Drake is the preseason favorite in the Missouri Valley preseason basketball poll. The Bulldogs lost several key players from last years team that won the Valley tournament title and played in the NCAA Tournament but do return reigning conference player of the year Tucker DeVries.

That’s Drake coach Darian DeVries who says the transfer portal makes preseason polls even less reliable

With veterans like Roman Penn, D.J. Wilkins and Garrett Sturtz no longer playing Tucker DeVries is taking on a bigger leadership role.

Northern Iowa has been picked to finish second in the preseason poll. Point guard Bowen Born returns after averaging 18 points per gasme last season and is approaching this as his final year even though he could return for a COVID season.

Born feels the experienced he has gained is a plus.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says tight end Erick All will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury. The Michigan transfer was injured in the first quarter of a win at Wisconsin and has 21 catches, including three for touchdowns.

All is the second All Big Ten caliber tight end to be lost for the season.

After a win at Wisconsin the Hawkeyes face another bruising challenge when they host Minnesota. Iowa has won eight straight in the series but six of those have been by a touchdown or less, including a 13-10 triumph in the Twin Cities last season

The Hawkeyes are 6-1 despite being without their starting quarterback and top three tight ends and will continue to rely on defense and special teams.

The offense continues to struggle but the run game has showed some life and the Hawkeyes rushed for 200 yards against the Badgers.

Ferentz says the Hawkeyes realize they need to find ways to win.

The CAM Cougars have had a great season thus far. The Cougars finished the regular season with a perfect 8-0 record to secure a district championship and secured home field advantage through the playoffs. The Cougars have been able to jump on opponents early just as they did last Friday night when they defeated Staton/Essex 42-6. With bad weather in the area the score was tied 0-0 heading into the second quarter but that is right when the Cougars explosive offense showed up. The Cougars went on to score 28 points in the quarter and the route was on.  Coach Barry Bower was pleased with how his team responded in the second quarter and didn’t get frustrated with the conditions or the results of the first quarter.

Coach Bower couldn’t be happier with his teams regular season but Coach Bower understands playoff football is different and there are no more guarantees.

With the playoffs starting this Friday Night the Cougars will lean on their senior class to help lead the way. With playoff football comes more nerves and pressure felt by the players and Coach Bower said its important for the senior to lead the way as they have been here and done that before as well as this class is realizing their time as Cougar football players is coming to an end.

The CAM Cougars will be hosting the 4-4 Southeast Warren Warhawks. The Warhawks come into the playoffs off back-to-back losses but with a offense that can score with the best of them. Coach Bower knows for his team to advance its going to come down to the little things.

Kickoff Friday night will be at CAM High school at 7:00pm. Please listen to the full interview with Coach Bower below.

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AMES, Iowa – Iowa State redshirt sophomore linebacker Caleb Bacon has been named to the 2023 Lombardi Award Midseason Watch List.

The Lombardi Award is given to a lineman, on either offense or defense, or a linebacker that sets up no further than five yards deep from the line of scrimmage.

Bacon, who hails from Lake Mills, Iowa, is fourth on the team with 29 tackles, while leading the team with 5.5 tackles for a loss. He has notched 2.0 sacks and has five quarterback hurries in his first season as a significant contributor on defense. Bacon also plays a significant role on special teams for the Cyclones.

The Cyclone defensive unit ranks second in the Big 12 Conference in total defense (329.3 yards per game), second in passing defense (198.1) and third in scoring defense (20.0).

In the last two games, ISU has held its Big 12 opponents to 12.0 points per game and 156.0 passing yards per game, while intercepting six passes.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa football senior punter Tory Taylor and junior cornerback Cooper DeJean have been named to ESPN’s midseason All-America team on Tuesday.

Taylor, an Australia native, has punted an FBS-best 45 times this season with only one touchback. He ranks first in the conference and fourth in the country in average yards per punt (48.3). Nineteen of his 45 punts have been for 50+ yards, while 17 have been downed inside the 20.

Taylor has earned Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honors each of the last two weeks and has been included in Ray’s 8, which recognizes top punting performances nationally, four of the first six weeks of 2023.

DeJean is fourth on the Hawkeyes with 36 tackles, he has 1.5 tackles for loss, two pass break-ups and two interceptions, including one in the end zone against Michigan State. DeJean has played 309 snaps this season in coverage without giving up a touchdown.

The Odebolt, Iowa, native is leading the Big Ten and ranks 13th nationally with a 13.0 punt return average and he is one of 29 players in the country with a punt return touchdown. DeJean returned a punt 70 yards for a game-deciding score against Michigan State late in the fourth quarter.

No. 24 Iowa (6-1, 3-1) will host Minnesota (3-3, 1-2) on Saturday on Duke Slater Field at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City (2:33 p.m. CT, NBC).