Game Report: Iowa 17, Ball State 13

OPENING SALVO

Iowa quarterback Jake Rudock was ordinary through the game's 54 minutes. When Iowa needed their junior leader to be good in the game's final six minutes, he was almost perfect.

On the game's final two drives, Rudock completed 9 of 11 passes for 81 yards and two touchdowns. That reversed a 10-point deficit into a 17-13 victory. Rudock also rushed three times for 32 yards and each became a first down.

'He really had to step up in that moment and he came up as a leader and just told us what we needed to do and got us ready to go,” Iowa tight end Jake Duzey said.

Rudock was 33-of-52 for 322 yards and no interceptions for the second straight week.

GAME BALL

Iowa defensive end Drew Ott. The junior from Trumbull, Neb., led all players with 13 tackles, including six solo stops. He had 2.5 tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry.

Ott also provided the game-clinching play on defense. After Iowa took the lead, Ott sacked quarterback Ozzie Mann on second and 2 at the Ball State 33. Mann fumbled, and Iowa defensive tackle Carl Davis pounced on the ball with 25 seconds left for the win.

'He's just a country guy that comes in and goes to work,” Davis said. 'I love Drew. He doesn't complain about nothing. He just goes to work. He battles against (tackle Brandon) Scherff every day and that's a great battle.”

BY THE NUMBERS

96 - Passes thrown by Iowa in the first two games

115 - Rushing yards allowed by Iowa in the first two games

5 - Iowa third-down conversions in the first three quarters

5 - Iowa fourth-down conversions in the fourth quarter

4 - Missed Iowa field goals in two games

2 - Successful Iowa field goals in two games

REPORT CARD

B-plus - Checkdown, checkdown, touchdown. It's the new dance craze that's sweeping the nation.

- Marc Morehouse

C-plus - I still don't get the 'Be Bold, Wear Gold” concept here. Wearing a yellow T-shirt qualifies you to be on the crew of the Starship Enterprise?

- Mike Hlas

C – For the second straight week Iowa's opponent believes it blew the game. They're kinda right.

-Scott Dochterman

STOUT DEFENSE

Iowa held its opponent to less than 100 yards rushing for the second consecutive week. Ball State rushed for 90 yards on 36 carries, an average of 2.5 yards an attempt. Last week Northern Iowa rushed for 25 yards on 25 carries.

'We just knew that we were going to play tough up front,” Davis said. 'That's one thing the coaches said. We've got to make sure we get penetration so the linebackers can get good reads and step up and make tackles. That's what we did.

'We racked up a lot of tackles up front and made those guys bounce around a little bit. We're a confident defense, but we know we've got a lot of work to do.”

Davis and fellow defensive tackle Louis Trinca-Pasat each had eight tackles and combined for 2.5 tackles for loss.

'They were as advertised,” Ball State Coach Pete Lembo said. 'They are big, strong and physical. You have to earn everything you get against them. This is an Iowa football game they just played. They don't panic, stick to the plan and they aren't going to give up cheap ones. They wear you down in the second half and that is what they did to us.”

BEATHARD'S SERIES

Iowa sophomore quarterback C.J. Beathard played the second series, which consisted of seven plays. He completed his first two passes and then connected with wide receiver Damond Powell on an apparent 38-yard touchdown strike. The touchdown was overturned after a review when officials ruled Powell did not have possession.

Beathard did not return after the series but he was prepared to re-enter the game if necessary.

'There always was a chance,” Beathard said. 'Coach (Greg) Davis said, ‘Be ready, we might go back in with you in a little bit.'”

Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz scoffed at the potential for a quarterback controversy.

'That was the last thing on my mind,” Ferentz said.

KICKING WOES

Iowa missed three field goals on Saturday and each one was within 37 yards. Junior Marshall Koehn missed two in the field half from 35 and 37 yards, respectively, and true freshman Mick Ellis missed another from 29 yards in the third quarter. Koehn connected on Iowa's only field goal, a 26-yarder.

So far the Hawkeyes have whiffed on four of six field-goal attempts this season. Had Iowa been forced to attempt a field goal to tie the game late instead of scoring a touchdown, Ferentz would have faced a major decision.

'Had we had to send somebody out there - and I'm not sure who it would have been - we would have been confident they'd make it and support them all the way obviously,” Ferentz said.

'It was one of those situations we were hoping it didn't come down to, but I'm an optimist. I like to think it would have worked out.”

After missing his second kick, the coaches told Koehn that Ellis would get his shot. If it was a longer field goal late in the game, however, Koehn still would have kicked it.

'Those were all makable kicks,” Koehn said. 'I didn't hit them like I wanted to. Basically that's unacceptable.”

IRON MAN

Hank Vollenweider, the last living member of Iowa's 1939 'Ironmen” football squad, was honored at midfield before the game and received a rousing ovation.

The 1939 squad, which featured Heisman Trophy winner Nile Kinnick, finished 6-1-1 overall. Vollenweider, 93, was a sophomore fullback on the squad. He now resides in Fort Wayne, Ind.

UP NEXT

Iowa (2-0) plays host to instate rival Iowa State (0-2) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. The Hawkeyes won last year's game 27-21 in Ames and hold a 40-21 series advantage. The game is sold out, Iowa's first sellout since Nov. 10, 2012 against Purdue.

Although it's a spirited series, Rudock was in no mood to talk about facing the Cyclones, especially after the emotional ending against Ball State.

'We'll appreciate this. We'll enjoy this,” Rudock said. 'Wins are hard to come by and Ball State definitely made us earn it. Twenty-four hours and all of our attention will go to them.”

l Comments: (319) 339-3169; scott.dochterman@sourcemedia.net