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Iowa kick returner throws illegal forward pass

Iowa kick returner Jonathan Parker thought he was making a heads-up play when he tried to avoid stepping out of bounds inside his own 10-yard line. 

Parker tried to throw the ball to a teammate. Because this is something a kick returner does not do, the teammate was unprepared. The ball fell to the ground and was scooped up by Tennessee.

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Luckily for Parker, it wasn't a fumble. The pass was forward, which is illegal but allowed the Hawkeyes to keep possession. They started the drive in the shadow of their own end zone, gained one first down and punted. 

It was part of a disastrous first half for Iowa, which trailed 35-7 at the break.

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- Dan Gartland