IOWA LOSES TO INDIANA, REMAINS UNDEFEATED

9-0 HAWKEYES SUFFER DEVASTATING WIN AT HANDS OF HOOSIERS

 
Untimely mistakes finally brought the Hawkeyes down to earth as they fell short to Indiana, outscoring the visitors by only eighteen points. Adding to the Hawks' collective misery was the poor career-yardage day of erratic quarterback Ricky Stanzi, whose five interceptions led to Indiana points in bunches. All told, the Hoosiers wrested 24 of them from the previously-adequate Hawk defense, most by any visiting team this year whose colors are crimson and cream.

Iowa could only muster 42 of their own, some of which were delivered lightning-bolt style from Zeus into the steady though lucky arms of safety Tyler Sash, who rumbled with the God-delivered pigskin 88 yards for one of the most thrilling if not deus-ex-machina-like touchdowns in recent Kinnick or anyplace-else memory. Such is the luck of the Hawks when the sun shines upon them. Would this be the breakout victory the pollsters have been waiting for?

Alas, the valiant boys in black and yellow would disappoint again, as they had in their close losses to UNI, Arkansas State and Michigan State.

Despite the questionable abilities and calls of the officials, whose salaries one almost expects to find on the Iowa State Payroll list published annually by the Iowa City Press Citizen, for so great was their pro-Iowa bias, the Hawks did not outplay the Hoosiers convincingly enough to silence their doubters. Time and again, they were caught short. A slick 92 yard pass from Stanzi to receiver Marvin McNutt was simply a matter of "Too little too late," while a garbage-time TD run by Dakota Dunes frosh sensation Brandon Wegher seemed more in the vein of "Well, what have you done for me lately?" Derrell Johnson-Koulianos got into the act with a fifty-plus yard pass reception for a touchdown, yet one could only ask one's self as DJK danced program-like into the end zone, "Is that all this team is going to show us today?" In a word, the Hawk players could not overcome an innate "Midwesterness" that was all-too-obvious to the educated observer, a certain inherent lack of talent and speed afoot, and deliver the goods.

Despite falling to 9-0, some feel the Hawks remain deserving of a Top 25 ranking, possibly a spot in the Top 15 if a convincingly not-lucky victory at The Shoe is in the cards in two weeks. Bowl talk is also starting to flow. Few teams travel like the Hawks, and fluorescently-jacketed scouts from Detroit to Orlando are salivating to get this team's fans into their seats. If Dame Fortune continues to favor the Hawks, a BCS bowl remains a remote possiblity, though admittedly few nationwide are clamoring for the inevitable fifty-point beatdown an undeserving Iowa would certainly suffer at the hands of a speedier and more talented SEC, PAC 10, or Big XII squad.

Prediction for next week: Iowa loses a close one to the Cats as the Hawks manage only 31 points to the Wildcats 14. Detroit, here we come!