Iowa walked into Minneapolis with the Floyd of Rosedale trophy. They'll head back to Iowa City empty-handed after a 13-10 loss to the Gophers.
The Hawkeyes' offense was putrid for 99% of this game. They turned the ball over four times. They couldn't establish the ground game. And when they desperately needed a defensive stop, there was a breakdown on the back end.
Iowa was riding high off a big win over Washington before the bye week. Now they're left with way more questions than answers on the offensive side of the ball. It was a frustrating game that opens the door for plenty of well-deserved criticism.
Here are the biggest takeaways from Iowa's 13-10 road loss to Minnesota:
Iowa doesn't have a quarterback
There's an adage in football: when you have two quarterbacks, you have none.
Iowa is finding that out the hard way right now. Jeremy Hecklinski started this game.
Hecklinski went 9 of 16 for 62 yards and an interception. He was benched for Hank Brown, who proceeded to go 11 of 21 for 136 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions. Outside of two long completions to Tony Diaz and Reece Vander Zee, there was nothing happening.
It's a harsh reality for Iowa fans. This year's team once again has quarterback problems. Things looked promising early in the season. This game was a reminder that the Hawkeyes' quarterback of the future hasn't gotten snaps this season. It's back to the drawing board for Kirk Ferentz.
Iowa beat themselves
Four turnovers. A blocked punt. Six penalties. Two red zone opportunities that ended in three total points. Iowa didn't play a clean game at all, and it cost them. There were so many mistakes that came back to bite the Hawkeyes. The quarterbacks threw three interceptions. Running backs put the ball on the ground. A Reece Vander Zee drop led to one of the three picks. The blocked punt handed Minnesota three points.
Throw in so many poorly-timed penalties, and this was just an awful performance for the road team. Ferentz teams thrive on playing a clean game, forcing mistakes, and striking at the very end. Minnesota executed that playbook perfectly on Saturday. Iowa beat themselves.
The running game is a problem again
Fans thought that Iowa had fixed its run game against Washington. Saturday proved that performance out West was a mirage. Iowa finished with 30 carries for 90 yards as a team. L.J. Phillips Jr. was the leading rusher. He had 25 yards. All game long, the Hawkeyes tried and failed to establish the run game. Minnesota gave up over 300 rushing yards to Purdue two weeks ago. Iowa struggled to get back to the line of scrimmage.
Tim Lester's play calls were predictable. The offensive line got no push. And the Hawkeyes became incredibly one-dimensional. It was another game against a power conference opponent where the run game struggled mightily. It's been a problem all season, and it cost Iowa a win on Saturday.
The defense deserved better
Iowa's defense was outstanding in this game. They only allowed 209 total yards of offense. The Hawkeye defense had three sacks, 10 tackles for loss, and an interception courtesy of Deshaun Lee. Outside of the opening drive of the second half and a late breakdown on the final drive, this unit played a winning game. The offense didn't reward them.
It's one of the only positives from this game. Phil Parker's unit played great on Saturday. They deserved so much better than what they got from their offense.
College Football Playoff dreams are over
Whether people truly believed it or not, Iowa was a real contender for a College Football Playoff spot entering this game. Those hopes and dreams are completely over now. Even if Iowa wins out and finishes 10-2, which seems unlikely now, this loss is a resume killer. Losing to Ohio State is understandable. Losing like this to Minnesota is inexcusable.
Once again, the Hawkeyes' failure to truly address the quarterback position has cost them a chance at a special season. It's the same old song and dance for Iowa fans. A great defense is let down by a bad offense and suspect play from the most important position in sports. Iowa had played with fire against Iowa State and Michigan. They finally got burned.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football takeaways from Hawkeyes' Minnesota stumble
