dillon III intercepted passes as the defense won the day against the Gophers. Happy Valley provided the scene for the best single defensive performance of the year in week 7, which just so happened to be wrapped up in a single quarter. Laterion Thomas Jr. made not a single tackle, but intercepted Penn State QB Titus Burke three times in the fourth quarter to stave off the jaws of defeat as the Hawkeyes escaped with the smallest points margin they would muster in the regular season. It's no surprise that the Lions were one of few teams to keep Lloyd under wraps, holding him to 3.2 ypc. Week 8 found Iowa yet again hosting a rival; this time they were waiting On Wisconsin. Once again Larry Legend found it hard at times, but offensive coordinator Steve Addazio kept feeding him the rock to the tune of 36 carries, which resulted in 162 yards and two touchdowns. The game was tied at 10-10 midway through the second quarter, so it was helpful that punter Tilor Deangelo had maybe his best game of the season, pinning the Badgers deep and hitting a tough punt that led to a fumble recovery as Iowa advanced, still unbeaten. Week 9 was slated for Evanston, IL and Ryan Field; Northwestern is always a tough away game for the Hawkeyes. Following an 84-yard TD pass and a 66-yard interception return for a touchdown, the Wildcats almost led at halftime, but Lloyd (27 carries, 259 yds, 4 TD) busted an 80-yard touchdown run as time expired in the second half, allowing Iowa to control the rest of the game. Week 10 at Illinois was a fairly easy game, but Iowa struggled in the fourth quarter, throwing interceptions and allowing a pair of touchdowns and the final score made the game appear closer than it was. In the final game of the 5-week "dog days" of the 2023/24 season, the Hawks traveled to Indiana and hated Purdue where they were held under 400 yards of total offense and lost a pair of fumbles, but still dominated the Boilermakers with Lloyd scoring on short touchdown runs in the second, third, and fourth quarters, where Iowa allowed nary a point. In Week 12, the Hawkeyes welcomed Michigan State to Kinnick where they were lying in wait, and shut Sparty out 34-0, paying back the green-garbed ones for a loss in the conference championship game the prior year. Iowa threw just 11 passes , rolling up 253 yards rushing, 181 of which went to Larry Lloyd, who shattered Shonn Green's single season rushing record with what would prove to be three games remaining. Following their second bye, another record was broken in Week 14 against Nebraska, as Khayman Chia took the Iowa career sack record for his own in a blowout win. Larry Lloyd had to miss some of the game with an injury, but was back weeks later as the Hawkeyes squared off against Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship game. Coach Clark improved to 6-1 against the titan of college football coaching as Iowa posted their second highest total offense figure of the entire year, with 525 yards. Jonathan Hunter threw four interceptions as the Heisman candidate faltered spectacularly; Jay Cook and Dez Dillon III caught an interception apiece, while Lionel Robinson intercepted two. Larry Lloyd went for 36, 171, and 4 touchdowns as he had seemingly made it to the end of the season healthy. The BCS Championship Game against Oregon was held in New Orleans, and the Ducks, led by standout quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Isaac Harris, were game. Following a Maurice Brown kickoff return for a touchdown on the opening play of the game, Oregon established a foothold via a dominant running game, putting up 326 rushing yards on the ground. Which could have been more. Iowa scored a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including one on a 2-minute drill after the Ducks took their foot off the gas and tried to bleed the clock with just over three minutes remaining, rather than running their normal offense. That devastating error was more than Clark and company needed to lift their third national championship trophy in four years.

[Hellisan]

8/17/2012

BOISE (AP) – Idaho has been cleared to compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision as an independent, joining schools such as Notre Dame, Brigham Young, Army and Navy as schools without a conference in 2013.

The Idaho State Board of Education voted 5-1 Friday to let Vandals athletic officials begin the challenge of filling its schedule for the 2013 season and beyond as the school prepares to exit the ailing Western Athletic Conference.

The board's vote also gives the school permission to negotiate terms for rejoining the Big Sky Conference for men's and women's basketball, volleyball, track and other Vandals teams.

"We believe playing as an independent in football is the best solution," university President Duane Nellis told the board Friday. "It allows us to develop an attractive schedule for fans … keep our FBS status" and keep the school eligible for the big revenue generated by major college football.

Idaho joined the WAC in 2005, but the league has been hit hard by conference realignment and the exodus in the last two years of some of its marquee teams, including Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada.

The conference will play a 2012 season, but for football this year is likely the last. Utah State and San Jose State will be joining the Mountain West Conference next year, and Louisiana Tech and Texas-San Antonio are moving to Conference USA. New WAC member Texas State is poised to join the Sun Belt Conference after this season.

The WAC's woes forced Idaho to consider alternatives, and after the Vandals were rejected earlier this year by the Mountain West, athletics officials, convinced they wanted the team to remain an FBS competitor, made independence the focus.

