On Wednesday, September 23, Tyler Cook, a four-star recruit, committed to play for the Iowa Hawkeyes in the 2016-2017 NCAA Men's Basketball season. Cook is ranked 51st in the ESPN 100, and he was highly recruited by many schools throughout the nation. While colleges such as Arkansas, Missouri, and Iowa State tried convincing this young star to sign with them, his final decision came down to either Iowa or Florida. After giving it a lot of thought, Cook took a visit to Iowa. He enjoyed his visit so much that he decided to commit to Iowa.
Tyler Cook is a 6' 9" power forward from St. Louis, Missouri. He will graduate from Chaminade College Prep in 2016. Iowa hopes he will be a great leader and big men for the Hawkeyes who will be losing 7' 1" center this year due to graduation. According to ESPN Staff writer Jeff Borzello, "Cook is a physical inside force who plays bigger than his listed height. He can score at the rim and gets consistent position on the low block." Cook will be joined by another four star recruit Jordan Bohannon and three star recruit Cordell Pemsl. Bohannon is a 5' 10" point guard out of Marion, Iowa who will graduate from Linn-Mar in 2016. Pemsl is 6' 7" power forward out of Dubuque, Iowa from Wahlert Catholic High School.
The Hawkeyes are very hopeful that these recruits will help them to improve even more. The Hawkeyes look very promising for the 2016 season already. As a Hawkeye fan, I am very excited to see what these three will be able to accomplish. I can't wait for the 2016 Hawkeye season as it looks to be a good one for loyal Hawkeye fans.
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Is NBA 2K16 worth buying?
Last week, I blogged about how the NBA 2K game series has improved throughout the years (you can check out this post here http://n8hn6bd.blogspot.com/2015/09/nba-2k-throughout-years.html). Well this Friday the game arrived at my front door, earlier than the release date. This was because I pre-ordered the game so I could play it early as well as receive 10,000 VC (virtual currency) that I could use in the game to either upgrade my player's stats in the MyCareer mode, or purchase extra things for my game (tattoos for my player, different backboards, etc.). I, along with many others throughout the world, was super excited to jump into the game and start playing. 2K advertised many additional features that would be available this year that wasn't available last year. So does NBA 2K16 live up to the hype that its received?
Probably the biggest advertised feature that 2K brought to NBA 2K16 was the "Livin' Da Dream" story that was a part of the MyCareer mode. 2K enlisted Spike Lee to direct a new story mode that NBA 2K fans have never seen before. Instead of usually starting as a rookie coming out of college into the NBA draft, you started as a senior in high school being recruited by some of the top colleges in the nation. Then you would play in college for a few games before finally entering the draft. This looked incredibly exciting to me and I was very eager to begin my adventure, but, along with many other gamers, was a little disappointed with how it turned out. 2K kept advertising the slogan, "Be the Story", leaving many fans, as well as myself, to believe you would be able to make choices along the way to create a story individual to the specific player. However, I was disappointed to find out that you would have to go through a specific story that is the same to all players throughout your rookie season in the NBA. Really, the only choices you get to make that is different between players is the high school you start in (but you only get three choices) and the college you go to (but once again, your options are limited). Another disappointing, and unrealistic thing is that no matter your race, you were born into a black family, where you were not adopted and have a twin sister who is also black. I wouldn't mind if they had just said you were adopted because it would have been slightly more realistic, but to say you were a twin of someone who is a completely different race than you with both your parents being of that same race just seems a little farfetched to me. I also thought it was impractical that they made your player have such a low rating. I understand how it's important to not let the player start as the best player ever, so they can improve as the game progresses, but it just seems illogical that a player who was drafted so early in the first round would be rated so much lower than everyone else in the draft who was drafted later. It's also ridiculous that I found myself on many occasions missing wide open layups. It just bothered me that they talk about your player like they are supposed to be the best player in years, but it is near impossible to even make a basket in your first games as an NBA player. Overall, I was let down by this story, which luckily ends after your first year as an NBA star. I think it was a cool storyline (I won't discuss it because I don't want to spoil it for any players who try it out in the future), and I think it would've been great as like a promotional movie for the game, but I didn't really enjoy the lack of autonomy the game allows in that specific story.
