Oct. 30, 2010
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With the win over Michigan State Iowa (6-2, 3-1) is bowl eligible for the 10th straight season. Iowa is now 19-25 vs. ranked teams under Coach Kirk Ferentz, including 17-16 the last 10 seasons.
The victory is Iowa’s first over a team ranked in the top five in the nation since a 21-10 win at fourth-ranked Penn State in 2009. Iowa’s last home win over a top-five opponent was a 24-23 victory over third-ranked Penn State in 2008. Iowa has two victories over ranked opponents this season (No. 20 Penn State, 24-3 and No. 5 Michigan State, 37-6), both at home in Kinnick Stadium.
Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz is now 99-78 as a head coach, including an 87-57 record as Iowa’s head coach.
Iowa now holds a 22-18-2 advantage in the series against Michigan State, winning the last two meetings and four of the last five. The margin is the largest for Iowa over the Spartans since a 44-26 win at Iowa City in 2002. Michigan State’s six points are the fewest scored against an Iowa team since a 12-6 Hawkeye win on Nov. 12, 1983 in East Lansing. The six points tie the fewest the Spartans have ever scored in Iowa City; Iowa and Michigan State tied 6-6 on Oct. 28, 1972.
Iowa has now won 49 of its last 59 games in Kinnick Stadium, dating back to the 2002 season, including a 5-1 mark this year.
The margin of victory is Iowa’s largest over a team ranked in the top 10 since a 34-9 win at eighth-ranked Michigan (10/26/02).
Iowa held Michigan State to an opponent low 31 rushing yards. The Spartans averaged 193.5 rushing yards per game in its first eight games. The previous rushing low by an Iowa opponent was 54 yards by Penn State.
Iowa had three interceptions (Brett Greenwood, Tyler Sash and Shaun Prater) for the second time this season. Iowa also had three picks in the 38-28 win at Michigan. Iowa also has three interception returns for touchdowns this season, those coming vs. Michigan State (Micah Hyde), Penn State (Shaun Prater) and Arizona (Broderick Binns).
DB Shaun Prater was credited with a game and career-high 10 tackles in today’s win. He also collected his fifth career interception, his team-leading third of the season. Prater returned his theft 42 yards.
Iowa was 3-3 in the red zone, scoring a rushing touchdown, a passing touchdown and a field goal. Iowa has scored on 91 of the last 101 red zone possessions (63 TDs and 28 FGs), dating back to the Michigan State game in 2008. Iowa is 72-82 inside the red zone its last 24 games.
Michigan State only advanced to the red zone once today, scoring a passing touchdown. Iowa opponents are 15-23 in the red zone, with seven passing touchdowns, five rushing touchdowns and two field goals. Iowa has allowed five rushing touchdowns this season, all in the previous two games. Iowa was the last Division I team to allow a rushing touchdown in 2010.
Iowa’s 30 points are the most for the Hawkeyes in the first half this season. Iowa scored 28 points in the first half in wins over Eastern Illinois and Iowa State and has scored 20 or more first half points in five of eight games. It is the most first half points for Iowa in a Big Ten game since scoring 38 in the first half of a 52-28 over Minnesota on Nov. 19, 2005 in Kinnick Stadium.
Iowa scored 13 points following two first half interceptions, but did not score after a third quarter theft. Iowa has scored 71 points following 16 opponent turnovers, plus 14 points following a blocked punt and a blocked field goal. Iowa collected at least one turnover in 11-of-13 games last season, with no turnovers vs. Michigan State and Ohio State. The Hawkeye defense has collected at least one takeaway in 51 of its last 57 games, dating back to 2006. Iowa entered today’s game tied for fifth nationally in turnover margin and Michigan State was ninth.
Iowa has just five turnovers in eight games and has no turnovers in four of eight games. Iowa’s last turnover was a pass interception in the first period of the 24-3 win over Penn State, Oct. 2.
Iowa scored on its first possession for the fifth time in eight games, with WR Colin Sandeman grabbing a three-yard reception from QB Ricky Stanzi. Iowa collected a 20-yard field goal on its first drive vs. Penn State and began games vs. Eastern Illinois, Iowa State and Wisconsin with touchdown drives.
