BLOOMINGTON, Indiana — I need to apologize to the Iowa defense. Whether it’s by human nature, because of an exciting offense, or another reason, I haven’t given enough credit to how good this defense has been all year long.
Why bring this up now? Why use this space to write about a unit that gave up a season-high 27 points to Indiana? On a day when the offense was clicking, the Hawkeye defenders said enough is enough after a subpar first half, then held one of the best offenses in the Big Ten to 10 measly second-half points and did its job in the game’s most crucial moments.
As we detailed following the 35-27 Iowa win Nov. 7, after the Hoosiers pulled within 1 point of the Hawkeyes early in the fourth quarter, the Iowa offense scored, the defense forced a three-and-out, and the offense scored again. At the 13:22 mark of the fourth quarter, it was a 1-point game. When the clock read 6:03, Iowa was up by 15.
Yes, credit quarterback C.J. Beathard and Company for putting points on the board, but make no mistake, that aforementioned three-and-out was just as, if not more, pivotal than the back-to-back scoring drives. Even more, Desmond King’s nation-leading eighth interception of the year following the second drive strengthened Iowa’s grip on the contest.
The consistent play of King, Josey Jewell, Nate Meier, Jaleel Johnson, and Miles Taylor, just to name a few, has propelled the Hawkeyes this season. Their ability to limit big plays has meant the Hawkeyes have allowed only 30 plays of 20-plus yards this season (fourth in the Big Ten) and nine plays of 30-plus (second in the league). Yes, the Hawks struggled at times against the Hoosiers. Coming into the game, Iowa had allowed only one rushing touchdown. Indiana running back Jordan Howard had two by halftime and finished with 22 carries for 174 yards and two scores. The Hoosiers were the first opponent Iowa has allowed to average more than 5 yards per carry.
But after Iowa made a halftime adjustment to set the edge better, Howard gained only 58 yards. The Hoosiers only managed only 75 in the third and fourth quarters.
That’s what good defenses do. Only truly elite defenses come in and shut down opponents on a weekly basis. Iowa isn’t a truly elite defense, but it’s a damn good one. It’s a top-eight defense in the nation that allows 16.3 points per game. It leads the nation having allowed only three rushing scores through nine games. If it keeps opponents out of the end zone the remainder of the season — an unlikely, but not impossible task — it will be only the third program to do so since 2008.
Is that conversation a bit far-fetched? Maybe, but is it ludicrous to have? No.
What we’ve watched week after week is a defense do its job — get the ball back into the hands of an offense that can put up points and control the clock.
Save for a few instances, it isn’t the most high-profile defense in the world, but that doesn’t matter. What does matter is the fact Iowa wouldn’t be 9-0 without coordinator Phil Parker’s unit playing as well as it has.
And I apologize for not realizing that earlier.
