Up until Saturday, South Dakota State legend Mark Gronowski had said all the right things and made all the right moves as Iowa's new $2 million quarterback — including a seemingly breathtaking, tight-window sideline laser last week that made viral waves.

But until Saturday, the Hawkeyes' eigth August camp practice, Gronowski had not performed in front of the media nor Iowa fans.

So, how'd he do in a non-contact, 11-on-11 scrimmage? The numbers: 10-for-20, 134 yards and a pick-six. Not awesome. But there were highlights that should have Hawkeye fans excited.

Why? Veteran Iowa reporter Chad Leistikow of the Des Moines Register breaks down Gronowski's first public quarterback performance in black-and-gold, plus offers a litany of reasons why Gronowski should be the first Hawkeye QB in a decade to make the long-downtrodden offense move if not sparkle enough to make Iowa a Top 25 national team near the top of the Big Ten standings.

In other words, Gronowski has some tools to be not just a breath of fresh air that can cross a low QB bar at "Punt U," but a bona fide difference maker like he was with the Jackrabbits.

Before Leistikow, Happy Hour host John Gaskins delivers local highlights of the first NFL preseason games over the weekend. While these games are mostly non-reflective of what we'll see on real NFL Sundays, a couple of former South Dakota State running backs had their time to shine.

Amar Johnson is playing to make the Green Bay Packers' final 53-man roster, and he took a giant leap — and a Lambeau Leap! — in scoring the only Pack touchdown against the New York Jets. Hear legend Kevin Harlan's call, plus what Johnson said after the game. In the same game, Johnson's SDSU RB teammate Isaiah Davis, threw a block on a Justin Fields touchdown that you'll also hear and/or see.

Meanwhile, hear what did Minnesota Vikings radio analyst and former linebacker Ben Leber say about J.J. McCarthy's one and only series leading the Vikings against a mostly third/fourth string Houston Texans defense, plus who were other "winners" of Saturday's scrimmage in the Purple Palace.

A few blocks away, the Luke Keaschall Lovefest continued as the flourishing fresh face of the "call-up" group after the trade deadline fire sale hit a walk-off home run on Sunday to give the Minnesota Twins a dramatic series win over Kansas City. How excited and invested does this make us for the rest of the season for a squad that has won five of seven games and is "just" 5.5 games back of the last American League wild card spot?

Locally, the legend of Jabari Henry just keeps growing, as a week full of epic "Bari Bombs" at The Birdcage continued for the playoff-bound (for now) Sioux Falls Canaries.