Hawkeye Game Notes: Clayborn breaks down in post game interview

IOWA CITY - The premier one-on-one matchup Saturday pit Iowa defensive end Adrian Clayborn against Wisconsin left tackle Gabe Carimi in a battle of possible first-round NFL draft picks.

Carimi, 6-foot-7 and 327 pounds, handled Clayborn most of the game, something the Iowa senior All-American admitted afterward.

“It was a good battle the whole game, but he got the upper hand,” Clayborn said. “They won the game.”

Carimi said he had planned for Clayborn since last year's game in Madison when Clayborn battered Carimi for two tackles for loss.

“I've been preparing since last year, since my injury last year against him and he got the better of me,” Carimi said. “I got the better of him (Saturday).”

Carimi told Wisconsin Coach Bret Bielema he could beat Clayborn at the line of scrimmage and to run the ball directly behind him. Bielema heeded those words on a fourth-and-1 play at the Iowa 2-yard line. Running back John Clay blasted behind Carimi into the end zone.

“That (conversation) was at halftime,” Carimi said. “I said, ‘Hey the first drive I drew Clayborn back eight yards on that zone to the left.' I knew that I could keep on zoning on him.

“I was ready for it. I was pumped all week.”

Bielema declined to reveal everything about their conversation, saying only Carimi “had a pretty strong statement to me.”

“He was very confident he was going to play well today,” Bielema said. “Basically, he was telling me to come to the left side whenever I felt I needed to.”

Clayborn finished with five tackles - including one solo stop. He was credited for one sack when he ran by Carimi in the first half and knocked the ball out of Wisconsin quarterback Scott Tolzien's hand.

“That was the one play that got away from me,” Carimi said.

- Scott Dochterman

Not even bittersweet

From the department of “oh yeah,” Iowa wide receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos moved into a tie for Iowa's career record for receptions.

The senior from Youngstown, Ohio, caught five passes for 93 yards in the Hawkeyes' 31-30 defeat to Wiconsin.

That improved Johnson-Koulianos' career totals to 157 receptions for 2,367 yards. Last week at Michigan, he topped Tim Dwight's receiving yards record (2,271). With his first catch against Michigan State on Saturday, Johnson-Koulianos will pass Kevin Kasper's receptions record of 157.

But it was a totally empty moment for Johnson-Koulianos, who was visibly upset after the Hawkeyes' last play ended with a 4-yard desperation gain as time ran off the clock.

- Marc Morehouse

Puts in on the D

Adrian Clayborn was the first one into Iowa's interview room barely 10 minutes after the game.

His voice quaked after a couple of questions. He eventually broke down and left the room.

He returned with tears in his eyes. It was that kind of day for the Hawkeyes, who fell 31-30 to Wisconsin at Kinnick Stadium.

“Our defense didn't play its best the whole game,” Clayborn said. “Their offense deserved it.”

Strange day for the Hawkeyes' defense, which has carried the team for the last however long. The defense hadn't buckled like this since Ohio State landed 200-plus rushing yards on it last season.

Clayborn and his defensive mates found themselves in the position of explaining it away Saturday.

“It feels so weird,” Clayborn said. “The defense didn't step up when we needed it, but that's kind of the way it's been going this year.

“We're missing something. We've got to find it.”

- Marc Morehouse