Three Thoughts on Rutgers Football's loss to Iowa
Rutgers Football suffered its first loss of the season after falling to Iowa 38-28 at SHI Stadium.
Here are three thoughts after the game….
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MISTAKES DOOM THE SCARLET KNIGHTS
Unlike years past where Rutgers and Iowa played defensive battles, this was an offensive showing that saw the Scarlet Knights take a 28-24 lead with 9:44 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Perhaps the biggest moment in the game came with 7:55 left when Rutgers seemingly stopped Iowa on 3rd-and-8 from its own 33. However, Al-Shadee Salaam was called for defensive holding, leading to a free first down and the go-ahead score for the Hawkeyes.
“It’s 28-24 with about eight minutes left and we make a big third-down stop, and that was a crushing blow,” head coach Greg Schiano said. “But there were so many things, there was not one play, we made too many mistakes against a very good football team tonight.”
If Rutgers was going to come out of this one with the win, it was going to need to play a near-perfect game. So, when Iowa forced Athan Kaliakmanis into his first interception of the season on the next drive, it was essentially good afternoon and goodnight as the Hawkeyes turned it into a two-score lead with 2:14 remaining.
NOT-SO SPECIAL SPECIAL TEAMS
Another area that Rutgers needed to patch up to come away with the win came from a surprising area: the special teams.
Not only did the Scarlet Knights give up a 104-yard kickoff return touchdown to Kaden Wetjen to open the game, but they were unsuccessful on two field goal attempts too.
“To open the game with a kickoff return for a touchdown, it’s not like we don’t know why it happened, it was an unusual circumstance,” Schiano said. “I don’t know why we did it, that’s frustrating.”
Jai Patel’s 32-yard field goal seemingly gave Rutgers a 24-21 lead with 2:45 remaining in the half, but an illegal procedure penalty on Kobe Asamoah backed the Scarlet Knights up five yards and forced them to try again. From there, Patel’s 37-yard attempt banged off the right upright and kept the score tied at 21.
Patel had another chance to give Rutgers a three-point lead with a 29-yarder with 3:46 left in the third quarter, but this time his attempt was blocked by Iowa’s Ethan Hurkett.
“I got to look at that play, I kind of felt like maybe there was something that wasn’t right there,” Schiano said regarding the second attempt. “But we have to be able to block it no matter what. Then we missed one, and the penalty there, the illegal procedure penalty, can’t have that either. We have to clean it up, we won’t win games making those kinds of mistakes.”
ANOTHER MISSED OPPORTUNITY
While there is plenty of season left for Rutgers with many more opportunities to get a statement win, it is hard not to be disheartened by this loss considering the time, place, and team.
“The entire game I just wished we could have come through for them and provided a win to build on,” Schiano said. “But I do know that this is going to be a good football team. Right now we’re not quite there yet, but we will be.”
Despite Rutgers’ previous four matchups against the Hawkeyes that saw them get outscored 93-17, this is a team that could match Iowa’s stout defense with a high-powered offense. In the end, it was not enough as the Scarlet Knights were held to just one touchdown in the second half.
“I understand it’s frustrating when you get close and aren’t able to pull it off,” Schiano said. “I just wish we could do the thing that makes it the most fun, and that’s win the game, but we will.”
Whether it was against top-ranked Ohio State in 2023, Illinois last year, or this matchup, the last few seasons have seen Rutgers be given a few chances to show it is ready to take that next step up in the Big Ten caste system. However, each opportunity ended in heartbreak. So, it is hard not to come away from this game and ask oneself: if not now, when?
Rutgers will return to action next Saturday when it travels to Huntington Bank Stadium to face Minnesota at noon (ET) on BTN.
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