Stat Pak: Worst quarter ever

FIVE BULLET POINTS ON THE MINNESOTA RESULT

1. Making it rain

— After Minnesota running back David Cobb burrowed his way into the end zone in the second quarter, he did that 'make it rain' gesture.

It's where you hold one hand in front of you and slap the other hand against it, kind of like you're peeling $1 off it at a high rate. The gesture was made popular at places where dollar bills have a higher value than anywhere else, including any run-of-the-mill dollar merchandise store.

Anyway, Cobb stiff armed Iowa free safety Jordan Lomax to the turf and skated in from 6 yards to give the Gophers a 28-7 lead with 3:51 left in the second quarter. The Gophers (7-2, 4-1 Big Ten) weren't finished raining on the Hawkeyes (6-3, 3-2) in the second quarter of their 51-14 rout at TCF Bank Stadium.

Iowa went three-and-out in less than a minute to set the stage for UM quarterback Mitch Leidner to find tight end Maxx Williams for a 4-yard TD and a 35-7 lead. Iowa's Akrum Wadley fumbled to set up a 45-yard field goal attempt, but it sailed wide left and the Hawkeyes avoided further embarrassment.

The Gophers rained a 28-0 second quarter on the Hawkeyes. Going back to 2002, when coach Kirk Ferentz transitioned the Hawkeyes from the end of the Hayden Fry era back to competitive, that was the most lopsided quarter against Iowa.

In 2002, Iowa State outscored Iowa 23-0 in the third quarter of a 36-31 comeback victory. In 2012, Michigan put up a 21-3 second quarter on Iowa. Remember that 44-7 loss at Arizona State in 2004? That was launched by a 17-0 second quarter. A week later in 2004, Michigan put a 16-0 on the Hawkeyes in the second quarter en route to a 30-17 victory.

That's the top five most lopsided scores in quarters under Ferentz and last Saturday at TCF Bank is No. 1.

2. It was like Iowa got tazed

— Iowa drove 12 plays and 76 yards for a 7-0 lead on the game's opening drive and then . . .

'That's where the wheels came off,' Ferentz said. 'It's hard to find many positives today, but that first drive was a positive. . . . To that point the script really went well. After that, they pretty much had their way basically in all three phases. They didn't let us control the line. They controlled it. And our special teams didn't help us.'

Minnesota ran a jet sweep for wide receiver K.J. Maye on first down of its answering drive. That was a recurring theme. That carry went for 12 yards. Maye finished the drive on a sweep in which Cobb blocked linebacker Bo Bower, linebacker Quinton Alston was chipped out of the play and linebacker Travis Perry paused on a zone-read fake. It was 9 yards and a TD and the rain had started.

OK, 7-7 and Iowa starts from its 6. It gets to the 30 and has a first down. There, quarterback Jake Rudock threw a deep out 24 yards that hung up and didn't clear cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun, who covered wide receiver Kevonte Martin-Manley and picked off the underthrow. Iowa's defense stopped the bleeding. Iowa didn't get past its 30 on the next drive and had to punt.

Last week, Rudock was praised for perhaps his best game as a Hawkeye. That throw was late and underthrown and just hung in the wind.

3. Oh, the punt

— Cornerback Eric Murray split the gap between Perry and Lowdermilk and got a hand on Connor Kornbrath's punt, which went 14 yards and gave UM first down at Iowa's 44.

The next play, Leidner froze Iowa's coverage and hit wide receiver Donovahn Jones for 44-yard TD over cornerback Desmond King. This gave UM a 14-7 lead and started the second quarter reign of terror.

If you're on Twitter at all, you've seen writers from the Big Ten region and beyond stumble upon the fact that Iowa has two scholarship punters. I've been asked about this oddity by other writers.

¯\_(:/)_/¯

I don't know what to say. Dillon Kidd was headed to Florida International before Iowa made a really quick move on him last January. He lost the job after bobbling a snap last week. Kornbrath gets one tipped this week. Was it his fault? Safety Antonio Johnson and Murray gamed Perry and Lowdermilk. Johnson streaked around Lowdermilk and beat Murray to Kornbrath, but Murray had the inside run and got a hand on the ball.

