Iowa football vs. Minnesota: Live score updates, highlights, analysis

After beating fellow Big Ten West contender Wisconsin last week, 24th-ranked Iowa (6-2, 3-2) suffered a 12-10 loss to Minnesota (4-3, 2-2) Saturday at Kinnick Stadium.

The Hawkeyes were tantalizingly close to a come-from-behind victory as defensive back and special teams star Cooper DeJean appeared to return a punt 51 yards for a touchdown.

But after further review, it was called back because of what officials deemed to be DeJean’s invalid fair catch signal. Instead of a touchdown, Iowa took over at its own 46-yard line.

What could have been a game-winning drive came to an abrupt end after quarterback Deacon Hill took a sack and then threw an interception to Minnesota defensive back Justin Walley.

Iowa led for most of the game before Minnesota’s Dragan Kesich hit a 31-yard field goal to give the Gophers a late 12-10 lead. Kesich made 4 of 5 field goal attempts Saturday.

Iowa’s rushing attack — one week after racking up 200 yards against Wisconsin — picked up 11 yards on 28 attempts, equating to a measly 0.4 yards per carry.

Hill finished the day going 10-of-28 with the game-ending interception and two fumbles lost.

The Hawkeyes’ lone touchdown of the first half — a Hill 1-yard sneak — was on a 46-yard drive where more than two-thirds of the yardage came off Minnesota penalties.

— John Steppe