Football Reporters Online

The Big Ten Bowl season has begun with the Insight Bowl

By Don Stokes Senior Writer Mid-West Football Reporters Online
On Tuesday, December 28th in Tempe, Arizona the 2010 Bowl season has finally begun for the Big 10 Conference. First up on the slate representing the Big 10 is The University of Iowa Hawkeyes. They are bowl eligible for the 10th season in a row and 5 straight years under Coach Kirk Ferentz. For the Hawkeyes (7-5), who many chose to be a Big 10 title contender this season but finished with just a disappointing 4-4 record in the conference. Iowa closed the ’10 campaign with 3 straight Big 10 4th quarter losses (21-17 to Northwestern, 20-17 to Ohio State and 27-24 to the Minnesota Golden Gophers) The Hawkeyes are trying to win a bowl game for the 3rd year in a row, which would be for the first time in school history.

Iowa’s starting RB Adam Robinson the Hawkeyes leading ground gainer in 2010 with 941 yards unfortunately did not made the trip to Tempe for this game. On Monday 12/27 Robinson was charged with Marijuana possession in his home town of Des Moines, Iowa. Immediately Coach Ferentz suspended him, missing the bowl game. If Robinson is allowed to continue his career with the Hawkeyes, he will have to win his starting job in 2011.

This was one of the many challenges this Hawkeye squad has had to face in 2010. Iowa, as stated earlier was a pre-season number 9 pick in the polls, but the wheels quickly came off for Coach Ferentz’s team. First the Hawkeyes played the majority of the ’10 season without their defensive coordinator, Norm Parker who had a foot removed because of complications due to diabetes. Then Iowa’s all time leader in receptions Darrell Johnson-Koulianos was dismissed from the team after an arrest in early December.

The opponents, the University of Missouri Tigers (10-2) were a solid 6-2 in the Big 12 Conference finishing in 1st place in the North Division ahead of the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Tigers Head Coach, Gary Pinkel now in his 10 season has led the Tigers to 6 straight bowl appearances. During the 2010 regular season Mizzou biggest win thus far was a 36-27 victory against (at the time) the number 1 ranked team in the country the Oklahoma Sooners. Other than back to back losses in late October and early November against Nebraska (31-17) and Texas Tech (24-17) that took the Tigers out of the running, Missouri would quite possibly be playing in a BCS bowl game this season. Considering the BCS National Championship game is to be held in nearby Glendale, The Tigers could only ponder what might have been.

When the smoke cleared on this night it was the Big 10 who got the victory over the Big 12 after the Iowa Hawkeyes trailing 24-20 with under 6:00 left in the 4th quarter pulled off the upset win against number 12 ranked Missouri 27-24.

With two solid QB on each side line (Mizzou’s Blaine Gabbert and Iowa’s Ricky Stanzi) the lower ranked Hawkeyes continually matched the Missouri Tigers intensity for the majority of the contest. Although Iowa’s Ricky Stanzi (11-21 for 200 yards) put the Hawkeyes in a precarious position with his 2 interceptions that were drive killers in the second half this was still a back and forth game. It was no surprise to anyone that Blaine Gabbert threw 57 passes and completed 41(15 completions went to Sophomore WR T.J. Moe, who set a new Insight Bowl mark) for 434 yards and a touchdown would take over the game. He is known for picking most defenses apart with his short to intermediate game. But he did not. It also would have not been a surprise if Ricky Stanzi, who threw but 4 interceptions during the regular season, would be the reason for winning. He also was not. The reason Iowa was victorious was a little used freshman RB Marcus Coker who became the Insight Bowl ‘X’ factor.

Coker, who was injured during training camp and lost his shot of playing time during the regular season (403 yards to 941) to the starter Robinson, opened the scoring with a short 1 yard run in the 1st quarter. Coker was just getting warmed up because in the 2nd quarter he electrified the Tempe crowd with a 62 yard touchdown dash from the right side, putting Iowa on top 14-3. After the Hawkeyes stretched the lead to 17-3, the Tigers suddenly awakened. Mizzou freshman RB Henry Posey got the Tigers a bit closer with a 10 yard run closing the score 17-10 at halftime.

In the second half Gabbert continued his great play from the 1st half. After the first of Stanzi’s interceptions in the third quarter, Gabbert ran in from the 7 bring Mizzou within 3 making the score 20-17 Hawkeyes. After another uncharacteristic interception by Stanzi, Gabbert hit John Mackey award finalist TE Michael Eqnew with a 3 yard score putting Missouri on top 24-20.
The Tigers who, against a much ballyhooed Iowa defense totaled 512 yards might have thought this game was done. Considering after so many second half collapses this season the Hawkeyes players and coaches must have pondered “Here we go again”. But on some occasions it helps to play on a neutral site because very soon the defensive and the play of the game occurred when the Hawkeyes DB Micah Hyde picked of Mizzou’s QB Blaine Gabbert. The Tigers QB who set a new Insight Bowl completion record with 41 completions for 434 yards during the game forced a bad pass along the right sideline and Hyde did the rest, weaving 72 yards thru traffic and staying in the field of play for the winning score with 5:48 left in the 4th quarter. That score put Iowa back in front 27-24.

After receiving the ball Mizzou drove down the field but on a 4th down reception by T.J. Moe with 2:15 left on Iowa’s 35 yard line was overturned by replay, the game was basically done. The Hawkeyes received the ball and Coker helped run out the clock and end the tight contest with Iowa on top with a 27-24 final score. For freshman RB Marcus Coker he was named the Insight Bowl MVP. Marcus set a new Hawkeye Bowl Record 219 yards rushing and 33 carries. Coker broke the old Hawkeye mark of Bob Jeter, who ran for a then school rushing record of 194 yards in 1959 at the Rose Bowl. Vindication had finally come for a young man “Who is a better person than a better player” said his head coach Kirk Ferentz.