Iowa 55, Minnesota 0

From the 'eye in the South End Zone

The story…will be the last one ever told from the HHH Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis. Words like domination, blowout, mauling, shutout and record-setting will be used to describe it.

In route to retaining the Floyd of Rosedale for the seventh time in the last eight years, the Hawkeyes racked up nearly 500 yards in total offense, held the Gophers to merely 7 yards rushing, defeated them at home by more than any other Big Ten team ever has, and recorded their most lopsided victory in the 102 year history of the series.

Game Summary (Associated Press): Shonn Greene set Iowa's single-season rushing record, Ricky Stanzi's arm was in rhythm, and the Hawkeyes defense battered the Gophers in a 55-0 victory on Saturday night to sour Minnesota's last game at the Metrodome and retain possession of Floyd of Rosedale.

The Gophers, who move into a new stadium back on campus next season after 27 years playing indoors and downtown, absorbed the second-worst home loss in their history behind an 84-13 defeat by Nebraska here in 1983. This was their most lopsided Big Ten loss ever.

Greene, all 235 pounds of him, plunged through the line for 144 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries to propel Iowa (8-4, 5-3) into to a fourth-place tie in the conference with Northwestern.

The Hawkeyes and their faithful fans, thousands of whom hooted, hollered and taunted the home crowd with spirited chants of "I-o-w-a," could be headed for a New Year's Day bowl game with the Outback still a possibility.

The Gophers (7-5, 3-5) closed the regular season with four straight losses after cracking the national polls in October and fell to their border rivals for the seventh time in the last eight years.

Adam Weber had, arguably, his worst game in two years as quarterback, throwing two interceptions and finishing 14-of-28 for 127 yards. The Gophers were held to 7 yards rushing.

Almost all of the Minnesota fans were gone by the beginning of the fourth quarter, leaving the building for all the black-and-gold-clad folks to revel in a resounding ending to what Kirk Ferentz called earlier this week one of his most satisfying seasons as Iowa's coach. Unlike in 2002, when a win here sent the Hawkeyes to the Orange Bowl, the goal posts stayed upright.

The crew of yellow-coated security guards standing along the end zone wall was nearly doubled in the third quarter, and nobody made it on the field to help the players celebrate with the bronze pig these teams have played for since 1935.

Greene's 1,729 yards rushing this season broke Tavian Banks' record set in 1997. Stanzi rolled out of the pocket with ease in the first half, avoiding several sacks and completing 15 of his 28 attempts for 255 yards and three touchdowns.

Minnesota's Eric Decker returned from a sprained ankle that hampered him the last two games, keeping him from playing at all against Wisconsin and in the second half of Michigan, and had two receptions for 33 yards.

The Gophers will still go to a bowl game, because the Big Ten has only seven eligible teams, but this sure wasn't the way they wanted to finish their final month at the Metrodome.

Game Commentary: As low as the lows have been throughout this bumpy season--Pittsburgh, Northwester, Michigan State, and Illinois--the highs have sure been pretty darn high. Who would have predicted this type of a finish to the 2008 season back in October?

Surely not myself or anyone else who watched the Hawkeyes in their first 9 games. The same can be said for Vegas as they only had Iowa beating Minnesota by 5.5 points. The Hawkeyes won by ten times that and they took their foot off of the accelerator with 1 minute left in the third quarter.

They could have easily broken a school record for most points scored in a single-game—70.

Null and void were any pre-game theories that because the Hawkeyes were playing in their first night game of the season they would have a lackadaisical performance. Gone were the fears of the effect of the playing surface and it’s similarities to the Fighting Illini’s. And vanished were the concerns regarding the noise level inside the dome.

Kirk Ferentz not only had this team ready to play on Saturday, but he had them firing on all cylinders—something that Hawkeye Nation had been waiting for all season long.

Rick Stanzi played one of his best games yet, throwing all three touchdowns to three different receivers. He showed poise in the pocket, a keen ability to escape when necessary, even throwing on the run with composure; and the accuracy of his deep ball on more than one occasion. If this kid improves during the 7 month off-season as much as he has improved during the 3 month season, look out. He will go down as one of the best QB’s to ever play at Iowa.

Sticking with the theme of the future, true freshman RB Jewel Hampton rushed for 50 yards on 10 carries and scored a late-game touchdown on Saturday. For as young as this kid is, he has done an absolutely remarkable job as a back-up to a Heisman candidate. He has spent the entire season in his shadow, a shadow that has loomed in every single game and for more than 100 yards each time. Yet somehow he has rushed for 409 yards and 7 touchdowns. Albert Young rushed for 6 touchdowns last year as the starting running back.

The offensive line played well again. Giving up just one sack, which Stanzi could have avoided, the offensive line was a key reason the Hawkeyes were able to go 12-18 on third downs and hold a 15 minute advantage in time of possession. They were also essential in defying the odds in this game. Minnesota came into the game ranked number one in the country in takeaways. For a team that, at times, seemingly hands the ball to opposing defenses, the Hawkeyes did not commit a single turnover. The line seems to be improving at a similar rate as Stanzi. Three starting offensive linemen will return next year.

The wide receivers and tight ends may have posted their best performance of this season as well. In a break-out game that he badly needed, Derrell Johnson-Koulianos caught 7 balls for 181 yards and 1 TD. He masterfully created separation from his defender while avoiding a push off penalty on a 50 yard TD pass from Rick Stanzi, on third down and 10 from near the 30 yard line nonetheless.

