Iowa Falls to Indiana in Heartbreaking Fashion

There's a debate in sports about whether it's better to lose a close game as an underdog or just get the blowout over with. It seems like a no-brainer at first, but the pain of letting a huge win slip away is intense enough to make the blowout side have some merit.

Unfortunately, the Iowa Hawkeyes experienced that pain on Saturday, falling to the Indiana Hoosiers 20-15 at home after having their opponent right where they wanted them.

Coming into this game, Iowa's key to victory was undoubtedly slowing down Indiana's high-powered offense. The Hoosiers just scored 63 points last week in an absolute beatdown of Illinois, and after the Hawkeyes' shaky defensive performance against Rutgers, they knew they had to be much better.

The cruel part is, they were much better in this game. Heck, they were great. The Hawkeyes held Fernando Mendoza and co. in check for most of the day, and Zach Lutmer had the play of his career when he intercepted a pass in Indiana territory with under three minutes left.

Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) passes the ball against the Iowa Hawkeyes Sept. 27, 2025 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

That's where the true heartbreak took place, though. After not getting much going on offense, the Hawkeyes sent Drew Stevens out for a 42-yard field goal to try and take the lead before the two-minute timeout, but he hooked it wide to the left.

Five plays later, Mendoza found Elijah Sarratt on a slant route, and the wideout broke away for a 49-yard touchdown to take the lead. The Hoosiers defense then held strong on the final drive to seal the victory. A safety on the final play of the game gave the Hawkeyes a couple extra points, but did nothing to change the final result.

Mark Gronwoski completed 19 of 25 passes for 144 yards and an interception, but did not finish the game due to injury. Backup quarterback Hank Brown struggled in relief, completing just five of 13 passes for 48 yards and a pick. Kamari Moulton ran for 75 yards on 18 carries.

For the Hoosiers, Mendoza completed 13 of 23 passes for 233 yards, two touchdowns and the aforementioned interception. Sarratt caught six passes for 132 yards and the go-ahead touchdown.

As the Hawkeyes look to cleanse themselves of this loss, they'll have a bye week to reflect before travelling to face Wisconsin on Oct. 11.

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