On paper, Iowa’s loss to Michigan State was an upset. But was it really? Their worst effort of the season prior to this game was on the road against Iowa State when they barely won in overtime. And even though the final scoreline doesn’t suggest it, Penn State did dominate them. Saquon Barkley outgained Iowa on his own.
It doesn’t take extensive film study to figure out the Hawkeyes build their offense out of the backfield. All the Spartans had to do was stymie it. Their most talented weapon on offense, Akrum Wadley, was limited to 30 yards on 17 carries. Yet somehow, he still led his team in rushing yards and total yards from scrimmage while scoring Iowa’s only touchdown.
After getting off to a good start, Iowa is now 0-2 in the Big Ten. Considering that Wisconsin might only suffer one loss all season, that’s not a good hole for the Hawkeyes to get into.
Minnesota’s offense hasn’t always looked great, but their defense has stepped it up. Through their first three games, they gave up a total of 24 points. That’s why seeing them give up 31 to a Maryland team that played their third-string QB seemed even more peculiar than it already is.
So what went wrong for the Gophers? Complacency would be the easiest explanation, but that doesn’t seem possible for a P.J. Fleck coached team. What was more evident was their gameplan simply didn’t work.
Shannon Brooks and Rodney Smith were both held in check. The longest run either of them had was 10 yards. Brooks averaged 3.3 yards per carry, Smith averaged 1.9, and both coughed up the ball. Because of that, Minnesota had to rely on Conor Rhoda more than they would’ve liked. He played poorly, completing only 50 percent of his passes and throwing two interceptions to one touchdown.
Combine that with an inspired performance from Max Bortenschlager, and it adds up to a Minnesota loss when they should’ve gone 4-0. The good news is, it’s only one game and they have a chance to bounce back against Purdue. The bad news is, the schedule’s only going to get worse from here on out.