Readers' No. 5 (tie) -- 2002 Purdue, 2009 Penn State

No. 5 (tie) -- 2002 Purdue -- The Purdue Whew!

djwoody: Banks to Clark.

@James_Shapiro: BB GW drive.

yayhawkeyes: Dramatic finish resuscitated Kinnick Stadium after being dead for a few years.

Thomas: One of the greatest games I have ever seen. This game came with everything blocked kicks, blocked punts, 50 yard field goals, and a TE outrunning a defense 94 yards for a TD. Dallas and Brad then teamed up for one of the best closing drives ever, that was so good they left to much time on the clock. Now we all have the name Adolphus Shelton in our memory. 

HawkStang: I was on the sidelines for that game, one of my favorites I've ever seen in person. Special teams won that game for us, Dallas Clark 95 yd TD and GW catch, Adolphus Shelton interception to seal it.

brian_m: Great finish in a magical season.

DenverHawkeye07: (95 yd. TD and go winning pass on 4th and goal. Banks goes on Heisman Alert and Dallas Clark becomes a 1st Round Pick.

draw73: I think that game had just about every possible way to score a touchdown you could have - blocked field goal, blocked punt, 94 yd scamper by the tightend, brilliant playcall on 4th down. Still needed Shelton's pick to seal it.

Ross: The only game that comes close to this one on the insanity scale might be the Indiana game from 2009. Iowa scored in just about every fashion they could and needed a slew of incredible plays (Banks' scramble, both of Clark's touchdowns, the blocked kick touchdowns, etc.)

Quentin: Big-time win from big-time players making big-time plays.

JamesMouton:  The Drive. Banks to Clark. Another classic.

cwkhawks: 1) Purdue 2002 - unreal game that had everything and I think solidified the "Special Teams mentality" of the program that turned some great "reserves" into good/great starters. People forget Iowa got a lucky INT to end that game too...they almost lost it after all that happened!

Aaron: Banks engineers an 87-yard scoring drive with 2:16 remaining and no time-outs, capped by a TD pass to Dallas Clark on fourth-and-goal. God, did we really ever have it that good? Hard to believe that it was even real, isn't it? Not only was this a win for the ages, but this gutsy win solidified the confidence for an Iowa team on the rise (coming off a great PSU victory on the road, this game had serious let-down potential). To that point, recall that this was the first win in that 22-game home win streak we eventually amassed. It all started here, baby.

Josh: Good teams always win a few games they had no business winning.

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Headline: Stars of the late show (one of my favorite headlines)

IOWA CITY - Last week, they made ESPN Classic network's "Instant Classic." The people at ESPN have that kind of power. They work in TV. They can turn last weekend into rerunable glory.

So if last week's overtime victory at Penn State earned "Instant Classic" status, what will the ESPN people do with the Hawkeyes now?

Anyone up for a double-instant super-mega classic?

That's where quarterback Brad Banks and tight end Dallas Clark took the Hawkeyes Saturday. The two hooked up for a 7-yard touchdown with 1 minute, 7 seconds left to rally No. 24 Iowa past Purdue, 31-28, before 68,249 at Kinnick Stadium.

Double-instant super-mega classic.

"In many ways, we're fortunate to win," Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said. "But on the other hand, I have to compliment our players. They showed a lot of heart and character, especially when they needed it."

When they needed it, that's the phrase of the day.

The game had comebacks, with the Hawkeyes (5-1, 2-0 Big Ten) falling behind 14-3, taking a 24-14 lead late in the third quarter and then falling behind again on Jon Goldsberry's 2-yard TD run with 5:45 left.

Then they took the late, late lead. The play was a Y sneak open.

Don't know if Clark was the "Y," but he pivoted in front of a Purdue linebacker and sprinted toward the sideline. He was wide open.

"It's a play I think we've called once, and that was last year," said Clark, who caught three passes for 116 yards, including a Kinnick record 95-yard TD that gave Iowa a 24-14 lead with 2:37 left in the third quarter. "At least I think we've called it once. It's sort of one of those plays where it either works or it doesn't."

And, oh yeah, it was fourth-and-7.

"Was it fourth down?" Clark asked. "I think I knew it was at the time. I guess you forget those details."

Banks waited as long as he could, and, just before defensive end Shaun Phillips wrapped around his ankles, he lofted a loose spiral into the big blue afternoon sky.

"When you're sitting back there, it seems like forever," said Banks, who had another quietly effective day, completing 14 of 22 for 226 yards, two TDs and no interceptions.

"The guy was right there, I could feel him. I didn't know Dallas had it until his arms went up."

The Hawkeyes gave themselves one last chance when outside linebacker Grant Steen stopped Purdue quarterback Brandon Kirsch for a 2-yard gain on third-and-4 at Iowa's 42-yard line.

