At halftime in Kinnick, the No. 5 Hawkeyes are leading Purdue, 20-10.

By Danny Payne
[email protected]

Poor, poor Purdue. I don’t know what to say about the Boilermakers other than they are not good. Just a bad, bad football team with really cool uniforms. Here are some thoughts on this mockery of a game happening in a snowy stadium.

• Iowa’s first two drives couldn’t have gone any better. Defense forces a three-and-out, offense scores, defense forces a three-and-out, offense scores. Game, set, match.
• C.J. Beathard and Tevaun Smith are feeling each other today. Smith has 4 catches for 74 yards, which is a nice average of 18.3 per catch. Beathard’s been spot-on in the passing game, showing that accuracy that has been getting the Hawks all of these wins.
• LeShun Daniels Jr. is again having a day. He’s totaled 6 carries for 24 yards and 2 touchdowns. Jordan Canzeri is the leading Hawkeye rusher with the same number of carries for 25 yards.
• Purdue’s offense is one of the less-bad units of head coach Darrell Hazell’s program, and the Hawkeye defense is taking advantage of that. When the Boilers have scored, it’s been on a short field.
• Austin Appleby is playing at quarterback for the Boilermakers. David Blough left with an injury after Jordan Lomax stuck him in the first quarter. Appleby has looked good with 98 yards on 10-of-11 passing.
• The Kinnick facilities staff did so well clearing this field for play. The only snow that’s having an effect is blowing from surrounding buildings. And snowballs from fans. Those are happening as well.
• As I type this, Purdue Pete is dodging snowballs. He’s smacking some of them with his sledge hammer, too.
• The Kirk Ferentz rugby-punt era may be over. Marshall Koehn shanked one out of the Hawkeye end zone with about nine minutes remaining in the second quarter. Working with a short field, Purdue took it down to score its only touchdown of the half.
• Following the Hawkeyes’ third touchdown, the Koehn PAT attempt was blocked. Iowa has failed four PAT attempts this season.
• Jonathan Parker ran a jet sweep. This is not a drill.
• Iowa was driving at the end of the half, as it has done all season, but that drive stopped after Beathard got stuck and lost a fumble, which Purdue turned into 3 points. Can’t give anyone a short field, Hawkeyes.
• Stats: