IOWA CITY, Iowa — There are times when all you can do is shake your head and chuckle when the “Victory Polka” blares from the south end zone. Such was the case Saturday evening.
Iowa quarterback Deacon Hill completed just 6 of 21 passes in his first career start, yet Iowa held off perpetual Big Ten thorn Purdue 20-14 at Kinnick Stadium. Only one other time in Kirk Ferentz’s 25-year reign has his program connected on fewer passes in a game (five), and just like on Saturday, that double-overtime thriller against Michigan State in 2007 was a victory, too.
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In a league where every offense looks like a new vehicle off the lot, Iowa’s has some 2008 Ford Edge to it. It’s got 200,000-plus miles, a few dents, a cracked windshield and the check engine light blinks like a strobe light. It’s an eyesore for the neighborhood and the complaints are piling up. But somehow that damn thing finds its way home when the others end up on the side of the road.
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At 5-1 overall, the Hawkeyes (2-1 Big Ten) are one victory shy of bowl eligibility for the 22nd time in 23 years. Since 2018, they’re tied for the third-most Big Ten wins overall and are tied for 10th among Power 5 teams over that time frame. Iowa also ranks near the bottom nationally in most offensive statistical categories, which belies its team success. It exhausts the patience of its loyal but anxious fans from the Mississippi River to the Missouri River every week, but the wins continue to pile up.
Big Ten foes change coaches and upgrade offensive styles, but the Hawkeyes play the same way as they have for a quarter-century. They rely on their defense, special teams, the running game and limiting mistakes. Saturday, Hill threw one interception because the ball bounced off a receiver. The Hawkeyes committed only two penalties and no other turnovers. They churned out 181 yards on the ground at 5.2 yards per carry. They allowed just one sack to a defense that boasted 17 in its first five games. They also completed zero passes to wide receivers.
All of that is well and good. But the reason the Hawkeyes won Saturday — and any day henceforth this season — is because of their defense.
The final step in Iowa’s 2023 defense shifting from good to elite is how its line attacks opposing quarterbacks. The defense entered the day with a shockingly low three sacks and none against Power 5 competition. The Hawkeyes had 35 sacks last year, and many of those same faces compete this year. Saturday, the defense rectified many of those issues with six sacks and constantly pressured Purdue quarterback Hudson Card.
The reversal in fortune began in a defensive line meeting Friday before leaving for the team hotel.
“I think everybody was really just super stressed and uptight about kind of the lack of production the past five weeks,” sophomore defensive tackle Aaron Graves said. “I think by allowing us to relax and not thinking so much about the numbers and just going out there having fun, we, ironically, had success.”
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It was a player-led meeting, which often coincides with slumping teams, but Ferentz said, “This is a contradiction to that.” Veterans Joe Evans and Logan Lee called their linemates together to defuse the tension and unburden everyone in pass-rush situations.
“I just said how important it was just to play for each other out there and have some fun,” Evans said. “Obviously, winning is fun.”
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On Purdue’s first offensive series, Evans stopped former teammate-turned-Purdue-running back Tyrone Tracy for a 2-yard loss and then had a third-down sack. On the Boilers’ next series, Evans had another tackle for loss. Then Lee picked up a third-down sack on Purdue’s next possession. Then Graves had one early in the second quarter.
In all, the Hawkeyes’ six sacks all were by defensive linemen. They finished with 12 tackles for loss, and 11 were from the defensive line. Lee registered two sacks and 10 tackles. Evans finished with four tackles for loss. Deontae Craig earned one sack and pressured Card to throw an interception midway through the fourth quarter.
“Sometimes it’s just a matter of making quarterbacks uncomfortable or getting them off the spot, not just sacks,” Ferentz said. “Sacks are always a good thing, but there’s a little bit more to it. That being said, today was clearly the best job we’ve done.”
More good news seemingly is on the way for the defensive line, too. Sixth-year defensive tackle Noah Shannon, who was suspended for the season for gambling on an Iowa basketball game, is likely to return after the NCAA Division I Council recommended significant changes to punishment guidelines. Shannon started 28 games from 2020 to 2022 and was an All-Big Ten honorable mention performer last year.
“I don’t know if I’m allowed to say we have encouraging news, but I think we have encouraging news,” Ferentz said.
“I was just so thrilled,” Evans said. “That’s one of my best friends on the team, and to be able to see that and see it in writing, I’m really hoping he can be back here.”
Shannon’s eventual return gives Iowa’s defense another rotational weapon just as it’s finding its stride. For a number of years, the defense has furnished both the heart and backbone of Iowa football. With adversity at every juncture this year— whether it was Shannon’s suspension, quarterback Cade McNamara’s ACL tear or tight end Luke Lachey’s broken leg — this news provides a respite of optimism. When coupled with Evans’ resilience and that of his fellow defenders, the program now has a puncher’s chance toward attaining its goals, no matter how depleted its offense becomes. It’s going to take work and fortitude, but those traits are not unfamiliar to this program.
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“Let’s keep going. Let’s keep improving,” Evans said. “Jack Campbell was like that last year when we were 3-4. We were still competing our balls off in practice every single day and just giving phenomenal looks and just knowing that we need to keep improving. That’s what I see from this group, too.”
(Top photo: Jeffrey Becker / USA Today)