Hawkeyes flop in big game again

This story was updated to add new information.

COLUMBUS, Ohio − The disappointment level for the Iowa football program will go down as a 10 out of 10 in this one.

A loss to third-ranked Ohio State was expected as 19-point underdogs. But to once again look considerably overmatched in the national spotlight has become a broken-record occurrence.

The Hawkeyes couldn’t get star running back Kaleb Johnson going. When they tried a field goal, they missed. When they collected two first-half turnovers, they failed to cash in. When they sent good-looking punts toward the goal line, the coverage team couldn’t capitalize. When the head coach confronted an important fourth-and-inches decision, he got too conservative.

And ultimately, when those actions – both big and small – go wrong against an elite team, the avalanche is inevitable.

Ohio State is a really good team. The Buckeyes demonstrated that in a 21-point third quarter that blew the doors open for a 35-7 win Saturday before 105,135 fans at Ohio Stadium.

“Momentum is a big thing in football,” Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara said. “And once you lose momentum, it’s very difficult, especially against a team with a good offense and a good defense like that.”

Iowa, for now, is a good team but far away from cracking through to the level that is required to be a legitimate College Football Playoff contender. This blowout loss, combined with the earlier home disappointment against Iowa State, leaves the Hawkeyes with a 3-2 record and well short of the 12-team Playoff dreams they had before the season.

The schedule ahead is certainly manageable, and Iowa has the potential to go 7-0 the rest of the regular season. But Saturday was a harsh reminder that even if Iowa were to reach a big-stage postseason game, it’s still not ready for prime time.

More:Recap: No. 3 Ohio State throttles Iowa football in second half en route to 35-7 win

The Hawkeyes got to the halftime locker room trailing only 7-0. That was simultaneously a notable accomplishment and a severe disappointment.

“We were extremely confident (at halftime),” Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins said. “We pride ourselves on winning close games.”

Staying close for 60 minutes would have been something to build on, not that anyone who wears a Hawkeye helmet came here looking for a moral victory. Getting blown out here has to be a dose of discouragement for not only these players but all the hopeful Hawkeye fans out there.

Even if Iowa strings together seven straight wins, starting Saturday at home against Washington (11 a.m. CT), this final score will be a damning result.

This can be added to the pile of disappointing Iowa results against ranked teams: 54-10 at Ohio State in 2022; 31-0 at Penn State, 26-0 vs. Michigan and 35-0 to Tennessee in 2023; and now this.

“I don’t care about the playoffs, personally,” Iowa left tackle Mason Richman said. “All I care about is the next game. For us, it’s another bump in the road.”

What needs to be changed? Certainly quarterback play continues to be an issue. McNamara, after a decent first half against the team he beat while with Michigan in 2021, committed three second-half turnovers, including a lost sack-fumble on Iowa’s first snap in the third quarter. McNamara had an early chance to hit an open Kaden Wetjen on a deep ball, on Iowa’s first drive, but it fluttered badly incomplete.

McNamara finished 14-for-20 for 98 yards with one ugly interception and two fumbles and was replaced by Brendan Sullivan with 10:58 remaining. Until Iowa seriously upgrades the quarterback position, it’ll continue to be forced to try to win games with special teams and defense. But the problems on Saturday went well beyond one player.

“We evaluate every position week to week,” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said. “But we’re comfortable. I think Cade’s improving, I really do. It’s kind of funny with the turnovers today, but he seems more comfortable. His timing seems better.”

The offensive line took a step back Saturday, generating very little for Big Ten rushing leader Johnson until the game was well out of reach. The junior had nine carries for 17 yards until a 28-yard burst with Iowa trailing, 21-0. Johnson, with 8:07 left in the game, got into the end zone with a 28-yard run with Iowa trailing, 35-0. That was Iowa’s first offensive touchdown vs. a ranked team since a 27-14 loss to Michigan in 2022, spanning 20 quarters.

Johnson, who came in averaging 171.3 yards per game, wound up with 15 carries for 86 yards.

“They just keyed me the whole game,” said Johnson, a native of Hamilton, Ohio. “I just tried my best and gave my all. The outcome’s the outcome.”

