Iowa State 10, Iowa 7: Clown Show

Iowa converted one third down all day and was outgained 312-127 yards in a 10-7 loss at home in a game that saw six turnovers and two blocked punts.

The game couldn’t have started better for Iowa.

John Waggoner got to Hunter Dekkers on third down to force an early punt that was eventually blocked by Lukas Van Ness to give Iowa the ball at ISU’s 16.

Leshon Williams plunged up the middle for 8 yards and set up a touchdown run on the very next play.

Iowa State committed a false start on a third down the following drive to let Quinn Schulte tattoo Xavier Hutchinson well short of the sticks.

With a commanding lead of one touchdown, Iowa went three-and-out on its next drive. Spencer Petras had Arland Bruce for a first down on a nice flag-out design, but he overthrew him. Alec Wick laid an illegal pick anyway.

Tory Taylor booted it 50 yards, Terry Roberts nailed the returner and State got the ball back on its 15.

State was close to crossing Iowa’s 50, but Cooper DeJean wrapped up Jirehl Brock before he could get a fresh set of downs.

After a touchback, Iowa finally opted to hand the ball off to Arland Bruce for a 4-yard gain. A Petras scramble two plays later got Iowa an elusive first down.

An ISU player interfered on Bruce to continue some nice momentum on Iowa’s second drive. Two plays later, Petras fumbled the ball on what looked like a long-developing play-action deep ball. It was the first time Iowa committed a turnover against Iowa State since 2015.

Iowa State started this drive at midfield. Fifteen yards from Jirehl Brock brought this to the second quarter and the Wave.

Nice running lanes for Brock chunked State to Iowa’s 9-yard line with four fresh downs early in the second. Dekkers got dropped for no gain on a read-option, then he threw it behind Brock the next play. On third down, Dekkers got pressured by everyone in a yellow jersey and had to throw it away to emptiness.

Predictably, Seth Benson got called for holding on some absolute bullshit to gift State a fresh set of downs on Iowa’s three-yard line.

Kaevon Merriweather (and ISU’s fullback) jarred the ball loose from Jirehl Brock as he swan dove into the end-zone, and Logan Klemp was all over that bad boy.

Ball don’t lie.

After some nice hookups between Petras & LaPorta, Petras fumbled a high snap at midfield, but was able to get it off for an incompletion before Iowa could lose yardage.

A rare Tory Taylor touchback ensued. Heavy doses of Brock & Hutchinson moved the ball and Iowa State advanced the pigskin past midfield. On a big third-and-eight, Dekkers hit Aidan Bitter for a great catch. He then hit Hutchinson for 24 yards the next play on a pinpoint pass to set up first and goal from Iowa’s 5.

Two plays went for a yard and on third down, Hutchinson couldn’t one-hand what would’ve been a touchdown to set up State’s first points of the game following a successful field goal try.

Riley Moss brought the kick back to the 25. With 3:40 on the clock until half, Iowa handed it off to Leshon Williams for five yards, then Petras missed Bruce for what would’ve been a first down. Will McDonald batted down the pass on third down and Iowa punted it back for just 42 yards. Just over a minute ticked off the clock.

Two plays of no gain set up a third play where Merriweather dropped an interception off a tipped pass. Just 37 seconds ran off the clock.

With 1:53 on the clock and three timeouts, Iowa ran for no gain, hit LaPorta for 2 yards, and deflected the ball off Alec Wick’s hands and got intercepted.

With 90 seconds and a timeout to work with on Iowa’s 16, Hunter Dekkers ran for no gain. and then threw it right to Cooper DeJean, like an absolute moron.

Iowa handed it off to Leshon Williams twice to take a 7-3 lead at half.

After a nice return from Riley Moss after the break, Iowa unfairly trotted Petras back onto the field. A run for no gain and a tight end screen for a loss of three preceded Iowa’s latest trick play: a draw from shotgun to Gavin Williams. Eight yards didn’t cut it, and three and out for Iowa.

Jirehl Brock squirted out for 14 yards on his first run of the half. Running tempo, Dekkers threw right into the hands of Terry Roberts on 3rd & 1. Like an absolute moron.

And still, Spencer Petras took the field again to command another three-and-out. That drive was particularly fun because Petras burnt a timeout before Williams lost two yards on second down, then overthrew a wide open Wick. It maybe shoulda been caught. Taylor’s punt was coffin-cornered at the ISU 5.

Iowa’s defense—and its fans, by way of a false start—did its job and got Iowa the ball back on ISU’s 20 yard-line after another blocked punt from Lukas Van Ness.

Seven yards on first down to LaPorta set up a short loss for Kaleb Johnson. Petras hit Bruce on a really nice swap boot out, but Bruce stumbled on what would’ve been an easy touchdown. It was the first catch by an Iowa receiver all game.

Monte Pottebaum then fumbled on the goal line.

Inside their own 1, Dekkers kept it under center. Iowa State was able to get a first down with ]help of a shadow offsides ca;;, and this is when the Cyclones made their hay.

A conversion on a long third down preceded another long conversion on third down. With the ball near midfield, Iowa State was content to let the clock run into the fourth quarter.

Hutchinson picked up another first on a short third down to move the ball into Iowa territory.

Cooper DeJean then got an unnecessary roughness call after tackling Dekkers while he was still inbounds.

Set up with the ball on Iowa’s 12ish, Xavier Hutchinson beat Riley Moss in the end zone for State’s first touchdown and first lead of the game. Twenty-one plays for 99 yards and 7 points.

And that was that. You know Iowa’s offense didn’t do anything to win the game, because why would it?

A nifty end-around went for a loss of 4 after a 9-yard gain. Then Petras missed an open Bruce on third down. Just 1:25 came off the clock as Iowa punted it away.

Iowa State converted on a pivotal third down, but rain immediately started pouring down—just in time to give Spencer Petras the ball on Iowa’s 22 with 3:06 on the clock and a chance to win the game.

Hit nailed LaPorta for 11 yards on first down. And that was it. He got hit as he threw on the next play. Missed LaPorta after that. On on third-and-10, he went to a blanketed LaPorta on a low-percentage play. On fourth down, Arland Bruce dropped a ball (that was on the money) over the middle that would’ve been a first down.

Iowa actually got the ball back with 38 seconds left and the chance. Petras got strip-sacked. An unsportsmanlike conduct on the ISU bench and a neutral zone infraction erased the sack and gifted Iowa 20 yards. With nine seconds left, he hit LaPorta for 9 yards to setup a chance to tie the game with Aaron Blom in the rain.

Wide left.

El oh el.

And that’s all folks. One & one.

The rest:

• I think we’re seeing a splintered locker room. Iowa’s defenders have zero faith in its offense, as evidenced by the effort the punt team took to scoop the ball on the first blocked punt, and Terry Robert’s body language after not being able to run his interception back for a touchdown.
• Saw a lot of guys for both teams get tripped up by the turf monster today.
• This loss hangs on the head of exactly who you think. LeVar Woods’ unit blocked two punts. Phil Parker’s unit allowed one touchdown—after his counterparts’ unit gave the ball away. If you are a backup quarterback on this team, why even show up to practice? There is no chance you can win a job by merit or virtue, so why roll that boulder up the hill?
• Iowa ran just 52 plays to Iowa State’s 79.
• Iowa had just 136 yards to Iowa’s 313.
• Spencer Petras’ slash line: 12-26, 92 yards, an interception & a fumble.
• Iowa had 35 rushing yards in the first quarter. And 58 the entire game.