Andy Brodell had only one catch for four yards Saturday, but it was one of the best catches this season. On third down in the third quarter, Stanzi essentially threw the ball into the turf, but before it hit the ground Brodell turned around, slid, and scooped it up. The play was ruled a catch, challenged by Tim Brewster and upheld after the review. Brodell also had some key catches on punt return, one where he absolutely got lit up but some how held onto the ball.

Brandon Myers and Tony Moeaki combined for 6 catches, 65 yards and 2 TD’s. It was great to finally see an injury-plagued Moeaki enter the playing field and survive to see the end of the game. He should be granted a fifth year due to his medical struggles. As for his cohort, Brandon Myers will play in the NFL next year. His blocking has improved tremendously, he is very athletic, and he has the hands. Talk about improvement. He stepped up big time for this team this year when the TE position looked bleak due to Moeaki’s injuries.

For as much as I have ragged on these receivers for not creating enough separation this season and in seasons past, they sure made Rick Stanzi look pretty good on Saturday. Numerous balls were thrown behind or too low and the receivers adjusted masterfully, they made some things happen, and even after the catch were able to gain yards like never before this season. For a group that had trouble just catching the ball last season, they have shown much improvement. Sure, most of that was probably because of the passer, but I give some credit to new WR coach Erik Campbell.

“We’ve matured as a football team,” Ferentz said. “We’re hardly there yet, and that’s been the positive for me—our best football is still ahead of us. But we’ve had some tremendous efforts from some older guys, and we’ve seen younger players get better.”

And then there was the defense—one of the best defensive crews in the nation. They shut Minnesota down, forcing three turnovers and holding them to just 134 yards total offense—the fewest for a conference opponent in the Ferentz era. They’ve been about as consistent this season as their RB on offense. Each and every game they have put pressure on the QB, created turnovers, contained the deep ball and most of all, kept the end zone trips for opponents to a minimum.

On Saturday they really limited their opponent’s trips—they didn’t allow one. Not even one single point, in fact.

What a testament to a hard nosed, reliable unit.

Pat Angerer again led the team in tackles, like he leads the league in interceptions, racking up 9 hits on the weak Minnesota offense. Adam Weber looked a lot like Jake Christiansen last year. The only difference? Weber seemingly couldn’t keep his balls down—a problem #6 never had. But a lot of the credit in this game goes to King, Kroul, Clayborn, and Ballard. They did a great job pressuring Weber out of the pocket, even sacking him twice.

Amari Spievey can be credited with opening the flood gates on the Gophers. His second quarter interception return for a touchdown put the Hawkeyes in the drivers seat for good, as they accelerated their lead to a commanding 27 points. Spievey too will play in the NFL some day, in my opinion. As a sophomore, he alone makes the defensive secondary looks pretty solid next year and in the years to come. Oh and maybe next year can we get this guy on special teams? As the starting RB, Jewel Hampton will probably need to be replaced, as will senior Andy Brodell. Spievey looked pretty darn good on that INT return.

And I guess there's probably one more guy we should mention...

Shonn Greene broke Iowa’s single-season all-time rushing record as he eclipsed Tavian Banks on a 15 yard touchdown carry in the third quarter. The new record total currently stands at 1,727 yards.

“It’s an honor—a really big honor,” said Greene, who received a phone call from Banks after the game. “I feel privileged to have gotten the record. I’m kind of at a loss for words.”

I can imagine. The humble monster said more about himself in those three sentences than he had all year.

“Tavian was a great back, and I’m honored to be considered in the same category.”

On the night, Greene carried the ball 22 times for 144 yards and 2 touchdowns.

It should have been three.

On his last carry of the record-breaking game, Greene broke into the secondary and three defenders stood in the way of the end zone—two wearing maroon jerseys, one white. Deciding that the defender in white was closest, he lowered his shoulder and cut into him, knocking him helplessly to the Metrodome turf like a bull would a matador.

“I thought somebody shot me with a shotgun out of nowhere,” Johnson-Koulianos said after being accidentally run over by Shonn Greene. “I couldn’t imagine what just hit me because I didn’t see it until I got up and found out it was Shonn. It knocked the wind out of me

The matador—DJK—couldn’t get out of the way of the bull—Greene—and the two maroon defenders were able to trip up the bull. Had DJK gotten out of his way, Greene surely would have been able to get to the outside, eluding the defenders in route to what would have been his third trip to the end zone on the record setting evening.

Greene knew it would have been number three too, and he wanted it badly. He was visibly disappointed afterwards, but only for a few minutes.

“I thought (DJK) was hurt at first,” Greene said. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, I hope I didn’t hurt him.’”

On Saturday, Shonn Greene cemented himself as the best single-season RB in Iowa football history and he is definitely, without a doubt one of the greatest RB’s to ever touch a football at the University of Iowa.

If this guy doesn’t win the Doak Walker Award given to the nation’s best running back (he will), if he isn’t a finalist for the Maxwell award given to the nation’s best player (he very likely will be), and if he doesn’t receive a plane ticket to New York to attend the Heisman Trophy presentation (he very likely will), then one of the biggest NCAA injustices of all time has been committed.

Bar none the best running back in the nation, Shonn Greene, is playing on the best 8-4 team in the nation, the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Herk’s Hero…was Shonn Greene. 22 carries 144 yards 2TD’s 6.5 yards/carry

And the crowd...was pro-Hawkeye. Kinnick North was adorned with black and a lot of gold. However, midway through the third quarter only a little less than half of the gold remained as the I-O-W-A cheers became almost as imminent as Shonn Greene 100-yard rushing games.

