Well. Iowa lost a game on the road where our special teams play was horrible, and they were horrible in bad situations to be horrible in:
A punt on the 7. A kickoff return after a momentum changing TD. They did better in the second half. That is an improvement.
Arizona deserves credit though: not many teams make Iowa's special teams look pedestrian, and they did last night.
After that, the Arizona D was able to pin their ears back and rush 6/7 guys on every play. Normally, Iowa is good about getting the ball into the flat or to the tight end in the space vacated by the blitzing defenders. That didn't happen last night.
Arizona's O-coordinator deserves a game ball. As Bentley said on The Pulse this week, it is possible to scheme a D-line out of the game. Arizona did that with an extremely accurate passing game and by picking on Micah Hyde.
Part of me feels that having Norm on the sidelines last night would have been a huge advantage for Iowa, as I think he would have made an adjustment to rotate a safety over the top of hyde and dropping Hyde into the flat, running a cover 3 with the Mike and OLB on Hyde's side playing hook zones and Hunter playing the flat on Prater's side. Probably would have seen some picks in that situation on the deep routes.
Secondly, the big picture meltdown. The best teams in the nation rarely go undefeated. Texas has had one undefeated season in the last ten years.
Florida 1. Ohio State 1. Alabama 1. USC 2. Auburn 1. Oklahoma 2, I think.
Not saying that Iowa will get back in the N.C. picture, but a loss early against a good team doesn't prevent it from being possible. This is college football, and as we saw yesterday (in several games), crazy things happen. Michigan has the best offensive player in the country and still almost lost to UMASS. Parity has come to college football.
Also, the Hawks can still win the B10 and go to a BCS game and win. The first goal of an undefeated season is gone, but the other goals are still on the table.
The other thing to remember is that the future still looks bright for next year. OLine will be returning, LB's returning, a good core on the DL returning, McNutt, Sash returning. Many WR returning, and HB's are returning. Backup QB is talented.
This Iowa team didn't quit on us last night. Let's not quit on them because Arizona beat us, at home, with the help of some fluke plays. Got to take the ball as it bounces.
A loss to a top 25 team shouldn't equal meltdown. If we lose to Ball State or Stanzi was hurt last night, then I'd understand. There was no shame in losing that game.
