A sharp first half from the Iowa offense gave way to an ineffective second half performance, leading to a 27-24 defeat to #19 Missouri in the 2024 Music City Bowl.

Four Downs breaks down the key takeaways from Monday's season-ending loss.

Iowa gained 195 yards on offense in the first half, but that number dipped to 102 yards after the break. After gaining 7.5 yards per play in the first 30 minutes, Iowa gained just 3.4 yards per play on offense in the second half, while first downs dipped from 11 to six.

The struggles on offense don't fall solely on starting quarterback Brendan Sullivan's shoulders -- some... questionable... play-calling decisions also played a heavy role in Iowa's offensive downturn, but the crisp play and solid decision-making that Sullivan displayed before the break looked a bit more erratic after half.

In the first two quarters, Sullivan went 8-of-9 for a 88 yards and a touchdown pass, with five carries for 31 yards on the ground as well. In the final two quarters, Sullivan went 6-of-9 through the air for 43 yards and an interception (the game's only turnover), along with seven carries that lost 25 yards on the ground. After making generally good decisions about when to pass and when to keep the ball and run in the first half, Sullivan made some shaky decisions on that front in the second half.

Perhaps no stat encapsulated the difference between Iowa's first half performance and second half performance on offense than third down conversions. The Hawkeyes were 4-of-5 on third down conversions before halftime, but just 2-of-8 on third downs after halftime -- despite facing a several third-and-short situations.

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One of the biggest questions for Iowa ahead of the Music City Bowl was how the offense would replace Kaleb Johnson, who opted out of playing in the game to prepare for the 2025 NFL Draft. Johnson, a consensus All-American and Big Ten Running Back of the Year, had been the most effective part of Iowa's offense (by far) and replacing his production (1,725 yards of offense and a school-record 23 touchdowns) looked like a tall order.

The good news on that front? The three-headed running back monster of Kamari Moulton, Jaziun Patterson, and Terrell Washington, Jr. was very effective on Monday.

Moulton: 14 carries, 96 yards, 1 touchdown

Patterson: 9 carries, 74 yards,

Washington: 1 carry, 3 yards; 3 receptions, 26 yards, 1 touchdown

TOTAL: 24 carries, 173 yards, 2 touchdowns

That's more than satisfactory production out of the running back position in Johnson's absence. Moulton and Patterson provided a potent 1-2 punch at running back, with both backs showing an ability to hit holes well and running forcefully. They also recorded zero negative yardage plays in their combined 24 carries.

In fact, if there was a complaint regarding the running game, it was that offensive coordinator Tim Lester didn't lean on it enough, especially during the second half, when offensive production (and, most crucially, points) were very hard to come by. After taking five carries for 50 yards in the third quarter, Patterson had just one carry for four yards in the fourth quarter. Moulton had three carries for 21 yards in the third quarter, and four carries for 15 yards in the fourth quarter.

A lot of questions remain for the Iowa offense in 2025 after this game, but concern about the running back position should be a bit muted after this showing. Moulton, Patterson, and Washington performed well in Johnson's absence.

Aside from Johnson, Iowa's other notable opt-out was in the defensive secondary, with Jermari Harris not playing in Monday's game. Unlike Johnson, Iowa had some experience playing without Harris this season, as he also missed the final two games of the regular season. Still, the lack of a cornerback with Harris' coverage ability was notable all afternoon as Iowa struggled to get stops against Brady Cook and the Missouri passing game.

Cook finished 18-of-32 for 287 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. He was also Missouri's leading rusher in the game -- by far -- after taking 14 carries for 54 yards on the ground. For much of the game, Cook had little trouble finding open receivers, with Theo Wease, Jr. (5 receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown) and Marquis Johnson (7 receptions for 122 yards and a touchdown) having great success against Iowa's defensive backs.

Iowa had sporadic success generating pressure, with Deontae Craig (five tackles, four tackles for loss, and two sacks) and Yahya Black (three tackles, two tackles for loss) having the most success on that front. Max Llewellyn was also credited with a QB hurry. If the defensive line was able to pressure Cook his accuracy dipped, but he was able to operate from a clean pocket too often, which led to a near-300 yard passing day.

Missouri entered the game with just nine turnovers on the season, tied for the fifth-lowest total in the nation. Iowa failed to add to that number on Monday and, frankly, had very few opportunities to do so, with one of the best coming on a floated ball that fell harmlessly incomplete between at least three Iowa defenders. Hawkeye defensive backs and linebackers generated 16 interceptions this season but were unable to add to that total against Missouri.

One of the biggest plays of the first half came on special teams, as Kaden Wetjen continued his spectacular season as a return man. After a Missouri touchdown tied the game at 7-7, Wetjen fielded the ensuing kickoff at the edge of the goal line -- and took off, taking advantage of some smart blocking (especially from Zach Lutmer, who shadowed Wetjen down the field) and his own keen return instincts to slash through Missouri's kickoff coverage team. 100 yards later, Wetjen was in the end zone after a return for the second time this season (and the first after a kickoff).

Wetjen was deservedly named the Big Ten Returner of the Year after his impressive efforts returning kicks and punts all season long -- in fact, his 888 combined return yards combined this season was not just the most in the conference, it was the most in the nation.

Wetjen didn't earn national returner of the year honors, but Monday's effort -- Wetjen finished with four returns for 167 yards -- offered further evidence that if he is the best return specialist in the nation. Few returners do more to put their teams in a position win than Wetjen. If Wetjen returns for the 2025 season -- and he currently plans to do so, based on his recent comments -- Iowa will retain a massive special teams weapon.

Assuming Wetjen is back in Iowa City next season, here's hoping he's also -- finally -- on a scholarship as well. He's certainly done more than enough on the field to deserve that recognition.