JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
Last week, the Iowa football program was embarased in Minneapolis, losing to a bad Minnesota football team.
One week later, hosting the #13 ranked team in the nation, the Hawkeyes rolled out an old-school performance in their 24-16 win against Michigan, needing every second on the clock to secure the win.
For the first time in the history of the Hawkeye football program, Iowa has beaten Michigan three straight times. While these Wolverines do not resemble those of Michigan past, it's still history.
Iowa needed a great play from BJ Lowery as time had expired to preserve the win.
Michigan marched down the field and had the ball at the Iowa two-yard line with just :02 seconds left on the clock. Michigan called a slant from the wide receiver, similar to what Iowa ran on Michigan State with Marvin McNutt in 2009. McNutt's big body got inside position and he made the catch. Lowery did a good job of anticipating the throw in this game, and poked his hand in to break up the pass.
It was a big play. It was potentially a season saving play when Iowa really, really needed it.
The Hawks chose to sit in their base 4-3 defense during that last Michigan drive and the Wolverines never ran the ball once. Then, once Michigan made it down to the Iowa two-yard line with first and goal, the Hawkeyes blitzed Tyler Nielsen and Jordan Bernstine on four straight plays.
The Iowa defense played a whale of a game today in a season where you have not been able to say that. No, they didn't get any pressure on the passer with their front four, but they did a good job of containing Michigan's running game, which came into the contest averaging 253 yards per game, which was 8th best in the nation. They gained just 127 on 37 carries, which is a great day for this Iowa defense.
Quarterback Denard Robinson came into the game averaging 111 rushing yards per game and was held to just 55 yards on 12 carries. He was also knocked out of the game for one series, the third straight year where an Iowa defense has knocked a Michigan quarterback out of the game.
Jordan Bernstine had 15 tackles. Broderick Binns played one of the best contain games of his life and was a factor knocking down three passes. The Hawks came to play today and it took a full 60 minutes to accomplish the job. They held Michigan to 16 points when the Wolverines had been averaging 35 per game through their first eight.
On offense, the Hawkeyes were efficient enough, not spectacular. James Vandenberg was 14-21 for 171 yards and a touchdown. Marcus Coker had 29 carries for 132 yards and two scores, continuing his stellar play. He was also the lone ranger, as Iowa did not give a carry to any other running back in this game; Mika'il McCall did not play in this contest.
Marvin McNutt caught a career best nine passes for 101 yards, helping Iowa's offense gain 302 yards to just 323 for Michigan.
So what does it mean?
For one thing, there is no way to figure this team out on either side of the ball this year. If you would have told me Iowa would have scored 24 points and barely topped 300 yards for the game, I would have been more confident in Iowa losing the game. I never would have guessed Michigan would get 16. How in the heck do you figure a game like this after one of the worst losses in the last 20 years for the program?
It does mean that Iowa is still in control of its own destiny this year, as it hosts Michigan State next week, at Purdue the following week and on the road against Nebraska in the final game of the year. If Iowa wins out, it wins the Legends. If it loses once, it likely has no shot.
Iowa improves to 6-3 on the year, which means it will likely play in a bowl game for the 10th time in the last 11 years. That means 15 bowl practices for a team that returned the fewest starters of any in the Big Ten this year...that's big.
ESPN showed a stat during the game that said Iowa had lost more players to the NFL draft over the past two years than all but two teams in the FBS; USC (16) and Florida (13) are the only programs to have more draft picks than Iowa's 12. That doesn't include players like Allen Reisner or Brett Greenwood.
Today was all about heart and pride and an undermanned Iowa football team came out and smacked Michigan in the mouth, just the way they have done it in each of the past two seasons. Just like the past two years, it was Iowa who emerged the victor.
So at least for one more week, the Hawkeyes have kept hope alive...sometimes that's all it takes.
One week later, hosting the #13 ranked team in the nation, the Hawkeyes rolled out an old-school performance in their 24-16 win against Michigan, needing every second on the clock to secure the win.
For the first time in the history of the Hawkeye football program, Iowa has beaten Michigan three straight times. While these Wolverines do not resemble those of Michigan past, it's still history.
Iowa needed a great play from BJ Lowery as time had expired to preserve the win.
Michigan marched down the field and had the ball at the Iowa two-yard line with just :02 seconds left on the clock. Michigan called a slant from the wide receiver, similar to what Iowa ran on Michigan State with Marvin McNutt in 2009. McNutt's big body got inside position and he made the catch. Lowery did a good job of anticipating the throw in this game, and poked his hand in to break up the pass.
It was a big play. It was potentially a season saving play when Iowa really, really needed it.
The Hawks chose to sit in their base 4-3 defense during that last Michigan drive and the Wolverines never ran the ball once. Then, once Michigan made it down to the Iowa two-yard line with first and goal, the Hawkeyes blitzed Tyler Nielsen and Jordan Bernstine on four straight plays.
The Iowa defense played a whale of a game today in a season where you have not been able to say that. No, they didn't get any pressure on the passer with their front four, but they did a good job of containing Michigan's running game, which came into the contest averaging 253 yards per game, which was 8th best in the nation. They gained just 127 on 37 carries, which is a great day for this Iowa defense.
Quarterback Denard Robinson came into the game averaging 111 rushing yards per game and was held to just 55 yards on 12 carries. He was also knocked out of the game for one series, the third straight year where an Iowa defense has knocked a Michigan quarterback out of the game.
Jordan Bernstine had 15 tackles. Broderick Binns played one of the best contain games of his life and was a factor knocking down three passes. The Hawks came to play today and it took a full 60 minutes to accomplish the job. They held Michigan to 16 points when the Wolverines had been averaging 35 per game through their first eight.
On offense, the Hawkeyes were efficient enough, not spectacular. James Vandenberg was 14-21 for 171 yards and a touchdown. Marcus Coker had 29 carries for 132 yards and two scores, continuing his stellar play. He was also the lone ranger, as Iowa did not give a carry to any other running back in this game; Mika'il McCall did not play in this contest.
Marvin McNutt caught a career best nine passes for 101 yards, helping Iowa's offense gain 302 yards to just 323 for Michigan.
So what does it mean?
For one thing, there is no way to figure this team out on either side of the ball this year. If you would have told me Iowa would have scored 24 points and barely topped 300 yards for the game, I would have been more confident in Iowa losing the game. I never would have guessed Michigan would get 16. How in the heck do you figure a game like this after one of the worst losses in the last 20 years for the program?
It does mean that Iowa is still in control of its own destiny this year, as it hosts Michigan State next week, at Purdue the following week and on the road against Nebraska in the final game of the year. If Iowa wins out, it wins the Legends. If it loses once, it likely has no shot.
Iowa improves to 6-3 on the year, which means it will likely play in a bowl game for the 10th time in the last 11 years. That means 15 bowl practices for a team that returned the fewest starters of any in the Big Ten this year...that's big.
ESPN showed a stat during the game that said Iowa had lost more players to the NFL draft over the past two years than all but two teams in the FBS; USC (16) and Florida (13) are the only programs to have more draft picks than Iowa's 12. That doesn't include players like Allen Reisner or Brett Greenwood.
Today was all about heart and pride and an undermanned Iowa football team came out and smacked Michigan in the mouth, just the way they have done it in each of the past two seasons. Just like the past two years, it was Iowa who emerged the victor.
So at least for one more week, the Hawkeyes have kept hope alive...sometimes that's all it takes.
