Stat Pak: Everyone got their money’s worth

5 BULLET POINTS

1. Quick injury updates

— During his Sunday night quickie interview with Iowa sports information director Steve Roe, head coach Kirk Ferentz said defensive end Drew Ott and running back LeShun Daniels suffered 'significant injuries' and are questionable at best for this week's game vs. Pitt.

'Won't rule them out for this week yet, see how it goes,' Ferentz said. 'We're hopeful they'll get back, but we can't count on that, so we'll proceed right now like they're not going to be there.'

During a scrum for a fumble in the first quarter, Ott got his left arm stuck in the pile and suffered what looked to be a dislocated elbow. He went to the lockerroom and didn't return to the game. He watched the second half with his left arm in a sling and posed for pictures with the Cy-Hawk Trophy in the postgame without a sling.

Daniels suffered an ankle injury with about five minutes left in the first half. He left the field right away and wasn't able to return. He did some drills on the sideline, but wasn't able to go.

That left senior Jordan Canzeri to finish the game at running back. He rushed a career-high 24 times for 124 yards and a TD.

1a. Johnson?

— Ferentz was asked about Johnson's performance. But it's worth noting that his last play came with about eight minutes left in the fourth quarter. He chased ISU QB Sam Richardson out of the pocket on his final play.

2. Who will back up Canzeri?

— The only other back to make the trip was sophomore Akrum Wadley. Sophomore Derrick Mitchell Jr. didn't make the trip. No explanation was asked for or offered. Redshirt freshman Marcel Joly got a carry against Illinois State after Wadley fumbled for the fourth time in 36 carries.

So yeah, running back is a concern. Again.

3. Did Miles Taylor inadvertently save this game for Iowa?

— Probably not, but hear me out.

ISU QB Sam Richardson hit WR Allen Lazard for a 6-yard gain on a third-and-7 play midway through the second quarter. The play was initially ruled a first down on the field, a first down for the Cyclones at Iowa's 48 1/2 with a 10-3 lead and a thrumming ball of momentum behind them.

The play went up for review and was overturned. Lazard was ruled a half foot or so short. ISU coach Paul Rhoads thought about this one. He called timeout and really thought about it. At this point, Iowa's offense drove for just three points, had three-and-outs on three of its four drives and generated just 57 yards total offense.

So, pin the Hawkeyes and make them earn it. Well . . . a C.J. Beathard rollout for 44 yards, a Daniels 13-yard rush and then Beathard putting the ball on the top shelf for WR Tevaun Smith for a 14-yard TD and a tie game with 4:24 left in the second quarter.

4. Second half adjustments for the defense

— In the postgame, Ferentz joked that there really weren't any. And, really, there weren't a lot.

WR Trever Ryen had some success out of the backfield as a split back in the first half (two rushes for 21 yards and one catch for 53 yards. ISU's center would snap and pull around and got the better of middle linebacker Josey Jewell. They tried it twice in the second and gained just 2 yards with Jewell spearheading the tackle.

As far as the front, Iowa ran stunts and blitzed linebackers at a higher percentage in the second half. Phil Parker also called some nickel and dime. Basically, they switched things up, but stayed within their look.

After Iowa tied it on that crazy fumble bounce that WR Matt VandeBerg scooped and scored to tie at 17-17 (he was out of bounds, but he wasn't the first-toucher, so it was legal — if he went out and then caught a pass, that would've been illegal and, yes, it goes down as a TD pass for CJB), here's how ISU's next drive went — Nate Meier QBH, Parker Hesse/Nathan Bazata QBH, pass to Lazard for 20 yards, Iowa stopped that Ryen running play (it doesn't seem that ISU has a traditional running back that it likes), Jewell QBH, Meier QBH and punt.

5. Speaking of punting . . . —

Give it up for Iowa punter Dillon Kidd. He had five punts and averaged 47.4 yards, downed two inside the 20 and no touchbacks.

Ferentz called it his 'best day as a Hawkeye.'

THREE STARS

(I'm going this week with the unexpected. You know it went something like CJB, CB Desmond King and Canzeri.)

1. DE Nate Meier

— Maybe with his pal and fellow eight-man football king Ott on the sideline, Meier turned into a tornado. The QBH stat really stinks in college football, but Meier did get credited with two. He also had a sack. On the King interception that sealed the game, Meier broke loose late and forced a long throw into the flat that King read like he wrote it.

2. WR Matt VandeBerg

— He was Mr. Career High with nine catches for 114 yards. It was the first 100-yard performance for an Iowa receiver since TE Jake Duzey did it last season against Illinois. Both numbers were career highs. His 47-yard reception in the fourth quarter also was a career long.

3. OLB Ben Niemann

— He should get recognized for taking a vicious block from Lazard and then, after a second to collect himself, getting up and acting like nothing happened, but he also had two tackles for loss and a sack. He was tasked with covering underneath receivers and did it stride for stride. Bad pass interference penalty, but that's a teaching moment.

FILMROOM

Richardson completed a 37-yard pass to Jauan Wesley that set up a 9-yard TD pass to Quenton Bundrage for a 10-3 ISU lead.

