Iowa football looked like a mediocre team Saturday and is firmly on track to fall short of the Hawkeyes' expectations for the season.

EAST LANSING, Mich. - In a game at Phil Parker's alma mater, Iowa played anything but Phil Parker-esque football on the defensive side of the ball. Iowa allowed 468 total yards - the most given up by Parker's unit since Wisconsin had 473 yards in the 2019 Heartland Trophy game - en route to the Hawkeyes' 32-20 loss to the Spartans.

Just when it seemed this Iowa football team had patched up several important holes, another wave of problems arrived Saturday night. The final product was a 32-20 dud at Michigan State, a game in which the Hawkeyes struggled offensively but played even worse defensively.