Iowa Ekes Out Win Over Georgia Tech

The following is a live journal composed during the FedEx Orange Bowl between Iowa and Georgia Tech. All times listed are Pacific Standard Time.

PREGAME

5:00 – It’s here—the last BCS bowl aired by FOX; thank goodness.

FIRST QUARTER

5:24 – Iowa loses a fumble in the first two minutes of the game. Receiver Marvin McNutt made a reception, but fought for more yards before tucking the ball away; sometimes it’s better to just go down.

5:27 – That’s a big stop for the Hawkeye defense after the turnover—especially when you consider how long it’s been since the Yellow Jackets have punted: 21 possessions; they could have easily been demoralized and given up an early score.

5:32 – How many freshman running back duos are there in the FBS? True, Adam Robinson and Brandon Wegher have both been big for Iowa this season, but that’s putting quite a spin on their production.

5:33 – This writer’s previous point is made for him as the threat of the run allows play action to free up tight end Tony Moeaki across the middle and, after a couple blocks from his fellow receivers, he completed a fifty-four yard gain.

5:36 – McNutt showed some great body control in catching that fade—a great throw by Stanzi, too—in the back corner of the end zone and getting a foot down; the Hawkeyes did nothing fancy on that drive and still made getting a touchdown look easy.

7-0 Iowa

5:42 – The problem with the Georgia Tech offense right now is its trying to force the running game to be there when it isn’t; on that drive, they got a decent gain from quarterback Josh Nesbitt on first down, but ran the ball twice more and couldn’t move the chains. Virtually every team in every football game ever played in the history of the sport has wanted to get its rushing attack going, but throwing the ball every now and then is hardly a crime.

5:50 – Ricky Stanzi has been perfect with his passes so far, so big plays like those last two—a run by Robinson and reception by Derrell Johnson-Koulianos—are going to be the norm if the Iowa offensive line keeps giving the quarterback all day.

5:52 – Georgia Tech cornerback Jerrard Tarrant did everthing right in coverage except turn his head in time; even so, there was only one place the ball could be placed in order for Sandeman to make the touchdown catch and Stanzi put it there. So much for his being rusty in coming back from an ankle injury.

14-0 Iowa

5:58 – It may only be the first quarter, but it already looks like the Jackets’ defense is going to be forced to hope that Stanzi becomes his inconsistent self and they can make a big play due to it because the offense looks inept right now.

6:00 – There it is! Tarrant atones for his ill-timed head turn by taking an interception back to the house.

14-7 Iowa

6:03 – Stanzi comes right back with a great throw to the sidelines; he has forced Iowa fans to hold their collective breath for much of the season, so despite throws like that, there is still going to be some nervousness among the black and gold contingent because of throws like the one that led to the pick-six.

6:04 – Passing yards: Iowa 156, G. Tech 0.

END FIRST QUARTER. IOWA LEADS 14-7.

SECOND QUARTER

6:10 – Stanzi has two incompletions, but still hasn’t had a pass hit the ground—one was the pick, and this one was caught out of bounds.

6:14 – The Jackets need to find some more varied options besides the basic triple option because the Hawkeyes’ front four are having none of it; Georgia Tech needs to try going wide and, if that works, then the middle will open up a bit.

6:19 – This is why it’s better to be two-dimensional in this day and age instead of a straight running team: Iowa is free to either run or pass the ball and can rest easy knowing that both have a high chance of success because the Georgia Tech defense is on its heels trying to figure out what it’ll be faced with on the next play. It also helps when your line is dominating in the trenches.

6:21 – As unfortunate, and sickly, as Johnson-Koulianos’ injury looked on that play, the truth is that cannot be counted as a catch.

6:28 – Best running play of the night so far, Dick Stockton? The Jackets have no passing yards, so, an announcer of sound mind would probably state that that was the best play of the night for Georgia Tech, period.

6:36 – At the very least, the Jackets’ defense has settled down after giving up those two early touchdowns; they are the reason this game has not turned into a blowout.

6:38 – Will the Ramblin’ Wrecks go an entire half without a single passing yard? Time is winding down in the second quarter. Stay tuned.

6:39 – A completion! It’s a miracle! Georgia Tech now has eight passing yards!...Oh, wait, the receiver ran out of bounds and came back in, which nullifies the completion, causes a loss of down, and keeps a zero in the passing yardage category; the Jackets are having as hard a time going to the air as John Madden.

6:50 – On 3rd and 5, Stanzi throws deep into double coverage and the ball falls incomplete; Iowa probably would’ve been better served to go for the first down, get into field goal range, and then take a shot at the end zone if they saw fit.

HALFTIME. IOWA LEADS 14-7.

6:57 – This should not be a one touchdown game. Beyond Georgia Tech’s goose egg in the passing department, they only have thirty-two total yards and one first down. Yet, thanks to a great defensive effort—and touchdown—the Jackets are, somehow, still in this contest. Overall, this game has been about defense; after two quick touchdowns by Iowa, both defenses dug in and not another point was scored on offense. Speaking of John Madden, here is what he would say is the key to the second half: “Whoever moves the football more, or has Brett Favre, will win this game.”

7:03 – Kool & the Gang is singing “Ladies Night” at a football game. Think about that for a second.

