The Iowa football team didn’t lose to Iowa State, they got beat.
What that means is the Hawkeyes played well enough to win, but the Cyclones simply played better. While there were a few mistakes made by Iowa that ultimately made the difference, there were a lot of good things to walk away with. Here are five takeaways from the 16-13 loss to Iowa State.
Mark Gronowski looked better, still needs to improve
There’s no question that Gronowski looked more comfortable out there. The game seemed to have slowed down more and his reads seemed to be quicker compared to last week’s performance against Albany, and it was expected. A quarterback with as much experience as he has should figure it out quickly.
His ability to extend plays with his legs bailed out the Iowa offense in many moments. But when it mattered most, he froze in the pocket and was sacked twice with the game on the line. All in all, Gronowski made the adjustments that Hawkeye fans were hopeful of seeing.
Lack of energy to start the game
For the second-straight game in a row, the Hawkeyes came out the gates flat on both sides of the ball. Not only did Iowa State own a 54-16 rushing yard advantage in the first quarter, they also owned a 52-7 passing yard advantage. Iowa’s average play went for 1.8 yards, while Iowa State’s average play was 6.6 yards.
Despite that, the Hawkeys only trailed, 6-0, by the end of the first quarter. Nine times out of 10, the score would look a whole lot different. There needs to be more energy at the start of the game if Iowa wants any chance of being competitive.
Run game remains strong
Once again, the run game carried the Iowa offense. The Hawkeyes ran the ball 39 times compared to its 24 pass attempts, with Gronowski leading the pack with 16 rushes. Jaz Patterson led the group with 60 yards on 11 rushing attempts, while Xavier Williams and T.J. Washington amassed 34 yards on 12 carries.
Of Iowa’s 214 total yards, 131 of those came on the ground, not to mention its lone touchdown was the result of a designed quarterback run. Until the passing game improves, the rush attack can get the Hawkeyes by for now.
Passing game still needs work
For someone like Grownoski, who eclipsed 2,700 passing yards in three-straight seasons at South Dakota State, only has 127 passing yards through his first two games as a Hawkeye says there’s more to the issue than Gronowski himself.
Besides Jacob Gill with five catches and 52 yards on the day, no receiver caught more than one pass. So whether that’s the receivers’ lack of ability to get open, the defense playing a certain coverage to take away passing opportunities, or the playcalling, something has got to change.
Defense showed out
The Hawkeyes just held a team the likes of Iowa State, with an NFL-bound quarterback in Rocco Becht, to 16 points, 134 yards, and one touchdown. Linebacker Jaden Harrell led the way with nine tackles, followed by defensive back Xavier Nwampka and linebacker Karson Sharar with seven tackles. Cornerback T.J. Hall logged three pass break-ups, all with potential for touchdowns.
This defense gave the Cyclones problems and proved to be a strong suit once again for Kirk Ferentz and Co.