Doing their part

Iowa clinches share of Big Ten title, waits on OSU

Brad Banks (right) and Jermelle Lewis (left) hope they'll be in Pasadena come January. AP

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- After time expired in Iowa's win over Minnesota, Hawkeyes fans tipped over one of the goal posts in a rather rowdy celebration.

Nobody really cared that it wasn't their stadium. After all, Iowa had clinched at least a share of its first Big Ten title since 1990 and reached 11 wins for the first time ever.

Brad Banks threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more, and Fred Russell ran for 194 yards as the No. 6 Hawkeyes forced six turnovers and beat the Golden Gophers 45-21.

Jermelle Lewis added 101 yards rushing for the Hawkeyes (11-1, 8-0), who finished undefeated in conference play for the first time since 1922.

"It was really a special win," said Kirk Ferentz, who was 11-24 in three seasons as Iowa's coach before this year. "A great day for our team, staff and coaches and for the entire state of Iowa."

The Hawkeyes win the conference title outright and qualify for the Rose Bowl if No. 2 Ohio State (12-0, 7-0) loses to Michigan at home next week. Iowa and Ohio State do meet this season.

Iowa fans storm field MINNEAPOLIS -- Thousands of Iowa fans stormed the Metrodome field on Saturday, tearing down a goal post and nearly carting one of the uprights out of the stadium following the visiting Hawkeyes' 45-21 win over Minnesota. Three people were arrested on complaints of damaging property, police said. The fans jumped the lower deck railing and massed near the Hawkeyes' bench to celebrate Iowa's unbeaten Big Ten season (8-0) and possible trip to the Rose Bowl. It appeared the crowd was starting to calm down when the public address announcer loudly urged them off the field, stating it was their "final warning." A high-pitched squeal started emanating from the loudspeakers, prompting a handful of Iowa fans, holding their ears, to head to the stands. But the majority of the gold-clad fans swarmed the goal post behind the south end zone, and after a few tries, they tipped it over onto the artificial turf. "That's, I believe, disrespectful," Minnesota receiver Antoine Burns said. "But they came out with a good victory. They deserve everything they get." The crowd began moving toward the north end, but the other goal post was surrounded by a half-dozen uniformed officers and security guards. After taking a few laps around the field, a few fans took an upright into the stadium concourse, but they stopped short of taking it out of the stadium. With the field finally cleared, Metrodome crews began assembling a replacement goal post for a small-college football game scheduled for later in the night between Concordia-St. Paul and Southwest State. The broken goal post lay in several pieces on the other end of the field. The overflow Metrodome crowd of 65,184 was at least half-filled with Hawkeyes fans, and the chants of "Let's go Hawks!" began well before the opening kickoff. "I've never seen 25,000 of the opposing team's fans at a home game," Gophers quarterback Asad Abdul-Khaliq said. "That just shows the type of team they've had. If I was an Iowa fan, I'd go anywhere, too. They've proven that they're worthy of it." There was no immediate word on any possible arrests.

The Hawkeyes, whose only loss was to Iowa State of the Big 12 on Sept. 14, won't play again for another 6 1/2 weeks and their bowl-game fate may not be decided until the final BCS standings are released on Dec. 8.

"We'll take anything right now," Banks said. "We'll just see how things weigh out."

Asad Abdul-Khaliq was 18-for-30 passing for 205 yards, two interceptions and two short touchdown runs for the Golden Gophers (7-4, 3-4), who have been bowl-eligible for a month but lost their third straight.

Minnesota finishes at Wisconsin next week in what likely will be a battle for a berth in the Sun Bowl.

"We're feeling pretty low," Abdul-Khaliq said. "We know there are things we could've done to change the outcome of the game, but obviously we didn't do those things."

Banks was 9-of-17 for 100 yards, and Russell needed just 17 carries for his yards. Their efforts, plus a dominant effort from the Hawkeyes' towering offensive line, helped Iowa win the Floyd of Rosedale bronze pig trophy for the second straight year.

"They had big holes open for me, and I just ran right through them," said Russell, who bruised his shoulder but should be recovered by bowl time.

As it usually is when the battle for Floyd is held at the Metrodome, the overflow crowd of 65,184 was at least half-filled with Hawkeyes fans, and the chants of "Let's go Hawks!" began well before the opening kickoff.

The Gophers' contingent didn't even get a chance to counter with their own cheers.

Banks, the nation's top-rated passer, and Russell led Iowa on a five-play, 80-yard scoring drive to open the game.

Banks threw two passes for 40 yards and Russell rushed three times for 35 yards, including a 10-yard TD run to make it 7-0. The Hawkeyes didn't face a second down, and their shortest gain was 5 yards -- thanks to an offsides penalty called on Minnesota.

Abdul-Khaliq, who was well-protected most of the game, threw an 11-yard TD pass to Antoine Burns to tie the game at 7 and make the stadium sound like a home game.

The Hawkeyes didn't let Minnesota keep the momentum for very long. Russell ran 53 yards on the next snap, and Lewis took a pitch from Banks and powered into the end zone from 6 yards out to put Iowa in front.

Howard Hodges stripped Abdul-Khaliq on a sack early in the second quarter and recovered the ball at the Gophers 15. Banks scored on an 11-yard scramble to his left, dragging Ken Williams in the end zone with him to make it 21-7.

A perfectly thrown ball to Maurice Brown on the next drive went for a 31-yard TD, Brown's 10th of the season.

Aided by a third-down roughing-the-passer penalty on Iowa defensive end Matt Roth, Minnesota cut the lead to 28-14 on a 1-yard keeper by Abdul-Khaliq with 32 seconds left before halftime.

Any chance the Gophers had in the second half was wiped out by turnovers.

"We can't expect to do that against anyone and win a ballgame," said Minnesota coach Glen Mason. "We have to protect the ball better."

Thomas Tapeh fumbled on the first possession -- replays showed his knee was down as Hodges popped the ball out -- and Iowa went the other way for a 3-yard TD toss from Banks to Clinton Solomon.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Iowa went for it on fourth-and-goal at the 1, and Brown lost 4 yards on a run.

But two plays later, Abdul-Khaliq fumbled. Banks sneaked in from the 1 to put the game out of reach.

After it was over, Iowa fans streamed out of the stands and mobbed the team on the sideline. Ferentz was carried off the field.

"What a special group," Ferentz said. "I appreciate those guys not dropping me, too. I want them just to enjoy this and appreciate it."

 

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