Game Notes: Iowa vs. Nebraska

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1: Iowa’s 2016 senior class has won 34 games since 2013, including 22 Big Ten games, third most by any senior class under Ferentz. The 2005 senior class won 25 Big Ten games, and the 2004 senior class won 24 Big Ten games.
 
2: Iowa is playing its fourth rivalry trophy game this season. Iowa entered the year in possession of all four rivalry trophies and has successfully defended the Cy-Hawk (W 42-3 vs. Iowa State) and Floyd of Rosedale (W 14-7 at Minn). Iowa lost the Heartland Trophy at home to Wisconsin (17-9).
 
3: Iowa’s last home win against Nebraska was in 1981 (10-7). That game marked the first game in which Kirk Ferentz served as an Iowa assistant. It is the only time Iowa has defeated a ranked Nebraska team (#7).
 
4: Iowa has outscored its opponents 31-0 over the last 69:34. The Hawkeyes shutout Illinois in Week 11, recording their first Big Ten shutout since 2009 (12-0 vs. Minnesota).  Iowa defeated Michigan 14-13 in Week 10, allowing just three points in the second half.
 
5: QB C.J. Beathard’s .769 winning percentage (20-6) is No. 1 all-time among Iowa starting quarterbacks with at least 20 career starts. He is one of five players in program history to win 20 games as starting quarterback. The others include Chuck Long (34), Ricky Stanzi (26), Matt Rodgers (21), and Drew Date (21).
 
6: DB Desmond King is a Jim Thorpe Award, Bednarik Award, and Lott IMPACT Award semifinalist. King in the only Big Ten player in the last 20 years with 12+ career interceptions and  1,500+ combined kickoff/punt return yards. King has 13 career interceptions and 1,749 career KO/P return yards.  He has 252 career tackles.
 
7: LB Josey Jewell is a Butkus Award finalist and leads the Big Ten with 105 tackles. Jewell matched his career high with 16 stops in Week 8 against Wisconsin. He has 282 career tackles, 19th all-time. He blocked his first career field goal Week 9 at Penn State.
 
8: RB Akrum Wadley (861) and RB LeShun Daniels, Jr. (855) are the third set of running backs in program history to have 800-plus rushing yards in the same season, joining Owen Gill (920) and Ronnie Harmon (907) in 1984, and Nick Bell (1,009) and Tony Stewart (844) in 1990.
 
9: DT Jaleel Johnson is tied for fourth in the Big Ten with 7.5 sacks (50 yards). Johnson recorded a safety and a sack against Michigan in Week 10. He entered the year with five career sacks. The last DT to lead the Hawkeyes in sacks was DT Mike Daniels in 2011 (9-53).
 
10: Iowa is bowl eligible for the 15th time in the last 16 seasons. Iowa has won 6 bowl games under Kirk Ferentz. Only Ohio State has more bowl wins (8) than Iowa since 2001.
 
     FERENTZ CATCHES CARR, CLOSES ON WILLIAMS
     Head coach Kirk Ferentz has 81 Big Ten wins, tying Llody Carr for sixth place among the conference’s all-time winningest coaches in Big Ten games.
     Ferentz has 134 wins in all games played as a member of the Big Ten Conference, seventh most all-time. He is two victories from equaling Henry Williams of Minnesota, who won 136 games.
     Iowa is one of two Big Ten programs (Michigan) with two head coaches among the top seven (Hayden Fry 143 overall wins, 96 conference wins).
 
     ALL IN THE FAMILY
     Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz has two of his three sons involved in the Iowa program again in 2016. Ferentz has had a son on the team in 14 of his 18 seasons at Iowa’s head coach. Steven, a redshirt senior offensive lineman, is the youngest of Kirk’s five children (Brian, Kelly, Joanne, James and Steven) and is playing his final home game Friday. Brian, a former Hawkeye letterman and captain (2003-05), is in his fifth season as Iowa’s offensive line coach and second year as running-game coordinator. James Ferentz was a three-year starter on the Hawkeye offensive line and a team captain before graduating in 2013.
     Kirk and Steven are one of seven father-son head coach-player duos in FBS. The others include Mike and Jay Macintyre (Colorado), Mark and Gunner Hudspeth (UL-Lafayette), Rick and Brent Stockstill (Middle Tennessee), Bobby and Derek Wilder (Old Dominion), Butch and Alex Jones (Tennessee), and Kyle and Alex Whittingham (Utah).
 
