Hoosiers crash homecoming party with win

In the past 32 games at Kinnick Stadium, the Iowa Hawkeyes had only lost four times. Apparently, that didn’t matter to the IU football team, which handed Iowa its fifth loss in 33 home games with a 38-20 win Saturday. Though Hawkeye fans were disappointed at losing their homecoming game, IU senior fullback Josiah Sears couldn’t have been happier.\n“This is great because this is one of the top possible environments there is in the Big Ten,” said Sears, who caught seven passes and ran for two touchdowns. “Seventy-one thousand people screaming their heads off when we came out there, and we didn’t let it affect us. We came out and played hard from the get-go. It’s an excellent win.”\nComing off a disappointing loss to Illinois last week, the Hoosiers won just their fourth Big Ten road game since the start of 2001, but have now beaten Iowa for the second year in a row.\nSophomore quarterback Kellen Lewis led IU on the offensive end, completing 19 of 26 passing attempts for a career-high 322 yards and three touchdowns. But it was the Hoosier defense that played larger than life, recording a season-high nine sacks, 3.5 from sophomore defensive lineman Jammie Kirlew – a career high.\n“You sure noticed him out there, but I didn’t know the number until I got in,” IU coach Bill Lynch said. “He’s just one of those hardworking guys that just kept going.”\nOut of the starting gates, the Hoosiers dictated the pace On third and 11 from the Iowa 39-yard line, Lewis threw a strike to junior wide receiver James Hardy over the middle. Hardy, who had inside position on the defensive back, sprinted down the middle of the field for a touchdown.\n“If we just tackle him there, at least we live to fight another day,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. “But we didn’t do that. So he made the play, got the first, then he finished it. And that’s what good players do. And he’s an excellent football player.”\nStunning a crowd of 70,000-plus to open the game, the Hoosiers continued an impressive first-half performance on their following drive.\nStarting from the 16-yard line, IU began an 84-yard drive that included a 48-yard bomb to Hardy, who finished with four catches, 113 yards and a touchdown. Four plays later, Lewis rolled to his right and hit sophomore Ray Fisher for a 4-yard touchdown pass.\nHaving been unsuccessful using conventional plays, Ferentz then decided to mix up the Hawkeye playbook and give the Hoosiers a different look. On numerous running plays, Iowa ran fake reverses and also attempted a flea flicker that resulted in a sack by Tracy Porter.\n“Once I saw him toss the ball back, there’s no point in trying to find a receiver to cover, so I just ran in and tried to record a sack,” Porter said.\nThough Ferentz tried to mix it up, the IU defense still found ways to abuse Iowa quarterback Jake Christensen. The sophomore was sacked five times in the first half and was unable to get into any consistent rhythm.\nAfter the Hawkeyes were forced to punt again, the Hoosiers looked to capitalize. On the third play of the drive, Lewis hit Sears for a gain of eight yards, only to see Sears fumble. \nFortunately for Lewis, the ball bounced right to him. After picking up the ball, Lewis ran 71 yards and flipped over the goal line into the end zone, giving the Hoosiers a 21-0 lead. The play was the longest offensive fumble return in IU history.\n“My first instinct was to just grab it,” Lewis said. “I was thinking about diving on it, but it took kind of a funny bounce and popped up into the air about knee high, so I just scooped it and ran.”\nAt the end of the first half, Iowa added a touchdown on a Hail Mary pass that was deflected by several IU defenders but was still caught.\nThe start of the second half looked bright for the Hoosiers. On its second possession, IU started in Iowa territory, only to fumble twice – the second of which resulted in a turnover that led to an Iowa touchdown.\nEven though the crowd was back in it, the Hoosiers came right back.\nLewis led the Hoosiers 75 yards down the field, converting on a fourth-and-4 from the 27-yard line. Lewis found a streaking Brandon Walker-Roby for a 24-yard completion that set up a 1-yard running touchdown from Sears. \nThree plays later, senior cornerback Leslie Majors intercepted Christensen on Iowa’s following possession to set up a 46-yard field goal by junior kicker Austin Starr, which gave IU a commanding 31-13 lead that put the game out of the Hawkeyes’ reach for good.\nThe win improves the Hoosiers’ record to 4-1 on the season and 1-1 in the Big Ten. IU is now two wins shy of qualifying for its first bowl game since the 1993 season.\n“Each game is important and there’s not one bigger than the other,” Lynch said. “When it’s all said and done, they all count the same. But if you’re going to have a good year, you’ve got to be able to win on the road.”