Iowa did not look like itself in the second half of its game against Maryland on Oct. 31.
By Danny Payne
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You and I need to talk about the second half of No. 10 Iowa’s win over Maryland on Oct. 31 in Kinnick. Yes, Iowa moved to 8-0, and that’s the most important statistic, but after a dominant first half from the Hawkeyes, the second half was far from spectacular.
Before the intermission, Iowa controlled the game and didn’t give Maryland any room to breathe. The Hawks ran 42 plays for 240 yards, put up 21 points, and limited their visitors to 23 snaps for 68 yards and no scores. Only one of Maryland’s 23 plays took place in Iowa territory.
The second half, however, was a different story, especially for the Hawkeye offense (or disappearance thereof). While Iowa’s defense allowed 134 yards on the ground after the break, it kept Maryland out of the end zone, save for a Perry Hills touchdown pass to Taivon Jacobs. Bravo to strong play from Desmond King, Jaleel Johnson, and Miles Taylor, to name a few.
However, even if your outlook on life is extremely optimistic, that Iowa only managed 53 yards of offense on 26 plays should concern you. That’s not to say you should pull the fire alarm on this team, but a level of worry is well-warranted.
With C.J. Beathard hobbled by lower body issues — he said he’s in the 85-90 percent range, but watching him run, you’d think that number to be lower — Maryland head coach Mike Locksley and Company sold out against the rush.
It was common to see him bring the heat in the second half, leaving Beathard to make plays in the pocket, which, of course, isn’t his biggest strength. Even more, the Terps stacked the box, which immediately put a kibosh on the solid day Akrum Wadley and LeShun Daniels Jr. were having. Those two combined for 88 yards and two scores in the first half, and they finished the contest with 127 yards total.
When pairing those poor numbers with Maryland’s coming in allowing roughly 175 yards per game on the ground, the lack of production becomes even more troubling.
Maryland’s defense should get credit, and perhaps it was just a hiccup, or Iowa simply let off the gas. Neither of those are good occurrences, but if they’re going to happen, they might as well come against the worst conference opponent Iowa will face this year. It’s better for Iowa if play like that happens against Maryland and not Saturday against Indiana — a team that can put up a bunch of points in a hurry.
And to be fair, the Hawkeyes have done a fantastic job of surprising all of us this season, so maybe it’s just a one-week thing. Don’t sleep on this defense being able to win some games for the Hawkeyes, either; it has been outstanding all season long, and if it weren’t for the newfound, sexy weapons Iowa has on offense, that unit would be getting much more attention.
None of us can see the future, and this column could have no relevance in a few days. But right now, if you’re one of Iowa’s four remaining regular-season opponents, you could be licking your chops watching that second-half game film.
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