After the board's vote, athletics director Rob Spear acknowledged the challenge of building a full schedule that will keep the Vandals relevant, fans and alumni happy and bring competitive teams to the Kibbie Dome, the 17,000-seat indoor stadium in Moscow in north-central Idaho.

But Spear also urged fans and players to see independence as a two-year experiment rather than a long-term solution. He said the focus now is to stay independent for 2013 and 2014 and wait for college football's ever-shifting landscape to create a new opportunity for the Vandals to rejoin a conference.

"We wanted to make sure we stayed at the FBS table, because in two years we think there is going to be additional change," Spear told reporters at a news conference after the board's vote. "I think it's important for us because of the 16 years we've invested in FBS football … to stay this course."

NCAA football rules require Idaho to schedule at least five home games a season, of which four must be with FBS schools. The Vandals also have to play at least nine games each season, with 60% against FBS schools.

So far, Idaho's 2013 schedule includes games against Wyoming, Mississippi, Northern Illinois and border rival Washington State, The Idaho Statesman reported this week. Spear said Idaho will also play a home-and-home series in 2013 and 2014 with New Mexico State and is close to finalizing contracts with other schools to round out the 2013 schedule.

"We wouldn't be sitting here today if we weren't confident we could get it done," Spear said.

By going independent and keeping its FBS status, Spear said the football team stands to bring in at least $1.5 million a year, money he said will be used to help support other programs.

For the other Vandals teams, the Big Sky represents a reunion of sorts. Idaho was a charter member of the conference but left in 1996. Conference officials have said publicly they support bringing Idaho back into the fold and renewing geographic rivalries with schools such as Montana, Montana State and Idaho State.

Spear also said Idaho has not officially closed the door with the WAC for non-football sports.

[Hellisan]

12/3/2012

Idaho has hired J.D. Clark, an assistant defensive coach with the Oklahoma Sooners, to be their new head coach. The 46-year-old Clark is relatively new to the collegiate coaching ranks but comes with a seal of approval from those that worked with him at the University of Oklahoma.

"This is a leader of men," said an anonymous source at the university. "He was an up and coming name. on paper you shouldn't be hiring him as a head coach, but we knew in our organization he was on the rise."

According to Clark, the Vandals have a long way to go. The team has been dogged by bad grades and poor performance on the field.

"This isn't going to be an easy job, but I'm happy to have this opportunity. The young men playing football at this institution are going to learn something about work ethic, about accountability, and about becoming men. And in the meantime we are going to get this program back off the mat."

On offense, Clark advocates a smash-mouth multiple look with very little in the way of shotgun formations or pistol looks, although "we do have that in our playbook. We want to make them defend and prepare for a lot of different things but our core principles come down to blocking the man in front of you. We want to recruit, practice, and play the right way."

Defense will have a similar approach.

"It's all about athletes that can do multiple things on defense in this day and age," said Clark. "We have a ways to go in that regard. The young men that are here now are going to be full-fledged members of our team and as important to our success as anyone else, not playing out the string until we get new recruits in here. But in the meantime, we've got to get better at everything we do."

Clark indicated he will run a base 4-3 scheme, but will have multiple nickle formations to deal with spread looks, and will also mix in some 4-2-5 looks once he has the athletes to do so.

"I don't think the 4-2-5 is going to be a good look for us right now, but you'll see us run that about 15% of the time in the future when we've got the right personnel lined up for it. Again, I'm excited about coming to the University of Idaho."

"This is my kind of community. I love the wide open spaces and can't wait to get started."

[Hellisan]

12/10/2012

Less than a week after being hired, new coach J.D. Clark has hired the first members of his new staff.

Derek Frazier, formerly the CSU offensive line coach, will be the offensive coordinator. Frazier has received a lot of credit for the improvement by the Rams on offense, and his hiring coincides with Clark indicating the offensive line would always be the first priority on offense.

The defensive coordinator will be Chad Glasgow, formerly a linebackers coach at TCU. Glasgow previously had a shot at a defensive coordinator position with Texas Tech, but after installing the TCU 4-2-5 the defense finished #117 in the nation and a messy divorce ensued after just one season.

Apparently, the ever wise powers at be at Texas Tech thought the transition would be seamless in less than a year.

Speaking to local media yesterday, Glasgow called that point in his career a circus.

"There were a lot of moving parts," Glasgow said.

Clark said the thing about Glasgow he likes isn't necessarily the 4-2-5 - although it will be a part of the defensive package - but that Glasgow has worked for Gary Patterson for many years. Clark calls Patterson one of the best coaches in the nation and wants Glasgow to help instill the toughness and technique reminiscent of those defenses, even if he will not commit to a full switch at the present time.

"Installing the 4-2-5 as the primary defense is something we might consider in the future, but for now we are going to go slow," said Clark.

Clark will take input from the new hires to organize the remainder of the staff.