Ferenc’s reaction summed up the Hawkeyes’ night
The The Iowa Hawkeyes suffered an 18-16 loss to the No. 9 Oregon Ducks on Saturday night at Kinnick Stadium. Atticus Sappington’s 39-yard field goal with just three seconds left ended Iowa’s playoff hopes. Ferentz KirkThe man’s calm but broken reaction captured the devastating loss perfectly.
When the ball sailed through the uprights, the sidelines told the full story, via CBS Sports. Dan Lanning jumped, screamed and clapped on the Oregon sideline as his team celebrated one of its biggest wins of the season. At the other end, Kirk Ferentz stood silent and motionless. Job the head coach’s face showed pain that I came so close to a signature win only to see it slip away in the final seconds.
The game came down to two final hits that decided everything. Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski scored on a three-yard run to give the Hawkeyes a 16-15 lead with 1:51 remaining. The crowd at Kinnick Stadium erupted, sensing that a massive riot was at hand.
But Oregon quarterback Dante Moore had other plans. He led a clutch 10-play drive down the field, completing five critical passes for 47 yards. The Ducks methodically moved into field goal range as the clock ticked down. Sappington stepped up under pressure and drilled the game-winner with three seconds left.
Iowa’s defense, which ranks fourth nationally in scoring defense, played tough all night. The Hawkeyes got a big boost when Drew Stevens kicked a 58-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, the longest drive in program history. Oregon ran for 261 yards on the ground, wearing down Iowa’s defense in cold, rainy conditions.
Ferentz praised the efforts of his team after the game. He called it “emblematic of November football,” where two great teams compete hard and the game comes down to inches. He told his players he had a lot to be proud of, despite the heartbreaking loss, as Sports Illustrated’s Angela Miele reported. Iowa proved it belongs among the nation’s elite, but Oregon (8-1) ran away with its playoff hopes intact.
2025-11-09 03:32:00
