Iowa Hawkeyes Football

The No. 2 Michigan football team is headed to the College Football Playoff.

The Wolverines defeated No. 13 Iowa 42-3 in the Big Ten Championship Game on Saturday from Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium. With the win, the Wolverines all but assured themselves of a CFP spot.

As usual, a strong running game and overwhelming defense led Michigan to victory.

The Wolverines rushed for 211 yards and four touchdowns, with Blake Corum's 67-yard scamper giving his team an early 6-0 edge.

Blake Corum with the speed but how about J.J. McCarthy as the lead blocker 🤯⚡️@UMichFootball takes the 7-0 lead over Iowa in the Big Ten Champ Game! pic.twitter.com/GDjzmhdeeL

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 5, 2021

Hassan Haskins added touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters, with the latter one giving Michigan a 27-3 lead.

It also gave Haskins the all-time school single-season rushing TD record after getting his 20th score:

UP AND OVER FOR THE RECORD!@h2_3125 picks up his 20th rushing TD of the season, a new @UMichFootball record 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/W4vNC9Okq5

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 5, 2021

However, it was a running back's pass that turned out to be the play of the game, as Donovan Edwards threw a beautiful ball for a 75-yard touchdown to Roman Wilson in the second quarter.

🔥 @UMichFootball IS NOT HOLDING BACK IN THIS ONE! pic.twitter.com/yuDng571yK

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 5, 2021

Iowa couldn't get much going on the ground or through the air, and Michigan ended up out-gaining the Hawkeyes 461-279. The Hawkeyes made a quarterback change midgame from Spencer Petras to Alex Padilla, but the Wolverines defense rendered that switch irrelevant.

Erick All later added a slick five-yard catch for Michigan's penultimate touchdown.

ALL HANDS TEAM 🙌

Erick All makes it 35-3 for @UMichFootball pic.twitter.com/R43J3KlLby

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 5, 2021

Edwards later contributed a one-yard score for the Wolverine's final TD.

Michigan improved to 12-1 on the season, which marks the Wolverines' first outright Big Ten title since 2003. Iowa fell to 10-3.

        

Notable Performances

Michigan RB Hassan Haskins: 17 carries, 56 rushing yards, 2 TD

Michigan RB Blake Corum: 5 carries, 74 rushing yards, 1 TD

Michigan RB Donovan Edwards: 1-of-1, 75 passing yards, 1 TD; 1 rushing TD

Iowa QB Spencer Petras: 9-of-22, 137 passing yards

Iowa RB Tyler Goodson: 18 carries, 50 rushing yards

Iowa TE Sam LaPorta: 6 catches, 62 receiving yards

   

Hustle and Heart Lead Michigan to CFP

One play that didn't end up in the box score perfectly encapsulates the Wolverines' game as well as their season.

The record shows that Corum ran for a 67-yard touchdown to give Michigan a 6-0 first-quarter lead.

Blake Corum with the speed but how about J.J. McCarthy as the lead blocker 🤯⚡️@UMichFootball takes the 7-0 lead over Iowa in the Big Ten Champ Game! pic.twitter.com/GDjzmhdeeL

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 5, 2021

It was an incredible effort for a running back playing through a high-ankle sprain and limited with his snaps because of it.

However, that run wasn't even the best moment of the play. Rather, it was quarterback J.J. McCarthy flying down the sidelines to help provide blocking assistance for his teammate en route to the score.

His effort did not go unnoticed:

J.J. McCarthy damn near beat Blake Corum to the end zone there.

— Aaron McMann | MLive.com (@AaronMcMann) December 5, 2021

J.J. McCarthy's wheels. Wow. #GoBlue

— Chris Balas (@Balas_Wolverine) December 5, 2021

J.J. McCarthy outrunning his running back to block downfield on a 67-yard touchdown run >>>>>

— Stephen J. Nesbitt (@stephenjnesbitt) December 5, 2021

That encapsulates the ethos of this team. The Wolverines fight hard and for each other. They are fast. They are tough. They are selfless. They are a team—one that is going to be a serious problem for its CFP opponent.

Not only that, but Michigan is a team littered with incredible individual talents. Aidan Hutchinson might be the No. 1 overall NFL draft pick next spring, and fellow edge-rusher David Ojabo might join him in the first round.

