As we wait for the Reliaquest Bowl in a few weeks, it's a great time to give our personal awards to the team. Here's a list you can copy and paste on your own post and fill out. I also included fails too, because it's more fun that way. Looking forward to everyone's answers:
Assistant of the Year:
Best Play of the Year:
Catch of the Year:
Most Clutch Performance:
Game of the Year:
Most Improved Unit:
Most Disappointing Unit:
Biggest Success:
Biggest Failure:
Most Promising New Player:
Comeback Player of the Year:
MVP:
Assistant of the Year: Tim Lester/George Barnett. I had a hard time not picking them both. Tim continues to improve our offense, so much so we have now seen our offense WIN us games, and march down the field and score points when we needed them. Barnett has proved himself as a OLine guru. Glad he's stuck with us, because our OLine is the rock of our offense.
Best Play of the Year: Wetjen return vs Michigan State. I actually had a hard time coming up with what play to choose. There were a few others that I really liked, such as Mark's naked boot to seal it against Penn State. But Kaden's return was a play from a single player who was absolutely determined to win us the game. You can tell he was going to do whatever it took to ensure that the Senior's last game in Kinnick wasn't a loss. And it was the play that kept Iowa in the game.
Catch of the Year: Reece Vander Zee's catch vs Michigan State. While his catch against Nebraska was jaw dropping, that game was already in hand. That Michigan State game needed someone to step up and make a play. RVZ did, as the catch set us up for the winning FG.
Most Clutch Performance: Mark Gronowski vs Penn State. Despite all the screw ups, he stepped up in a huge way, multiple times. And his final play, the naked boot, was run to perfection. He won us that game.
Game of the Year: Minnesota. A complete game in every way. Offense, defense, special teams. All working together perfectly to destroy the Goofs.
Most Improved Unit: Secondary. I had zero expectations for this unit going into the season, and after the Rutgers game, I was pressing the panic button. But they improved every game after that, and I was very impressed with how well they played through the remainder of the season. Hats off to them.
Most Disappointing Unit: Defensive Line. Couldn't get home to QBs, couldn't dial up pressure when needed, struggled to stop the run in all of our losses. Coach Bell should definitely be on the hot seat.
Biggest Success: Improvement of the Defense. There were a lot of question marks before the season started. We lost a lot of talent and guys were going to have to step up. With every game, the defense improved and held off high powered offenses like Oregon and Indiana. While there wasn't a single stand out, the entire unit
Biggest Failure: Regression of Special Teams. This unit has regressed so much, only Wetjen is the bright spot. So many screw ups, mistakes, and poor performances. An elite unit is required for Kirk ball to function properly, and these guys failed as much as they succeeded. If you would like to see the list of failures, check them out here:
Most Promising New Player: DJ Vonnahme. This guy is a stud, no question. He already looks like a seasoned veteran out there. He shredded Nebraska's secondary. Can't wait to see him next year. Honorable Mention: Nathan McNeil/Rashad Godfrey Jr.
Comeback Player of the Year: Reece Vander Zee. Every game after his return he made a difference. Having some of the best catches an Iowa WR has had in years. I hope we can retain him, because he has serious skill. You never know with the portal.
MVP: Kaden Wetjen. The Jet. Or as I like to call him, White Lighting. He's a guy that made things happen in two different units, offense and special teams. Every time he stepped on the field, you knew we had a chance to make something big happen. He's broken records and made a name for himself as an All-American. Good on you, JUCO kid. Can't wait to hear your name called during the draft. Runner Up: Mark Gronowski.
Assistant of the Year:
Best Play of the Year:
Catch of the Year:
Most Clutch Performance:
Game of the Year:
Most Improved Unit:
Most Disappointing Unit:
Biggest Success:
Biggest Failure:
Most Promising New Player:
Comeback Player of the Year:
MVP:
Assistant of the Year: Tim Lester/George Barnett. I had a hard time not picking them both. Tim continues to improve our offense, so much so we have now seen our offense WIN us games, and march down the field and score points when we needed them. Barnett has proved himself as a OLine guru. Glad he's stuck with us, because our OLine is the rock of our offense.
Best Play of the Year: Wetjen return vs Michigan State. I actually had a hard time coming up with what play to choose. There were a few others that I really liked, such as Mark's naked boot to seal it against Penn State. But Kaden's return was a play from a single player who was absolutely determined to win us the game. You can tell he was going to do whatever it took to ensure that the Senior's last game in Kinnick wasn't a loss. And it was the play that kept Iowa in the game.
Catch of the Year: Reece Vander Zee's catch vs Michigan State. While his catch against Nebraska was jaw dropping, that game was already in hand. That Michigan State game needed someone to step up and make a play. RVZ did, as the catch set us up for the winning FG.
Most Clutch Performance: Mark Gronowski vs Penn State. Despite all the screw ups, he stepped up in a huge way, multiple times. And his final play, the naked boot, was run to perfection. He won us that game.
Game of the Year: Minnesota. A complete game in every way. Offense, defense, special teams. All working together perfectly to destroy the Goofs.
Most Improved Unit: Secondary. I had zero expectations for this unit going into the season, and after the Rutgers game, I was pressing the panic button. But they improved every game after that, and I was very impressed with how well they played through the remainder of the season. Hats off to them.
Most Disappointing Unit: Defensive Line. Couldn't get home to QBs, couldn't dial up pressure when needed, struggled to stop the run in all of our losses. Coach Bell should definitely be on the hot seat.
Biggest Success: Improvement of the Defense. There were a lot of question marks before the season started. We lost a lot of talent and guys were going to have to step up. With every game, the defense improved and held off high powered offenses like Oregon and Indiana. While there wasn't a single stand out, the entire unit
Biggest Failure: Regression of Special Teams. This unit has regressed so much, only Wetjen is the bright spot. So many screw ups, mistakes, and poor performances. An elite unit is required for Kirk ball to function properly, and these guys failed as much as they succeeded. If you would like to see the list of failures, check them out here:
Iowa State - Wetjen backwards return to Iowa 5
UMass - Blocked Punt / PAT MISSED
Rutgers - 40 yd FG MISSED
Indiana - 42 yd FG MISSED / Blocked Punt NET 29 yd
Penn State - 46 yd FG MISSED / 35 Yd Return of Blocked Field Goal
Oregon - -39 yd snap from Longer Snapper resulting in Safety
Current Yards per Punt: 40.2
UMass - Blocked Punt / PAT MISSED
Rutgers - 40 yd FG MISSED
Indiana - 42 yd FG MISSED / Blocked Punt NET 29 yd
Penn State - 46 yd FG MISSED / 35 Yd Return of Blocked Field Goal
Oregon - -39 yd snap from Longer Snapper resulting in Safety
Current Yards per Punt: 40.2
Most Promising New Player: DJ Vonnahme. This guy is a stud, no question. He already looks like a seasoned veteran out there. He shredded Nebraska's secondary. Can't wait to see him next year. Honorable Mention: Nathan McNeil/Rashad Godfrey Jr.
Comeback Player of the Year: Reece Vander Zee. Every game after his return he made a difference. Having some of the best catches an Iowa WR has had in years. I hope we can retain him, because he has serious skill. You never know with the portal.
MVP: Kaden Wetjen. The Jet. Or as I like to call him, White Lighting. He's a guy that made things happen in two different units, offense and special teams. Every time he stepped on the field, you knew we had a chance to make something big happen. He's broken records and made a name for himself as an All-American. Good on you, JUCO kid. Can't wait to hear your name called during the draft. Runner Up: Mark Gronowski.
