Game report: Tennessee 45, Iowa 28

By Mike Hlas, The Gazette

OPENING SALVO

It was more like an opening flurry of upper cuts, jabs, hooks, and roundhouse rights.

Tennessee had touchdown drives on its first four possessions. The scoring came on long drives, an intermediate drive, and a drive that took one play. They featured rushing touchdowns and a passing TD. They had straightforward plays and trickery. But the commonality was this: the Hawkeyes tackled terribly.

For all the offensive frustration as Iowa fell behind 28-0 on its way to a 35-7 halftime deficit, the defense was grasping at air. This wasn't a good defense this year, but it rivaled its level of bad at the Minnesota game here.

REPORT CARD

D

: Now is the winter of our discontent. Actually, it started in the first quarter.' — Marc Morehouse

D:

I'm not giving an 'F' and having this season repeated. — Mike Hlas

Game Ball

Tennessee sophomore quarterback Joshua Dobbs is majoring in aerospace engineering. If he's as good in that field as he was at EverBank Field, well, he'll be really good in aerospace engineering.

Dobbs made all the right moves when they mattered, a dual-threat quarterback who gave Iowa's defense angles and quickness it couldn't counter.

His numbers: 16-of-21 passing for 129 yards and a touchdown, 13 carries for 76 yards and two TDs.

'All year we've had troubles with a running quarterback,' defensive tackle Carl Davis said.

QB ROULETTE NO WHEEL OF FORTUNE

Junior starter Jake Rudock and sophomore backup C.J. Beathard split time in the first half. Beathard made almost the entire third quarter, and the two split time after that.

They weren't the story, just footnotes. Neither could save Iowa.

Beathard completed 13 of 23 passes for 145 yards, an interception and two touchdowns in the last 3:30. Rudock connected on 2 of 8 passes for 32 yards. Beathard rushed eight times for 85 yards. Rudock had two carries for 22 yards.

Neither was allowed to speak to reporters after the game, which was bogus.

TURN ON THE CARNIVAL MUSIC

Iowa made a play that went viral. 'Viral' is usually the result of the unbelievably good or something really wacky. Jonathan Parker's second-quarter kickoff return of doom was in the latter category.

Parker caught the twisting kickoff near the right sideline. As he tiptoed to try to stay in bounds, he inexplicably flung the ball forward. So it was an illegal forward pass on a kickoff return. Not your everyday — or every century — penalty.

Thus, Iowa began its drive at its 2 instead of its 3. The Hawkeyes picked up a first down on the next play but punted four plays later on fourth-and-1 at its 38, which was dubious in itself given Iowa was down 28-0 and in dire need of a spark.

ROCKY TOP SOUTH

The crowd of 56,310 looked like it was 90 percent Tennessee. Maybe that's just because the bright orange made it look like — no, this was an overwhelmingly Tennessee crowd.

Volunteer fans felt good about their team and where it was going before this game. Plus, it was the Vols' first bowl in five years. So a whole bunch of Tennesseeans and UT grads had a good old time in Jacksonville.

Knoxville, Tenn., is 547 miles from Jacksonville. It felt like it was just around the corner.

Iowa, on the other hand, seemed like it was on the other side of the moon.

BIG TEN CAN'T HAVE IT ALL

Thursday was a big football day for the Big Ten. Ohio State upset Alabama in the College Football Playoff semifinals. Michigan State had a huge fourth-quarter rally to beat Baylor in the Cotton Bowl. Wisconsin gutted out an overtime Outback Bowl win over Auburn.

The Big Ten was 5-4 entering the TaxSlayer Bowl. That was pretty good, considering the quality of teams beaten and that every Big Ten team was an underdog.

The final impression the Big Ten leaves will be Ohio State against Oregon, not this debacle by the Hawkeyes.

UP NEXT

Iowa opens its 2015 season Sept. 5 against Illinois State in Kinnick Stadium. It won't be a gimmee. The Redbirds of Normal will play North Dakota State in next Saturday's FCS national championship game.