It took a while, but the Iowa offense came in clutch to defeat Illinois, 28-0.
By Mario Williams
It took awhile for the Iowa football team to get things rolling, but when it finally did it didn’t stop. The Hawkeyes’ momentum shifted throughout the game as it shut out Illinois, 28-0.
Due to the 20-25 mph wind and 30 degree temperature at Memorial Stadium, balls were dropped and incomplete passes were made early in the first quarter.
However, wide receiver Riley McCarron got the ball rolling for the Hawkeyes in the second quarter. He returned a punt for 55 yards for Iowa’s first touchdown. It was McCarron’s second punt return this season. It was also Iowa’s first punt return for touchdown since Drew Ott in 2014.
The game stayed pretty up in the air until Iowa took over Memorial Stadium in the second half. Fans of the Fighting Illini started to leave the stands and fans of the Hawkeyes continued to show their presence.
“I’m really pleased and proud of our football team,” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said. “I thought they played with a lot of determination, discipline, and decisiveness. We walked into a challenging environment, and we still came on top. Really pleased with the guys today.
“It’ll be a good ride home for us.”
The defense kept up with the Fighting Illini as they didn’t allow them to score. Illinois also totaled just 10 first downs throughout the entire contest.
The running game Saturday was also something the Hawkeyes should be proud of. Despite running back Akrum Wadley’s fumble on 4th down in the red zone, everything seemed to be clicking for both Wadley and running back LeShun Daniels, Jr.
Wadley rushed 13 times for 82 yards and a touchdown. He had two receptions for three yards. Wadley also has had at least one reception in 13 straight games.
The star of the duo, though, was Daniels. He made his way through many openings and took it home for the Hawkeyes twice during the contest. He finished the game with a season-high 159 yards on 26 carries.
Daniels also became the 38th player in Iowa history to score 100 or more points. He has 104 career points.
“Today was all about LeShun Daniels,” Wadley said. “We relied on him and he put the team on his back as he should. The linemen did well today, too. First half was a little shaky, but in the second half they got it going.”
Quarterback C.J. Beathard finished the game 9-of-17 for 80 yards. In 26 career starts, the starting quarterback has thrown for fewer than 100 yards four times, yet Iowa won all four games.
Tight end Noah Fant also saw some playing time. He had a career-high three catches for 25 yards. Wide receiver Jerminic Smith caught two passes for 33 yards as well.
Iowa now sits at 7-4 overall and 5-3 in conference play. The Hawkeyes will finish its regular season against an injured Nebraska team.
“We have a lot of fighters on this team,” Daniels said. “There are guys who are going to grind it out no matter what the situation is. We’re going to stick together and we’re a family out there. We believe in each other that maybe things early on didn’t go our way, but we know that if we stick together that good things are going to happen.”
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