I hope anyone who is interested by this game hasn't changed their mind about buying this, however, because that is probably my only criticism of the game. After the initial "Livin' Da Dream" storyline, you finally get a chance to play MyCareer like you are used to playing, but even better. Right after the story ends, you go into free agency and choose three teams you're interested in playing for. For the first time, you get a chance to bargain with teams about your salary and your minutes before you even sign with the team. I really enjoyed this because one of the most frustrating things about the previous games is that you had to play through an entire NBA season, which could take up to a month or two depending on how much you played, before you could actually sign with a team you'd enjoy playing for, but now you can do it in just a few days. I also love that the game isn't just repetitively playing different teams over and over until the playoffs. In NBA 2K16, your off days matter. On the days where your team isn't scheduled to play a game you have the choice to either gain endorsement deals for extra VC, connect with your fans or other NBA stars, or actually attend a team practice to improve your skills where you get to participate in drills to provide boosts for your player and shoot around with your fellow teammates. This is definitely one of my favorite features of the game and it allows me to upgrade my player much easier than I could in the previous games. Another great addition that they added to MyCareer was the chance to customize your very own basketball court. You can customize the floor, the rims, the backboard, and even the scoreboard. You can even invite your friends to your court to play scrimmages or just have fun shooting around. 2K also improved the graphics (notably, and strangely, the armpit hair of the players looks more realistic), improved the controls, and added a bunch of little extra things such as the refs being able to talk, hearing chants from the crowd and cheerleaders, and players messing with their mouth guards. They also added a variety of classic teams to play as.
Overall, while I was disappointed by the "Livin' Da Dream" story, I am absolutely obsessed with this game. All the little things 2K added make this game so much more fun and realistic to play. I would highly recommend this game to anyone basketball fan who wants a chance to experience the life of an NBA player. I know they will have a fantastic time spending hours playing as their favorite teams. So does NBA 2K16 live up to the hype its received? In this reviewer's eyes, yes. While the "Livin' Da Dream" doesn't exactly allow people to develop a realistic background for their character, it was still a pretty interesting, and very dramatic storyline. Also, 2K did an amazing job adding little aspects to make this incredible game larger than life.
Probably the biggest advertised feature that 2K brought to NBA 2K16 was the "Livin' Da Dream" story that was a part of the MyCareer mode. 2K enlisted Spike Lee to direct a new story mode that NBA 2K fans have never seen before. Instead of usually starting as a rookie coming out of college into the NBA draft, you started as a senior in high school being recruited by some of the top colleges in the nation. Then you would play in college for a few games before finally entering the draft. This looked incredibly exciting to me and I was very eager to begin my adventure, but, along with many other gamers, was a little disappointed with how it turned out. 2K kept advertising the slogan, "Be the Story", leaving many fans, as well as myself, to believe you would be able to make choices along the way to create a story individual to the specific player. However, I was disappointed to find out that you would have to go through a specific story that is the same to all players throughout your rookie season in the NBA. Really, the only choices you get to make that is different between players is the high school you start in (but you only get three choices) and the college you go to (but once again, your options are limited). Another disappointing, and unrealistic thing is that no matter your race, you were born into a black family, where you were not adopted and have a twin sister who is also black. I wouldn't mind if they had just said you were adopted because it would have been slightly more realistic, but to say you were a twin of someone who is a completely different race than you with both your parents being of that same race just seems a little farfetched to me. I also thought it was impractical that they made your player have such a low rating. I understand how it's important to not let the player start as the best player ever, so they can improve as the game progresses, but it just seems illogical that a player who was drafted so early in the first round would be rated so much lower than everyone else in the draft who was drafted later. It's also ridiculous that I found myself on many occasions missing wide open layups. It just bothered me that they talk about your player like they are supposed to be the best player in years, but it is near impossible to even make a basket in your first games as an NBA player. Overall, I was let down by this story, which luckily ends after your first year as an NBA star. I think it was a cool storyline (I won't discuss it because I don't want to spoil it for any players who try it out in the future), and I think it would've been great as like a promotional movie for the game, but I didn't really enjoy the lack of autonomy the game allows in that specific story.