With all their timeouts called to save clock, Iowa offensive coordinator Ken O'Keefe rolled the dice on first down. Banks took a perfectly timed quarterback draw 44 yards, taking the Hawkeyes from their 13 to Purdue's 43.

"This game was a tough nail-biter," said running back Fred Russell, who ran into a blitzing Purdue defense all game but still managed 109 yards on 22 carries, with one shoulder wrapped like a Christmas present. "A tough team fights through the bad things in a game. We had a lot of bad things, but we fought it. I think that shows a lot about our mental game."

Double-instant super-mega classics need their share of unlikely heroes. You know, the Rocky Balboa or the kids from Hickory.

Seemingly Saturday, Iowa had an army of Rockys from Hickory.

On special teams, safety Bob Sanders blocked a field goal and cornerback Antwan Allen returned it 85 yards for a score. Reserve safety Sean Considine blocked a punt and reserve safety Jermire Roberts covered it in the end zone.

And, finally, reserve cornerback Adolphus Shelton intercepted a Kirsch pass that caromed off receiver Taylor Stubblefield's shoulder and into the air, saving the day for Iowa with 14 seconds left.

All Stubblefield had done to that point was catch 13 passes for 149 yards. Iowa's media guide says Shelton is a red- shirt freshman from Dallas.

"I saw the quarterback throw the ball, the ball bounce off my guy's shoulder," Shelton said, "and I just got up under it and caught it."

With starter Kyle Orton on the sideline with a mild concussion, Kirsch sparked the Boilermakers, igniting a fourth- quarter comeback with a 16-yard TD run. Goldsberry's TD erased Iowa's 10-point lead and put Purdue ahead, 28-24, with 5:45 left.

"He (Kirsch) deserved better than that - to have the ball go off our receiver into their defender's hands," Purdue Coach Joe Tiller said. "He deserved better than that."

Maybe all of Purdue (3-3, 1-1 Big Ten) deserved better.

The Boilers hammered the Hawkeyes with 507 yards and held Iowa's offense to 158 yards rushing, a season-low. Take out Nate Kaeding's 51-yard field goal, Clark's 95-yard TD and the last drive, and Iowa's offense was stuck in a three-and-out extended play.

Push away all the bad - the conservative playcalling, David Bradley's 34.1 yards on seven punts, the nine penalties for 80 yards, Ed Hinkel's fumble that led to a Purdue score, those 507 yards - and allow yourself to plant a kiss on this one.

"Bottom line is, when we needed it, we had it," Ferentz said. "We weren't perfect out there, I think everybody recognizes that. But the outcome was just beaufiful."

Double-instant super-mega classics usually end with the boy getting the girl. Saturday, Shelton kept the ball he intercepted.

It wasn't perfect. They'll settle for beautiful.

No. 5 (tie) -- 2009 Penn State -- Punt safe

djwoody gets right to it: Adrian Clayborn blocked punt for TD.

yayhawkeyes remembers Brent Musburger's call: "Blocked! This is gonna be a Hawkeye Touchdown."

HawkStang: White Out in Happy Valley. Kirk Ferentz's dominance over PSU continued as he is now 7-2 against them.

DenverHawkeye07: Clayborn eats Darryl Clark and a punter on National TV.

Brian: Given a huge stage after Iowa's 2008 upset, Iowa blackened the whiteout as Clayborn became a household name. Set the table for the rest of 2009, where Iowa would have to do its best work on the road.

Ross: It was this or the MSU game, and even though I was at the MSU game, this one stands out as a brilliant performance by the defense and one of the absolute signature plays of the season: Clayborn's punt block and return. "7 got 6" was pretty damn amazing, though.

JamesMouton: Adrian Clayborn's national coming out party.

Hank: The biggest Hawkeye road win since the Michigan game in 2002. A prime-time whiteout become Adrian Clayborn's coming out party. The blocked punt allowed me to breathe for the rest of the night. Iowa now owns the deed to JoePa's house. What a night.

_____________

Headline: D-feated!

STATE COLLEGE, PA. -- This was a game that only a defensive coordinator could love.

Iowa's Norm Parker, crusty 67-year-old fireplug of a defensive coordinator, loved it a little more Saturday night.

You had your sacks, interceptions and generally offensive stats coming out of both offenses. In the end, Iowa defensive end Adrian Clayborn provided the offense for the Hawkeyes (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) in their 21-10 victory at Penn State, Iowa's fourth victory at Beaver Stadium under Coach Kirk Ferentz.

The 6-3, 282-pound junior ripped past Nick Sukay, blocked Jeremy Boone's punt and scooped it and scored it, covering 53 yards to give the Hawkeyes an 11-10 lead with 12:21 left in the game.

