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    • 5 numbers that explain the Hawkeyes’ 35-7 loss at Ohio State
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    5 numbers that explain the Hawkeyes’ 35-7 loss at Ohio State

    Idris Bevan Posted on

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    College football is full of surprises every week, and every underdog dreams of an exciting surprise that no one expected.

    Saturday in Columbus wasn’t like that.

    No. 3 Ohio State entered Iowa as heavy favorites and showed exactly why in the second half, giving the Hawkeyes a 35-7 win at Ohio Stadium. A seven-point halftime deficit is all Iowa can console after opening the floodgates in a turnover-heavy third quarter.

    A late Kaleb Johnson touchdown ended the Hawkeyes’ ugly scoreless streak against ranked opponents that dated back to Iowa’s last trip to Ohio State. Otherwise it was all Buckeyes.

    There were remarkable numbers throughout the box that told the story of Saturday’s affair. Here are five important numbers.

    2 … as in Iowa’s only score was the Hawkeyes’ first offensive TD against a ranked team in two calendar years.

    There are several ways to analyze Iowa’s recent struggles against ranked opponents, all of which come to the same jarring conclusion.

    Iowa’s fourth-quarter score was the Hawkeyes’ first offensive touchdown against a ranked opponent since Luke Lachey scored in the final seconds of a 27-14 loss to No. 4 Michigan on Oct. 1, 2022. The Hawkeyes hadn’t scored a single TD against a ranked opponent since Joe Evans’ scoop-and-score at Ohio State on Oct. 22, 2022. The second half of that 54-10 loss sparked a streak that has repeated itself over and over again .

    Until Kaleb Johnson entered the end zone for a 28-yard TD run on Saturday, Iowa had not scored against a ranked opponent in 17 consecutive quarters. This is bad no matter how you slice it.

    26…like Ohio State, Iowa’s 26-game streak snapped without allowing a touchdown on the opening drive.

    The Buckeyes set the tone early with a strong opening possession that covered 88 yards on 14 plays in 7:36. Ohio State capped it all off with a 14-yard TD pass to Emeka Egbuka and never looked back.

    It was the first time Iowa scored an opening touchdown since Michigan’s 2022 loss at Kinnick Stadium. The Hawkeyes were only able to keep up with Ohio State’s first result much too late.

    14…as in Jay Higgins had at least 14 tackles in a game for the sixth time in his career.

    Before Ohio State put the game out of reach, Higgins kept Iowa’s hope alive with an excellent forced fumble and full-speed recovery. His 14 tackles on Saturday joined those other impressive performances.

    • Saturday: 14 tackles in a 35-7 loss at Ohio State
    • 2023: 16 tackles in 35-0 loss to Tennessee
    • 2023: 14 tackles in 26-0 loss to Michigan
    • 2023: 14 tackles in a 12-10 loss to Minnesota
    • 2023: 18 tackles in 31-0 loss to Penn State
    • 2023: 16 tackles in 24-14 win over Utah State

    Lots of hard-fought tackles without much offensive help.

    100… like Cade McNamara failed to reach 100 yards for the third time this season.

    The first part of McNamara’s stats sounds decent – 14 to 20 – but everything after that is terrible. McNamara’s 98 yards with a costly interception signal problems under center.

    Brendan Sullivan arrived late but doesn’t seem ready to take over as the starter, according to Kirk Ferentz after the game. McNamara will play in next week’s game against Washington after throwing for just 160 yards in Iowa’s final eight quarters.

    50…when Iowa passed for more than 50 yards for the fourth time this season.

    A 53-yard connection from Will Howard to Jeremiah Smith came early in the third quarter and started Iowa’s breakup. Smith beat Jermari Harris and Quinn Schulte for the splash play and then passed Deshaun Lee for a touchdown a few plays later.

    The Hawkeyes have had some unusual cracks in the secondary this season. Not surprisingly, Ohio State exposed them.

    Dargan Southard is a sports trends reporter who covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.

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    Idris Bevan
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