Here is a little data for you to consider. Now I added this up looking at the play by play so I could be off by a number here or there but the overall trend still applies. In the first half we ran 32 plays and in the second half we ran 34 plays. Pretty even number of total plays. Here is the breakdown by half:
- First half: 27 run and 5 pass plays scoring 14 points and no turnovers
- Second half: 14 run and 20 pass plays scoring7 points and 2 turnovers
The running game was working in the first half and Iowa did not have an answer for it. We ran the ball 84% of the time and were mixing it up. In the second half we ran the ball only 41% of the time, and after we scored the touchdown early in the 3rd quarter to go up 21-6, our run/pass ratio went down to 28% runs and 72% passes. These play calls happened when we had a lead and simply needed to protect that lead with a QB starting his first game.