Floyd is heading back to Iowa City for the fourth straight year.
The 112th all-time meeting between the Gophers and Hawkeyes featured everything from swinging gate formations, to fake punts, interceptions and odd play calls.
Two quick scoring drives by the Hawkeyes helped them claim an early cushion. The Gophers’ offense fought back against a depleted Iowa secondary, but mistakes littered throughout were too much in a 48-31 loss.
Gophers make adjustments to stop the run
Minnesota made some adjustments against the run, following a 315-yard trashing at the hands of Maryland. A big key was the performance of the Gophers’ linebackers and interior defensive linemen. Thomas Barber had an impressive game, posting ten total tackles as he filled gaps and maintained alignment. The linebackers were very physical and the interior players were more disruptive. O.J. Smith took on a few double teams and Sam Renner was also holding ground inside. The Gophers surrendered just 2.7 yards per carry, despite playing a physical Hawkeyes offensive line. The bigger problem was the Iowa passing attack, which posted 314 yards through the air.
On the first drive of the game, the Gophers played off the wide receivers on 4th-and-2, leaving room for an easy nine-yard completion from quarterback Nate Stanley to Ihmir Smith-Marsette. Stanley quickly went in the direction of Florida transfer Chris Williamson three times in his first start at Minnesota. A physical, 10-play, 53-yard drive capped by a three-yard touchdown from Nate Stanley to tight end T.J. Hockenson, helped Iowa gain an early lead. Minnesota played off the wide receivers on two fourth-and-short situations, which allowed Iowa’s pass catchers to pick up easy first downs.
During one instance, linebacker Blake Cashman came off a blitz up the middle and couldn’t get to Nate Stanley. He stepped up in the pocket and found Ihmir Smith-Marsette deep for a 60-yard touchdown. Terell Smith lost his man and looked like he thought safety help would be present over the top. The probability of this being a miscommunication is high considering Antonio Shenault was making his first career start at safety.
The Hawkeyes also diced Minnesota apart in space with tight ends and running backs.
The Gophers forced two takeaways, including a key strip sack by Carter Coughlin deep in Iowa territory. Minnesota scored 14 points off turnovers, which helped keep them in the game. However, Iowa claimed an early lead and used explosive passing plays to tally 420 total yards.
Right side of the O-Line struggles
Entering the game, one of the key battles to watch was the Iowa defensive front against the Gophers’ offensive line. It was particularly worth focusing on the right side of the unit. This proved to be an area of weakness in Saturday’s game. During one sequence, right tackle Sam Schlueter was beaten three times off the edge, including a poor rep on a screen pass. He was at least partly responsible for back-to-back sacks in the first half. Schlueter lost off a swim move and surrendered a coverage sack on the next play. Iowa took down Zack Annexstad five times, four of which came from the right side.
Schlueter struggled the entire afternoon and it caused quarterback Annexstad to force throws or take unnecessary hits. He was eventually replaced by 6-foot-9, 400-pound true freshman Daniel Faalele in the second half. This was a move the Gophers had to make before Annexstad suffered a more serious injury. Faalele quickly made an impact and opened a big lane for a one-yard touchdown run by Seth Green.
No matter what, the Gophers will need to find a solution at right tackle and they must determine whether it’s worth burning Faalele’s redshirt. He has now used two of his possible four games.
Gophers attack Iowa’s young cornerbacks
With Iowa cornerbacks Matt Hankins and Michael Ojemudia battling injuries, the Hawkeyes were forced to start true freshmen Riley Moss and Julius Brents. The duo made their first career start against the Gophers on Saturday afternoon. When quarterback Zack Annexstad had time, he was taking advantage of the matchups.
On the team’s third drive, Annexstad found Tyler Johnson for a 13-yard gain on 3rd-and-4 to extend the drive. He showed off concentration as the pass tipped in the air and redirected into his arms. It was the first of three key receptions by Gophers wide receivers. Annexstad delivered a fade with nice touch and placement to Chris Autman-Bell for a 34-yard grab. He reached around the defensive back to haul in the difficult contested catch. He flashed his reliable hands and body control to bring in the pass. A few plays later, Annexstad nicely placed a back shoulder fade to freshman Rashod Bateman for a three-yard score. Bateman has quietly become a serious threat in the Gophers’ offense. He had seven catches for 67 yards and two touchdowns.
Between Bateman, Autman-Bell and Johnson, the Gophers finally have some firepower and potential at the wide receiver position. The bright spot of this game is the fact Minnesota is showing signs of life at the skill spots.