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
Heartland Domination: All Iowa as the Hawkeyes shutout Wisconsin, 37-0
Iowa silenced Camp Randall with a statement 37-0 shutout over Wisconsin, reclaiming the Heartland Trophy for a fourth straight year and notching their first road shutout against the Badgers since 1929. Behind Kamari Moulton’s breakout performance and a smothering defense that snagged two interceptions from defensive linemen, the Hawkeyes looked every bit like Big Ten contenders.