Game Notes: Iowa at Iowa State

Sept. 8, 2015

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Game Notes in PDF Format

THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa football team travels to Ames, Iowa, to face Iowa State in the annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series. Kickoff is at 3:45 p.m. (CT) at Jack Trice Stadium The game is sold out.

THE RECORDS
Iowa is 1-0 after opening the season with a 31-14 home win over Illinois State. The Hawkeyes were 7-6 last season, earning a trip to the 2015 TaxSlayer Bowl. Iowa was 4-4 in Big Ten play and 3-2 in nonconference games last season. Iowa State is 1-0, opening the season with a 31-7 home win over Northern Iowa. The Cyclones were 2-10 in 2014.

THE SERIES
Iowa holds a 40-22 advantage in the series that began with a 16-8 ISU win in 1894. The Hawkeyes have won four of the last seven meetings, but the Cyclones won 20-17 last season in Kinnick Stadium and have won two of the last three. The visiting team has won the last three meetings and the last four games have been decided by six points or less. The teams have met every year since 1977.

IOWA CORN CY-HAWK TROPHY
Iowa Corn is the sponsor of the Cy-Hawk Series, including the annual football game between the two schools. Iowa and ISU have played for the Cy-Hawk Trophy from the time the series resumed in 1977, with the Hawkeyes holding a 24-14 advantage in those games. Saturday’s game is the third event in the 12th annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series. Iowa and Iowa State meet in both soccer and volleyball Friday in Iowa City. ISU leads the alltime Cy-Hawk Series, 6-5.

COACHING RECORDS
Kirk Ferentz is in his 20th year as a college head coach and his 17th year as Iowa’s head coach. His career record is 128-106 and he is 116-85 at Iowa. He is the 12th Big Ten Conference coach to win 100 games. Paul Rhoads is in his seventh season as a college head coach, all at Iowa State. He holds a 30-46 record.

IOWA/IOWA STATE NOTES
? Both teams enter the game with undefeated records (1-0). It is the ninth time since 1999 both schools enter the game with undefeated records. Iowa is 6-3 in those games.
? The last time the teams faced each other with 1-0 records was 2012, a 9-6 Cyclone win in Iowa City.
? The visiting team has won the last three games. Iowa is 17-8 all-time in games played in Ames.
? Three of the last four meetings have been decided by a field goal, all Iowa State wins.
? Saturday is the third event of the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series. The schools’ soccer and volleyball teams meet Sept. 11, in Iowa City. Iowa State leads the all-time Cy-Hawk Series, 6-5.
? Iowa has 50 native Iowans on its roster. Iowa State has 49.
? Iowa depth’s chart includes six Iowans listed as starters: LT Boone Myers, C Austin Blythe, RT Ike Boettger, TE Henry Krieger Coble, LE Nate Meier, and LB Josey Jewell.
? Iowa State’s depth chart includes six Iowans listed as starters: TE Ben Boesen, LT Jake Campos, C Jamison Lalk, RT Brock Dagel, WR Allen Lazard, LB Levi Peters.

IOWA VS. THE BIG 12
Iowa holds an all-time record of 55-34 (.618) against current members of the Big 12 Conference, having met all but Baylor and West Virginia at least once. Iowa State is the only Big 12 opponent on the Hawkeye schedule this season.

SERIES EXPERIENCE
Junior QB C.J. Beathard is making his first Cy-Hawk Series appearance. Former Iowa QB Jake Rudock took every snap at quarterback against the Cyclones in 2013 and 2014. Junior RB LeShun Daniels did not appear against the Cyclones in 2013 or 2014. The Hawkeyes combined for 104 rushes and 347 rushing yards in those games.

Ten active Hawkeyes, five on offense and five on defense, have previously started games against Iowa State. C Austin Blythe is making his fourth start against the Cyclones. RG Jordan Walsh, DE Drew Ott, and DB Desmond King are making their third starts in the series. Other Hawkeyes with starting experience in the Cy-Hawk Series include DE Nate Meier, DB Greg Mabin, FS Jordan Lomax, WR Jacob Hillyer, LG Sean Welsh, and TE George Kittle.

