Game Notes: No. 6 Iowa vs. Purdue

Nov. 16, 2015

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THE RECORDS
Iowa is 10-0, 6-0, with wins over Illinois State (31-14), at Iowa State (31-17), Pittsburgh (27-24), North Texas (62-16), at Wisconsin (10-6), Illinois (29-20), at Northwestern (40-10), Maryland (31-15), at Indiana (35-27) and Minnesota (40-35).

Purdue is 2-8, 1-5, with wins over Indiana State (38-14) and Nebraska (55-45). Purdue has lost to Marshall (41-31), Virginia Tech (51-24), Bowling Green (35-28), Michigan State (24-21), Minnesota (41-13), Wisconsin (24-7), Illinois (48-14) and Northwestern (21-14).

THE SERIES
Purdue holds a 46-36-3 advantage in the series that began with 16-0 Iowa win in Iowa City in 1910. The Hawkeyes have won four of the last five meetings, including a 24-10 victory last season at Purdue. Purdue’s most recent win in the series was a 27-24 decision in Iowa City in 2012. Iowa holds a 20-19-2 advantage in games played in Iowa City.

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 137-106 and he is 125-85 at Iowa. He ranks eighth in the Big Ten Conference in coaching victories.

Darrell Hazell is in his third season as Purdue’s head coach and his fifth season overall as a college head coach. Hazell is 6-28 with the Boilermakers and holds a career mark of 22-38. Hazell posted a two-year record of 16-10 as the head coach at Kent State.

21 SENIORS PLAY FINAL HOME GAME
Senior members of the Iowa football program include OL Austin Blythe, RB Jordan Canzeri, DL Darian Cooper, FB Adam Cox, DB Sean Draper, TE Jake Duzey, LB Cole Fisher, WR Jacob Hillyer, P Dillon Kidd, K Marshall Koehn, TE Henry Krieger Coble, DB Jordan Lomax, DE Nate Meier, DE Drew Ott, LB Travis Perry, FB Macon Plewa, OL Eric Simmons, WR Tevaun Smith, DE Melvin Spears, WR Andrew Stone, and OL Jordan Walsh.

Since the start of the 2012 season the Hawkeyes have won 29 games. Iowa has qualified for its third bowl game in the last four seasons. All senior members of the Iowa football program will be recognized during pregame ceremonies.

IOWA SEEKS KINNICK SWEEP
Iowa is 6-0 in Kinnick Stadium and enters Saturday’s game looking for a perfect home record for the first time since 2004 (6-0). Iowa has enjoyed 11 perfect seasons in Kinnick Stadium, but only the 2003 team won seven homes games. The Hawkeyes have been 6-1 at four times under Kirk Ferentz, including 2002, 2008, 2009 and 2011.

IOWA CAN EARN DIVISION TITLE
Iowa can clinch a tie for the West Division championship Saturday with a win over Purdue in Kinnick Stadium, and earn the division title outright with wins in their final two games, or one win and one Wisconsin loss. The Badgers host Northwestern Saturday before traveling to Minnesota. By virtue of a head-to-head win over Wisconsin earlier this season, an Iowa victory over Purdue would qualify the Hawkeyes for the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis on Saturday, Dec. 5.

THREE PHASES OF @HawkeyeFootball
Iowa has its best start in program history (10-0), due to excelling in all three phases of the game.
OFFENSE:
• Iowa has scored 30 points or more in four straight Big Ten games for the first time in school history.
• Iowa has a balanced offense. Its 4,214 total yards are divided by 2,117 yards rushing, and 2,097 yards passing. Iowa has 30 rushing touchdowns, first in the Big Ten and fifth nationally.
• Iowa ranks second in the Big Ten with 14 scrimmage plays of 40-plus yards. The Hawkeyes had 12 scrimmage plays of 40-plus yards all of last season, and 13 such plays in 2012 and 2013 combined.
DEFENSE:
• Iowa has allowed six rushing touchdowns; No. 1 in the conference and fourth nationally.
• Iowa leads the Big Ten in interceptions (13) and ranks second in takeaways (20) and turnover margin (+11).
• Limiting big plays: Iowa has allowed 12 scrimmage plays of 30-plus yards. Only Michigan (9) has allowed fewer among Big Ten teams.
SPECIAL TEAMS:
• Marshall Koehn‘s 57-yard game-winning field goal vs. Pitt is the second longest in school history and the second longest in FBS this season.
• Iowa’s two-man punt team of Dillon Kidd (43.1) and (46.2) rank fourth in the Big Ten averaging 42.4 yards per punt.
• Desmond King averages 12.7 yards per punt return and 25.1 yards on KO returns, both rank No. 3 in the Big Ten.

SCHEDULE STRENGTH
Among the five remaining unbeaten FBS teams, only Clemson has a higher strength of schedule rating than Iowa (Sagarin Ratings). Iowa has won two road games over ranked opponents (#18 Wisconsin; #20 Northwestern), joining Alabama (3) as the only programs in the nation with multiple road wins over ranked foes.

IOWA/PURDUE NOTES
• The Hawkeyes have won seven of the last nine and 19 of the last 26 meetings.
• Iowa has the No. 3 rush defense in the conference (104.6 ypg). Purdue’s rush offense ranks 14th in the Big Ten (128.9 ypg).
• Iowa leads the Big Ten with 30 rushing touchdowns. The Boilermakers have allowed 22 rushing touchdowns, No. 13 in the conference.
• Iowa averages 33.6 points per game, No. 3 in the Big Ten. Purdue allows 34.4 points per game, No. 12 in the Big Ten.
• QB C.J. Beathard won his first career start last year at Purdue. The Hawkeyes won the contest 24-10.
• The Hawkeyes (13) and Boilermakers (12) rank 1-2 in the Big Ten in interceptions (12). The Boilermakers have thrown 14 interceptions, the third highest total in the league. Iowa has thrown five interceptions, tied for the fewest in FBS.

