By Tyler Devine

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Iowa sophomore tight end Noah Fant got his swagger back at the expense of Minnesota on Saturday.

A week after dropping a game-ending pass in a 17-10 loss to Northwestern, Fant found redemption on a career-long 45-yard touchdown catch from sophomore quarterback Nate Stanley early in the second half that increased Iowa’s lead to 14-0.

Iowa would go on to win 17-10 to improve to 2-3 in Big Ten play and 5-3 overall.

Fant finished with 67 yards on three catches. One of those catches was on a key third down late in the game that allowed Iowa to continue to run time off the clock.

Fant’s fifth touchdown reception on the season changed the momentum of the game, and allowed Fant to move on from last week.

“Obviously last week was a big letdown,” Fant said. “I still lose sleep over it. We run the same play two times before that and one was for a first down and one was for a touchdown and that didn’t come out the way I wanted it to. But coming out this game and the result that we got it was a really good feeling and I’m just looking forward to the rest of the season.”

For Stanley, there was never any doubt that he was going to go back to the 6-foot-5, 232-pound Fant at some point, because Fant is just too good to ignore.

“That was part of our game plan and we know he has the ability to make plays every single week so that’s something that we want to take advantage of and he did a great job today,” Stanley said.

Fant used a touchdown celebration to get the crowd even more riled up as he pretended to row a boat, mocking the catchphrase that Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck coined.

Fant said he didn't mean any offense by the celebration and that he was just living in the moment.

“It was a little planned because I didn’t really know if I was going to go through with it,” Fant said. “As the game was going, it was a tight game and it was what it was. Obviously, no disrespect the them. I was just out there competing and having fun and having fun with my team. I think it was just a good momentum change for us and it was a good time.”

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz would like to see more of those kinds of plays from his offense, which has been consistently inconsistent over the course of the season.

“(Nate) threw a nice ball on that one,” Ferentz said. “Threw a nice one on the pick, too, ironically. That's kind of us. That's what I'm talking about, some of these plays… looks like it's a good play, boom, they got the ball. Those are the things we're going to have to get past if we're going to be able to keep climbing here.”

Injury report: Senior running back James Butler’s return to the Iowa lineup was not without a hiccup or two.

Butler rushed for 28 yards on 11 carries and coughed up a key fumble with Iowa driving just before halftime.

The 5-foot-9, 210-pound Butler played the game with a large brace on his right elbow.

Butler had been out since Iowa’s game against North Texas on Sep. 16.

“It was hard,” Butler said of sitting out. “The decision to come here was hard and then having never been injured in my career and my first one happens here senior year.”

Senior linebacker Josey Jewell also returned to the lineup after missing the Northwestern game with a shoulder injury.

For a competitor of Jewell’s caliber, sitting out one play is bad enough, but a whole game is a different story and he was going to do whatever it took to get back on the field.

“It sucked but you’ve got to find a way back on the field and be able to play through some pain,” Jewell said. 

Ferentz indicated after the game that senior offensive lineman Boone Myers had had surgery within the last week on his injured ankle and is unlikely to return during the regular season.

First pick: Junior free safety Jake Gervase recorded his first career interception on Saturday in place of the injured Brandon Snyder.

The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Gervase picked off a pass that was tipped by senior cornerback Josh Jackson late in the first quarter with Minnesota driving in the red zone.

“Those are huge,” Gervase said. “Anytime we can can off the field and keep them from scoring points, whether it’s a field goal or a touchdown that’s big for us. Getting off the field and giving the offense some momentum and giving them a chance to go score. Getting a turnover on downs or a turnover, whether it’s a pick or a fumble, that’s big for us.”

Gervase also recorded a career-high eight tackles.

Gervase started Iowa’s first five games this season in place of Snyder. 

Snyder then returned against Illinois, but has since been injured again, forcing Gervase back into the line up.

Gervase’s next-man-in attitude helps him stay focused when he is called upon.

“You’ve just got to stay focused,” Gervase said. “It’s not easy mentally. You want to be out there every play but the coaches have a game plan and if you’re in the game plan you’ve got to go out there and execute. Whenever your number is called, whether a guy gets injured or whether they switch the lineup you’ve got to be ready to go.”

Raising the Barr: Jewell led the team with 11 tackles. He has 18 career games with double-digit tackles. He now has 382 career tackles and passed Fred Barr on Saturday for seventh all-time in program history.

More than expected: The Iowa faithful braved a cold and windy night at Kinnick Stadium.

Saturday’s announced attendance was 66,292. Kinnick Stadium capacity is 70,585.

The temperature at kickoff was 42 degrees but dropped into the low 30s as the game went on.

“First of all, I wanted to thank our fans,” Ferentz said. “It was a great crowd. Playing night games in Kinnick, it's always special. Tonight was no exception. They were there start to finish. We certainly appreciate that."

Action Jackson: Jackson continued his reign as the Big Ten leader in pass breakups against Minnesota.

Jackson came into the game with 11 passes broken up and tacked on a career-high four pass breakups as he looked virtually unbeatable in pass coverage, allowing just one completed pass thrown his way for nine yards.

Not rowing the boat: If things had gone differently, Iowa freshman receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette could have been on the other sideline on Saturday.

The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Smith-Marsette was committed to Minnesota’s 2017 recruiting class for a short time before switching his commitment to Iowa shortly before signing day.

Smith-Marsette had also been committed to Rutgers for a time before Minnesota and Iowa.

He also had a scholarship offer from Boston College.

Floyd stays in town: Iowa has won 13 of the last 17 meetings in the battle for Floyd of Rosedale. The Hawkeyes have won the last eight games in the series played in Iowa City and three consecutive games overall in the series.

“Obviously we're thrilled to get the victory in a rivalry game," Ferentz said. "Any time you play in this series, it tends to be a tough, hard-fought, competitive game. This one was no different. Really outstanding for our guys to be able to bring the trophy back into the locker room, hoist it, for our seniors to enjoy that. Nice to know we'll have possession of it for another year.”

Snyder squared?: Brandon Snyder’s younger brother Jaden Snyder announced on Twitter after the game that he had been offered a preferred walk-on opportunity at Iowa.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Jaden Snyder has yet to receive a scholarship offer from any school, but has been shown interested by Iowa State, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Wadley passes two greats: Senior running back Akrum Wadley's 12-yard touchdown rush in the first quarter was his 30th career touchdown. He is the sixth player in program history to score 30 career touchdowns. Wadley has 3,182 career all-purpose yards, 12th most in program history. He passed Owen Gill and Fred Russell on Iowa's all-time list tonight.

Quick hitters: Senior receiver Matt VandeBerg has at least one reception in 27 consecutive games played. He has 125 career receptions, 11th all-time, and 1,589 receiving yards, 17th all-time. He passed Ed Hinkel on Iowa’s all-time list for receiving yards on Saturday…Iowa scored on its opening possession for the first time this season…Five of Iowa’s games this season have been decided by one possession. Iowa is 2-3 in those games…Sophomore defensive end Anthony Nelson tied a career high on Saturday, recording his sixth sack on the season…Junior receiver Nick Easley had a team-high five receptions. He has led Iowa in receptions six times this season.