Hawkeyes fall late to Hoosiers

The Iowa football team was looking to break a string of ten straight losses to ranked opponents. Late into the fourth quarter of the game against Indiana it appeared that the Hawkeyes were going to do just that.

But, a late missed field goal and an even later huge play by the Hoosiers led to a 20-15 victory for Indiana at Kinnick Stadium. With the loss, Iowa falls to 3-2 on the season and 1-1 in conference play. Meanwhile the Hoosiers move to 5-0 on the season and 2-0 in Big Ten action. Iowa will have the weekend off coming up next Saturday before resuming conference play with a trip to Wisconsin on October 11^th.

Turnovers were key in the scoring in this game and that was the case in the first drive of the game. Mark Gronowski had a pass tipped and it was intercepted by Amare Ferrell and Indiana was in business at the Hawekye 24 yard line. Two plays later, Hoosier quarterback Fernando Mendoza found Omar Cooper Jr. in the end zone for the touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

Iowa answered two drive later following a nifty 17 yard punt return by Kaden Wetjen to get the Hawkeyes going at the Indiana 45 yard line. But, the drive really never got going and Drew Stevens hammered home a 40 yard field goal to make it 7-3 in the first quarter.

It remained that way until the later stages of the first half. Iowa took over at their own 27 yard line and they methodically moved the ball down the field. Two big plays in the drive were a 21 yard strike to Sam Phillips and 22 yard run by Kamari Moulton. Two plays after the Moulton run, Mark Gronowski found the end zone on a three yard run to make it 10-7 Hawkeyes.

It looked like that would be the score at the break, but back to back 16 yard gains by the Hoosiers on the ground and in the air, and a 15 yard personal foul by the Iowa defense resulted in a 46 yard field goal for Indiana and a tie game at 10 at the break.

The third quarter was scoreless as both teams exchanged punts. On the first play of the fourth  quarter, Iowa stuffed a fourth and one run by the Hoosiers on a great play by Koen Entringer and took over at the Indiana 47 yard line. Gronowski, who was 19-25 on the day for 144 yards, found Jacob Gill for a first down. Then the drive stalled out and Stevens hit a 54 yard field goal for a 13-10 edge with 12:43 left in the game.

Indiana answered right back with a field goal of their own, this one from 44 yards and we were again tied up at 13-13 with 9:47 left in the game.

Gronowski had been injured on the previous drive and backup Hank Brown entered the game. He moved Iowa down the field to the Indiana 42 after a pass to Wetjen for 19 yards. Moulton got the Hawkeyes to the 39  and then Brown was hit just as he threw the football and it was intercepted by Indiana.

The Hoosiers were looking to get a game winning drive of their own, however, Mendoza gave it back seven plays later. Mendoza was hit on a blitz by Xavier Nwankpa and Iowa’s Zach Lutmer picked it off and returned it 38 yards to the Indiana 29 yard line with 2:45 left in the game.

Facing a third and five and potentially getting a first down would put Iowa in position to kick a game winning field goal, Brown missed Moulton on a screen pass and then Drew Stevens hooked a 42 yard field goal that was no good.

Indiana took over and they cashed in. Mendoza found Cooper for 24 yards to get near midfield. From there on third and ten, he hit Elijah Sarratt who broke a tackle and glided to the end zone for a 49 yard score and a 20-13 lead.

Iowa had one more shot to score with 1:26 left and failed to get past midfield on that final drive. Mendoza did run to his own end zone to run out the clock and take a safety to bring us to the final score of the game.