Out of Towner: The Dream Is Dead

Today has not been a good day.  It's Saturday night and here I sit in front of my computer.  Alone, sad and sober.  I'm too damned depressed to drink!  That's never happened.  Why?  Because the dream is dead. 

In front of a sellout crowd at Kinnick Stadium, our beloved Hawkeyes, the team everyone loves to hate, fell 17-10 to Northwestern.  After the best start in the history of the program, the Hawkeyes, minus quarterback Ricky Stanzi, just couldn't hold on to an early lead to extend their national title hopes.  They never gave up.  They never stopped believing.  They just came up short.  And now the dream is dead.

Here's how it happened.  On Iowa's first drive Stanzi hit Marvin McNutt over the middle for a 74 yard TD pass.  After a quick 3 and out by the Northwestern offense Iowa quickly scored again on a 39 yard Daniel Murray field goal.  10-0 five minutes into the game.  Early in the second quarter is when things started to go really bad.  On a questionable call at best, Stanzi attempted a naked bootleg from his own endzone (seriously Ken O'Keefe?  WTF were you thinking?) only to run directly into a lumbering defensive end.  This of course led to a fumble in the endzone resulting in a Northwestern touchdown. 

Worse than that, it also resulted in Stanzi leaving the game with a sprained ankle.  He will likely miss the rest of the season.

Now I know I have not been a fervent supporter of Stanzi, but I most definitely would rather have him on the field than any other Iowa QB.  This however, is now not an option.  Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to introduce freshman backup quarterback James Vandenberg.  Mr. Vandenburg happened to be unlucky enough to experience his first Big Ten playing time under quite possibly the most pressure any quarterback in college football history has ever made his grand entrance.  And he responded to this by.... throwing and interception on his very first attempt.  Oh shit.

The rest of the game is too depressing to write about.  All you really need to know is that Iowa never scored again and Northwestern did.  No more national title hopes.  Hell, no more top 10 ranking (which is bullshit, but I'll get to that another time).  And no Ricki Stanzi next week against Ohio State.  Oh shit. 

All that being said, I'd like to remind all of you Hawkeye fans to be proud of your Hawkeyes.  They are still a great team who has done what no other team in school history has done.  While 9-1 doesn't look nearly as good as 10-0, it is still a great record and has been a great season.  The Hawkeye nation can hold its head up high.  I may cry myself to sleep tonight, but I am damn proud of the Iowa Hawkeye football players.

Questions and comments can be sent to pixleyjackson@yahoo.com.

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