Four downs: What was learned during Lions' thriller against Iowa

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- For Saquon Barkley, this game didn't teach him anything new about his teammates.

Instead, the Heisman Trophy candidate said it reinforced something he already knew, something this team figured out last season when it won the Big Ten.

"I didn't learn nothing, to be completely honest," Barkley said. "I already knew this. We've been in this situation multiple times last year and had a lot of guys coming back. ... We have that dog in us. We have that never quit mentality that the game is never out of reach and we're going to find a way to get a win. Whether it's the run game, the pass game or whether it comes down to the last minute or four seconds and you've got to find a way to get into the end zone."

Maybe it shed light on how the Lions' defense, by James Franklin's estimations at least, has been overlooked for what it's done in the past month. With two shutouts and now two safeties through four games - plus the consistency with which the defense is creating turnovers, there's a lot to like on that side of the ball.