Oct. 10, 2009
Recap | Box Score | Quotes | Photo Gallery 1 
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No. 12 Iowa wins tonight’s game 30-28, over Michigan. The 30 points are the second-most it’s scored this season (35 in victory at Iowa State). The Hawkeyes have won three games by a combined six points this year (Northern Iowa 17-16, Michigan 30-28 and Arkansas State 24-21). Iowa is now bowl eligible for the ninth straight year, going to bowls seven of the previous eight seasons. The Black and Gold have now won 42 of its last 50 contests in Kinnick Stadium.
Tonight was only the fourth true night game played at Kinnick Stadium.
With the win, Iowa improves to 6-0 on the season. It marks the first time Iowa has started the year 6-0 under Coach Kirk Ferentz and the first time for Iowa since 1985. Also, Iowa boasts a 10-game winning streak for the first time under Ferentz. Iowa has won 10 straight games for the first time since winning 20 straight games between 1920 and 1923. Iowa’s win streak is second longest in the nation.
Iowa improves to 52-41-5 in Homecoming games, ending a two-game losing streak. The Hawkeyes are now 2-3 vs. Michigan on Homecoming. The win is the first for Iowa over Michigan since a 30-27 win in 2003 in Kinnick Stadium. Iowa had lost three straight in the series.
Iowa scored six points following five Michigan turnovers, with the last interception coming in the final minute to secure the victory. Iowa, in six games, has scored 60 points (seven TDs, four FGs) following 20 opponent turnovers (12 interceptions, seven fumbles, one blocked punt). Iowa has recorded at least one takeaway in 39 of its last 41 games, dating back to the 2006 campaign. Iowa has collected at least one turnover in 19 consecutive games, dating back to the final contest of the 2007 season. Last season, Iowa scored 99 points following 32 opponent turnovers.
Iowa’s defense has collected four or more takeaways in three games this season (four at Penn State, five tonight vs. Michigan and six at Iowa State). For the season, Iowa has amassed 19 takeaways in the six games.
Michigan won the toss and elected to defer, with Iowa electing to receive. Iowa has started on offense in 108 of its last 123 contests. The Hawkeyes have started the game on offense in 110-of-129 games under Kirk Ferentz. Iowa has started on offense in eight straight games. Iowa deferred after winning the toss last year in a win over Purdue and the Boilermakers elected to receive on a very windy day in Kinnick Stadium.
Junior QB Ricky Stanzi completed 20-38 passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns, both to TE Tony Moeaki. Stanzi found nine different targets tonight. Stanzi threw a career-best four touchdown passes earlier this season in a win at Iowa State. Stanzi ranks eighth in career passing yards (3,315) after passing Brad Banks against Michigan. His 24 career touchdown passes rank seventh best at Iowa.
Iowa did not score on its first possession of the game. Iowa scored a touchdown on its opening drive vs. Arizona and a field goal on its opening drive vs. Northern Iowa. Iowa did not score on its opening drives at Iowa State and at Penn State.
Michigan did not score on its opening possession, having a pass intercepted. Iowa has allowed just one opponent (Penn State, game four) to score on its opening drive in its last 19 games.
Iowa had two changes in its starting line-up on offense. TE Tony Moeaki returned to start after missing Iowa’s last three games. Riley Reiff started at left guard, with Dace Richardson moving to right guard. Richardson had started four straight games at left guard after starting the opening game of the year at right tackle. On defense, CB Shaun Prater returned to the starting line-up after missing the win over Arkansas State.
Each quarterback threw an interception on their first pass attempt. Michigan’s Donovan Warren returned an interception 44 yards for a touchdown on the second play of the game. Iowa LB Jeremiha Hunter intercepted Michigan’s first pass attempt. His theft led to a 28-yard Daniel Murray field goal.
Iowa was 2-3 in the red zone, scoring a field goal and a rushing touchdown. Iowa failed to convert on fourth down on a third trip inside the red zone. Iowa has scored on 45 of the last 49 red zone possessions (30 TDs and 15 FGs), dating back to the Michigan State game in 2008. Iowa is 28-31 combined inside the red zone its last nine games.
