Going into the game Tuesday against Missouri I was one of those who had little faith in the Hawks to pull out a win. I watch the game regardless and was thoroughly impressed by the performance throughout the game. The loss of DJK (kicked off the team after drug charges), Robinson (suspended apparently for academics and the effects of an arrest between the end of the season and a bowl game puts his future in doubt), Hampton (transfer), Rodgers (injury), were assumed to have a major impact on the offense. The defense was facing questions of its own after taking most of the blame for the year end collapse.
When it came time to actually play the game, Marcus Coker piled the team on his back and carried them 217 yards. Micha Hyde stepped up and refused to let the defense take the blame for another late game loss by returning a Blaine Gabbert mistake 72 yards for a touchdown.
The game started just as the Hawkeyes wanted it to. They received the opening kickoff used a big pass play from Stanzi to McNutt, the feature receiver without DJK, and a few physical runs by freshman Marcus Coker to take an early seven to nothing lead. Missouri responded later in the quarter cutting the lead to four points.
The Hawks bumped up their lead on the first two possessions of the third quarter. Coker added his longest run of the season, only his sixth game, a 62 yard scamper outrunning the defenders after picking up a perfect block by McNutt. The Hawks then bumped their lead to 17-3 with a field goal by the true freshman Meyer.
Missouri, the number 14 team in the nation, wasn't going to go away quietly. They added a touchdown on an 82 yard drive and almost added a tying score with only a minute left. With only half a minute left Gabbert dropped back and tried to force the ball to his receiver where it was tipped by Shaun Prater into the hands of Brett Greenwood. The play ended the threat and the half, leaving the Hawkeyes with a seven point lead.
The second half had all the makings of another collapse for the Hawks. The offense struggled to get any consistency going, they produced only a Meyer field goal on the opening drive of the half. Stanzi threw two interceptions on the following three drives while Missouri produced 14 points in the game time to take their first lead of the game.
Then Micha Hyde stepped up and refused to let another game slip away. Despite giving up over 400 yards in the air and over 75 on the ground, the defense kept the team in the game. Gabbert was rushed on first down at the Iowa 29, he rolled out to his left and lobbed a pass that I assumed was going out of play. Next thing I knew, Hyde was picking up blocks and crossing the field. Soon after that he was sprinting up the field with help all around, turning a potential seven point deficit into a three point lead.
Mizzou got the ball back one more time though. The drove once again down into Hawkeye territory. A quarterback rush for three yards and two consecutive incomplete passes set up a fourth and seven with the game on the line. Gabbert threw a ball that appeared to result in a beautiful catch by his receiver Moe. The officials reviewd the catch however and decided to call it incomplete. I agreed with the call but did not expect it to be reversed because there didn't seem to be anything conclusive to show it. The ball was given back to the Hawks who continued to ride the back of Coker. He picked up ten yards on the first rush and seven on the next two. On third and one Stanzi ran a perfect play action pass, the whole defense went to Coker and when Stanzi rolled out it was too late. He hit Reisner, who was wide open, for a 39 yard gain. He came up a yard short of making it a ten point game but the Hawks were happy to line up in the victory formation and wind out the last few seconds.
The game was an excellent overall team performance. The line protected Stanzi and make holes for Coker. The defense played their typical bend but don't break style, conceding a huge amount of yards but only the 23 points for the game. The win helped to take the sting out of a rough year, the five close losses and failing to meet the expectations that had been set early. The Hawks proved that next year will be another to look forward to and I'm sure I'm not the only one looking forward to it.
Until then, other then a few occasional updates, LETS GO HAWKS!
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