Say what!?…“Let me tell you something about (Georgia running back) Knowshown Marino, he’s no Shawn Green,” said the Big Ten Network color analyst during the broadcast of the game.

Mother Nature…was about as irrelevant as the Gopher defense. The HHH Metordome provided a tepid, controlled atmosphere in which Stanzi and Donahue flourished.

Next up…TBD

The ‘eye see’s…a long wait for an Outback Bowl bid. Or an Alamo Bowl bid. Or maybe even a Capitol One Bowl bid. But any invitation will be worth the wait. Just one invitation this year will be one more than the Hawkeyes received last year at this time.

"It will be an easy wait," Ferentz said. "The long wait was last year knowing pretty much that nothing was going to happen. This one's going to be... no problems there, no complaints."

I tried to hold off as long as I could with the bowl speculation, but with no game to talk about next week, here we go.

I believe with an Oregon State loss on Saturday, Ohio State will receive a BCS bid. That leaves Michigan State, Iowa, and Northwester up for Capitol One’s consideration. The Capitol One bowl will likely take MSU (chance they instead take Iowa: 40%), leaving the Outback Bowl representative with their desired team—Iowa. Northwester would fall to the Alamo, if not lower.

If Oregon State wins on Saturday, Ohio State will not receive a BCS bid. That leaves OSU, MSU, Iowa and Northwester for up for Capitol One’s consideration. The Capitol One bowl will take OSU (100% sure), leaving the Outback Bowl representative with a choice—MSU or Iowa. I believe they will choose the hottest team in the Big Ten and the team that would trounce MSU if they played Saturday—Iowa (70% sure) and match them up against South Carolina, Ole Miss, or Georgia depending on how the SEC shakes out.

If they do not choose Iowa, the Alamo Bowl will (100% sure). And Iowa will be facing, most likely, Missouri (how sweet it would be) or Nebraska (oh, and you though it couldn’t get any better). Lick your chops Hawk fans. I’d like nothing more than to beat either one of those schools.

The options for the Hawkeyes look warm and very appealing.

Side Notes: The victory over Minnesota was Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz’s most lopsided Big Ten victory in 10 seasons… Trent Mossbrucker set a freshman record, scoring 65 points in a season…Punter Ryan Donahue was named Big Ten special teams player of the week…Shonn Greene is the sixth Iowa standout to be named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, joining a group that includes Chuck Long (1985), Nick Bell (1990), Matt Rodgers (1990), Tavian Banks (1997) and Brad Banks (2002)….He was only one of two first selections by the media but he was NOT a unanimous first team selection by the coaches. That means that a Big Ten coach (probably Ron Zook) did not thing Shonn Greene, the imminent Doak Walker Award recipient given to the nation’s best running back, was one the top TWO best running backs in the conference… If Greene tops the 100 yard mark in Iowa’s bowl game, that would be 13 for 13 this year, a mark that would probably never be topped at Iowa, and might never be duplicated… Mitch King became the first Hawkeye to nab Defensive Lineman of the Year laurels from the coaches since Jared Devries was honored in 1997. He also only one of two unanimous first team selections by the coaches…Hawkeye’s on the first team all-conference: Greene, Olsen, Myers, and King. Hawkeyes on the second team all-conference: Bruggeman, Bulaga, Calloway, Angerer, Kroul, Spievy, and Donahue. Hawkeyes in the honorable mention category: Edds, Fletcher and Greenwood.

Iowa 22, Purdue 17

From the 'eye in the South End Zone

The story…ended on a Hail Mary pass from Purdue QB Curtis Painter. Luckily the pass sailed out of the end zone and Iowa chartered their first Senior Day win since a 2005 drubbing of Minnesota, the Hawkeyes next opponent.

Game Summary (Press Citizen): Shonn Greene ran for 211 yards and two scores for Iowa, and Purdue's Hail Mary pass with 5 seconds remaining was long to preserve the Hawkeyes' 22-17 victory on Saturday.

The Boilermakers could not find a way to stop Greene's slashing runs, including a 75-yard dash in the second quarter.

After Iowa (7-4, 4-3 Big Ten) tried to ground out the clock on its last drive, Purdue (3-8, 1-6) got the ball back at its own 20 with 1:09 remaining.

Quarterback Curtis Painter drove the Boilermakers to near midfield before he was sacked by defensive tackle Mitch King and Purdue was forced to use its last timeout. Painter then found his favorite target, wide receiver Desmond Tardy, near the sideline to put the Boilermakers at the Iowa 27.

With 5 seconds on the clock, Purdue split three receivers right, but Painter's pass went out of the end zone and Iowa claimed victory.

Minutes earlier, Painter led the Boilermakers on an eight-play, 45-yard drive that ended with an 8-yard touchdown toss to wide receiver Greg Orton that narrowed Iowa's lead to 22-17.

Purdue coach Joe Tiller seesawed between senior substitute Painter -- the sole bright spot for the offense -- and struggling sophomore starter Joe Siller.

In the fourth quarter, Painter reappeared and so did Purdue's offense, as one drive that included a conversion on fourth-and-6 took the Boilermakers inside the Iowa 10. But Iowa safety Pat Angerer's interception at the 5 ended that threat.

Greene wouldn't be brought down on an early fourth-quarter drive, leveling safety Frank Duong with his right shoulder en route to a 14-yard score to increase Iowa's lead to 22-10.

With temperatures in the 30s and winds gusting to more than 20 mph, both teams relied on the run. That proved to be the difference, as Iowa rolled up 248 yards rushing while Purdue only managed 86.

