The Daily Iowan Pregame - 11.05.2021

PREGAME The Daily Iowan

Saturday, November 6 Iowa vs. Northwestern Ryan Field

PUNTER FROM DOWN UNDER Tory Taylor took a chance on Iowa and the U.S. before becoming one of the best punters in the nation.

2 - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, November 5, 2021

Iowa Starters

WITH IOWA SS KAEVON MERRIWEATHER Daily Iowan Sports Editor Austin Hanson talked to Merriweather at an Iowa football media availability session on Oct. 26.

WR TE LT LG C RG RT WR QB RB FB PK

3 84 78 64 65 77 56 89 7 15 38 10

Tyrone Tracy Jr. Sam LaPorta Mason Richman Kyler Schott Tyler Linderbaum Connor Colby Nick DeJong Nico Ragaini Spencer Petras Tyler Goodson Monte Pottebaum Caleb Shudak

5-11 6-4 6-6 6-2 6-3 6-6 6-6 6-0 6-5 5-10 6-1 5-8

201 249 296 294 290 298 292 191 233 199 246 178

JR. JR. FR. SR. JR. FR. SO. JR. JR. JR. JR. SR.

LE DT DT RE CASH MLB WLB LC SS FS RC P

92 99 85 97 4 31 44 8 26 28 27 9

John Waggoner Noah Shannon Logan Lee

6-5 6-0 6-5 6-4 6-1 6-5 6-0 6-0 6-0 6-0 6-1 6-4

266 289 277 267 205 243 229 185 211 204 185 231

JR. JR. SO. SR. JR. JR. JR. SR. JR. SR. SO. SO.

Zach VanValkenburg

Dane Belton Jack Campbell Seth Benson Matt Hankins

Kaevon Merriweather

Jack Koerner Jermari Harris Tory Taylor

Northwestern Starters

Jerod Ringwald/The Daily Iowan Iowa safety Kaevon Merriweather celebrates a safety during a football game between Iowa and Kent State at Kinnick Stadium on Sept. 18.

The Daily Iowan: You haven’t played a night game all year. Is there any part of you that’s itching for that?

Merriweather: Definitely. The atmosphere in Kinnick during the night games, just to see how hype our fans are, I think that’s something that I’m definitely itching for. I thought we were gonna get it against Penn State. I was hoping we were going to get it against Penn State. Hopefully they give us one down the road. I’m definitely hoping for it.

DI: Iowa’s had a lot of hard hitters over the years. Do you take pleasure in being the guy that makes fans wince when you hit somebody?

Merriweather: I do take pleasure in being that guy.

But when you have somebody like [junior linebacker] Jack Campbell out there, who’s definitely head hunting every single play, it’s kinda hard to be that guy. I definitely try every play to get that, “Oooo” kind of hit outta somebody.

DI: Before I forget, do you have a favorite restaurant here in Iowa City?

Merriweather: Monica’s. I guess that’s not Iowa City.

That’s Coralville. But Monica’s is definitely like my go-to restaurant.

STAFF

Read the full story at dailyiowan.com.

Publisher Jason Brummond

Managing Editors Rylee Wilson, Josie Fischels

Business Manager Debbie Plath

Executive Editor Caleb McCullough

Managing Digital Editor Kelsey Harrell

Advertising Director Juli Krause

Pregame Editor Robert Read

Photo Editors Jerod Ringwald, Grace Smith

Production Manager Heidi Owen

Football Reporters Austin Hanson, Chloe Peterson, Chris Werner

DITV Sports Director Destinee Cook

Front design by Robert Read Front photo by Jerod Ringwald

Questions or comments for the Pregame staff? E-mail Pregame Editor Robert Read at robert-read@uiowa.edu.

LT LG C RG RT WR WR WR QB RB TE PK

77 68 52 69 76 6 3 5 12 26 89 14

Peter Skoronski Josh Priebe Sam Gerak Charlie Schmidt Ethan Wiederkehr Malik Washington JJ Jefferson Stephon Robinson Jr. Ryan Hilinski Evan Hull Charlie Mangiere Charlie Kuhbander

6-4 6-5 6-4 6-4 6-5 5-9 5-10 5-10 6-3 5-11 6-4 6-0

294 295 295 297 295 192 180 180 225 210 250 195

SO. SO. SR. JR. SR. JR. SR. SR. SO. SO. SR. SR.

DE DT DT DE Will Mike Sam CB CB S S P

99 96 54 91 40 32 28 2 11 16 0 36

Adetomiwa Adebawore Trevor Kent Jeremy Meiser Samdup Miller Peter McIntyre Bryce Gallagher Chris Bergin Cam Mitchell A.J. Hampton Brandon Joseph Coco Azema Derek Adams

6-2 6-6 6-3 6-3 6-2 6-2 5-11 5-10 5-11 6-1 5-11 5-11

265 300 290 270 231 223 223 195 180 192 185 195

JR. SR. SR. SR. SR. SO. SR. SO. JR. SO. SO. SR.

The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, November 5, 2021 - 3

4 - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, November 5, 2021

Remember when Iowa was No. 1 in the power rankings?

ROBERT READ

robert-read@uiowa.edu

No. 5 OHIO STATE @ NEBRASKA

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

michigan state Give Walker the Heisman.

ohio state

Oregon beat OSU in Columbus, so stop whining, Buckeye fans.

michigan

Jim Harbaugh not winning a big rivalry game was shocking.

minnesota

If the B1G West Champion has a loss to Bowling Green...

