Michigan State 17, Iowa 10 — That sinking feeling

EAST LANSING, Mich. — So, now you know what it's like to slowly sink and die in a tar pit.

It looked like the Hawkeyes might claw their way to safety a few times in the second half Saturday before 73,331 fans at Spartan Stadium. They ... dug ... their fingernails ... into the dirt, but ...

Sophomore Nate Stanley had one of those nightmare quarterback plays, pulling the ball back to throw and then just having it slip out of his hands at Michigan State's 5 yard-line. On Iowa's next series, freshman wide receiver Brandon Smith was hit and fumbled at MSU's 42.

Meanwhile, Michigan State (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) kept peeling the Hawkeyes fingers out of the earth and pushing them back into the tar pit. Actually, Michigan State punter Jake Hartbarger kept putting his foot on Iowa's facemask and gave the Hawkeyes a gentle push back into the muck.

This was a 17-10 game where the punter was the MVP. Hartbarger downed five punts inside Iowa's 20. The Hawkeyes' average starting field position in the fourth quarter, when they were trying to overcome a 10-point deficit, was their 17.

'We keep talking about how pressure is a privilege,' Michigan State Coach Mark Dantonio said. 'When you play under pressure, and you win, good things follow you usually.'

The Spartans were just that much more grunty than the Hawkeyes (3-2, 0-2), who are now 0-2 in the league for the first time since 2008.

'I don't know if we need a rallying cry, I think we just have to go back to work tomorrow,' Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said. '... I don't know if we need to hit the panic button, but we need to hit the improve button. That's what we need to do right now.'

Someone right now is probably mashing the improve button in the Hansen Performance Complex over the Hawkeyes' running game. Last week, No. 4 Penn State blitzed Iowa into oblivion on the line of scrimmage and held the Hawkeyes to 82 yards. The Spartans just continually penetrated Iowa's offensive line, spilled plays where they wanted them to go and held the Hawkeyes to 19 yards on 25 carries.

The 0.76 yards per carry was Iowa's worst in a game since just 0.87 (20 yards on 23 carries) against Penn State in 2012.

'It's not even about the running game, it's the losing,' said running back Akrum Wadley, who rushed for 30 yards on 17 carries. 'You can have 400 yards, but if we lose, it doesn't matter.'

Yes, the Hawkeyes have faced outstanding competition the last two weeks. Well, Penn State is outstanding. Jury still is out on Michigan State. Still, Iowa has had just 504 yards of offense in the last two games. Without a running game, Iowa is having a tough time being Iowa.

'It's a problem and it's something we need to fix,' offensive tackle Sean Welsh said. 'We need to be accountable up front. We needed to do a better job executing.'

Stanley completed 16 of 31 for 197 yards. He was sacked three times and hit and hurried into double digits. In the first quarter, he missed wide receiver Matt VandeBerg on a deep pass down the middle of the field that probably would've gone for a TD.

His most painful play was the fumble on Iowa's first drive of the third quarter. On third-and-goal from MSU's 5, he was flushed out of the pocket, saw a teammate break open late and just had the ball slide out of his hands before he could throw. You see it every week. You see this happen to NFL quarterbacks.

'I've never had that happen to me before,' Stanley said. 'That's something you have to deal with.'

Any points would've gone a long way there. On Iowa's next series, Stanley hit tight end T.J. Hockenson for a 22-yard gain to MSU's 42. Smith took a quick wide receiver screen and lost the ball after taking a hit. It was the second touch of his career.

Think anyone Hawkeye was in the mood for the experience excuse?

'It's unacceptable by anybody, whether it's an older guy or a freshman,' VandeBerg said. 'We harp on ball security. The only way to win football games is hang on to it.'

And yet after another week in which Iowa's offense was smothered, the Hawkeyes defense dragged the team to one final chance to tie the game. MSU quarterback Brian Lewerke took the Spartans straight down the field on the game's opening possession for a 7-0 lead. Lewerke, who finished 18 of 28 for 212 yards and two TDs, and wide receiver Felton Davis put on a show in the first quarter, connecting five times for 73 yards and two TDs. Davis finished with nine catches for 114 yards and the two TDs against a secondary that was missing cornerback Manny Rugamba, who suffered an ankle injury last week.

'It just sucks, any loss sucks,' defensive tackle Nate Bazata said. 'We've got to come out ready. The first drive, we were just kind of out there, not really executing. We've got to come up with stops right away.'

No magic pills, formulas or answers or beans. No rallying cry. The Hawkeyes now know what it's like to sink into a tar pit and watch the lights go out.

They hated that and judging by the stern answers in the postgame, they're determined not go out that way again.

'Get back on the horse and keep on going,' linebacker Josey Jewell said.

l Comments: (319) 398-8256; marc.morehouse@thegazette.com