On Iowa with Marc Morehouse

Rope-a-dope????????????

It's a little chilly today in Iowa City. After falling behind 14-0, the Gophers couldn't gone inside for the day for cartoons and cocoa. Instead, they put together back-to-back scoring drives to keep it within a manageable 21-10 at halftime.

Iowa tried a squib kick with 50 seconds left, after Albert Young made it 21-7 with a 12-yard drive, but the Hawkeyes squibbed the Gophers to Joel Monroe's 54-yard field goal.

The Gophers failed to record a first down in the first quarter and had just 15 yards. They finished with 100 yards at the half. Respectable.

The Hawkeyes' most impressive stat of the half was 6 of 8 on third down conversions.

Young finished the half with 79 yards on 16 carries. On Iowa's third TD drive, he carried five times for 27 yards.

Iwebema's hit on Weber . . .

Didn't look blatant. Maybe he got his hands up a little bit.

Anyways, that spurred the drive, a monumental 14-play, 63-yard, 6:33 deal.

It's a game now.

Best 1st quarter since Syracuse

In Big Ten play, Iowa had scored just three points in the first quarter.

That's a wow stat.

Tough catch for Cleveland . . .

That was high and outside from Jake Christensen, but it somehow worked.

Does that count as a drop?

That was Iowa's first first quarter TD since the Syracuse game.

Albert over 3,000

That's an accomplishment for any running back on any level.

On third-and-1, Iowa bunches in with a form of the I formation, bringing 11 defenders into the box.

It still worked. Albert for 1

That second down run by Albert was amazing. I think he'll play on Sundays. I know a lot of you out there don't think so.

Sandeman probably out

Sort of a lost year for the true freshman from Bettendorf. He's helped out, but he's been beat up and is likely out today with the flu.

Iowa's punt returner today will be . . . Paul Chaney maybe.

CB Adam Shada (ankle) is out. LB Pat Angerer (hamstring) has a chance. DE Chad Geary is likely out with an elbow. FS Devan Moylan will sit out the rest of the season and petition for a medical hardship waiver and a sixth year of eligibility.

One bowl rep today . . .

The Insight Bowl is represented today and that is it.

No surprise.

But if you look at Iowa's bowl possibilities, the Hawkeyes are going head-to-head with Wisconsin and Purdue for spots. Wisconsin could end up in the Insight. Purdue, which has a shot at 9-3, deserves something in FLA.

Iowa is 0-2 against those schools, losing by a combined score of 48-19. The Big Ten will not allow Iowa to pass either of them over. That's not a "rule," more of an unwritten thing. Head-to-head does count for something.