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IOWA CITY, Iowa – It appears just like the Nico Ragaini of outdated is again in kind.
“I assumed Nico undoubtedly appeared like himself,” Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras mentioned after Saturday’s loss to Michigan.
Ragaini, a senior broad receiver who missed the primary two video games with a foot damage and has slowly rounded again into form, had a few brilliant moments Saturday for an offense searching for a ray of sunshine.
Petras discovered Ragini for an 18-yard achieve to the Michigan 2 on the ultimate play of the third quarter. However that play was wiped on when middle Logan Jones was penalized for pointless roughness.
Dealing with a 3rd and 22 state of affairs from the Wolverines’ 30 two performs later, Petras discovered Ragaini once more for a 28-yard achieve to the two on the ultimate play of the third quarter. Freshman working again Kaleb Johnson scored to start out the ultimate quarter.
Ragaini completed the sport with six targets and 4 catches for 55 yards within the 27-14 defeat.
“Every day I really feel like I’m getting higher,” Ragaini mentioned. “I do know I made some errors. We’ve simply obtained to maintain pushing by way of and we’ll get there.”
The Hawkeyes take a 3-2 report to surging Illinois on Saturday. Ragaini thinks the offense can be coming off its greatest efficiency of the season over the ultimate 16 minutes of the Michigan sport.
“Because the season goes on, good groups proceed to get higher,” Ragaini mentioned. “We’re 3-2 proper now, however the season’s not over and our objectives are nonetheless there. We’ve simply obtained to push ahead and proceed to develop because the 12 months goes on.”
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It’s taken time, however Petras is lastly beginning to get some extra targets to throw to on offense. Ragaini is one instance of that. So is backup tight finish Luke Lachey had a career-best 4 catches for 84 yards towards Michigan. That included his first profession landing. Huge receiver Brody Brecht, who had one profession catch, added two extra towards the Wolverines for 38 yards.
“I assumed Brody made some very nice performs, which was cool to see,” Petras mentioned. “It was nice getting Nico again to full pace. We’ve obtained to get Diante and Keagan again, after which we’ll see the place we’re at then.”
Keagan Johnson has performed in only one sport due to a nagging hamstring damage. Iowa’s greatest playmaker among the many receivers, Johnson had two catches for 11 yards in a quick look towards Nevada. He had 18 catches for 352 yards and two touchdowns as a real freshman final season.
Sophomore Diante Vines has been out all season attributable to a damaged bone in his wrist. Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz mentioned that Vines could possibly be cleared to play after the Oct. 15 bye week.
“The excellent news is that he can run,” Ferentz mentioned. “He’ll be in nice form as a result of that’s all he can do is run. He can’t catch. However hopefully we’ll get him again, and he was doing rather well previous to his damage. So if we will get him again, you’re speaking a few man that is been round right here awhile, not only a first-year man. And that will assist. However we nonetheless don’t know what it’s going to seem like as soon as he will get cleared.”
A season that might go a technique or one other is reaching a vital level.
“Each sport goes to be a Massive Ten battle on the sphere,” Ragaini mentioned. “And pushing by way of it’s simply one thing that soccer gamers should do. I’m assured in everybody within the room and everybody on the workforce that we’re going to all push ahead and proceed to develop because the 12 months goes on.”
Requested what it could take to maintain everybody unified, Ragaini mentioned that was a tricky query to reply.
“I suppose that’s a query for every particular person in their very own head,” he mentioned. “If you happen to don’t wish to be part of this workforce and also you don’t wish to get higher, then get out. I think about everybody on this workforce that they wish to push by way of they usually wish to be on this workforce and have a comeback 12 months after these two losses.”
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