8 9

Saturday | 11 a.m.

Maybe Iowa should only opt to play defense.

maryland

Once allowed Iowa to score 51 points in a single game.

Greg Schiano believes Rutgers can win the Big Ten. Let’s give it a decade.

illinois

We’ll always have the nine-overtime game.

Line: WISC -12.0 | O/U: 38

Line: OSU -15.0 | O/U: 65

Big Noon Kickoff being here is cruel and unusual punishment for the Huskers. It’s also very funny.

ILLINOIS @ No. 20 MINNESOTA Saturday | 11 a.m.

Line: MINN -14.5 | O/U: 44

The Hawkeyes need help if they want to win the West. Can the Fighting Illini provide some with an upset?

No. 3 MSU @ PURDUE

No. 3 vs. No. 4 feels like a long time ago.

wisconsin

Iowa fans are still having nightmares.

purdue

Much worse when David Bell doesn’t go for 200+ yards.

Perhaps Rutgers will pick up more than one first down in the first half of this game.

PENN STATE @ MARYLAND Saturday | 2:30 p.m.

Line: PSU -10.0 | O/U: 56

The Nittany Lions are on a losing streak since the game in Iowa City on Oct. 9. That sounds familiar...

No. 22 IOWA @ NORTHWESTERN

Saturday | 2:30 p.m.

penn state

Saturday | 2:30 p.m.

Iowa

10 rutgers 11

No. 21 WISCONSIN @ RUTGERS

Saturday | 6 p.m.

12 nebraska 13 14

The Huskers would be in the CFP discussion if it weren’t for the six losses.

indiana

Iowa’s Week 1 win is not as impressive in retrospect.

Northwestern

A Pat Fitzgerald team having such a bad defense doesn’t make sense.

Line: MSU -3.0 | O/U: 54

The Boilermakers have a history of beating top-five teams.

Isn’t that right, Iowa?

Line: IOWA -12.0 | O/U: 41

The Wildcats have the worst run defense in the Big Ten, so it’s time to get Tyler Goodson going.

INDIANA @ No. 7 MICHIGAN Saturday | 6:30 p.m.

Line: MICH -20.0 | O/U: 51.0

If I would have guessed at the start of the season which of these teams would be in the top 10, I wouldn’t have guessed Michigan.

The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, November 5, 2021 - 5

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Alcohol Tickets Criminal Law Landlord Issues Small Claims Actions 319.335.3276

G115 Iowa Memorial Union student-legal@uiowa.edu legal.studentlife.uiowa.edu

6 - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, November 5, 2021

IOWA HAWKEYES vs. NOR

0 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 7 7 8 8 9 10 10 11 12 13 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 17 18 18 19 19 20 21 21 22 23 25 25 26 27 27 28 29 29 30 31 32 32 33 34 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 40

Diante Vines Aaron Blom Nolan Donald Ryan Gersonde Deuce Hogan Cooper DeJean Tyrone Tracy, Jr. Dane Belton Leshon Williams Jestin Jacobs Joey Labas Keagan Johnson Reggie Bracy Spencer Petras Matt Hankins Alex Padilla Tory Taylor Arland Bruce IV Caleb Shudak AJ Lawson Jaxon Rexroth Joe Evans Henry Marchese Brody Brecht Quavon Matthews Dallas Craddieth Tyler Goodson Jamison Heinz Charlie Jones Brenden Deasfernandes Max White Austin Spiewak Alec Wick Gaven Cooke Max Cooper Deavin Hilson Thomas Hartlieb Ivory Kelly-Martin Terry Roberts Xavior Williams Kelby Telander Gavin Williams Kaevon Merriweather Jermari Harris Jack Johnson Jack Koerner Sebastian Castro Jackson Ritter Quinn Schulte Jack Campbell Eli Miller Johnny Plewa Riley Moss Zach Brand Jay Higgins Justice Sullivan Mike Timm Kyler Fisher Monte Pottebaum Eric Epenesa Turner Pallissard Josef Smith

WR K WR P QB DB WR DB RB LB QB WR DB QB DB QB P WR K DB DB DE DB WR WR DB RB DB WR DB RB LS WR DB WR RB DB RB DB DB LB RB DB DB WR DB DB WR DB LB LB FB DB RB LB LB LB DB FB LB FB LB

6-0 5-11 5-9 6-4 6-4 6-1 5-11 6-1 5-10 6-4 6-4 6-1 6-0 6-5 6-0 6-1 6-4 5-10 5-8 6-0 6-2 6-2 6-3 6-4 5-11 5-11 5-10 6-0 6-0 6-0 5-10 6-1 6-1 6-1 6-0 6-1 5-11 5-10 5-10 5-11 6-4 6-0 6-0 6-1 6-0 6-0 5-11 6-3 6-1 6-5 6-1 6-0 6-1 5-11 6-2 6-2 6-0 5-11 6-1 6-3 6-0 6-3

IOWA

193 190 194 197 212 203 201 205 205 236 194 197 206 233 185 197 231 193 178 192 193 248 199 205 180 205 199 205 188 189 187 237 180 189 191 192 195 200 180 192 208 211 211 185 193 204 204 214 201 243 212 235 194 198 227 233 233 225 246 189 245 221

