Iowa (3-3, 1-2 Huge Ten) misplaced on the highway to Illinois, 9-6. For the primary time since 1989, Illinois can have a good time wins over each Iowa and Wisconsin. The Illini grabbed their first win over Iowa since 2008 and the primary within the final 9 conferences.

Afterwards, Iowa head soccer coach Kirk Ferentz was singing Bret Bielema and the Illini’s praises.

“, they performed an impressive sport, so, actually, each defenses performed fairly effectively. Powerful to swallow, however we didn’t do sufficient to win the soccer sport, make the performs it is advisable and credit score to them. They had been ready to try this. We’ll head right into a bye week 3-3 and simply reassess issues and attempt to make the most of that and prepare for the second a part of the season,” Ferentz mentioned.

In the end, Ferentz is correct on Illinois (5-1, 2-1 Huge Ten). The Illini are improved. Nonetheless, after the way in which Saturday night time performed out, that’s no solace for Iowa followers, nor ought to or not it’s.

It was extra of the identical from the Hawkeyes. The protection allowed simply the three area objectives on 12 Illini drives, forcing six punts and coming away with a pair of turnovers.

The primary was a compelled fumble by defensive again Riley Moss that Seth Benson recovered to set Iowa up on the Illinois 5-yard line. The second was a Quinn Schulte interception that quickly wiped away an Illinois scoring probability and stored the sport tied at six apiece.

Iowa couldn’t punch within the Moss compelled fumble from the 5-yard line and as a substitute truly misplaced 4 yards. That string of performs began with a short-arm miss on a cross from quarterback Spencer Petras the place operating again Leshon Williams would have gone into the tip zone from the flat if it had been thrown the place he might obtain it comfortably.

It’s additionally value mentioning that it got here on the heels of one other Illinois turnover on a muffed punt which Jack Campbell secured that set the Hawkeyes up on the Illini 35-yard line. After all, the Hawkeyes went three-and-out forward of the Moss fumble, setting the stage for the Tory Taylor punt to pin Illinois deep and prepare the following circumstances.

The Schulte interception had Iowa backed as much as its personal 1-yard line, and, with this offense, anticipating a primary down would have been a foolhardy guess. Naturally, the Hawkeyes held to type, promptly choosing up simply 5 yards and going three-and-out earlier than paving the way in which for Illinois’ game-winning, nine-play, 26-yard scoring drive that painstakingly included a tease of a scoop-and-score fumble return landing for Moss that wasn’t to be.

With the sport tied at 6-6 and Illinois taking part in its backup quarterback in Artur Sitkowski, Iowa might do nothing offensively within the second half and punted 5 straight instances earlier than Illinois twisted the ultimate dagger.

All of that offensive futility occurred whereas the Hawkeye protection pounced on Illinois’ backup quarterback, holding the Illini to only 147 yards of whole offense, coming away with these two aforementioned turnovers and preserving run-heavy Illinois to only one drive in its closing 9 that lasted greater than 3:38 in time of possession. Once more, there have been loads of probabilities for Iowa to achieve success.

As a substitute, 13 drives netted six factors. Alongside the way in which, Iowa showcased an incapability within the crimson zone and out-trick performed itself from snug area aim vary. After a pair of completions to vast receiver Nico Ragaini and tight finish Sam LaPorta of 15 and 32 yards within the first half’s closing minute  drove Iowa from its personal 35-yard line to the Illinois 18, the Hawkeyes inexplicably tried a reverse that misplaced 9 yards to Ragaini and finally led to a 45-yard area aim miss from Stevens.

“They’re nice once they work and once they don’t work, they’re not so nice. Clearly their man did an excellent job getting up the sector and containing,” Ferentz mentioned of the reverse that blew up in Iowa’s face.

In some unspecified time in the future, one wonders if the Iowa protection will merely lose curiosity in having to consistently prop this staff up.

“These guys care about one another. That’s not simply an offensive factor, defensive factor. These guys care about one another and everyone’s a part of the staff. I believe all of them perceive there’s a much bigger image right here,” Ferentz mentioned of how they maintain defensive gamers’ spirits up.

All of that is to say, it wasn’t any sort of a shock that Iowa stunk offensively as soon as once more, ending with eight punts, simply 222 yards of whole offense and a pair of Drew Stevens area objectives.

Requested once more why there nonetheless hasn’t been offensive enchancment, Ferentz responded with the next.

“It’s a good query. I imply, 9-6 sport, you possibly can most likely say each offenses had been a bit of bit missing, however that’s disappointing. I’m unsure we took a step ahead tonight. I felt like we did final week with the offense. Tonight, not the case and credit score to Illinois. They had been a part of that, however then we’re going to play different good defenses, too, alongside the way in which,” Ferentz mentioned.

