There is simply no excuse for the Hawks losing today. They were outplayed, and out-coached. I'll have to wait and see how the season plays out before I could make an honest assessment of which team was better, but ISU was the better team today, and it wasn't even close.
Iowa's defense was completely unable to slow down Jantz. He made play after play, and while we had a few broken coverages (the TD in the North endzone and the one that got called back spring to mind), Jantz made far more pin-point passes. It wasn't just a few lucky breaks here and there.
ISU did all they could to GIVE this game away, and they still won. Turnovers, penalties. Didn't matter, Iowa wasn't able to take advantage of the Cyclone's mistakes. ISU manhandled Iowa in the trenches on BOTH sides of the ball (which shocked me, I figured the o-lines would dominate the game for both teams).
And how's about a little love for Money Reynolds, who truly was money today?
I said a couple weeks ago that I expected a competitive game, and that if ISU got a big play or two on special teams, I could easily see them winning it. Well, they had several good special teams plays.
I was losing it when we didn't go for a chance at a field goal at the end of the 4th quarter. I knew we wouldn't, but it still pi*sed me off. And it happened again after ISU offered us a window of opportunity on the offsides penalty to turn 4th and 6 into 4th and 1, yet we didn't go for it. You can't play not to lose, especially on the road, and ESPECIALLY when it's a rivalry game and the stadium is going as nuts as JTS was.
But that didn't cost us the game. Did it cost us a CHANCE to win the game? Sure. But the play of Steele Jantz and the rest of the Cyclones is what really lost this game for the Hawks.
Iowa's defense was completely unable to slow down Jantz. He made play after play, and while we had a few broken coverages (the TD in the North endzone and the one that got called back spring to mind), Jantz made far more pin-point passes. It wasn't just a few lucky breaks here and there.
ISU did all they could to GIVE this game away, and they still won. Turnovers, penalties. Didn't matter, Iowa wasn't able to take advantage of the Cyclone's mistakes. ISU manhandled Iowa in the trenches on BOTH sides of the ball (which shocked me, I figured the o-lines would dominate the game for both teams).
And how's about a little love for Money Reynolds, who truly was money today?
I said a couple weeks ago that I expected a competitive game, and that if ISU got a big play or two on special teams, I could easily see them winning it. Well, they had several good special teams plays.
I was losing it when we didn't go for a chance at a field goal at the end of the 4th quarter. I knew we wouldn't, but it still pi*sed me off. And it happened again after ISU offered us a window of opportunity on the offsides penalty to turn 4th and 6 into 4th and 1, yet we didn't go for it. You can't play not to lose, especially on the road, and ESPECIALLY when it's a rivalry game and the stadium is going as nuts as JTS was.
But that didn't cost us the game. Did it cost us a CHANCE to win the game? Sure. But the play of Steele Jantz and the rest of the Cyclones is what really lost this game for the Hawks.