Kirk Ferentz on punt return mistake against Wisconsin: "Get the hell away"

Mistakes happen in college football. Coaches do everything they can do avoid them and players are drilled to stay mentally discipline enough to play mistake-free football, but such a thing doesn’t exist.

The Iowa Hawkeyes found that out the hard way against No. 18 Wisconsin this past weekend.

To be fair, at the end of the day Wisconsin was likely the better team. Iowa always plays the Badgers tough, though, and this was a night game at Kinnick Stadium. Not only that, but the Hawkeyes were up 10-7 just about halfway through the third quarter and they were about to get the ball back.

That’s when a big mistake hit.

Iowa perhaps could have taken the ball and went for another touchdown drive to put them up 17-7, and then it’s a much different game for the Hawkeyes at home. Instead, Iowa tight end Shaun Beyer — playing special teams — made a huge mental error that cost the Hawkeyes dearly.

The Wisconsin punt was bouncing down near the Iowa end zone which is traditionally “stay away” territory for return men. In that instance, football players on the punt return team are coached that the ball is “poison”, as in literally do not touch it or even get near it. Unfortunately for Beyer, he may not have heard that call because he continued blocking a Wisconsin player, and then his foot inadvertently touched the football.

Wisconsin recovered at that point because it was a live ball, and after the game head coach Kirk Ferentz seemed none too pleased about the play. In fact, he was rather straight-forward when asked what Iowa should have done, per Chad Leistikow:

“Get the hell away,” head coach Kirk Ferentz said bluntly. “There’s communication involved there. It seemed like everyone was getting the message. For whatever reason, it didn’t get quite get communicated. When you’re in that area, it’s dangerous.”