Tuesdays with Torbee

Mark Gronowski rode to the rescue of a sputtering Hawkeye offense, and Xavier Nwankpa’s late blitz sealed Iowa’s 25-24 win over Penn State — and earned him Big Ten Player of the Week honors. But my game ball goes to the 70,000 fans who shrieked, screamed and refused to let doubt darken Kinnick.

Even with their team down 21-10 in the third quarter, due mostly to self-inflicted injuries, the partisans in the striped-out stadium refused to lose faith. It truly felt like the crowd willed Iowa to last Saturday’s victory. From my seats in Section 103, I could see Hawkeye players visibly feeding off the frenzied Kinnick Stadium energy.

Even in his disappointment at the Lions’ fourth straight loss — yet again after choking up a fourth-quarter lead — the Penn State fan behind me acknowledged the specialness of Hawkeye passion.

“I didn’t think anything could come close to the intensity of a night-game whiteout at Beaver Stadium, but this is even louder,” he told me. “I’ve never heard anything like it.”

Say what you will about “Ferentz fatigue” or frustration with “staleness” around Iowa football, Hawkeye fans continue to bring it every fall Saturday they get the opportunity to fill up the venue.

Coach Kirk Ferentz made sure to note the role the fans played in the critical, come-from-behind victory that kept Iowa in the thick of the Big Ten title hunt at 3-1.

“You kind of expect that in Kinnick,” he said. “I tell our players all the time, it’s our job to make sure they are into it. I think our guys did that. Boy, the fans have just been fantastic.”

While the fans brought their A-plus game to the fray, Iowa players and coaches were decidedly more ragged Saturday. Some credit is due to Penn State, which, despite the turmoil of a fired coach and an injured starting quarterback, fought tenaciously. Still, it was primarily Iowa miscues that let the Lions lead for long stretches.

On the third play of the game, a well-placed pass by Gronowski skimmed off the hands of receiver Jacob Gill and settled into the arms of Penn State defensive back Zakee Wheatley, setting up the Nittany Lions at the Iowa 35. It appeared Iowa would limit the damage to a field goal after making an apparent fourth-and-goal stop in the deafening north end zone, but the Hawkeyes were offside. Penn State then punched in a touchdown for a 7-0 lead, and you knew it was going to be one of “those” games.

Much of the postgame chatter has centered on Ferentz’s out-of-character decision to try for a 66-yard field goal at the end of the half, up 10-7, that resulted in a block, scoop and score that handed the halftime lead to Penn State. I think he may have been sending a vote of confidence to embattled kicker Drew Stevens, who pushed an earlier field goal wide. Instead, the decision backfired and ensured the Hawkeyes would have to fight from behind to win.

Despite the blown field goals, a paltry passing game and other errors, Iowa relentlessly stuck to its run game and stiff defense through the second half, setting up Gronowski’s backbreaking long runs that finally earned Iowa a late lead and victory.

It’s interesting to me that Iowa’s next opponent — the Minnesota Gophers — who boast the same 5-2 (3-1) record as the Hawkeyes, are receiving AP votes while Iowa is not, despite the Hawkeyes being an 8.5-point favorite in the upcoming matchup. Once again, it feels like Iowa’s propensity to win ugly is being dismissed by voters.

While this team remains an uneven work in progress, it feels to me like a squad that could really find its footing and do some damage before autumn comes to a close. We’ve seen many past Ferentz teams look wobbly in September and October, only to begin firing on all cylinders in November. Does this version have that in them?

The schedule certainly sets up nicely. Three straight home games after a big win in Madison — the final against a top-five Oregon team — give it the opportunity to vault itself into the thick of the championship race.

A pessimist would say the thus-far anemic passing game and the uncharacteristically sloppy placekicking are bound to trip them up at some point. An optimist, like me, feels that as Gronowski’s health improves, the passing game will come around, and in the meantime, the punishing rushing attack and typically stout defense will give the Hawkeyes a good chance to win any game remaining on the schedule.

Regardless of which side of the optimism-o-meter you reside on, one thing is certain: the Kinnick crowds for the battle for Floyd of Rosedale and for welcoming the Oregon Ducks for the first time since 1989 will be everything opposing teams’ nightmares are made of.

Stock up on your Ricola throat lozenges, gargle regularly with warm salt water and get ready to scream your guts out as we enter the most critical phase of the Hawkeye football season. The 12th man (and woman) is alive and well in Iowa City.

Follow me on BlueSky @torybrecht.bsky.social and tune in to the 12 Saturdays podcast on all platforms.