Iowa Hawkeyes Dominate Maryland Terrapins with Ground Game and Defense
The Iowa Hawkeyes improved their season record to 7-4 after a commanding victory over the Maryland Terrapins, who fell to 4-7. The game ended with a score of 29-13 in favor of the Hawkeyes, showcasing their dominance on both sides of the ball.
Key Performances and Highlights
The Hawkeyes' ground attack was relentless, accumulating a total of 268 rushing yards from 58 attempts. Kaleb Johnson led this charge with an impressive 164 yards on 35 carries, finding the end zone once. Kamari Moulton also made significant contributions with his explosive play, including a longest run of 68 yards out of his total 114 rushing yards and scoring one touchdown.
On defense, Iowa was equally imposing. Ethan Hurkett stood out with two sacks contributing to the team's total sack yardage loss for Maryland and six combined tackles. Jay Higgins and TJ Hall each secured an interception, halting any momentum build-up by the Terrapins.
Special teams played a pivotal role as well; Drew Stevens was perfect on the day, converting all five field goal attempts with his longest being from an impressive distance of 54 yards.
Strategic Execution
The strategic execution by Iowa in utilizing their running game effectively kept possession time in their favor at over half the game duration (37:41). This not only showcased their offensive line's strength but also kept Maryland's offense off the field for extended periods.
Defensively, Iowa applied constant pressure resulting in three sacks and six tackles for loss which disrupted Maryland's offensive flow throughout the game. The defensive unit’s ability to force turnovers through interceptions further exemplified their dominance during this matchup.
Rhys Dakin’s punting performance ensured that Maryland often started from unfavorable positions thanks to two punts landing inside the Terrapins' own twenty-yard line.
As they move forward into their next game against Nebraska Cornhuskers at Kinnick Stadium on November 29th at 7:30 PM EDT broadcasted on NBC, fans can look forward to seeing if Iowa can maintain this level of performance into late-season games.