Both offenses ground to a halt in the third quarter, putting up 88 yards combined while Tiller shuffled Painter and Siller.

A 64-yard return by Aaron Valentin early in the third quarter again put Purdue within striking distance at the Iowa 36, but Siller was unable to match Painter's play, overthrowing receivers on consecutive plays.

Crucial penalties cost the Boilermakers, especially on one second-quarter drive in which two touchdowns were called back on penalties.

Painter took the reins from Siller in his first appearance since separating a shoulder against Minnesota on Oct. 25.

With the ball on Purdue's 45 with 1:59 left in the half, Painter marched the Boilermakers 55 yards for a score, finishing with a 12-yard fade route to Tardy that cut Iowa's lead to 12-10.

With Iowa at midfield and driving late in the first quarter, receiver Andy Brodell coughed up the ball and Purdue took advantage. The Boilermakers converted two fourth-downs and finally got some momentum on offense. But deep in Hawkeyes territory, Purdue had two would-be touchdowns called back because of penalties -- a holding call and a flag for illegal formation -- and had to settle for a field goal to make it 6-3.

Seconds later, Greene took over, sprinting left and bouncing off Duong's attempt at an open-field tackle before racing 75 yards up the sideline and breaking inside for the score. Freshman Trent Mossbrucker missed his second extra-point attempt, and Iowa led 12-3.

Game Commentary: In a game in which Iowa needed a win to cement its spot in a 13th game this season Iowa started strong, scoring on its opening possession thanks to a 22 yard Jewel Hampton TD run.

Greene carried much of the load both on that drive, rushing six times for 43 yards, and in the game, rushing 30 times for 211 yards and 2 TDs.

However, as a result of some special teams errors and a couple wide receiver fumbles, Purdue was able to keep the game within reach, early and throughout.

Curtis Painter, the once heralded pre-season, Heisman-hyped senior, did not start but came into the game for the final first-half drive as well as the entire fourth quarter. Purdue coach Joe Tiller said that Painter was playing at about 80% capacity after sustaining an injury earlier in the season.

He finished the day 24-30 with 190 yards and 2 TDs and consistently found holes in the Iowa defensive secondary, leading his team down the field for TDs late in the first half and late in the fourth quarter.

The Iowa defense was unable to stop Painter and his last-place Boilermakers, but was able to contain him, batting down a last ditch effort to win the game on a last second pass.

As for the Hawkeyes rush defense, Korey Sheets was held to his lowest total all season, rushing for just 53 yards on 16 carries.

In contrast, the Purdue defense, and in particular SS Frank Duong, had a little bit more trouble containing Shonn Greene as he racked up his second highest rushing total all season.

Duong was in Greene’s way in route to a 75 yard TD scamper in the second quarter, so he spun and made Duong miss.

Again Duong was in Greene’s way, this time early in the fourth quarter in route to a 14 yard TD run, so he lowered his shoulder and with the force of a bull and the power of a horse, Greene literally ran Duong over.

Duong weighs 178 pounds.

"I feel bad for the guy," said Pat Angerer. "But I wouldn't go up and hit Shonn like that. I'd get out of his way."

Although the numbers may not have supported it up until Saturday, Shonn Greene is the best RB in the country.

Greene officially became the nation’s leading rusher on Saturday, surpassing Michigan States Javon Ringer. In 11 games Ringer has carried the ball 353 times for 1548 yards while Greene has carried it nearly 100 times less, 256, for 1585 yards.

In other words, had Iowa given Greene the ball as many times as Ringer so far this season, according to his average per carry, he would currently have upwards of 2,186 yards.

That would put him among some elite company. With two games still left to play, he would be ahead of leading, all-time, single season rushers Larry Johnson (2,087), Rickey Williams (2,124), and LaDainian Tomlinson’s (2,158).

He would be less than 160 yards from Marcus Allen (2,342), who is second on the list of single season rushing yards. And he would be less than 500 yards from someone you may have heard of, the NCAA’s all-time single season rushing leader, Barry Sanders (2,628).

Unless Greene rushes for more than 200 yards in each of the remaining two games, he won’t even crack the top ten on that list. But it puts Greene's memorable season into perspective. With a few more carries, Greene’s season could have risen to historic NCAA proportions.

Regardless, Greene is a phenomenal player. Let’s focus on what he has done.

As the nation’s leading rusher, Greene is the only RB in the country to rush for 100 plus yards in all 11 games, also a school record. In contrast, Ringer has failed to reach 100 against Iowa (91), Ohio State (67), and Wisconsin (54)—a team Greene racked up 217 yards and 4 TDs on.

“Eleven straight,” defensive tackle Mitch King said. “That says something about the guy.”

“He’s done some things out there that I’m not so sure I’ve seen anyone do at this school,” said Ed Podolak, whose 937 yards in 1968 stood as Iowa’s rushing standard until Dennis Mosley’s 1,267-yard season in 1979.

Don’t think Greene has the speed? Greene broke away for a 75 yard TD run on Saturday--yes, more yards on one run than Iowa passed for the entire game (71). The number 2-4 leading rushers in the county, Ringer, Donald Brown, and Kendal Hunter, their longest runs on the year—64, 63, and 68.

“The balance and the low center of gravity he maintains while he runs — I haven’t seen that from anyone," said Podalak.

It goes without saying, Shonn Greene is hard to tackle. The bruise cruise that he is putting on this season compares to non-other.

"I'm scared of Shonn," said Angerer . "I don't really talk to him that much. Every time I see him, he tries to run me over."