7:12 – Jimmy Johnson is comparing Iowa and Georgia Tech to a mail delivery service; football and metaphors never mix well.

THIRD QUARTER

7:19 – For Georgia Tech, the dive has not worked before, did not work there, and will not work in the future unless they mix in some runs to the outside to open things up.

7:21 – A pitch to the outside goes for a gain of fourteen for the Jackets. How about that? Stretching out the run worked.

7:24 – Another outside pitch makes it a more manageable 3rd and 3, then Nesbitt runs left around the lines and picks up the first down; this adjustment should’ve been a no-brainer and been made far earlier. Georgia Tech has already surpassed its entire first half output in terms of total yards.

7:25 – The Jackets still don’t have any passing yards, but they have ceased to be one-dimensional; they are running both inside and outside and better results are coming from that.

7:28 – That is a demoralizing misfire by kicker Scott Blair; Georgia Tech finally put a good drive together and came away with nothing to show for it. Don’t be surprised if Paul Johnson doesn’t opt to settle for another field goal—barring a game-winning chip shot in the closing seconds—the rest of the way.

7:35 – Stanzi has recaptured his early game form, as evidenced by that throw to Moeaki, and that’s opening things up for Robinson again; there’s nothing complicated about what each offense needs to do in order to be effective.

7:41 – Wrong, Dick Stockton! Iowa lost to Washington, 46-34, in the 1991 Rose Bowl.

17-7 Iowa

7:45 – Thank you, Mr. Stockton, it takes a real man to admit when he’s wrong; now, why don’t you work on getting the pronunciation of Seattle Seahawks kicker Olindo Mare for once in your life?

7:48 – Passing yardage for Georgia Tech! And this writer actually means it this time! For the record, the first positive passing play for the Jackets came with 2:03 remaining in the third quarter.

END THIRD QUARTER. IOWA LEADS 17-7.

FOURTH QUARTER

7:56 - This is how you run an option attack: Different looks, different rushers, and numerous ball fakes. The Ramblin’ Wrecks are finally getting it.

7:58 – Somehow, someway, this has become a game after Armando Allen scores a touchdown for a second team in the Orange Bowl (he scored for Louisville back in 2007).

17-14 Iowa

8:05 – Derrick Morgan, bless his heart, just could not catch Stanzi on that scramble. That might be a momentum-recapturing first down for Iowa.

8:08 – The first down and suspected momentum was only good for one more long running play; a sack quickly killed the drive
8:09 – Proper action, and reaction, in regards to returning a punt has become a lost art; what is so hard about letting a ball go if it’s going to land inside the ten yard line? Suddenly, it doesn’t matter if the Jacket offense has found a groove because now it has to keep that up for the length of the field.

8:12 – You could almost see that coming. Bad time for Georgia Tech to commit its first turnover; a passing play should not have been called on first down.

8:14 – A roughing the passer call on the Jackets follows; shellshock and frustration is another lethal combination.

8:16 – Georgia Tech better make use of the incredible gift Adam Robinson just gave them; if Robinson doesn’t fall down on his route, then this one is all but in the bag for the Hawkeyes.

8:17 – Well, for this game to truly resemble last night’s Fiesta Bowl, a trick play was needed and there it is—except this one didn’t work. Remember this call if the game goes to overtime tied at seventeen.

8:19 – A failed fake field goal is the Allstate Good Hands Play of the Game. No further words are necessary.

8:20 – What in the world was that?! Jacket running back Jonathan Dwyer lost eleven yards, and barely escaped being tackled for a safety, by trying to reverse his field; this is hardly the time, or the place on the field, to try and do too much.

8:22 – Ten yards of field position lost because the punt returner was too scared to catch the ball. Unbelievable.

8:27 – Good first down for Iowa, bad first down for Georgia Tech; the Jacket defense has held the Hawkeye offense in check for much of the game, but that won’t be remembered if they can’t get a stop when it’s needed most.

8:29 – Wegher with a dagger-esque 23 yard run; unless something crazy happens, Iowa can just run out the clock…

8:32 – …or Wegher can finish the drive with a game-clinching touchdown run. That was the same play and Georgia’s Tech defense didn’t learn from the first time.

24-14 Iowa

8:33 – This is over; in case you hadn’t figured it out by now, the Jackets are not a passing team and that’s all the offense has time for at this point.

8:37 – And with that, the brilliant bowl run for the Big Ten Conference is complete.

GAME OVER. IOWA WINS 24-14.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The less things change, the more they stay the same. That was the story for Georgia Tech’s offense for most of this game. Overdependence on a simple dive play out of the option attack and a non-existent passing attack naturally made life difficult for the Yellow Jackets. By the time they finally figured out what to do on offense—go wide with some of the option plays—it was too late to climb out of the whole dug by the defense in the first quarter.

Iowa won this game my playing a little better, but Ricky Stanzi’s inconsistency was still on full display; luckily, the Hawkeye defense was stout enough to not allow that inconsistency to turn into lost momentum. By game’s conclusion, the black and gold had only surrendered thirteen passing yards and nine first downs. The end result was Iowa’s first major bowl victory since 1959—and 38-12 victory over Cal.

Does anyone still believe that Boise State and TCU didn’t want a piece of these teams?