Thoughts on Wisconsin Game

For some unknown reason, losses always hurt our psyche more than wins make us feel good. One of the most disappointing parts of Iowa’s 31-30 loss to Wisconsin is that the Badgers beat Iowa at its own game of not making mistakes and capitalizing on special teams. Here are my thoughts.

Spike. While it was certainly not the reason why Iowa lost the game, the confusion and subsequent timeout after the quarterback sneak on 4th and one is at the focal point of Iowa fans’ disappointment after the game. One of the things that I admire the most about Kirk Ferentz is his willingness to never place blame on his players nor his coaching staff. Regardless of who is to blame for the timeout, fourth down, and timeout sequence, the decision to not spike the ball after Ricky Stanzi picked up the first down is inexcusable. At that point in the game, time is the limited resource with which one must be concerned—not the down and distance. A spike on first down stops the clock, gives the offense the opportunity to regroup and, with the time that was left in the game, run one maybe two plays to at least give the kicker a chance at a field goal. This one mistake did not lose the game for Iowa, but it was a microcosm of what went wrong on Saturday for Iowa.

Special Teams. Saying that the difference in a game will be special teams is one of the most cliché sayings in football; however, behind every cliché is some truth. Iowa’s two losses this season can be directly attributed to poor special teams. A blocked extra point, a botched field goal attempt, and an offside on kickoff resulting in 35 yards of hidden yardage made the difference between losing a game by one point and winning a game by three to ten points. Each week I have been predicting improvement in this area of the game and while it seems like a broken record at this point, I am going to predict that Iowa’s special teams will improve over the course of the next five weeks.

Offense. One of the bright spots on Saturday was the play of Adam Robinson and Ricky Stanzi. Robinson is quickly becoming a fan favorite with his determined running style, the effort he displays on the field in each game, and his pleasant demeanor off the field. Stanzi also had another incredibly efficient game ending with 258 yards and three touchdown passes. While he may have missed some open receivers deep down the field and instead settled for underneath throws, he managed the game very well and looked extremely confident in the pocket due to the great effort from the Iowa offensive line. I was surprised that Iowa did not throw off of play action that often on Saturday given how Wisconsin had to respect Iowa’s running attack behind Robinson. It will be interesting to see whether Iowa looks to stretch the field next week against a Michigan State pass defense that ranks in the middle of the Big Ten allowing 213 yards per game. Likewise, star Michigan State cornerback Chris L. Rucker may still be left off the roster following some disciplinary issues that have kept him off the field the last two weeks.

The loss on Saturday may have been the most disappointing loss by Iowa since the loss in 2006 at Northwestern when Iowa lost in the closing minutes after holding a 14 point lead with eight minutes left. The fact that Iowa seemed to be outcoached by Bret Bielema also leaves Iowa fans with an uneasy feeling given that Wisconsin out-Iowa’ed Iowa. It is not hyperbole to say that Iowa’s season may be defined this Saturday against Michigan State. A loss this Saturday could mean the difference between still having a Big Ten championship to play for and going into loss prevention mode to salvage the season. In order for the championship dream to remain alive, the Iowa defense needs to get back to their “put out the fire” mentality that has defined the Iowa defense under this coaching staff. Kirk Ferentz has mentioned that Norm Parker may be able to get back in the coaching booth this season, which may give the Iowa defense the inspiration and leadership they need to get back on track. No matter how many times one dissects this game, until the black and gold runs back on the field next Saturday, this loss will still linger like a bad cold that will not go away.