The punt unit was a ticking time bomb. Something disastrous was going to happen. Ferentz hated special teams in the aftermath (kick return was a nightmare).

4. Losing a 6-4, 250-pound TE who's named Maxx

— Williams kept a drive alive with a tiptoe 25-yard catch that converted a third-and-7 at Iowa's 48 to the 23. The play was reviewed, but Williams dragged a toe, pulling up the tiny black rubber pellets.

'Those kind of plays, you just have to feel,' Williams said. 'You just try to get your feet down and go with it.'

On this play, Lowdermilk picked up Williams short and released him perhaps believing he had help. He didn't. He lined up on Williams inside shoulder. Williams read that and broke a deep out. Cornerback Greg Mabin covered K.J. Maye on a streak. It took a fantastic play, but the coverage was broken somewhere.

Iowa linebackers and safeties never did figure it out with Williams, who caught five passes for 46 yards and three TDs.

5. All over but the shouting

— The 28-0 second quarter from H-E-Double hockey sticks did finally end, but only after RB Arkum Wadley's second fumble in two games and a missed 45-yard FG. It could've been worse than the 35-7 halftime lead.

After the Williams' toe-dragger series, it was 21-7. On Iowa's next series, freshman defensive tackle Steven Richardson beat Iowa guard Jordan Walsh and hit Rudock's arm before he could throw the ball. Linebacker Jack Lynn recovered the fumble and six plays later, Cobb made it rain and it was 28-7.

Iowa's starting field position in the second quarter was its 22 (KR Jonathan Parker showed inexperience, especially with the winds). Minnesota's starting field position was Iowa's 44. That's special teams and turnovers.

That's a disaster waiting to happen.

Williams made a second toe-dragger for a 4-yard TD and a 35-7 halftime lead with 31 seconds left. The play ended with Lowdermilk yelling at linebacker Josey Jewell.

You'd be angry, too, if you're team was outscored 28-0 and outgained 195-19 (including 94-14 on the ground) in the second quarter of a trophy game and Big Ten West Division showdown.

'We weren't physical at all,' Lowdermilk said. 'We were pretty soft today. They were physical and that's a credit to them. They came out and played and we weren't ready to play.'

They were literally running into each other in the second quarter.

THREE STARS

1. Minnesota QB Mitch Leidner

— The sophomore completed 10 of 14 for 138 yards and four TDs. He also rushed for 77 yards on 11 carries, leading the Gophers. The Gophers finished with a 245.8 pass efficiency, the third best in the nation this week behind Air Force and Georgia. Leidner's 267.6 pass effiency is his best this season by more than 100 points. He directed an attack that had just three negative plays (a total loss of 3 yards) in 74 plays.

Leidner is a sophomore. Think he'll lose to Iowa again in his Minnesota career?

2. Tight end Maxx Williams — The sophomore caught five passes for 46 yards and three TDs. His catches included two reviewed toe-drags. 'Toe drag' is a hockey term, so it's appropriate the Waconia, Minn., native has that down. The 25-yard toe-tapper came when the Gophers led 14-7 and it converted a third-and-7 that Minnesota eventually put in the end zone for a 21-7 lead.

Williams is a sophomore. Think he'll lose to Iowa again in his career?

3. Cornerback Eric Murray

— WR Tevaun Smith ate up the junior on Iowa's first drive, catching a long pass and drawing a pass interference. That was it. Murray got a hand on a punt that eventually turned into a Minnesota score. He also had a pass breakup and a tackle for loss.

FILM ROOM

Jet sweep 'o rama

— I'm going to revist this for a post this week, but oh my goodness. Iowa played the wrong technique here and the edge players were outnumbered and exposed.

The Gophers ran three straight sweep plays to wide receiver K.J. Maye on a drive that ended with Leidner's second TD of the quarter to Williams, this one a 4-yarder that ended with the first sign the defense was getting uneasy with itself (Lowdermilk yelling at Jewell, there was more of this, too, later).

