Oct. 8, 2005
Recap | Box Score | Photo Gallery
With the win, Iowa wins at Purdue for the first time since a 31-21 victory on Sept. 25, 1991, having three losses and a tie on its last four visits. The victory is also the first for a Kirk Ferentz team in Ross-Ade Stadium.
Iowa improved to 31-1 when leading at the half and 34-0 when leading after three quarters, dating back to the 2002 season. Additionally, the Hawkeyes improve to 12-1 in October, dating back to 2002.
Purdue won the toss and elected to receive. The Hawkeyes have started on offense in 68 of their last 73 games. Iowa has started on offense in 70-of-79 contests under Kirk Ferentz. This is the first game Iowa started on defense since the game vs. Purdue last season in Iowa City, a string of eight straight starts on offense.
Iowa’s first touchdown of the day, a 78-yard pass from Drew Tate to Clinton Solomon, marks Iowa’s longest play from scrimmage this season. The previous long was a 71-yard scoring pass from Tate to Solomon vs. Northern Iowa. Iowa’s longest run from scrimmage this season is a 66-yard TD run by Damian Sims vs. Illinois.
Solomon’s two scores give him 12 career touchdown receptions and he now ranks ninth in career receiving TDs. The 78-yarder is his career longest (previous long was 71 yards vs. Northern Iowa this season). He ended the day with five receptions for 166 yards, a career-high in yardage. It is the sixth time he has surpassed 100 receiving yards in a game (second this season, 4-114 vs. Northern Iowa).
Today marked the fourth game this season Iowa scored a touchdown on its opening possession. The Hawkeyes also scored touchdowns on their first possession in home contests vs. Ball State, Northern Iowa and Illinois. The Hawkeyes failed to score any points in their road games at Iowa State and Ohio State (on opening drives), getting just one field goal at Iowa State (third quarter) and two field goals (one in third period, one in the fourth) at Ohio State.Today marked the first time this season Iowa scored on its first three possessions of the game.
Drew Tate celebrated his 21st birthday by tossing three touchdown passes and reaching a career high in passing yards. Tate had three touchdown passes for the third time in his career and first time this season (vs. Wisconsin and Ohio State in 2004 were the others). He has two touchdown passes or more in four of six games this season. He has thrown two TD passes or more in 12 career games, including nine of his 11 games dating back to last year. Tate surpassed 300 passing yards for the fourth time in his career and the first time this season, reaching a career-high 357 yards. That total ranks 14th in a single game in Iowa history. This marks the 33rd time an Iowa QB has thrown for 300 yards or more in a game.
Tate now has 30 career touchdown passes, which ties Brad Banks for fifth on Iowa’s all-time QB list. He also moved past Gary Snook into sixth place in career passing yardage with 3,922.
Junior PK Kyle Schlicher converted four field goals and two PAT attempts. He was perfect for the season (21-21 PATs and 7-7 field goals) until missing a 46-yard field goal attempt and a PAT in the fourth period. The missed PAT snapped a consecutive streak of 34. He had a PAT blocked vs. Ohio State on Oct. 16, 2004 and he missed two PAT attempts vs. Kent State on Sept. 4, 2004, which were not blocked.Today marks the first time this season he has converted four field goals in a game. He had two field goals in a game at Ohio State.Schlicher’s career-best is five field goals (at Minnesota, 2004). He also made three field goals in wins over Purdue and Wisconsin in 2004.Schlicher now has 140 total points, moving into 13th place on Iowa’s career scoring list, moving past Danan Hughes, Owen Gill and Nick Bell.
Senior TE Ryan Majerus had his first career scoring reception with a three-yard reception in the opening period.
Senior WR Ed Hinkel’s 43-yard reception in the first period tied a career long, as he also had a 43-yarder in a home win over Michigan State in 2004. Hinkel left the game after that reception and did not return.
Purdue scored on its opening possession, becoming the second Hawkeye opponent to score on its first drive. Ohio State also scored a touchdown on its opening possession. Iowa has not allowed any first-quarter points in three home games this season, out-scoring their opponents 56-0 in the first quarter in those games.
Purdue PK Ben Jones missed a 44-yard field goal in the first quarter. Iowa opponents are 3-9 on field goal attempts this season after Jones converted a 46-yarder in the third quarter.
RB Albert Young carried the ball 36 times for 165 yards, both career high marks. Young has rushed for over 100 yards in three of six games (two straight) this season and three times in his career. He also surpassed 100 yards vs. Iowa State and Illinois.
LB Chad Greenway, with 10 tackles today, moved into 11th place on Iowa’s career tackle list. Greenway has 339 career stops. Greenway has posted double digit tackles 20 times in his career, including five times this year.
LB Abdul Hodge had four tackles today to move into sixth place on Iowa’s career tackle chart with 357.
CB Jovon Johnson had a career-high nine tackles. His previous best was seven, vs. Purdue and Wisconsin in 2004 and Illinois earlier this season.
Instant replay was used once in the game today, upholding the interception by Ed Miles in the endzone in the fourth period
Junior LB Ed Miles had his first career interception in the fourth quarter, with the theft coming in the back of the endzone to stop a potential Purdue scoring drive with Iowa leading 23-17..
The interception by Miles was the fourth of the season by Iowa’s defense, which has now come up with four turnovers inside the opponent 10-yard line in the last three games (two fumbles at Ohio State, interceptions vs. Illinois and Purdue).
Iowa, which leads the Big Ten in fewest penalty yards, had just two penalties for 10 yards today.
Iowa’s defense had the only turnover of the game, an interception by OLB Ed Miles. The Hawkeyes turned the interception into seven points on a 36-yard pass from Drew Tate to Clinton Solomon. That made the score 29-17 in the final period.