HALFTIME BREAKDOWN: Hawkeyes move the ball, but can't get points

Breaking down the first half of Saturday's Iowa-Michigan game.

First Quarter

Michigan’s first drive started with back-to-back Zack Charbonnet 7-yard runs, but three Shea Patterson incompletions ended the drive.

Iowa got the ball at its own 21, and immediately lost it when Mekhi Sargent fumbled on the first play of the possession. The Wolverines recovered at the 18.

A big hit by Kristian Welch on a third-down pass from Patterson to Nico Collins stopped the Wolverines two yards short of a first down, and Michigan had to settle for a Jake Moody 28-yard field goal and a 3-0 lead.

Iowa came back with a first down right away, a 12-yard pass from Nate Stanley to Brandon Smith. But Sargent gained five yards on two runs, then Stanley threw an incompletion to end the drive.

The Wolverines struck quickly after the Iowa punt. Patterson threw a 51-yard pass down the middle to Collins, who made the catch blanketed by Iowa’s D.J. Johnson. That set up Charbonnet’s 2-yard touchdown run that gave Michigan a 10-0 lead.

Ihmir Smith-Marsette took the ensuing kickoff 37 yards to the 50, but the Hawkeyes could do nothing. Stanley threw an incomplete pass that was tipped, and then was sacked for a six-yard loss. A handoff to Sargent went five yards, and the drive was over.

The Wolverines did their best to give the ball back to Iowa. Two fumbles were recovered by Michigan, then Patterson was intercepted by Geno Stone. But two plays later Stanley threw his first interception of the season.

Iowa finally started moving the ball to close the quarter. Two first-down passes from Stanley to freshman Tyler Goodson got the Hawkeyes to the Michigan 24 as the quarter ended.

Key play

Sargent’s fumble, only the second of the season for Iowa, set the Hawkeyes on their heels for most of the quarter.

By the numbers

• Michigan ran 19 plays for 101 yards, Iowa had 57 yards on 18 plays.

• Iowa had more first downs that Michigan, 4-3.

• Iowa led in time of possession, 8:11-6:49.

Nate Stanley had 0 interceptions coming into today.@UMichFootball just picked him off for the second time ✌️ pic.twitter.com/EnXbVl3zYJ
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 5, 2019

Second Quarter

Iowa finally gets some points. A 14-play, 61-yard drive that took 6:25 off the clock ended with Keith Duncan’s 22-yard field goal, and Michigan’s lead was 10-3.

The Wolverines got a first down on their next possession, but a big tackle by Stone on a third-and-9 run by Charbonnet stopped the drive.

Iowa had another grinding drive, but got nothing out of it. An intentional grounding call on Stanley helped kill the possession at the Michigan 37, and the Hawkeyes were forced to punt.

Iowa defensive end A.J. Epenesa made his presence felt on the first play after the punt, sacking Patterson for an 8-yard loss to start a three-and-out possession for the Wolverines.

The Hawkeyes were on another long drive — a 20-yard pass from Stanley to Ihmir Smith-Marsette on third-and-10 got the ball into Michigan territory. But another Stanley interception two plays later silenced the drive. The Wolverines got to their own 45 and the half looked to be over, but Iowa’s Chauncey Golston was called for an illegal hands-to-the-face penalty. That gave Michigan an untimed down from Iowa’s 40, but Quinn Nordin’s 58-yard field goal missed..

Key play

Iowa had a third-and-22 from its own 8 when Stanley threw a 34-yard pass to Brandon Smith down the right sideline.

By the numbers

• Iowa had three first-half turnovers. The Hawkeyes lost just one turnover in their first four games.

• Iowa had a time-of-possession edge: 17:08-12:52.

• Iowa ran 37 plays for 129 yards, Michigan ran 32 plays for 159 yards.

• Stanley was sacked three times.

Add us as a preferred source on Google