Once Iowa’s running game got going, it kept going strong. This meant Kaleb Johnson had to carry the ball more than ever before.
Johnson rushed for 164 yards and a touchdown on a career-high 35 carries, and Kamari Moulton added a 68-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to help Iowa defeat Maryland 29-13 on Saturday.
“Doesn’t take a Knute Rockne to figure this one out,” said Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz. “Coming in we wanted to be able to run the football. That’s what we do best.”
Johnson scored a 2-yard touchdown in the second quarter for his 21st rushing touchdown of the season, and the Hawkeyes (7-4, 5-3 Big Ten) bounced back from their loss to UCLA in their last game.
Maryland (4-7, 1-7) needed to win its last two regular-season games to reach six wins and become bowl eligible, but the Terrapins struggled in the first half and ended up trailing 16-0.
Drew Stevens kicked five field goals for Iowa, including kicks from 54 yards in the second quarter and 50 and 49 yards in the third quarter.
Iowa, which doesn’t often play fast, ran 46 offensive plays in the first half. The Hawkeyes held onto the ball for more than six minutes on each of their first three possessions, leading to a fumble, a field goal, and Johnson’s touchdown.
“I thought the first half really played out about as well as we could outside the turnover,” said Ferentz, whose son Brian is an offensive assistant at Maryland. “Controlling the ball, keeping it on the ground, and trying to keep their quarterback off the field.”
Maryland switched quarterbacks, replacing Billy Edwards Jr. with backup MJ Morris after two unsuccessful possessions, but the Terps were still behind 13-0 at halftime. Edwards returned to the game and led Maryland all the way to the Iowa 3-yard line in the third quarter, but he was hurt in a hit from defensive back Xavier Nwankpa.
“The kid’s a warrior. He’s been banged up all year,” said Maryland coach Mike Locksley. “I very rarely come in and talk about injuries because those are excuses, and I’m not about that. Billy came to me and said, ‘Coach, I want to try to go.’ And he really gave us a chance.”
Morris took over and finished the drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Tai Felton, making the score 16-6, but the 2-point conversion attempt failed. Morris then threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Felton, bringing Maryland within 19-13 with 11:05 left to play. However, Iowa responded quickly with Moulton’s long touchdown run less than two minutes later.
