Week 5 -- Week 6

After a painfully un-Iowa first half, the first drive of the second half was all Iowa.

It was a bumpy ride, but the Hawkeyes finally slayed Arkansas State, 24-21, and moved to 5-0 for the first time under coach Kirk Ferentz. The Hawkeyes also ran their winning streak to nine games, Iowa's third nine-game winning streak under Ferentz (2002 and 2003-04).

After making it a 14-7 game with 44 seconds left before halftime, Arkansas State QB Corey Leonard tried to thread a pass to TE Trevor Gillott, but Iowa LB Pat Angerer had prefect coverage, going step-for-step down the left hash.

Angerer's coverage cause Leonard to overthrow and right there to scoop it up was Iowa safety Tyler Sash, who returned the ball to ASU's 44. It was the first pick for Leonard in 79 attempts. Sash now has 10 career interceptions, eight off the career record held by Nile Kinnick and Devon Mitchell.

It took two plays for the Hawkeyes to make it 21-7.

QB Ricky Stanzi hooked up with WR Marvin McNutt for a 43-yarder. Perfect pass from Stanzi, victimizing CB Daylan Walker. At that point, McNutt had three receptions for 84 yards, including TD catches of 41 and 43, his first two as a Hawkeye.

But that was never that against the Red Wolves, who pushed the Hawkeyes to the point of discomfort.

Leonard led a 17-play, 68-yard, 7:59 drive to pull within 24-21 on a 4-yard TD pass to TE Trevor Gillott with 2:01 left.

The page finally turned when McNutt recovered the onsides kick with 1:59 left and then Ryan Donahue's punt that ran 10 seconds off the clock with 10 seconds left in the game.

The Hawkeyes (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten) clearly had one eye on Michigan, which comes into Kinnick for a primetime, ABC kickoff. The Wolverines went into overtime late at Michigan State.