Dochterman: Iowas Jack Campbell backs up his words, delivers with action

June 2024 · 6 minute read

MINNEAPOLIS — With the wind whipping from the west and the real-time temperature hovering at minus-1, Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell gathered his teammates during a media timeout and delivered an impromptu speech that forever will tie his name to this game.

“He said, ‘You dream of these moments when you’re a kid,’ and that’s really true,” linebacker Seth Benson said. “‘Tie ballgame. Big Ten football in November and it’s us versus them. … Remember your roots. Remember your why. Why you go out there and do what we do and you remember all the times that you spend with your teammates. Remember why we’re here!’”

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Inside the game’s final six minutes, Campbell did more than talk. He backed up his words and delivered with action. With the Gophers ramming the ball down the field for 88 yards on a drive that lasted nearly nine minutes, Campbell popped running back Mohamed Ibrahim and forced a fumble recovered by teammate Deontae Craig. A possession later, off a tip from cornerback Riley Moss, Campbell intercepted a pass by Minnesota quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis and returned it 30 yards.

The forced fumble was act one for Campbell. The interception was a crescendo. Collectively, they were a work of art. The interception led to a 21-yard field goal with 28 seconds left and a 13-10 win, and Campbell powered the Hawkeyes (7-4, 5-3 Big Ten) within one victory of claiming their second consecutive Big Ten West Division title.

Afterward, when he had every reason to gloat, Campbell deferred to his teammates. But in reality, Campbell’s teammates all defer to him.

“It was a total team effort,” Campbell said. “You never know when that play’s going to happen. But it’s always a teammate that creates that opportunity for you, and you’ve got to go take advantage of it.”

Iowa’s players celebrate with the Floyd of Rosedale trophy after defeating Minnesota (Matt Krohn / USA Today)

On a day that produced the most rushing yards by an Iowa opponent since 1993, featured no penalties in a game for the first time since 1986 and saw Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz tie Amos Alonzo Stagg for the third-most wins ever by a Big Ten coach, the Hawkeyes’ win forever will be known for Campbell’s performance. And with good reason.

Ibrahim finished with 263 rushing yards on 39 carries. On a drive that began at the Minnesota 3-yard line, Ibrahim ran the ball 14 of the Gophers’ 16 plays that drove to the Hawkeyes’ 13. On his final carry, Ibrahim slithered to the Iowa 9, where Campbell drilled him from the side. The ball squirted out and Craig recovered it with 5:07 left.

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Iowa’s offense punted it back to Minnesota after three plays. Ibrahim ran for 19 yards on the first carry, but the Hawkeyes slowed down the Gophers after two straight runs to force third-and-7 at the Iowa 33. At that point, Minnesota had run the ball on 14 consecutive plays.

“I didn’t think they were going to throw it,” Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras said. “It was almost just like, ‘Throw the ball.’ I felt like we had a really good chance.”

Kaliakmanis dropped back and threw a short in-route toward receiver Le’Meke Brockington. Iowa cornerback Riley Moss broke on the ball and hit Brockington’s inside shoulder, and the ball caromed toward Campbell. The linebacker snagged it at the 23 and raced up the field. Campbell broke away from center John Michael Schmitz’s tackle attempt and kept himself in bounds as a wall of Iowa defenders blocked every Minnesota player in his path. Campbell cut back in the middle of the field and appeared to have scored a 77-yard touchdown.

Although replay showed Campbell stayed in bounds throughout the entire sequence, an official whistled him out at the Minnesota 45-yard line. The play was blown dead, and it was not reviewable.

“I didn’t hear a whistle,” Campbell said. “I was looking up on the Jumbotron, and … I think I’m still in bounds.

“I’m just passionate about trying to put my teammates in the best situation. If there’s a big play out there, I mean, I want it to be for the team.”

Campbell was bewildered by the whistle. His teammates were angry for him.

“What a play by Jack,” Petras said, “which by the way he scored. Replay, he didn’t step out so it should have been a pick-six. It shouldn’t have been as interesting as it was.”

“I was right behind him,” safety Kaevon Merriweather said. “He didn’t step out.”

The official’s error could have been costly had Iowa’s offense not put itself in field goal position after Campbell’s near-pick-six. On the first play afterward, Petras hit tight end Luke Lachey for a 33-yard pass down to the Minnesota 12. Four snaps later, Drew Stevens kicked the winner, and Iowa claimed the Floyd of Rosedale traveling trophy for the eighth consecutive year.

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On the field, the cold didn’t bother Campbell, who wore no sleeves, although he acknowledged he donned a coat and sat on the seated bench while on the sideline. Afterward, his black face paint smeared and his biceps red and scuffed up, he couldn’t hide his smile or his mood that he did something special. As for the rest of the Hawkeyes, they couldn’t say enough about him.

“He’s a huge leader on our defense,” Merriweather said. “Just his words of encouragement to the team to fight on, no matter what the situation is, no matter what plays they make, no matter what they’re doing, or what mistakes that we may make, just continue to fight and just continue pushing.”

“I can’t say enough about him just the way he plays, his resiliency, just his positive nature,” Ferentz said. “Everything about him just is first class. And he comes up with big plays, which is just great to see.”

What seemed improbable for Iowa four weeks ago has become almost reality. A 54-10 loss at Ohio State last month sent the Hawkeyes reeling at 3-4. Now, Iowa has won four straight and needs only to beat Nebraska to advance to Indianapolis.

From the plays between the whistles to what he says in the huddle to how he handles himself in every facet off the field, Campbell is a primary reason Iowa is in this position. He tips the field with his aura and his playmaking ability.

“Incredible. A first-team All-American,” Merriweather said. “I don’t know what the linebacker award is, but he deserves that. He’s just been doing what he does every single day, every single second in practice and games. He’s going 110 percent. There’s no different levels of Jack.

“There’s no 98 percent; it’s always 110 or 120.”

(Top photo of Jack Campbell (31): Nick Wosika / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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