COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz didn’t have much positive to say about an uncharacteristically subpar performance by his football team.
“The things that we’re known for doing when we play well, I can’t think of one of those things that we did today,” Ferentz said Saturday after the Hawkeyes blew an early 14-point lead in a 38-31 defeat.
Iowa (5-2, 2-1 Big Ten) gave up 212 yards rushing, offered very little protection to quarterback Jake Rudock and was penalized seven times for 65 yards. Oh, there was also the matter of three costly turnovers, one of them an interception that provided the Terrapins (5-2, 2-1) with a pivotal fourth-quarter touchdown.
“We have a reputation of being a team that blocks cleanly, and we didn’t do that today,” Ferentz said. “We tend to defend the run pretty well and tackle well. We didn’t do that today. By my count, five major penalties. You do those kinds of things and expect to overcome them, it puts a lot of pressure on you.”
Rudock went 32 for 56 for 317 yards and two touchdowns, and Mark Weisman ran for 78 yards and two touchdowns.
But the defense couldn’t stop the Terrapins, who totaled 418 yards .