#Fr #Fr Soph Sr #Fr Fr Jr Jr #Fr Soph Fr Fr Soph Jr Sr Soph Soph Fr Sr #Fr Fr Jr Sr Fr #Fr Jr Jr #Fr Sr #Fr Fr Sr Fr Fr Sr Fr Soph Sr Jr Sr Fr #Fr Jr Soph #Fr Sr Soph Soph Soph Jr Fr Soph Sr Fr Soph Fr Jr Soph Jr Fr Jr #Fr

Danbury, CT Oskaloosa, IA Morton, IL Milwaukee, WI Southlake, TX Odebolt, IA Indianapolis, IN Tampa, FL Chicago, IL Englewood, OH Brecksville, OH Bellevue, NE Mobile, AL San Rafael, CA Lewisville, TX Greenwood Village, CO Melbourne, Australia Olathe, KS Council Bluffs, IA Decatur, IL Cedar Rapids, IA Ames, IA Vernon Hills, IL Ankeny, IA Largo, FL St. Louis, MO Suwanee, GA Humboldt, IA Deerfield, IL Belleville, MI Cedar Rapids, IA Rolling Meadows, IL Iowa City, IA Kentfield, CA Waukesha, WI Des Moines, IA Madison, WI Plainfield, IL Erie, PA Burlington, IA North Liberty, IA Altoona, IA Belleville, MI Chicago, IL West Des Moines, IA Des Moines, IA Oak Lawn, IL Frankfort, IL Cedar Rapids, IA Cedar Falls, IA Sedalia, CO Franklin, WI Ankeny, IA Grimes, IA Indianapolis, IN Eden Prairie, MN Delafield, WI Farnhamville, IA Larchwood, IA Glen Carbon, IL Frankfort, IL Britt, IA

41 42 42 43 44 44 45 45 46 47 48 48 49 49 50 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 63 64 65 66 67 69 70 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 80 81 82 83 84 85 85 86 86 87 88 88 89 91 92 94 95 96 97 97 98 99

Jaden Harrell Denin Limouris Zach Twedt Karson Sharar Seth Benson Luke Elkin Deontae Craig Nick Phelps Logan Klemp Wyatt Wegener Max Llewellyn Bryce Schulte Ethan Hurkett Andrew Lentsch Zach Kluver Louie Stec Jeremiah Pittman Asher Fahey Michael Myslinski Matt Fagan Luke Empen Nick DeJong Clayton Thurm Taylor Fox Griffin Liddle Justin Britt Kyler Schott Tyler Linderbaum Jeremy Chaplin Gennings Dunker Tyler Endres Beau Stephens Cody Ince David Davidkov Josh Volk Tyler Elsbury Connor Colby Mason Richman Jack Plumb Josiah Miamen Brennan Sweeney Desmond Hutson Johnny Pascuzzi Jameson Witte Sam LaPorta Luke Lachey Logan Lee Jeff Bowie Tommy Kujawa Elijah Yelverton Isaiah Bruce Jackson Frericks Nico Ragaini Lukas Van Ness John Waggoner Yahya Black Logan Jones Lucas Amaya Liam Reardon Zach VanValkenburg Chris Reames Noah Shannon

LB TE/FB LB LB LB LS DL P LB LB DL TE DL TE LS DT DL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL DL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL TE DE WR TE DL TE TE DL DL TE TE DL TE WR DL DL DL DL K LS DL DL DL

6-2 6-2 6-3 6-2 6-1 6-1 6-3 5-10 6-2 6-2 6-5 6-3 6-3 6-4 6-0 6-0 6-3 6-5 6-3 6-5 6-4 6-6 6-4 6-3 6-3 6-4 6-2 6-3 6-2 6-5 6-6 6-6 6-4 6-6 6-4 6-5 6-6 6-6 6-7 6-4 6-3 6-3 6-4 6-5 6-4 6-6 6-5 6-5 6-3 6-5 6-2 6-6 6-0 6-5 6-5 6-5 6-3 6-3 6-1 6-4 6-7 6-0

231 227 229 201 229 200 263 205 234 212 232 245 261 227 199 264 303 281 278 287 289 292 281 290 267 302 294 290 268 291 295 300 282 286 308 301 298 296 296 244 243 208 224 265 249 248 277 268 236 248 281 229 191 264 266 287 282 207 218 267 270 289

Fr Fr Fr Fr Jr Fr #Fr Jr Jr #Fr Fr Sr #Fr Fr Soph Soph Fr #Fr Fr Jr Jr Soph Soph Soph Fr Soph Sr Jr Fr Fr Soph Fr Jr Fr #Fr #Fr Fr #Fr Jr Soph Fr Soph Fr #Fr Jr #Fr Soph Fr Sr #Fr #Fr Soph Jr #Fr Jr #Fr #Fr Soph #Fr Sr Soph Jr

