Hlas: Whose line is it, anyway, Hawkeyes?

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Last December, Iowa's offensive line was given the Joe Moore Award for what that award's people calls college football's Most Outstanding Offensive Line Unit.

The Hawkeyes lost four games in the 2016 regular season, but no one was calling for the FBI to wiretap anybody because the trophy went to Iowa City. The O-line had a good season, and Iowa's program understandably took great pride in receiving the hefty (the trophy weighs over 500 pounds) honor.

Right now, Iowa wouldn't even get the Michael Moore Award. Which makes sense, actually, since that annually goes to the best documentary in the Ann Arbor Film Festival.

But that filmmaker from Flint, just 50 miles from Spartan Stadium, has often been seen wearing a Michigan State ball cap. If he didn't see Saturday's game, he had to enjoy learning about how his Spartans' defense owned the Hawkeye blockers here Saturday and bottled up Iowa's skill-position players.

Iowa ran into its two toughest opponents the last two weeks, and 'ran into' is the operative wording. After getting held to 273 yards the previous game against Penn State, the Hawkeyes had but 231 here in their 17-10 loss to an ordinary Michigan State club.

Making numbers sound all the worse, Iowa had the not-so-grand total of 19 rushing yards over 25 carries. Star running back Akrum Wadley had 17 carries for a paltry 30 yards.

Passing was believed to be Iowa's primary offensive issue entering the season. But rushing? With plenty of veterans on the line and Wadley in the backfield?

'Nope,' Wadley replied when asked if he knew what the problem was with the run game. 'Just execution.'

Offensive guard Boone Myers wasn't much more loquacious.

'It's a team thing,' he said. 'We win and lose as a team. The offensive line's got stuff to get better at, too.'

Right tackle Sean Welsh is never one to sidestep a question. He, too, said it was 'just poor execution,' but added 'I think we've got to do a better job bringing a preparation during the week to the game.

'For myself, I think I can do a lot better, execute better.'

For the line as a whole?

'Seeing the big picture.' Which isn't philosophical, but literal. Welsh spoke about 'seeing the defense in general, when they're bringing big pressures, where they have their linebackers, what kind of rotation they're in.'

Iowa had two costly turnovers on consecutive second-half possessions, but its problems were crystallized in the first half. Over nine first-down plays, the Hawkeyes had a total of minus-8 yards, and never had better than a 2nd-and-7. Six of those first-down plays were rushing plays.

But those turnovers were blocks of salt in the wound. The first was when Iowa had a 3rd-and-goal at the MSU 5 on the first drive of the second half, and Hawkeye quarterback Nate Stanley whiffed on a pass attempt.

That's right, he whiffed. The ball fell forward from his throwing hand into the mitts of diving Spartan linebacker Joe Bachie. Fumble lost.

Game Report: Michigan State 17, Iowa 10

Never in the history of football, in the history of sport, in the history of human existence has anyone whiffed on a pass like that and gone on to win. It's a cosmic fact, just like no Big Ten football team in the history of the human existence will ever rush for 19 yards and win.

It didn't help that on Iowa's next possession, freshman receiver Brandon Smith had the ball knocked from him at the MSU 30 while trying to do a little too much after his second career catch.

But if Iowa had run the ball with a semblance of the efficiency for which it has built its reputation, it wins this game even with those two turnovers.

It's a bit ironic that offensive line coach Brian Ferentz got promoted to offensive coordinator this year, and now one of his main chores is getting his offensive line to start working right again.

This week's Brian Ferentz Gamefilm Festival won't be handing out any awards.