The jet sweeps were run toward defensive end Drew Ott's side of the field. He followed blocking inside on two of the three. He's reading blocks and that's his key, I suppose. Jewell bit on the zone read fake on the first one, a 13-yard gain to Iowa's 20. He read the second one correctly, but was blocked by Cobb leading the play. It went for 10 more yards. Iowa finally kind of read it correctly and stopped it for just a 6-yard gain on the third time.

Maye ran the ball 10 times. They all were sweeps and most of them except one were with him lined up in the slot (jet sweep). The junior finished with a career-high 66 yards and the first rushing TD of his career.

Three straight jet sweeps. If an offense feels that's a go-to at anytime during a game, they've got you schemed and they know they've got you schemed. They feel good about their outside speed and they don't believe you have the wheels to keep up.

With Ott blocking down, I have to believe contain resposibilities fell to someone else. I rewatched all the plays and I couldn't figure out who.

TWO PLAYS

1. Third-and-7 at the 50

— The Gophers were up 28-7. An O-lineman jumped and knocked back UM into a third-and-7 from the 50.

Leidner faked a jet sweep handoff to #4 and ran playaction. Ott got up field a little too far, getting pushed 2 yards beyond Leidner to open up the left side of the defense. Outside linebacker Bo Bower blitzed from the weakside, but once Leidner saw the left side open up, he took off and Bower couldn't catch him. Cobb also shoved him off the cleanest path to Leidner. Bower might've had him, otherwise.

Leidner took the out Ott handed him on the wide rush. He rushed 17 yards to Iowa's 33 and then it was death by jet sweep.

2. Second-and-goal from the 3

— This is where the first drive of the second half ended. Leidner executed a play-action bootleg. Williams lined up as an H back and cut across the grain. Alston read the play fake. Lowdermilk blitzed. Williams cut into the left flat with no one there. Alston saw it, but it was too late. Wide-open 3-yard TD and a 42-7 lead on the Gophers' first drive of the second half. Floyd wasn't out of the box yet, but he might as well have been drinking beer at Gluek's. It was over. You go down 35-7 at halftime and then come out of the lockerroom and allow an 11-play, 75-yard drive? You want to go home. Iowa linebacker play was troublesome vs. the Gophers.

UP NEXT — ILLINOIS (4-5, 1-4 Big Ten West)

— This is an 11 a.m. kick on BTN.

— Illinois coach Tim Beckman has been embattled since he put a cap with an orange 'I' on it. Here's a piece as late as Oct. 8 saying the end is near.

— The Fighting Illini should get QB Wes Lunt back for this game. He's a gunner who's been out with a broken leg since Oct. 4 vs. Purdue.

— The last time Iowa played Illinois was Nov. 1, 2008. The Hawkeyes lost 27-24 and dropped to 5-4 that season.

'I'm getting tired of losing,' defensive tackle Mitch King said. 'A blowout, close game, one point, I'm just tired of losing. It sucks.'

Iowa didn't lose again that season, running off four straight and finishing 9-4 with a 31-10 victory over South Carolina in the Outback Bowl. Iowa didn't lose again until after running off a 9-0 start in 2009.

THE NUMBERS GAME

Touchdowns in the red zone

Iowa

— 1 of 1

Minnesota

— 6 of 7

Tracking the Hawkeyes

: Week 1 vs. UNI — 4 of 6 (off), 3 of 3 (def); Week 2 vs. BSU — 2 of 6 (off), 1 of 2 (def); Week 3 vs. ISU — 2 of 2 (off), 1 of 2 (def); Week 4 vs. Pitt — 3 of 3 (off), 2 of 4 (def); Week 5 at Purdue — 2 of 5 (off), 0-1 (def); Week 6 vs. Indiana — 3 of 4 (off), 1 of 2 (def); Week 7 at Maryland — 4 of 5 (off), 2 of 3 (def); week 8 vs. Northwestern — 4 of 5 (off), 1 of 2 (def)

The takeaway:

Wow. I'm pretty sure this is the most Iowa has allowed since I've started keeping track of this number. If it's not, I'm now setting it at No. 1. Iowa had allowed just seven red zone TDs this season before Saturday. The Gophers nearly doubled it.

