My No. 6 game in Ferentz Era -- at Penn State, 2000

(This is an extension of Marc Morehouse's series on his Iowa football blog. Also, see Scott Dochterman's picks at his blog.)

There have been far-better games and wins in Kirk Ferentz's time as Iowa's head coach.

But this one ended a 12-game road losing streak for the Hawkeyes, this one was Iowa's third win in Ferentz's first 21 games as the team's head coach, and this one said a corner might be turning. It was.

"Iowa?" was the headline in the State College daily newspaper the next day. It wouldn't be the last time the Hawkeyes left Happy Valley with a win during that decade.

Here are excerpts from a column I wrote after that game:

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - A loud, sneering "Take that!" could easily have come Saturday from Iowa's football team Saturday.

But the Hawks were almost as impressive after their 26-23 thriller of a double-overtime win at Penn State as they were during it. They could have returned a few snipes back at their critics. But that stuff is for losers.

Quarterback Kyle McCann could have blasted everyone who called him "McCan't," and claimed he had the mobility of a tortoise.

Safety Ryan Hansen could have ripped anyone who said his biggest accomplishment as a college football player was once being an Iowa scout-team MVP. As a quarterback.

Kicker Nate Kaeding could have booted a few choice words back at those who jeered him after failing on three field-goal tries against Ohio State two weeks earlier.

And head coach Kirk Ferentz could have told us that maybe he does know a little bit about building a program. Maybe he has a clue about how to get a team to grow, and how to maintain an effort and a desire that is seldom seen from teams entering November with a 1-8 record.

But Ferentz has always turned the other cheek to critics. It must rub off on his players, because they had no axes to grind following the most impressive performance in their coach's two-year tenure. Besides, it would have been wasteful to mar such a happy day in Happy Valley with spite. ...

Hansen hauled in the interception that suddenly, stunningly ended the game and gave Iowa its biggest road triumph since

winning here 21-20 in 1996. Rashard Casey's 51st pass of the day hit tight end Tony Stewart in the hands, bounced off his chest, and was collared by Hansen.

That set off a sight previously unseen in the Ferentz Era, a Hawkeyes celebration on an opponent's turf. What a celebration it was.

"(Matt) Stockdale jumped on me and was yelling 'Game's over, we won! Game's over, we won!"' said Hansen, who found himself on the wrong part of a dogpile.

"It kind of hurt," he said. "There were knees and legs twisted around in there. But it was euphoric."