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    • Leistikow’s thoughts on Iowa’s win over Minnesota
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    Leistikow’s thoughts on Iowa’s win over Minnesota

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    This story has been updated with a new photo, video and new information.

    MINNEAPOLIS − Eleven rushing yards. Eleven. That was all Iowa managed last year against Minnesota in a painful home loss that sent Floyd from Rosedale to Minneapolis for the first time since 2014.

    But thanks to the continued dominance of Iowa’s running game and a second-half revival, the bronze pig returns to Iowa City.

    And wow, Iowa really needed this one.

    After 30 minutes of football on NBC’s Big Ten Saturday Night, it looked like the Hawkeyes’ season was going to be ruined with a game against Ohio State on the schedule. But behind Kaleb Johnson’s three-touchdown performance and a defense that decided it had had enough, they clobbered the host Gophers for a decisive 31-14 victory in front of a “Maroon Out” crowd of 52,048.

    However, the student section of Huntington Bank Stadium largely emptied around 9:30 p.m. after Iowa’s Quinn Schulte threw an interception with a 17-point lead with 7:56 remaining.

    “Keep going, keep playing,” star linebacker Jay Higgins said. “We knew the game wasn’t over at halftime.”

    If this wasn’t Iowa’s best half of a fitful season thus far, it was certainly its most crucial. And Johnson was at the center of the dominance, finishing with 21 carries for 206 yards. His 40-yard dash, in which he appeared to be stuck at the line of scrimmage and then burst through the gap into open space, gave Iowa a 21-14 lead with 5:43 left in the third quarter.

    This was a satisfying edition of “Bully Ball” led by an Iowa offense that looked overwhelmed in the first half, trailing 14-7 at halftime before outscoring Minnesota 24-0 in the second half. Iowa outscored the Gophers 159-14 in the third quarter.

    “

    Remember those 11 rushing yards in last year’s 12-10 home loss? Iowa finished with 45 carries for 272 yards in this one. Oh, and one bronze pig to improve to 3-1.

    “That’s a lot better, right?” left tackle Mason Richman said of the jump from 11 to 272 in one year. “That’s an improvement. We’ve got a very experienced group up front. … As an offense, we’re all blocking our tails.”

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    Kaleb JohnsonWhat Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson Said After His 206-Yard Game at Minnesota

    The Hawkeyes running back said he thought it was the best rushing game of his career.

    ‘Unbelievable’ Kaleb Johnson Keeps Collecting Stats

    So much so that even Iowa’s rushing offense requires runs to No. 2. In a somewhat confusing but telling move, Johnson ran for long gains twice in the final seconds of the first half instead of the Hawkeyes attempting a Hail Mary. Maybe that was just a reminder to himself that the Hawkeyes may have the best player on the field every Saturday, and they’re better off if he gets the ball often.

    The junior on Saturday became the first Hawkeye in 12 years to rush for 100 yards in four consecutive games, the last to do so being Mark Weisman in the 2012 season.

    Johnson passed 100 on his first carry of the second half, a 17-yarder that also drew a late-hit penalty. He capped that drive with a 15-yard TD run, also his fourth straight game with multiple touchdown rushes. He had two in each of Iowa’s first three games.

    Johnson entered Saturday with the most rushing yards in FBS. After Saturday’s 206-yard outburst, Johnson now has 82 carries for 685 yards and nine touchdowns in four games. That’s an average per carry of 8.35 yards and a per game average of 171.3.

    “When the O-line lets him come through the first level, K2 does an unbelievable job of winning on the second and third levels,” Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara said. “He can run away from any defense. When our O-line moves guys like that, his job becomes easier.”

    This was Johnson’s second 200-yard rushing game of his career, his first as a freshman at Purdue. He admitted it was probably the best game of his Iowa career.

    “I feel like I can do more. I just want to keep doing more,” Johnson said. “I’m never satisfied.”

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    Jay Higgins: ‘Undeniable belief’ led to comeback win at Minnesota

    Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins intercepted the ball in the first half, which led to strong defense later in the second half.

    A key interception by Jay Higgins

    Jay Higgins is known more for his tackles than his interceptions. The senior linebacker, who tied Andre Jackson’s single-season record with 171 tackles in 2023, now leads the Hawkeyes in interceptions with two. Both times were against trophy rivals. Both times, bullets were surprisingly fired right at him. And both times, Higgins made the catch.

