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The Iowa Hawkeyes football team found itself at the center of an NFL moment it had nothing to do with. During the second quarter of the Indianapolis Colts vs. Tennessee Titans Week 3 matchup, the Colts punted for the first time of the 2025 season. What happened next had college football fans laughing—and Iowa football fans rolling their eyes.
As CBS returned from commercial, analyst Ross Tucker joked about the moment mid-broadcast. It instantly turned into a viral jab at Iowa’s reputation. The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov took to his X (formerly known as Twitter) to share the clip and highlight the punchline that caught the Hawkeyes in the crossfire.
“Iowa caught a stray when the #Colts punted for the first time this season. ‘Colts fans, this is called a punt. … Check out Iowa football.’”
Iowa caught a stray when the #Colts punted for the first time this season:
“Colts fans, this is called a punt. … Check out Iowa football.” pic.twitter.com/esmos1rz1H https://t.co/Cige5pxLNx
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 21, 2025
The post quickly spread across social media. The video showed Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez preparing for a routine fourth-down kick from the Indianapolis 34-yard line—normal NFL stuff, but rare in 2025 for the Colts, who entered the game with zero punts through two weeks. They led 17-6 at the time and would go on to beat Tennessee 34-13.
While the joke was lighthearted, it reopened conversations about Iowa’s offense and its national image. Under new coordinator Tim Lester, the Hawkeyes are averaging 33.0 points per game—far from the punt-heavy identity they had under Kirk Ferentz. They’ve punted 22 times in four games.
Still, the shadow of past years lingers. In 2023, Hawkeyes punter Tory Taylor set the NCAA record for single-season punt yardage. Even with offensive progress, moments like Tucker’s joke show how Iowa remains tied to its conservative legacy in the national mind.
For NFL fans, it was just a funny NFL broadcast moment. For Hawkeyes fans, it was another reminder that reputations are hard to shake—even when the stats say otherwise.
Iowa will now shift their focus to Week 5 against the No. 11 Indiana Hoosiers, aiming to build on their progress—and finally put the old punchlines to rest.
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