It’s been an abysmal year for offense for Iowa football.
In Week One, the Hawkeyes somehow didn’t score a single touchdown, but still beat South Dakota State. Only twice this season has Iowa scored more than 14 points in a game, and those outings came against Nevada and Rutgers, hardly powerhouses in college football this season.
Typically, an offense this horrendous – one that ranks 128th in all of FBS in points per game – would get the coordinator fired. But, the Hawkeyes’ offensive coordinator is the head coach’s son. So, that probably isn’t happening anytime soon.
Anyway – on Saturday against Ohio State, a matchup in which Iowa was a 29.5-point underdog, Hawkeyes punter Tory Taylor tried to generate some offense. The problem was, it didn’t seem like there was a clear design on the play, and he was running it on 4th-and-6 from Iowa’s 30-yard line. The risk far outweighed the reward and – as you might expect – it went pretty poorly for the Hawkeyes.
Oh no 😬
This fake punt by Iowa definitely didn't go according to plan pic.twitter.com/mdF6Hz3Kvy
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 22, 2022
And the internet did its thing, dunking on Iowa in the fashion you might expect.
Iowa got the look they wanted
— BUM CHILLUPS AKA SPENCER HALL (@edsbs) October 22, 2022
When your punter decides to try to run for it. pic.twitter.com/G6zj6AT3MA
— Sickos Committee (@SickosCommittee) October 22, 2022
That might have been the slowest fake punt I've ever seen
— Matt Brown (@MattBrownEP) October 22, 2022
With 3:25 to halftime on Saturday, Iowa was losing 26-10 and had 67 yards of total offense. And yes, they scored a touchdown, but of no thanks to an offensive player. Senior defensive end Joe Evans scooped up a Buckeyes’ fumble and ran it in.
IOWA DEFENSIVE TOUCHDOWN@HawkeyeFootball takes the lead! pic.twitter.com/1w3uCvvf7t
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 22, 2022
Iowa’s first offensive seven drives against Ohio State ended in the following fashions: interception, punt, fumble, downs (this was the disastrous fake punt run thing), field goal, punt, interception.
If you’re still reading this, here’s your regular reminder that you do not, under any circumstances, have to watch Iowa. You could listen to Taylor Swift’s new album, make a ridiculous cocktail or go outside and touch some grass. Or, you could watch an offensive powerhouse like Army instead.
If you don’t want to watch Iowa’s offense, Army just went for it on 4th and 1 from their own 13.
They didn’t convert but you still don’t have to watch Iowa.
— Steven Godfrey (@38Godfrey) October 22, 2022
The Black Knights are second in the nation in rushing, for what it’s worth, and that’s much more impressive than anything Iowa can say about its offense.
