Safety dance: Iowa escapes South Dakota St.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Iowa’s protection got here up with two second-half safeties, and the Hawkeyes opened the season with a 7-3 win over South Dakota State on Saturday.

Neither crew might do a lot offensively. Iowa completed with 166 yards of offense, whereas South Dakota State had 120. The 2 groups mixed for extra punts (21) than first downs (16).

“Clearly a really uncommon scoring line,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz stated. “You’ve got obtained 3 (within the first quarter), 2 (within the third quarter), 2 within the fourth. I’ve by no means been round a sport like that. However we’ll take it at this time.”

Iowa ranked seventh nationally with 4 defensive touchdowns final season, so the Hawkeyes are used to getting factors from that facet of the ball. And so they wanted them on a day when the offense struggled.

“The usual’s been set,” stated linebacker Jack Campbell, who recorded one of many safeties and completed with 12 tackles.

The primary security got here after Iowa’s Tory Taylor had his punt downed on the South Dakota State 1-yard line within the third quarter. One play later, Campbell grabbed working again Isaiah Davis after he took the handoff and introduced him down one yard in need of getting out of the tip zone.

The second security got here within the fourth, when Iowa’s Joe Evans sacked quarterback Mark Gronowski ultimately zone on a second-and-11 play.

“We’re attempting to attain as a lot as we will on the defensive facet, nonetheless we will do it” stated Iowa security Quinn Schulte.

The Hawkeyes saved South Dakota State pinned in its personal territory for a lot of the sport. Ten of Taylor’s punts have been downed contained in the Jackrabbits’ 20-yard line, together with one on the 2 and the one on the 1.

“Tory did an important job,” Ferentz stated. “I do not suppose if I’ve ever seen a punter so concerned in a sport both.”

Taylor averaged 47.9 yards per punt.

“Area place was actually powerful for us,” South Dakota State coach John Stiegelmeier stated. “It is powerful to go on the market and mentally suppose we have got to go 98 yards in opposition to this protection.”

Iowa took a 3-0 lead within the first quarter on Aaron Blom’s 46-yard discipline aim. The one factors for South Dakota State got here on Hunter Dustman’s 44-yard discipline aim with 20 seconds left earlier than halftime.

Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras accomplished 11 of 25 passes for 109 yards. Leshon Williams had 72 dashing yards.

Gronowski was 10 of 26 passing for 87 yards. Davis had 18 carries for 50 yards.

INJURY REPORT

Iowa was with out three offensive starters – large receivers Keagan Johnson and Nico Ragaini, and working again Gavin Williams. All three missed time in preseason camp due to undisclosed accidents. Beginning linebacker Jestin Jacobs left the sport within the second quarter with an damage and didn’t return.

South Dakota State tight finish Tucker Kraft, a second-team Related Press FCS All-American final season, was injured after catching a move within the first quarter and didn’t return.

THE TAKEAWAY

Iowa had one of many worst offenses within the nation final yr regardless of a 10-win season, ending 99th in scoring offense and 121st in whole offense. Petras’ struggles led to loads of boos from the sellout crowd at Kinnick Stadium, and with in-state rival Iowa State coming in subsequent Saturday, there can be loads of questions for Ferentz to reply.

“I’ve nonetheless obtained lots of confidence in him,” Ferentz stated. “I feel the noise on the surface might be rather a lot louder than it’s on the within.”

South Dakota State, which fell to 2-10 all time in opposition to FBS groups, struggled to maneuver the ball in opposition to Iowa’s protection, which was the most effective within the nation final season.