Halftime -- Epic fail

Epic fail defense. Epic fail offense. Epic fail special teams.

Indiana took advantage of some grievious Iowa mistakes for a 21-7 halftime lead.

The Hoosiers are playing for a bowl and respect and played with abandon from the first snap. Iowa was sleepwalking. This is how doomed games go.

Amid ESPN reports that defensive coordinator Norm Parker was in the hospital at some points (sorry, unclear), Indiana took the first drive and jammed it down the Hawkeyes' throat. Running back Darius Willis rushed six times for 35 yards. The Hoosiers rushed eight for 52. Willis capped it with a 4-yard TD run and a 7-0 lead with 9:59 left in the first quarter.

Iowa moved the ball 10 plays, but the drive stalled at IU's 27. Kicker Daniel Murray tried a 44-yard field goal with a pretty good wind to his back. He picked up where he left off last week, linedriving a scud way short and left. That was the first of two brutal efforts from Iowa specialists.

Iowa QB Ricky Stanzi threw a pick on the next drive and stood 3 of 9 with an interception late into the second quarter.

Then, after OL Julian Vandervelde was lit up by true freshman D-tackle Tyler Replogle for a 5-yard sack, Iowa was forced to punt from its 15. Punter Ryan Donahue, who seemed to be over the occasional shank that plagued his early career, plopped out an 8-yard punt, booting it into the wind and the stands and giving IU a first down at Iowa's 35.

Five plays later, Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell beat Iowa's 3-4 defense for a 12-yard TD to wide receiver Mitchell Evans for a 14-0 lead with five minutes left in the half. At that point, it was the biggest deficit the Hawkeyes, who have trailed in eight of nine games, had faced this season.

Iowa's offense then threw its best shot, zipping 85 yards on five plays, with freshman running back Brandon Wegher scoring from the 4 to pull within 14-7 with 2:39 left before halftime.

But then more epic fail.

IU's backup punter Charlie Klingensmith nearly fumbled before squibbing a rugby-style punt that Iowa cornerback Amari Spievey fielded on the bounce at Iowa's 16. Spievey was stripped of the ball by Collin Taylor and DE Jammie Kirlew recovered to set up the Hoosiers at Iowa's 12 with 26 seconds left.

On third-and-8 with 13 seconds left, Iowa blitzed its underneath coverage and Chappell made the Hawkyes pay, finding DeMarlo Belcher for a 9-yard TD with nine seconds left, giving IU a 21-7 halftime lead.

Ferentz said on the radio that he made the call for the punt return. It probably should've been an all-0ut block.

Stanzi finished 6 of 12 for 112 yards and an interception. Indiana finished 4 of 9 on third down in the first half, while the Hawkeyes dribbled to 2 of 6. Iowa rushed for just 38 yards and gave up two sacks.