    14 SENIORS PLAY FINAL HOME GAME
    Senior members of the Iowa football program include QB C.J. Beathard, P Ron Coluzzi, OL Cole Croston, RB LeShun Daniels, Jr., DE Faith Ekakitie, OL Steve Ferentz, DB Anthony Gair, DT Jaleel Johnson, OL Mitch Keppy, Desmond King, TE George Kittle, DB Greg Mabin, WR Riley McCarron, and OL Ryan Ward.
    Since the start of the 2013 season the Hawkeyes have won 34 games and qualified for a bowl game every year. The senior class has an overall record of 34-17, including an 18-9 mark at home and a 22-10 record in Big Ten games. The 22 conference wins are the third most by any senior class under Ferentz. The 2005 senior class won 25 Big Ten games, and the 2004 senior class won 24 Big Ten games.
    All senior members of the Iowa football program will be recognized during pregame ceremonies.
 
     20-GAME WINNER
     QB C.J. Beathard has 20-6 career record and is one of five player in program history to win 20 games as starting quarterback. The other include Chuck Long (34), Ricky Stanzi (26), Matt Rodgers (21),and Drew Date (21). Beathard won his 20th game in his 26th career start, matching Long and Stanzi for the program’s fastest 20-game winners. Rodgers won his 20th game in his 29th start, and Tate won his 20th in his 33rd career start. Beathard has the highest winning percentage (.769) and is the winning quarterback in program history (minimum 20 starts). 
     Beathard is 20-6 as a starter, including a 10-3 at Kinnick Stadium, a 10-1 record in true road games, a 13-4 record in Big Ten games, and a 3-4 record against AP to 25 teams. His 37 career touchdown passes tie Chuck Hartlieb for sixth all-time, and his 5,363 career passing yards rank eighth all-time. The Hawkeyes are 4-0 in games Beathard throws for fewer than 100 yards (77 yards at Wisconsin 2015, 97 yards at Nebraska 2015, 66 yards vs. Michigan 2016, 80 at Illinois 2016).
 
     DANIELS, MCCARRON EARN WEEKLY HONORS
    RB LeShun Daniels, Jr. and WR Riley McCarron were recognized as Big Ten Conference Players of the Week for their performances in Iowa’s 28-0 win at Illinois.
Daniels was named the co-Offensive Player of the Week, while McCarron shared the weekly honor as Special Teams Player of the Week.  Daniels was also named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week by College Sports Madness.
    Daniels led Iowa’s offense as the Hawkeyes rushed for 262 yards and gained 342 yards total offense.  He matched his career high with 26 rushing attempts, gaining 159 yards.  He scored twice, giving Iowa a 14-0 lead with a 1-yard plunge in the third quarter, and then scoring from 50 yards in the final period to move the advantage to 21-0. 
    McCarron had two punt returns against Illinois for 72 yards, including a 55-yard touchdown in the second quarter that provided the only points in the first half.  He later added a 17-yard return. McCarron, who leads the Hawkeyes in receiving for the season (36-398), also had one pass reception for 16 yards as Iowa won its fourth road game of the year.
    The Big Ten recognition is the first for both Daniels and McCarron.

    HAWKEYES ARE BOWL ELIGIBLE
    K Keith Duncan kicked a 33-yard field goal as time expired to help Iowa beat No. 2 Michigan 14-13, and become bowl eligible for the 15th time in the last 16 seasons under head coach Kirk Ferentz. Iowa clinched eligibility in Game 10 for the fifth time under Kirk Ferentz (2013 Outback, 2008 Outback, 2005 Outback, 2001 Alamo).
     Iowa made its 29th Bowl game appearance (14-14-1) at the 102nd Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena, California, on Jan. 1, 2016. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Rose (six times), Outback (four), Alamo (four), Holiday (three), Orange (two), Peach (two), Sun (two), Insight (two), Gator/TaxSlayer (two), and the Capital One, and Freedom bowls once.
•   Iowa has played 13 bowl games under Kirk Ferentz (6-7), including nine January bowl games (4-5).
•   Iowa has been bowl eligible 15 of the last 16 seasons under head coach Kirk Ferentz. Iowa’s 13 bowl appearances since 2001 tie as the 11th best total in the nation.
•   Iowa ranks third in Big Ten bowl appearances. Ohio State has received a conference-best 46 bowl bids, followed by Michigan (44), Iowa (29), and Wisconsin (27).
  
    BATTLE FOR HEROES TROPHY
    Iowa and Nebraska are playing “The Hy-Vee Heroes Game” Friday, with the winner claiming the Heroes Trophy. The trophy game between the Hawkeyes and Cornhuskers was established in 2011. Iowa gained possession of the trophy for the first time with a 38-17 win at Nebraska in 2013, and reclaimed it last season with a 28-20 win in Lincoln. The Hawkeyes also play trophy games with Iowa State (Cy-Hawk Trophy, W 42-3), Minnesota (Floyd of Rosedale, W 14-7) and Wisconsin (Heartland Trophy, L 17-9).   
 
