Rutgers suffered its first loss of the season in their annual blackout game against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Despite a lively atmosphere and intense energy from the fans, the several costly mistakes the Scarlet Knights made throughout the game proved to be too much for them to overcome.
The first half was an offensive showcase, with Iowa running the game-opening kickoff back for a touchdown before Rutgers responded with a touchdown on their opening drive. Rutgers’ defense would force Iowa to go three and out on their next possession. The next four drives would see both teams trade touchdowns before the scoring stopped due to a Rutgers field goal attempt from Jai Patel sailing wide. The two teams would trade punts to end the half.
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Both teams would trade punts and missed field goals in the third quarter, leading to a 21-21 tie heading into the fourth. Iowa would kick a field goal early in the fourth before Rutgers responded with a touchdown. Iowa would flip that on their next drive and score a touchdown of their own.
On the next drive for Rutgers, quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis would throw his first interception of the season, which led to an Iowa touchdown on the ensuing drive. The Hawkeyes would hold on to win from there.
Several recurring trends and costly mistakes would plague the Knights all night. Rutgers’ run defense struggled to slow down the potent Iowa rushing attack, as they surrendered four rushing touchdowns on the day. They also struggled to contain the run game of Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski, an issue that has plagued them all season.
Four costly mistakes by Rutgers played a large role in the outcome of this game as well. The first was Jai Patel’s missed field goal in the first half. On his first attempt, he split the uprights, but a Rutgers penalty made that play null and void. He would miss his second attempt. The second came on Rutgers’ field goal attempts in the third quarter, where Iowa blocked the kick. The two perhaps most crucial mental errors the Knights made this game occurred in the fourth quarter. Rutgers stopped Iowa on third down during their second drive of the quarter, but spotted them a first down due to a defensive holding penalty. The Hawkeyes would go on to score a touchdown that drive. The last crucial mistake the Knights made was Kaliakmanis’ interception towards the end of the game, which went a long way towards sealing it for the Hawkeyes.
Rutgers will be back in action next Saturday at Minnesota. The game is slated for a noon kickoff.
