Tennessee game was a display of dominance and skill by the Tennessee team. From the very beginning, it was evident that Tennessee had come prepared to win. The players were focused and determined, executing their plays flawlessly.
On the other hand, Iowa seemed to struggle from the start. Their offense lacked cohesion and failed to make any significant progress against Tennessee's strong defense. The quarterback was constantly under pressure, resulting in multiple interceptions and fumbles.
After an early glimmer of hope, the 17th-ranked Hawkeyes fell into a two-touchdown deficit in the second quarter and could not catch up, suffering a 35-0 loss to No. 21 Tennessee at Camping World Stadium.
It was the Hawkeyes’ biggest bowl loss in program history.
Kirk Ferentz said. “It never feels good after a loss.”
The glimmer came as Iowa had a red-zone opportunity in the first quarter while the game was tied 0-0. The Hawkeyes reached the Tennessee 4-yard line before Deacon Hill threw an interception into double coverage.
"When you do get good field position and then take it down inside and give yourself a chance to come out with a touchdown, and do not, that is not good,“ Ferentz said. ”The worst offense was not getting any points. Big difference between three and seven — it is obviously four — just to start building some momentum.“
Iowa, which finished the season 10-4, had just 173 yards of offense. Hill threw for just 56 yards and was sacked four times before being removed from the game for true freshman Marco Lainez, who rushed for 51 yards but was 2-of-7 passing for four yards.
The Hawkeyes head into the offseason with plenty of questions on the offensive side of the ball, including who will be the next offensive coordinator.
Over the last two seasons, Iowa has arguably been the worst offense in all of college football. There is no threat in the passing game, no aggressiveness and a lot of question marks.
Do they go with Cade McNamara at quarterback or do they give the mobile Marco Lainez a chance? How long does Kirk Ferentz stick around? How long does Phil Parker stay there? Does Phil Parker get fed up with the lack of offensive output? The Iowa Hawkeyes are entering a long, curious offseason.
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