THE 99-YARD DRIVE
Iowa put together a 99-yard scoring drive on its second possession of the season. It was the Hawkeyes’ first 99-yard touchdown drive since 2002. Iowa passed six times and rushed six times while converting five first downs on the drive. QB C.J. Beathard was 4-of-6 passing for 63 yards. He also carried once for two yards. RB LeShun Daniels, Jr., carried four times for 18 yards, and RB Jordan Canzeri took his first carry of the season five yards into the endzone. Canzeri also had a 21-yard reception.

FIRST TIME STARTERS
Seven Hawkeyes made their first career start in Iowa’s season opener: RB LeShun Daniels, Jr., LT Boone Myers, DT Nathan Bazata, DT Jaleel Johnson, LB Cole Fisher, LB Ben Niemann, and SS Miles Taylor.

REMOVE THE REDSHIRT
Three true freshmen played in the 2015 season opener: OL James Daniels, WR Jerminic Smith, and WR Adrian Falconer. Daniels is the first true freshman to play offensive line since Bryan Bulaga in 2007. Daniels joined the Iowa program last spring and participated in spring practice.

YARDS, RECEPTIONS TO FILL
Iowa opened the 2015 season without its returning leader in passing yards (Jake Rudock, 2,436), rushing yards (Mark Weisman, 812) or receptions (Kevonte Martin-Manley, 52). It is the first time since 2004 Iowa opened the season without a returning statistical leader in at least one of those categories (2003: QB Nathan Chandler, RB Fred Russell, WR Ramon Ochoa).

In the season opener a trio of juniors stepped into those statistical roles. QB C.J. Beathard passed for 211 yards in his first career start at Kinnick Stadium. RB LeShun Daniels rushed for 123 yards in his first career start, and WR Matt VandeBerg caught six passes, one for a touchdown.

ROOKIE TACKLES MAKING THE GRADE
Iowa starting tackles LT Boone Myers and RT Ike Boettger entered 2015 with one combined career start (Boettger started as a second tight end against Wisconsin in 2014). The sophomores replace a pair of NFL lineman — 2014 Outland Trophy winner LT Brandon Scherff (Washington Redskins) and RT Andrew Donnal (St. Louis Rams). Iowa rushed for 210 yards and did not allow a sack in the 2015 season opener against Illinois State. Myers joined the program as a walk-on and was put on scholarship prior to the 2014 season. He saw action in four games last season. Boettger joined the team as a tight end but was moved to offensive line in 2013. He saw action in seven games as a redshirt freshman in 2014.

FIND THE NFL-ER
Since 1999, Kirk Ferentz‘s first year as UI head coach, the Hawkeyes have had a future NFL player start on the offensive line in every season. In each of the last eight years, an eventual NFL first-round draft pick started on the offensive line. Brandon Scherff, selected by the Washington Redskins fifth overall in 2015, was Iowa’s left tackle from 2012-14. Riley Reiff, selected 23rd overall by the Detroit Lions in 2012, started at left tackle from 2010-11. Bryan Bulaga, selected 23rd overall by the Green Bay Packers in 2010, started at left guard in 2007 before moving to left tackle in 2008-09. From 2005-06, Baltimore Ravens All-Pro Marshal Yanda shared time at tackle and guard for the Hawkeyes. Mike Elgin, a seventh round selection of New England, was Iowa’s starting center in 2004. Pete McMahon, drafted by Oakland in 2005, was Iowa’s right guard in 2003. Oakland’s first round pick in 2004, Robert Gallery, was Iowa’s left tackle from 2001-03. Eric Steinbach (Cincinnati) started at guard for Iowa from 2000-02, and Bruce Nelson (Carolina) was a four-year starter from 1999-02. Both players were second round draft picks in 2003.

UP NEXT
Iowa returns home to host Pittsburgh next Saturday in the first of two night games in Kinnick Stadium this season. Game time is 7 p.m. (BTN). Tickets are available at the UI Athletic Ticket Office at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, over the phone at 1-800-IA-HAWKS, or online at hawkeyesports.com.