    THE SERIES
    Nebraska holds a 29-14-3 advantage in the series that began with a 22-0 Iowa victory in 1891. The visiting team has won the last four meetings. 
    Nebraska holds a 10-6 advantage in games played in Iowa City, including the last three meetings. Iowa’s last home win against Nebraska was in 1981 (10-7). That game marked the first game in which Kirk Ferentz served as an Iowa assistant, being named Iowa’s offensive line coach prior to the season. It is also the only time Iowa has defeated a ranked Nebraska team (#7). The Hawkeyes are 1-9 all-time against Nebraska when the Huskers are ranked.
    The 1999 Iowa-Nebraska game in Kinnick Stadium marked Coach Kirk Ferentz’s first game as Iowa’s head coach. 
    The first 10 games in the series were played in either Omaha (eight games) or Council Bluffs (two games). The series was even at 4-4-2 in those 10 meetings.  

     HAWKEYE HISTORY
     Iowa has played 1,218 games since beginning football in 1889. Iowa’s overall record is 632-547-39 (.535). That includes a 396-216-16 (.641) record in home games, a 236-331-23 (.418) record in games away from Iowa City, a 319-369-25 (.464) mark in Big Ten games and a 279-180-15 (.600) record in Kinnick Stadium.
 
     KING LANDS ON AWARDS LIST
     DB Desmond King is one of 16 semifinalists for the 2016 Jim Thorpe Award, (best defensive back in college football), one of 18 semifinalists for the Bednarik Award (most outstanding defensive player), and one of 10 semifinalists for the Lott IMPACT Trophy (Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity).
     King has started all 11 games at cornerback in 2016 and has 49 career starts.  This season he has recorded 36 solo tackles and 16 assists, leads Iowa with seven pass break-ups, and had a 41-yard interception return for a touchdown in a win at Purdue.
     King also leads Iowa’s special teams through 11 games.  He leads the Big Ten averaging 27.3 yards per kickoff return (minimum seven returns).  He is also averaging 8.7 yards on punt returns, No. 2 in the Big Ten (minimum five returns).  King had a career-best 77-yard kickoff return in Week 8 against Wisconsin. It is Iowa’s longest play of the season.
     King is the only Big Ten player in the last 20 years to have 12 or more interceptions and 1,500 or more combined kickoff and return yards. King has 13 career interceptions, tied for fifth most in program history, and 1,658 combined return yards on kickoff and punt returns.
     King won the Jim Thorpe Award in 2015.  Three finalists for the 2016 award will be announced on Monday, Nov. 21, with the winner being announced Dec. 8 at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show airing on ESPN.  The Thorpe Award winner will be honored at a banquet in Oklahoma City on Feb. 7, 2017.
     The Bednarik Award, in conjunction with the NCFAA, will announce three finalists on Nov. 21. Winners of the prestigious award will also be unveiled during the Home Depot College Football Awards.
     The Lott IMPACT Trophy was founded in 2004, and is named after College and Pro Football Hall of Fame member Ronnie Lott.  Four finalists will be announced on Wednesday, Nov. 30.  Each school of the four finalists will receive $5,000 for their general scholarship fund, while the school of the winner will receive $25,000.
 
     JEWELL A FINALIST FOR BUTKUS AWARD
     LB Josey Jewell, the Big Ten’s leading tackler, is a finalist for the 2016 Butkus Award, presented annually to the nation’s best linebacker.
     Jewell is one of five finalists for the award. He is joined by Kendall Beckwith (LSU), Zach Cunningham (Vanderbilt), Farrad Davis (Florida), and Reuben Foster (Alabama).  The winner will be announced on or before Dec. 6.
     Jewell (6-foot-2, 230-pounds) has started every game this season and leads the Big Ten with 105 tackles.  Jewell matched his career high with 16 stops in Week 8 against No. 10 Wisconsin.  His 282 career tackles rank 19th in program history.  In 2015, Jewell garnered second team All-Big Ten honors by league coaches and media, the Associated Press, and Phil Steele. 
     Former Hawkeye Larry Station was a finalist for the Butkus Award in 1985, while Chad Greenway was a semifinalist in 2005.
 
     RUN AFTER HANDOFF, RUN AFTER CATCH
     RB Akrum Wadley is Iowa’s leading rusher (861 yards) and second leading receiver (30 receptions).  Wadley has combined for 19 catches, 159 yards receiving, and two receiving touchdowns the past four weeks. He posted career bests in receptions (7) and receiving yards (72) in Week 8 against Wisconsin, and shared the team lead with five receptions in Week 9 at Penn State (32 yards, TD). He led Iowa with five catches, 52 receiving yards, and scored the team’s only touchdown (3-yard reception) against Michigan. Wadley entered the season with seven career receptions (93 yards, TD).
     Wadley’s 12 touchdowns (9 rush, 3 receiving) tie for fourth in the Big Ten.
 
