Each week, "One Defining Moment" will dive into the game's most important moment and break it down in all its glory, or in unfortunate cases, its horror. This week: a Punt Block returned for a touchdown to spark a huge 4th quarter comeback.
Holy crap. From the fourth quarter of the Iowa game through the final whistle in the Minnesota/Wisconsin game, could you have drawn up a better 24 hours to be a Hawkeye fan?
There we are, getting dominated by Nebraska, everything looking bleak, and then out of nowhere, a glimmer of hope thanks to Henry Marchese. Follow that up with a Nebraska meltdown, an Ohio State loss, a bit of help from Minnesota (!) of all teams, and Iowa went from a real downer of an end to a once-promising season to a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game against a team not named Ohio State?
Could not draw it up better if we tried. I'm not saying Marchese's block changed the direction of Earth's path through space, tilting everything in the Hawkeyes' favor, but some people are suggesting that might be the case. Who am I to tell them they're wrong?
The Moment
For three quarters on Saturday, Iowa looked confused on defense, incapable (except for Tyler Goodson) on offense, and overall outmatched by Nebraska. At the start of the 4th quarter, they trailed 21-9 and while the lead was hardly insurmountable, banking on two touchdowns from an offense that hadn't even been able to stumble into one thus far did not sound like a bet worth taking.
Once again, the special teams unit was there to pick up the slack and kick start the Hawkeyes. Iowa's defense locked down the Huskers on their opening fourth quarter drive, forcing a punt deep in Nebraska territory. On the ensuing punt, Henry Marchese came flying in from the edge, blocking the punt into the air. Kyler Fisher made an impressive catch and returned the block for a touchdown and out of nowhere, the comeback was on.
BLOCKED AND TAKEN IN FOR THE TD @HawkeyeFootball is right back in this game pic.twitter.com/GajiCxmCR7
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 26, 2021
Henry Marchese block Kyler Fisher TD @HJM_5 // @KylerFisher6 // @HawkeyeFootball pic.twitter.com/Prisza2ifa
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 26, 2021
A Closer Look
Just in case you skipped last week's post, GIVE LEVAR WOODS A RAISE. I'm not sure what he's making, but it's not enough for how well prepared the Iowa special teams unit is week in and week out. I mean:
Henry Marchese says the Iowa punt block team practiced that all week if Nebraska was punting from the left hash, got a feel for Nebraskas cadence, and he made the game changing block.
— Chad Leistikow (@ChadLeistikow) November 26, 2021
Thats elite special-teams preparation and commitment.
Special teams isn't the sexy unit. It's not likely to get you trending on Twitter and you're not going to establish your NFL credentials by being solid in punt coverage, but the players on that unit can have a disproportionate impact on the game. Case and point, Henry Marchese. Recruited as a wide receiver, Marchese has become an invaluable part of the special teams unit. Instead of getting down about not seeing the field on offense, he's found a way to excel in the opportunity he's been given.
Woods prepped his group for every possibility, Marchese did the work to be ready for an opportunity and when it arose, he didn't miss his chance. From there, Kyler Fisher did a remarkable job of tracking and bringing in the deflected kick and running it back for a touchdown.
Luck is when preparation meets opportunity and we've seen more than enough high-level special teams play from the Hawks at this point to know it's more than just a lucky streak. It's an elite coach and a group of dedicated athletes taking pride in the unsung parts of the game.
Impact
There's no overstating the impact of the block. Iowa followed it up by forcing a fumble, earning a safety, kicking the game-tying field goal, scoring the game-winning touchdown, and forcing a game-ending interception. Now obviously one block didn't directly cause Nebraska's meltdown but watching Iowa force their way back into the game out of nowhere no doubt led to some nervous thoughts on a Husker sideline that has seemingly found a new way to throw away wins every week.
Couple that with a QB making his first start and it's no surprise that he fumbled on the next possession. That was followed up by a poor Iowa drive, but the special teams unit again pinned the Huskers deep and then the Nebraska coaching staff took a turn overthinking, calling a long-developing play-action pass from their own goal line.
Watching Nebraska's slow-motion trainwreck reminds you that no matter how frustrated we can get with Kirk Ferentz (and I have shared many of my frustrations here throughout the year), the man knows how to keep his team together and focused no matter how bad things look. Iowa didn't blink after their two straight losses, didn't fold after falling behind early against Penn State, Illinois, or Nebraska, and now finds themselves on the road to Indianapolis for a chance at a conference title.
The offense still needs to improve, the defense has been concerning at times, and Iowa is about to take on by far their most talented opponent, but this team is going to be focused and prepared next week. There are definite downsides to having an old-fashioned head coach, but this Thanksgiving weekend, I'm choosing to be thankful for what this coaching staff does bring and what this team has been able to achieve this season. They took a circuitous route, but Iowa has a chance at a conference championship. I think we all would have taken that before the season started.
