After winning three games in a row before a bye week a few weekends ago, Iowa Football is now on a two-game losing streak after back-to-back tough losses.
The Hawkeyes were flying high after winning three straight games and soaring into the first College Football Playoff (CFP) Rankings after not being ranked in the AP Top 25 poll.
Iowa had a golden opportunity to move higher in the rankings with a win against Oregon, but the squad could not get it done.
On Saturday against USC, it was a similar story, as Iowa took a 21-10 lead into halftime and could not score a point in the second half, losing 26-21.
Iowa Head Coach Kirk Ferentz had few words after the loss to USC, but was adamant his team was focused and prepared for the game.
During his nearly six-minute postgame press conference, a stern Ferentz stated that the loss was not a matter of effort, but rather that USC is a good team.
He was adamant that the squad was focused, but USC is ranked for a reason, and they showcased that on Saturday.
Ferentz also stated that losing is hard, especially for the players, because they have so much invested in the game.
Ferentz also did not directly criticize the officiating, but noted there were definitely a couple of calls that could have gone the other way.
At the end of the day, Ferentz stated that regardless of the calls, they have to play through it and not let it ultimately affect their performance.
After another tough loss, Iowa must pick itself up off the mat once again as the squad heads back home to take on Michigan State next weekend.