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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞 | Iowa 24, Wisconsin 10
— On Iowa Sports (@GazetteOnIowa) November 13, 2022
Recap: https://t.co/ZEICquFcCa
Hlas: https://t.co/LNX5mHWesA
Game Report: https://t.co/jAseDzmDxU pic.twitter.com/VxXKSn2rc4
Hawkeyes saw red vs. Wisconsin and yet again are the bulls of November
IOWA CITY — It was cold and mean and rough and ugly. The weather wasn’t very nice, either.
This was Wisconsin-Iowa, always a sight for sore eyes, football as a cage fight instead of high art. It’s the Upper Midwest in mid-November, where you toughen up the later the year gets, or you curl into a ball.
The Hawkeyes, again this year, have toughened up as the days have gotten shorter. Thirteen consecutive November wins. Saturday’s came with a preposterous offensive total of 146 yards, yet Iowa somehow out-toughed and outplayed its northeast neighbors and won at Kinnick Stadium, 24-10.
Absurd as it seemed three weeks ago after a 54-10 shellacking by Ohio State left it 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the Big Ten, Iowa will almost surely be the West’s representative in the league championship if it wins its final two regular-season games to get to 6-3 in the conference.
Win over pesky Wisconsin gives Iowa football some joyous moments
IOWA CITY — Iowa’s defensive players did not waste any time making their way to the northeast corner of Kinnick Stadium.
When 20 seconds still stood on the clock, Kaevon Merriweather estimated he was “probably halfway on the field.”
“I was at the end of the field before it even hit zero,” Merriweather said.
Defensive lineman Deontae Craig was already tired, but that did not stop him from running one more time.
“That run, that was all exhilaration,” Craig said.
Iowa’s offensive players had no chance Merriweather and other defensive players’ sprint to finally claim the Heartland Trophy.
“They beat us down there first,” tight end Sam LaPorta said after the defense thrived in the 24-10 win. “They deserved it today. They played their butts off.”
It was part of a joyous afternoon-turned-evening as the Hawkeyes finally took down a Wisconsin team that has dominated the border-state rivalry.
Photos from Iowa's win over Wisconsin
Check out our photo gallery from Iowa's Heartland Trophy triumph against Wisconsin at Kinnick Stadium.
📸 Scenes from Iowa football's win over Wisconsin
— On Iowa Sports (@GazetteOnIowa) November 13, 2022
Highlights from Iowa's win over Wisconsin
Game Report: Iowa Hawkeyes 24, Wisconsin Badgers 10
Defense and special teams were again the winning recipe as Iowa beat Wisconsin to claim the Heartland Trophy.
Watch Kirk Ferentz's postgame press conference
Cooper DeJean’s big plays power Iowa football past Wisconsin despite offensive shortcomings
IOWA CITY — Cooper DeJean, 19, still has a while before he is of legal drinking age.
But if DeJean was old enough, he would not need to buy a drink in Iowa City for a long time.
DeJean finished with 114 all-purpose yards — 32 from a pick-6 in the first half and 82 from punt returns — as the Iowa (6-4, 4-3) defense and special teams units fueled the Hawkeyes’ 24-10 win over Wisconsin (5-5, 3-4) Saturday.
Final: Iowa 24, Wisconsin 10
Iowa totaled 146 yards of offense and still won the Heartland Trophy by two touchdowns. This is a special defense, as if we didn't already know that.
The Hawkeyes improved to 6-4 overall and 4-3 in the Big Ten, now in a four-way tie atop the West Division with Illinois, Purdue and Minnesota.
Wisconsin fell to 5-5, 3-4.
🏆 time!
— Iowa On BTN (@IowaOnBTN) November 13, 2022
Go get it, @HawkeyeFootball. pic.twitter.com/QKmGdACHv9
Iowa recovers a fumble
Iowa's defense caps another dominant day with another takeaway. Joe Evans knocked the ball away from Graham Mertz and Logan Lee recovered at the Wisconsin 22 (2:18 4th).
Drew Stevens tacks on a field goal
Drew Stevens kicked a 44-yard field goal to complete an 11-play, uh, 27-yard drive for the Hawkeyes. The key: It took 4:57 off the clock.
Iowa 24, Wisconsin 10 (2:54 4th)
Deontae Craig adds a sack
Already with a blocked punt to his name, Iowa's Deontae Craig sacked Graham Mertz for a 4-yard loss on third-and-13 from the Wisconsin 34. Logan Lee helped out. That was just a few plays after the Badgers converted third-and-9 (11:36 4th).
