Iowa stays unbeaten with 31-15 victory over Maryland

THE SKINNY

No. 11 Iowa moved to 8-0 and 4-0 in the Big Ten with a 31-15 win over Maryland (2-6, 0-4) on Saturday at Kinnick Stadium. Three different running backs scored touchdowns as the Hawkeyes took a 21-0 halftime lead. The offense struggled mightily in the second half with just 55 total yards, but the defense made enough plays for the victory.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The bye week clearly paid off for Iowa in terms of getting healthy. LeShun Daniels returned from an ankle sprain and gave the Hawkeyes the lead with a 1-yard TD run in the first quarter.

Meanwhile, Akrum Wadley continued to impress, sprinting in from 11 yards out to make it 14-0 with 8:30 left in the second quarter.

A. Wadley run for 11 yds for a TD - ESPN Video

Iowa then took advantage of good field position following a blocked punt with just over a minute to go, and drove 19 yards, capped by a Derrick Mitchell 2-yard TD run.

The Terps got something going near the end of the third, and Perry Hills hit Taivon Jacobs for a 7-yard score on the second play of the fourth quarter to get Maryland on the board.

Iowa recovered the ensuing onside kick and Marshall Koehn made up for an earlier miss with a 49-yard field goal to make it a three-possession game with 11:04 to go.

Maryland was in business again on its next drive, but Desmond King came up huge with an 88-yard interception return for a TD, his seventh pick of the year.

King's pick six looked to put the game away, but Will Likely returned the kickoff back 100 yards for a TD, and Perry Hills converted the 2-pointer to make it a two-possession game with 7:26 to go.

M. Koehn kick for 65 yds,W. Likely return for 100 yds for a TD - ESPN Video

Still, the defense held strong, not allowing Maryland to really come close to another score, and Iowa walked away victorious.

Iowa out-gained Maryland 293-241. C.J. Beathard was 12 of 23 for 183 yards. Wadley and Daniels combined for 127 yards on the ground.

Hills gave the Hawkeyes trouble with 104 rushing yards, but was 11 of 22 through the air for just 74 yards and three picks.

PLAY YOU HAVE TO SEE

As explosive as King's INT return and Likely's kickoff return were, Iowa tight end George Kittle probably made the best play of the game.

The Hawkeye junior stretched out for a one-handed catch down the middle of the field for a first down.

C. Beathard pass,to G. Kittle for 26 yds for a 1ST down - ESPN Video

STAT OF NOTE

Coming in, Maryland had allowed 67 points off giveaways, most in the Big Ten this year. (That's an @mbenson6 stat, thank you!)

— marcmorehouse (@marcmorehouse)

Iowa forced four turnovers, scoring on two, including King's 88-yard pick six.

MD vs. IOWA - ESPN Video

The Hawkeyes capitalized on a Maryland fumble in the first quarter. Greg Mabin stripped Brandon Ross, who had taken an option pitch, and Miles Taylor pounced on it, leading to the opening score.

Aaron Mends blocked a punt with 1:01 to play in the half, giving Iowa the ball at the 19 and setting up another score.

MD vs. IOWA - ESPN Video

Jordan Lomax picked off a badly overthrown deep pass near the goal-line in the third quarter.

It could have been worse for Maryland. Nate Meier tipped a first-quarter pass that Taylor picked off, but he fumbled it back to the Terrapins on the return.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

RE: this Iowa schedule hoopla... I haven't heard anyone point out that OSU and MSU don't have to play Iowa or Wisconsin

— Chris Hassel (@hasselESPN)

And just gonna leave this one here. Iowa fans are, well, they're not taking too kindly to it. Seek out the replies if you must.

I am not ready to live in a world in which Iowa finishes a season undefeated in the sport of American college football.

— Peter Burns (@PeterBurnsESPN)

"Iowa is legit at 8-0. The conundrum. College football world, figure out what you're going to do with Iowa." -- Kelly Stouffer, ESPN color commentator

"It was an ugly victory today, but at the end of the day, you're undefeated." -- Mark May, ESPN analyst