I hear that the entire local lineup on the afternoon show at KJJC has been fired. Gone are Dave Bingham, Todd Roland and Chuck Shockley.

The word is that Bob Dyer, the boss, informed Bingham, Roland and Shockley that it was the bank’s decision to cut back. However, others are saying that’s not the case. Instead, they say the new owners of the station made the decision.

Now people are wondering about the future of KJJC, which was the pioneer in sports-talk radio in these parts, if the new owners are already cutting back and won’t start paying the bills until next month when they take over.

Instead of local programming, KJJC is carrying syndicated ESPN shows in the afternoon.

Obviously, the changes at KJJC mean it’s another victory for KXNO, the only other sports-talk station remaining in central Iowa. Steve Deace, the popular afternoon host on KXNO, now has no local competition.

Larry Cotlar, the former afternoon host on KXNO, has moved to mornings at the station.

I hear that Bingham is going full-tilt into his video business, and Roland will work for him. Bingham may also start being a high school football correspondent for the KXNO afternoon show.

Wallace passed for 361 yards and ran for 30 yards in the Cyclones’ 36-31 victory.

When asked about quarterbacks, and why Wallace so far hasn’t been mentioned among the cream of the crop nationally, Ferentz said, "I don’t pretend to be a national expert. But in my 3 ½ years here, we’ve faced some pretty good quarterbacks.

"There are two—actually three because we faced Eric Crouch of Nebraska, too—who jump out at me. With all due respect, the two best players we’ve played against were Antwaan Randle El (of Indiana) and Wallace.

"Randle El was a running quarterback who could throw. Wallace is a throwing quarterback who can run. I think he’s a great leader and he’s got a much better surrounding cast around him (than Randle El). Seneca is a very special player.’’

Ferentz said, "I’m not here to toot his horn for the Heisman Trophy—I don’t think he needs anybody to do that if they take the time to watch him. He can beat you in a lot of ways.

"The biggest play in our game was a third-and-11 conversion. On a rollout to the left, when he was almost on the boundary line, he threw the ball back across the field and, quite frankly, our man on the receiver let up a little because most mortals couldn’t make that throw. But he put the ball right there. I can’t imagine there are many greater than him.’’

Ferentz said again what a tough loss it was to Iowa State.

"Everybody in our program was hurting and bleeding Sunday, and it probably lingered into Monday,’’ he said. "But we have to push forward or more bad things will happen.’’

The Hawkeyes are 19-point favorites to improve their record to 3-1 Saturday when they play Utah State.

"How much?’’ I heard a guy ask one vendor.

"They’re free,’’ the vendor said. "Want one?’’

"No,’’ the fan said. "I’ve already read the local paper.’’

Later, I noticed that large piles of the newspaper were lying on street corners. Obviously, not many takers. The vendors had disappeared and many of the papers were flying all over the sidewalk.

Somehow, I’m thinking the newspaper company was going to try to claim the Saturday giveaway – even the papers that were left in a pile – as paid circulation to impress advertisers.

Maybe the fact that the Register keeps giving away papers – don’t forget the recent Sunday paper giveaway on Tuesdays – is why publisher Mary Stier told members of the Register’s 20-Year Club last night that circulation figures were up.

All I know is that, in the latest Audit Bureau of Circulation report last spring, the Register’s daily and Sunday circulation numbers had fallen for the 18^th consecutive year since the Gannett Co. bought the paper.

By the way, I wonder what the people who paid 75 cents for their Saturday Register earlier in the day were thinking when they saw the free copies being given away outside Kinnick Stadium.