No. 15 Iowa leads Minnesota 12-0 at the end of the third quarter here at Kinnick Stadium.
Both teams struggled on their opening possessions of the half. Minnesota quarterback Adam Weber had his first pass batted down by Iowa’s Karl Klug and threw two more incompletions to force a punt.
Iowa went straight back on its first drive. Freshman Brandon Wegher, playing for the injured Adam Robinson, ran for no gain to start, followed by an incompletion by Iowa quarterback James Vandenberg. Minnesota’s Ryan Callado then sacked Vandenberg to force a Hawkeye punt.
The teams traded three-and-outs and punts for the next three drives before Iowa posted the initial first down of the half on a 28 yard strike from Vandenberg to sophomore Marvin McNutt. The play would set up a 45-yard field goal by Daniel Murray to put the Hawkeyes ahead 12-0 with 7:10 left in the quarter.
Minnesota stalled on the next drive, but were given new life by way of a roughing-the-punter penalty on redshirt freshman Jason White. Weber then connected with Da’Jon McKnight for twelve yards and a first down to the Iowa 43.
Later in the drive, Iowa stopped the Golden Gophers on a fourth-and-one to force a turnover on downs. Minnesota had converted a similar play earlier in the game.
The Hawkeyes went three-and-out to close the quarter and will have to punt to start the fourth quarter.
-by Jon Linder