I hope anyone who is interested by this game hasn't changed their mind about buying this, however, because that is probably my only criticism of the game. After the initial "Livin' Da Dream" storyline, you finally get a chance to play MyCareer like you are used to playing, but even better. Right after the story ends, you go into free agency and choose three teams you're interested in playing for. For the first time, you get a chance to bargain with teams about your salary and your minutes before you even sign with the team. I really enjoyed this because one of the most frustrating things about the previous games is that you had to play through an entire NBA season, which could take up to a month or two depending on how much you played, before you could actually sign with a team you'd enjoy playing for, but now you can do it in just a few days. I also love that the game isn't just repetitively playing different teams over and over until the playoffs. In NBA 2K16, your off days matter. On the days where your team isn't scheduled to play a game you have the choice to either gain endorsement deals for extra VC, connect with your fans or other NBA stars, or actually attend a team practice to improve your skills where you get to participate in drills to provide boosts for your player and shoot around with your fellow teammates. This is definitely one of my favorite features of the game and it allows me to upgrade my player much easier than I could in the previous games. Another great addition that they added to MyCareer was the chance to customize your very own basketball court. You can customize the floor, the rims, the backboard, and even the scoreboard. You can even invite your friends to your court to play scrimmages or just have fun shooting around. 2K also improved the graphics (notably, and strangely, the armpit hair of the players looks more realistic), improved the controls, and added a bunch of little extra things such as the refs being able to talk, hearing chants from the crowd and cheerleaders, and players messing with their mouth guards. They also added a variety of classic teams to play as.
Overall, while I was disappointed by the "Livin' Da Dream" story, I am absolutely obsessed with this game. All the little things 2K added make this game so much more fun and realistic to play. I would highly recommend this game to anyone basketball fan who wants a chance to experience the life of an NBA player. I know they will have a fantastic time spending hours playing as their favorite teams. So does NBA 2K16 live up to the hype its received? In this reviewer's eyes, yes. While the "Livin' Da Dream" doesn't exactly allow people to develop a realistic background for their character, it was still a pretty interesting, and very dramatic storyline. Also, 2K did an amazing job adding little aspects to make this incredible game larger than life.
Saturday, September 26, 2015
The Hawkeyes vs the Mean Green...Who Will Prevail?
This Saturday (September 26, 2015), the Iowa Hawkeyes will meet the North Texas Mean Green at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa to face off in the fourth week of the 2015 NCAAF season. The Hawkeyes are hoping to win their fourth straight game to stay undefeated this season. The Mean Green, on the other hand, are hoping to knock off the Hawkeyes and win their first game of the season. Kickoff will start at 2:30 pm CT, and the game will be televised nationwide on ESPNU. While many Iowa fans believe this will be an easy win for the Hawks, Kirk Ferrentz and his team would be wise to not underestimate the Mean Green.
The North Texas Mean Green are led by head coach Dan McCarney. Their game plan will most likely be to get the ball to their top receiver Carlos Harris, who has the most touchdowns for his team as well as the most total yards gained. They will have to hope, though, that their quarterback, Andrew McNulty, doesn't throw an interception this game as a turnover against Iowa could be devastating. McNulty has struggled this season with keeping the ball with his team as he has thrown more interceptions this year as touchdowns. Hopefully for the Mean Green, McNulty does not struggle quite as much against his hometown team. They will also need a big game from their running back Antoinne Jimmerson. Jimmerson has run for 134 yards in 22 attempts this year, but they will need a more productive game from him if they hope to keep up with the Hawkeyes, who have yet to allow a rushing touchdown through three games this year.
