SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 24, 2011
A week after winning in come-from-behind fashion, Iowa established itself early against visiting Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday in a convincing 45-17 victory at Kinnick Stadium.
James Vandenberg finished 21 of 32 for 270 yards and three touchdowns – one rushing – for the Hawkeyes, who have scored more than 30 points in four straight games for the first time since 2002.
Wide receiver Marvin McNutt added a pair of scores, bringing his all-time touchdown total to 20, which is just one shy of tying the school record held by Tim Dwight and Danan Hughes.
The Hawkeyes rolled to a 28-3 halftime lead and racked up 453 yards of total offense. In last week’s dramatic 31-28 victory over Pittsburgh, Iowa scored 28 second-half points – including 21 in the fourth quarter – to erase a 17-point deficit.
Iowa (3-1) won its 12th-straight non-conference home game and improved to 3-0 all-time against Sun Belt opponents.
Louisiana-Monroe (1-3), meanwhile, lost for the third time in four games and fell to a Big Ten opponent for the fourth time in as many tries.
The Warhawks pulled within 35-17 late in the third quarter on Tavarese Maye’s 1-yard touchdown run. But the Hawkeyes, playing their final non-conference game before Big Ten play begins on Oct. 8, responded with a touchdown on the ensuing possession to increase their lead to 42-17.
Louisiana-Monroe finished with 352 yards of total offense.