Iowa football: Three takeaways from Iowa’s high scoring victory over Minnesota
By Andrew Wade
Stupid turnovers are hurting the Iowa football team
Two themes have emerged in the last two weeks and that’s Iowa’s disturbing inability to protect the ball. Interceptions and fumbles are a part of the game and should be expected, but the way Iowa is turning the ball over is uncanny of a Kirk Ferentz led Iowa football team. These turnovers are a result of poor executions and mental errors, not anything specifically our opponents are doing.
Furthermore, these errors are coming at very inopportune times in opportune situations. It’s arguably one of the biggest reasons Iowa lost to Wisconsin, and it’s the reason the Gophers somehow remained in yesterday’s game.
Let’s look back to the Wisconsin game where there were two special teams turnovers, one of which was a communication issue on a punt return that resulted in Wisconsin taking the ball over deep in Iowa territory. The Badgers would use that fantastic field position to score their second touchdown of the game and take a 14-10 lead over Iowa.
Moreover, late in the game with Iowa attempting a comeback, Nate Stanley put a little too much heat on a pass over the middle that was ultimately picked off by Wisconsin. This set Wisconsin up with the ball on Iowa’s 37. They would score three players later to seal the deal. That’s 14 points off turnovers.
Against Minnesota, it was a similar story. With the Iowa football team taking over the ball after a Riley Moss interception with a 28-10 lead late in the second quarter, quarterback Nate Stanley threw a terrible ball right into the hands of the Gophers. Minnesota took all of nine seconds to punch the ball in and score. Instead of going into the half up 28-10, the score was 28-17.
On the second possession of the second half Nate Stanley coughed up the ball on a strip-sack after getting pummeled by Minnesota Gopher Carter Coughlin. The Gophers fell on the ball at Iowa’s three-yard line. 36 seconds later, the Gophers punched it in for another touchdown.
A different week, another 14 points off Iowa turnovers.
While these turnovers would ultimately not cost Iowa the game, it’s a trend that needs to cease as the Hawks progress through their Big Ten conference schedule.