Kirk Ferentz rips Iowa after Minnesota takes Floyd

Kirk Ferentz is usually as measured as they come at the podium. Saturday wasn't one of those nights, and he barely got around to praising the team that beat him.

GopherHole.com

@GopherHole

Almost 2 minutes of Kirk Ferentz’s opening statement and just ripped the Iowa game, and gave two “compliments”... “Thought both teams played hard and competed hard” “We certainly have to play better than we did tonight, not to discredit our opponent.” t.co/RvSHEr0N79

Hard to blame him when you look at how Iowa lost. The Hawkeyes gave up a blocked punt right off the bat and then turned it over 4 times. Ferentz said so himself: "You get a blocked punt right off the bat, end up with four turnovers. So, it's really unrealistic to think we can win a conference game doing that." He also called the 4 loose balls "very uncharacteristic" of his team. That was the problem in one sentence. Iowa's whole identity is not beating itself, and in Minneapolis it beat itself over and over.

Even so, it took Minnesota until the very end to cash in. Luke Drzewiecki hit a 46-yarder with seconds left to make it 13-10 at Huntington Bank Stadium, and the pig went back to Minnesota. It's the Gophers' first home win over Iowa since 2014, and only the second time PJ Fleck has beaten Ferentz in 10 tries. The other one was 2023 in Iowa City. In a rivalry Iowa has owned for a decade, that's a big deal.

Iowa's own local TV didn't take it any easier than the head coach did. One KCCI anchor gave the loss a line that will be hard to top.

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“A frustrating failure of Floyd proportions.” - @KCCINews anchor t.co/QeXmeh1BTN

Gophers fans, on the other hand, were busy with the history books. The number everyone landed on was 1978, which fans said was the last time Minnesota had all 3 of its rivalry trophies in the building at once.

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First time since 1978!!! #InFleckWeTrust

Quaade Blue

@SashaWe15747849

I am 45 years old. This is the only time in my life all 3 have been in the trophy case at one time. PJ is the only coach who accomplished this.

For Iowa, the fallout goes beyond special teams. Ferentz said the staff would "reassess everything tomorrow" about the quarterback switch, which means the position is officially up for debate again for a 15th-ranked team that just dropped a conference game. He doesn't have long to sort it out. Iowa hosts Wisconsin for homecoming on October 31. For Minnesota, Fleck finally has a signature win over the coach who has had his number, and Floyd is back on the Gophers' sideline for at least a year.