The Iowa Hawkeyes are led by head coach Kirk Ferrentz. They will hope to continue their hot start under the new starting quarterback C.J. Beathard. Through three games, C.J. has shown much progress and has grown every week. Hawkeye fans hope that he will continue this trend against the Mean Green. Iowa's strategy will probably look to throw this week against a team that allows over 250 passing yards a game. Beathard's main target this year has been to Matt VandeBerg, but the Mean Green should also pay attention to Iowa running back Jordan Canzeri and wide receiver Tevaun Smith who have both received a 51-yard pass this year, three yards longer than VandeBerg's long of 48-yards. They will also look for a nice rushing game from Canzeri who has run for at least one touchdown in each of Iowa's three wins this year.
While the stats show that Iowa should have no problem from this North Texas team, anything can happen. The Hawkeyes may be looking ahead to their next match up against 22nd ranked Wisconsin, but they must stay focused in order to keep their undefeated season hopes alive. This looks to be an interesting match, and it should be entertaining to the fans watching either in Iowa City, or from their couches at home.
The North Texas Mean Green are led by head coach Dan McCarney. Their game plan will most likely be to get the ball to their top receiver Carlos Harris, who has the most touchdowns for his team as well as the most total yards gained. They will have to hope, though, that their quarterback, Andrew McNulty, doesn't throw an interception this game as a turnover against Iowa could be devastating. McNulty has struggled this season with keeping the ball with his team as he has thrown more interceptions this year as touchdowns. Hopefully for the Mean Green, McNulty does not struggle quite as much against his hometown team. They will also need a big game from their running back Antoinne Jimmerson. Jimmerson has run for 134 yards in 22 attempts this year, but they will need a more productive game from him if they hope to keep up with the Hawkeyes, who have yet to allow a rushing touchdown through three games this year.
The Iowa Hawkeyes are led by head coach Kirk Ferrentz. They will hope to continue their hot start under the new starting quarterback C.J. Beathard. Through three games, C.J. has shown much progress and has grown every week. Hawkeye fans hope that he will continue this trend against the Mean Green. Iowa's strategy will probably look to throw this week against a team that allows over 250 passing yards a game. Beathard's main target this year has been to Matt VandeBerg, but the Mean Green should also pay attention to Iowa running back Jordan Canzeri and wide receiver Tevaun Smith who have both received a 51-yard pass this year, three yards longer than VandeBerg's long of 48-yards. They will also look for a nice rushing game from Canzeri who has run for at least one touchdown in each of Iowa's three wins this year.
While the stats show that Iowa should have no problem from this North Texas team, anything can happen. The Hawkeyes may be looking ahead to their next match up against 22nd ranked Wisconsin, but they must stay focused in order to keep their undefeated season hopes alive. This looks to be an interesting match, and it should be entertaining to the fans watching either in Iowa City, or from their couches at home.
Sunday, September 20, 2015
NBA 2K Throughout the Years
As a huge fan of the NBA and video games, one of my favorite times of the year is when 2K Sports releases the new NBA 2K game. I have been playing NBA 2K since 2011, and it has only gotten better throughout the years. 2K Sports has done an absolutely fantastic job adding new additions to the games and improving the many aspects that make it one of my all-time favorite video game franchises. On September 29, 2015, 2K Sports is releasing the next addition to the amazing series: NBA 2K16. In this post, I am going to review how much this game has improved since NBA 2K12, the first 2K game I tried for PS3.