With 107 yards against Minnesota, Greene will become Iowa’s single season rushing leader surpassing Tavian Banks total of 1691 yards in 1997, with a 13^th game still left to be played. Banks had 19 TD’s that year. Greene currently has 15.

“I held it proudly for 11 years,” said Tavian Banks. “I will be proud if he can break my record."

You are watching the best single season that a running back has ever had for the University of Iowa.

"I like Albert and I like Damian, but I thought Shonn was our best running back (in 2005)," Angerer said. "I'm not the coach or anything, and I don't want to dog on those guys, but he's unbelievable.”

“If this guy’s not an all-American, I don’t know what it takes,” Ferentz said. “This guy’s playing as well as anyone in the country at his position.”

In my limited spectrum of Hawkeye football, names like Brad Banks, Bob Sanders, and Matt Roth come to mind when I think about the player I most enjoyed watching.

But I can’t think of a player that has been more fun to watch than Shonn Greene.

And he is by far my favorite.

In a day and age where doing the best touchdown celebration dance, trying to wear the biggest sunglasses to the post game press conference, or undertaking a Heisman Trophy campaign complete with DVD’s and public relations events gets you more attention than your actual performance on the field, the humble nature of this guy blows me away.

"I never see the stats; I get it from you guys," the junior running back told reporters after another afternoon's work at Kinnick Stadium. "Somebody in the media tells me or something. I never look at the stat sheet. I don't even know where the stat sheet is around here."

I think it’d be harder to get him to actually say something about himself than it would be to tackle him.

I plan on soaking up every last carry that carry that he gets in these last two games because he will be gone next year. No doubt about it. And for good reason.

“He’s already done more than enough to guarantee a meteoric rise up the NFL draft board,” Mel Kiper wrote on a recent Internet posting.

Herk’s Hero…was Shonn Greene. 30 carries 211 yards 2 TDs 7.0 avg./carry

Play of the Day…was a 75 yard TD run by Shonn Greene early in the second quarter. On the run, which included an elusive spin move followed by dead sprint and a slight cut back, Greene surpassed 100 yards in a game for the 11th consecutive time this season. It was the longest run by a Hawkeye since 1997 when Tavian Banks went 82 yards against Iowa State.

And the crowd goes wild…or as wild as they could. For the first time in 37 games, historic Kinnick Stadium was not sold out. Only 67,676 fans made it out for the 2008 senior finale. The student section again looked desolate, completing a home streak this season of uninhabited, unintimidating student sections—a black eye upon a stadium, according to some, which is the most feared in the Big Ten.

Say what!?… Asked afterward if he said anything to Purdue SS Frank Duong after making him miss in route to a 75 yard TD run and then later, literally running over him in route to a 12 yard TD run, Greene said: "I didn't say anything. I never say anything on the field."

Mother Nature…was cold and windy, again. 35 degrees and a 20-25 mph wind gusts.

Next up…Minnesota (7-4, 3-4)

The ‘eye see’s…a one game season.

Wipe the slate clean. The Hawkeyes are 0-0 and it’s a one game season.

Minnesota is a tough, tough football team. They are coming off of a self-implosion up in Madison, WI, as they squandered a 21-7 lead. They were without their Mr. Everything, Eric Decker due to an ankle injury. He is to Minnesota what Shonn Greene is to Iowa and he should be ready to go against the Hawkeyes.

Add to that the fact that this will be the final college game in the H.H. Metrodome as well as the fact that with a little help from Ohio State and Penn State, the winner of this game has a pretty good chance of going to the January 1, Outback Bowl in Tampa Bay, Florida and you’ve got yourself a real big game with a lot at stake on Saturday, November 22, 6 p.m.

The Hawkeyes are going to have to find a way to stop the bleeding in the secondary as Purdue exposed a great weakness of Iowa’s. Adam Weber, the Gophers dual-threat QB, will be able to find his favorite target, Decker, all night in the middle of that Iowa, bend-don’t-break, defense of Norm Parker’s.

Offensively, Minnesota resembles Illinois, somewhat. If Iowa has any hope of containing the Gopher passing game, they'll need to pressure Weber. Like they did against Illinois, expected King and Kroul to provide some consistent pressure up the middle. This will force Weber to get rid of the ball in a hurry, which is when the Hawkeye's defense thrives. Just ask Juice Williams.

Big surprise, Shonn Greene will most likely carry the Hawkeyes on offense all evening. But look for Rick Stanzi to rebound from a quiet performance against the Boilermakers, and emerge as more of the Stanzi we saw on ‘The Drive.’

For that to happen however, Brodell and DJK are going to have to hold on to the football. They each fumbled against Purdue. They are also going to have to get better separation from their defenders, something they have struggled with all season.

The 2008 season, one filled with numerous highs like a victory over #3 Penn St. and it's fair share lows like the four losses by a combined 12 points, could end with a fourth consecutive win on Saturday. Expect a large contingent of Iowa fans at Kinnick North, and expect them to make sure their presence is felt by a team that is much deserving of a rousing culmination to a hard-fought regular season.

It’ll be a great weekend to be a Hawkeye!

Game Notes: Shonn Greene has been named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season…Not since Sept. 6, 2003, against Buffalo, have the Hawkeyes not played in front of a sold out Kinnick Stadium...54,471 fans attended the game against Buffalo…Watching the Hawkeyes take on Purdue on Saturday were representatives from the Capital One, Outback, Alamo, Champs Sports and Insight bowls. It marked the third consecutive Iowa game that the Outback Bowl has attended. That streak will swell to four next Saturday at Minnesota…Iron Man, Matt Kroul, matched a school record Saturday when he started for the 48th straight game...Daniel Murray is listed as #1 in the two-deeps released on Tuesday...The walk-on kicker is NOT currently on scholarship...He will be next year...Please return the 'O' flag...Let's fill the DOME for the last time!

