Iowa City is upset city: Hawkeyes use walk-off field goal to stun Michigan

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Down goes Michigan.

On a college football Saturday full of stunning losses by the country's highest-ranked teams, the Wolverines were not immune, buried by the Iowa Hawkeyes on a last-second field goal in Iowa City that sent third-ranked Michigan to its first loss of the season by a 14-13 score.

The Wolverines took a 13-11 lead in the fourth quarter on a 51-yard field goal by Kenny Allen, and after the Hawkeyes went three and out, the two teams traded interceptions, Wilton Speight throwing a third-down pick inside the Iowa 40-yard line and C.J. Beathard throwing one five plays later on a deep-ball attempt.

But like it did so many times prior, the Hawkeye defense came up big, giving its team a chance by forcing a three and out, the Wolverines punting from its own 18-yard line and then gifting the Hawkeyes 15 yards with a facemask penalty. Akrum Wadley picked up 10 yards on the first play of the series, and Beathard converted a third down with an eight-yard run that set up Keith Duncan's 33-yard field-goal try from the Michigan 15. The kick was good, and Iowa handed Michigan its first loss of 2016.

It was no surprise to see the Wolverines defense do its job, holding the Hawkeyes to just one trip to the end zone. But the Iowa defense, which just last weekend allowed 41 points and nearly 600 yards in a loss to Penn State, was similarly spectacular, holding Michigan to just one touchdown and only 201 yards of offense.

The Wolverines punted six times, kicked a pair of field goals and were tackled in the end zone for a safety, a terrific effort from the Hawkeyes' defense.

Michigan actually held a 10-0 lead in this game, Allen kicking his first field goal of the night from the Iowa eight-yard line in the first quarter. The next drive ended in a Wolverines touchdown, Ty Isaac running in from seven yards out to cap a 72-yard drive.

The Hawkeyes got on the board with a second-quarter safety, De'Veon Smith tackled in the end zone two plays after an Iowa punt pinned Michigan's offense at its own two-yard line. Two three and outs followed the free kick, but Iowa found points once more in the second quarter, Beathard hitting Wadley on a short touchdown throw to finish off a drive that started around midfield. But the Hawkeyes came up empty on the two-point conversion attempt and remained down 10-8 at halftime.

Iowa took a lead on Duncan's 25-yard field goal on the first drive of the second half. From there, the defenses continued to dominate, the teams punting four straight times in the third quarter. The fourth quarter started during the Michigan drive that ended in Allen's long go-ahead field goal, and then came the late-game heroics.

It was an uncharacteristically brutal offensive night for a Wolverines team that has been dominating every opponent this season. Michigan was held under 100 rushing yards and barely eclipsed that mark through the air. The Wolverines turned the ball over twice, committed five penalties and lost the time-of-possession battle. Speight completed 11 passes for 103 yards and an interception. Chris Evans was Michigan's leading rusher, with 52 yards on eight carries, but Smith could only gain 28 yards on his 12 carries.

Iowa wasn't terribly effective on offense, either, gaining just 230 yards total. Beathard completed just eight passes for 66 yards, a touchdown and an interception. But Wadley had a big day running the ball, gaining 115 yards on 23 carries. He added 52 yards receiving.

The loss by Michigan throws many races into complete chaos. The Big Ten East Division remains up for grabs, but Penn State — which survived Indiana earlier in the day thanks to 24 points in the fourth quarter — now has a real good shot of making a trip to Indy. If Ohio State beats Michigan in the regular-season finale and Penn State wins out, the Nittany Lions, who hold the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Buckeyes, would represent the East in Indianapolis. Meanwhile, the Wolverines entered the weekend as the No. 3 team in the College Football Playoff rankings. Their loss would normally appear catastrophic to their chances of reaching the Playoff, but No. 2 Clemson and No. 4 Washington also suffered their first losses of the season Saturday, making it anyone's guess who's ranked where come Tuesday. The Wolverines still control their own destiny to reach Indy and play for a conference title, though. Michigan, 9-1 overall and 6-1 in conference play, wraps the regular season with games against Indiana and Ohio State.

The win was a great one for Iowa, which has had a fairly disastrous season after going a perfect 12-0 in the regular season a year ago. The Hawkeyes now sit at 6-4 overall and 4-3 in the Big Ten, achieving bowl eligibility with Saturday's victory. They have two more regular-season games remaining against Illinois and Nebraska.

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