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11 It's not how you start, it's how you finish. There isn't a cliché that better describes the month of November for the University of Iowa football team. The Hawkeyes won three straight games from Nov. 12-25 and closed the regular season on a high note at 8-4 overall, 6-3 in the Big Ten Conference. But the 11th month of the calendar year opened with a thud. Iowa traveled to Penn State on Nov. 5 and was thoroughly dismantled to the tune of 599 total yards, 359 yards on the ground, and 41 points. The Hawkeyes limped out of State College, Pennsylvania, with five victories and four losses and two nationally ranked teams coming to town in the final three weeks. Suddenly, Iowa's chance of extending its bowl eligibility streak to 15 times in the last 16 seasons appeared in jeopardy. UI head coach Kirk Ferentz looked at his roster and didn't flinch. Since January, he said, this group of Hawkeyes was good at doing "stuff that really counts." "I don't gamble, but if I did, I would gamble on someone who has shown steady, consistent actions and positive attitude," Ferentz said. He defined the 2016 Hawkeyes. Iowa rebounded with a 14-13 victory over No. 2 Michigan. Then blanked Illinois, 28-0, for its first shutout in 85 games. Then closed with a 40-10 demolition of No. 15 Nebraska. It added up to three wins in three weeks and suddenly Iowa was one of the hottest teams in the country. "You learn a lot about yourselves in November," Ferentz said. "The bottom line is we played complementary team football the last three weeks and that gave us a chance to be successful in all three." Over the final three regular-season games, the Hawkeyes led all Big Ten teams in fewest rushing yards allowed (83 per game) and was second in rushing yards per game (230). This is the same defense that allowed 239 rushing yards to North Dakota State, 198 to Northwestern, and 193 to Rutgers. "It's hard for us to play good defense if we can't slow the run," Ferentz said. "It's not like we put a new scheme in. We didn't get new players. But the guys redoubled their efforts; we have prideful guys and they've done a great job for three weeks." By limiting Michigan to 98 yards on the ground, Illinois to 61, and Nebraska to 90, the Hawkeye defense was the only team in the conference to hold its last three opponents to less than 100 yards in a game. Penn State allowed an average of 86 rushing yards over the final three games, but the Nittany Lion opponents had a combined 11 victories, compared to 22 wins by Iowa's opponents Michigan, Illinois, and Nebraska. The offensive supplement was a UI ground game that accumulated 164, 262, and 264 yards. "It's been a really good month of November for our football team," Ferentz said. "It is gratifying to see a team rewarded after it keeps charging and tries to do good things." The Hawkeyes will learn their bowl destination and opponent Dec. 4. They have come up short in four consecutive bowls, so the next month will be spent maintaining those steady, consistent actions and positive attitudes. Because you can also learn a lot about your team in late December. LAST 3 GAMES OF REGULAR SEASON RUSH DEFENSE TEAM AVG. PER GAME OPP. WINS IOWA 83.0 22 Penn State 86.0 11 Wisconsin 99.3 14 Northwestern 106.0 14 Ohio State 113.6 19 Indiana 114.6 23 Nebraska 120.0 22 Michigan State 136.6 23 Minnesota 143.3 25 Michigan 144.6 25 Maryland 193.6 22 Purdue 208.6 22 Illinois 301.0 24 Rutgers 311.3 19 RUSH OFFENSE TEAM AVG. PER GAME OPP. WINS Wisconsin 264.6 14 IOWA 230.0 22 Ohio State 227.6 19 Northwestern 198.0 14 Michigan State 197.6 23 Penn State 164.3 11 Nebraska 142.6 22 Michigan 138.0 25 Maryland 124.0 22 Minnesota 114.6 25 Indiana 108.6 23 Rutgers 98.3 19 Illinois 72.3 24