Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz and defensive end Joe Evans met with the media following the loss to discuss what went wrong for the Hawkeyes in the loss. You can read everything they had to say about their offensive struggles below, as well as not being able to slow down Tennessee’s offense at times.
FERENTZ: Okay. Well, certainly disappointing end to a really special season and a really special group of people. Our players, our staff, just thought they did a phenomenal job all year long. I am just really proud of their efforts, going back to January, but certainly, since we got going in August. Yeah, we competed. I thought we prepared well. Obviously, we just were not up to it. Tennessee played an outstanding game. Awful lot of credit to our opponent. Clearly the self-inflicted things, the things that you cannot do if you are going to win football games, whether it is not making the makeables offensively, penalties, penalties at inopportune times, and turnovers is as important a stat as there and certainly back to the game today. That part was disappointing.
Their offense, they are really well-coached, and they really present some unique challenges for our defensive football team. I thought we gave up a couple drives there, but settled in and were doing a lot of good things there. They are a tough challenge. There is no question about that.
So just questions about the future, all that stuff, really not worried too much about that right now. Do not want to get too global with my thinking, but my thoughts are really with these players and the stories that they are, especially our senior class. It has been a great, great group of guys, and Joe is representative of that, stayed for his sixth year. Just hard-working guys that really care about the right things. They have been great teammates, and then these guys have been great, great leaders. It is always tough when you have to say good-bye to the guys that played their final game. Some guys are going to the NFL. Some guys are going to certainly attempt for that, and wish them the best. At some point everybody gets on to their adult life and their life’s work, and I am really confident that they will all do really well. They are all just top-notch guys. Just appreciate their efforts, the leadership they gave us, everything they have done.
Yeah, just really proud of our football team. Disappointing today. Never feels good after a loss. Cannot remember one. If you do this, compete, any time you go out there, it could go this way. The game is humbling. Always has been. Always will be. I have to encourage everybody to step back. It is a ten-win season, Big Ten West champs and a lot of really good moments, and these guys have really overcome a lot of adversity and a lot of unique challenges. Those are things that will really serve them well moving forward as they go into their adult lives. For the guys coming back, we will build off this, but just really proud of everybody.
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