The Iowa Hawkeyes came into their final non-conference game trying to polish and fine-tune all three phases going into conference play the following week. Many thought the Hawkeyes would name the score against Colorado State, but the Rams had other ideas.
Iowa wouldn’t get on the scoreboard until the 2nd quarter, when Spencer Petras laced a long ball to true freshman Keagan Johnson for a 43-yard touchdown pass to put Iowa up 7-0. It was the 1st catch of Johnson’s collegiate career. The Rams would answer, as quarterback Todd Centeio took a draw play 10 yards for a touchdown to knot the score at 7. The Rams defense then made its big play, by picking off a screen pass with their backs against the wall, and returned it deep into Iowa territory. Todd Centeio found Gary Williams for a 3-yard touchdown pass to put Colorado State up 14-7 at halftime.
Kirk Ferentz’s Hawkeyes would have to fight through adversity, and did so. Colorado State, backed up inside their own 10, fumbled and Jack Campbell recovered at the 6-yard line. The very next play, Tyrone Tracy scored on a statue-of-liberty reverse to knot the score at 14. Just a couple minutes later, Spencer Petras faked the same screen that was intercepted earlier, and found Sam LaPorta wide open for a 27-yard touchdown pass to put Iowa up 21-14. Caleb Shudak would add a 45-yard field goal for the final score of the game as #5 Iowa took home a 24-14 win.
Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz: “Give our defense a lot of credit today, what they did especially in the second half, kind of buckling down. Jack Campbell did a great job, was all over the place. A lot of good efforts out there and some good team football in that third quarter, but then just a lot of missed opportunities, too, whether it was some things on special teams that didn’t look so good, the turnovers was a huge factor both ways, a chance to go in and score and then set them up with a really short field.”
The Hawkeyes will open up the remainder of the conference slate on Friday night as they take on the Maryland Terrapins in College Park, Maryland at 7 PM.