The Iowa Hawkeyes suffered a crushing 18-16 loss to No. 9 Oregon Ducks on Saturday night at Kinnick Stadium. Atticus Sappington's 39-yard field goal with just three seconds left ended Iowa's playoff hopes. Kirk Ferentz's calm but heartbroken reaction perfectly captured the devastating loss.​

When the ball sailed through the uprights, the sidelines told the complete story, via CBS Sports. Dan Lanning was jumping, screaming, and clapping on the Oregon sideline as his team celebrated one of its biggest wins of the season. On the other end, Kirk Ferentz stood silent and motionless. The Iowa head coach's face showed the pain of coming so close to a signature victory only to watch it slip away in the final seconds.​

 

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The game came down to two final drives that decided everything. Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski scored on a three-yard touchdown run to give the Hawkeyes a 16-15 lead with 1:51 remaining. The Kinnick Stadium crowd erupted, sensing a massive upset was within reach.​

But Oregon quarterback Dante Moore had other plans. He led a clutch 10-play drive down the field, completing five critical passes for 47 yards. The Ducks methodically moved into field goal range as the clock ticked down. Sappington stepped up under pressure and drilled the game-winner with three seconds left.​

Iowa's defense, ranked fourth nationally in scoring defense, had played tough all night. The Hawkeyes got a considerable boost when Drew Stevens kicked a 58-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, tying the longest in program history. Oregon ran for 261 yards on the ground, wearing down Iowa's defense in cold, rainy conditions.​

Ferentz praised his team's effort after the game. He called it “emblematic of November football,” where two great teams compete hard and the game comes down to inches. He told his players there was plenty to be proud of, despite the heartbreaking loss, as reported by Angela Miele of Sports Illustrated. Iowa proved they belonged with the nation's elite, but Oregon (8-1) escaped with their playoff hopes intact.​