3 and outs (forced by defense)

Iowa

— 2

Minnesota

— 6

Tracking the Hawkeyes

: Week 1 vs. UNI — 3 (off), 3 (def); Week 2 vs. BSU — 5 (def), 3 (off); Week 3 vs. ISU — 2 (def), 3 (off); Week 4 vs. Pitt — 0 (off) 2 (def); Week 5 at Purdue — 7 (def), 6 (off); Week 6 vs. Indiana — 8 (def), 6 (off); Week 7 at Maryland — 8 (def), 10 (off); Week 8 vs. Northwestern — 5 (def), 0 (off)

The takeaway:

Iowa bookended things nicely. It forced Minnesota three-and-out its second possession and then didn't force another until 2:37 left in the fourth quarter. Offensively, six of Iowa's final nine drives where three-and-bye bye.

Second half adjustments

Iowa

— 90 yards, 3.75 yards per play (24 plays)

Minnesota

— 176 yards, 4.75 yards per play (37 plays)

Tracking the Hawkeyes

: Week 1 vs. UNI — 190 yards, 5.93 yards per play (32 offensive plays), 199 yards, 5.68 yards per play (35 plays on defense); Week 2 vs. BSU — 247 yards, 5.61 yards per play (44 plays on offense), 128 yards, 3.55 yards per play (30 plays on defense); Week 3 vs. ISU — 102 yards, 3.64 yards per play (28 plays on offense), 190 yards, 5.27 yards per play (36 plays on defense); Week 4 vs. Pitt — 183 yards, 5.90 yards per play (31 plays on offense), 173 yards, 5.40 yards per play (32 plays on defense); Week 5 at Purdue — 284 yards, 5.65 yards per play (50 plays on offense), 56 yards, 1.86 yards per play (30 plays on defense); Week 6 vs. Indiana — 126 yards, 3.6 yards per play (35 plays on offense), 185 yards, 5.78 yards per play (32 plays on defense); Week 7 at Maryland — 263 yards, 4.78 yards per play (55 plays on offense), 172 yards, 4.77 yards per play (36 plays on defense); Week 8 vs. Northwestern — 185 yards, 5.78 yards per play (32 plays off), 125 yards, 3.47 yards per play (36 plays def)

The takeaway:

Forget the Gophers' numbers. It was 35-7 Gophers at halftime. Iowa's numbers were equally bad in the first half. There were no adjustments that would've saved this. There was no one player or play or quick fix. Winter might be here for this team.

20-plus plays

Iowa

— 4

Minnesota

— 4

Tracking the Hawkeyes

: Week 1 vs. UNI — 3 (off), 7 (allowed); Week 2 vs. BSU — 1 (off), 1 (def); Week 3 vs. ISU — 1 (off), 3 (def); Week 4 vs. Pitt — 2 (off), 7 (def); Week 5 at Purdue 4 (off), 1 (def); Week 6 vs Indiana — 4 (off), 5 (def); Week 7 at Maryland — 4 (off), 5 (def); Week 8 vs. Northwestern — 7 (off), 1 (def)

The takeaway:

Rudock completed two 20-plus passes on Iowa's first drive, converting a third down on a 24-yard screen play to RB Damon Bullock and hitting Tevaun Smith for 20 yards on a first down. He also his Smith for a 15-yard gain on that drive. After he threw an interception on the next series, Iowa didn't complete another pass that traveled more than 5 air yards until CJ Beathard hit Andrew Stone for a 9-yard reception in the fourth quarter. You could argue Iowa's playcalling froze, but it didn't. Iowa couldn't get a pass off that required a receiver to run more than 5 yards downfield. Receivers couldn't shake UM's man-to-man pass coverage, the O-line couldn't block (Rudock was sacked and fumbled and was hit at least two more times). In deep, deep mop-up time, RB Akrum Wadley had a 21-yard run and Beathard completed a 24-yard TD to WR Andrew Stone. Leidner hit three 20-plus passes and had a 21-yard run. Three of those converted third down and the other was a 44-yard TD pass.

