Hawks still digging out: After being left for dead, Hawks making bid for bowl

Three weeks ago after a lifeless shellacking at Purdue, Iowa's Mike Klinkenborg told anyone who'd listen that the season wasn't over. And it wasn't,

technically.

Technically.

Klinkenborg, eyes ablaze with red contacts to keep the sun out, boldly proclaimed, "We've got four weeks left. We can still be a bowl-eligible team. We can still make this a miraculous season."

The Hawkeyes are one win away from miraculous, depending on how you define the word.

"I think `miraculous' might be a little strong," Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said, "but it'd be a heck of a finish."

There was nothing miraculous about Saturday's 21-16 victory over Minnesota before 70,585 fans at Kinnick Stadium.

The Hawkeyes (6-5, 4-4 Big Ten) basically punched in for a half and milked it over one of the all-time worst Golden Gophers (1-10, 0-7) teams.

Iowa's offense pumped out three first-half touchdowns, and then went to sleep.

Minnesota freshman quarterback Adam Weber directed a 96-yard drive to pull Minnesota to 21-16 with 1:38 left in the game. But the Hawkeyes avoided any real drama when receiver James Cleveland covered the ensuing onside kick and Iowa's offense took a knee, arguably its best series of the second half.

Fullback Tom Busch and offensive lineman Seth Olsen won the race to the Floyd of Rosedale Trophy on the Minnesota sideline. Arguably, the offense's most successful rush of the second half.

You get that Iowa's offense tanked the second half, right?

"When you look at us, we don't have much style," Olsen said. "When we win a game, we tend to win them sloppy. We won sloppy today."

Even though it took a Cleveland tip to tight end Brandon Myers for an 8-yard TD pass, Iowa's offense scored on three of its five first-half drives. In the second half, it generated four first downs.

After 228 yards in the first half, Iowa had 68 in the second.

This would be a perfect spot to mention that the Gophers came into the game ranked last in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total defense, giving up a near-NCAA record 548.5 yards a game.

Weber's 22-yard TD pass to Eric Decker made a game of it late, too late for the Gophers, who'll try to avoid 0-for-the Big Ten for the first time since 1983 with a home game next week against Wisconsin.

"I asked them in the locker room after the game, 'Who feels like they've been stuck in the gut with a searing knife,"' first-year coach Tim Brewster said, "and everybody did and I said that's good. That means we've got a chance. We know where we're going."

Iowa running back Albert Young rushed for 79 yards and two TDs in the first half. He had 13 yards in the second half.

Quarterback Jake Christensen had a decent first half, completing 9 of 13 for 106 yards and a

TD. He was off in the second, hitting 5 of 12 for 51 yards and an interception.

And, yes, he's heard from everyone about not seeing a wide-open Myers on his third-quarter interception.

"In that case, an interception is as good as a punt," Christensen said. "It was a poor throw, but it worked out for us."

"Worked out" might be a little strong, but hey, this team sat 3-5 after a dreadful 31-6 loss at Purdue three weeks ago.

It might work out.

The Hawkeyes are bowl eligible, but only technically. The Big Ten has 10 bowl eligibles and

only seven bowl tie-ins. Someone will likely end up staying home for the holidays.

The reality of Iowa's bowl situation is, beat Western Michigan (3-7) in next

week's season finale at Kinnick Stadium and then wait and hope for the Big Ten to punch its ticket.

Really, there is some degree of "miraculous" to it. This team lost four straight at one point and lived through a 1-4 start to the Big Ten season. After Purdue, "miraculous" might be the only word that fits.

"Yeah, I remember that, and I know no one probably believed it," Klinkenborg said.

"Coach (defensive coordinator Norm) Parker talked about us four games ago, we were in the coffin. They were throwing the dirt on us. Now we've dug our way out of it and we see the light.

"We need next week to make sure we're bowl eligible. That's the big picture right now."

Iowa's bowl possibilities fit somewhere between the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Fla., the Insight Bowl in Tempe, Ariz., and the Motor City Bowl in Detroit.

But you've seen this team. Nothing comes easy, not even a gimme against an archrival down on its luck. One thing everyone seems to agree on: The Hawkeyes will need seven victories to claim a bowl.

"I think it's a safe assumption to say that it's going to take seven

wins," said Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta. "We'd take a bowl wherever we can get it."

The same could have been said for a first down in the second half.

You see ugly, Ferentz sees a team that persevered, one that doubled its lowly total of two

Big Ten wins from last season. The Hawkeyes also are steaming toward the finish, with a perfect

November also on the table next week.

Last season, Iowa lost six of its last seven games, including four in a row at the end.

"You could argue that last year was more disappointing than anything that we've had," Ferentz said, "because in '99 (when Iowa finished 1-10 in Ferentz's first season) we kind of expected it. Last year was one of those deals."

This year is another deal.

It might not be miraculous, but it beats the heck out of a coffin.