Iowa 24, Penn State 23

The 'eye from the South Endzone

The story…that transpired on a blustery, cold November evening in Iowa City, IA on the sixth day, the year 2008, will be passed on ceaselessly to generation after generation of Hawkeye-kind alike until the end of time.

Game Summary(Associated Press): Penn State can’t blame the BCS for this.

The Nittany Lions perfect season and hopes for giving coach Joe Paterno another national title were dashed by Iowa’s backup kicker.

Daniel Murray, who hadn’t made a field goal since the season opener, hit a 31-yarder with a second left and the Hawkeyes rallied to stun the third-ranked Nittany Lions 24-23.

All that talk about an unbeaten Penn State possibly being left out of the BCS national title game turned out to be premature. A third championship for the 81-year-old Paterno, who’s had four unbeaten teams not win titles, is a long shot now.

Shonn Green rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns, and Ricky Stanzi bounced back from an interception and a fumble to lead the Hawkeyes (6-4, 3-3 Big Ten) on their game-winning drive, which came after Daryll Clark threw just his third interception of the season.

Murray had lost the regular field-goal duties to freshman Trent Mossbrucker and was relegated to kickoffs. But with the winds swirling and strong, coach Kirk Ferentz opted for experience and Murray’s strong leg.

He drilled it down the middle, sending Iowa’s freezing fans spilling onto the field.

“I’ve always dreamed about it,” said Murray, who grew up in Iowa City. “I kept hoping and hoping I’d get my chance.”

Iowa was down 23-14 heading into the fourth quarter. But Greene scored his second TD, from 6 yards out, to make it 23-21 with 9:20 left.

On the next possession, Penn State looked as if it got a break, when Iowa was called for a roughing the punter penalty that had the Hawkeyes seething. The Nittany Lions kept the ball and continued its time-consuming march.

But Clark made an errant throw down the middle that was picked off by Tyler Sash, who returned to Iowa’s 29 with 3:46 left. Iowa then caught another break when Penn State was flagged for pass interference on third down, getting the Hawkeyes near midfield with a first down.

Stanzi, who was 15-of-25 passing for 171 yards, hit Derrell Johnson-Koulianos at the Penn State 15 with 18 seconds left to set up Murray’s kick.

“I want to apologize to the whole Penn State nation for my game play today,” Clark said. “I just keep having that turnover recurring in my head over and over. I can’t get it out of my mind.”

This was the biggest win for Iowa in years, its first against a top-five team since 1990. The Hawkeyes suffered through two seasons of mediocrity after finishing No. 8 in the country three years in a row.

The Hawkeyes had lost four games this season by a total of 12 points—and they got beat last week by Illinois on a 46-yard field goal with 24 seconds left.

“We knew we had enough to win,” Iowa linebacker A.J. Edds. “But there weren’t a whole lot of people on the outside that thought we were the kind of team we know we are. We showed that today.”Clark was 9-of-23 for 86 yards and Derrick Williams and Evan Royster each ran for touchdowns to lead Penn State (9-1, 5-1), which had to settle for Kevin Kelly’s field goals on three different trips inside Iowa’s 20.

On a day where the wind chill dipped into the 20s, Penn State held the ball for nearly 36 minutes and ran almost twice as much as they threw it.

It worked for the first three quarters.

Penn State’s Tyrell Sales picked off Stanzi on the opening drive of the third quarter, and Kelly’s 25-yard field goal put the Nittany Lions ahead 16-7.

Iowa’s offense finally woke up, reeling off a 73-yard drive that Stanzi capped by finding a wide-open Johnson-Koulianos for a 27-yard touchdown pass to pull the Hawkeyes within 16-14 with 4:43 left in the third.

But Stanzi fumbled away the ball and Iowa’s momentum just two minutes later, giving Penn State the ball deep in Iowa territory after botching the snap. The Nittany Lions wasted little time turning Stanzi’s mistake into points, as Williams’ 9-yard touchdown run put Penn State back up 23-14 heading into the fourth.

Penn State held the ball for an astounding 23:34 and outgained Iowa 203-70 in the first half. But the Hawkeyes forced a pair of red-zone field goals, keeping Penn State’s lead at 13-7.

After falling behind 7-0 early in the first quarter, the Nittany Lions put together scoring drives of 71, 75 and 78 yards—all powered by the running game. They had to settle for 24-yard field goal by Kelly on the first one, but Royster ran for a 2-yard score to give Penn State a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter.

Kelly drilled a 31-yarder into the with 55 seconds left in the first half.

Iowa forced Clark to fumble on the game’s opening drive, but the officials said he got it back it at the Penn State 1. The Hawkeyes thought they had recovered the ball in the end zone, but they had to settle for a Nittany Lions punt and a short field.

Greene—with Iowa’s student section decked out in green shirts in honor of the nation’s third-leading rusher—made Penn State pay just two plays later, scoring on a 14-yard touchdown run that put Iowa ahead 7-0.

The Hawkeyes have two games remaining: Purdue November 15, and at Minnesota November 22.