The offensive line is a force to be reckoned with, so much so that football legend John Madden reached out to head coach Jim Harbaugh to tell him as much after the win over Ohio State:

Jim Harbaugh says he got a text from John Madden after the Ohio State game.

"This is as good of an offensive line performance as he's seen," Harbaugh said of the text.

"I texted that to Sherrone and told him to keep that on his phone forever."

— Clayton Sayfie (@CSayf23) November 28, 2021

They have a formidable one-two punch in the running game with Haskins and Corum, and everything works in sync to form one hell of a team.

Alabama may be the clear championship favorite after dismantling No. 1 Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, but Michigan is a special team that won't go away easily.

     

Iowa's Once-Promising Season Ends With Thud, But Hawkeyes Should Keep Chins Up

A once-promising season with College Football Playoff hopes following a 6-0 start crashed and burned down the stretch, capped by Saturday's ugly 39-point defeat.

One can look at Iowa's 13-game season from two perspectives.

On the pessimistic side, the Hawkeyes went just 4-3 in their final seven games. Their three losses were by a combined 76 points to Michigan, Purdue and Wisconsin. Iowa scored just 17 points in those games.

Iowa's offense simply wasn't explosive enough this year. The Hawkeyes have a stout running game led by Tyler Goodson, but they didn't have the big-play threats needed to go blow-for-blow with teams that found offensive success against them.

The defense notably wilted at inopportune times as well. It all reached its nadir on Saturday, as Iowa allowed scoring plays of 67 and 75 yards in the first quarter en route to giving up 461 yards on the game.

On the optimistic side, Iowa had a 10-win season and made the conference championship game. Sure, the Big Ten West was a weak division this year, so much so that Iowa almost won its group by default. However, plenty of Big Ten teams would love to have 10-plus wins and make the conference title game, and the Hawkeyes did just that.

Credit Iowa for not folding after a two-game losing skid dropped the Hawkeyes out of the CFP picture entirely. Following the Purdue and Wisconsin defeats, Iowa responded with four straight wins. Granted, none of them came too easily, as three came by one-possession scores.

Regardless, Iowa showed fight down the stretch to make the conference championship game, and the Hawkeyes can hold their heads high knowing they gave it their all when other teams could have fallen apart entirely in that spot.

That doesn't make Saturday's result any easier, and it's clear that Iowa is a clear cut below the Big Ten elite of Michigan and Ohio State. The Wolverines were simply too talented on both sides of the ball, and that ended up being the difference.

Still, the bigger picture paints a rosier picture for Iowa overall. Other teams languish year after year and struggle to win more than a handful of games. Iowa has the luxury of being in the mix and earned a reputation of being a giant killer.

That's something Iowa can always hang its hat on, even if painful losses like the one to Michigan help cloud the broader truth about the program.

    

What's Next?

While it won't be official until Sunday, Michigan will be in the four-team College Football Playoff field with Alabama, Georgia and Cincinnati. The only thing left to determine at this point is the seeding.

The Wolverines' win also means that Ohio State will play Utah in the Rose Bowl.

Iowa was headed to the Rose Bowl with a win, but the Hawkeyes will head to another to-be-determined bowl following the loss.

Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz reportedly told his players in a team meeting Friday night that he plans to return for the 2022 season and beyond, per Scott Dochterman of The Athletic. 

Ferentz is on a contract that runs through the 2025 campaign. 

The news comes amid several significant head coaching searches in college football. Lincoln Riley left Oklahoma for USC, and Brian Kelly left Notre Dame for LSU. 

There were also "whispers" that the 2021 season would be Ferentz's final one in Iowa, per 247Sports. However, he made it clear two weeks ago that he hoped to remain head coach of the Hawkeyes for a long time. 

“I was hoping to be [here] for a while,” Ferentz said, per 247Sports. “That's been my plan for about 23 years now. Just trying to make it to the next step, that's kind of what I've been thinking about. I think I made it to this step.”

Ferentz led Iowa to a 10-2 record this season. The Hawkeyes clinched a spot in the Big Ten Championship game versus Michigan and the team was ranked as high as No. 2 in the AP Top 25 poll this year. 