Urbandale, IA Glen Ellyn, IL Story City, IA Iowa Falls, IA Sioux Falls, SD Neenah, WI Fort Wayne, IN Kingsley, IA Jewell, IA Algona, IA Urbandale, IA Cedar Rapids, IA Cedar Rapids, IA West Des Moines, IA Ankeny, IA LaGrange Park, IL Palatine, IL Waukon, IA Jacksonville, FL Council Bluffs, IA Clinton, IA Pella, IA Williamsburg, IA Winthrop, IA Bettendorf, IA Indianapolis, IN Coggon, IA Solon, IA Waverly, IA Lena, IA Norwalk, IA Blue Springs, MO Luck, WI Glenview, IL Cedar Rapids, IA Byron, IL Cedar Rapids, IA Leawood, KS Green Bay, WI Peoria, IL Waukon, IA Raytown, MO Olathe, KS O’Fallon, MO Highland, IL Columbus, OH Orion, IL West Branch, IA Greendale, WI Royse City, TX Lena, IL Cedar Falls, IA East Haven, CT Barrington, IL Des Moines, IA Marshall, MN Council Bluffs, IA Muskego, WI Chicago, IL Zeeland, MI Van Meter, IA Aurora, IL

The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, November 5, 2021 - 7

RTHWESTERN WILDCATS

0 0 1 2 2 3 4 5 5 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 18 18 19 20 20 21 22 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 31 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39

NORTHWESTERN Cole Freeman Coco Azema Joe Spivak Jordan Mosley Cameron Mitchell JJ Jefferson Berkeley Holman Stephon Robinson Jr. Jeffery Pooler Jr. Malik Washington Andrew Marty Ore Adeyi Wayne Dennis Jr. Te-Rah Edwards Carl Richardson Donovan Sermons Brendan Sullivan Theran Johnson Andrew Clair A.J. Hampton Jr. Ryan Hilinski Nigel Williams Preston Bacon Garnett Hollis Jr. Donnie Gray Charlie Kuhbander Hunter Johnson Trey Finison Zac Krause Brandon Joseph Bryce Kirtz Genson Hooper Price Garner Wallace Jacob Gill Cam Porter Trent Carrington Tyler Haskins Connor Newhouse Bryce Jackson Raymond Niro III Rod Heard II Jaheem Joseph Evan Hull Anthony Tyus III Chris Bergin Marcus Cisco Jake Arthurs Jaylen Rivers Bryce Gallagher Michael Jansey Jr. Xander Mueller Jasper Stratton Derek Adams Mac Uihlein Joe DeHaan Aidan Hubbard

QB DB DL WR DB WR WR WR DL WR QB CB WR DT QB DB QB CB RB DB QB DB WR DB WR K QB K QB S WR WR S WR RB DB DB RB DB WR DB DB RB RB LB RB RB LB LB LB LB QB P LB DB DL

6-0 5-11 6-0 6-0 6-0 5-10 5-11 5-10 6-2 5-9 6-3 5-10 6-3 6-2 6-4 5-11 6-3 6-0 5-11 5-11 6-3 6-1 6-2 6-1 6-0 6-0 6-2 5-9 6-3 6-1 6-0 6-5 6-4 6-0 5-10 6-1 5-11 5-11 6-1 5-10 5-11 5-9 5-11 6-1 5-11 5-9 5-9 6-2 6-2 6-2 6-3 6-0 5-11 6-1 6-0 6-4

205 185 300 190 195 180 197 180 250 192 224 175 200 294 207 192 212 170 202 180 225 192 195 197 190 185 215 183 215 192 180 215 190 183 220 190 195 195 190 190 185 190 210 215 223 197 195 222 223 210 210 180 195 215 198 235

Fr Soph Sr Fr Soph Sr Sr Sr Sr Jr Sr Fr Soph Soph Soph Sr Fr Fr Sr Jr Soph #Fr Soph #Fr Fr Sr Sr Jr #Fr Soph Soph Soph Fr Fr Soph Sr Soph Soph Sr Jr Soph Soph Soph Fr Sr Soph #Fr Jr Soph #Fr Soph Fr Sr Fr Soph Fr

Summit, NJ Cypress, TX Darien, IL Mobile, AL Bolingbrook, IL Houston, TX Irvine, CA Los Angeles, CA Dayton, OH Lawrenceville, GA Cincinnati, OH Mansfield, TX Tampa, FL Groveport, OH Salinas, CA Pomona, CA Davison, MI Indianapolis, IN St. Louis, MO Warren, AR Orange, CA Richmond, VA Oak Hill, VA Nashville, TN Deerfield, MA Springboro, OH Brownsburg, IN Tuscaloosa, AL Olathe, KS College Station, TX Brownsburg, IN Houston, TX Pickerington, OH Raleigh, NC Cincinnati, OH Fayetteville, GA Stafford, VA Prospect, KY Lantana, TX Barrington, IL Farmington, MI Miami Gardens, FL Maple Grove, MN Portage, MI Bloomfield Hills, MI Byron Center, MI Wheaton, IL Decatur, GA Raynham, MA Batavia, IL Wheaton, IL Los Angeles, CA Manheim, PA Lake Forest, IL Tinley Park, IL Cleveland, OH

40 41 42 43 44 45 46 46 47 48 48 49 50 52 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 60 62 63 65 66 68 69 71 72 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 87 88 89 90 90 91 92 94 96 97 98 99

