By Blake Dowson
Most weeks, Iowa players won’t entertain questions about the prior week’s game because of the team’s 24-hour rule, but during Tuesday’s session, the win over Michigan and subsequent celebration was the most frequent topic of conversation.
Here are a couple things of note.
This season is starting to look like 2008
The 2008 Hawkeye football team was a disappointing 5-4 when it welcomed No. 3 and undefeated Penn State to Kinnick Stadium.
Those Hawkeyes gave Penn State its first loss on a last-second 31-yard field goal from Daniel Murray.
The 2016 Hawkeyes gave No. 2 Michigan its first loss on a last-second 33-yard field goal from Keith Duncan.
“There are a lot of parallels there,” Ferentz said. “That was a tough, hard fought kind of hard game … That was a really enjoyable season. But nothing came easy that season. The last one did. But, boy, none of us saw that coming. That’s kind of how it works out. You’ve got to go into it expecting it will be tough. Just like Saturday night we knew was going to be tough.”
The 2008 Hawkeyes went on to beat Purdue and Minnesota in their last two regular-season games and outclassed South Carolina, 31-10, in the Outback Bowl.
Michigan took its toll on Iowa
The Hawkeyes won the game against the Wolverines, but they are coming out of Michigan Week limping a bit.
Besides starters Greg Mabin, Cole Croston, and George Kittle, who didn’t suit up for the game, starting safety Miles Taylor and tackle Ike Boettger both left the game with injuries.
Mabin and Croston have been ruled out for the game this weekend, and Kittle has not practiced yet this week.
Taylor and Boettger are both still hobbled, and it will probably come down to a game-time decision whether either of them play against the Illini.
As Ferentz always says, the show will go on without them if they can’t go.
“We started a new week on Sunday, like every week,” Ferentz said. “Looked at the film, made corrections, and with the new week, you have new challenges looking forward here.”
Punters are people, too
Iowa punter Ron Coluzzi became rather famous (well, Twitter famous) on the night of Nov. 12 after a series of plays in which he tripped over his own feet into a somersault and two-consecutive plays in which he drew running into the kicker penalties.
Aside from the jokes and memes that came out of the game, Coluzzi played really well against Michigan.
The Central Michigan transfer punted 6 times, averaging 47 yards, with three punts traveling more than 50 yards, and three landing inside the 20-yard line.
Coluzzi’s best punt, downed at the Michigan 2-yard line, resulted in Iowa’s first points when Jaleel Johnson tackled Michigan running back De’Veon Smith in the end zone for a safety.
“After my Purdue game, getting knocked out on national television, this was just icing on the cake,” Coluzzi said. “You got to learn to laugh at yourself.”