The defense, except for maybe three great individual plays from Yahya Black (on a fourth-and-2 stop), Higgins (on a forced fumble) and Sebastian Castro (on a late-second quarter interception), wasn’t up to the task of slowing a loaded Ohio State offense. Emeka Egbuka had three touchdown catches − one in the first quarter, one in the third and one in the fourth − and Jeremiah Smith added a magical one-handed TD grab from Will Howard, who also produced the first rushing touchdown Iowa has allowed all season.

And as mentioned, the special teams were just average at best. Drew Stevens needed to connect on a 51-yard field goal in the second quarter with the score still 7-0, and it drifted wide left. Rhys Dakin had one punt rolling to the end zone that hit coverage man Zach Lutmer at the 12; and had another that rolled into the end zone that should have been collected inside the 5.

All in all, a frustrating and disappointing day for those in black and gold.

A highly questionable punt decision by Kirk Ferentz

The 26th-year Iowa head coach added to his list of timid decisions at Ohio Stadium and it warranted immediate second-guessing.

Of course, Hawkeye fans still remember his decision of 15 years ago here to sit on the ball from their own 33-yard line in a 24-24 game with 52 seconds to play. That decision to accept overtime without an attempt for a winning drive haunted Ferentz in a 27-24 loss that gave the 2009 Big Ten title to the Buckeyes.

More:Iowa football vs Ohio State: Kirk Ferentz calls timeout, negating successful fake punt

On Saturday, with his team facing fourth down and less than a yard from midfield, Ferentz twice decided to put his punt team on the field. Both decisions were regrettable, but the second one got bailed out.

Before getting into what happened, isn’t this the exact type of situation that makes Iowa’s decision to make Brendan Sullivan its goal-to-go quarterback an advantage? The Hawkeyes have a volume of plays they can use in short-yardage with Sullivan, a more mobile quarterback than McNamara (as he showed with a 30-yard scramble in fourth-quarter garbage time).

Anyway, Iowa sent the punt team out there with 7:32 left in the second quarter, trailing 7-0, and had a fake called. Great idea in that situation. Upback Hayden Large took the direct snap and, with all 22 players going full speed, lunged ahead for a 2-yard gain and a first down. Except while those players were going at it, whistles were blowing because Ferentz had called timeout.

“We were obviously thinking about a fake punt, and we felt good about that until I called a timeout,” Ferentz said. “Saw their linebackers nudging up to the line. … We were still going to give it a shot until we saw those guys coming towards the line.”

But after the timeout, Ferentz still decided to punt rather than use a Sullivan package or try to make an aggressive play on offense. Why not go for it?

“Field position was what I was thinking. It was a tight ballgame,” Ferentz said. “Maybe that’s too conservative. But at that point, our thought was let’s pin them in, which we’ve done a pretty good job of this year. Today wasn’t a great example of punting the way we want to. I thought, pin them in and force a turnover and get the ball back in good field position.”

Naturally, Dakin shanked the kick, 22 yards and out of bounds at Ohio State’s 28. On the very next play, Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins rushed 21 yards to get the ball within 24 inches of where Iowa punted from.

However, on the very next play, a screen pass to Smith opened up for big yardage. Higgins jarred the ball loose at Iowa’s 33, got up off the ground and lunged into a pile to recover the fumble at the Iowa 28. An incredible effort by the All-American to enable Ferentz’s punt decision to not become obviously costly.

More:WATCH: Iowa football LB Jay Higgins forces and recovers fumble vs Ohio State

My thought before the decision was the same after it, even with the Higgins turnover: You’re here to win the game. You need points to win the game. You have a rushing offense that averages 250 yards a game and a short-yardage package. Go get 24 inches and make a statement with a first down. While the Ferentz timeout to wipe out the fake punt got more attention, the biggest red flag was not going for the first down to begin with.

Iowa defense’s 400-yard streak comes to an end

Entering Saturday, the Hawkeyes had gone 32 games over the course of 34 months without allowing any opponent to reach 400 yards of total offense, the longest active streak in the nation. That was going to be put to the test against the Buckeyes, who were averaging 534.8 yards per contest and had reached 400-plus in 57 of 68 games with Ryan Day as head coach.

