I apologize right now if this is slightly incoherent or I forget something important. My running notes during the game were all over the place with the obscene errors Iowa committed in their almost unbelievable 13-10 loss to – let’s be honest – a poor Minnesota team that sends Floyd of Rosedale north for a year. Gross.
How do you lose a game like this? Well, let’s count the ways.
- Minnesota blocks a punt on Iowa’s first drive which led to a Minnesota field goal. Iowa gifted them 3 points right away. Immediately, the odds of winning drop in that scenario.
- Iowa’s second drive makes it all the way inside the Minnesota 10, but the Hawkeyes get no points on the drive due to a Minnesota interception at the 2. Jeremy Hecklinski was feeling himself there, a strange side arm throw, and then he got in his head with some head-scratching decisions that had Kirk Ferentz making faces. After a brief punt fest, Iowa picks Drake Lindsay off. But they only get a field goal out of it and Hecklinski nearly throws his second pick of the game. 3-3, but Iowa’s already off-kilter.
- The Hawkeyes then decide after that drive to switch to Hank Brown, but Brown didn’t look right. Even with him looking off, Iowa had a drive going end of the half. Brown was going to throw the ball into the ground and settle for a field goal but the ball is somehow caught by a defensive tackle for an interception and Iowa wastes another chance. So a blocked punt, a interception at the Minnesota 2, and a pick in field goal range that is caught by a defensive tackle. Ominous.
- Iowa also lost Kamari Moulton to an injury that looked bad on TV. Bad execution plus bad luck.
Then things got wobbly and starting going off the rails.
- Minnesota’s lone good drive outside of the final drive of the game – which was kept alive because Lindsay somehow avoided a sack – should have died at the Iowa 1 immediately after halftime, but Jaylen Watson’s way offsides so Minnesota got a fifth play that ends in a touchdown.
- Iowa then put the ball on the ground constantly, finally losing a fumble through Braedon Jackson (this was just a great play by Minnesota. Iowa managed to recover fumbles from LJ Phillips and Brown.) Iowa also had another strange interception, a Reece Vander Zee catch for a first down that instead popped up in the air for a pick. You see stuff like that and all you can think is, “This isn’t our day, even with the defense playing lights out.”
It felt like Iowa was dead, then things somehow got even more crazy.
- Brown, with what felt like a still-injured shoulder, slings a dart to Tony Diaz for a huge play. Then he zips another pass to Vander Zee for a touchdown and suddenly it’s tied. Two great throws by Brown there. Which felt like they came out of nowhere – he was checking down a lot, and then he throws two perfect passes, with velocity, for big plays.
Then the crazy meter broke.
- Iowa looked to have picked off a pass on Minnesota’s next drive. This turned out to be the play of the game. If Jacob Wallace holds onto that pick, I fully believe Iowa wins this and we’re all breathing a huge sigh of relief. Played easily our worst game of the year, but we stole this and the playoff hopes are alive. Alas, Wallace couldn’t corral the throw and Minnesota punted. Evan James snags the punt and returns it inside the Minnesota 40, but he’s stripped (the FIFTH TIME IOWA HAS FUMBLED I CAN BARELY TYPE THIS.) Minnesota’s punter recovered it at the 20. BUT – Minnesota’s in an illegal formation so they have to re-punt. Evans gets a short return to the Iowa 42 – good field position – but Iowa’s called for a block in the back. Iowa then cannot convert a third down, a throw that, if on target, DJ Vonnahme might have scored. But, Brown misses the throw. Minnesota gets the ball back. And they win it on a field goal at the horn after Lindsay barely avoided a sack that would have given Iowa the ball back with a final shot to win.
What an agonizing night. I usually dislike when Kirk Ferentz trots out the “execution” line. What does that even mean? Saturday left no doubt what that means. That was all execution, or lack thereof, from Iowa. When you put the ball on the ground that many times, you throw three interceptions (two of them really unlucky, but they count all the same), AND have a punt blocked…well, that’s execution.
Saturday was the peak of frustration for Iowa football. Iowa didn’t play well, but even with all of the issues above they still could have won. It would have been a steal, but we’ve seen Iowa steal countless games like that before. This time they couldn’t do it and it’s really down to execution. That loss likely gave a playoff spot away. It’s another night where Iowa’s defense was great – Minnesota was at 165 yards of offense prior to the winning drive – but the offense dropped the ball and with it, the game. A half-competent offensive performance and Iowa’s comfortably 6-1. But when Iowa’s offense is giving the ball away and has the ball on the ground FIVE TIMES…well, there you go. No need to add anything. The odds of winning are low. Iowa F’d around and, well, they found out.
