Iowa Stock Index: Hawkeyes’ stock report after loss to Nebraska
The Iowa Hawkeyes fell 24-17 to the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a game that felt as though anything that could have went wrong did go wrong. From penalties, to turnovers, to injuries, the Hawkeyes could not catch a break and that came at the worst possible time of the year for it to occur.
As we enter the wait before finding out what bowl game Iowa will be headed to, there is certainly some time for reflection, both positively and what could have went differently. Luckily, the Hawkeyes get one more game. They will be in a bowl and have a chance to end this season with a win and get to a mark of 8-5.
Quite a few Hawkeyes have had their hands in the mix in this game and some did everything they could to pull of the comeback, but there are a few that are seeing their stock rising as we continue down the final stretch of the season.
Stock Rising: Luke Lachey and Nico Ragaini
Bryon Houlgrave/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK
Iowa has really seen their next great tight end begin to blossom down the stretch. On a day where Hawkeye legend Sam LaPorta was recognized for his Senior Day, Luke Lachey gave his best impression. He went for seven catches and a team-leading 89 yards.
TEU 😤
Touchdown Luke Lachey! Touchdown @HawkeyeFootball! 💪 pic.twitter.com/XrRuSWPkDi
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 25, 2022
In his final game inside Kinnick, Nico Ragaini put on his best effort of the season. The veteran receiver went out the right way with seven catches for 60 yards in an effort to help claw back into this game.
Stock Falling: Turnovers
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
During the four games prior to Nebraska, Iowa dominated the turnover battle. This game went sideways as soon as the turnover margin flipped the other way.
Iowa lost the turnover battle by a margin of four to one. Regardless of how good your defense is, this is a recipe for disaster and it reared its’ ugly head.
Stock Rising: Kaleb Johnson
Bryon Houlgrave/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK
What more can you say about Kaleb Johnson? He is a truly gifted runner and a back that is going to only get better with more time in the Hawkeyes’ program.
On the day he had 16 carries for 109 yards, with a 44-yard touchdown run to get Iowa on the board and start a bit of momentum. His stock may be the highest on the team.
Kaleb Johnson gives Iowa at least a pulse with this big 44-yard TD run 💨 pic.twitter.com/nLjrXXUu1f
— Hawkeyes Wire (@HawkeyesWire) November 25, 2022
Stock Falling: Pass defense
Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports
For the first time this season, we saw the Hawkeyes’ secondary really struggle and it was the determining factor in this matchup. Casey Thompson completed 66.7% of his passes for 278 yards and three scores.
The star for Nebraska was Trey Palmer. The receiver had nine catches for 165 yards and two touchdowns to carry the Cornhuskers’ offense.
Stock Rising: Run defense
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Iowa’s run defense was a complete brick wall on Friday. They owned the line of scrimmage and more or less eliminated the ground game.
As a team, Nebraska had 35 carries for 51 yards, which is an average of just 1.5 yards per carry.
Stock Falling: Punt returns
Bryon Houlgrave/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK
Unfortunately, the Iowa punt return team did not have their shining moment against Nebraska. There was the fumble which was detrimental to the comeback effort.
A hidden aspect is the yardage that Iowa lost when they let punts fall. Nebraska was consistently able to keep Iowa staring down long fields to do punts rolling deep into their own territory.
Market Watch: Transfer portal urgency
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
One thing to watch moving forward will be the level of urgency that the Hawkeyes have in the transfer portal moving forward, specifically the quarterback position.
Spencer Petras was recognized on Senior Day and the young quarterbacks are unknowns. The Hawkeyes’ level of urgency for an older quarterback in the transfer portal is a large storyline to watch for this offseason.
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