Skip to main content
Join Now
Team Avatar
Iowa

WATCH: Iowa botches fake punt, gives Ohio State ball deep in Hawkeyes territory

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•10/22/22•

NickSchultz_7

On3 image
Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Iowa punter Tory Taylor has been a consistent force for the Hawkeyes this year. On Saturday, even he fell victim to their struggles to make big plays.

Taylor saw some space to run on a punt attempt and decided to go for the fake. But he hesitated just long enough for two Ohio State defenders to meet him short of the goal line. That gave the Buckeyes the ball at the Iowa 34-yard line after the turnover on downs.

CLICK HERE to subscribe for FREE to the On3 YouTube channel

It was yet another bad miscue from the Hawkeyes, who also saw Spencer Petras throw a bad interception on the first play of the game and lose a fumble later on. Luckily for Kirk Ferentz and Co., Ohio State settled for a field goal on the drive to extend its lead to 16-7 as the first quarter came to a close.

Iowa got on the board thanks to a scoop-and-score from its defense. Joe Evans took it 13 yards on the play, which is one more yard than the Hawkeyes offense totaled as a group in the first quarter.

Kirk Ferentz shares what ‘jumps out’ about Ohio State

Kirk Ferentz’s team will face its toughest challenge this season when they head to Columbus to face No. 2 Ohio State. The 3-3 Hawkeyes will have to dot their i’s and cross their t’s when it comes to attempting to slow the Buckeye offense. It’s a lot to ask, especially because Ferentz sees some challenges that Iowa will really have to focus on this weekend.

Ferentz broke down this weekend’s matchup against Ohio State during media on Tuesday. He said the biggest problem from the film he’s watched is getting the Buckeyes behind the sticks. Opposing defenses have yet to find a consistent way to keep the Buckeyes behind the chains and the count, which makes it even more challenging to get them off the field.

“The thing that jumps out at you is it’s tough to knock them off the tracks. It’s tough to get them behind in the count,” Ferentz said. “Good defenses try to do that to offenses. Make them have to go the (length) of the field or on third and long. Those kinds of things. It’s not easy to do with this football team because they’re just really adept at what they do.”