Michigan scored 21 points on three drives inside the Iowa red zone. Michigan scored on three rushing touchdowns. Iowa opponents are 12-13 in the red zone this season, with five FGs and seven touchdowns. Michigan scored a rushing touchdown late in the first period, the first allowed by Iowa this season. The Iowa defense had not allowed a rushing touchdown for 33 consecutive periods, dating back to the third quarter of a win over Penn State on Nov. 8, 2008. Michigan added two rushing touchdowns in the second half.
Michigan scored seven points following one Iowa turnover, returning an interception for a score on the second play of the game. Iowa opponents have scored 30 points following 10 Iowa turnovers (eight interceptions, two fumbles). Michigan, Arkansas State and Arizona returned interceptions for touchdowns, Northern Iowa scored field goals following two Iowa fumbles and Penn State scored three points following an interception.
Instant replay was used once in the first period. An Iowa pass that was called complete on the field, was changed to an incompletion.
Iowa led by as many as nine points tonight (23-14 and 30-21 in the second half).
Iowa PK Daniel Murray had a 28-yard field goal in the first period and a 41-yarder in the second. He added a 40-yard kick in the third period. The three made field goals and four attempts are career-bests for Murray. He made 2-3 field goals in a win at Penn State earlier this season. The 41-yard kick matches his longest of the season. His career best is 47 yards. Murray missed a 53-yard attempt on the final play of the first half. Iowa made three field goals in a game for the first time since Trent Mossbrucker made 3-4 at Illinois last season.
Iowa LB Jeremiha Hunter had a pass interception in the first period and a fumble recovery in the second period. The theft is the second of Hunter’s career (Northwestern, 2008). The fumble recovery is the third of his career and second this season (at Iowa State). Hunter tied his career high with 12 tackles tonight. He also collected 12 tackles three previous times.
LB Pat Angerer shared top tackle honors tonight with Hunter, with 12 stops. SS Tyler Sash and LB A.J. Edds contributed nine tackles each in the victory.
As a unit, Iowa recorded six pass breakups, three tackles for loss and three QB Hurries.
Iowa’s second period touchdown drive was keyed by two long third down plays. WR Trey Stross had a 33-yard reception on third and six. WR Derrell Johnson-Koulianos had a 47-yard reception on a third and 24. The touchdown came on third and goal, giving Iowa three third down conversions on the drive. The 47-yard catch is the longest of the season for DJK, while Stross had a 39-yard catch in the win at Iowa State. DJK finished with three receptions for 63 yards tonight.
TE Tony Moeaki returned to action after missing Iowa’s last three games. Against Michigan, Moeaki had six catches for 105 yards, including scoring receptions of 34 and 42 yards. Moeaki had 10 receptions for 83 yards and one score vs. Northern Iowa. Moeaki had three touchdown receptions in a 2007 win over Syracuse in Iowa’s most recent home night game. He also had a career-high 112 receiving yards in that win over Syracuse.
Iowa has seven different players with at least one pass reception. Iowa has had a receiver with two scoring receptions in consecutive games, as WR Marvin McNutt had two scoring receptions against Arkansas State.
Iowa DE Adrian Clayborn recovered a Michigan fumble late in the second period that was caused by DT Karl Klug. The recovery is the first of Clayborn’s career. Klug caused the third fumble of his career, second this season. Klug caused a fumble in the win at Iowa State and recovered a fumble in the win at Penn State.
Sophomore DB William Lowe had the first fumble recovery of his career in the third period, collecting a fumbled punt return. Lowe had a forced fumble in Iowa’s win over Arkansas State.
Michigan failed to convert an on-side kick in the fourth period, as the kick went out of bounds. Iowa has recovered three previous on-side kick attempts by its opponents this season. Also, both Arizona and Arkansas State failed to convert fake punt attempts.
Iowa improves to 66-9 when leading after three periods under Coach Ferentz.
Iowa travels to Wisconsin next weekend (11:01 a.m., ESPN/ESPN2). The Hawkeyes play at Michigan State Oct. 24 (6 p.m., CT, BTN).