... how great the Hawkeyes looked from the start! The defense set the stage for the upset by shutting down the Lions on their first possession. Things got really exciting when Darryl Clark fumbled on third down. I still believe that IOWA recovered that ball and if they didn't [as the refs decided] it should have been a safety as the PSU QB fell on it in the end zone.
... how supple the D was! You heard the commentators say it over and over, "bend, don't break". The IOWA defense only allowed one play over twenty yards. Penn State dominated the first half, at least the time of possession portion of it, but were not able to convert long drives into touchdowns. The Hawkeyes were able to limit PSU to a mere 289 yards of total offense.
... that it did not take a perfect outing to pull off the win! Sure, I declared the victory on 10/30 but I imagined that the Hawks would have to play a perfect game to upset the #3 team in the nation. While the end result was jaw-dropping, fist-pumping awesome the route to victory was far from flawless. Stanzi turned the ball over twice ... one time by air and once via a botched center-QB exchange. Then there were the pass interference and roughing the kicker penalties!
... Shonn Greene did it again! The man, the myth, the lion-taming, yard-eating monster continued his streak. That marks the tenth straight game that the Hawkeye back has rushed for more than 100 yards.
... that Daniel Murray was the hero! The same Daniel Murray that broke my heart by missing a field goal in Pittsburgh, the Daniel Murray that had made only one field goal prior to last night's game winner came up big, split the uprights and secured his place in Hawkeye lore. I could have done without the celebratory soccer slide, but what are you gonna do?
... IOWA did Penn State fans a favor! OK ... we dashed their dreams of a perfect season and the opportunity to play in the national championship game but it is likely that we also ensured the return of JoePa. While all his sound bites suggested otherwise, it seemed possible that the beloved coach would step away from sidelines [coaches box] after such a successful season. Now, after the crushing defeat, it seems most certain that coach Paterno will undergo surgery to repair his ailing hip and return to lead his team into the 2009-10 campaign.
... I can't wait to go back to work on Monday! In case you are not aware, I work at Penn State and the folks there have been counting their championship chickens since Coastal Carolina laid its egg. I will not have to gloat ... just get comfortable and collect the apologies and congratulations.
... that I am gonna take the high road! And I will be rewarded. After what is shaping up to be my best week at work ever, I get to take my IOWA pride into the belly of the beast. That's right ... I will be at Beaver stadium on Saturday for the game against Indiana, decked out in my finest [and warmest] black and gold!
... that Western Michigan beat Illinois! Faithful readers of this blog will recall that I did not pass judgment on last week's loss to the Fighting Illini. The Hawks may be guilty of looking past a respectable opponent but they are also now owners of a win that far outshines that defeat. The cherry on top ... the Zook got shook by the Broncos of the Mid-American Conference ... ouch!
... IOWA is on the verge of sweeping the G-CC competition but may not win The Cup?! This does not seem right. Sure, PSU will have a better overall record and likely a larger number of Big10 wins but IOWA has won the head-to-head match-ups with Wisconsin, Indiana and Penn State. Stay tuned ... we will revisit this topic after next week's game against the remaining G-CC opponent, Purdue.
... how supple the D was! You heard the commentators say it over and over, "bend, don't break". The IOWA defense only allowed one play over twenty yards. Penn State dominated the first half, at least the time of possession portion of it, but were not able to convert long drives into touchdowns. The Hawkeyes were able to limit PSU to a mere 289 yards of total offense.
... that it did not take a perfect outing to pull off the win! Sure, I declared the victory on 10/30 but I imagined that the Hawks would have to play a perfect game to upset the #3 team in the nation. While the end result was jaw-dropping, fist-pumping awesome the route to victory was far from flawless. Stanzi turned the ball over twice ... one time by air and once via a botched center-QB exchange. Then there were the pass interference and roughing the kicker penalties!
... Shonn Greene did it again! The man, the myth, the lion-taming, yard-eating monster continued his streak. That marks the tenth straight game that the Hawkeye back has rushed for more than 100 yards.
... that Daniel Murray was the hero! The same Daniel Murray that broke my heart by missing a field goal in Pittsburgh, the Daniel Murray that had made only one field goal prior to last night's game winner came up big, split the uprights and secured his place in Hawkeye lore. I could have done without the celebratory soccer slide, but what are you gonna do?
... IOWA did Penn State fans a favor! OK ... we dashed their dreams of a perfect season and the opportunity to play in the national championship game but it is likely that we also ensured the return of JoePa. While all his sound bites suggested otherwise, it seemed possible that the beloved coach would step away from sidelines [coaches box] after such a successful season. Now, after the crushing defeat, it seems most certain that coach Paterno will undergo surgery to repair his ailing hip and return to lead his team into the 2009-10 campaign.
... I can't wait to go back to work on Monday! In case you are not aware, I work at Penn State and the folks there have been counting their championship chickens since Coastal Carolina laid its egg. I will not have to gloat ... just get comfortable and collect the apologies and congratulations.
... that I am gonna take the high road! And I will be rewarded. After what is shaping up to be my best week at work ever, I get to take my IOWA pride into the belly of the beast. That's right ... I will be at Beaver stadium on Saturday for the game against Indiana, decked out in my finest [and warmest] black and gold!
... that Western Michigan beat Illinois! Faithful readers of this blog will recall that I did not pass judgment on last week's loss to the Fighting Illini. The Hawks may be guilty of looking past a respectable opponent but they are also now owners of a win that far outshines that defeat. The cherry on top ... the Zook got shook by the Broncos of the Mid-American Conference ... ouch!
... IOWA is on the verge of sweeping the G-CC competition but may not win The Cup?! This does not seem right. Sure, PSU will have a better overall record and likely a larger number of Big10 wins but IOWA has won the head-to-head match-ups with Wisconsin, Indiana and Penn State. Stay tuned ... we will revisit this topic after next week's game against the remaining G-CC opponent, Purdue.
I BELIEVE!!