Iowa notebook: Hawkeyes keep Floyd with old-fashioned Big Ten win
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – If you didn’t know better, you would’ve thought that Saturday’s game between Iowa and Minnesota was played in the first half of the 20th century and not in the year 2016.
On a day when points and yards were hard to come by, Iowa found a way in the fourth quarter to get it done in a 14-7 victory over Minnesota at TCF Bank Stadium.
The game appeared to be heading in Minnesota’s favor in the fourth quarter as the Golden Gophers forced two of Iowa’s three turnovers on back-to-back possessions, including Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard’s second interception of the day with under seven minutes left to play.
The interception came just two plays after Beathard had returned to the game after taking a hit on a slide that broke the brace on his left knee.
Despite the forced turnovers, Minnesota still couldn’t get anything going on offense as Iowa would force a three-and-out on its next possession, still trailing 7-6.
It then only took one play to shift momentum in Iowa’s favor for the remainder of the contest.
On the first play of Iowa’s next possession, junior running back Akrum Wadley scampered around the left side and broke free nearly untouched and high-stepped into the end zone for a 54-yard touchdown run that would be the deciding factor in the battle for Floyd of Rosedale.
Senior running back LeShun Daniels ran for the two-point conversion, expanding Iowa’s to 14-7 in the fourth quarter.
"We ran that play in the first half and we went back to it," Wadley said. "They did a great job blocking, and George Kittle got the last man and all I had to do beat one and I was off to the races.
"Minnesota has a tough team. They’ve been winning. They have a great defense. Coach is always talking about embracing close games and we knew it was going to be a close game. It was about who was better today. It feels great in the locker room. We are definitely going to enjoy this one."
Minnesota would have a couple more chances to tie the game, including a nine-play, 70-yard final possession that made things interesting with two long pass completions that were both confirmed after official reviews.
Despite driving into the Iowa red zone, Minnesota fell short after a Leidner pass on fourth-and-15 that was intended for Brian Smith fell incomplete in the end zone, thanks partly to blanket coverage from Iowa senior cornerback Greg Mabin.
"You know, I already knew they were going to take their shot at me," Mabin said. "They did that that whole drive. Once I saw that guy go in motion I knew the quarterback saw one-on-one to the field so I knew he was going to take his chances. I just tried to stay steady and play underneath because we were in the red zone. I had to react and make a good play on the ball.
"It was definitely frustrating, but just like coach always says you have to keep pushing through and that’s exactly what I tried to do. I gave up those two big plays but I was able to come back and make a play for my team to help win."
Both teams were sluggish in the first two quarters and struggled to find their footing, combining for as many turnovers as points scored in the first half.
After forcing a Minnesota three-and-out, Iowa drove down to the Minnesota 4-yard line before being forced to bring Duncan on for a 22-yard field goal and the only points of the first half.
Beathard admitted after the game that there was work to be done on closing out drives and finishing in the red zone.
"We are going to need to work on finishing drives," Beathard said. "The defense did a good job giving us good field position a lot of the game, and we need to come out finishing."
Iowa would go on to force another turnover late in the second quarter, but could not turn it into points. True freshman Manny Rugamba read a Leidner pass perfectly and jumped in front to record his first career interception.
Iowa ran out the clock and settled for the 3-0 lead at halftime.
Iowa’s defense, which allowed an average of 195.5 rushing yards in its first to Big Ten games, held Minnesota to 102 yards rushing on 29 attempts.
Iowa improved to 4-2 overall on the season and 2-1 in Big Ten play.
Iowa goes on the road again next week in West Lafayette, Ind. to face Purdue, which defeated Illinois on overtime on Satureay to improve top 3-2 under embattled head coach Darrell Hazel.
Injury report: Iowa was at almost full strength on Saturday with exception to injured senior receiver Matt VandeBerg.
Beathard left the game for one play in the fourth quarter after breaking the brace on his left knee on an attempted slide.
Road warriors: Saturday’s victory was Iowa’s eighth consecutive win on the road. Entering today, the Hawkeyes’ road win streak tied for the fourth longest active streak in the nation.
Trophy time: Iowa has now won six consecutive rivalry trophy games. Iowa is 2-0 in trophy games so far in 2016. Iowa defeated Iowa State 42-3, in the battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy on Sept. 10.
"It’s big," Beathard said. "Being able to win such a close game, we needed this one. We needed to get back to winning, what it feels like to win, and celebrate in the locker room.
"I’d like to say that we wanted it more. We wanted this very bad. One of the goals in the offseason was to keep the trophies in the locker room and right now we’re 2-0 in trophy games."
Stat stuffers and streak enders: Wadley surpassed 1,000 career rushing yards on Saturday. The Newark, N.J. native finished with 107 yards on 13 attempts and one touchdown.
Wadley’s 54-yard scoring run is Iowa’s longest play from scrimmage this season. He also eclipsed 100 yards rushing for the second time this season and for the fifth time in his career.
Beathard surpassed 5,000 total yards of offense in his Iowa career on Saturday. The Franklin, Tenn., native entered the contest with 4,995 yards and finished with 149 total yards to increase his career total to 5,144 yards. Beathard completed 17-of-31 passes for 142 yards in Saturday’s game. He also completed passes to seven different receivers.
Beathard did not complete a touchdown pass during Saturday’s game, snapping his streak of nine straight games with a touchdown pass.
Red zone ready: Iowa was 2-for-2 in the red zone today, scoring two field goals. Iowa is 19-for-20 in the red zone this season, with 15 touchdowns and four field goals.
Familiar score: Iowa’s two victories in Big Ten play this season have been by the same score of 14-7. The Hawkeyes also defeated Rutgers 14-7 in the Big Ten opener on Sept. 24 in New Brunswick, N.J.