     LIGHTS, CAMERA, AKSHUN
     RB Akrum Wadley and RB LeShun Daniels, Jr. rank eighth and 9th, respectively, in the Big Ten in rushing yards. Wadley has 861 rushing yards (78.3 ypg) and Daniels has 855 rushing yards (77.7 ypg). They are the third set of running backs in program history to have 800-plus rushing yards in the same season, joining Owen Gill (920) and Ronnie Harmon (907) in 1984, and Nick Bell (1,009) and Tony Stewart (844) in 1990. Wadley has nine rushing touchdowns, Daniels has eight.
     Both players topped 100 yards in Week 7 at Purdue, marking the first time since 2008 Iowa had two 100-yard rushers in the same game (Shonn Greene, 115; Jewel Hampton, 114 yards vs. Indiana). It marked the 24th time two players rushed for 100 yards or more in the same game, but the first time two players reached the 150-yard plateau.
     Daniels had two rushing touchdowns (1, 4) against the Boilermakers, his fifth career multi-touchdown game. His 67-yard rush in the third quarter was the longest of his career. He finished with 23 carries for 150 yards. He added his second 150-yard, two-touchdown performance of the season Week 11 at Illinois. He has three career games of 150 rushing yards and at least two touchdowns (2015 vs. Minnesota, 195 yards, 3 TDs; 2016 at Purdue, 150 yards, 2 TDs; 2016 at Illinois, 159 yards, 2 TDs). He is the only player in the Ferentz era with three such games. Shonn Greene had two such games in 2008. Daniels was named Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week vs. Illinois.
     Wadley’s 75-yard touchdown rush was a career long rush, and Iowa’s longest play of the season from scrimmage. He finished with 15 carries for 176 yards, his sixth career 100-yard rushing game, second in a row.
     The duo helped Iowa rush for 365 yards against the Boilermakers, tying for the second most rushing yardage total in the Ferentz era (Minnesota, 2002).
     Daniels has 1,695 career rushing yards (19th) and Wadley 1,533 (23th).  Wadley has scored 126 career points (T-23rd), Daniels has 104 (33). Only 39 players in program history have scored 100 or more points.
 
     I’LL TAKE THAT
     Iowa is plus-seven in turnover margin, fourth in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes have 16 takeaways (seven interceptions, nine fumble recoveries) and have turned nine of the 15 into touchdowns, including DB Desmond King’s interception return for a touchdown Week 7 at Purdue. It was King’s third career pick-six. Iowa has at least one interception return for a touchdown in each of the last nine seasons, and 14 of the last 16.
     Iowa has lost two fumbles this year, tying Nevada and Old Dominion for the NCAA lead.
 
     MAKING HAY IN THE RED ZONE
     Iowa ranks second in the Big Ten in red zone offense.  The Hawkeyes have scored points on 31-of-34 trips to the red zone, including 23 touchdowns (9 pass, 14 rush) and eight field goals. Iowa turned it over on downs at Rutgers, missed a field goal attempt against Wisconsin, and turned it over on downs at Illinois. Its .912 red zone success rate ranks No. 2 in the Big Ten and No. 17 nationally.
     Eight different Hawkeyes have scored red zone touchdowns. Iowa’s rushing touchdowns include six by RB Akrum Wadley, five by RB LeShun Daniels, two by QB C.J. Beathard, and one by RB Derrick Mitchell. The receiving touchdowns have gone to WR Matt VandeBerg (3), Wadley (2), WR Jerminic Smith (1), WR Riley McCarron (1), TE George Kittle (1), and TE Noah Fant (1).
  
     ALL ABOARD TO KINNICK STADIUM!
     The Hawkeye Express, the passenger train that transports fans from Coralville to Kinnick Stadium, is once again available for fans traveling to Kinnick Stadium on Iowa Football game days.  The Hawkeye Express is in its 13th season. 
     Adults can ride the train for $12, round trip, while children (12-and-under) ride for free.  Tickets can be purchased in advance at the UI Ticket Office or on game day at the Hawkeye Express depot located near the boarding ramp.  Media credentials are accepted as well. The trip to Kinnick Stadium is approximately 10 minutes.
     Free parking is located in lots near the Comfort Suites and Coral Ridge Mall.  Fans can begin boarding the train three hours prior to 11 a.m. kickoffs, and four hours prior to the start of afternoon and night games. Return trips begin at the start of the fourth period and run 90 minutes after the game.
     The Hawkeye Express is owned by the Iowa Northern Railway Company and operates on the Iowa Interstate Railroad.