One of the words that Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery chose to describe his team was fragile. Illinois head coach John Groce, on the other hand, used words such as resiliency, toughness, and heart to describe the Fighting Illini. It’s easy to see how a close, back-and-forth game would go the Illini’s way. After Iowa’s overtime loss to Michigan State back on January 28, McCaffery questioned his team’s toughness, placing the blame for the loss to the Spartans on the Hawkeyes’ lack of it. At the time, it seemed like a one-game lapse that had angered the Iowa head coach. … Continued
Trapped in the Box
The Hawkeyes fell three points short in Ames, trapped in the same box they’ve always played in. Cautious routes and a passing game that refuses to breathe. Even glimpses of promise, like Gronowski’s 22-yard completion, couldn’t break them free from their rectangle of comfort.