What a weird football experience.
After two gut punch losses, the hardest part of this game was going to be getting up against a 3-7 opponent that looks destined to finish 0-9 in the league, Michigan State’s
first winless campaign in Big Ten play since going 0-5-1 in 1958. For 55 minutes Iowa looked like they decided to stay down instead, giving us 55 minutes of pure anguish and disgust. That was easily – EASILY – the worst 3+ quarters of the season. Probably the worst stretch for a couple of seasons, going back to Brian Ferentz. The worst quarterback play since, well, Michigan State last year? Northwestern and Cade McNamara’s arm punt pick in that game? Back to Deacon Hill?
Iowa brought Mark Gronowski in to go up a level. That hasn’t happened. It’s great that he’s a superb running threat. I love that part of his game. But he’s a super expensive running back, a version of Taysom Hill that goes 28 minutes without completing a pass. And hey – that can work. The New Orleans Saints actually won games with him in spot starts. But ultimately it doesn’t work.
But then suddenly it does! Then it’s 5 minutes of big plays, on-time throws, next-level punt returns, a stop, incredible receiver play – Iowa making catches on fades and those under-thrown passes that always seem to be caught against Iowa, but never caught by Iowa’s receivers – and another game-winner from Drew Stephens for a theft of a win by Iowa.
Whew.
That would have been a horrendous loss. Let’s be real. Michigan State is a bad team. Really bad. Jonathan Smith looks like dead man walking as the head coach already, and it’s only Year 2 (coaching malpractice everywhere from Smith). They were giving up nearly 35 points per game in league play going into the weekend. They give up nearly 200 yards rushing a game. So naturally Iowa would only score 20 and struggle for long stretches in the run game. I don’t know where it would have ranked on the all-time bad loss list under Kirk Ferentz, but it would’ve been in contention to make the cut.
But then Gronowski snapped out of whatever the heck was going on for 55 minutes, Kaden Wetjen turned into Tim Dwight again – I cannot believe Michigan State punted to him as many times as they did; you fire the special teams coordinator as soon as you land in East Lansing – and Iowa goes to Lincoln for the 7-4 Bowl with Nebraska. Weird game, weird day. Weird season. Weird everything. Take the win, go home, hope Iowa’s got a clean bill of health for next week and pile some misery on the Huskers.
Other thoughts:
- Seriously what was that from Gronowski?? The interception he threw on the deep ball to Wetjen…I don’t know where that ranks on the list of bad throws from Gronowski this season, but it’s way up there. Then the fumble on an attempted shovel pass…equally head-scratching. For a time right before his first completion deep in the second quarter, Gronowski’s passer rating was -50. I didn’t know that was possible. He was a beat (or more) late all day. He hesitated on so many throws. It’s been a problem all season. The horror show extended into the second half, where we got a quarterback doink.
- That’s two starting portal quarterbacks Iowa’s signed in three years and neither hit the levels we hoped they’d hit. McNamara’s legs went right as he got to Iowa, and Gronowski’s really a hybrid, an excellent runner with a good arm but shaky accuracy. Whoever succeeds him is hopefully on the roster right now and will have another spring in the system so they are ready to go next fall. We can’t have the pass game be this bad next season.
- BUT – Gronowski then does this. One read, playing instead of thinking, and he makes perhaps his best throw as a Hawkeye. Great throw, even better catch by Jacob Gill. On the next drive, he found Reece Vander Zee – under-utilitzed Saturday – on that under-thrown ball that ended in another excellent catch:
- Drew Stephens has had a wild ride at Iowa. Remember the slump he had late in his sophomore season? That would have derailed most careers. Now he’s at four game-winners and counting.
- He also got to show off how big his leg is. Yes, he missed the long attempt right before half. Did you see how high up on the net that kick was? That was a good from 70. That hit the net just below the top of the upright. What a leg. Too bad it wasn’t on target.
- We’ve made it this far and only scant references to Mr. Wetjen, the new school record-holder for returns in a career. I didn’t think anyone would ever pass Dwight, yet we’ve had two guys near or now above his level as a returner in three years. What a player. His three punt returns this year are tied for second all-time in a single season in Big Ten history, behind Ted Ginn, Jr.‘s four returns in 2004, and his four punt returns are topped only by Dwight’s five.
- I don’t know what to make of this team at the moment. They’re a little luck – more bad turnover luck on Saturday – and maybe two players away from being really, really good.
- To the comments and on to Lincoln!