NBA 2K12 was a great game in its time, and featured NBA legend Michael Jordan as the cover athlete. One of the features that it contained was the MyPlayer mode, in which the gamers can create their own NBA superstar and see them drafted by the NBA and work through a career with their team. By gaining VC(Virtual Currency) through success in games, the gamer can improve their player's stats and purchase different accessories for their player. This mode was always one of my favorites because it gave me a chance to experience what it would be like to be in the NBA. Another one of the features that was new to NBA 2K12 that wasn't in the previous games was the chance to play as one of fifteen great NBA legends in one of their iconic games. Overall, 2K12 was a fantastic game to me, and at the time, I hadn't had any gaming experience similar to what 2K12 could offer.
The next year, 2K Sports released NBA 2K13. The biggest new feature that 2K added was the chance to play as the Dream Team, arguably the best basketball team ever formed, or the 2012 USA Olympic team, the greatest basketball team formed in this generation. It was a chance to settle arguments between parents who grew up with Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, etc., who believed that the Dream Team was better and their children who grew up with Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, and Kevin Durant, who believed that the 2012 team was better. It was a great feature, in my opinion, and set 2K13 apart as one of the best NBA games ever created. Along with the addition of those two teams, 2K improved the graphics of NBA 2K12 and also added the All-Star Weekend to the MyPlayer mode, so the players could participate in the Dunk Contest, the Three-Point Shoot-Out, and the All-Star Game. 2K13 was a heavily improved version of NBA 2K12, and it remains my second favorite 2K game of all-time.
In 2013, 2K released NBA 2K14. The biggest difference between 2K13 and 2K14 was that 2K14 was available on the new PS4. The PS4 version offered the best graphics any NBA gamer has ever seen. One of my personal favorites about the new 2K game was the fact that the MyPlayer mode became a completely new experience. In the previous games, players were only allowed to play in games, answer post-game interview questions, and sign endorsement deals. NBA 2K14 completely revolutionized MyPlayer mode by adding an actual storyline to the game. Players actually had an in-game rival, Jackson Ellis, who they constantly competed with. 2K added many cut-scenes in which players had a chance to reveal their character in decisions they made. They could choose to argue with their rival, or they could be calm and let their game do the talking. This was an incredible addition for me because it allowed you to connect with your player on a much deeper aspect.
As much as I thought NBA 2K14 was great, last year, 2K released the greatest NBA game ever created in my opinion. As I said earlier in this blog post, 2K14 added a storyline so you could develop a deeper relation with your player and actually feel like you were that player. However, NBA 2K15 took this to a whole new level. One of the accessories you can buy for your PS4 is a camera. This is mainly used for games where you can use different controllers so you're active while you play, but 2K used it as an opportunity to allow players to virtually insert their faces into the game. Players could use their camera to scan their faces and use them as their players' faces in the game. This was mind-blowing to me because it actually looked like I was actually in the game. This caused me to be so much more excited about playing the game. Another great thing about NBA 2K15 is the graphics. In my opinion, the graphics are insanely good, and on multiple occasions, my family was confused whether or not I was playing a video game or just watching an actual game because the players looked so real. With all these features put together, NBA 2K15 became one of my all-time favorite video games and the best NBA game ever created in my opinion.
I absolutely cannot wait for NBA 2K16 to come out. I am sure that 2K will find some way to impress me even more. I have watched trailers for the game, and I am super excited to see what this new game has in store for me. In fact, I have already pre-ordered the game so I can get a few days early on September 25, 2015. I highly recommend anyone who loves NBA and video games to give this amazing franchise a try. I am sure they will be absolutely mind-blown how impressive this game is.
NBA 2K12 was a great game in its time, and featured NBA legend Michael Jordan as the cover athlete. One of the features that it contained was the MyPlayer mode, in which the gamers can create their own NBA superstar and see them drafted by the NBA and work through a career with their team. By gaining VC(Virtual Currency) through success in games, the gamer can improve their player's stats and purchase different accessories for their player. This mode was always one of my favorites because it gave me a chance to experience what it would be like to be in the NBA. Another one of the features that was new to NBA 2K12 that wasn't in the previous games was the chance to play as one of fifteen great NBA legends in one of their iconic games. Overall, 2K12 was a fantastic game to me, and at the time, I hadn't had any gaming experience similar to what 2K12 could offer.
