Hawkeyes run record to 12-0

When the clock struck 0:00 Friday, though, they were celebrating a 28-20 victory that finished their first flawless regular season in 93 years.“Were not trying to be pretty, were trying to be productive, ” coach Kirk Ferentz said. “Football’s not gymnastics. There are style points in gymnastics”. “We were executing the things we needed to do and hadn’t given up too many big plays at that point”.

Sorry, Iowa fans. You had a good year – but not that good.

Canzeri hasn’t escaped injury problems in his senior season, yet he’s played a huge role in Iowa (12-0, 8-0 Big Ten, No. 4 CFP) getting this far. Then it was off to the corner to salute their fans before heading to the locker room.

“It’s just a real good situation we’ve got here, and we need to make it better from a standpoint of wins and losses and just the way we play”. The Hawkeyes have posted an 11-0 record to this point, the best in school history, and they will represent the West Division in the Big Ten title game next weekend in Indianapolis, but first they have to find a way to get past Nebraska.

What seems clear by Iowa’s successful season is how thin the margin in college football really is now. His program – sturdy, functional, a bit of a gas-guzzler stylistically – was operating to diminishing returns until this season, when quarterback C.J. Beathard, three running backs, an unheralded offensive line and a lunch-pail defense secured close wins over Pittsburgh and Wisconsin and have since gone on a tear.

The Big Ten football schedule has just one week left, but plenty is left to be decided as a spot in the Big Ten Championship game remains up for grabs. He’s the team’s season rushing leader at 96.4 yards a game, and he’s run for 12 touchdowns.

The only other unbeaten team in the country is No. 1 Clemson. He got his wish, though it did not come until a year later. Canzeri settled everyone down when he busted loose for a 68-yard touchdown on the first play of the drive to give the Hawkeyes a 28-17 lead. Iowa CB Desmond King, who entered the game with a nation-leading eight interceptions, did not play the first quarter, his punishment for being late for a team meeting…. While they could still go bowling if 80 teams don’t reach the six-win mark, they’ll likely stay home for the postseason for just the third time in the last 47 years (2004, 2007) in the first season under Mike Riley. A victory over Iowa would make the Huskers eligible for a bowl. It was a rough overall day for Memorial Stadium, having its “A” blotted out and all, but it knew it was in for a fight when defensive end Parker Hesse tipped an Armstrong pass and returned it 4 yards for a 14-7 lead with 6:38 left in the first half. Next week will be the Hawkeyes’ first chance to answer that, because Iowa hasn’t played anyone now ranked higher than No. 16 (Northwestern). They were 0-for-9 on third down. “I think this will be a field-position game, so punting directionally, hang time, coverage, will be huge for us”.

“It’s a tough thing to even think about because sadly there are some people who go through things I have – injuries, tough times in their lives – but they don’t see the positive outcome in the end”, Canzeri said.

“Our objective was to win out”, Husker quarterback Tommy Armstrong said of the November mission. “If they approach us and want to do it, I say we’ll support that”.