116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Play of the Game: Beathard's bash
DOWN, DISTANCE:
Iowa faced second and goal at the Indiana 7
SCORE/TIME
: Indiana led 17-14, 23 seconds left, second quarter
FORMATION, PERSONNEL
: Iowa — three wide receivers, one tight end, one running back; Indiana — three down linemen with a stand-up end, two linebackers, five defensive backs.
WHAT HAPPENED
: Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard ran a draw for a 7-yard touchdown to put the Hawkeyes back in front 21-17.
WHY IT WAS IMPORTANT:
The Hawkeyes reclaimed the lead, something they wouldn't relinquish. Iowa now is 9-0, matching its best start in school history.
THE ANALYSIS
: Iowa lined two receivers and the tight end to the right and one receiver to Beathard's left. At the snap running back Derrick Mitchell ran up the middle to block weakside linebacker Tegray Scales. Beathard followed Mitchell up the middle as guard Sean Welsh blocked defensive tackle Darius Lathan and guard Jordan Walsh stonewalled defensive end Shawn Heffern. Beathard broke to his left and stiff-armed Scales at the 8-yard line. Beathard ran toward the corner at wide receiver Jerminic Smith, who locked up cornerback Andre Brown Jr. With defenders approaching, Beathard leapt from the 2-yard line and reached the ball across the goal line. Linebacker Marcus Oliver knocked the ball from Beathard's hands, but it was a split-second after he scored.
THE QUOTE 1
: 'It was a good call by Coach (Greg) Davis. It was a quarterback draw. I was just trying to do anything I could to get it in the end zone. I felt like the only way I could get in was jumping over the top. Obviously I want to hold on to the ball, but we scored, so it was good.' — Beathard
THE QUOTE 2
: 'We thought it was going to come back to the foot-yard line. It was a great effort on his part. I guess we can all quit asking about his percent he is because I have no idea and certainly he doesn't, either. It's a good enough percent to look like a football player out there. He's a really tough-minded guy.' — Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz
THE QUOTE 3
: 'It means a lot. As a team with him being a leader and him going out and doing that, it makes you want to follow him. It makes you want to continue to play hard for him as team.' — Iowa WR Jacob Hillyer
l Comments: (319) 339-3169; scott.dochterman@thegazette.com
Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback C.J. Beathard (16) gets a block by wide receiver Jerminic Smith (9) on Indiana Hoosiers defensive back Andre Brown Jr. (14) on a 7-yard touchdown run during the second quarter of their NCAA football game at Memorial Stadium Bloomington, Ind. on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015. (Stephen Mally/The Gazette)
Daily Newsletters