The 66-year-old has been head coach at Iowa since 1999, joining the team after a stint with the Baltimore Ravens. In his 23 seasons at the helm, he is 178-108 and 9-8 in bowl games. 

Ferentz has also led Iowa to two Big Ten titles in 2002 and 2004 and an appearance in the 2015 Big Ten title game.  

One week after their emotional win over Penn State, the No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes fell from the ranks of the unbeaten with a 24-7 loss to Purdue at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday. 

There were certainly a number of questions for the Hawkeyes to answer coming out of last week. Penn State led the game 17-3 before quarterback Sean Clifford got hurt early in the second quarter. 

It's a credit to Iowa that it was able to outscore its Big Ten rival 20-3 after Clifford left to seal a win. The victory moved the Hawkeyes up to No. 2 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, their highest ranking since 1985. 

Based on Saturday's result, there are still a lot of questions head coach Kirk Ferentz has to figure out with this team.

Boilermakers quarterback Aidan O'Connell and wide receiver David Bell lit up Iowa's secondary. 

O'Connell threw for a season-high 375 yards and two touchdowns. The senior came into this game with more interceptions (five) than touchdowns (four) in the first four games of the season. 

Purdue is now 8 for 12 on third downs at Iowa. Aidan O'Connell has thrown for 360 yards against a Hawkeyes defense that has only allowed over 185 pass yards once in six games this season.

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) October 16, 2021

Bell continues to be Purdue's best offensive weapon, especially in games against Iowa. The Indianapolis native had 240 receiving yards on 11 receptions, his fourth 100-yard game of the season. He's torched the Hawkeyes secondary for three years running. 

Noted Hawkeye killer David Bell's career stats against Iowa:

2021: 11 catches, 240 yards, 1 TD
2020: 13 catches, 121 yards, 3 TDs
2019: 13 catches, 197 yards, 1 TD

— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) October 16, 2021

Only one receiver has had more than 81 yards this season against Iowa (Kent State’s Keshunn Abram who had 138 in a 30-7 loss). Today, Purdue’s fantastic WR David Bell’s put up 11 catches for 240 yards at the Boilers are really putting it on the Hawkeyes.

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) October 16, 2021

Bell's 21-yard touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter sealed Iowa's fate. 

🔔

That's it. That's the tweet.@DB3LL // @BoilerFootball pic.twitter.com/x06nd4xnPA

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 16, 2021

Iowa's strength through the first six games of the season had been on defense. That unit ranked third in the nation in yards allowed per play (4.02), seventh in yards allowed per game (274.0) and tied for seventh in touchdowns allowed (nine). 

Purdue burned that group for 464 yards, 24 first downs (9-of-16 on third downs) and 8.8 yards per pass attempt. 

Bell had almost as many receiving receiving as Iowa did in total offense (271). Hawkeyes quarterback Spencer Petras had his worst game of the season with 195 yards and four interceptions. He only had two interceptions through the first six weeks.

Consistency has been an issue for the Boilermakers so far this season. They had lost two of their past three games, including a 20-13 home defeat to Minnesota last week. Sandwiched between those losses was a narrow 13-9 victory over an Illinois team that is just 2-5 this season. 

Saturday's win could be a huge momentum shift for head coach Jeff Brohm. The schedule eases up with games against Wisconsin and Nebraska before things pick up on Nov. 6 against Michigan State and Nov. 13 at Ohio State. 

Iowa was supposed to be out of its most difficult stretch of the season. Penn State was the last ranked opponent remaining on its schedule, based on the current AP Top 25 poll. 

Heading into next week's game at Wisconsin, the Hawkeyes suddenly look very vulnerable in the race for the top spot in the Big Ten West. 

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz understands why fans were booing Penn State players who went down with injuries in Saturday's game, indicating some were faking it.

"Nobody wants to see anybody get hurt," the coach told reporters Tuesday. "But I think probably [the booing] is a reaction to, there were a couple of guys that were down for the count and then were back a play or two later. Our fans aren't stupid. They're watching. They know what's going on."

Iowa's 23-20 win over Penn State featured several injuries, with quarterback Sean Clifford notably leaving the game in the second quarter without returning. The home fans at Kinnick Stadium still took issue with the stoppages, especially from those who returned quickly.

"Our fans thought they smelled a rat, I guess, I don't know, so they responded the way they responded," Ferentz said.

