Playoff hopes have come to die over the years at Kinnick Stadium. It happened again for Minnesota in Week 12.

Just a week after knocking off undefeated Penn State at home and becoming a legitimate playoff in the eyes of the committee, Minnesota suffered its first loss of the season, 23-19, at Iowa on Saturday.

According to Hawkeyes sophomore wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Iowa was very aware of the hype surrounding the Minnesota program ahead of the game, but for them, it was still just all about winning the game for their cause.

“I guess we spoiled their season or their playoff hope or whatever,” Smith-Marsette said. “We did what we had to do.”

Check out his full quote below:

The sophomore wide out caught four passes for 43 yards in the Iowa victory. He also hauled in a five-yard touchdown reception about midway through the second quarter to give the Hawkeyes a 20-3 lead. Essentially, that won the game, as Minnesota never reached the 20-point plateau.

It’s a long shot, but with the victory against the Golden Gophers, the Hawkeyes are still alive in the B1G West race. Iowa needs Minnesota to lose its last two games and Wisconsin to fall this weekend against Purdue in order to have a chance at the division title.