It’s time for another edition of “Spencer’s Sunday Thoughts” – a weekly column focused on college football headlines in Iowa, the Big Ten, Big 12 and beyond. Here’s what’s on my mind this week:
Indiana 20, Iowa 15
The Hawkeyes largely controlled this game against the 11th-ranked team in the country, but too many small mistakes added up in this one and the Hoosiers escaped Iowa CIty with a 5-0 record, while Iowa fell to 3-2.
Whether it was an interception on the second play (and first pass) of the game from Mark Gronowski leading to a two-play touchdown drive for the Hoosiers, a 15-yard roughing the passer penalty on Kenny Merriweather that put Indiana into field goal range just before halftime, or the multitude of missed tackles in Saturday’s game – the Hawkeyes shot themselves in the foot too many times against a good team to pull off an upset.
The fourth quarter could’ve been renamed the “gut punch” quarter in this one – as a multitude of bad things happened for the Hawks that led to their demise. First, Mark Gronowski left the game with what looked like a knee/lower leg injury on the first drive of the quarter. He would go into the medical tent, then return to the sideline with a brace on his knee, but would not return to the game. Hank Brown entered the game, but he would throw an interception on his first drive, then miss a throw on a screen pass that could’ve given Iowa a chance to run more clock and get a chip-shot field goal to win. The loss isn’t just on Gronowski or Brown, but if QB1 stays healthy, I think Iowa wins this game.
Speaking of Field Goals – the special teams rollercoaster continues for the Hawkeyes. Late in the fourth quarter, after Zach Lutmer picked off IU quarterback Fernando Mendoza and returned it to the Indiana 29, the offense (as mentioned above) failed to move the football to run the clock, or to make the kick attempt a bit easier for Drew Stevens. Oh well, a 42-yarder is no big deal, right? Wrong – Stevens pushed the kick wide left, and gave Indiana new life, something they took advantage of by getting the winning score on the ensuing drive.
For as much as Iowa fought and fought hard in this game, the record shows what they are. 3-2 through five games, with both losses being very winnable games. The Hawkeyes also drop to 0-11 in games against ranked teams since 2021, a stat that’s hard to fathom considering how well Iowa has done against ranked teams and top-tier teams in its history, especially in the Ferentz era.
With Iowa on its bye week, the headline everyone will be tracking this week and into next is the status of Mark Gronowski. Kirk Ferentz said postgame that they “got some positive feedback” on the injury, but that Gronowski didn’t feel like he “could decelerate” as reasoning as to why he didn’t return to the game. Best case scenario is that the injury is minor, he can use the bye week to heal, and then return to face Wisconsin in two weeks. Worst case? Well, I don’t think I need to explain that part of the equation to you…
Iowa State 39, Arizona 14
What if I told you that the Cyclones would score 39 points, but Rocco Becht wouldn’t throw a touchdown pass in the game? That’s just one of the statistical oddities of this one, where Iowa State led from start to finish and turned in a dominant victory over an improved Arizona team that couldn’t find many avenues for success against Jon Heacock’s defense.
Becht completed 14 of 20 passes for 243 yards and an interception. He also ran for three scores, but netted -10 rushing yards. To borrow a phrase from a certain coach – That’s Football. Carson Hansen added two rushing scores, while East Carolina transfer Chase Sowell had a breakout game, all positives for the Cyclones.
On defense, Iowa State shut down Wildcats running back Ismail Mahdi, and forced Noah Fifita to beat them through the air. Fifita threw the ball 48 times, completing 32 of them for 253 yards and two touchdowns, but also was intercepted twice.
The big concern in this one is injuries for Iowa State – as defensive linemen Domonique Orange and Khijon Cummings-Coleman both got banged up during the game. Matt Campbell also announced postgame that defensive back Jeremiah Cooper is out for the rest of the season with a knee injury. We saw the Cyclones take a big hit at linebacker last season, so I’m sure Iowa State fans are hoping this isn’t the start of bigger problems as they get into the thick of conference play.
The next two games for Iowa State are on the road – starting with an 11 AM game at Cincinnati on Saturday.
Big Ten Notes:
The narratives remain the same for Penn State Football. Drew Allar and the offense were held in check for three quarters by the Oregon defense, then came alive in the fourth quarter to force overtime. The Nittany Lions even had the lead in the first overtime, but the Ducks responded, then went ahead in the second OT, leaving it all up to Allar & company to get it done. Instead, what seemed like every Penn State loss in a big game played out – with Purdue transfer Dillon Thieneman picking off the final pass to seal the win.
With the loss, James Franklin’s record drops to 4-21 vs. top-10 opponents as the head coach at Penn State. He’s a good enough coach and recruiter to keep the program nationally relevant, but the “big game” hurdle continues to be one he just can’t jump.
For Oregon, Dante Moore is a dude – throwing for 248 yards and three scores, with zero turnovers in an incredibly hostile environment. The Ducks look like they’re well on their way to another Big Ten title and CFP berth. Their game in two weeks with Indiana will definitely be a fun one to watch.
Elsewhere, Ohio State’s defense continues to be stingy – shutting down a potent Washington offense in a 24-6 win in Seattle.
Illinois bounced back nicely, beating a red-hot USC team on a game-winning kick after they blew a 17-point lead. Luke Altmyer threw for two TD’s and ran for another in the 34-32 win, which served as a nice bounce back after getting blown out by Indiana last week.
Lastly, Minnesota might not have much of a run game right now – but Drake Lindsey had a great day against a good Rutgers team as the Gophers rallied to win 31-28. Lindsey completed 31 of 41 passes for 324 yards and three touchdowns, including the go-ahead score to Javon Tracy with just over three minutes left.
What stood out to you in week five? Send me an email – spencer@kgymradio.com or find me on social media to continue the conversation.
Spencer Wagen is the host of “Spencer on Sports”, weekdays from 4-6 PM on 1600 ESPN. You can follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @SWOnTheRadio
