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

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.

Here are quick takeaways and observations from the game: * That was Michigan State’s best performance of the season. The Spartans took the fight to the Hawkeyes from the jump, beat them at their own game and picked up a much-needed victory to start the season half of the schedule.