He's made the McCall. (Liz Martin/SourceMedia Group)
Another less-than-surprising departure on Tuesday: Freshman halfback Mika'il McCall has announced he will not return to the Iowa Hawkeyes next season. No word yet on where he will transfer.
Though Jason White got the depth chart spot, the true freshman McCall was the de facto second-string halfback for the season opener. When Marcus Coker faltered and fumbled early, McCall entered and sparked the Iowa offense. He ran for 61 yards on 9 carries, and then, as he really started to gain traction, McCall took a nasty hit. Broken ankle. By all indications, his season was over.
The rumors started in late October that McCall was coming along faster than expected. By mid-November, McCall was dressed on the sidelines. He reentered the running back rotation -- well, whatever rotation there was -- at Purdue. He entered in the second quarter, deep in Purdue territory. On his first carry, he ran for three yards. On his second carry, he fumbled. He didn't get another carry for Iowa that day or, as it turns out, ever again. The next week, Kirk Ferentz announced that McCall had been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules. McCall didn't play the last two regular season games and didn't make the trip to Tempe. While the team was gone, McCall posted to his Facebook account that he was openly shopping for a new school. Yesterday, that was confirmed.
The last Iowa halfback recruit to make it through four years of school without leaving or getting kicked off the team was Damian Sims. He joined the program in 2004. McCall joins an illustrious list including Jevon Pugh, Shonn Greene (left for the pros, but also was thrown off the team before that), Jewel Hampton, Nate Guillory, Dana Brown, Jeff Brinson, Adam Robinson, and Brandon Wegher. There were ten halfback recruits between Sims and Marcus Coker/De'Andre Johnson who left early, and Coker is still suspended (though is saying he will return) and Johnson isn't even sniffing the field. Now there's one after Coker/Johnson who has joined them. This offseason, like last offseason, like every offseason, halfback is a mess, and there's no end in sight.
0 recs | 64 comments
Thank God for Greg Garmon
I’ll be crossing my fingers until signing day, but I breathed a heavy sigh of relief when Garmon verbally committed.
HawkeyeFrake - January 4, 2012
Keep those fingered crossed until
he academically qualifies, arrives on campus for camp, and makes it to his sophomore season.
Feelin' Orney - January 4, 2012
"makes it his sophomore season"
HA! Like that will ever happen to an Iowa RB
HoyaGoon - January 4, 2012
Hell, Coker didn't even make it through his
And he didn’t even really play until the bowl game his freshman year.
One Night Stanzi - January 4, 2012
Too bad....
So is this on Ferentz’s handling of MM’s return from injury or MM just screwing himself over and not wanting to deal with the punishment? Probably a bit of both, I guess.
Ill Jukes - January 4, 2012
I'm sure it's Ferentz' fault
Brock8144 - January 4, 2012
Strait Bullshit.
Lukateake - January 4, 2012
Fjord of the Forgotten
Lukateake - January 4, 2012
Isthmus of the ill-gotten.
Stay thirsty, my friends. - January 4, 2012
Archipelago of AIRBHG
Ill Jukes - January 4, 2012
This is just beautiful
ClaybornSmash - January 4, 2012
Might be my favorite comment thread ever.
Patrick Vint - January 4, 2012
Gulf of groin kicks
Bight of the bittersweet
txhawkeye - January 4, 2012
Sea of the Squandered
Isle of the idle
Plateau of the pillaged
sailorjerry - January 4, 2012
Terrible photoshop - yayyyyyyy
Ill Jukes - January 4, 2012
You better believe that's a rec.
It’s crappiness is endearing.
Lukateake - January 4, 2012
*Its
In my fervor, my intellect atrophied and my grammar apostrophied.
Lukateake - January 4, 2012
wow
claps and claps
sailorjerry - January 4, 2012
“Ahh, look upon me, ye tributaries of tribulation.” -AIRBHG
SomeJerkPoster - January 4, 2012
Awesome!
Bigger please!
