It was a rough day for Iowa Football in the battle for the Floyd of Rosedale, but it wasn't all bad for the University of Iowa athletics.
A sloppy, turnover-filled game cost the Hawkeyes a chance to bring Floyd back to Iowa City, and they must bounce back quickly before another trophy game against Wisconsin in week nine. Iowa volleyball had a great weekend, snapping a long losing streak, and the women's soccer seniors had a great senior day.
Iowa took a drastic drop in the rankings after a road loss at Minnesota
Iowa football had a bad weekend after a poor showing against Minnesota in the annual battle for the Floyd of Rosedale. The Hawkeyes looked lethargic from the start, and the offense never got anything going. Iowa somehow outgained Minnesota in total yards (288 to 209), but four costly turnovers gave the game away. Special teams were also uncharacteristically bad, with Minnesota blocking a punt that turned into a field goal.
The defense played exceptionally well, holding the Golden Gophers' offense to under 150 passing yards and under 100 rushing yards, but it wasn't enough. Iowa was expected to drop in the rankings after losing to unranked Minnesota, but no one expected them to fall 11 spots. The Hawkeyes were one of the biggest fallers this week, dropping to No. 26 overall after jumping to No. 15 during the bye week.
Iowa has limited time to get right and prepare for a tough Wisconsin team that not only upset USC, but also jumped to No. 25 in the week nine AP Top 25 rankings.
Next game: Saturday, October 31, vs. Wisconsin (Iowa City, IA)
Iowa pulled off the upset over UCLA to end a lenghty losing streak
The Hawkeyes were in the midst of a massive losing streak, but they still pulled off a major home upset against UCLA. Iowa was on a seven-match losing streak when it welcomed UCLA to Xtream Arena in Coralville, but put on a thrilling display to abruptly end that streak. The Hawkeyes upset the Bruins in five sets (16-25, 26-24,25-22, 17-25, 15-12), and it was a career day for Rosa Vesty.
The fourth-year player from New Zealand is the first Hawkeye to reach 20 kills this season and also set new career highs in kills (20) and attacks (43). She also added three blocks and an assist.
Head coach Jim Barnes credited the win to a solid overall performance and the crowd's energy, saying they could "feel the crowd's energy." The Hawkeyes are now 13-11 (2-8 Big Ten) and will look to carry their momentum into Friday night's match.
Women's soccer defeated USC to send the seniors out on a high note
Iowa continued its push to make the Big Ten Tournament with a solid win over USC at the Iowa Soccer Complex over the weekend. The Hawkeyes got on the board early, with Reilly Heman's goal in the 9th minute, taking a 1-0 lead into halftime. USC outshot Iowa 9-3 and earned more corner kicks, but Iowa netted the game's first goal. Iowa added another quick goal in the 51st minute, before USC made a late push.
The Trojans scored in the 71st minute and kept the pressure on. The Hawkeyes handled the pressure and added another goal in the 82nd minute to restore their two-goal lead and earn the win. Iowa moved to 9-4-5 (4-3-4 Big Ten) and earned the program's first-ever victory over USC.
Next match: Friday, October 30, vs. Wisconsin (Iowa City, IA)
Add us as a preferred source on Google