Listen "Iowa QB GOAT Chuck Long on Mark Gronowski's first four games, Iowa-Indiana, Ferentz era, Hayden Fry and the '85 Rose Bowl team"
Episode Synopsis
Iowa's all-time passing leader Chuck Long picks apart Gronowski's first four games in Iowa City. Long threw for over 10,000 yards for the Hawkeyes, culminating in a senior season where he guided the 1985 Hawkeyes to a win-for-the-ages over No. 1 Michigan en route to Hayden Fry's second Rose Bowl. After finishing second to Bo Jackson in Heisman Trophy voting, Long spent nearly a decade in the NFL with the Detroit Lions and L.A. Rams before a college coaching career that included time at Iowa under Fry and Kirk Ferentz, followed by a national title at Oklahoma with Bob Stoops and a head coaching stint at San Diego State. Long's acumen as a veteran quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator in both the college and pro ranks — he has served as Stoop's play-caller for the XFL and UFL's Arlington Renegades the last three years — serves him well in evaluating Gronowski's strengths and weaknesses. What are those strengths and weaknesses? How much has Gronowski been held back by offensive coordinator Tim Lester? Can Gronowksi continue to pass (and run) the Hawkeyes to victory, when needed, like he did against Rutgers last Friday? And how can the Hawkeyes upset the freight train that is No. 11 Indiana off a 63-10 steamrolling of then-No. 9 Illinois? Long also offers his view on the Kirk Ferentz era at Iowa and if the Big Ten's new all-time wins leader needs to loosen up and open up the offense to unlock something beyond the 8-9 win seasons and second-tier bowl berths that have become customary if not mundane in Iowa City. Finally, Long offers a story about that iconic win over Michigan 40 years ago — which the Hawekyes are celebrating at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday — and a glimpse into what made Ferentz's predecessor Fry an icon.
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