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If there’s one common theme for the Hawkeyes through three games, it’s playing one good half and playing one not so good half.
Going into the halftime locker room, Iowa trailed 14-10 to Troy. The Hawkeyes had a similar half against Illinois State, with just a 6-0 lead.
Eventually the Hawkeyes got the run game going, churning out 284 rushing yards and 28 second half points. The home team has won two out of three possible games, but each has been a tale of two halves.
Head Coach Kirk Ferentz noticed the team’s energy levels before the game — or lack there of.
“I thought we practiced okay and prepared okay this week,” Ferentz said. “I’m not a big pregame guy either, but I was underwhelmed with our pregame today. I don’t mind telling you that.”
“There was just a couple mental mistakes that we made in the first half,” quarterback Cade McNamara said. “They were very minuscule. If we make a small mental error, we know how much in the game of college football that can show.”
“I just think that our ability to respond is what’s standing out after these wins.”
The Hawkeyes gave up three long touchdowns, two on long receptions and one on a punt return. It’s rare to see a Phil Parker coached defense let playmakers get behind the secondary. Senior cornerback Jermari Harris came away with a pick six, but felt execution was what led to the team’s mistakes.”
“We’ve just got to do better,” Harris said. “Our eyes, feet and hands. It all comes down to align the key responsibility and keying in on that and making that a major focus this week.”
“You have to understand that nobody’s ever out of the game until the clock says zero,” left tackle Mason Richman said. “We just had to go out there and have a little poise, right? Big plays happen, we had to respond and help our team win.
The Hawkeyes will open up conference play in Minneapolis next Saturday. For the first time in a decade, they will be on the quest to bring Floyd of Rosedale back to Iowa City.