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.
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 3rd 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 3rd 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 3rd 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 3rd 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.
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 3rd quarter. He negated the Hawkeye’s fumbled snap in the 4th 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.
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