Touchdown Iowa
A 1-yard Spencer Petras sneak makes this a two-possession game.
It was a five-play, 18-yard drive.
Give Cooper DeJean the assist. He helped down a punt at the 1, made a couple big tackles (including a forced fumble that went out of bounds), then returned the Wisconsin punt 41 yards to the 18.
Wisconsin sack, but a better punt
On third-and-1 from the Iowa 48, Jordan Turner was unblocked and sacked Spencer Petras for a loss of 7, sack No. 6 for the Badgers.
On the bright side for Iowa, Tory Taylor's 58-yard punt was downed at the 1 (3:46 3rd). Cooper DeJean was able to flip the ball to a teammate before falling in the end zone.
Another Wisconsin sack
Kamo'i Lau blitzed on third-and-10 and sacked Spencer Petras for an 8-yard loss, Wisconsin's fifth sack of the game (7:19 3rd).
Two Iowa second-half possessions, two three-and-outs and a total of minus-2 yards.
Riley Moss dives for an INT
After a clipping penalty, Graham Mertz's second-and-17 pass was tipped by Kaevon Merriweather, and Iowa's Riley Moss dove to intercept it.
That's Moss' first pick of the season.
Wisconsin's first drive of the second half ends with a turnover at the Iowa 44 (13:04 3rd).
Moss The Boss with an interception! 😎@R_moss5 x @HawkeyeFootball pic.twitter.com/4woxyNnYvg
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 12, 2022
Halftime: Iowa 14, Wisconsin 10
Iowa totaled 79 yards of offense in the first half ... and led at the break.
A blocked punt and pick-6 created Iowa's points. It probably should be 14-3 but broken coverage on third-and-18 allowed the Badgers to create a momentum-changing play in the final minute.
Wisconsin, by the way, had 164 yards of offense in the first half, 51 coming on its final play.
Touchdown Wisconsin
The defenses had completey dominated the first half, but Wisconsin struck for a big play just before the break.
Keontez Lewis got behind the Iowa defense on third-and-18 for a 51-yard touchdown pass from Graham Mertz.
Iowa 14, Wisconsin 10 (0:52 2nd)
Mertz 🤝 Lewis 🤝 TOUCHDOWN! @GrahamMertz5 x @Nolimitk3 x @BadgerFootball pic.twitter.com/mdIRlg9Usf
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 12, 2022
Pick-6 Iowa
Cooper DeJean intercepted Graham Mertz and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown.
That's his second pick-6 of the season.
A blocked punt set up the offense for Iowa's first TD, now the defense gets a pivotal score before the half.
Iowa 14, Wisconsin 3 (1:58 2nd)
Dejean doing his THING! 🔥 💪 A PICK SIX! @cdejean23 x @HawkeyeFootball pic.twitter.com/62Q7hPlovI
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 12, 2022
Iowa OL Beau Stephens hurt
Iowa offensive lineman Beau Stephens is down with an injury. He walks off with the help of trainers and heads to the tent.
Connor Colby at LG and Nick DeJong at RG now.
Spencer Petras was sacked on back-to-back plays to lead to fourth-and-18. Wisconsin's Nick Herbig has three sacks already.
Herbig can't be stopped! @BadgerFootball 😤 pic.twitter.com/0XCS2qXZRN
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 12, 2022
Touchdown Iowa
It's a two-play, 17-yard scoring drive for the Hawkeyes.
Kaleb Johnson punched it in with a 4-yard run after a 13-yard Spencer Petras pass to Sam LaPorta.
Iowa 7, Wisconsin 3 (10:24 2nd)
The reigning B1G OPOW is into the end zone for the first TD of the game. 🙌@Kj_Superman2 x @HawkeyeFootball pic.twitter.com/skhefFGAoN
— Iowa On BTN (@IowaOnBTN) November 12, 2022
Iowa blocks a punt
Special teams deliver a break Iowa's offense certainly needed.
Deontae Craig blocked Wisconsin's punt and Jay Higgins recovered at the Badgers 17 (10:52 2nd).
The block: @CraigDeontae
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 12, 2022
The pick up: @_jhigg
The MOMENTUM: @HawkeyeFootball 😎 pic.twitter.com/Ncz8T1jVFf
End 1st: Wisconsin 3, Iowa 0
Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras is 7-of-9 passing for 44 yards but has been sacked twice and lost a fumble that helped lead to the only points of the game so far.
First-quarter boos
Boo birds are out after the Hawkeyes suffer losses of 5, 5 and 2 yards on first, second and third down.