The next year, 2K Sports released NBA 2K13. The biggest new feature that 2K added was the chance to play as the Dream Team, arguably the best basketball team ever formed, or the 2012 USA Olympic team, the greatest basketball team formed in this generation. It was a chance to settle arguments between parents who grew up with Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, etc., who believed that the Dream Team was better and their children who grew up with Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, and Kevin Durant, who believed that the 2012 team was better. It was a great feature, in my opinion, and set 2K13 apart as one of the best NBA games ever created. Along with the addition of those two teams, 2K improved the graphics of NBA 2K12 and also added the All-Star Weekend to the MyPlayer mode, so the players could participate in the Dunk Contest, the Three-Point Shoot-Out, and the All-Star Game. 2K13 was a heavily improved version of NBA 2K12, and it remains my second favorite 2K game of all-time.
In 2013, 2K released NBA 2K14. The biggest difference between 2K13 and 2K14 was that 2K14 was available on the new PS4. The PS4 version offered the best graphics any NBA gamer has ever seen. One of my personal favorites about the new 2K game was the fact that the MyPlayer mode became a completely new experience. In the previous games, players were only allowed to play in games, answer post-game interview questions, and sign endorsement deals. NBA 2K14 completely revolutionized MyPlayer mode by adding an actual storyline to the game. Players actually had an in-game rival, Jackson Ellis, who they constantly competed with. 2K added many cut-scenes in which players had a chance to reveal their character in decisions they made. They could choose to argue with their rival, or they could be calm and let their game do the talking. This was an incredible addition for me because it allowed you to connect with your player on a much deeper aspect.
As much as I thought NBA 2K14 was great, last year, 2K released the greatest NBA game ever created in my opinion. As I said earlier in this blog post, 2K14 added a storyline so you could develop a deeper relation with your player and actually feel like you were that player. However, NBA 2K15 took this to a whole new level. One of the accessories you can buy for your PS4 is a camera. This is mainly used for games where you can use different controllers so you're active while you play, but 2K used it as an opportunity to allow players to virtually insert their faces into the game. Players could use their camera to scan their faces and use them as their players' faces in the game. This was mind-blowing to me because it actually looked like I was actually in the game. This caused me to be so much more excited about playing the game. Another great thing about NBA 2K15 is the graphics. In my opinion, the graphics are insanely good, and on multiple occasions, my family was confused whether or not I was playing a video game or just watching an actual game because the players looked so real. With all these features put together, NBA 2K15 became one of my all-time favorite video games and the best NBA game ever created in my opinion.
I absolutely cannot wait for NBA 2K16 to come out. I am sure that 2K will find some way to impress me even more. I have watched trailers for the game, and I am super excited to see what this new game has in store for me. In fact, I have already pre-ordered the game so I can get a few days early on September 25, 2015. I highly recommend anyone who loves NBA and video games to give this amazing franchise a try. I am sure they will be absolutely mind-blown how impressive this game is.
Jake Rudock vs C.J. Beathard
The 2014-2015 football season for the Hawkeyes was a struggle. Many fans were quite disappointed with the how well the Hawks played, and especially disappointed at the Hawks' 28-45 losing effort in the 2015 TaxSlayer bowl against Tennessee Volunteers. Throughout everything, however, one of the biggest dilemmas of the season for Iowa was which quarterback should start. The starting quarterback for most of the season, to the upset of the majority of the fans, was Jake Rudock. Kirk Ferrentz, the head coach of the Hawkeyes, very much believed in the potential of Rudock, and refused, even during times of major struggle, to give "Sunshine" C.J. Beathard a chance to step in. However, near the end of the season, Rudock was injured, and C.J. finally got his chance to shine. After the season finally came to its end, Kirk finally gave in to the fans and announced that C.J. Beathard would be the starting quarterback for the 2015-2016 season, ahead of Jake Rudock. Rudock, being a senior, was very upset with this decision, and he ended up transferring to another Big Ten school, Michigan, after being recruited by new head coach Jim Harbaugh. This has caused many fans to now question this decision three weeks into the new season. So who is the better quarterback?
