The Iowa football team took advantage of Maryland mistakes for a 31-15 win Oct. 31.

By Ryan Rodriguez
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Let’s get this out of the way right off the bat — Maryland is not a very good football team.

A disastrous season for the Terps got worse during the team’s 31-15 loss at the hands of the Hawkeyes on Oct. 31. Turnovers, miscommunication, and some questionable play calls all contributed to Maryland basically handing Iowa a gift-wrapped win.  

However, the Hawks were more than happy to take advantage.

On a day in which Iowa was far from perfect, the Hawkeyes were more than happy to take advantage of some big-time Terrapin mistakes en route to their eighth win of the season.

“When your offense is as good as the one we have, you want to give them as many chances as you can on defense,” safety Jordan Lomax said. “If we’re able to create turnovers and get the back in good field position, they’re going to capitalize on it.”

Lomax missed what would have been a for-sure pick in the first half after a ball bounced between his outstretched arms off his chest. 

He didn’t miss the opportunity twice. Midway through the third, a badly overthrown ball from Maryland quarterback Perry Hills floated over its intended receiver and right into Lomax’s hands, killing another potential Maryland drive.

“I missed one, but I was able to recover and get another one,” Lomax said.  “You just want to help our offense out and get better position.”

In games such as this one, in which the offense struggles to find a consistent feel, mistakes become amplified, every failed possession becomes a wasted opportunity to score.

Things aren’t always going to be clicking on all cylinders offensively. Quarterback C.J. Beathard went just 12-of-23 for 183 yards, and he frequently had to rely on his backfield trio of LeShun Daniels Jr., Akrum Wadley, and Derrick Mitchell Jr. to get things going.

But if you give it enough shots, eventually even a mediocre offense is going to break through. 

“When the defense is playing well and making plays, it makes you want to go out, and score, and give them some cushion,” Beathard said. “Especially when they give us good field position like that, you want to go down and score.”

Maryland’s first drive of the game was stopped abruptly after cornerback Greg Mabin popped the ball loose on an outside run by Maryland running back Brandon Ross, and Iowa recovered.

Six plays later, Daniels was over the goal line for the game’s first score.

Iowa has scored 63 points after a turnover this year; it had 35 all of last season. Following a Desmond King 88-yard pick-6, the Hawkeyes have 70 points on turnovers this season.

“It’s huge,” Daniels said.  “After the defense makes a play, we have to go out there, and be able to sustain drives, and keep them off the field, and keep them rested, plus put points on the board to put our opponents in a deeper hole than they already were.”

Mistakes and errors aren’t an official stat, well, anywhere. But making fewer mistakes and taking advantage of them on the other side of the ball has been one of this team’s biggest trademarks all season.

“It’s all about preparation during the week,” cornerback Desmond King said. “Watching film, dissecting the formations, and once you see the plays, you kind of know what’s going to happen.” 

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