Penn State head coach James Franklin denied after the game that his team was faking injuries.

"They don't run a tempo offense. It was not part of our plan," he said. "... We had some guys get injured, and I just don't know if I necessarily agree. I don't think that's the right thing for college football, booing guys when they get hurt, however it looks."

Ferentz said the American Football Coaches Association hopes the NCAA will look into potential rule changes that would stop teams from faking injuries to help slow the momentum of offenses. The coach said two current staff members worked on teams that encouraged the practice and had code words for when to do it.

Some Iowa fans clearly believed Penn State was faking injuries on Saturday.  

Iowa now has the inside track in the Big Ten to the College Football Playoff following a massive 23-20 victory over No. 4 Penn State on Saturday at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.

Spencer Petras hit a wide-open Nico Ragaini for a 44-yard touchdown pass with 6:26 left in the game to give Iowa its first lead since the opening frame.

TOUCHDOWN HAWKEYES 🔥

Nico Ragaini comes up HUGE for @HawkeyeFootball pic.twitter.com/COYqsyeR9T

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 9, 2021

With his team backed up on its own 8-yard line, James Franklin opted to go for it on fourth down. Ta'Quan Roberson threw his second interception with 2:13 remaining to effectively doom the Nittany Lions to a defeat.

Penn State was rolling along in the second quarter up 17-3. Then Sean Clifford exited with an undisclosed injury after going 15-of-25 for 146 yards and two interceptions. Despite playing less than a full half, he finished as the team's leading rusher (36 yards).

Clifford's injury turned the contest into a war of attrition as the two teams combined for 592 yards.

With the win, the No. 3 Hawkeyes are now one of three unbeaten teams left in the conference alongside No. 9 Michigan and No. 11 Michigan State.

---

Notable Performers

Ta'Quan Roberson, QB, Penn State: 7-of-21, 34 yards, two interceptions; 10 carries, 27 yards

KeAndre Lambert-Smith, WR, Penn State: five receptions, 61 yards

Spencer Petras, QB, Iowa: 17-of-31, 195 yards, two touchdowns, one interception

Tyler Goodson, RB, Iowa: 25 carries, 88 yards; two receptions, 16 yards

Nico Ragaini, WR, Iowa: four receptions, 73 yards, one touchdown

---

Iowa Survives

Iowa entered the game averaging the 12th-fewest yards (320) in FBS. The Hawkeyes were also 63rd in offensive drive efficiency and 48th in offensive points per drive, according to Football Outsiders.

An opportunistic defense can carry a team a long way, but Iowa's inability to move the ball consistently is going to be a problem sooner or later. Just not on Saturday.

The offense wasn't capitalizing on the excellent field position it often had thanks to the defense.

#Iowa's defense hasn't been as dominant this half, but it provided the offense with three interceptions, which the offense converted into three points.

Not good.

— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) October 9, 2021

Petras didn't have much luck targeting wide receivers on shorter throws after Penn State defensive coordinator Brent Pry and the Nittany Lions coaching staff drew up a game plan to remove that option.

https://twitter.com/billdifilippo/status/1446964234349318145

Penn State just moved Petras off the point on that 3rd down with a 2 man rush. Drop 9 and they were able to cover shallow crosses and have LBs under intermediate with safeties on top.

— Michael Felder (@InTheBleachers) October 9, 2021

Because of that, life was almost more difficult for Iowa as it got closer and closer to the goal line. Midway through the fourth quarter, a 42-yard reception by Keagan Johnson set the Hawkeyes up with a 1st-and-goal from the Penn State 8-yard line. They had to settle for a 36-yard field goal by Caleb Shudak after Petras was sacked on third down.

Still, the Hawkeyes were only one big play away from taking control of the game because of how well its defense and special teams performed. Ragaini's pivotal catch was exactly that moment.

---

Clifford Injury Grounds Penn State Offense

Roberson had a shaky introduction to the game.

The redshirt sophomore fumbled his first snap, and Penn State was flagged for three straight false starts as it went three-and-out on his first possession. The Nittany Lions' next drive ended in an interception by Riley Moss on second down.