START FAST, FINISH STRONG, PLAY WITH THE LEAD
The Hawkeyes have outscored their opponents 57-23 in the first quarter, and 44-0 in the final two minutes of the first half. Iowa has trailed just five times this season, never by more than seven points. The Hawkeyes trailed by seven at Iowa State on two occasions, 10-3, 17-10. Iowa trailed 3-0 at Wisconsin, 7-6 against Illinois, and 17-14 at Indiana. In 600 minutes played, Iowa has trailed for 55:15.

NUMBER OF THE WEEK: 195
Three different Hawkeyes (Jordan Canzeri, 256, Akrum Wadley, 204; LeShun Daniels, 195) have rushed for at least 195 yards in a single game this season, making Iowa the first FBS team since LSU in 1997 to have at least three different players rush for 195-plus yards in a single game in the same season.

MOVING THE CHAINS
Iowa converted 10 of its 15 third down plays (.667) in last week’s win over Minnesota. For the season, the Hawkeyes are 47 percent (67-of-144), which ranks 17th nationally. TE Henry Krieger Coble has caught eight straight passes for first downs dating back to the Northwestern game on Oct. 17.

WE’LL GO FIRST
Iowa received the opening kickoff in eight of 10 games this season, and has outscored its opponents 57-23 in the first quarter. In 17 seasons as Iowa’s head coach, Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes received the opening kickoff in 170-of-210 games (103-67). Iowa has started the game on defense in 40-of-210 games under Ferentz (22-18).

THE FOURTH QUARTER
QB C.J. Beathard and the Hawkeyes’ rush defense have dominated the fourth quarter in 2015. Iowa’s rush defense, the No. 3 defense in the conference, has yielded 191 total rushing yards in the fourth quarter this season (19.1 yards per game).

Beathard is 28-of-42 passing for 405 yards and two touchdowns. He has also rushed 15 times for 42 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter this season. He has engineered game-winning drives in the fourth quarter two times this season (Iowa State and Pitt). He was 4-of-4 for 46 yards and a touchdown against Iowa State, and he rushed for 27 yards on three carries to set up K Marshall Koehn‘s 57-yard game winning field goal against Pitt.

In Iowa’s last 11 games, including the 2015 TaxSlayer Bowl, Beathard’s fourth quarter numbers include 35-of-49 passing for 500 yards and four touchdowns, and 17 carries for 80 yards and two touchdowns. Beathard did not play in the fourth quarter against North Texas.

DO NOT ENTER
The Hawkeyes lead the Big Ten and rank fourth in the country in rushing touchdowns allowed. Iowa has allowed six rushing scores and yields an average of 104.6 rushing yards per game, third best in the Big Ten and ninth nationally. Iowa limits its opponents to 3.3 yards per carry — third in the Big Ten and 17th best in the country. The Hawkeyes allowed just one rushing touchdown through the first eight weeks, but surrendered five over the last two weeks (2 at Indiana, 3 vs. Minnesota).

6 THE OTHER WAY
Iowa leads the Big Ten and ranks 17th nationally with 13 interceptions. The Hawkeyes have returned three interceptions for touchdowns (Josey Jewell, 34; Bo Bower, 88; Desmond King, 88). The 88-yard interception returns by Bower and King tie for the seventh longest interception returns in school history. Iowa ranks 12th in the country with three defensive scores this season. Iowa has at least one interception return for a touchdown in each of the last eight seasons, and 13 of the last 15 seasons.

POWER OF THREE
Three Hawkeyes (Jordan Canzeri, 256, Akrum Wadley, 204; LeShun Daniels, 195) have combined for eight 100-yard rushing games this season: Canzeri (4x), Wadley (twice), and Daniels (twice). The last time the Hawkeyes had three different players rush for over 100 yards in a game in the same season was 2005: Albert Young (8x), and Shonn Greene and Damian Sims once each. The Hawkeyes also have three receivers with 100-yard receiving games: Matt VandeBerg (1), Tevaun Smith (1), and Jerminic Smith (1). It is the first time since 1995 three different Hawkeyes recorded 100-yard receiving games: Tim Dwight (2x), Demo Odems (1), Scott Slutzker (1).

MAKING HISTORY
For the first time in school history, Iowa had a different running back rush for 200 yards in consecutive games (Akrum Wadley at Northwestern and Jordan Canzeri vs. Illinois). Wadley recorded career highs in carries (26), rushing yards (204), and touchdowns (4) against the Wildcats on Oct. 17. Canzeri amassed 256 yards rushing on a school-record 43 attempts against the Fighting Illini on Oct. 10. The feat is the first time an FBS school had two different running backs eclipse 200 yards rushing in a game since 1996.

SHINING AT AWARDS SEASON
Iowa has been honored with five Big Ten weekly awards this season. QB C.J. Beathard earned the offensive award following Iowa’s win at Iowa State, PK Marshall Koehn was the special teams winner following Iowa’s last-second victory over Pittsburgh, DB Desmond King earned co-defensive honors for his play in Iowa’s win at Wisconsin, RB Jordan Canzeri earned the offensive honor for his play in a win over Illinois, and RB Akrum Wadley earned the offensive honor following Iowa’s road win at Northwestern. Iowa’s three offensive award winners are the most for the program since 2002, when QB Brad Banks was recognized three times and TE Dallas Clark was honored once. The last time three different offensive players earned weekly conference honors was 1997 (Tavian Banks, Tim Dwight, and Rob Thein).