Live Game Blog Thingie -- 27-24 Bye to Floyd

The No. 24 Hawkeyes finished the season with three straight losses and one "should've" loss at Indiana.

Who knows where Iowa is going to bowl now?

Penn State probably gets the Outback. But that's only probably. Does Gator take Michigan over a slumping Iowa team, with star QB Denard Robinson being an FLA native?

Iowa could be staring the Insight Bowl in the eyes.

The first domino was Marcus Coker's fumble, but the symbolic kick in the shins was the way the Gophers shoved the ball in Iowa's face after that. TCF Bank Stadium erupted when the Gophers got their final first down with 1:46 left in the game.

Taking a knee. Game over.

And for the fifth time this season the Hawkeyes have lost a game in the foruth quarter.

Iowa's best move of the day was clearing space for the Gophers' run toward Floyd of Rosedale. The Hawkeyes crowded the end of the sideline and stationed the 98.3-pound  bronze pig on the left.

And that was that.

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27-24 Minnesota

The big play was a 40-yard Adam Weber pass to Da'Jon McKnight, moving the Gophers from their 42 to Iowa's 18.

From there, the next biggie was Marqueis Gray's 6-yard gain on a third-and-4 at Iowa's 12. He ran through a tackle by Iowa D-end Broderick Binns. Iowa never had enough hats at the ball, though.

Drive was six plays, 77 yards and 3:05.

Iowa is looking at its fifth fourth-quarter collapse this season.

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24-20 Iowa

Stanzi saw a blitz and called for a quick slant to WR Marvin McNutt, who snared the ball and beat Troy Stoudermire for an 18-yard score with 11:35 left and Iowa's first lead, 24-20.

The drive was set up by Broderick Binns' forced fumble and Brett Greenwood's recovery.

Eight plays and 70 yards for a 24-20 lead.

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Anyone want to win this?

Iowa saved by Binns forced fumble on Eskridge. Greenwood recovered.

20-17 UM going into the 4Q.

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20-17 Gophers at halftime

The Gophers scored a TD after an onsides kick and cashed in for a TD after an Iowa fumble on a QB snap. That's 14 free points in a 20-17 game.

The Gophers have 202 yards of offense to Iowa's 103. UM also is 6 of 9 on third-down conversions. The Gophers have controlled the ball for 18:17 to Iowa's 10:53, but Derrell Johnson-Koulianos' 88-yard kick return and the onsides kick contributed to that.

Minnesota has outrushed Iowa 126-39.

Iowa's defense needs to get off the field. That simple.

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20-17 Goph

Mike Meyer boots a 35-yarder to pull Iowa within 20-17 with 52 seconds left in the first half.

Meyer is now 12 of 15.

This drive died on a third-and-11 incompletion from Stanzi to Paul Chaney. TE Allen Reisner was open in the end zone. Stanzi didn't see him. Before that, Stanzi took a 6-yard sack after staying in the pocket a count or two too long.

It's halftime.

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20-14 Gophers

Ellestad kicked his second FG of the day, a 35-yarder, for a 20-14 lead with 5:35 left in the half.

On third-and-10 from Iowa's 18, Adam Weber missed a wide-open McKnight, thinking McKnight was going to break inside when he went out. Might've had the first down, but went incomplete.

It's 20-14. Iowa has run 14 plays.

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17-14 Gophers

Derrell Johnson-Koulianos took the kick at the 12 and hit a seam untouched for an 88-yard kick return to pull Iowa within 17-14 with 12:04 left in the first half.

DJK started the game on the bench because of a coaches' decision, according to the Big Ten Network. Since he entered, he's scored two TDs.

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17-7 Gophers

Goph RB DeLeon Eskridge plowed over the Hawkeyes and hit the pylon for an 11-yard TD and a 17-7 Gophers' lead with 12:16 left in the first half.

This drive was set up by the fumbled center exchange between Stanzi and center James Ferentz. Stanzi tried to change the play and never had the snap. CB Troy Stoudermire recovered to set up the Gophers at Iowa's 23.

UM needed just two plays, including a personal foul on D-lineman Christian Ballard for leading with his helmet on Gophers QB Adam Weber. That gave UM first down at Iowa's 11. Eskridge scored on the next play.

It's 17-7 Minnesota with 12:16 left in the first half.

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10-7 Gophers

Ricky Stanzi hit WR Derrell Johnson-Koulianos on a 7-yard slant to pull Iowa within 10-7 with 14:53 left in the second quarter.

It was a 13-play, 70-yard drive that took 5:30.

Stanzi completed 4 of 6 for 41 yards and the TD. He now has 25 TD passes and four INTs.

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10-0 Gophers

QB/WR hybrid MarQueis Gray took a QB draw to the outside. Iowa SS Tyler Sash went to the inside. Gray goes in nearly untouched for a 10-0 lead with 5:44 left in the first quarter.

The onside kick paid off with an 11-play, 58-yard drive for 4:30 off the clock. That's UM's first TD against Iowa since 2007, I think.

The Gophers have gone to the flat for completion after completion. That's LB Jeremiha Hunter's area. He limped off the field before the Gray TD, the first of his career.

CB Shaun Prater suffered an ankle injury and went to the lockerroom. Hunter's knee took him off the field. He suffered the injury against Wisconsin and missed the Michigan State game.

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3-0 Minnesota

The Gophers took the opening drive and rode Iowa's bend-don't-break defense for a 3-0 lead.

It was 11 plays, 58 yards and took 4:45 off the clock. Eric Ellestad hit the 26-yarder. On second-and-10 from the 10, run QB Marqueis Gray missed a wide-open TE Eric Lair in the end zone. On third down, QB Adam Weber, who helped the drive with a 20-yard scramble to Iowa's 22, missed a small window to WR Da'Jon McKnight with SS Tyler Sash covering.

Onside kick!!!

-- WR Colin Sandeman comes off sprained foot and ankle and turf toe to get the start this week over Derrell Johnson-Koulianos.

Senior Josh Koeppel gets start over Adam Gettis and Nolan MacMillan, both of whom have been injured but lined up at both guard spots on the second unit, which also included Matt Tobin and Brett Van Sloten at tackles and Conor Boffeli at center.

Sixteen minutes to kick.

Had hammers and propane tanks on the field to unfreeze it this morning. It's slick down there because the tire bits are popping through the fake grass.

Wind is not a factor.