Jake Rudock of Michigan, from Weston, FL is now a senior playing his last year of college football for the Wolverines. He is 6' 3'' and he weighs 208 lbs. Throughout three weeks of gameplay, Rudock has had a pretty productive season for the Wolverines completing 59 of his 91 attempts to his receivers for 582 yards and a completion rate of 64.8%. He has thrown three touchdown passes this season, and he has thrown 5 interceptions. In his first game as a Wolverine, he had a rough start, throwing three of his five interceptions against the Utah Utes in a losing effort. However, it was his most successful throwing game thus far, as he completed 27 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns. Since then, he has played two games against the Oregon State Beavers and the UNLV Rebels, both wins for the Wolverines in Michigan. He still struggled in the turnover game, however, throwing one interception each in both games. Overall, Rudock is having a decent season, and Wolverine head coach Harbaugh has been pleased with his performance.
On the other hand, C.J. Beathard, of Franklin, TN, has also had quite a season for the Hawkeyes. He is a junior at Iowa and he stands 6' 2'' and weighs 209 lbs. Through his first three weeks at Iowa, he has thrown 684 yards, completing 64% of his passes after completing 57 of 89 attempts. Beathard has thrown four touchdown passes this season as well as only one interception, but while Beathard is playing well with his arm, he is playing even better with his legs. He has already rushed for 142 yards this year as a quarterback, and has already ran into the in-zone for 3 touchdowns this year. He had a pretty impressive 57-yard run last week as well against Iowa State. C.J. has gotten better and better for the Hawkeyes this year throwing over 200 yards in each of the games he has played. He has found a way to win all three games so far this year giving Iowa a 3-0 start for the first time since 2009. Overall, Beathard has had a great start to this year and appears to only be getting better. Ferrentz is very happy with his performance so far this year.
As a Hawkeye fan, I am probably pretty biased in deciding who is a better quarterback between C.J. Beathard and Jake Rudock, but based on the stats so far, I would say that C.J. was the right choice. However, many people can argue with valid evidence that Rudock is having a better season. After reading this, and/or actually watching these two, who do you readers believe is the better quarterback? At the end of the day, I guess it's just up to the readers/viewers to decide who they would prefer leading their team.
Jake Rudock of Michigan, from Weston, FL is now a senior playing his last year of college football for the Wolverines. He is 6' 3'' and he weighs 208 lbs. Throughout three weeks of gameplay, Rudock has had a pretty productive season for the Wolverines completing 59 of his 91 attempts to his receivers for 582 yards and a completion rate of 64.8%. He has thrown three touchdown passes this season, and he has thrown 5 interceptions. In his first game as a Wolverine, he had a rough start, throwing three of his five interceptions against the Utah Utes in a losing effort. However, it was his most successful throwing game thus far, as he completed 27 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns. Since then, he has played two games against the Oregon State Beavers and the UNLV Rebels, both wins for the Wolverines in Michigan. He still struggled in the turnover game, however, throwing one interception each in both games. Overall, Rudock is having a decent season, and Wolverine head coach Harbaugh has been pleased with his performance.