Peter McIntyre LB Grayson Mann LB Jason Whittaker TE William Halkyard LS Khalid Jones LB Cullen Coleman LB Devin O'Rourke DL Hunter Renner P Troy Hudetz LB Owen Bergin LB Peter Snodgrass LS Jacob Tabibian K PJ Spencer DL Sam Gerak OL Jordan Butler DT Jaiden Cameron DE Jeremy Meiser DL Conrad Rowley OL Josh Thompson OL Greyson Metz LB Najee Story DL Carmine Bastone DL Maxwell Skidmore OL Dom D'Antonio OL Jackson Carsello OL Braeden Edwards OL Josh Priebe OL Charlie Schmidt OL Ben Wrather OL Caleb Tiernan OL Payne He'Bert OL Connor Foster OL Ethan Wiederkehr OL Peter Skoronski OL Luka Trifunovic OL Zachary Franks OL Trey Pugh TE Calvin Johnson II WR Braeden Heald WR Will Lansbury WR Hunter Welcing TE Jack Kennedy WR Lawson Albright TE Jack Moses WR Thomas Gordon TE Marshall Lang TE Charlie Mangieri TE Wyatt Blake DL Jake Genyk P Samdup Miller DL Jack Olsen K Jason Gold Jr. DE Trevor Kent DT Sean McLaughlin DL Duke Olges DL Adetomiwa Adebawore DL

6-2 6-0 6-5 6-3 6-1 6-3 6-6 6-2 6-2 5-10 6-0 5-9 6-2 6-4 6-2 6-3 6-3 6-4 6-5 6-3 6-4 6-2 6-7 6-4 6-4 6-6 6-5 6-4 6-6 6-7 6-4 6-7 6-5 6-4 6-4 6-6 6-5 6-0 5-11 6-2 6-3 6-0 6-5 5-9 6-5 6-4 6-4 6-4 6-3 6-3 5-9 6-3 6-6 6-5 6-4 6-2

231 225 222 200 230 240 265 207 221 210 212 185 275 295 316 245 290 308 310 216 250 266 270 290 270 280 295 297 310 280 312 315 295 294 293 305 250 180 198 202 242 201 225 187 240 235 250 305 200 270 180 285 300 260 260 265

Sr Jr Jr #Fr Jr Soph Jr #Fr Sr #Fr Sr Fr #Fr Sr Soph #Fr Sr Jr Fr #Fr Fr Fr #Fr Soph Fr Fr Soph Jr Soph Fr Jr Soph Sr Soph #Fr Soph Sr Fr Jr Sr #Fr #Fr Fr #Fr Soph Soph Sr Jr Jr Sr #Fr Jr Sr Soph Soph Jr

Perrysburg, OH Fort Worth, TX Rockford, MI Glen Ellyn, IL Greenville, SC Port Chester, NY Mokena, IL Mishawaka, IN Naperville, IL Bloomfield Hills, MI Palo Alto, CA Lafayette, CA Prairie Village, KS Avon, OH North Las Vegas, NV Clayton, OH Cincinnati, OH Independence, MT Fenton, MI Glen Ellyn, IL Solon, OH St. Charles, IL Spokane Valley, WA Woodstock, GA Northbrook, IL West Des Moines, IA Niles, MI Libertyville, IL Powell, OH Franklin, MI Pearland, TX Milford, OH Wading River, NY Park Ridge, IL Carlsbad, CA Baltimore, MD Plain City, OH French Camp, MS Easthampton, MA Pebble Beach, CA Deer Park, IL Cleveland Heights, OH Greensboro, NC Lake Zurich, IL Houston, TX Cincinnati, OH Peoria, IL Crystal Lake, IL Middleton, WI Houston, TX Wheaton, IL League City, TX Pittsburg, KS Frankfort, IL Winnetka, IL Kansas Flat, MT

8 - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, November 5, 2021

Grace Smith/The Daily Iowan Iowa punter Tory Taylor kicks the ball during a football game between Iowa and Penn State at Kinnick Stadium on Oct. 9. The Australian was the Big Ten Punter of the Year last year as a freshman.

Taking a chance on the Hawkeyes Encouraged by his family back home in Australia, punter Tory Taylor moved halfway across the world to play for Iowa.

Chloe Peterson Assistant Sports Editor

The south end zone erupts in cheers as Hawkeye punter Tory Taylor and his special teams unit takes the field on fourth down at Kinnick Stadium during a mid-October game against Purdue.

The Hawkeye student section chants, “MVP, MVP” as the Australian punter takes the snap and flips the field for Iowa’s defense.

Hawkeye fans, clad with “Punting is Winning” shirts and Australian flags, cheer

while Iowa is giving up possession — an unusual sight before Taylor joined the program.

This season, Hawkeye fans are ecstatic to see the reigning Big Ten Punter of the Year, who averages 46.1 yards per punt. The 24-year-old is now earning national recognition on the Ray Guy Award watch list this season — a trophy awarded to the nation’s top punter.

In Taylor’s first season with fans in the stands, the cheers aren’t something spe-

cial teams coordinator LeVar Woods is accustomed to hearing in that situation.

“It’s very, very strange to go in the game — the last game we played [at Kinnick Stadium], the first time the punting unit comes out, the fans start going crazy,” Woods said. “I was like, ‘What’s going on?’ and my wife told me after the game, ‘You’ve never noticed that before?’ And, you know, there’s Australian flags in the crowd and that kind of stuff, so that’s definitely cool.”

The Punter From Down Un-

der had not stepped foot on an American football field, much less an American stadium, before he arrived at the University of Iowa for the 2020 season.

Taylor played his first season without full stadiums because of COVID-19 protocols.