ANOTHER @HawkeyeFootball INTERCEPTION! pic.twitter.com/ZhesMIkCGD

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 9, 2021

When Clifford was shown without his pads to open the second half—all but confirming he wouldn't return—the alarm bells started ringing for Penn State.

Sean Clifford looking like the most valuable player in America, given what Penn State has done offensively without him.

— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) October 9, 2021

It didn't help that Hawkeyes punter Tory Taylor pinned the Nittany Lions deep into their own territory. Driving the length of the field would've been difficult enough with Clifford under center. The task became even more hard with Roberson.

Penn State has started drives at the 1-, 2- and 3-yard line today. Better chance of the Pirates winning 100 games in '22 than the Nittany Lions going 99 here with the way this offense has looked since Ta'Quan Roberson took over.

— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) October 9, 2021

But Penn State was the equivalent of a weary boxer desperate to run out the clock late in a fight. The Nittany Lions were only able to dodge the knockout blow for so long.

Roberson was a 4-star recruit and the No. 8 dual-threat quarterback in 247Sports' composite rankings for 2019. The New Jersey native isn't without talent, and Saturday's circumstances were less than ideal for his first meaningful snaps.

But Penn State could be in real trouble if Clifford's injury is bad enough to knock him out for multiple games.

---

What's Next?

Iowa hosts Purdue on Oct. 16 at 3:30 p.m. ET, while Penn State has a week off before welcoming Illinois to Happy Valley on Oct. 23.

For the first time in history, Saturday's Iowa-Iowa State game pitted two teams ranked inside the top 10.

After Saturday, it may be a long time before the Cyclones find themselves back there.

The Iowa defense forced four turnovers, including three interceptions of Brock Purdy, as the Hawkeyes cruised to a 27-17 win over their in-state rivals.

Spencer Petras played the role of able game manager and Tyler Goodson helped grind the clock down on the ground, but it was the Iowa defense that took the starring role. Matt Hankins picked off two passes from a struggling Purdy, who was benched in the fourth quarter, and Jack Campbell took a Breece Hall fumble to the house in the third quarter.

Iowa has now won six straight and holds a 46-22 overall record against Iowa State in their head-to-head matchups.

---

Notable Stats

Iowa State

QB Brock Purdy: 13-27, 138 yards, 3 INT
RB Breece Hall: 16 carries, 69 yards, 1 TD

Iowa

QB Spencer Petras: 11-21, 106 yards, 1 TD
RB Tyler Goodson: 21 carries, 55 yards, 1 TD
DB Matt Hankins: 2 INT

Iowa State Early Leader for Most Overrated Team of 2021 Preseason

Yikes.

The Cyclones entered 2021 with some of the highest expectations in program history and have turned in two straight stinkers. Last week's 16-10 win over Northern Illinois was an offensive abomination that sent Iowa State back two spots in the rankings, and it wouldn't be a surprise if the Cyclones were outside the top 20 after this performance.

Purdy does not look anything like the efficient quarterback of his previous three seasons who got some Heisman buzz entering 2021. Hall, who looked like a superstar in last season's 1,572-yard, 21-touchdown breakout, has been ordinary for two straight weeks.

Matt Campbell, who won Big 12 Coach of the Year in three of the last four seasons, has had no answers or adjustments the first two weeks.

This has been a surprising fall from grace for a team that returned a ton of talent from last year's Fiesta Bowl winner.

The good news? Last season began with an ugly loss to Louisiana before Campbell and Co. righted the ship for an 8-1 Big 12 record.

---

Penn State vs. Iowa Has Game of the Year Potential

Sorry to anyone in Happy Valley or Iowa City who feels that headline is a jinx, because it's true.

Iowa does not have a major test before its Oct. 9 trip to Penn State. The Hawkeyes are home for Kent State and Colorado State before a road game against a Maryland team few expect  to make an impact this season.

Penn State has a difficult test next week against Auburn, but then two highly winnable games against Villanova and Indiana the following two weeks. If the Nittany Lions are able to get by Auburn, the overwhelming odds are we'll be getting a battle between 5-0—and potentially Top Five—opponents.

With Ohio State falling to Oregon on Saturday, the top of the Big Ten is wide open for the Lions or Hawkeyes to run through. 

The Jacksonville Jaguars and head coach Urban Meyer have been subpoenaed in connection to the hiring and quick resignation of former Iowa strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle.