Michigan State did not score on its first possession. Iowa has allowed just five opponents (Indiana, game nine, and Penn State, game four, both in 2009, and Arizona, Michigan and Wisconsin, 2010) to score on their opening drive in its last 34 games.
Senior QB Ricky Stanzi completed 11-15 passes for 190 yards and three touchdowns. Stanzi improved his career totals to 445-755 for 6,295 yards and 50 touchdowns. Iowa is 24-6 with Stanzi as its starting quarterback. He has at least one touchdown pass in the last 17 games he has played. He has at least three scoring passes in three straight games and in five of eight games in 2010. He is third in career touchdown passes with 50. His 19 TD passes in 2010 tie as sixth best in a season. He had his longest career run with a 26-yard gain in the first quarter.
Freshman PK Mike Meyer made a 37-yard field goal in the first period. He is 5-6 on the season, including five straight since missing the first attempt of his career.
True freshman LB James Morris and redshirt freshman LB Shane DiBona started for the first time in their career. Morris ended the contest with a career-high nine tackles. He also had a pass break-up on MSU’s two-point conversion attempt. DiBona amassed four tackles today.
Sophomore RB Adam Robinson led Iowa’s ground game with 20 attempts for 69 yards and one touchdown. He also had a 32-yard reception for his first career receiving touchdown. Robinson had five rushing touchdowns in 11 games as a freshman in 2009 and he has 10 this season. He has rushed for over 100 yards in five of eight games in 2010 and has seven career games over the century mark. He has scored two or more touchdowns in five games this season. Robinson increased his career totals to 353 carries for 1,640 yards. He ranks 17th in career rushing yards at Iowa.
Safety Tyler Sash had the 13th interception of his career in the first quarter, moving into fifth on Iowa’s career interception list. After a six yards return, he lateralled the ball to DB Micah Hyde, who returned the ball 66 yards for a touchdown. Sash had 392 career return yards, which is Iowa’s school record and the total ranks fourth all-time in the Big Ten. He ranks behind Jamar Fletcher (Wisconsin, 459), Tom Curtis (Michigan, 431) and Tracy Porter (Indiana, 413). Sash has two interceptions this season, the first coming in Iowa’s win at Michigan. Sash also collected three tackles today.
Sophomore DB Micah Hyde scored his first career touchdown on a 66-yard return following a lateral from Tyler Sash on an interception. Hyde has two interceptions this season and now has 70 return yards.
Senior DB Brett Greenwood had his 10th career interception in the third period. Greenwood ranks ninth in career interceptions. Greenwood was credited with three tackles today, leaving him one short of 200 in his career.
Senior LB Jeff Tarpinian returned to action after missing Iowa’s last two games. Tarpinian registered three stops today.
Senior LB Jeremiha Hunter did not play. Hunter has started 32 games in his career, which ties as fifth most among current Hawkeye players.
Michigan State won the toss and deferred to the second half. Iowa has started on offense in 120 of its last 138 contests. The Hawkeyes have started the game on offense in 122-of-144 games under Ferentz. Iowa games vs. Wisconsin (10/23/10), Ohio State (11/14/07), Indiana (10/31/09), Purdue (11/15/08), Penn State (11/08/08), Wisconsin (10/10/08), Minnesota (11/10/07), at Northwestern (11/3/07), vs. Michigan State (10/27/07), at Penn State (10/6/07), vs. Iowa State (9/16/06), vs. Minnesota (11/19/05), vs. Michigan (10/22/05), at Purdue (10/8/05), at Minnesota (11/13/04), vs. Purdue (11/6/04), at Miami, OH (9/7/02) and at Michigan State (9/27/03) are the only contests that the Hawkeyes didn’t start on offense. Iowa won 13 of the 18 games.
Instant Replay was used twice in the first period and once in the fourth. The call on the field, MSU receiver down before fumble, was upheld. The second review, Iowa runner scoring before being knocked out of bounds, was also upheld. The third review, Iowa receiver with a legal catch, was upheld.
Iowa is on the road the next two weeks, playing at Indiana Nov. 6 (time and TV, TBA) and at Northwestern Nov. 13 (time and TV, TBA).