IOWA CITY — Iowa has dropped to 23rd in the latest Associated Press rankings after a second straight dismal performance by the offense in a 17-12 loss to Penn State. Iowa managed only 70 yards on the ground and the offense has turned the ball over six times in two weeks in falling to 4-2.

That’s Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz. The Hawkeyes will try to get things turned around at home against Purdue.

Ferentz says despite two straight poor outings he has not lost confidence in the offense.

Iowa hosts Purdue on Saturday.

 

 

AMES — Iowa State may have found David Montgomery’s replacement at running back. Freshman Breece Hall rushed for 132 yards and three touchdowns as the Cyclones hammered West Virginia 38-14.

That’s Iowa State coach Matt Campbell who says Hall got his chance after two outstanding weeks of practice.

The Cyclones visit Texas Tech on Saturday.

 

 

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — Freshman Trey Lance threw three touchdown passes, two of them to Adam Cofield, and an FCS top-10 showdown never materialized as top-ranked North Dakota State breezed to a 46-14 victory over Northern Iowa, ranked 10th in the FCS Coaches poll, on Saturday.

Lance started the Bison (6-0, 2-0 Missouri Valley Football Conference) off and running with two of his TD tosses in the first quarter — a 36-yarder to Phoenix Sproles that saw James Hendricks run it in for a 2-point conversion and a 19-yarder to Christian Watson that put NDSU up 15-0.

Northern Iowa (3-3, 1-1) got on the scoreboard in the second quarter when Will McElvain hit Isaiah Weston for a 17-yard scoring strike to cut the Panthers’ deficit to 15-7. After Griffin Crosa kicked a 25-yard field goal for the Bison, UNI scored on Tyler Hoosman’s 6-yard run to get within 18-14 at halftime.

NDSU ended any drama by scoring 28 straight points in the second half. Lance’s third TD pass was a 30-yarder to Noah Gindorff in the third quarter for a 25-14 lead. Cofield scored on runs of 1 and 37 yards in the final period and Kobe Johnson capped the scoring with a 50-yard TD run.

Lance finished with 145 yards through the air, hitting 10 of 18 passes. Cofield had 15 carries and gained 104 of the Bison’s 347 rushing yards.

McElvain completed 15 of 29 throws for 233 yards for the Panthers. Weston hauled in five passes for 129 yards.

 

 

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kirk Cousins threw to Stefon Diggs for three of his four touchdowns, racking up a season-high 333 passing yards for Minnesota as the Vikings ravaged the Philadelphia Eagles secondary in a 38-20 victory. Diggs scored on plays in the first half that covered 51 and 62 yards, becoming the first player since Randy Moss in 2000 to post two touchdown catches of 50-plus yards in one game for the Vikings. The Eagles surrendered 300-plus passing yards for the fourth time in six games.

 

FORT DODGE — The NIACC volleyball team went 2-2 over the weekend at the Iowa Central tournament.

On Friday, NIACC dropped a 3-0 decision to Central Community College of Nebraska, 25-15, 25-15, 27-25, then beat St. Louis Community College 3-1, 25-22, 25-22, 20-25, 25-14.

On Saturday, the Lady Trojans topped Williston State College 3-1, 17-25, 26-24, 25-14, 28-26. North Dakota State College of Science then beat NIACC 3-1, 22-25, 25-21, 25-19, 25-11.

NIACC’s Becca Steffen and Kennedy Meister were selected to the all-tournament team, with Steffen sharing the tournament’s best setter honors.

NIACC is 23-8 overall and will travel to Ellsworth on Wednesday

 

 

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Sidney Crosby had a goal and assist, Adam Johnson and Sam Lafferty each scored his first career goal, and the short-handed Pittsburgh Penguins held on to beat the winless Minnesota Wild 7-4. Patric Hornqvist, Kris Letang, Joseph Blandisi and Jake Guentzel also scored in Pittsburgh’s first road game of the season. Matt Murray stopped 29 shots for the Penguins, who scored four times in the second period.