Post-game notes on Robinson's health, Tarpinian's stealth

True Grit

  Running back Adam Robinson was a pre-game question mark after he suffered a sprained shoulder in bowl workouts. Typical of his season, he gritted through the pain and rushed for 59 yards on 14 carries.

Robinson has had tough luck with injuries this year. He suffered a high ankle sprain against Michigan State and missed two full games.

“If you can go, you need to go,” Robinson said. “What I did this year, I suffered a high ankle sprain, in the middle of the season. I kind of rehabbed it and got back in there for Ohio State. That's really been the story for Brandon (Wegher), too. He's been dinged up all season and persevered thought it. A lot of teammates have had that same story.”

Fake backfires

With a three-point lead midway through the fourth quarter, Ferentz elected to try a fake field goal on fourth-and-goal from the Yellow Jackets' 4. Iowa punter Ryan Donahue scooped the ball to kicker Daniel Murray, who raced for the end zone. Georgia Tech safety Morgan Burnett caught Murray, who then fumbled.

Ferentz said he approved the play.

“At that point, the field goal would have affected the game; the touchdown would have dramatically affected the game. We thought we had a chance to execute it.”

Kick me sign

Iowa stifled Georgia Tech's kick returns all night, holding the kickoff unit to a 16-yard average and the Yellow Jackets' two punt returns to a combined nine yards.

Backup linebacker Jeff Tarpinian had four tackles - all on kickoff returns.

"We knew special teams was going to be huge with their offense,"  Tarpinian said. "We knew we needed to keep them field position battle on our end."

Tarpinian said he's not designated as a gunner but was allowed to run to the kick returner based on the scheme.

"We have guys that go on the wedge but they were running different schemes," Tarpinian said. " I was just lucky to be the guy who got freed up because other guys were doing their jobs."