Hawk Talk Daily: Random Thoughts

• 2011 Fall Camp Central
• 2011 Football Game Day Parking Changes
• America Needs Farmers website
• 2011 UI Football Media Guide
• 2011 UI Football Fact Book
• 24 Hawkeyes to Watch
• gohawks.com
• Iowa Football Wallpaper

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Random thoughts on the day after the 2012 Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series…

Kirk predicted another great game in the series at his weekly press conference and the 70,000-plus inside historic Kinnick Stadium and the thousands of others milling about outside historic Kinnick Stadium and the thousands watching historic Kinnick Stadium compliments of BTN got exactly that. They also got an absolutely beautiful day to celebrate the state’s largest single one-day event and to cheer their team while working on their late-summer sun tan.

Here’s a link to one take on the Cy-Hawk game and a bunch of photographs: HERE.

Here’s a link to a bunch of video including a package on the Cy-Hawk game: HERE.

Here’s a link to what Kirk had to say post-game and, as always, he was complimentary to the winning team and very candid with his evaluation of his team. I, for one, admire our head coach for how he handles these difficult settings, e.g. post-game press conferences after tough losses: HERE.

James Morris. What more can you say about the kid? He was nothing short of Superman on Saturday. I was pretty sure he was going to go 100 yards with that pick. In fact, how about that defense? Pretty stout in the second half for the second straight week, I’d say. Read about it HERE.

From the “Closer but no cigar…but closer nonetheless” file: Lost amid the excitement of Saturday’s football game at Kinnick was a gutsy performance by Sharon Dingman’s Iowa volleyball team Friday night in Ames. The Hawkeyes found themselves down 2-0 to the nationally ranked Cyclones in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series event. However, instead of packing it in, the Hawkeyes’ rallied. They rallied to win Game 3 by a 33-31 score and Game 4 by a 25-20 count to send the match to a Game 5 for the first time since the 2006 season. Sharon’s squad came up short by a 15-9 count in that deciding game, but their performance from start to finish is solid evidence of the foundation she’s building and where that program is headed.

Dingman’s squad rebounded from Friday’s loss with a nice with on Saturday. You can read about that HERE.

Next week at Kinnick we’ll be honoring the National Varsity Club Athletics Hall of Fame’s Class of 2012. Not sure if this was intentional, but the voters did align this class very nicely with the fact that it’s an Olympic year: The class of five includes two wrestlers (Jim Craig and Royce Alger), two runners (Bill Frazier and Bashir Yamini) and one field hockey player (Liz Tchou). What do they all have in common other than being Hawkeyes? All were all-Americans. You can read about them HERE before you salute them on the field at Kinnick next Saturday.

The new parking lot where “The Bubble” once stood has certainly changed the landscape and the vehicle and foot traffic on game days. It’s a beautiful space that offers a pretty nice view of the Kinnick and, of course, the UI’s new transportation center. Progress. It’s a great thing.

If you haven’t noticed, I’ve been bitten by the soccer bug. I enjoy our head coach immensely and am beginning to understand and appreciate the game more and more. Ron Rainey’s squad looks to get to 8-0 today. Here’s a link to follow the action: HERE.

Go Hawks!