Iowa’s fourth quarter magic works again
October 31, 2009
Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg
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| AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall | |
| Iowa’s Ricky Stanzi threw five interceptions against Indiana Saturday but an explosive performance in the fourth quarter helped the Hawkeyes to a 42-24 win. |
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The thought crossed Kirk Ferentz’s mind. The Iowa head coach started to worry that his team’s edge-of-the-cliff dance would finally come to a painful end.
“I thought maybe we had dug too deep a hole today,” Ferentz said.
As it turns out, there’s no hole too deep for Iowa. There aren’t enough interceptions to keep Ricky Stanzi from rallying his team. There aren’t enough mistakes to keep these Hawkeyes from believing and, eventually, prevailing.
And after escaping a 14-point canyon Saturday against Indiana, Iowa might end up on top of the mountain after all.
Team Comeback did it again, rallying for the eighth time in nine games, this time from its largest deficit of the season, to remain perfect at 9-0. It didn’t come down to the final play this time, as Iowa actually could relax in the final three or four minutes of a 42-24 win.
But Ferentz and his players agreed Saturday’s rally was the most improbable.
“It’s got to be up at the top,” Ferentz said. “I know I haven’t been in a game like this, and I doubt I’ve seen one like this because it was just so, so different. You never survive five turnovers, let alone five picks. The odds are, I would almost say nil.”
Almost. Iowa defied the odds once again, and the biggest boost came from the man who put the team in the hole.
Stanzi threw a career-high five interceptions Saturday, four in a miserable third quarter. Entering the fourth quarter, Stanzi had completed just 10 of 23 passes for 160 yards and no touchdowns.
A stat line like Stanzi’s usually lands the quarterback a seat on the bench, but Ferentz didn’t think twice about making a change, despite some boos from the crowd.
“I’m not alone in this one,” Ferentz said. “We all believe in Rick Stanzi. The guy has done a hell of a job.”
Stanzi has done his best work in the fourth quarter, and the trend continued Saturday.
His first pass went for a 92-yard touchdown to Marvin McNutt. His second went for a 66-yard touchdown to Derrell Johnson-Koulianos. He finished the fourth quarter 3-for-3 passing for 177 yards and the two scores.
“The frustration doesn’t really mount,” Stanzi said. “That’s when it can explode on you and cause even more problems for the team. You don’t want to let your team down, and everyone on this team has a great job of having that attitude.
“We can all bounce back together.”
