Game Notes: Iowa at Minnesota

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 FIRST-AND-10
1: The Hawkeyes have won seven consecutive road games (tied for the fourth longest active streak in the nation (19: Ohio State 19; 8: Alabama, Oklahoma; 7: Iowa, Clemson, UNC). It’s the longest road winning streak of the Ferentz era. The school record for consecutive road wins is eight, set from 1920-23.
 
2: The Hawkeyes have won five consecutive rivalry trophy games. In 2015, Iowa defeated Iowa State, 31-17 (Cy-Hawk), Wisconsin, 10-6 (Heartland), Minnesota, 40-35 (Floyd of Rosedale), and Nebraska, 28-20 (Heroes). The Hawkeyes defeated Iowa State, 42-3, in the battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy on Sept. 10, 2016.
 
3: RB LeShun Daniels set career highs in rushes (26), rushing yards (195), and rushing touchdowns (3) in Iowa’s 40-35 win over Minnesota in 2015.
 
4: LB Josey Jewell ranks second in the Big Ten averaging 9.8 tackles per game. Jewell had a career-high 16 tackles last week, and has 226 career tackles, tying Mitch King for 48th all-time.
 
5: DB Desmond King has been targeted 13 times this season, allowing seven receptions for 47 yards. The average depth of route ran against King is 3.6 yards. He has allowed eight yards after catch (1.1 yards after catch per reception).
 
6: QB C.J. Beathard has thrown a touchdown pass in nine straight games, the longest streak for a Hawkeye quarterback since Ricky Stanzi threw a touchdown in 13 straight from 2009-10.
 
7: The Hawkeyes are +5 in turnover margin. Iowa has seven takeaways — two interceptions, five fumble recoveries — and has turned six of the seven takeaways into touchdowns.
 
8: Iowa is No. 1 in the Big Ten, averaging 27.9 yards per kickoff return. Desmond King ranks No. 2 in the Big Ten, averaging 29.5 yards per kickoff return.
 
9: In Iowa’s first game without leading WR Matt VandeBerg, senior WR Riley McCarron set career highs in receptions (8) and receiving yards (78) against Northwestern. He also caught one touchdown (15 yards). McCarron entered the game with six receptions this season.

10: Kirk Ferentz has 130 wins in all games played as a member of the Big Ten Conference. He ranks eighth in conference history, trailing Illinois’ Robert Zuppke, who won 131 games as a member of the Big Ten while coaching at Illinois.

    BIG TEN PERFECTION
    University of Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz has twice navigated the Big Ten regular season schedule with an undefeated record. The Hawkeyes were 8-0 in 2002 and shared the Big Ten championship with Ohio State, and 8-0 in 2015, winning the Big Ten West Division title. 
    Since 1954, when the conference schedule expanded to seven games, only six Big Ten coaches, including Ferentz, have multiple undefeated Big Ten seasons.

    FERENTZ CLOSING IN ON ROBERT ZUPPKE, LLOYD CARR
    Head coach Kirk Ferentz has 130 wins in all games played as a member of the Big Ten Conference. He ranks eighth in conference history, trailing Illinois’ Robert Zuppke, who won 131 games as a member of the Big Ten while coaching at Illinois. 
    Ferentz has 77 Big Ten wins, seventh among the conference’s all-time winningest coaches in Big Ten games. Lloyd Carr is sixth with 81 Big Ten victories.
    

    HAWKEYE HISTORY 
    Iowa has played 1,212 games since beginning football in 1889. Iowa’s overall record is 628-545-39 (.533). That includes a 395-215-16 (.641) record in home games, a 233-330-23 (.413) record in games away from Iowa City, a 315-367-25 (.457) mark in Big Ten games and a 278-179-15 (.600) record in Kinnick Stadium.

    STREAKING ON THE ROAD
    The Hawkeyes have won seven consecutive road games (the final road game at Illinois in 2014, all five road games in 2015, and Week 4 at Rutgers). It’s the longest road winning streak of the Ferentz era. The school record for consecutive road wins is eight, set from 1920-23. 
     
    FLOYD OF ROSEDALE
    As a result of a bet between the governors of the two states in 1935, possession of Floyd of Rosedale is at stake Saturday.  The trophy is currently in possession of Iowa.  Minnesota holds a 42-37-2 advantage in the series with Floyd of Rosedale on the line. Iowa has won 11 of the last 15 meetings.
    The Hawkeyes have won five consecutive rivalry trophy games. In 2015, Iowa defeated Iowa State, 31-17 (Cy-Hawk), Wisconsin, 10-6 (Heartland), Minnesota, 40-35 (Floyd of Rosedale), and Nebraska, 28-20 (Heroes). The Hawkeyes defeated Iowa State, 42-3, in the battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy on Sept. 10, 2016. 

