Recap: The defense came to play and did a solid job of shutting down Wisconsin's run game for 3 quarters. They were just on the field too long and Wisconsin scored a couple late. The downfall for Iowa was the offensive game plan. Running the big back to the outside against a faster defense was not very effective. We also didn't see enough of the Tight Ends in the passing game, especially with multiple TE sets. It appeared that this was clearly a week that Greg Davis was out coached.
On to Purdue. This one is big. Not just because some idiot from Purdue was insulting to Nile Kinnick and the military on a day Purdue plans to celebrate veterans, but because this game would clinch bowl eligibility. After only winning 4 games last year, I believe that a 6 win Hawkeye team clinches a bowl game. That extra 3 weeks of practice will be huge going into next season. Oh, and this is the protected "rivalry" game for the Hawkeyes.
On offense, I we will see a return to a heavy running game in the 1st half. Iowa will jump out to a solid lead in the first half, up 21-6. Then in the second half, the unfortunate trend of the season will continue. One team will make adjustments and the other team will not. Purdue will score a couple of times late, but it won't be enough for them to catch up. Iowa will hold on to win 27-20.
It won't be pretty, but in the end the Hawkeyes will be bowl eligible.
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