Iowa guard Caitlin Clark has dazzled basketball fans this March with a bevy of high-scoring feats, including a 41-point triple-double against Louisville in the Elite Eight followed by another 41-point outing against South Carolina in the Final Four.
Her feats become even more impressive, however, when weighed against the gridiron accomplishments of the Hawkeyes—perennially one of the lowest-scoring teams in the country.
A crazy statistic shared on Twitter by Mallory Hartley of Dave Campbell's Texas Football Friday night underlined the reality both of Clark's dominance and Iowa's autumnal impotence. As she pointed out, Clark "has now scored more points in postseason play (235) than Iowa football scored all season (230)."
Caitlin Clark has scored more points in postseason play (235) than Iowa Football scored all season (230).
— Mallory Hartley (@malloryhartley) April 1, 2023
That is insane.
The math checks out. The Hawkeyes have played eight games between the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments, and Clark has torched Purdue (22), Maryland (22), Ohio State (30), Southeastern Louisiana (26), Georgia (22), Colorado (31), the Cardinals (41) and the Gamecocks (41) for a total of 235 points.
Baccellieri: With Caitlin Clark, Iowa Knew It Could Slay the Beast
That eight-game total eclipses Iowa's 12-game football total of 230; the Hawkeyes scored more than 30 points just once last season, against Northwestern.
With Iowa fans suddenly acclimated to high-flying feats in big games, it's clear the football Hawkeyes will need to step the scoring up when their opener roles around Sept. 2.
