SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 7, 2013
Iowa 28, Missouri State 14: Mark Weisman rushed for 180 yards and two touchdowns and quarterback Jake Rudock added two more on the ground as the host Hawkeyes doubled up the Bears.
Rudock connected with 11 different receivers en route to completing 19-of-28 passes for 193 yards for Iowa (1-1), which ended a seven-game losing skid dating back to last season.
Kierra Harris tossed a 27-yard touchdown pass to Julian Burton early in the fourth quarter before freshman linebacker Rique Bentley intercepted Rudock 10 seconds later and scored from 28 yards out. The quick surge pulled Missouri State (0-2) within a touchdown at 21-14, but it failed to capitalize on the momentum and suffered its fourth consecutive loss dating back to last season.
The Hawkeyes opened the scoring after Rudock capped an 11-play, 69-yard drive with a 6-yard score at 5:14 of the first quarter. Iowa failed to extend the lead as kicker Mike Meyer missed a 33-yard field goal midway through the second quarter and Weisman was stopped on 4th-and-1 from the 2-yard line on the opening drive of the third.
Weisman redeemed himself in short order, bulling his way in from 10 yards out with 7:11 remaining in the third before adding a 3-yard touchdown just over five minutes later. Rudock answered Missouri State's flurry with 9:57 left in the fourth quarter by capping a 10-play drive with a 2-yard score on a play-action bootleg.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Weisman recorded his sixth 100-yard game and moved over the 1,000-yard plateau in his career. He has 1,095 yards. ... Missouri State mustered just 22 yards rushing and 67 total in the first half. ... Bears coach Terry Allen visited Kinnick Stadium for the fourth time in his career. The Iowa City native was the coach at Northern Iowa in a 34-13 loss in 1995 and an assistant at Iowa State in 2002 and 2004. ... Missouri State fell to 1-29 against FBS programs.