    But unlike Higgins’ first interception of the season, Iowa turned it into seven points. Higgins’ pickoff of Max Brosmer at Minnesota’s 38 with 10:08 left in the first quarter would set up the first of three Johnson touchdown runs.

    Higgins explained that this theft was a product of film study. He noted that when he discovered a certain formation, Brosmer would inevitably check for a throw to the running back after exactly three seconds.

    “Three seconds and then it goes to the check-down. That time he threw it on the second 1,000,” Higgins said. “The back wasn’t ready for it. But I was ready for it and knew it was coming. Just details. Coach (Seth) Wallace told me it was coming. I trusted him and went out there and made a play.”

    How big was that play? Johnson’s 23-yard dash around the left sideline followed. It was a classic Johnson run around the sideline we’ve seen so many times this year, except that on review, it was ruled that the junior stepped out of bounds at the 1-yard line.

    It didn’t matter, as Johnson plowed into the end zone on the next snap for a 1-yard touchdown – with Brendan Sullivan at quarterback.

    Higgins’ earlier interception of the season gave Iowa the ball at Iowa State’s 12-yard line with a 7-0 lead. But the Hawkeyes failed to score a touchdown off that turnover, despite getting a first-and-goal from the 1. They settled for three that time and ultimately lost by one, 20-19.

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    Cade McNamara: What Changed in the Second Half Against Minnesota

    Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara talks about the Hawkeyes’ strong second half performance that led to Minnesota’s 31-14 win over the team.

    Of course there was a controversial official assessment…

    … That was decided in Minnesota’s favor. With Iowa leading, 7-0, Brosmer threw a deep drive down the left sideline late in the second quarter to Le’Meke Brockington, who made the catch at Iowa’s 3½-yard line. Most Iowa fans felt that Brockington had no control until his foot was out of bounds. Most Gopher fans felt that he held the ball to his body before his right foot left the ground. On review, the catch and 28-yard gain stood … and gave the Gophers prime position instead of a fourth-down decision at Iowa’s 31. One play later, Brosmer connected with Jameson Geers for a 3-yard touchdown to tie the score at 7-7 with 4:20 left before halftime.

    Much of the talk leading up to this game centered on a controversial fair catch call called against Iowa’s Cooper DeJean a year ago, wiping out an apparent Iowa touchdown in a 12-10 loss. It certainly didn’t rise to DeJean’s level, resulting in “It wasn’t a fair catch” t-shirts, but it had an impact nonetheless and helped give the home team momentum.

    The Gophers scored another touchdown just before halftime, with 21 seconds left in the second quarter, on a huge 11-yard touchdown catch by Elijah Spencer on third-and-8, giving Minnesota a 14-7 lead at the break.

    Interestingly (perhaps to some) what was initially thought to be a diving catch by Addison Ostrenga was reversed at nearly the same spot on the field by Iowa. A second replay against the Hawkeyes had Iowa players tired of standing on the sidelines.

    “Sideline got a little irritated,” Higgins said. “After that, Sideline said, ‘We’re not doing this again.'”

    He was, of course, referring to the 2023 DeJean overturn. Either way, instead of a 14-yard catch and first-and-goal at the 1, Iowa faced third-and-10 at the 15 … and still scored on a Johnson draw play to tie the score at 14-14.

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    Kirk Ferentz13 good minutes with Kirk Ferentz after Iowa’s 31-14 win at Minnesota

    Iowa’s head coach had a lot to say about Minneapolis’ second-half turnaround … and punter Rhys Dakin.

    Kirk Ferentz: 199 wins, only Woody Hayes remains

    Iowa’s comeback win Saturday marked Ferentz’s 199th career career as a Big Ten Conference head coach, tying him for second all-time in that category with Amos Alonzo Stagg. Only Ohio State legend Woody Hayes (205 career victories) now stands ahead of Ferentz.

    Iowa’s next game is against Ohio State on October 5. Obviously, the third-place Buckeyes are the heavy favorites to win that game, but it could be a memorable one if Ferentz pulls off the ultimate upset.

    With eight games left in the Big Ten and six games needed for Ferentz to tie Hayes and seven to move into first place, this is something to keep an eye on potentially into late November.

    Hawkeyes columnist Chad Leistikow has worked for The Des Moines Register and USA TODAY Sports Network for 29 years. Chad is the 2023 INA Iowa Sports Columnist of the Year and NSMA Co-Sportswriter of the Year in Iowa. Join Chad’s text group (free for subscribers) at HawkCentral.com/HawkeyesTexts. Follow @ChadLeistikow on X.

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