The Golden Gophers triumph over Iowa with a dominant defensive performance and four successful field goals, resulting in a 12-10 victory.
After six consecutive losses to Iowa, PJ Fleck and the Gophers secure a long-awaited win in Iowa City, ending a drought since 1999.
This game followed the familiar pattern of an Iowa victory. Iowa relies on a strong defense, conservative offense, and effective special teams to play disciplined football, capitalizing on opponents’ mistakes. This script has been repeated in their previous six matchups against PJ Fleck and Kirk Ferentz, and this game seemed to follow the same course.
Gopher fans are accustomed to witnessing victory slip away at the last moment. Even after scoring a fourth-quarter field goal to take a 12-10 lead, the outcome never felt secure. However, those who persevered were rewarded with relief and elation as the game concluded.
Unsurprisingly, it was Iowa who took an early lead, adhering to their usual script against the Gophers.
In their previous win against Wisconsin, Deacon Hill threw for a mere 37 yards. In this game, Iowa managed to throw for 64 yards on their opening drive, resulting in a field goal and a quick 3-0 lead for the home team, maintaining their expected script.
The teams then proceeded to exchange punts, following the anticipated script.
During the first half, Minnesota had seven possessions, five of which ended in three-and-outs. One of those drives covered 45 yards in 9 plays and resulted in a game-tying field goal, kicked just seconds before the end of the 1st quarter while aided by the wind.
From that point on, the 2nd quarter saw Iowa playing their characteristic style of football. Field position was dominated by Ferentz’s team as they waited for Minnesota to crack under pressure. They effectively pinned Minnesota inside their own 5-yard line, forced another three-and-out, and took over at the Gopher 46 with under 5 minutes remaining in the half. The Gopher defense then incurred 4 penalties for a total of 33 yards, resulting in a 1-yard touchdown run by Hill.
At halftime, the score stood at 10-3 in favor of Iowa. The Gopher offense had only managed 65 total yards and the performance was far from impressive. The team committed 6 penalties, missed a field goal (into the wind), had a few dropped passes, and Athan Kaliakmanis completed just 3 out of 8 passes for a mere 8 yards.
However, the second half showcased a dominant Gopher defense and a more competent and capable offense.
If credit is due to anyone for this victory, it lies with Joe Rossi and his exceptional defense. Minnesota gained a total of 174 yards in the second half, but only managed to convert 3 field goals. Despite trailing for most of the half, Rossi’s defense allowed a mere 4 yards of offense and forced 2 turnovers.
Let that sink in – the Gopher defense completely shut down the opposing offense, allowing only 4 total yards throughout the entire second half.
Offensively, the Gophers found their rhythm in the second half and started to play in their trademark style. The first two quarters felt like an attempt to imitate Iowa, but in the second half, they struck a better balance and were more open to utilizing their passing game. Although Kaliakmanis struggled with accuracy, he and Daniel Jackson made enough plays to drive the offense into field goal range four times, which ultimately secured the victory.
The game teetered on the edge of an epic Gopher collapse. In a characteristic move, Kirk Ferentz chose to punt the ball back to Minnesota with 1:59 left on the clock, from their own 41-yard line on 4th and 10. Ferentz punted under the belief that his punter could pin Minnesota deep, his defense would force a Gopher punt, and he would regain possession with over a minute remaining, likely in Minnesota territory. His decision proved correct, but it was a narrow escape from disaster.
The punt traveled beyond the 50-yard line, bounced around, and was eventually picked up by Iowa’s Cooper Dejean. Dejean broke a couple of tackles, changed direction, and appeared to score a touchdown. Iowa fans erupted in celebration while Gopher fans experienced the agony of an impending defeat. Yet, the referees intervened and reviewed the play. Dejean’s motion was interpreted as an illegal fair catch signal, rendering the ball dead upon his touch. As a result, Iowa gained possession on the 46-yard line.
To clarify, this was not a fair catch signal, but rather an illegal one.
Three plays later, Justin Walley intercepted Hill, effectively sealing the game. The Gophers then executed a few victory formation plays, allowing them to storm the Iowa sidelines and claim the prized Floyd of Rosedale.
There were many concerns throughout this game. Winning 12-10 with such a significant advantage in total yardage and turnovers is hardly encouraging. The special teams (with the exception of Dragan Kesich’s kicking) performed poorly, and the offense was frustrating at times. However, Joe Rossi’s defense was nothing short of spectacular. Even accounting for Iowa’s struggling offense, their second-half performance was exceptional.
Iowa employs a style of play that often treads dangerously on a thin margin of error, and it frequently works to their advantage. However, in this game, Minnesota stuck to their own style and managed to secure the win.
Next, the Gophers will host Michigan State on Saturday afternoon.
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