Stat Pak: Brave faces, doomed numbers

So, the teams Iowa has faced through its first eight games are 15-29 and Iowa's schedule ranks No. 112 (.340 winning percentage and that includes 8-1 Penn State).

Iowa's schedule the next four games ranks No. 6 in FBS with record of 21-8 and a .724 winning percentage. It includes the three co-leaders of the Legends Division as it stands today.

Winter is coming.

Here are some videos from Saturday. Nothing too terrific here. Some kids trying to fight through frustration and keep a civil face before waiting in line for a bus to the airport in a corridor busy with celebrating Gophers cheerleaders and assorted staff.

LB James Morris

WR Marvin McNutt

QB James Vandenberg

CB Shaun Prater

Here's the box score:

Iowa 08

And the season stats:

CUME08

Closer look at the numbers

Closing the deal (Red zone TDs/possessions)

Iowa 3-6

Minnesota 3-5

Iowa blew it on three red zone possessions, coming up with two missed field goals (24 and 43) and a sack fumble on yet another blindside shot from a defensive back on QB James Vandenberg. The defensive back blitz is officially a big problem, a hole either in scheme or Vandenberg's vision. Points on the table in a one-point loss. Devastating. The reason why the lost as much as if not more than the onside kick. Here's the postgame post I wrote.

Setting the tone (defensive three-and-outs)

Iowa 5 (Threw in two plays and a fumble in the second quarter. If this isn't a season high, it's at least Iowa's best during the Big Ten.)

Minnesota 1 (This is only if you count Iowa's end-of-half exercise.)

After adjustments (second-half yards and avg. yards per play)

Iowa 186-6.64

Minnesota 206-5.42

The real story here is the fourth quarter, where Minnesota's onside kick tilted plays 28-7 in favor of Minnesota. UM held a 155-24 edge in yardage. If Iowa would've gotten the onside possession, it would've won the game. Credit first-year coach Jerry Kill for flummoxing Iowa's staff on that.

Game-changers (offensive plays of 20-plus yards)

Iowa 8 (Split up between WR Marvin McNutt and RB Marcus Coker, who had a season-long 50-yard run that Iowa failed to score off.)

Minnesota 4 (Three of these came in the second half when the Gophers absolutely had to have them. Also, a 61-yard pass completion set up a first-half TD.)

Two-minute magic (points, final two minutes of half)

Iowa 0 (Timeouts . . . end of the half . . . on the road . . . 30-yard line . . . roll the tape. Ferentz did say afterward that Iowa might examine "going for it" at the end of half, but he also might've been flipping the verbal bird to the question.)

Minnesota 7 (61-yard completion set up MarQueis Gray to TE Collin McGarry for a 3-yard TD with 1:13 left in the first half. Minnesota nearly made it 14 with the winning TD coming with just 2:48 left in the game.)