Live Game Blog thingie -- 18-13 Iowa escapes

Demarlo Belcher had it and dropped it.

Iowa lives.

Belcher had it but didn't control it and Iowa will win.

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18-13 Iowa

Three plays. Two to DJK and then a 52-yard TD to Marvin McNutt for an 18-13 lead with 2:50 left.

Three plays, 88 yards and Iowa's first lead since 3-0.

Big kick return for IU.

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13-12 Indiana

Meyer hits a career-long 42 yarder to pull Iowa within 13-12 with 8:33 left in the game.

On third-and-11 from IU's 25, Stanzi overthrew a wide-open Marvin McNutt. Stanzi threw the ball before McNutt broke wide open. Either way, the throw was high and outside.

Coker has 129 yards on 22 carries.

Guard Julian Vandervelde had a false start. It was ninth penalty for 65 yards. It came on second-and-6 from IU's 20.

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13-9 Indiana

Indiana's best drive of the day and maybe since the Big Ten schedule started.

The Hoosiers marched 69 yards on 12 plays and scored on QB Ben Chappell's 1-yard sneak with 42 seconds left in the third quarter. Chappell completed 6 of 7 for 51 yards.

Iowa free safety Brett Greenwood made an brutal breakup up on a pass to Demarlo Belcher on a quick slant near the goal line. IU called the same play right after and completed it for 18 yards to Duwyce Wilson to Iowa's 1. Chappell scored on the next play.

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9-6 Iowa

Mike Meyer boots his third FG, a 27-yarder with 5:33 left in the third quarter.

Iowa had first-and-goal at the 9 and ended up with a third-and-goal from the 18 after a delay of game and a false start.

Iowa's red zone offense is atrocious today, going 0-for-4 inside IU's 20 on TDs.

But, Iowa is winning.

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6-6 halftime

Sorry I went dark there. IU athletics department needs to shake hands with technology. Wireless here is a joke.

Anyway, 6-6 at the half.

It's tied because Iowa's Mike Meyer pulled a 22-yard FG attempt wide left with 2:23 left in the first half.

The fun part was the sideline antics of IU coach Bill Lynch. IU was hit with mystery personal foul penalty on first down after the missed FG. Lynch exploded and chased the field judge, who called the penalty and seemed to forget what he called. Or something.

Anyway, after IU's punt, Iowa was called for a hold. Lynch walked about 3 yards onto the field and raised both arms in the air, like he won the hockey gold medal in the 1980 Olympics. He didn't put his arms down until the field judge walked past and said something.

Anyway, 6-6. Very uneventual. Very conservative Iowa offense, with QB Ricky Stanzi officially in struggle mode and with true freshman running back Marcus Coker in the lineup.

But Coker is hardly the problem. He finished the half with 102 yards on 16 carries. He only had two negative plays. I'm told that on TV he keeps getting up and holding his belly area. I haven't noticed.

Stanzi's worst half of the season. He finished 10 of 17 for 104 yards, a pick and a sack. Iowa's O-line has played well on the run plays, but has had a few breakdowns in pass protection.

IU QB Ben Chappell is 10 of 17 for 72 yards and an interception. IU has 58 rushing yards, on track for its average.

Here's the scoring:

Meyer 23 FG

Mitch Ewald 37 FG

Meyer 27 FG

Ewald 28 FG

And then the miss.

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3-3

Indiana counters with an eight-play, 59-yard drive.

Iowa was called for two penalties -- 12-men on the field and a pass interference on Micah Hyde.

WLB Jeremiha Hunter foiled the drive when he tipped a pass on third-and-2 from Iowa's 19.

The Hoosiers rushed three times for 29 yards to fuel the drive, including a reverse to receiver Tanden Doss, who also caught two passes for 14 yards.

Mitch Ewald booted the 37-yard field goal.

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3-0 Iowa

Mike Meyer booted a 23-yarder for a 3-0 lead with 10:21 left in the first quarter.

Drive was 10 plays, 66 yards and 4:39 off the clock. QB Ricky Stanzi overthrew DJK in the end zone on third-and-4 from the 6. DJK did catch No. 158, passing Kevin Kasper as Iowa's career receptions leader.

Freshman Marcus Coker rushed four times for 38 yards, including a 20-yard gainer to IU's 12. Coker, of course, replaces sophomore Adam Robinson, who missed today's game with a concussion.

Right guard Josh Koeppel started for junior Adam Gettis, who injured an ankle last week.