Roosevelt - January 4, 2012
Ha! If you insist
About 700×450
Ill Jukes - January 4, 2012
Excellent work.
Does anyone know where that Wegher/ARob pic was taken? Was it at the Orange Bowl?
i_love_iowa - January 5, 2012
Michigan State
you can’t see A-Robs crutches off to the side. I remember seeing them take that picture before the team came over to sing the fight song with us fans.
WI-Hawkeye - January 10, 2012
That's amazing
really intricate, interweaving stories. Though I hear the ending is a bit of a let down and doesn’t really wrap things up.
HoyaGoon - January 4, 2012
PeninsulAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!
Patrick Vint - January 4, 2012
Isle of Ignominy
Norm Parker's Amputated Toes - January 4, 2012
Any discussion of McCall now has to include a "strait bullshit" comment
And inevitably, that comment goes green.
Nickhawk08 - January 4, 2012
It's the new Fuck Clemson!
Jon Berg - January 4, 2012
I at least had an ongoing device in mind when I made said comment.
Which resulted in plenty of glorious green.
Lukateake - January 4, 2012
Lava of the Lost
OhReally? - January 6, 2012
Lets not forget about Kalvin Bailey
even though I’m not sure if he would’ve been FB/RB…
Bust my McNuttz - January 4, 2012
what position was Coe projected?
full back? If not he can be added to the list.
The Bacon Explosion - January 4, 2012
Coe was halfback.
Yeah, I guess we can add him, too, though there’s a possibility he’s here in 2013.
Patrick Vint - January 4, 2012
I'm hoping he comes back as a monster DE
Chief Okemos - January 4, 2012
Without knowing where he is going
He is basically saying anywhere but here.
The Bacon Explosion - January 4, 2012
Has there been any word on what the reason for his suspension?
I don’t recall reading anything specific.
Hawkeyes - January 4, 2012
...What just happened there?
bornofclay - January 4, 2012 via mobile
Sorry...
I loaded the page and there was a copy of the page in the comments section….
bornofclay - January 4, 2012 via mobile
Probably didn't like the outlook for the number of carries he would get
in the next few years. I always thought that one of his reasons for decommiting from Michigan State to go to Iowa is that he saw the depletion of RBs here after 2010 season, and saw an opportunity to get the number 1 spot. And with Coker all but sealed as the Iowa RB1 for the next few years, going after greener pastures probably
Bust my McNuttz - January 4, 2012
I really, really, really
don’t think that’s the reason. At all.
HoyaGoon - January 4, 2012
roger rodger
sailorjerry - January 4, 2012
Sounds nice, but I don't think so
If he was able to get in the first game as a freshman, he could get in as a SO and JR too. He looked better than Coker, and at the very least had a spot in the rotation locked up on the field.
And oh by the way, have you noticed that Coker is suspended?
Notclevr - January 4, 2012
Wasn't there just a comment by Kirk that he wasn't leaving?
Very surprised: 1 that he even commented on it; 2. that MM would leave after he made such a comment.
One Night Stanzi - January 4, 2012
I’m not going to look, but I think Kirk said it would be news to him, as in he hadn’t heard anything from McCall. Not to go all chain-of-commando here, but if you’re leaving a school where you have a scholly, it probably would be reasonably good form to inform the athletic department.
txhawkeye - January 4, 2012
In order to go to another school, he has to tell them
To get released from his scholarship and to look at any other school. It’s a fairly formal process. Kirk would know if it was happening, especially this quick.
One Night Stanzi - January 4, 2012
Although, KF really could have not known.
And MM could have walked into the office and told him. Still, not surprising I guess.
One Night Stanzi - January 4, 2012
Yes, but
that’s also the type thing that KF always says. And it was couched more in terms of “I haven’t heard anything to indicate he won’t be here”, lot of wiggle room in that.
HoyaGoon - January 4, 2012
He's not not going to be here, that I know of.
Yea, KF has never mis-lead the media either.
