Iowa cornerback Greg Mabin had a bad game, but a fourth-quarter interception was a redeeming factor.
By Ryan Rodriguez
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Greg Mabin’s fourth-quarter interception against Illinois quarterback Wes Lunt could not have come at a better time for the Hawkeyes. Up 10 and facing a driving Illini offense, Mabin snagged a bullet out of midair that stopped Lunt cold and put the game back in Iowa’s control.
It couldn’t have come at a better time for the cornerback.
Routinely targeted by Lunt all game, Mabin was able to salvage one of his worst performances in a Hawkeye uniform with one well-timed read.
“I was able to just keep my head in the game, and forget about my mistakes, and make a big play there,” Mabin said after Iowa’s 29-20 win. “It was my first of the year, so that felt good; hopefully not my last one.”
Truth be told, the first three quarters of Iowa’s victory over the Illini are probably ones Mabin wants to forget about.
And honestly, forgetting might not just be enough. He needs amnesia.
For a guy who had at some points this season has been one of the Iowa defense’s brightest spots, the Oct. 10 performance was eye-popping in its awkwardness.
Seemingly every one of Illinois’s passes found its way to Mabin’s side of the field, with Lunt at one point throwing in his direction seven-straight plays. More often than not, they ended up as Illinois completions, or worse yet, pass-interference calls.
He took two.
“You have to forget those before the next play happens,” Mabin said. “Just flush it down immediately. If you’re dwelling on the past, they could take another shot on you.”
Mabin looked often time overmatched against wide out Geronimo Allison, who hauled down 7 catches for 95 yards.
But in a way, it’s almost unfair to single out Mabin for his shortcomings. After all, the secondary and defense as a whole allowed more than 300 yards through the air for the first time since November 2012 against Michigan.
Lunt, seen by some as a legitimate NFL talent, was able to take advantage of a few gaps in coverage and get his receivers the ball in the open field.
“They made it tough on us,” head coach Kirk Ferentz said. “They had us in some spots that really put pressure on us, but our guys kept fighting and came up with the big plays, and again, the two takeaways were really big. They’ve done a good job with the turnover-takeaway margin.”
Had it not been for a few big drops by Illinois’s receivers, the damage could have been worse.
“I didn’t really know they were going to go to Greg so much, honestly,” defensive back Desmond King said. “But that happens; they we’re just matching him up with receivers that could go get the ball, and it worked for them.”
Mabin was not nearly so caught off-guard by the targets.
“I kind of had a feeling they were going to go my way a lot today,” Mabin said. “Their game plan was to target my side, and credit to them, they got some shots in, but I feel like I made a couple of plays as well.”
Resiliency can be a huge ally of a college-football player, and one Mabin will need big-time in practice this week.
He’s shown he can rebound from mistakes in games, but how Mabin handles Northwestern next week will be a good indicator of Iowa’s character on defense.
“I wouldn’t say it made me mad because you have to stay level-headed in this game,” Mabin said. “Especially as a cornerback.”
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