Right here’s the place it will get notably irritating for Hawkeye followers: Iowa is coming into its bye week and has two weeks to reset issues offensively if it so chooses. Now could be the prime alternative for an in-season change of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Brian Ferentz, or an opportunity at a number of weeks to comfortably navigate a swap to backup quarterback Alex Padilla.

Iowa gained’t discover that path. It may well’t discover that path. That may be disloyal. And regardless that Iowa is a nationwide laughing inventory offensively that has scored seven factors or much less six instances prior to now calendar yr, not less than the Hawkeyes can cling their hats on their loyalty en path to a dropping season.

As a substitute, Ferentz factors to Iowa’s 10 wins that its protection reward wrapped from final season as a part of the explanation why an in-season change of offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz is pointless for this season.

“Making the change? No, no, no, no. I imply, we gained 10 video games final yr. I don’t know if you happen to’re conscious of that, however…so, I have a look at that, and we’ve gained lots of video games since 2015. So, you already know, we’re not doing effectively sufficient proper now. I believe that’s pretty apparent and we’re going to work on options, work out what we will do to get higher,” Ferentz mentioned.

Kirk additionally added this when pressed for what his protection of Brian Ferentz as Iowa’s offensive coordinator could be.

“He’s an excellent soccer coach. I assumed Greg Davis was good in ’14. He received killed and we ended up, you already know, having a reasonably good yr the following yr, so, you already know, he’s an excellent soccer coach. We’ve had three good coordinators now for my part and we’ve received to play higher. We’ve got to do what we will to assist our gamers. As coaches, now we have to do higher to attempt to assist them and we’ll attempt to transfer ahead. It’s straightforward to level fingers and simply name folks out. I don’t suppose I’ve ever operated that method in 23 years and don’t intend to proper now,” Ferentz mentioned.

So, the plan is for the Hawkeyes to stay with the offensive coordinator that presently has Iowa with the nation’s 127th scoring offense and useless final nationally in whole offense. And don’t anticipate to see a special quarterback get a glance both.

“Proper now, I don’t suppose that was the issue tonight. I imply, as I stood there and watched. The truth is, I assumed Spencer did some good issues. Missed a pair throws and that’s most likely going to be each quarterback each sport. Yeah, my guess is that’s what we’re going to be doing, however we’ll speak about every little thing,” Ferentz responded when requested if he would reevaluate the Hawkeyes’ beginning quarterback in Petras.

The query followers and media maintain coming again to: genuinely, how is Iowa this dangerous offensively?

“I believe a part of that confirmed tonight. We’ve received some points up entrance proper now. We’re younger and inexperienced. Once more, I assumed we made progress final week in that regard. Tonight, not a lot. We couldn’t run the ball very efficiently after which shield when now we have to. However, it’s not all on them. It’s a staff factor and proper now we’re definitely extra skilled on the defensive facet and that’s exhibiting. So, we’ll maintain working and work by means of it,” Ferentz mentioned.

On Iowa’s incapability to run the soccer successfully, it doesn’t sound like there’s many tangible solutions on how one can repair the offensive line any time quickly both.

“We’ll simply attempt to reassess and see what we will do and attempt to get them to play a bit of smarter. We made enchancment I assumed final week. Undecided. We’ll have a look at the movie, see what it appears like, however, you already know, deal with it like each week and simply attempt to transfer them ahead,” Ferentz mentioned.

Possibly a quarterback with extra mobility might assist open issues up within the run sport and result in success. Possibly a special imaginative and prescient or play sequencing from the offensive coordinator might assist this offense. Iowa’s gamers and its followers will get neither.

“I’ll simply say like each season’s a brand new season. Each staff’s a brand new staff and these guys have an excellent soccer staff. So, and we knew that coming in. We knew that. Obtained lots of respect for them and so it’s a loss. It’s a tricky loss, however, no, we’re who we’re proper now and we will’t change dramatically however hopefully we will discover some methods to be simpler. To the purpose earlier, I believe you don’t must be a rocket scientist to grasp we have to rating extra factors,” Ferentz mentioned.

Everybody is aware of Iowa wants to attain extra factors to cease hanging this protection and program out to dry, together with its head coach, however, but once more, misplaced loyalty seems it’s going to win out as a substitute of doing what Kirk’s contract says he must be doing, which is making an attempt to greatest place his staff to win soccer video games.

It’s Kirk’s program and he seems to have stability the place he can just about do no matter he needs. Even when which means forcing his gamers and the alumni by means of a season the place he understands he’s not placing this system’s greatest foot ahead. Simply cease telling everybody and performing such as you’re engaged on options when it’s clear you’re not.

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