On Penn State's next drive, running back Evan Royster tipped a Daryll Clark pass into the air and into linebacker Pat Angerer's arms. Angerer returned the ball 38 yards to Penn State's 24.

Three plays later, running back Adam Robinson broke two tackles, kept his legs churning and scored from 13 yards for an 18 -10 lead with 8:32 left in the game.

"I don't know if I've ever seen a play like Adrian made," Ferentz said on ABC after the game. "That was just a thing of beauty."

It rained all night in State College. Iowa brought the lighting. Four defensive strikes and the Hawkeyes blotted out the "White Out."

Safety Tyler Sash caught Royster from behind, poked out the football and defensive tackle Karl Klug recovered, halting a PSU drive with 8:16 left that had reached Iowa's 25.

Then, on PSU's last gasp, Klug batted a Clark pass into the air and into linebacker A.J. Edds' arms.

That gave Iowa first down at PSU's 39 and Beaver Stadium started bleeding white.

The "White Out" was blotted out.

Robinson and freshman Brandon Wegher combined for nearly 170 rushing yards and the Hawkeyes' ownership of No. 5 Penn State (3-1, 0-1) continued.

Penn State talked openly about revenge. The Lions will have four turnovers (three picks and a fumble) to think about next year's shot at revenge.

Until the defense rode in and without question saved the day, the theme of the night was incomplete. Iowa was an incomplete football team. Drops, penalties and a missed field goal nearly added up to missed opportunity to blot out the "White Out."

And coincidence said "hello" with 8 seconds left when kicker Daniel Murray put away Penn State with a ... wait for it ... 31-yard field goal, sealing Iowa's 21-10 victory.

Less than two minutes into the game, Clark showed he planned to back up the semi-guarantee he made in Paternoville on Thursday night.

One play, 79 yards, 11 seconds. PSU went up 7-0 on Clark's 79-yard TD to wide receiver Chaz Powell, who just ran a streak past Iowa cornerback Amari Spievey. Clearly, Spievey got caught looking in the backfield.

It was a well-scouted play. PSU coaches knew Spievey would bite and they popped it on play No. 1. And, it charged the "White Out" crowd of 109,316.

The last play was made on Penn State's sideline. Angerer took his helmet off and shook hands with Coach Joe Paterno.

Iowa's eight-game winning streak is now tied for second-longest in the country, behind defending national champion Florida. Iowa's defense hasn't allowed a rushing TD in 29 quarters.

Iowa countered with a 28-yard run from freshman running back Brandon Wegher, who took it to PSU's 40. But then it just got weird for the Hawkeyes.

Quarterback Ricky Stanzi put a pass just over a linebacker, who must've shaded wide receiver Colin Sandeman's view. Sandeman was late reacting and batted the ball down. He then kicked the ball in the air, where hero back Nick Sukay picked it out of the air for first down at PSU's 21.

So in the first four minutes, Iowa's defense gave up the longest play of the season and kicked an interception to Penn State.

As far as omens go, that's a raven flying into your living room and stealing the remote.

The Nittany Lions took the interception and jogged down field on Iowa's defense, going 20 plays, 68 yards and chowing down 10:17 of clock before settling on Colin Wagner's 28-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead with 52 seconds in the first quarter.

Twenty plays, 10:17 and a 10-0 PSU lead. That's some big bro, little bro stuff.

Meanwhile, at that point, Iowa's offense ran seven plays. Iowa's defense in the first half was its best offense.

After Iowa was forced to punt at PSU's 40, punter Ryan Donahue booted a 34-yarder that pinned PSU at its 6. The Lions went false start, tackle for loss by defensive end Broderick Binns, sack by Binns on Clark in the end zone and pulled within 10-2 with 11:47 left in the first half.

Binns, who had 1.5 sacks in the first half, whipped right tackle DeOn'tae Pannell and caused the fumble. Guard Johnnie Troutman recovered and it was 10-2. Before the first half was over, Nerraw McCormack replaced Pannell.

Otherwise, Iowa's offense did nothing and, believe it or not, the first-half struggles didn't belong to Stanzi. Iowa receivers dropped four passes, including two from WR Derrell Johnson-Koulianos.

The drops, of course, turned into empty downs and ruined any tempo the Hawkeyes tried to get going, finishing the half 2 of 9 on third down.

Murray, the most wanted man in eastern Pennsylvania, went 1 of 2 in field goals, hitting from 41 and going wide right from 42 near the end of the first half.

After the first play, Penn State had just 25 yards passing and was held to minus-6 yards in the second quarter.

Stanzi finished 9 of 22 for 114 and the kick pick. Clark was 6 of 12 for 104 and a TD.

For the first half, Clark was good on his 4-0 promise. The second half, Iowa's defense burned it all to the ground.

Revenge will have to wait.

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