Hawkeyes are making 4th down a real thing this season

IOWA CITY - Mark Weisman took a handoff and was tackled at the Indiana 1-yard line with 38 seconds left in the first half. Admit it, you were waiting for the field goal to trot onto the field.

Quarterback Jake Rudock stood with the head referee and watched the clock tick down to three seconds and called timeout. OK, field goal unit, anytime now. Get out there.

The field goal team stayed on the sideline. Offensive lineman/extra-jumbo tight end Ryan Ward trotted on the field. Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz was going for it. It was fourth-and-1 with three seconds left.

This was a major-league big deal in Iowa's 45-29 victory over Indiana on Saturday. If the Hoosiers stuffed Iowa, the Hawkeyes would've come away with no points with IU receiving the ball to start the third quarter.

Iowa lined up and showed a run to the left. The ball snapped, but the play was stopped after IU coach Kevin Wilson called a timeout. The next time, it was for real. Weisman ran right and wasn't stopped until he ran into the backs of his O-lineman. It was a 1-yard TD and a 38-21 halftime lead.

'That was definitely a big gamble, but that's the confidence coach Ferentz has in our offense,” said Weisman, whose two TDs Saturday pushed his career total to 24 career, the most rushing TDs for a player in the Ferentz era. 'We better go get that, though, or we're not going to get those chances again. We've had so many fourth downs that we've gone for. It's on us and the offensive line did their job. I don't know if John Kenny the fullback even had anyone to block.”

Fourth downs have been a thing for Ferentz this season. The Hawkeyes have converted 9 of 12, a 75 percent clip that hovers in the nation's top 25. Iowa also is on pace to attempt its most fourth down conversions in the last seven seasons. Iowa tried 17 fourth downs in all of 2013.

'We have faith in our guys,” Ferentz said. 'We wanted to play aggressively at that point.”

That was music to the O-line's ears. And another factor to keep in mind at this point, the O-line was reconfigured after junior guard Jordan Walsh left in the first quarter with an ankle injury. Center Austin Blythe moved to Walsh's spot. Fifth-year senior Tommy Gaul saw his first meaningful moments in a game.

You all know that Ferentz is a 'measure 40 times, cut once” carpenter. It would've been a titanic momentum swing if it failed, but the numbers said touchdown. Weisman, a 240-pounder, is an excellent short-yardage back, converting six fourth downs on six attempts now. Indiana isn't known for stout run defense, either.

The percentages said 'go for it.” That's where Ferentz has been this season on fourth down.

'If they stop that play, it's a big swing for them. If we get it, it's a big swing for us,” quarterback Jake Rudock said. 'Coach [Ferentz] is making those calls and as an offense, we're confident that we can get a yard or two. We can put our nose to the ground and go get it.”

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