Now, he is still adjusting to his Hawkeye fanbase.

“I love going out there because it’s great fun, and that’s my job,” Taylor said.

“But yeah, especially in the Penn State game to hear them chanting, that was pretty special. But I didn’t really take too

much notice of it until towards the end of the game… as long as we’re winning, and I’m having fun and making everyone close to me proud, that’s all I really worry about.”

The 6-foot-4 Aussie first developed his punting skills while playing Australian football. Then, he honed his abilities with ProKick Australia — a company to help guide Australian athletes to college and NFL football.

Taylor wasn’t sure if he wanted to attend Iowa. But with encouragement from his

family, Taylor decided to take a chance on living and playing in the U.S., and has emerged as one of the nation’s top punters.

Hometown hero Taylor and his three brothers — his 24-year-old twin, Ben, 21-year-old Callan, and 11-year-old Ashton — grew up around sports, playing Australian football, cricket, and basketball. But Tory was the only one to stick with sports.

The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, November 5, 2021 - 9

“He’s always been sports mad,” Stuart Taylor, Tory’s father, said when he spoke to The Daily Iowan from Melbourne, Australia.

“EPL, NFL … always sports mad. He, at particular times of his teenage life, could tell you many, if not all the teams of the English Premier League, Spanish, European, American.”

Stuart said he and his wife, Tanya, tried to keep Tory and Ben as separate of people as possible. They wanted Tory and Ben to feel like individuals, not twins, so the pair had separate friends and separate interests growing up.

Now, while Tory plays at Iowa, Ben is studying aviation back in Australia. Tory frequently has to work around the 16-hour time difference, but finds time in between practice and classes to make FaceTime calls to his family and friends.

“He speaks with his younger brother every day,” Stuart said. “We talk with Tory probably every couple of days, obviously, with the time difference, and also his training regimes. It happens, it just comes with all the hours.”

As Tory works his way through school and football at Iowa, his family’s small town outside of Melbourne has rallied behind him, with Iowa’s Tigerhawk logo becoming easily recognizable.

“If I go down to the cafe to grab a coffee or two, and you find by chance I’m wearing [Hawkeye gear,] everyone knows where he is, and who he is,” Stuart said.

“And it’s, ‘How’s he going,’ and, ‘How’re the Hawks going.’ So it’s sort of not so much him, but certainly

the Hawks have got more of a following than they may ever have.”

Hawkeyes in February 2020, and found a new home halfway across the world.

From Australia to Iowa City

A culture shock

Tory graduated from Haileybury College in Melbourne, Australia, in 2015.

But at the time, the recent high school graduate wasn’t sure of his path forward. So, he worked a litany of odd jobs.

“I was working at a golf club when I finished school, and I thought about going to university,” Tory said. “And then I got into the construction industry and thought, ‘Ah, I’ll go to university and try and get a construction management degree.’”

But Tory’s true passion didn’t lie with construction.

He joined ProKick Australia, an organization to help guide Australian kickers to perform at the college and NFL level, in 2019.

Tory excelled with ProKick Australia. His previous experience with Australian football — a sport that emphasizes punting for all players — gave him a leg up when he joined the program.

Iowa’s football program previously worked with ProKick, recruiting former punter and fellow Australian Michael Sleep-Dalton.

Tory quickly garnered attention from the Hawkeyes after starting with ProKick Australia. Woods traveled down to Australia to recruit Tory within six months of him joining the program.

Stuart Taylor described Woods as a “family man” in his visit to Australia in January 2020. The Taylor family’s comfort with Woods and, in turn, the rest of the coaching staff, won them over.

So, Tory signed with the

Tory came to Iowa with prior experience in Australian — not American — football. Although the sports have the same name, they feature a completely different set of rules.

Australian football features 18 players on an oval-shaped pitch with no set offense or defense. The ball is passed around the pitch by a combination of running, handballing, and kicking, and the primary way to score is punting a ball through goal posts.

Tory said he learned the basics of American football with ProKick Australia. But as he started practice with the Hawkeyes, he was lost to the complexity of American rules.

“American football is a really complicated game in of itself,” Tory said. “And I’m never going to know all the rules, like, I’m learning every day of practice.

Especially on game days, when the referee calls certain calls that I’ve got no idea what they even mean. But I’m just trying to simplify it as much as I can… It’s a bit different, because there’s a lot of big guys running at me, trying to get me and such, but I just try and go back to the basics.”

Taylor sometimes had to learn American football rules the hard way — in Iowa’s game against Wisconsin last December, the ball slipped out of Tory’s hands as he prepared to punt.

Instead of picking the ball up, the punter kicked the ball off the Kinnick Stadium turf, drawing a 15-yard illegal procedure penalty.

But the complicated rules, and his occasional miscues, don’t overwhelm the punter.

“The best part, he has no idea what he’s doing half the time, in terms of football,” head coach Kirk Ferentz said.

“He does as a player. The rest of the stuff, it’s an adventure ride for him. He’s enjoying life.

He has such a good approach.

Just really underwhelmed by all of it, what he’s doing. He just goes out and plays.”

Kicking for charity Tory wasn’t interested when student-athletes started to profit off of name, image, and likeness in July. He cannot make any profit off of NIL ventures, because of his international student status.

