The Iowa football team’s performance against Minnesota on Saturday wasn’t top-notch, nor was it even effective for long stretches of time on offense.

It was enough, though, for the Hawkeyes to prevail 14-7 in a game that both teams desperately needed to win.

Iowa showed that it still has some serious issues that need to be addressed. But it just doesn’t seem quite as pressing after a victory, especially when the opponent is a Big Ten border rival that many Iowa fans probably picked to win.

Saturday’s game at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis was just as important to Minnesota as it was for Iowa, and yet, the Gophers couldn’t get it done, losing to an Iowa team that had lost two of its last three games, along with the confidence of some fans.

“I’m just really happy for our football team right now,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said on post-game radio show. “I’m really proud of those guys. I thought they showed a lot of resilience, a lot of perseverance out there, and really had to battle today.

“And when you go on the road, that’s the way it is. This is a big rivalry game and I’m just really proud of the grit the guys showed.”

This was hope being restored, thanks largely to an Iowa defense that finally rose to the occasion.

Minnesota entered Saturday’s game averaging 36 points and 228.3 rushing yards per contest. Running backs Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks had their moments, but not enough to alter the course of the game.

Minnesota’s passing attack was woeful, with exception to three completions on the final drive that finally ended when Gopher quarterback Mitch Leidner threw an incomplete pass in the corner of the Iowa end zone.

The Gophers were so inept at times on Saturday that it looked as if they just learned on Monday that the forward pass was allowed in football.

But you have to give Iowa’s defense much of the credit for that.

The Hawkeyes were physical in the trenches, along with being fundamentally sound, and they tackled much better in space than in the losses to Northwestern and North Dakota State.

“I’m just really proud of the defense,” Ferentz said. “It’s probably the first time this season where we really played the run the way you need to. So that’s a big step for us.”

The step wouldn’t have felt nearly as big in a loss, though.

A loss magnifies everything that is wrong with a team, while a victory changes the narrative to winning is all that matters.

There are no style points in football, only wins and losses. And Iowa earned a huge win on Saturday, while improving to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes also have won eight consecutive road games.

Iowa defeated Rutgers by the same score of 14-7 in the Big Ten opener on Sept. 24 in New Brunswick, N.J. It isn’t the kind of score that would wow anybody, but a win is still a win.

Some probably will try to label Saturday’s victory over the Gophers as a season-saving win, but it’s too early for that because what if Iowa should lose at Purdue next Saturday? The Boilermakers improved to 3-2 by defeating Illinois in overtime on Saturday.

Iowa stayed relevant in the race for the West Division title by winning on Saturday. And Floyd of Rosedale – the bronze statue of a pig that goes to winner in this game – gets to stay in Iowa City for another year.

The offensive line still is a work in progress, as is the Iowa running game and passing attack. Nothing came easy for the Hawkeyes on Saturday, except for Akrum Wadley’s 54-yard game-winning touchdown run in the fourth quarter in which he barely was touched.

But it’s easier to keep grinding after a victory.

“Most important is that we came here, got the trophy and got our (win) and now it’s time to get back to Iowa City,” said Iowa All-America cornerback Desmond King, who had another solid performance on Saturday.

It took the Iowa running game some time to get rolling, but the Hawkeyes still racked up 179 rushing yards while running behind a new-look offensive line.

The same five players started on the offensive line for Iowa on Saturday, but three of the players switched positions. Boone Myers switched from left guard to left tackle. Ike Boettger switched from right tackle to left guard, and Cole Croston moved from left tackle to right tackle for Saturday’s game.

The two mainstays were James Daniels at center and Sean Welsh at right guard.

Ferentz said the changes on the offensive line came in attempt to get more voltage on offense. The changes on worked on Saturday simply because Iowa prevailed.

Senior quarterback C.J. Beathard took some shots in the pocket and was pressured at times. But for the most part, Ferentz liked what he saw from the offensive line on Saturday.

Ferentz tried to downplay it on his post-game radio show when Iowa play-by-play announcer Gary Dolphin said he was concerned that Beathard wouldn’t last another six games if he kept taking hits like he did on Saturday.

“This might crazy, but I actually thought our protection was better today,” Ferentz said. “I thought we made strides. One-on-one, the way we competed I thought was better.

“There are some things, obviously, we missed a couple blitzes, some by the line, some by the backs. Those are things that we’ll continue to work on. But I thought we took a step forward there.”

The Iowa passing attack was average at best on Saturday. The pocket still collapsed too many time and receivers still struggled to get separation.

But there were signs that the offense is evolving, including two attempts to get freshman tight end Noah Fant the ball downfield. It didn’t work, but trying is the first step.

You also wonder if Ferentz might try letting King play some on offense because King probably has the most voltage of any player on the team. Get King in space a few times as a slot receiver and just see what happens.

There were lots of things that didn’t work for Iowa on Saturday. But the scoreboard is all that mattered after the game.

And it was working just fine.