Blocking has been subpar to say the least.
Nick Herbig is dominating
After three Iowa's possession, Wisconsin's Nick Herbig has four tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble.
After Spencer Petras converted third-and-8 with a 10-yard pass to Sam LaPorta, Rodas Johnson and Herbig tallied back-to-back TFLs to derail the Hawkeyes (0:35 1st).
BIG SACK ‼️ Herbig tallies his tenth sack on the season @BadgerFootball pic.twitter.com/tutppdcjei
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 12, 2022
Purdue beats Illinois
There will be a tie atop the Big Ten West after this week.
Purdue knocked off No. 21 Illinois, 31-24, bringing the Boilermakers and Illini to 4-3 in conference play. The Wisconsin-Iowa winner will join them there, as will Minnesota if it beats Northwestern.
Wisconsin takes the lead
Nate Van Zelst kicked a 32-yard field goal for the first points of the game as the Badgers capitalized on the Iowa fumble.
The Badgers converted a pair of third downs on the 10-play, 37-yard drive, including a floated 19-yard Graham Mertz completion to Chimere Dike on third-and-7 to get in field-goal range.
Wisconsin 3, Iowa 0 (4:14 1st)
Spencer Petras fumbles
Iowa's second drive was promising, but it ended with a turnover. Nick Herbig sacked Spencer Petras and forced the ball free, with Darryl Peterson recovering at the Wisconsin 49 (9:15 1st).
Petras had converted a third-and-4 with an 8-yard pass to Nico Ragaini and hit Diante Vines for a 15-yard gain, with Gavin Williams picking up 19 yards on the ground in between.
Nick Herbig's doing what he does best. 😤@nickherbig_ x @BadgerFootball pic.twitter.com/etdTazfT86
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 12, 2022
Wisconsin matches Iowa's three-and-out
Wisconsin tried to test Iowa's secondary to start, but Riley Moss broke up a second-and-8 pass and Sebastian Castro made a similar play on third down (12:10 1st).
Total yards: Wisconsin 2, Iowa -5
Iowa goes backward
Wisconsin won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. The Badgers the the ball quickly, though, after an Iowa three-and-out.
The Hawkeyes lost 5 yards on their first two plays and Nick Herbig brought down Spencer Petras at the line of scrimmage on third-and-15 (13:05 1st).
Wisconsin injury report
#Badgers out today: K Vito Calvaruso, RB Chez Mellusi, DE Isaiah Mullens, NT Gio Paez and OLB Aaron Witt.
— Jeff Potrykus (@jaypo1961) November 12, 2022
Pregame Iowa injury updates
• Iowa WR Brody Brecht is participating in early warmups.
• No sign of Iowa WR Arland Bruce IV in early warmups. He is out today with an upper body injury, per Iowa radio. "Hopefully nothing long-term, has a chance to play next week."
In attendance today
NFL scouts are expected from the Packers and Lions. Bowl reps are expected from the Citrus Bowl.
Fun Facts: Wisconsin-Iowa, the Ashton Kutcher edition
Wisconsin and Iowa. Poultry and pork. La Crosse and LeClaire.
1. This is the first time neither team went into this game ranked since 2013.
Monte Pottebaum was in for quite the surprise on the first day of fall camp in 2019.
“I was going to go to the linebacker room and then the linebacker coach, Seth Wallace, came out and he wanted to talk to me in his office,” Pottebaum said. “He was like, ‘Hey, we’re moving you to fullback.’ So that’s really all there was to it.”
Pottebaum did “not really” have any say in the matter, but “I also didn’t really care.”
“I just wanted to do whatever to help the team,” Pottebaum said.
Now in his fourth year at fullback, Pottebaum has contributed at a position where fewer and fewer players are contributing at the Power Five level.
Iowa is one of three Big Ten schools to have used a fullback on at least 100 plays this season, according to a Gazette analysis of Pro Football Focus data.
Believe it or not, Mild, Mild West isn’t yet out of Hawkeyes’ reach
There is way too much division in this country, but members of the Big Ten West are happy it will exist for at least one more football season.
3 keys for Iowa football against Wisconsin
The last time the Wisconsin Badgers stepped foot in Kinnick Stadium, Iowa’s Ihmir Smith-Marsette did a front flip into the end zone for a touchdown and the Hawkeyes took back the Heartland Trophy for the first time in five years.
How to watch Iowa football vs. Wisconsin
Kickoff time: 2:35 p.m. (CT)
TV: FS1
Live stream: FoxSports.com