Iowa blitzed linebackers Jewell and Cole Fisher. Jewell was cut blocked, rather nicely, by running back Tyler Brown. Fisher plunged into a guard and didn't factor. DE Parker Hesse dropped into a zone blitz. If he had gotten a little more depth, the throw would've had to have been perfect to win the play. Also, strong safety Miles Taylor lost inside position. (Miles also broke coverage on Ryen's 53-yard catch.)

The good thing about this play for Iowa? All correctable errors.

TWO PLAYS

1. Avoiding absolute disaster

— On first down from its seven and trailing 10-3, ISU DE Dale Pierson beat Iowa LT Boone Myers on a wicked spin move and sacked Beathard at the . . . well, just barely the 1-yard line.

Pierson crashed in on Beathard's feet. Beathard sensed that 'this is going to be a safety' and somehow squirmed to get the ball and his knee over the goal line.

The play showed athleticism. That couldn't have been easy. Also, it was really, really smart. A 12-3 deficit and a free kick? That's not what you're shooting for on the road.

2. And then on the next play . . .

— Beathard ran a naked bootleg off a play-action pass and broke three or four tackles for a 44-yard gain from Iowa's 1 to its 45.

This gave the Hawkeyes life.

2a. And then on the next play . . .

— ISU DE Trent Taylor blew past a miscommunication between guard Jordan Walsh and tackle Ike Boettger and was on top of Beathard a second after the snap.

Beathard somehow dodged Taylor and then had LB Luke Knott bearing down. Beathard actually tucked the ball and started running.

He looked up and saw RB Jordan Canzeri wide open just ahead of an oncoming trio of Cyclones. He flipped the ball out and Canzeri picked up 19 yards.

The drive ended with Beathard putting the ball in the clown's mouth (mini-golf term) on a 14-yard TD pass to Smith. This tied the game at 10-10.

It was spinning plates on a tight wire over a volcano full of hot lava and sharks with a Sharknado going on above it, but it tied the game.

UP NEXT — PITT (2-0)

— Under the lights. Honorary captain.

— A quarterback change keyed Pitt's 24-7 victory at Akron.

— Wait, we have a QB controversy. Act accordingly.

THE NUMBERS GAME

Touchdowns in the red zone

Iowa

— 2 of 3

Iowa State

— 1 of 2

Tracking the Hawkeyes

: Week 1 vs. ISU — 4 of 5 (off), 1 of 1 (def); Week 2 Iowa State — 2 of 3 (off), 1 of 2 (def)

The takeaway

: That's 6 of 8 for the Hawkeyes this season. When they smell blood, they've been able to punch it into the end zone. Also keep in mind, this is without Daniels and his 225 pounds having been used in goal-line situations.

3 and outs (forced by defense)

Iowa

— 4

Iowa State

— 4

Tracking the Hawkeyes

: Week 1 vs. ISU — 3 (def), 2 (off); Week 2 vs. Iowa State — 4 (def), 4 (off)

The takeaway:

This was a slow start on the road and Iowa lived to tell about it. The Hawkeyes offense had three-and-outs in three of its first four drives (one produced the field goal). Conversely, the defense didn't record its first three-and-out until the first drive of the third quarter. Iowa teams don't usually live through this at Jack Trice.

Second half adjustments

Iowa

— 232 yards, 6.62 yards per play (35 plays)

Iowa State

— 66 yards, 2.12 yards per play (31 plays)

Tracking the Hawkeyes

: Week 1 vs. ISU — 163 yards, 5.25 yards per play (31 offensive plays), 195 yards, 6.5 yards per play (30 plays on defense); Week 2 vs. Iowa State — 232 yards, 6.62 yards per play (35 offensive plays), 66 yards, 2.12 yards per play (31 defensive plays)

The takeaway:

This right here is the game. Not only did Iowa disrupt the comfort zone Richardson and ISU established in the first half, it also took away the middle of the field. Phil Parker put the corners in press coverage a few times. He played a dime package with six defensive backs on at least one third down. Iowa also mixed in some third-down pass packages. Iowa also blitzed at least a linebacker on nearly every passing down in the second half. ISU converted only one third down in the third quarter.

20-plus plays

Iowa

— 6

Iowa State

— 3

Tracking the Hawkeyes

: Week 1 vs. ISU — 4 (off), 3 (allowed); Week 2 vs. Iowa State — 6 (off), 3 (allowed)

The takeaway

: Of Iowa's 20-plus plays, three were runs (Beathard had two and Daniels one) and three were pass (29 Henry Krieger Coble, 48 Matt VandeBerg and 25 Riley McCarron). The three Iowa allowed were pass plays. Iowa is 39th in the country with four rushing plays of 20-plus and is 61st with six pass plays of 20-plus.

The Iowa/Greg Davis definition of explosive (it's 12-plus runs and 16-plus passes)

: 12 (Illinois State 9, Iowa State 12)

Magic points (scores inside of two minutes)

Iowa

— 7

Iowa State

— 0

Tracking the Hawkeyes

: Week 1 vs. ISU — 3 (off), 7 (allowed); Week 2 vs. Iowa State — 7 (off), 0 (def)

The takeaway

: RB Jordan Canzeri's TD with 1:05 left was the icing on the keg stand for Iowa. The Hawkeyes also scored the go-ahead TD with 2:14 left in the game. Iowa State scored a TD with 2:19 before halftime.

l Comments: (319) 398-8256; marc.morehouse@thegazette.com