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Iowa football: The good, the bad, and the ugly from 2018

By Andrew Wade

IOWA CITY, IOWA - NOVEMBER 23: Running back Toren Young #28 of the Iowa Hawkeyes runs in for a touchdown during the first half in front of linebacker Mohamed Barry #7 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers on November 23, 2018 at Kinnick Stadium, in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
IOWA CITY, IOWA - NOVEMBER 23: Running back Toren Young #28 of the Iowa Hawkeyes runs in for a touchdown during the first half in front of linebacker Mohamed Barry #7 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers on November 23, 2018 at Kinnick Stadium, in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images) /
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It’s been a fun and exciting, but also quite a disappointing year in the Iowa football program. Let’s take a look at the good, bad, and ugly from 2018.

As you will likely see with other sites, the last day of the year is time to reflect on what happened that year. For fans of the Iowa football team, there were a lot of good things that happened in 2018, but there were also some bad things and some real ugly things too.

Here’s our good, bad and ugly.

Good:

  • Amani Hooker emerges as a versatile defensive weapon and allows Kirk Ferentz to begin playing a hybrid 4-2-5 defense.
  • Three players are named All-Americans (Hooker, Fant, and Hockenson)
  • George Kittle sets the NFL receiving record by a tight end
  • AJ Epenesa bursts on to the scene in a big way, leading the Big Ten in sacks and receiving All-Big Ten honors
  • The Hawkeyes clean up with three Big Ten individual awards and a plethora of All-Big Ten players
  • Brandon Smith finally shows in a game the types of catches he has been making in practice
  • Ihmir Smith-Marsette becomes a vital asset in the return game, arguably the best since Tim Dwight
  • Kirk Ferentz continues to evolve. He’s going for it on fourth downs, he’s doing it fake field goals and fake punts. Fans are truly shocked and #NewKirk is formed.
  • Iowa slaughters the Illinois Fighting Illini in a full team effort.
  • The Iowa football team beats Nebraska on a last-second field goal to beat our rivals to the west.

Bad:

  • The Iowa football team leaves freshman corner Riley Moss in the game against Purdue for entirely too long and he gets torched repeatedly by David Blough.
  • Iowa beats Iowa State (this isn’t the bad part), and naturally Iowa State fans blame it on the fact that Brock Purdy wasn’t playing. Typical Cyclones.
  • Noah Fant continues to not see the field. Kirk Ferentz goes as far as to accidentally call him a “specialist”. Fans are livid.
  • The Iowa football team finished 8-4 in a season where they could very easily have been 12-0 save for 10 plays.
  • Iowa loses to Northwestern, again, at their own ball game.

Ugly:

  • Communication issues result in bad interception at the goal line vs Penn State with the opportunity to take the lead.
  • Special teams mistakes cost Iowa an early season win vs Wisconsin
  • After early season hype for the program starting at 6-1, the Hawks lose three straight games. College Football Playoff hopes die. Big Ten Championship hopes die.

Next. Three key matchups for Iowa vs Mississippi State. dark

As we move into 2019 tomorrow, the Iowa football team is presented with an ideal opportunity to start the year on the right foot by beating the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the Outback Bowl. Then it’s a long eight months until we get Hawkeye football again.

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