Six points.
Six points.
Six fucking points.
Iowa lost to Illinois on Saturday night for the first time since 2008, 9-6. The loss ended an 8-game winning streak over Illinois, the longest of Iowa's many winning streaks over border (or intra-state) rivals. It probably won't be the last such winning streak to end this season. Because it's really fucking hard to win when you score six points in a game. Iowa entered this game averaging 16.4 ppg (122nd in the nation); that will dip to 14.7 ppg after tonight's pathetic display.
Iowa scored six points. They almost allowed more sacks (5) than they scored points. They had more penalties (8, for 67 yards) than points. They had more punts (8) than points. They had six points despite forcing three turnovers. They had six points despite starting two drives inside the Illinois 35-yard line. They had six points despite starting one drive on the Illinois 5-yard line. They were on the doorstep of the end zone... and still managed to lose four yards and end up kicking a field goal.
Iowa's defense once again played well enough to enable the Hawkeyes to win the game -- if the Iowa offense wasn't so resolutely inept. It's not enough for the defense to hold an opponent to nine points or force three turnovers, including one five yards from the opponent's end zone. It seems they also need to actually score the points themselves. And damn if they didn't try -- Riley Moss nearly bailed Iowa's hopeless offense out with an 81-yard scoop-and-score fumble return for a touchdown, only for video replay to rule that Illinois QB Artur Sitkowski's elbow was down before the ball came loose. There were a few things that the defense could have improved upon -- they were unable to record even one sack on Sitkowski (or his predecessor, Tommy DeVito) and only got credit for three QB hurries and one pass break-up, but those are quibbles, really. They held Illinois to 316 yards of offense and nine total points and forced three turnovers (well, two turnovers -- the third came on special teams). That was certainly a good enough effort to enable Iowa to win this game.
But the Iowa offense... what else can we say? Six points. Six. Points. That really sums it all up in an ugly little ball.
Iowa's three-headed monster at running back combined for 62 yards on 20 carries, led by Leshon Williams' 32 yards on seven carries. Kaleb Johnson added 26 yards on nine carries and Gavin Williams finished with four yards on four carries. That's not great -- it's not even good -- but it is more than Wisconsin managed on the ground against the Illini defense last week. As a team, Iowa was 52 yards on 30 carries, but that includes Spencer Petras' total of -10 yards on 10 carries, which factors in his five sacks for -38 yards.
Petras finished with 170 yards and an interception on 18/36 passing. Almost all of those yards went to Sam LaPorta (9 receptions, 100 yards) and Nico Ragaini (7 receptions, 46 yards). There were a few good throws here and there, but there were the plenty of tear-your-hair out moments, too. Like the two bounce passes, the worst of which came on a goal-to-go situation in the first half and prevented Iowa's best (only?) touchdown chance of the night. Petras was pressured, but he still has to make that throw.
But the blame for this loss doesn't go on Petras, despite his errant throws. It doesn't go on the offensive line, although they once again turned in a thoroughly lackluster performance and got relentlessly bullied by Illinois' defensive front for pretty much the entire evening. The blame has to go on the coaches, particularly Kirk and Brian Ferentz. Everyone on this offense looks fucking lost on roughly 90% of the plays they run. And this is how they look after spring practice, summer practice, and six weeks of the season. That's on the coaches. One-sixth (17%) of Iowa's plays tonight (11/66) ended in a tackle for loss, which cost Iowa 61 yards of offense. How do you give up that many tackles for loss? The Illinois defense is talented and well-prepared for this game. But that kind of breakdown happens because your own preparation is so poor -- and your own offense is so laughably predictable that the defense knows exactly where to be to snuff it out.
As bad as the preparation seems to be, the in-game coaching is even worse. The playcalling was especially grotesque tonight. On a drive right before halftime, after moving the ball almost 60 yards down the field with something approaching confidence and competence, Brian Ferentz opted to call a gadget play -- a reverse to Nico Ragaini -- that lost nine yards. Iowa went from 2nd and 10 on the Illinois 18-yard line to 3rd and 19 on the Illinois 27-yard line; two plays later, Drew Stevens missed a 45-yard field goal attempt.
In the fourth quarter, after another drive that approached competence, Iowa had the ball at 2nd and 6 on the Illinois 38-yard line. Brian Ferentz called a TE screen pass to to Sam LaPorta that was (unfortunately) completed. Illinois was not fooled and immediately dropped LaPorta for an 8-yard loss. Two plays later, Iowa punted.
Those were two of the most wretched play calls of the game, but they weren't the only ones. I'm sure you could point out plenty more if you were so inclined. But they are indicative of an Iowa offense that is completely and utterly broken. It's hard to see how it gets repaired this season. Hell, it's hard to see how it gets repaired at any point in the future, as long as the same people remain in charge. The offense is a burned-out husk and we're expecting the arsonists to fix it? Good fucking luck.
