Iowa was not at full strength defensively on Saturday. Sebastian Castro, a standout cash position, was injured and was unavailable. Koen Entringer, who replaced Castro and provided a first-half interception, left the match due to injury.

But injuries are no excuse for sloppy tackles and an inability to get off the field. Michigan State had the ball for almost 40 minutes (double Iowa’s total) and rushed for 212 yards (more than double the Iowa opponents’ average).

“There were a lot of makeable plays that we didn’t make,” Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins said. “Like you’re going to look at it and you’re going to ask if it’s the plan or if it was a play. But I think it was only us who missed tackles. Being there, being in the right place, but not executing.”

Video: Jay Higgins on what went wrong defensively in the loss to Michigan State

Star linebacker Jay Higgins discusses Iowa’s loss to Michigan State.

Much of the Hawkeyes’ offensive success this season has been placed on the shoulders of star running back Kaleb Johnson. It is remarkable that Johnson has been able to produce at an exceptionally high level, despite all the attention the defense gives him.

That was not so much the case on Saturday. Seventy-five of Johnson’s 98 rushing yards came in the fourth quarter on one touchdown scamper. Other than that run, Michigan State has done a great job of bottling him up. Johnson finished with 98 yards on 14 carries.

What was revealed is an offense without many answers outside of Johnson.

Quarterback Cade McNamara, a paltry 3-for-9 in the first half, wasn’t as bad in the second, but also threw a head-scratching interception. His latest statistical score of 11-for-23 for 150 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception won’t do much to quiet the attention around him.

Iowa’s special teams were mostly fine on Saturday, although the normally reliable Drew Stevens missed his only field goal attempt (58 yards).

“In short: we didn’t play well enough offensively in the first half,” said Ferentz. “I actually couldn’t hold on much, couldn’t get much going. And defensively, it just seemed like an unusual play. It’s been a long time since we played like this. We weren’t really sharp at any stage and didn’t tackle well. So that’s just a bad combination.”

Video: Kaleb Johnson on the challenges facing Michigan State’s defense

Star running back Kaleb Johnson discusses Iowa’s loss to Michigan State.

Iowa’s roller coaster of a season, once filled with hope, has reached a new valley of uncertainty.

The optimism heading into the season was fueled in part by the return of all the pieces from last year’s Big Ten West championship team. With the option to move forward with the program, Jay Higgins, Nick Jackson and a handful of others decided to run it back with the Hawkeyes.

Entering the season, the thought of competing in the College Football Playoff was not out of the question for this group. Instead, those dreams have gradually deteriorated in recent weeks.

Iowa’s blunder against Iowa State, blowing a 13-point halftime lead, signaled a team falling further short of what some had hoped. A 28-point loss to Ohio State was further evidence of a program unequipped to beat college football’s elites. And on Saturday, Iowa’s loss to Michigan State carved out its own place in this season’s disappointments.

Suddenly, the prospects for the rest of the season in Iowa look much bleaker.

The Hawkeyes do not have a particularly difficult last five games of the regular season.

• Home vs. Northwestern
• Home vs. Wisconsin
• At UCLA
• Bye week
• In Maryland
• Home vs. Nebraska

Still, Saturday’s defeat makes those games look much less manageable. Iowa is on track for a six- or seven-win season, which would be considered a disappointment given what expectations once were.

There is not one solution. Right now, Iowa has a deteriorating defense, an offense that is frustratingly one-dimensional and a fan base whose patience is slipping dangerously quickly.

“We’ll figure it out,” Ferentz said of his team’s mental state. “When you’re in conference football, it’s week to week. We have no choice. We have three conference games coming up before our next (bye week). We can’t sit there for too long and feel bad. We will definitely feel bad (Sunday). We’ll look at the tape and see what we can learn from it.”

Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15Contact us via email at [email protected]