    THE SERIES
    Saturday will be the 110th meeting between Iowa and Minnesota. 
    Minnesota holds a 62-45-2 advantage in a series that began with a 42-4 Gopher victory in 1891. The Golden Gophers won the first 12 games in the series before Iowa earned a 6-0 win in 1918.
    Iowa has won 11 of the last 15 meetings, and is 16-39-1 in games played in Minneapolis. 

    LAST MEETING: IOWA 40, MINNESOTA 35  (11/14/15 @ Kinnick Stadium)
    Iowa scored on six of its first seven offensive possessions to earn a 40-35 victory over Minnesota and reclaim possession of Floyd of Rosedale. 
    The Hawkeyes rushed for 272 yards. RB LeShun Daniels paced the Hawkeye ground attack, rushing 26 times for a career-high 195 yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback C.J. Beathard carried the ball 10 times for 50 yards and completed 18-of-26 passes for 213 yards. He also had two rushing scores. 
    Both teams exchanged touchdowns in the first quarter; Daniels scored on a 3-yard run, and Minnesota QB Mitch Leidner scored on a 2-yard rush. 
    Beathard scored on a 1-yard bootleg, Daniels scored on a 2-yard run, and Marshall Koehn kicked a 47-yard field goal in the second quarter to give the Hawkeyes a 24-14 halftime advantage.
    Koehn added a 38-yard field goal in the third period, while Minnesota found the end zone once in the third period to make the score 27-21.
    Iowa had two 12-point fourth quarter leads. Beathard’s second 1-yard scoring run made the score, 33-21, and a Daniels’ career-long 51-yard score put Iowa in front 40-28. The Gophers closed to within five points after a 3-yard touchdown run with 1:16 remaining. Their onside kick attempt following the late score went out of bounds, and Iowa took a knee to end the game. 
    The Hawkeyes moved the chains on 10 of their 15 third-down plays and maintained possession for 35:32.
    WR Matt VandeBerg had a team-high six catches for 74 yards, while Iowa tight ends George Kittle and Henry Krieger Coble combined for eight catches for 105 yards.
    Defensively, LB Josey Jewell had a team-high 13 tackles and a sack, amassing double-digit tackles for the fourth time in six games.
    Iowa’s 40-point outburst against Minnesota marked the fourth straight game that Iowa scored 30 or more points, in conference play, for the first time in school history.

    IOWA/MINNESOTA NOTES
•    Iowa and Minnesota compete for Floyd of Rosedale Saturday. Iowa is 1-0 in trophy games in 2016. The Hawkeyes defeated Iowa State, 42-3, in the battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy on Sept. 10.
•    Iowa is 17-of-18 in the red zone, scoring 15 TDs and converting two field goal attempts. Minnesota has allowed its opponents to score on all 12 trips to the red zone, surrendering 10 touchdowns and two field goals. Offensively, Minnesota has converted on 18-of-19 trips to the red zone (14 TDs, 4 FGs). Iowa’s defense has made four red zone stops in 15 opponent drives. 
•    Minnesota allows 255.3 passing yards per game, 14th in the Big Ten. Iowa’s season-high in passing yards is 237 (vs. Iowa State). 
•    Neither team has missed a field goal attempt. Minnesota is perfect in nine tries, Iowa has made it’s only two attempts this season. 
•    Minnesota averages 26 first downs per game, second in the league. Iowa averages 17.6 first downs, No. 13 in the Big Ten. 
•    Iowa has two Minnesota natives on its roster, WR Connor Keane (St. Paul) and DB Amani Hooker (Minneapolis).   Minnesota has four Iowa natives on its roster, LS Trey Hansen (Cedar Falls), TE Koe Kieft (Sioux Center), LB Cody Poock (Okoboji), and DB Ace Rogers (Iowa City).
    
    MAKING HAY IN THE RED ZONE
    The Hawkeyes have scored points on 17-of-18 trips in the red zone, including 15 touchdowns (6 pass, 9 rush) and two field goals. Iowa turned it over on downs in its only failed red zone appearance (at Rutgers). Its .944 red zone success rate ranks No. 3 in the Big Ten (Maryland, Minnesota lead with .947). 
    Eight different Hawkeyes have scored red zone touchdowns. Iowa’s rushing touchdowns include five by RB Akrum Wadley, two by RB LeShun Daniels, and one each by RB Derrick Mitchell and QB C.J. Beathard. The receiving touchdowns have gone to WR Matt VandeBerg (3), WR Jerminic Smith (1), WR Riley McCarron (1), and TE George Kittle (1). 

