Game Report: Maryland 38, Iowa 31

OPENING SALVO

Entering the fourth quarter, Iowa had run on six of its previous eight downs and gained 54 yards. Facing third-and-two at the Maryland 44, Iowa instead chose to throw. Quarterback Jake Rudock passed up a pair of open receivers in the flat and instead targeted tight end Ray Hamilton on a deeper route. The pass fell incomplete and Iowa was forced to punt.

'We tried to get two yards. That's what we were trying to do,” Rudock said. 'That's just the way it happened.”

The way it happened wasn't as much of a problem as the way it was drawn up. In the third quarter, Iowa rushed the ball eight times for 69 yards, an 8.6 yard-per-carry average. Mark Weisman ran four times for 48 yards, including a touchdown. Iowa's running game appeared to break down Maryland's defense.

'We were running it pretty well,” said Weisman, who finished with 78 yards on 10 carries. 'It's good. We were getting the ball moving with it and it's another step in the right direction but it's still not where the running game needs to be.”

In the fourth quarter, Iowa's running backs had zero carries. In total, Iowa passed 56 times, the second-most in a game under Coach Kirk Ferentz. Simply put, that's not winning Iowa football.

BY THE NUMBERS

56 - Passes thrown by QB Jake Rudock, the second-most by an Iowa team under Kirk Ferentz

4 - Official Iowa running plays in the fourth quarter, counting sacks and QB sneaks

0 - Running plays by Iowa RBs in the fourth quarter

100 - Receiving yards by Iowa RB Damon Bullock, the most by an Iowa player since Oct. 19, 2013

26 - Career rushing TDs by Mark Weisman, seven shy of tying the school record

REPORT CARD

D - Didn't block, didn't tackle. It was like Iowa thought Maryland had Ebola.

- Marc Morehouse

D - This game lasted 3 hours and 50 minutes. Iowa's part needed some heavy editing.

- Mike Hlas

D - Offensive coordinator Greg Davis had as many fourth-quarter carries as his current crop of running backs.

- Scott Dochterman

GAME BALL

Iowa DE Drew Ott. On the game's first play, Ott took two steps forward, then dropped off the line of scrimmage in a zone blitz and picked off a Maryland pass. He followed with sacks on two of Iowa's next three defensive series. In all, the junior had 2.5 sacks.

'I just happened to be in the right spot,” Ott said. 'Everyone was doing their job, so it was working out good.”

Ott has 9.5 tackles for loss - including seven sacks - and six quarterback hurries this season. Ott's seven sacks tie the most by an Iowa player since Adrian Clayborn had 11.5 in 2010.

C.J. BROWN ... SEE YOU LATER?

Iowa cornerback Desmond King drilled Maryland quarterback C.J. Brown in the upper back on the Terrapins' first second-half series. Brown sprawled on the artificial turf for a few minutes before heading to the locker room.

'It scared me,” Brown said. 'The whole right side of my back tightened up and locked up.”

Doctors cleared Brown to return, and he engineered Maryland's final touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.

'He's sore,” Maryland Coach Randy Edsall said. 'He wanted to go back in and he was cleared through our medical people.”

Brown finished with 99 yards rushing and 120 yards passing.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW?

On Maryland's second touchdown drive, Brown was hauled down at Iowa's 1-yard line by Iowa defensive end Nate Meier. But as Brown was taken to the ground, the ball slipped from his hands and was recovered by Iowa defensive back Maurice Fleming at the 2-yard line.

Meier appeared to have cupped his hand under Brown's knee as the ball came loose. That should have ruled the play a fumble. However, after further review, the ruling on the field stood as called and Maryland kept possession. The Terrapins scored a touchdown one play later.

'You just assume whatever they rule it on the field,” Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said. 'Just to be careful, I think on the replays it's kind of like if you're going to beat the heavyweight champion, you'd better knock him out.”

UPS AND DOWNS

Iowa tight end Jake Duzey caught a career-high eight passes for 80 yards but had a critical turnover early in the second quarter. Duzey caught a crossing route from Rudock and raced 19 yards to the Maryland 47 but fumbled on a hit by Terrapins linebacker Yannick Ngakoue. Maryland, which trailed 14-3 at the time, scored its first touchdown seven plays later.

Iowa center Tommy Gaul started for the first time in his career. Iowa freshman guard Sean Welsh was injured and replaced by Jordan Walsh, who injured his ankle last week.

Iowa led the Big Ten in penalties at 29.8 yards per game, but drew a season-high seven for 65 on Saturday

LOOKING AHEAD

Iowa (5-2, 2-1 Big Ten) is idle next week and then plays host to Northwestern on Nov. 1. It's the 76th meeting between the Hawkeyes and Wildcats. Maryland (5-2, 2-1) plays at Wisconsin (4-2, 1-1) next Saturday.

l Comments: (319) 339-3169; scott.dochterman@thegazette.com