International student-athletes are technically covered under the NCAA’s interim NIL policy, which was adopted July 1. But federal law states that foreign student-athletes in the U.S. on a student visa can only be compensated for work on-campus or an educationally affiliated off-campus location, prohibiting them from accepting any NIL offers.

But after the season started, Tory found out he could still release his own merchandise. He just had to donate the profits.

So, after partnering with Raygun — a t-shirt company and clothing store — he released a shirt that said, “Punting is Winning” with an outline of Australia on the front.

“It was just one of those things that I thought, ‘Well, any way to donate some money,’” Tory said.

“Because, I’d rather them have it than me. And then it’s kind of just taken off a lot more than I thought. I thought, ‘Well, if I can make a couple hundred bucks here or there, and send that off to charity, that’s great.’ But it’s kind of been going pretty crazy, which is awesome.”

Tory decided to donate all of the proceeds to Count the Kicks

— an organization that teaches pregnant women how to monitor fetal movement. Count the Kicks was founded by five Iowa mothers, and the company partners with 14 state health agencies to provide educational materials.

Tory first considered donating to the UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital at the UI, but he knew that the children’s hospital received a lot of donations.

“This was more of a smaller organization,” Tory said. “And I just really kind of wanted to make a big impact on them, and then I felt like, I said, ‘If I can donate a little bit of money then it’s such a great cause.’ And just the name as well, Count the Kicks, it’s kind of ironic.”

He is making the donations in honor of Ferentz and his son, Brian, Iowa’s offensive coordinator.

Brian Ferentz and his wife, Nikki, lost their daughter, Savvy, in utero at 21 weeks in 2017.

“For Tory to do that, that’s really a nice gesture on his part,” Kirk Ferentz said. “It’s a shame he doesn’t get to benefit from the NIL stuff, but that’s the way he’s wired. He’s really an exceptional person.”

NFL aspirations Tory has one eye to the idea of being an NFL prospect.

“I feel like it’d be silly to not give that opportunity a go,” Tory said. “I mean, that’s still quite a bit of time away before I start worrying about that. And I just feel like it’s the small little stuff, there are other ways to bigger and better things, but, I mean, if the NFL happens that’s great… But it’s not the end of the world, and I can just walk away knowing that I gave everything, and it’s been a great opportunity and it’s just given me so much more than I thought it would

have gotten.”

But the sophomore said he first wants to complete his education at Iowa. Although Tory said hasn’t nailed down a major yet, he is thinking about a degree in business entrepreneurship.

Tory also has one major goal before the end of his career as a Hawkeye — get his family and friends from Australia to Kinnick Stadium.

The Taylor family has not made the trip to Iowa because of strict COVID-19 protocols in Australia. But as restrictions loosen, the family is hoping to make a trip out next season.

“That’s probably the one thing that I’m most excited about, out of anything,” Tory said. “That’s probably my biggest dream, to get my friends and family in the stands for one game. ” For now, the Taylor family has to settle for watching on TV. They will always watch the game live, even with the 16-hour time difference.

When the Hawkeyes had an 11 a.m. kickoff on Oct. 30 in Madison, Tory’s family and friends switched on the TV at 3 a.m. on Oct. 31 in Australia.

This week, the Australians will have a more amenable kickoff time. The Hawkeyes will kick off at 6 p.m. against Northwestern in Evanston, Illinois, and Tory’s family will tune in at 10 a.m.

But his family and friends don’t mind, as long as they get to see their punter play in the Black and Gold.

“If he’s playing on the moon at 12 o’clock at night and before we work, we want to watch the Hawks and we’ve got to get up and do it,” Stuart said. “Pure and simple and that, I suppose.”

chloe-peterson@uiowa.edu

10 - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, November 5, 2021

ROBERT READ

PREGAME EDITOR (22-18)

IOWA

VS.

This game deserves to be at 11 a.m. on ESPN2.

VS.

The Aggies’ win over Alabama doesn’t count in the CFP rankings.

TEXAS A&M

IOWA STATE

VS.

Wasn’t a great end to Brocktober for the Cyclones.

VS.

Neither would compete with ACC power Wake Forest.

VS.

Mike Tomlin will not be returning USC’s calls.

VIRGINIA TECH

ARIZONA STATE

AUSTIN HANSON

CHLOE PETERSON

SPORTS EDITOR (27-13)

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR (22-18)

IOWA

NORTHWESTERN

If this was at 11 a.m., I’d pick Northwestern.

TEXAS A&M

Iowa’s midseason tailspin is in full swing.

AUBURN

We love Italian food.

Zach Calzone.

I was right about the Tigers last week.

TEXAS

IOWA STATE

VIRGINIA TECH

VIRGINIA TECH

I still don’t quite understand the monkey business.

Horns down.

CHRIS WERNER

FOOTBALL REPORTER (22-18)

IOWA

Northwestern might be the only B1G team Iowa can beat right now.

AUBURN

What exactly is an Aggie?

TEXAS

DESTINEE COOK

DITV SPORTS DIRECTOR (21-19)

IOWA

No comment.

TEXAS A&M

Well-rested Aggies.

IOWA STATE

TEXAS A&M

Big game in the SEC West.

IOWA STATE

I have zero faith in Texas, but watch them actually win.

Not Brocktober, but the Cyclones should win.

BOSTON COLLEGE

I feel like neither of these teams should be in the ACC.

The Hokie Pokies are going to run themselves around.

