Gophers Suffer First Loss of the Season Against Iowa

The University of Minnesota football team lost their first game of the season on the road in Iowa on Saturday.

Iowa got ahead early, outscoring Minnesota 13-0 in the opening quarter. The Gophers got on the board in the second with a field goal to close the gap to 13-3. The Hawkeyes pushed their lead out again, but the Gophers hit their second field goal to enter the locker room down 20-6 at the half.

Unlike the opening quarter, the third was all Minnesota who outscored Iowa 7-0 to make it a one-possession game. The Hawkeyes knocked in a field goal in the fourth quarter and the Gophers trailed by ten. Minnesota scored one more touchdown before the clock ran out, but failed the extra point attempt and could not rally in the final four minutes to win the game. Iowa took it 23-19.

Tanner Morgan completed 25 of 36 for 368 yards and a touchdown. Rodney Smith had 14 carries for 46 yards and a touchdown and Tyler Johnson finished with nine catches for 170 yards and a touchdown.

The Gophers fall to 9-1 and 6-1 Big Ten. They will travel to Northwestern on Saturday. Kick-off is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on AM 1390 Granite City Sports.