    THE LONELY ISLAND
    Through five games, opposing quarterbacks have attempted 137 passes. DB Desmond King has been targeted 13 times, allowing seven receptions for 47 yards. He has allowed eight yards after catch (1.1 yards after catch per reception). The average depth of route ran against King is 3.6 yards.
    King has recorded 14 solo tackles and nine assists, along with four pass breakups and a forced fumble.  He averages 81.8 all-purpose yards per game, most among Hawkeyes. He has 114 yards in punt returns and 295 yards in kickoff returns. He averages 29.5 yards per kickoff return, second in the Big Ten, and 11.4 yards per punt return, second in the Big Ten among players with at least 10 returns.  
    King, the Jim Thorpe Award winner and unanimous consensus All-American, announced on Jan. 4 he would return to Iowa for his senior season. King is the only Thorpe winner ever to play a college season after winning the award. He led the Big Ten and ranked second in the country with eight interceptions in 2015, tying a school record.     He was named the Tatum-Woodson Big Ten Conference Defensive Back of the Year and a finalist for Walter Camp Player of the Year. 
    The last time Iowa took the field with a national award winner was 2003, when senior PK Nate Kaeding was the reigning Lou Groza Award winner, presented to the nation’s top kicker.
    
    SPECIAL TEAMS HAVE BEEN SPECIAL
    The Hawkeyes lead the Big Ten averaging 27.8 yards per kickoff return. DB Desmond King is second in the league, averaging 29.5 yards per kickoff return. King had 162 combined return yards against Northwestern in Week 5 (77 punt, 85 kick). It marked the first time since 1998 a Hawkeye had 75-plus return yards on both punt and kickoffs (Khalil Hill).
In addition, senior WR Riley McCarron had a 54-yard kickoff return and a 38-yard punt return vs. Northwestern, both career longs.
    P Ron Coluzzi leads the Big Ten in touchbacks. Coluzzi has recorded a touchback on 24-of-28 kickoffs. No other Big Ten kicker has more than 19 touchbacks. He ranks fourth in the Big Ten in punting (42.7).
    Freshman K Keith Duncan has been perfect on all 21 PAT attempts, and connected on both field goal tries (22, 24). 

    VANDEBERG TO MISS GAMES DUE TO INJURY
    Senior WR Matt VandeBerg is out of action indefinitely, due to a foot injury sustained in practice on Sept. 26. VandeBerg (6-1, 190), played in the first four games of the season, leading the team in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns (19-284-3 TDs).
    VandeBerg has 106 career receptions, tying Quinn Early for 19th in program history. He has 1,302 career receiving yards, 27th in program history.

    GLANCE AT THE SCHEDULE
    The Hawkeyes opened 2016 with three straight home games against Miami, Ohio (W, 45-21), Iowa State (W, 42-3), and North Dakota State (L, 23-21). 
    For the first time in program history, Iowa will play a nine-game conference schedule.  Iowa plays five Big Ten road games and hosts four conference schools, including Northwestern (L, 38-31), Wisconsin (Oct. 22), Michigan (Nov. 12) and Nebraska (Nov. 25). 
The Hawkeyes do not face Big Ten opponents Indiana, Maryland, Michigan State, or Ohio State, during the regular season. 
    Seven of Iowa’s 12 opponents played in the postseason. Six Big Ten opponents participated in bowl competition (4-2). North Dakota State has won the FCS national championship five consecutive years. 
    Iowa has four trophy games on its schedule in 2016. The Hawkeyes defended the Cy-Hawk trophy with a 42-3 win against Iowa State, and will defend three more rivalry trophies at Minnesota (Floyd of Rosedale), and against Wisconsin (Heartland) and Nebraska (Heroes). 
    For the second straight year, and second time in program history, Iowa will play more than one night game at Kinnick Stadium. Iowa defeated Iowa State, 42-3, on Sept. 10 in a game that kicked off at 6:42 p.m. The Hawkeyes host Michigan Nov. 12 at 7 p.m., and also play under the lights at Penn State on Nov. 5 (6:30 p.m.). 

    IOWA LEADERSHIP GROUP
    The University of Iowa football program has 16 players in its 2016 Leadership Group, including nine seniors and seven juniors.  The purpose of the group is to assist in formulating policies, and being involved in team decision-making matters regarding the upcoming season.  Players are selected by a team vote.
    The seniors are QB C.J. Beathard, OL Cole Croston, RB LeShun Daniels, Jr., DL Jaleel Johnson, DB Desmond King, TE George Kittle, DB Greg Mabin, WR Riley McCarron, and WR Matt VandeBerg.  The junior class is represented by DL Nathan Bazata, OL Ike Boettger, LB Bo Bower, LB Josey Jewell, OL Boone Myers, LB Ben Niemann, and OL Sean Welsh.