Game Commentary: Maybe it was because of the pre-game, triple-jet flyover after the national anthem. Perhaps it was the fantastic start on defense. Possibly it was the unyielding crowd that couldn't sit down or just the luck that accompanied the green shirts. Or could have been because darkness made its decent upon a chilly Iowa City? No matter what it was, as the clock wound on in the 3rd quarter, a funny thing happened. You couldn’t put your finger on it right away, but you could feel it. There was something was in the air.

Kinnick Magic.

To some it may mean nothing. Too others it seem silly or childish. But those can feel it know, that it customarily signifies imminent Hawkeye greatness.

It’s was present during a 2003, BCS bowl game opening kick return for a touchdown. It was looming during a 1985, game winning kick to remain atop the national rankings. It was in attendance for a 2005, last second toss and catch forever engrained in the memories of Hawkeye Nation.

And on Saturday, November 8, 2008 it made another appearance.

Whether it was because the Hawkeyes had endured 4 losses by a combined 12 points this year, or because they were 0-9 in the last 9 games decided by three points or less, one thing was certain, Karma was not a friend of the 2008 Iowa Hawkeyes.

But something seemed different as lights became brighter and weather got colder Saturday evening.

The Hawkeyes weren't surrendering. They weren’t giving in after turnovers. They weren’t shutting it down on offense. They weren’t it packing up on defense. And they easily could have after a pitiful first half netting just 70 yards and after falling behind by 9 points late in the third quarter.

The offense bounced back after each defensive stop. On the second drive of the fourth quarter, a 6 play 44 yard drive, the Hawkeyes scored off of a Shonn Grene 6 yard run with 9:20 left bringing the score to within 2 points, 23-21.

The defense then held tough for 8 plays and 37 yards, until Tyler Sash intercepted an errant pass from PSU QB Darryl Clark and returned it 14 yards to the Iowa 29 yards line with 3:46 remaining on the clock.

That’s where it began.

In Hawkeye football lore there is 'The Kick,' 'The Catch,' and 'The Stand.' Not only did Saturday give Hawkeye Nation its first win over a Top 5 team in 18 years, it also left us with two more titles to add to the collection, the first of which--'The Drive.'

Sophomore QB Rick Stanzi took the first snap of the last drive of the game, in what would be a 15 play 57 yard drive that Hawkeye-kind will remember for the rest of their lives, in an ugly fashion.

He was sacked.

His second and third down passes were incomplete and for just a second, Hawkeye Nation saw glimpses of a 10th straight loss by only a few points. That is until a flag was thrown.

On the 3^rd and 15, Trey Stross was clobbered by a PSU defensive back, allowing Iowa a first down.

After a 5 yard Greene run and a 6 yard pass to Brandon Myeres, the Hawkeyes had another first down and were on the 50 yards line.

After two incomplete passes, Stanzi again found Myers for 11 yards and yet another Iowa first down. However, had it not been for a crucial block made by RB Shonn Greene, Stanzi may not have been able to release the pass, thus negating first down.

After an incomplete pass, Stanzi found DJK who made a beautiful 10 yard, sidelines grab for a first down that put Iowa on the PSU 29 yard line. Just over one minute remained on the clock.

Greene then rushed the ball twice for a total of 4 yards and the Hawkeyes called their first timeout with 57 seconds left facing a 3^rd and 6 from the 25 yard line. This would have been a 42 yard FG with the stiff wind at Iowa place kicker Trent Mossbrucker's back if Greene did not gain anything on 3^rd down. Because surely, Greene would get the ball and the Hawkeyes would let the clock run down, take their final timeout, kick the FG, and win the game.

But Greene didn’t get the ball, much to the surprise of anyone who has even remotely watched this team, this year.

Stanzi took the snap, rolled out to the left with no defender in sight, and with Greene as his blocker, again found DJK for the second time on the drive and the seventh time in the game. It was a 10 yard gain and DJK got out of bounds to stop the clock.

“I just saw it in him,” Greene said of DJK. “Like the whole week of practice, he had a great week of practice. He worked real hard during practice and it paid off in this game.”

On first down from the PSU 15, Greene lost one yard. Iowa called timeout with 11 seconds left. On second down, Greene ran off-tackle right for 2 yards to better center the ball and the Hawkeyes took their final timeout with 6 seconds showing on the clock. It was 3^rd and 6, from the 14 yard line.

That’s when walk-on, back-up place kicker Daniel Murray of Iowa City, IA, not Mossbrucker, jogged his icy thick veins out on to the well-lit field.

During Penn State’s timeout, an unsuccessful effort to ice Murray, he walked toward the center of the field. As he practiced his kicking motion, not a player was within 30 yards of him. A huge national television audience as well as 70,000 plus, in-stadium eyes were on him.

Yet, he was all alone.

“I didn’t want to have to deal with anybody trying to encourage me or anything,” Murray said. “I knew I could do it anytime, anywhere.”

The scene was surreal. It, like 'The Catch,' is forever etched into the memories of Hawkeye fans everywhere. Murray, alone at mid-field, as Hawkeye Nation awaited what would be the biggest play since that toss and catch, was all business.

The ball was placed at the 14 yard line only a few yards to the center of the right hash. It would be a 31 yard field goal attempt, the biggest of Murray’s career to date and the biggest kick for Hawkeye Nation since 1985.

As Andrew Schulze prepared to snap the football, Ryan Donahue set up in his stance 7 yards behind him. A few feet from Donahue was the man of the hour, Daniel Murray.

"Once I got in my stance I said, ‘I’m going to remember this one for the rest of my life,’” Iowa punter/ holder Ryan Donahue said. “And I looked up at Murray, and from there, it was all business. It was all a blur.”

