Twin results in Twin Cities unlikely for Hawkeyes

IOWA CITY - It remains as raw to Iowa football as the 23-degree Minneapolis day on which it happened.

The Hawkeyes' 27-24 loss at Minnesota last Nov. 27 was the benchmark for disappointment in Iowa's disappointing 2010 regular-season. Iowa came in with a 7-4 record and a shot at a Florida New Year's bowl. Minnesota was 2-9 with an interim head coach.

That day, the Hawkeyes started eventual 2011 NFL draftees at quarterback, offensive guard, strong safety, and three spots on the defensive line. No Gophers were drafted last April.

With Iowa playing at Minnesota again this Saturday, Tuesday's weekly press day with the Hawkeyes was time to dredge up the low point of last season. Because, as has been said countless times, those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.

The Gophers are still bad. Godawful, in fact. But you heard that last year, too. What you didn't hear then or now is exactly how Iowa blew that game.

“If I knew what happened, I'd try to answer it,” Kirk Ferentz said. “But I just hope it doesn't happen again.

“My guess is they probably practiced a lot better than we did. Although our practice wasn't bad that week. I remember the week fairly well.

“But, for the 60 minutes the game went on, they beat us in every phase possible including coaching. It's a credit to them. They got the job done. We didn't.”

No one thrown under the team bus, no state secrets revealed. In other words, it was Ferentz being Ferentz. But his players weren't any more insightful.

“We came out flat and they capitalized on our mistakes,” Iowa defensive end Broderick Binns said.

Why? “Not sure,” Binns said. “It seemed like we had a great week of practice. I'm not sure if it was just the weather being really cold, just the (slippery) field ...”

“I just know we didn't play well,” offensive tackle Markus Zusevics said. “We didn't play Iowa football in that game.”

I think it was an imperfect storm, one highly unlikely to roll through TCF Bank Stadium again Saturday.

One, Iowa went from being 4-1 in the Big Ten to 4-3 thanks to a loss at Northwestern that deeply wounded the Hawkeyes and a home defeat to Ohio State that gutted them. Both were decided by opponents' touchdowns with less than two minutes left to play. That tends to separate a club from its confidence.

Two, it definitely was cold that Saturday after Thanksgiving. Cold enough that players actually noticed it and felt it, which requires more than just a nip in the air.

Three, the Gophers ended a 9-game losing streak the previous game when they won at Illinois. They came into their finale feeling upbeat, playing with enthusiasm and pride. That makes for a dangerous team.

Minnesota had a nice opening drive for a field goal, then let everyone in the stadium know it intended to win when it executed an onside kick to get the ball back. If Iowa had recovered that kick, the Gophers might have called it a day and a season. Instead, they drove for a touchdown and a 10-0 lead.

Iowa skated uphill all game. It did take its first lead with 11:35 left in the game, but relinquished it after a 77-yard Gophers drive was capped by a touchdown with 4:31 remaining. Marcus Coker fumbled the ball away on Iowa's next offensive play. Not long after that, a bronzed pig changed mailing addresses.

Don't look for a repeat on Saturday. Better weather and a better frame of mind can only help the Hawkeyes. And, Minnesota is even worse than it was a year ago.

But most importantly, Iowa isn't ignoring recent history. How could it?