Garry Smits of the Florida Times-Union reported the subpoenas are part of a civil lawsuit filed against Iowa by eight former members of the Hawkeyes football team.

"We respect and will cooperate with the legal process as required," the Jaguars said in a statement. "However, the Jaguars have no information that would be relevant to the lawsuit between student-athletes and the University of Iowa."

According to Smits, the plaintiffs are looking for a separation agreement between Doyle and the team, his resume, and any communication between Doyle and team officials since January 2021, among other documents.

The school reached a separation agreement with Doyle in June 2020 after he faced allegations of mistreating players.

Former defensive back Emmanuel Rugamba alleged Doyle told a player once during a weightlifting session that he'd "put you back on the streets."

Former linebacker Terrance Pryor said Doyle once suggested he should take up rowing before adding, "Oh wait, Black people don't like boats in water do they??"

Iowa commissioned an investigation into the program by the law firm Husch Blackwell. The scope of the investigation expanded beyond Doyle and into the wider culture the coaches had cultivated.

"In sum, the program's rules perpetuated racial or cultural biases and diminished the value of cultural diversity," the firm said. "The program over-monitored players to the point that they experienced heightened anxiety and maintained a culture that allowed a small group of coaches to demean players."

That led many to criticize the Jaguars for bringing Doyle onto the staff. He had never worked in an NFL coaching role, either, which was another point of contention.

The Fritz Pollard Alliance said Meyer's explanation for the hire "reflects the good ol' boy network that is precisely the reason there is such a disparity in employment opportunities for Black coaches."

Statement from the Fritz Pollard Alliance on the ‘Failure of Leadership by the Jacksonville Jaguars’: pic.twitter.com/Hcz9NHYh1z

— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) February 12, 2021

Doyle resigned in February, one day after accepting the job of director of sports performance.

Meyer also addressed the situation in March and told reporters he "saw the impact of the decision and the distraction it caused."

Iowa announced head football coach Kirk Ferentz has tested positive for COVID-19 in a release sent out Friday.

The Hawkeyes' season-ending game against Michigan was already canceled amid a COVID-19 outbreak for the Wolverines. 

It is unclear if Ferentz will coach in Iowa's bowl game. The Big Ten requires a 10-day quarantine period for coaches who test positive, which would keep Ferentz out into the bowl season. Iowa is likely to play in the Duke's Mayo Bowl on Dec. 30, making Ferentz eligible to return by then.

The Hawkeyes went 6-2 in the regular season and were one of three schools (Penn State and Rutgers) to play eight games in 2020. Ferentz has led Iowa to eight straight winning seasons, and this will be the school's 18th bowl appearance of his tenure.

"We have been fortunate this season to have played eight games and to have very few positive cases," Ferentz said in a statement. "When the team returns to practice on Tuesday, I will participate via Zoom and our collective focus will be on preparing for the bowl game."

Five Big Ten coaches (Wisconsin's Paul Chryst, Purdue's Jeff Brohm, Mayland's Mike Locksley and Ohio State's Ryan Day) have had confirmed positive COVID-19 tests during the 2020 season. 

Iowa wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette appeared to suffer a lower leg injury after front-flipping into the end zone to cap a 53-yard touchdown catch and give the Hawkeyes a 20-7 lead over Wisconsin on Saturday:

🔥 @_ihmirr_ always puts on a show for @HawkeyeFootball pic.twitter.com/AdpeqyGnKt

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 12, 2020

Per Scott Dochterman of The Athletic, Smith-Marsette was seen with a walking boot on his left ankle on the sidelines and missed the remainder of the game. He departed with 1:23 remaining in the third quarter after catching seven passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns.

Smith, a senior playing his last-ever game at Iowa's Kinnick Stadium, told reporters he was fine and that he had no regrets.

"Do I regret the flip? No. Would I do it again? Yeah," Smith-Marsette said per Chad Leistikow of the Des Moines Register.

"I'm just happy we got the win. Everyone was having fun. My senior year, never going to play in Kinnick again...got to go out with a bang."

Iowa ended up taking down Wisconsin 28-7 to finish its regular season at 6-2, good enough for second place in the Big Ten's West division. Smith finished first on the team with 345 receiving yards.