The snap was a little high, and it jammed Donahue a little bit, but he got it down masterfully. As Murray swung through, the ball lifted with enough trajectory to clear the incoming PSU line, and dead on in the direction of the goal posts.

He made it.

Right down the middle, without question or room for error. It was perfect.

Euphoria and pandemonium ensued.

Daniel ‘Money Man” Murray wrote himself into the Iowa football history books for good.

With one swing of the leg, Murray made the referees mishandled call regarding the PSU fumble in the first minute a moot point. He made good the horrific offensive first half. He relinquished the missed calls near the Iowa goal line that Kirk Ferentz so adamantly argued. He made up for the roughing the kicker penalty earlier in the 3^rd quarter. He negated the Hawkeye’s fumbled snap in the 4^th quarter.

Everything that had haunted Iowa all game long seemed to be favoring them on one last drive, ‘The Drive.’ And it happened on a stage that could forever be known as ‘The Game.’

In one game, the Iowa Hawkeyes made the mishandling of a QB situation and a subsequent loss to Pittsburgh, sting a little bit less. They made 4 unsuccessful, poorly executed and designed plays from the 8 yard line against Northwester a little easier to stomach. They made 2 unsuccessful fourth down attempts at Michigan State a little easier to think about. And they took a last minute field goal from Illinois out of our minds.

Since ‘The Catch’ on January 1, 2005, Iowa’s record is 24-22. Before success, there has to be a turning point. It all starts somewhere.

After three years of mediocrity, a holiday at home, and some off-the-field troubles, this may be that point.

This team grew up a little bit on Saturday. You may not notice during the next game or even during this season at all. But next year and in the near future, we may look back upon ‘The Game’ as the catalyst for an advancement of a new Hawkeye era filled with confidence and triumph.

A time like 2002-2005.

Herk’s Hero…was almost impossible to pick after a 10th straight powerful performance by Shonn Greene (28 carries, 117 yards, 2 TD’s), a bounce back effort by Rick Stanzi (15-25, 171 yrds, 1 TD), a solid outing for Tyler Sash (8 tackles, 1 INT), a surprising second string staging by DJK (7 catches, 89 yrds, 1 TD) and of course one of the most clutch kicks in Iowa football history by the icy, Daniel Murray.

But Saturday’s hero was Kirk Ferentz and his Iowa coaching staff. If not for the job they did preparing this team to believe that they could knock off a top-rated, undefeated Penn State squad that was only 2 games away from the national championship, Iowa would be sitting in the same seat their much hated next door neighbors—5-5 with only two games to go. With a little help form a hard nosed crowd that wouldn’t sit down and a team-wide performance elevation, as well as some brilliantly unexpected play calling and revision, this coaching staff willed this team to victory after one of the most dreadful first half’s this season. And that’s saying something.

And the crowd goes wild…not once, but twice. Some confused Iowa fans rushed the field after Daniel Murray’s 31 yard game winning field goal only to find one second remaining on the clock. After Iowa recovered the kickoff, pandemonium ensued not only on the field at Kinnick Stadium, but in living rooms, in parking lots, on street corners, and in bars and cars around the state of Iowa and beyond. Iowa’s win had a huge influence on the BCS standings, thus improving many top rated teams chances at a National Championship.

Say what!?…“Sometimes the smallest man can be the biggest hero. Daniel Murray is tonight," said the ABC play-by-play commentator.”

Mother Nature…made her presence felt—with temperatures hovering around freezing and a harsh 20-30 mph wind whipping through Historic Kinnick Stadium.

Next up…Purdue (1-5, 3-7)

The ‘eye see’s…A golden opportunity for a letdown.

Coming off arguably the greatest win in the Kirk Ferentz era, the Hawkeyes have the finest opportunity, thus far, to lay an egg against a last place Big Ten team. If they did, it would virtually negate the significance of the big day last Saturday, with respect to this season.

Complete with a new, dual threat QB, a RB who has the potential to have a big day, and two explosive receivers that are third and fourth in total receiving yards in the Big Ten, if the Hawkeyes do not jump on a bowl-less Boilermaker bunch right from the get go, look for a long, gut-wrenching game.

Remember Senior Day 2007?

“I don’t know what pressure was on us (before),” Ferentz said. “But we have six wins, we had six wins last year (before a Senior Day match-up with Western Illinois) and we were all sitting around the fireplace for Christmas with chestnuts and all that stuff roasting and music playing. I’m not a big fan of eggnog. I’m hoping that maybe we can do a little better, but we’re going to have to earn it. It’s going to be tough.”

But if the Hawkeyes come out firing on all cylinders against the 10th ranked defense in the Big Ten, in both rushing and total defense, it won’t be too tough; they will put Purdue away by halftime.

Side Notes: Ferentz said tight end Tony Moeaki (leg strain) and offensive lineman Andy Kuempel (shoulder) are doubtful for Saturday’s game…Iowa’s last consensus All-America running back was also its first and only recipient of the Heisman Trophy. That’s right; the answer is the legendary Nile Kinnick in 1939. Only three Iowa running backs have been named consensus All-Americans. The others were Aubrey Devine in 1921 and fullback Gordon Locke in 1922…Greene has rushed for at least 100 yards in each of Iowa’s 10 games this season. He is the only player in the country to do that this season, and the only player in school history to do it. He is 317 yards away from Tavian Banks’ single-season rushing mark of 1,691 set in 1997…Iowa was selected the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week…Safety Tyler Sash won Defensive Player of the Week honors from the Big Ten Conference.