Hawk Central Hour

Before five categories to evaluate in the Iowa football program's 8-4 regular season, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman evaluate the addition of Hank Brown and the pursuit of Penn State transfer Beau Pribula. We also take a look back on the Iowa-Iowa State basketball games in Carver-Hawkeye Arena and look forward to big non-conference games for the women (Friday vs. UNI) and men (Saturday vs. Utah).

The transfer portal takes top billing, even on Cy-Hawk basketball week. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman look at a potential Auburn transfer quarterback and discuss the Hawkeyes' portal approach in this pivotal period for the 2025 Hawkeyes. We also take stock of the Music City Bowl, the 2025 signing class and preview the Iowa-Iowa State men's game on Thursday.

With Iowa now awaiting its bowl destination, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman dissect the Hawkeyes' 8-4 regular season and all that came with it. Plus, Fran McCaffery's bunch pulled off a stunner over Northwestern, while Jan Jensen's group continues motoring forward at 8-0 with a big game vs. Tennessee upcoming. The Register's Dargan Southard joins the show to talk all things Iowa women's basketball.

Miguel Recinos. Keith Duncan. Marshall Meeder. And now, Drew Stevens. Four times since 2018 now, Iowa has beat Nebraska with a last-second field goal in dramatic fashion. Stevens, after being benched in last season's Nebraska thriller, redeemed himself with a game-winning 53-yard boot that just snuck inside the right upright. Live from Kinnick Stadium, the Register's Tyler Tachman and Chad Leistikow dissect another crazy night at Kinnick Stadium.

Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman get your set for Iowa-Nebraska football. Our Five Big Questions segment focuses on the addition of Nebraska offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen and whether the Iowa passing offense can exceed last year's historically low total. After our predictions, Chad and Dargan Southard transition into 16-plus minutes of Iowa women's basketball conversations.

Although College Football Playoff and Big Ten title aspirations have long faded, no one associated with Iowa football wants any season to have a Nebraska loss. The Hawkeyes will again lean on walk-on Jackson Stratton at QB, but Iowa should have better depth behind him this week with Cade McNamara and Brendan Sullivan both practicing. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman discuss everything in play for the Hawkeyes to close the regular season.

For a team long out of College Football Playoff and Big Ten title contention, Iowa sure had a dramatic week ahead of Saturday's game at Maryland. Rumors swirled particularly around Cade McNamara and Jermari Harris, both of whom didn't travel but remain active members of the Iowa football team. The Brian Ferentz reunion that was supposed to be a big deal suddenly faded to the backdrop, and so did the rest of the noise by kickoff Saturday. The Hawkeyes ended it all on a high note with a 29-13 win over the Terrapins, a game in which Kaleb Johnson, Drew Stevens and the Iowa defense shined in vintage fashion. Live from College Park, the Register's Chad Leistikow joins Tyler Tachman to dissect.

After going 16-4 on the road over a span of 20 games, the Iowa football team has lost three in a row away from Kinnick Stadium. What's going on, especially with the defense? We finally got some clues to simmering issues, and the Register's Chad Leistikow is joined by Tyler Tachman to break it down.

Kirk Ferentz confirmed Tuesday that Brendan Sullivan's ankle injury suffered at UCLA will leave him sidelined for Saturday's game at Maryland. After that, as the Iowa football coach so eloquently put it, everything is "clearly cloudy." Cade McNamara is cleared, but is he actually healthy enough to be effective? Did walk-on Jackson Stratton get enough bye-week reps for a potential victory? And where does Marco Lainez, who's been out with a broken thumb but is returning to practice, fit into the equation? The Register's Tyler Tachman and Chaf Leistikow discuss.

It's a bye week for the Hawkeyes football team, so a good chance to take a big-picture look into why this disappointing season has sunk to 6-4. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman start with a defense that is 25% worse than a year ago in terms of yards per play. We also talk Tim Lester plans at quarterback before getting into the men's and women's basketball early-season results.

Jay Higgins got hurt. Brendan Sullivan got hurt. Jackson Stratton took meaningful snaps. Iowa's defense offered little resistance against a pedestrian UCLA squad. All of it equaled another Rose Bowl disaster as Iowa suffered a 20-17 loss to the Bruins. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman sift through the aftermath.

Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman of the Des Moines Register kick off this week's Iowa-UCLA matchup breakdown with a conversation about the Hawkeyes' offensive line. Our "Five Big Questions" segment looks into Iowa's mission to slow UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers and whether playing in the Rose Bowl will be a positive or negative for the Hawkeyes.

With quarterback drama seemingly behind them, the Hawkeyes head west for their first West Coast Big Ten trip. Friday's game at UCLA will see Iowa enter the Rose Bowl on a short week, looking for its second road win this year. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman dive into everything ahead of Friday.

With Brendan Sullivan under center, everyone inside Kinnick Stadium seemed rejuvenated for domination under the lights. The Hawkeyes obliged with a 42-10 drubbing of Wisconsin, which marked the most points Iowa has scored in the rivalry since a 45-28 victory in 1975. Live from Kinnick Stadium, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman break down all that went right for the Hawkeyes.

Naturally, Brendan Sullivan's introduction as the Hawkeyes' starting quarterback kicks off the conversation, but Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman also take time to evaluate the defense. Has it settled into a November lineup? This week's game preview is a biggie, Iowa vs. Wisconsin. Where do the Badgers have an edge? What type of stats should we expect from Sullivan? What if the forecasted rain comes to fruition?

Clarity on the Hawkeyes' quarterback situation arrived Tuesday. Kirk Ferentz publicly confirmed Brendan Sullivan will remain Iowa's starter under center, while also detailing the concussion Cade McNamara suffered before exiting vs. Northwestern. Ahead of Saturday's big home game against Wisconsin, can Sullivan successfully guide Iowa through its always-pivotal November finish? The Register's Tyler Tachman and Chad Leistikow discuss that and more.

Brendan Sullivan finally got his Iowa chance Saturday, taking over for Cade McNamara in the first half after a pick-six. From there, the Hawkeyes rolled to a 40-14 win over Northwestern under the afternoon sun. Kaleb Johnson delivered another highlight-reel day, and the Iowa defense got back on track with zero points allowed. Live from Kinnick Stadium, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman dissect the win.

Going podcast-only this week, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman dig into the Wednesday comments of assistant defensive coordinator Seth Wallace. What is causing the Hawkeyes' struggles on defense, and can the bleeding be stopped against a pretty bad Northwestern offense? We preview Saturday's game and even talk a little Iowa men's basketball at the end.

Seven games in, it's hard to argue Iowa's quarterback play isn't holding the offense back. Cade McNamara has shown sporadic flashes but has struggled with consistency through a seesawing start. Brendan Sullivan keeps getting his red-zone cameos but nothing more. The Register's Tyler Tachman and Chad Leistikow dive into what could be done to sure up that position as Iowa enters the final month of the year.

Offensive struggles have come to be expected when Iowa takes the field, so long as the defense pulls its weight from start to finish. That didn't happen Saturday night in East Lansing, where the Hawkeyes surrendered nearly 500 total yards in a 32-20 loss. The Register's Tyler Tachman and Chad Leistikow dissect where Iowa goes from here.