Heading into the showdown at Kinnick Stadium between the Minnesota Golden Gophers and Iowa Hawkeyes, no one had any illusions of an offense showcase. As a matter of fact, the over/under at most sportsbooks hovered around 30-31 points, which is among the lowest you will ever find.
Not only did the game come in under that amount, but it also really wasn’t even close. Ultimately, the Hawkeyes walk away with a loss they probably should not have. Let’s get into it and find out what happened on Saturday.
The Call That Shouldn’t Have Been
With 1:41 left in the fourth quarter, Iowa’s Ricky DeJean fielded a punt at the Iowa 46 yard-line. A few short seconds later, the faithful of Kinnick had exploded, cheering what appeared to be the game-winning return by DeJean.
And then it was called back. Like DeJean, the Iowa crowd stared in a hushed stun. The kick was called back, called back as a fair catch. Upon further review, it looks like DeJean was more signaling for teammates to get away from the ball, not signaling for a fair catch.
Instead of it being 16-12 Iowa, the score went back to being 12-10 Minnesota. That is where it would stay, further enraging an Iowa crowd that saw victory snatched out from in front of them. Understandably, the crowd was incensed, and the Hawkeyes felt as though they had been robbed.
The unfortunate thing about situations like this is that there is no going back. The call on the field was a fair catch; there is no way to review it and possibly undo the call. It is what it is and the Hawkeyes wound up suffering a loss as a direct result.
Cooper DeJean's Return That Never Was.
An incredible moment. Gone. pic.twitter.com/2k9DbCwI4E
— Mitch Fick (@MCFick) October 22, 2023
As Minnesota’s punt bounces, Cooper DeJean monitors to his teammates to stay clear.
The refs deem it a fair catch signal.
DeJean’s second game-winning punt return TD of the season is called back.
A game and season-changing call. pic.twitter.com/1dW7xdqplm
— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) October 21, 2023
An Ugly Game
To call this game “ugly” would be a massive understatement. Coming into the game, the world anticipated a sluggish defensive battle and was treated (punished) with something even worse. Let’s put some context on this.
Minnesota’s Athan Kaliakmanis led the game with 126 yards passing on a 10-of-25 effort. Incredibly, seven of those 10 completions and 101 of those 126 yards went to Daniel Jackson. Kaleb Johnson was the leading rusher for Iowa with just 18 yards. Deacon Hill of Iowa had 116 yards passing and an interception.
In every conceivable way, this was a brutal offensive game to watch. Hill had the only touchdown of the game, a 1-yard touchdown run just before halftime to give the Hawkeyes the 10-3 lead. It unfortunately would not get better from there.
Iowa just got robbed. Unbelievable. #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/09tCQScbM5
— Cody Hills (@ByCodyHills) October 21, 2023
Dragan Kesich: Hero
Who would have thought that the hero of the game would be the kicker for the Golden Gophers? Dragan Kesich was the offense for the Gophers, who managed 239 total yards (to compare, the Hawkeyes could only muster 127 total yards, just 11 of which came on the ground.
Kesich wound up going 4-for-5, providing all of the Gophers’ points for the day. A pair of third quarter field goals got the Gophers back into the game, ultimately leading to what would become the game-winner with 8:33 left. His 31-yarder wound up being the difference, much to the horror of many in Kinnick Stadium.
This is the kind of game that anyone rooting for Iowa would like to forget. Heck, even fans of Minnesota would like to never think of this game again. It was ugly in every respect and the already much-criticized Iowa offense only solidified the preconceived notions that college football fans have.
It leaves the Hawkeyes asking a lot of questions. The defense is legit, which should at least put them in contention in all four of the final games. But if the offense can’t wake up, the Hawkeyes are going to wind up losing at least one, if not more.
Minnesota wide receiver Daniel Jackson (9) runs after catching a pass for 37 yards to set up the winning field goal during a college football game between the Minnesota Golden Gophers and the Iowa Hawkeyes on October 21, 2023, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, IA. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)
The Rest of 2023
While this is definitely a loss that hurts the Hawkeyes, things are shaping out quite well on the whole. They are now 3-2 in the conference, 6-2 overall. The only team ahead of them in the Big Ten West Division is Wisconsin, who is 3-1 in Big Ten play and 5-2 overall.
That said, there are four games remaining and Iowa should be favored in each of them. Next week, the Hawkeyes head to Evanston to play the lowly Northwestern Wildcats (3-4 overall, 1-3 in Big Ten play). They follow that up with home games against Rutgers (6-2 overall, the toughest remaining game on the schedule), and a trip to Illinois (3-5 overall, 1-4 Big Ten).
The schedule is extremely favorable. The Rutgers game will be the toughest, especially because the Scarlet Knights have been playing well lately, having won their last two. Iowa can’t let this game keep them down because the chance of a Big Ten West title is still very realistic.