The Iowa/Greg Davis definition of explosive (it's 12-plus runs and 16-plus passes)

: 6 (Indiana 4, Purdue 13, UNI 6, BSU 6, ISU 1, Pitt 4, Maryland 10, Northwestern 13)

Magic points (scores inside of two minutes)

Iowa

— 7

Minnesota

— 7

Tracking the Hawkeyes

: Week 1 vs. UNI — 3 (off), 0 (allowed); Week 2 vs. BSU — 7 (off), 0 (allowed) Week 3 vs. ISU — 0 (off), 3 (allowed); Week 4 vs. Pitt — 0 (off), 3 (def); Week 5 at Purdue — 3 (off), 0 (def); Week 6 vs. Indiana — 7 (off), 0 (def); Week 7 at Maryland — 3 (off), 0 (def); Week 8 vs. Northwestern — 7 (off), 0 (def)

The takeaway

: Minnesota's 7 came with 31 seconds left in the first half and gave the Gophers a 35-7 halftime lead. Iowa's 7 came with 14 seconds left in the game and made the final score 51-14.

Short yardage (converted second-5 and third-5)

Iowa

— 6 of 11

Minnesota

— 13 of 21

Tracking the Hawkeyes:

Week 1 vs. UNI — 9 of 15 (off), 5 of 10 (def); Week 2 vs. BSU — 9 of 13 (off), 5 of 7 (def); Week 3 vs. ISU: 14 of 19 (off), 10 of 14 (def); Week 4 vs. Pitt — 10 of 17 (off), 8 of 15 (def); Week 5 at Purdue — 8 of 18 (off), 7 of 18 (def); Week 6 vs. Indiana — 3 of 14 (off), 3 of 9 (def); Week 7 at Maryland — 10 of 17 (off), 8 of 10 (def); Week 8 vs. Northwestern — 7 of 12 (off), 9 of 11 (def)

The takeaway

: The Gophers dominated in all short-yardage situations. They scored four short-yardage TDs, including a pair of TD passes to TE Williams. Iowa went nearly two quarters without a first down. It dropped off the map after the pick in the first quarter and then didn't re-emerge until deep mop-up.

Disruption numbers (number of TFLs/sacks, QB hurries, passes defended and turnovers divided by total number of opponent plays)

Iowa

— 2.0 TFL/sacks (0.0 sacks), 0 PBU, 1 QBH, 0 FF, 0 FR, = 3 divided into 73 = 4.1 percent

Minnesota

— 8 TFL/sacks (4 sacks), 2 FF, 2 FR, 9 QBH, 6 PBU, 1 INT, 1 tipped punt = 29 divided into 56 = 51.7 percent

Tracking the Hawkeyes

: Week 1 vs. UNI — 14.2 percent (off), 29 percent (def); Week 2 vs. BSU — 18 percent (def), 18 percent (vs. off); Week 3 vs. ISU — 17 percent (def), 22 percent (vs. off); Week 4 vs. Pitt — 16.7 percent (def), 11.3 percent (vs. off); Week 5 at Purdue — 19.1 percent (def), 15.9 percent (off); Week 6 vs. Indiana — 23.3 percent (def), 14.4 percent (off); Week 7 at Maryland — 20.2 percent (def), 28.7 percent (off); Week 8 vs. Northwestern — 31.3 percent (def), 14.0 percent (off)

The takeaway

: I think this number shows that the game was 51-14. Actually, you see these numbers and you wonder how Iowa made it so close. The Iowa defense played its worst game of the year. Second-level tackling didn't exist. Run force on the edges was brutal. D-linemen didn't shed blocks. UM guard Zach Epping got in their heads. The defense was barely there. The offense didn't protect itself at all. I counted nine QBH and I'm probably being conservative. Iowa had nearly half of its 56 plays affected by the defense. We throw in punt blocks as a bit of a bonus. These are the worst numbers of the season. Brutal. Atrocious. Ridiculous.

l Comments: (319) 398-8256; marc.morehouse@thegazette.com