We watched the Iowa-Maryland game again to check out some key instances.

By Jordan Hansen
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Iowa beat Maryland 31-15 over the weekend and even though we all (obviously) watched it, there’s always something to be gained by watching it again.

This week I’ll especially be watching the second half. Iowa only scored 10 points and allowed the Terrapins to put up 15 in the fourth quarter, which made things uncomfortable for the Hawkeyes.

• First thing the announcers bring up is Beathard’s groin. Not exactly a shocker.
• Screen pass to VandeBerg on the first snap. Probably will see more of that with how limited Beathard is.
• Great catch by Derrick Mitchell Jr. on Iowa’s first possession. Definitely a back that can do a lot.
• Iowa went five-wide after Beathard’s second QB sneak on the first drive. Got Hillyer on a short out-route. Maybe they should do that more.
• Fumble recovery. Mabin punched it out, Taylor recovers. Nice play.
• Second offensive drive for Iowa, the offensive line is just mauling people. Wadley bursting through holes. It’s impressive.
• Iowa played GREAT on third down. Maryland was 1-for-10. Yeesh.
• That was one helluva catch by George Kittle. Made the SportsCenter Top 10 on a day with a ton of great plays.
• Beathard was under a pressure a ton, all game long.
• Wadley is incredibly explosive through the hole. Just impressive to watch.
• The pass interference call on Maryland towards the end of the half on 4th and five was absolutely huge for Iowa. Set them up for an easy touchdown.
• Iowa’s little sequence right before halftime was pretty nifty, too.
• Third quarter did not have a whole lot going on for Iowa. Picked up a first down during each drive during the quarter, but didn’t do a whole lot outside of that.
• Up 21 points, Beathard decides to dive headfirst to pick up four yards. Why?
• Iowa went 1-for-7 on third-down conversions in the second half. Yikes.
• Also, Perry Hills rushed for around 60 yards in the fourth quarter. Too little, to late, however.
• Beathard had a nice little 8-yard rush early in the fourth quarter. He obviously still in hobbled, but he still has a bit of running ability left.
• Maryland really started applying pressure late in the game. Lots and lots of pressure.
• After rewatching this, I’m a little less concerned about Iowa moving forward. The Hawkeyes basically took their collective foot off the gas in the fourth quarter and Maryland took a little bit advantage of that. Not a bad game for Iowa, especially in the first half.