    THE BEST DEFENSE IS A RIVALRY TROPHY DEFENSE
    The Hawkeyes have won five consecutive rivalry trophy games, claiming the Cy-Hawk Trophy (Iowa State), Floyd of Rosedale (Minnesota), Heartland Trophy (Wisconsin), and Heroes (Nebraska) in 2015, and successfully defending the Cy-Hawk Trophy against Iowa State (W, 42-3) in 2016. By sweeping the series in 2015, Iowa owned all four trophies for the first time in program history (the Heroes Trophy was introduced in 2011). 

    FERENTZ TOPS IN LONGEVITY
    Kirk Ferentz is in his 18th season as Iowa’s head football coach. He is tied with Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops as the longest active FBS head coaches. Ferentz was named Iowa head coach on Dec. 2, 1998, one day after Stoops was named head coach at Oklahoma. Stoops was a Hawkeye letterman from 1979-82.

    IOWA AT THE HEAD OF CLASS IN COACHING LANDSCAPE 
    The University of Iowa has produced four  active FBS head coaches, tied with Alabama for most in the country. Bret Bielema (Arkansas), Bob Diaco (UCONN), Bob Stoops (Oklahoma), and Mark Stoops (Kentucky) all earned undergraduate degrees from the University of Iowa. Bielema, Diaco, Bob Stoops, and Mark Stoops played for former UI head coach Hayden Fry. All four head coaches served as assistants under Fry. Bielema was an assistant coach on Kirk Ferentz’s staff from 1999-2001.

    KIRK FERENTZ RADIO SHOW
    Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz is featured on “Hawk Talk with Kirk Ferentz” each week during the regular season. The radio call-in show is hosted by Gary Dolphin, the play-by-play voice of the Iowa Hawkeyes.  The show airs live each Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. from Applebee’s in Coralville.

    IOWA PROGRAM NOTES
•    The Hawkeyes have earned bowl eligibility in 14 of the last 15 seasons. 
•    Iowa played in the Big Ten title game for the first time in program history on Dec. 5, 2015. Iowa earned Big Ten Conference championships in 2002 and 2004 and placed second in 2009. Iowa (8-0, 2002; 8-0, 2015) is one of three Big Ten teams to post a perfect mark in conference play since 1998 (BCS era), joining Michigan State (1) and Ohio State (5). 
•    Iowa has ranked in the top 10 in the final Associated Press and CNN/USA Today coaches polls five times since 2002, including a ranking of seventh in both polls at the conclusion of the 2009 season. Iowa ranked eighth in 2002, 2003 and 2004. The Hawkeyes finished 2015 ranked ninth in the AP poll and 10th in the USA Today Coaches Poll. In the Big Ten, only Ohio State has more top 10 finishes since 2002. 
•    Since 1936 when the first AP poll was released, Iowa has appeared in the poll 310 times, the fifth highest total in the Big Ten (Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, and MSU). Iowa has been the top-ranked team in the country 11 times.
•    Iowa set a school record with 12 wins in 2015. The Hawkeyes won 11 games in 2002 (11-2), and 2009 (11-2).  In 2009, Iowa started 9-0 and won 10 regular season games for just the fourth time in school history.
•    Iowa won 10 or more games in three consecutive years (2002-04) for the first time in school history.
•    Kirk Ferentz has been named Big Ten Coach of the Year four times (2002, 2004, 2009, 2015) and was named National Coach of the Year in 2002 and 2015. Only Michigan’s Bo Schembechler (6) has more conference coach of the year. Iowa’s Hayden Fry and Penn State’s Joe Paterno both won the award three times.  
•    Desmond King became the seventh Hawkeye to earn a national player of the year award under Kirk Ferentz. He won the Jim Thorpe award in 2015, honoring the nation’s top defensive back. Iowa has had national award winners in: Robert Gallery (2003 Outland, Top Lineman); Brad Banks (2002 Davey O’Brien, Top Quarterback; 2002 Associated Press National Player of the Year); Dallas Clark (2002 Mackey, Top Tight End); Nate Kaeding (2002 Groza, Top Kicker); Shonn Greene (2008 Doak Walker, Top Running Back); Brandon Scherff (2014 Outland, Top Lineman), Desmond King (2015 Jim Thorpe).
•    Iowa’s football record in the 2000 decade was 80-45 (.640), a record that ranks as the best decade in Iowa football history, based on total wins.  Iowa posted a record of 77-40-4 (.652) during the 1980’s and the Hawkeyes were 62-53-2 (.538) in the 1990’s. 
•    Part of the Hawkeyes’ long term success is due to the stability in the program. Iowa has had just two head coaches since 1979. Hayden Fry took over prior to the 1979 season and coached through the 1998 season, posting a record of 143-89-6. Current coach Kirk Ferentz replaced Fry, leading the program for the 18th season. Ferentz also served as Iowa’s offensive line coach from 1981-89 under Fry.