On Saturday, the 400 mark was finally toppled in the final minutes. The Buckeyes finished the day with 412 yards, with an average of 6.3 per play. Iowa finished the game with a season-low 226 yards of offense, by the way.

Higgins was proud of the team for not giving up any long runs. But it’s hard to ignore giving up five touchdowns in any game. Plus, the end of a streak is notable.

The last time an Iowa opponent topped 400 was in the 2021 Big Ten title game, with Michigan going for 461 yards in a 42-3 win. Interestingly, Ohio State had “only” 360 yards in the 54-10 win over Iowa in 2022. Penn State had 397 in the 31-0 “White Out” win over Iowa last year, and Tennessee got to 383 in the 35-0 blanking in the recent Citrus Bowl.

“Anytime you assess anything, you’ve got to look at who you’re playing,” Ferentz said to a question about the defense. “It’s pretty obvious they have talented players at every offensive position. Those receivers are about as good as you’re going to see anywhere, probably like Washington a year ago.”

How did the day go for Luke Lachey?

It began with hugs from his wave of Columbus-based family members as the Hawkeyes’ tight end got off the bus. Inside Ohio Stadium, Lachey got to briefly chat with his father, Ohio State broadcaster Jim Lachey, on the sidelines.

The “Lacheygate” was hopping outside the stadium earlier Saturday morning, with mom Ann, brother James and sisters Paige, Emily and Ali beyond excited to see the youngest of five Lacheys play in the Horseshoe one final time. They felt like Luke was much less nervous than the 2022 trip here, which saw him get one catch for six yards.

Lachey, once again, wasn’t a featured part of Iowa’s offense out of the gate. It’s been surprising how little the Hawkeyes have targeted him this year despite the 6-foot-6, 247-pound senior being the definitive best receiver on the team and a future NFL Draft pick. Lachey entered the game with 12 catches for 97 yards in four games.

On Saturday, he finished with a team-high five receptions for 39 yards. But there was one play that Lachey fans, especially those in his family, can appreciate. On a third-and-8 in the third quarter, with Iowa down 21-0, Lachey caught a bailout pass in the flat. He was going to be tackled short of the first down, but a gritty second effort allowed him to lunge forward for a 9-yard gain.

One play later, Kaleb Johnson ran for 28 yards. Lachey then caught a pass for 13 yards. Then McNamara was intercepted along the left sideline. A fitting way to halt positive momentum for a very negative day for the Hawkeyes.

Afterward, Lachey assessed his return experience.

“It was cool to be back and be a captain; walk out there and everything. It was a cool moment,” Lachey said. “But at the end of the day, it’s still upsetting. Obviously as a team we were trying to win a game.”

Some notable personnel updates from the day

Wide receiver Kaleb Brown, a former Buckeye, didn’t make the trip after suffering what Ferentz called a “soft-tissue” injury on Wednesday.

Defensive end Ethan Hurkett went out in the fourth quarter, but Ferentz indicated the senior would be OK.

Backup tight end Addison Ostrenga wasn’t able to return and had his arm wrapped after the game. Ferentz did not seem to think it was a severe injury but didn’t offer details.

Additionally, Iowa notably brought freshman cornerback Jaylen Watson on the travel team and had him on the field as a second-team cornerback (along with John Nestor) late in the game. Jermari Harris and Deshaun Lee started at corner. TJ Hall, who started Iowa’s first three games, did not see action at corner. Koen Entringer was the second-team cash defender, with Xavier Nwankpa and Zach Lutmer at safety.

Hawkeyes columnist Chad Leistikow has served for 30 years with The Des Moines Register and USA TODAY Sports Network. Chad is the 2023 INA Iowa Sports Columnist of the Year and NSMA Co-Sportswriter of the Year in Iowa. Join Chad’s text-message group (free for subscribers) at HawkCentral.com/HawkeyesTexts. Follow @ChadLeistikow on X.