116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Play of the Game: Picked off and knocked out
- TIME: 7:48, third quarter
- SCORE: Wisconsin leads 7-6
- DOWN AND DISTANCE: Iowa has the ball, first and 10 at its one
- FORMATION AND PERSONNEL: Iowa – 2 tight ends, fullback, running back and one wide receiver. Wisconsin – Five defenders across line of scrimmage, four at second level depth, a defensive back over the wide receiver and a safety.
- WHAT HAPPENED: Iowa quarterback Jake Rudock threw off his back foot toward double-covered tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz and was intercepted by Wisconsin defensive back Darius Hillary at the 20.
- WHY IT WAS IMPORTANT: Wisconsin took over at Iowa's 20 and scored on the next play to take command of a tight game. Rudock injured his knee on the play and did not return.
- THE QUOTE 1: "Their pressure and when the ball goes up in the air, that's not a good thing, ever," Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said.
- THE QUOTE 2: "We got some good pressure. We got some balls kind of floated up in the air," Wisconsin Coach Gary Andersen said.
- THE ANALYSIS: Wisconsin right outside linebacker Ethan Armstrong geared to stop the run and met Iowa running back Mark Weisman in the backfield. Weisman failed to maintain contact with Armstrong, who then rushed toward Rudock. As he released the ball, Rudock threw an arcing pass off his back foot and toward Fiedorowicz. Hillary initially shielded wide receiver Matt VandeBerg but sagged off VandeBerg toward Fiedorowicz, who was covered by free safety Michael Caputo. Hillary backed up in front of Fiedorowicz and hauled in the pass at the 20. It was a comparable route and pass to last week's overtime touchdown against Northwestern. But Rudock threw it short and didn't account for Hillary.
Iowa quarterback Jake Rudock (15) tosses up a pass against Wisconsin Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013 at Kinnick Stadium. The pass was intercepted by Wisconsin cornerback Darius Hillary (5) and Rudock was knocked out of the game. (Brian Ray/The Gazette-KCRG)
Wisconsin cornerback Darius Hillary (5) celebrates his interception of a third quarter Iowa quarterback Jake Rudock pass at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, in Iowa City, Iowa. Wisconsin won, 28-9. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette-KCRG)
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