ORLANDO, Fla. – The Iowa football team enjoyed an entertaining off-day on Saturday, attending Fun Spot America amusement park with children from the West Lakes neighborhoods. Before the event began, Hawkeye head coach Kirk Ferentz and his Volunteer counterpart Josh Heupel addressed the media.
While the pair have never coached against each other at the helm before, Ferentz said he “felt like he knew” Heupel, a former quarterback and assistant coach for Oklahoma, from a mutual contact: former Sooners head coach Bob Stoops. Ferentz called Heupel an “outstanding quarterback and leader:” a praise he echoed when discussing Hawkeye tight end Luke Lachey.
Lachey announced Friday he would be returning to Iowa City for an extra season of eligibility. This addition to the 2024 roster was what Ferentz called a “really important” piece of the puzzle, specifically due to Lachey’s impressive combination of leadership and playing ability.
“He’s everything we hoped he would be and then some,” the head coach said of Lachey. “He’s obviously surpassed any thoughts we might have had … He’s just a tremendous guy, upbeat, so respected by his teammates.”
As for other players, including key faces on the defensive side of the ball such as Nick Jackson, Quinn Schulte, Sebastian Castro, and Jermari Harris, Ferentz maintained he’s had conversations with the individuals before the team traveled south. During bowl preparation, the head coach said that the decision-making process shouldn’t overshadow the task at hand: achieving an 11-win campaign for just the fourth time in program history.
“Try not to be distracted by it,” he said of players’ decision to potentially leave college football. “Because I’ve witnessed that in the past couple of years, some guys have done a better job than others. It’s a big decision, so it’s easy to see why they may be distracted.
“But also it’s important to reinforce that you only have so many chances to play in a football game during your career, no matter how long you play,” he continued. “So don’t let the specialness of this event be diminished by the stuff on your mind.”
As for other distractions, such as New Year’s Eve celebrations occurring the night before kickoff, Ferentz has a tangible solution: moving off-site for that evening – just as the Hawkeyes do for home games during the regular season. He pointed out how this started after Iowa’s 2019 Outback Bowl victory on New Year’s Day in Tampa Bay, Florida.
“New Year’s Eve is wild down there, just loud,” Ferentz remembered of Tampa. “And the hotel we were in was the place to be apparently, a lot of cars coming in and out. You couldn’t sleep.”
Here are other storylines that emerged from Saturday:
Offseason weight plans
The legend of Iowa right tackle Gennings Dunker has only grown throughout the season as he gradually revealed his eating habits, such as his self-reported, monstrous 3,000 caloric intake during games.
Gennings Dunker is a cyborg
He claims he eats 10,000 calories on game days and 3,000 DURING the game in between series.
Most human beings don't sniff 3,000 in a day pic.twitter.com/GyfDcxLp1L
— Blake Hornstein (@BlakeHornTV) November 7, 2023
The six-foot-five, 320-pounder told reporters that not every ride at Fun Spot could accommodate his size, but said that this physical situation might change in the coming months. Pointing out that he weighed in at 328 pounds following practice on Friday, the sophomore said Ferentz has talked to him about slimming down.
“Which kind of sucks … sometimes you just be getting hungry, though. Sometimes you wake up and just want a sandwich,” a grinning Dunker said.
The offensive lineman said he doesn’t yet know his goal weight, but reiterated he’ll do whatever it takes to shed pounds, whether that’s eliminating carbs or avoiding his multiple protein shake-per-day routine.
“I just do whatever [Ferentz] tells me. I’m not a scientist,” he said.
On the flip side, Iowa running back Jaziun Patterson seeks to increase his physical stature after the Citrus Bowl. The 5-foot-10, 204-pounder said he feels “a little too skinny,” and wants to add muscle while also increasing what he referred to as his “contact balance,” meaning how well he can stay on his feet amid tackles from defenders.
Both Dunker and Patterson have missed time this year, most recently with Dunker not seeing action in the Big Ten title game. While not on the injury report prior to the contest, Dunker said he did what was best for the team but didn’t explicitly add that he was hurt. Either way, the lineman said he has stuck with his rehab process and is “as good as I’m going to get,” for the matchup against Tennessee – a contest that he “should hopefully” star in.
