Yes
Any team breaking a three-game losing streak is going to come with a lot of positives.
On the one hand, Iowa won a game, so that’s good. But more importantly, the momentum from beating Minnesota could steer the Hawkeyes into a new, better direction.
It’s no secret that Iowa’s offense has been subpar this season, but its ability to come out strong with a big opening drive allowed the defense to continue being one of the best parts of Iowa’s game. Even though the offense was shut down for the rest of the first half, it didn’t matter, because the defense held the lead.
Now that Iowa has broken its losing skid, the offense can build the confidence in knowing how to put together strong opening drives. So hopefully, with this newfound momentum, the Hawkeyes can learn how to piece together more than one drive during a half.
Really, the offense stems from Nate Stanley’s confidence in his ability to connect with receivers, which looked a lot better on Oct. 28 than in past games. Even his interception was pretty on point with his receiver.
Iowa always seems to play at a higher caliber when it faces its seemingly tougher opponents, two of which are coming up, in Ohio State and Wisconsin. The win against Minnesota and the momentum it brings could produce a Penn-State-type replica game in which the offense actually battles with a top-5 team.
As long as the defense stays sharp and the offense at least puts together a couple strong drives, the rest of the Hawkeye season could be fun to watch.
—Anna Kayser
No
On Oct. 28, the Iowa football team faced off against Minnesota and came out victorious.
The first half of the game saw little action for fans — Iowa’s single touchdown was the only scoring before halftime. The second half had considerably more action, as the Gophers rallied, and near the closing of the fourth quarter, could have tied the game and sent it to overtime.
But the Hawkeyes managed to shut the Gophers down and run out the clock, securing a victory over a tough opponent and keeping Floyd of Rosedale.
Minnesota leads the overall record against Iowa, but Iowa has had possession of the pig for three years and adds a fourth now. This should be a point of pride and a boost in morale for the Hawkeyes.
However, a victory over the Gophers won’t guarantee wins against Wisconsin and Ohio State — not at all.
Ohio State had a big game against then-No. 2 Penn State. The Nittany Lions defeated Iowa at the beginning of the Big Ten season, but Ohio State just toppled them and has claimed the No. 3 spot in the AP rankings. The Buckeyes sent the Nittany Lions all the way to No. 7.
The Badgers are right on the tails of the Buckeyes, holding the No. 4 slot. These two teams will likely put “Ls” on unranked Iowa’s record when they take on the Hawkeyes.
Iowa’s loss against Northwestern a little over a week ago has set its back and will continue to hurt. The win over Minnesota helps, but in the end, Iowa will have at least five losses and have, at best, only four wins for the Big Ten season.
—Taylor McNitt