Scoggins: Gophers’ first-half good vibes went out the window with a putrid second half

There was nothing invalid about what happened Saturday night at Huntington Bank Stadium.

The Gophers got an old-fashioned thumping.

A game going one way in the first half pivoted the exact opposite direction after halftime because one team got serious and the other team looked overwhelmed and overmatched in the fight.

Floyd of Rosedale is traveling back down I-35 to Iowa after the Hawkeyes outclassed the Gophers in every possible way in the second half for a 31-14 win that should have left the home team shaken by the thoroughness of the defeat.

The opponent isn’t Rhode Island anymore.

The Hawkeyes surrendered the trophy pig last season after an invalid fair catch signal negated a late touchdown. They didn’t leave the rematch up to something wacky happening. The performance was a lesson in brute strength and what happens when a team overpowers its opponent.

Iowa’s superstar tailback Kaleb Johnson was the best player on the field, and he sucked the competitive spirit right out of the Gophers.

The statistics after halftime deserve a warning disclaimer.

Iowa outscored the Gophers 24-0, outgained them 227-66 in total yards and outrushed them 181-22.

That’s a large slice of humble pie.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz’s halftime work was splendid because the Hawkeyes had every answer on both sides of the ball. The Gophers fell apart after an inspired first half, which falls squarely in P.J. Fleck’s lap.

The game wasn’t even remotely competitive over the final 30 minutes. That’s unacceptable anytime but especially against a rival. The head coach bears responsibility.

“The job of the head football coach is to get his team to play hard for 60 minutes and I failed to do that,” Fleck said. “I told [the players] that same thing. It’s unacceptable and it won’t happen again.”

The Gophers spent the entire second half hanging on for dear life as Johnson raced through their defense like a Lamborghini. He ripped off one long run after another, repeatedly burning the Gophers for taking bad angles or being out of position.

The Hawkeyes scored 31 points while only passing for 62 yards. That’s hard to accomplish.

Iowa had eight runs that netted at least 10 yards. Johnson alone had runs of 23 yards, 21, 24, 40 and 33.

He’s sensational for sure, but the Gophers have a veteran front seven that flunked their matchup.

All the good that took place in the first half for the Gophers became wasted breath by the second half no-show.

The Gophers passing game finished the first half humming at maximum efficiency. Max Brosmer found a rhythm. His receivers made highlight catches. The defense was playing fast and physical.

The Gophers had a 165-16 advantage in passing yards and 14-7 lead at halftime. The crowd was revved up. Iowa was on the ropes.

The Hawkeyes showed their maturity in the second half.

The Gophers got exposed.

The game swung in the trenches. Iowa’s offensive line started creating lanes for Johnson, who needs only a sliver of an opening to stress a defense.

The Gophers offense managed just 66 yards and five first downs after halftime.

Fleck reverted to his old habits on the final play of the third quarter after watching his offense misfire. Trailing 24-14, the Gophers faced a third-and-10 from their own 21. Fleck called a running play that lost a yard.

That was the equivalent of waving the white flag.

The game was lost. The Pig’s stay in Dinkytown was a brief one.

Things don’t get any easier for Fleck’s squad. The schedule calls for Michigan and Southern California in consecutive weeks. Things could spiral quickly.