I’m late with today’s column. My apologies – I was at a wedding in Fort Collins last night, blissfully unaware of what was happening in Iowa City. I saw the score and the insane Tim Dwight-like punt return from Kaden Wetjen – wearing the right shoes this week – and that was it. Saturday can be fun when you’re playing a total punching bag like this and you don’t have to pay full attention to anything. Iowa got a “get right” game here, and it’s exactly what the doctor ordered. You can’t take a ton
from this given UMass is in such bad shape right now, but whatever – Iowa needed a big number on the board this week, and they got it.
This week, it was all about records, though it feels a little anticlimactic hitting two huge records last night against such an overmatched opponent. Kirk Ferentz is now at 206 wins, and Mark Gronowski is at 51 as a starter. Ferentz is now the Big Ten wins leader, pulling out of a tie with Woody Hayes, while Gronowski owns the D-I record. Both numbers seem unattainable for anyone trying to best them.
Gronowski looked more decisive in his throws and quicker in his reads. He flashed on the first Iowa drive, hitting Sam Phillips for a big chunk play right away. It’s nice turning this game on when I returned home and seeing that immediately – Iowa was averaging a tad over 3 yards per pass attempt through their first two games. First pass attempt of the game from Gronowski was the shot to Phillips, a 45-yard gain, and I’m oh-so-happy to see Iowa actually attempt to stretch a team.
As for Kirk – 206 wins is a crazy number. Pay no attention to the morons on social media, the folks downplaying it. 206 wins, at Iowa, is remarkable. Iowa has 676 win per Sports Reference and Kirk has 206 of them. The program has 11 10-win seasons – Kirk is the owner of eight of those 11 seasons, and he was an assistant for the other three. Have their been frustrations? Sure. He has a long enough tenure that of course there will be things you don’t like (the offense, frustrating losses, to name just two.) But he’s done a damn good job at Iowa, and will for awhile longer barring something unforeseen.
Other thoughts:
- UMass was overmatched in this, but it wasn’t all perfect from Iowa. Weirdly special teams had a mixed evening, even with spectacular returns from Wetjen. Iowa had a punt blocked that led to the only score of the night for the Minutemen. Drew Stephens also missed a field goal, though it looked better than a kick last week that I thought he had definitely hooked. Minor issues, but things are about to get real with Rutgers on Friday night.
- Iowa’s defense held UMass to 8 first downs, 119 yards of offense, and 5 three-and-outs. Not a bad day at the office. It would have been a shutout were it not for the punt block.
- Quick look around the league – geez UCLA is bad. That Nico Iamaleava swap has been a full-0n disaster for the Bruins. Minnesota lost in Berkeley last night. Woof. Iowa isn’t the only team with struggles in the pass game – Northwestern had just 135 yards passing against Oregon, Wisconsin clocked in at 117 at Alabama, and UCLA is struggling as mentioned.
