Iowa suffers setback against Minnesota after coming tantalizingly close to comeback

IOWA CITY — Kirk Ferentz shared some wisdom with his team a few weeks ago before the Hawkeyes’ trip to Wisconsin.

“We can beat any team in our conference, but any team in our conference can beat us as well,” linebacker Jay Higgins recalled the Iowa football coach saying.

The Ferentz-ism that Higgins shared with reporters a few weeks ago holds more truth than surely anyone on Evashevski Drive in this month.

After beating fellow Big Ten West contender Wisconsin last week, the 24th-ranked Hawkeyes (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.

DeJean said he was trying to “keep my balance” as he ran to the ball and did not think it was a fair catch.

Big Ten referee Tim O’Dey said via a pool reporter there was “indisputable evidence” of the invalid fair catch.

“The receiver makes a pointing gesture with his right hand and he makes multiple waving gestures with his left hand,” O’Dey said. “That waving motion of the left hand constitutes an invalid fair catch signal.”

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

“This was not the way we wanted things to go, not the way I wanted things to go,” Hill said. “This really stings, and we have to move forward."

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.

With 8:33 remaining, there was no shortage of opportunities for the Hawkeyes to recapture the lead.

But Iowa’s offense could not get into field goal range in any of its opportunities. The first drive went minus-18 yards.

The second drive went 27 yards before deciding to punt. Then the third and final attempt resulted in Hill’s pick.

Hill at one point threw seven straight incomplete passes.

The lackluster offensive performance was not exclusive to the fourth quarter. Iowa had 12 total yards in the second half.

“(Minnesota) did a really nice job, but we have to find answers,” Ferentz said after the loss. “We’re going to have to find answers moving forward.”

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.

“We just didn’t execute,” Hill said. “I didn’t execute. Simple as that.”

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.

The penalties included a face mask when Hill was otherwise short of the first-down marker on third down and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after Iowa failed on third-and-goal.

Iowa’s severe offensive shortcomings have not been unique to the Minnesota game — the Hawkeyes entered play ranking 130th out of 130 FBS teams in yards per game.

Frustration with the Brian Ferentz-coached offense was evident as “Fire Brian” chants erupted in the fourth quarter.

But this time, Iowa’s offense was too much for the elite defense and special teams units to overcome.

Minnesota quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis went 10-of-25 for 126 yards. He did not have any touchdowns or interceptions.

Iowa held Minnesota’s potent rushing attack to 113 yards on 2.5 yards per carry.

Iowa was minus-three in the turnover margin.

“If we had protected the ball today, which is the first step in winning, playing winning football, we would have been victorious,” Ferentz said.

It was Minnesota’s first win at Kinnick Stadium since 1999 — Kirk Ferentz’s first season as head coach at Iowa — and first win in the Floyd of Rosedale series since 2014.

After appearing to be Big Ten West front-runners after last week’s win over Wisconsin, Iowa’s margin for error in its quest for a division title is much slimmer.

The Hawkeyes will have time to regroup during their bye week before visiting a struggling Northwestern team on Nov. 4 at Wrigley Field.

“We have to put this game behind us and obviously go back to the drawing board and so some self-scouting next week,” defensive back Quinn Schulte said.

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com