On the other hand, C.J. Beathard, of Franklin, TN, has also had quite a season for the Hawkeyes. He is a junior at Iowa and he stands 6' 2'' and weighs 209 lbs. Through his first three weeks at Iowa, he has thrown 684 yards, completing 64% of his passes after completing 57 of 89 attempts. Beathard has thrown four touchdown passes this season as well as only one interception, but while Beathard is playing well with his arm, he is playing even better with his legs. He has already rushed for 142 yards this year as a quarterback, and has already ran into the in-zone for 3 touchdowns this year. He had a pretty impressive 57-yard run last week as well against Iowa State. C.J. has gotten better and better for the Hawkeyes this year throwing over 200 yards in each of the games he has played. He has found a way to win all three games so far this year giving Iowa a 3-0 start for the first time since 2009. Overall, Beathard has had a great start to this year and appears to only be getting better. Ferrentz is very happy with his performance so far this year.
As a Hawkeye fan, I am probably pretty biased in deciding who is a better quarterback between C.J. Beathard and Jake Rudock, but based on the stats so far, I would say that C.J. was the right choice. However, many people can argue with valid evidence that Rudock is having a better season. After reading this, and/or actually watching these two, who do you readers believe is the better quarterback? At the end of the day, I guess it's just up to the readers/viewers to decide who they would prefer leading their team.
The Battle For The Cy-Hawk Trophy 2015
If you live in the state of Iowa, you are probably aware of the ongoing rivalry between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Iowa State Cyclones. These two in-state rivals have been battling on the field since 1894, when the Cyclones won their first match up against the Hawks 16-8. In 1976, a special trophy was created that the winner could take home until their next game. This was known as the Cy-Hawk trophy. Iowa currently leads the rivalry series 41-22.
On September 12, 2015, the Hawkeyes and the Cyclones met up once again. The game was held at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa; home of the Cyclones. The Cy-Hawk trophy was already in Ames due to the Cyclone's victory last year. The game started slow with both teams being stopped on their opening drives and forced to punt. On Iowa's next possession, however, they drove the balls 51 yards to the Iowa State 31 yard line and Marshall Koehn, Iowa's kicker, put in a 49-yard field goal to put the Hawkeyes up 3-0. Their lead did not last long though as ISU came back on their next possession and made a 37-yard field goal by Cole Netten to tie the game. Later in the half, the Cyclones would get the ball back and take the lead with a touchdown pass from Sam Richardson to Quenton Bundrage. After trading empty possessions, Iowa would finally score a touchdown with 4:16 remaining in the first half with a 14-yard pass from C. J. Beathard to Tevaun Smith. Although Iowa thought they would have the momentum at the break, the Cyclones marched down the field in less than two minutes to shock the Hawkeyes with a 29-yard touchdown pass from Richardson to Jauan Wesley. The Hawks had a chance to score with 2:18 left in the half, but failed to score a touchdown on a surprise fake field goal called by Iowa's head coach Kirk Ferrentz. At the break, ISU led the Hawkeyes 17-10, and looked optimistic to keep the Cy-Hawk trophy in Ames.
The Cyclones received the kickoff to start off the second half, but failed to get even a single first down, being stopped by the Hawkeyes' defense. The Hawkeyes had much better luck taking the ball 62 yards in 6 plays to tie the game 17 all after Matt VandeBerg recovered a fumble near the in-zone and dove in for a touchdown. Throughout the rest of the third quarter, neither offense was able to best their opponent's defense, thus the game remained tied 17-17 with only one quarter left to play.
On Iowa's first drive in the fourth quarter, they drove the ball deep into Iowa State territory, but Jordan Canzeri, Iowa's running back, made a crucial error by fumbling the ball at the Cyclone's 7-yard line. Luckily for the Hawkeyes, the Cyclone offense remained cold and were forced to punt the ball back to Iowa. The Hawks then proceeded to drive the ball 50 yards to score a touchdown and take the lead 24-17. On the Cyclone's next possession, Desmond King, of Iowa, intercepted Richardson's pass to crush the hearts of all Cyclone fans that had attended the game. Jordan Canzeri would then take the ball 25 yards in two plays to score another touchdown, and secure the game for the Hawks 31-17, ending this fantastic duel between the clashing schools of Iowa.
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