VIRGINIA TECH

VIRGINIA TECH

ARIZONA STATE

ARIZONA STATE

ARIZONA STATE

ARIZONA STATE

Same colors? They should wear the same uniforms — for chaos.

IOWA

I mean, they have to get it together at some point.

Both of these teams are really good at disappointing people.

I don’t know how to do the Hokie Pokey.

“Hello, you play to win the game.”

JOHN BOHNENKAMP

SPORTS WRITING COACH (24-16)

Hey, my friend goes there!

Idk what to say.

USC is down bad.

ACC football is ... something.

USC

Sun Devils have given up.

JASON BRUMMOND PUBLISHER (26-14)

IOWA

Nothing heals an ailing offense like a trip to Evanston.

TEXAS A&M

The race for the SEC’s third-best team is highly contested.

IOWA STATE

Ames is similar to Austin alphabetically, at least.

VIRGINIA TECH

Its old nickname, Fighting Gobblers, should make a comeback.

ARIZONA STATE

We’d all appreciate USC hiring a Big Ten coach.

The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, November 5, 2021 - 11

Kid Captain keeps ‘fighting spirit’ Bridgette Bissell had to have several life-saving surgeries when she was born three months too early. Bissell has autism and was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2019.

Josie Fischels Managing Editor Holly the pet rat crawled in between the folds of Bridgette Bissell’s hoodie, stopping to nestle comfortably in the crook of the teen’s neck. The 18-yearold giggled and stroked the rat’s soft white fur.

Bridgette, this week’s Kid Captain, is a proud owner of eight pet rats, actually, that help her feel relaxed when she’s feeling anxious. At the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, the nurses and doctors on the floor know her as “the rat lady.” They’ve even written it on the white board ahead of one of her surgeries, welcoming her back.

Bridgette has frequented hospitals over the course of her life. She was born prematurely and has also been diagnosed with autism and Crohn’s disease. This week, she is the Kid Captain when Iowa faces off against Northwestern in Evanston

on Saturday.

While she now lives in Muscatine with her family and younger brother, Sam, Bridgette was born in Texas — three months too early.

At birth, she weighed only 1.5 pounds.

“She didn’t have anything wrong with her except that she was way too small, and her lungs didn’t work. Her eyes were sealed shut still,” Bridgette’s mom, Suzanne, said.

Bridgette’s twin, Madeline, only lived for a few hours. Bridgette had to stay in the hospital for 100 days to undergo several surgeries on her vital organs that hadn’t finished developing, Suzanne Bisell said.

Bridgette also has autism, and sometimes struggles to articulate what she means and deals with sensory overload. In 2019, she was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, which initially caused her to lose her appetite and a significant amount of weight, and caused severe joint pain

that put her in a wheelchair for a time. In 2020, she had a feeding tube placed.

All the while, though, Brigette has had a smile on her face, her mom said.

Ahead of the game, someone told Bridgette that her natural “fighting spirit” could help the Hawkeyes win.

During her hospital visits, Bridgette has undergone several scans and dealt with plenty of frightening-looking machinery. But Bridgette is never afraid.

In fact, she is fascinated by machines.

“I like all the tests and stuff, especially the imaging, the X-rays, and MRIs, and CT scans,” she said. “I like to know how everything works, especially machines, because I like factories and how things are made.”

One of Bridgette’s favorite moments being a Kid Captain so far has been Kids Day at Kinnick in August, when she went onto Duke Slater Field and met the Hawkeyes. One of

Jerod Ringwald/The Daily Iowan Kid Captain Bridgette Bissell talks with head coach Kirk Ferentz after receiving a signed football from the team during “Kid’s Day at Kinnick” inside Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 14. the highlights of the visit for Bridgette, though, was catching a glimpse of a mechanical room under the stadium that contained enormous air ducts.

Today, Bridgette is a happy high school graduate who loves singing, learning songs on the accordion, and, of course, her pet rats. All of her hobbies help calm her down whenever she feels overwhelmed.

“If I’m feeling stressed, I always can go, if I’m here, go play music, or snuggle with a rat — or multiple rats,” she said.

At the UI hospital, Bridgette calls floor nine “her floor.” From the front desk workers to the cafeteria staff, to her doctors and nurses, Suzanne said there are so many people

they consider to be part of “Team Bridgette.”

“It makes it easier to go through something like this when you feel like people really understand Bridgette, especially with Bridgette having autism and maybe sometimes having reactions to things that are not what people are expecting,” Suzanne said. “[At the hospital], I just can relax and know that people are going to understand and do what she needs in that moment.”

With the past few weeks resulting in losses for the Hawkeyes, hope remains that Iowa will find its footing. Bridgette might be the perfect example of the kind of resilience they need.

“She knows about

bouncing back from adversity,” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said at his weekly media availability on Nov. 2. “She’s gone through a couple of surgeries and continued to develop Crohn’s Disease. We’re really glad to have a chance to recognize her.”

Ahead of their game, Bridgette’s message to the Hawkeyes is to keep the “fighting spirit.”

“Go Hawks, you can do it,” she said. “Even though things seem hard and rough, always look on the bright side and keep on fighting. Doesn’t matter if you’re down by a bunch of points or anything, keep fighting to the very end.

Put that victory energy out into the universe.”

josie-fischels@uiowa.edu

12 - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, November 5, 2021

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