The Bacon Explosion - January 4, 2012
I think it is clear that KF will not allow players to use social media
in ways he does not accept or approve. I expect in the next decade football recruits will all be muzzled on social media during football season. I mean, this is a guy (KF) who has never allowed freshmen to be interviewed. And he has some sort of control over interviews. So freshman on social media, forget it. Meyer at OSU just banned it for all players. I expect the days of big time football programs allowing it is coming to a close.
StoopsMyAss - January 4, 2012
I'm not sure the genie goes back in the bottle that easily.
It’d be a good test of how much control football coaches have over the lives of their players.
Cattlefeeder - January 4, 2012
If coaches say you cannot underage drinking it won't stop it but they have control over the consequences
and that is what I think is going to change. I expect Iowa and other programs to say, first offense one game suspension, second offense the season, third offense, gone. Then, if guys want to tweet, they know the deal.
StoopsMyAss - January 4, 2012
FWIW, I am coming to the conclusion that "who" we use in the backfield is not nearly as relevant
as it might be at other schools. We do prefer big, bruising backs with ability if we can find them but the KOK system is largely indifferent to the players ability. At Iowa, players develop their running style around the Iowa run game, not vice versa. I think this is a mistake too.
The more I watch the better OCs in the country take full advantage of the sometimes unique talent they have on the roster while we do little to leverage, for example, Derby’s potential or build in plays to take advantage of what Canzeri brings to the table, the more frustrated I get. I should have seen this more clearly before, but our offense is much more of a rigid system than ever was our defense (under Norm) and the most important athletes other than the QB on our offense, are the O-line.
StoopsMyAss - January 4, 2012
that's one of the truest things i've ever read
the most important athletes other than the QB on our offense, are the O-line.
a rigid system, indeed. and i’m not even sure athletic is the adjective i would use for qb, but maybe just smart. read the blitz, see the zone, audible to the play action, etc. i suppose being able to actually execute the play action is another thing
sailorjerry - January 4, 2012
In other words, it might not matter if a RB ever sees his senior year under Ferentz, but
if he does, that is just gravy.
StoopsMyAss - January 4, 2012
I think it does make something of difference in the passing game
it would be nice to have some guys who have learned how to pass block effectively. That seems to be a skill that takes a little while to develop.
Iowa’s offense needs an attitude adjustment. The “everything according to plan” look on the qb’s face after the 15th three-and-out of the game is getting old. They are content to let the defense win games, which, if I was on the defense, I would resent like hell.
Lycurgus - January 4, 2012
I don't think that has anything to do with McCall's suspension or depature.
Social media, that is.
H I McDonnough - January 4, 2012
Have we ever considered performing a sacrifice to appease AIRBHG before the season?
just a little blood letting or virgin offering….
In all seriousness, we all knew he was gone after the Purdue game. Good luck to him, I honestly hope he goes somewhere and just tears it up. Maybe teach KF a lesson…yeah right
IAinCA - January 4, 2012
Who knows,
but I bet Kirk will Facebook poke McCall every single day just to teach him a lesson.
Give Eddie a Beer - January 4, 2012
/snort
As if a manual typewriter can connect to facebook…
/writesinnotepad
Grixxly - January 4, 2012
"Coach Ferentz's secretary keeps friend-requesting me on Facebook!"
SomeJerkPoster - January 4, 2012
We could probably learn a thing or two from Pedro Cerano on performing sacrifices or making offerings to the gods
Fuck you, jobu
Nickhawk08 - January 4, 2012
Hey!!! Was that Adam’s real ultimate sacrifice?
txhawkeye - January 4, 2012
This smells an awful lot like Paki is involved
I mean, he can’t let just anyone wear #25 and try to play running back at Iowa.
Herky T Hawk - January 4, 2012
I'm not that upset. Garmon seems like a capable replacement coming in.
And if Mccall was just butthurt about being suspended for something he probably deserved, cya later.
clay-born to party - January 4, 2012
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