Game Notes: Iowa vs. Purdue

1: Junior DB Josh Jackson leads the country in interceptions (7), interception return yards (163), and passes defended (23), and ranks third in passes broken up (16). He has five interceptions in the last two weeks, returning two of them for touchdowns against Wisconsin (43, 52), and is one interception from tying Iowa’s single-season record (Desmond King, 2015; Lou King, 1981; Nile Kinnick, 1939).  He has earned Big Ten defensive Player of the Week the last two weeks.
 
2: QB Nate Stanley has 22 touchdown passes, second in the Big Ten and tied for 14th in the nation. He is the first Hawkeye to throw 20-plus touchdowns in a season since James Vandenberg threw 25 touchdowns in 2011. Chuck Long holds Iowa’s single-season TD record (27 in 1985).
 
3: LB Josey Jewell leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth in the nation with 11.6 tackles per game. He has 104 tackles this season, tops in the Big Ten and tied for fifth nationally. He needs 11 stops to tie Chad Greenway for fifth all-time (416) and become the third Hawkeye in program history to have three seasons with at least 115 tackles (Larry Station 83, 84, 85; Abdul Hodge 03, 04, 05).  
 
4: Iowa’s senior linebacker trio is making its final home appearance. Josey Jewell (40), Ben Niemann (37), and Bo Bower (36) have combined for 113 starts. The have started 22 of the last 23 games together (Jewell missed NW game in Week 7).
 
5: Second-year tight ends Noah Fant (So.) and T.J. Hockenson (redshirt freshman) have combined for 43 receptions this season. Among those 43 receptions, all but six have resulted in a touchdown (10) or first down (27). Fant’s seven touchdowns are a single-season school record for a tight end.
 
6: Sophomore DE Anthony Nelson is tied for third in the Big Ten with six sacks (27 yards). Nelson had six sacks as a freshman last season, second best on the team. True freshman A.J. Epenesa is tied for second on the team with 3.5 sacks, and leads the team with seven quarterback hurries.
 
7: Season-ending injuries to senior tackles Ike Boettger and Boone Myers have cleared the depth chart for redshirt freshman LT Alaric Jackson and freshman RT Tristan Wirfs. Jackson has started every game this season at left tackle. Wirfs has started the last five games at right tackle. He is the first true freshman in Ferentz’s 19 seasons to start at offensive tackle.
 
8: Iowa’s first 10 opponents have a combined record of 67-33 (.670). Its final two opponents have a combined record of 8-12 (.400). TeamRankings.com lists the Hawkeyes at No. 7 in strength of schedule, third among Big Ten teams (No. 2 Penn State, No. 6 Ohio State).
 
9: Three of Iowa’s four losses have been decided by one possession, and two have come down to the game’s final play. Since 2014, Iowa is 33-13 in the regular season, and 10 of those 13 losses have been decided by one possession. Since 2014, Iowa is 13-10 in games decided by one possession, including 2-3 this year.
 
10: Kirk Ferentz has 141 overall wins and 85 Big Ten wins as Iowa’s head coach. The 85 conference wins rank sixth among the conference’s all-time winningest coaches in Big Ten games.  Ferentz is two wins from tying Hayden Fry as the Hawkeyes’ all-time winningest football coach.
 
     HAWKEYE HISTORY
     Iowa has played 1,230 games since beginning football in 1889. Iowa’s overall record is 639-552-39 (.535). That includes a 400-218-16 (.644) record in home games, a 239-334-23 (.420) record in games away from Iowa City, a 323-373-25 (.465) mark in Big Ten games and a 284-183-15 (.607) record in Kinnick Stadium.
 
    18 SENIORS PLAY FINAL HOME GAME
    Senior members of the Iowa football program include DL Nathan Bazata, OL Ike Boettger, LB Bo Bower, RB James Butler, DL Daniel Gaffey, DL Jake Hulett, LB Josey Jewell, LS Tyler Kluver, FB Drake Kulick, OL Boone Myers, LB Ben Niemann, TE Peter Pekar, SS Miles Taylor, WR Matt VandeBerg, RB Akrum Wadley, LB Kevin Ward, OL Sean Welsh, and TE Jon Wisnieski.  
    Since the start of the 2014 season the Hawkeyes have won 33 games and qualified for a bowl game every year. The senior class has an overall record of 33-17, including a 20-7 mark at home and a 21-11 record in Big Ten games. The 21 conference wins are the fourth most by any senior class under Ferentz. The 2005 senior class won 25 Big Ten games, the 2004 senior class won 24, and the 2016 class won 23.
    All senior members of the Iowa football program will be recognized during pregame ceremonies.
 
     IN THE RANKINGS / STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
     Iowa’s 2017 opponents have a combined record of 75-45 (.625). Iowa’s three nonconference opponents (Wyoming, Iowa State, North Texas) are a combined 20-10. TeamRankings.com lists the Hawkeyes at No. 7 in strength of schedule, third among Big Ten teams (No. 2 Penn State, No. 6 Ohio State). The Hawkeyes first 10 opponents have a combined record of 67-33. Their final two opponents have a combined record of 8-12.
     The 2017 schedule includes four schools currently ranked in the AP top 25. The Hawkeyes lost 38-14 at No. 6 Wisconsin on Nov. 11 (now No. 5). Iowa defeated then-No. 3 Ohio State, 55-24, on Nov. 4 (now No. 8). The Hawkeyes lost at home to then-No. 4 Penn State, 21-19, on Sept. 23. The Nittany Lions are now No. 13 in the country. Michigan State (L, 17-10 on Sept. 30) was unranked when they played the Hawkeyes, but the Spartans are currently ranked No. 22.

     FERENTZ AMONG B1G LEADERS, CLOSING ON FRY
     Kirk Ferentz has 141 overall wins and 85 Big Ten wins as Iowa’s head coach. The 85 conference wins rank sixth among the conference’s all-time winningest coaches in Big Ten games.
     Ferentz’s 141 wins in all games coached as a member of the Big Ten Conference rank sixth in league history and second all-time at Iowa. He is two wins from tying Hayden Fry as the Hawkeyes’ all-time winningest football coach.
     Both Ferentz (141, 85) and Fry (143, 96) rank in the top six in overall wins and Big Ten wins. Only Iowa and Michigan have two coaches ranked in the top 10 of both win categories (Bo Schembechler 194, 143; and Lloyd Carr 122, 81).
 
     FERENTZ TOPS IN LONGEVITY
     Kirk Ferentz is in his 19th season as Iowa’s head football coach. He is the longest tenured active head coach in college football. Ferentz was named Iowa head coach on Dec. 2, 1998. Gary Patterson of TCU is No. 2 in coaching tenure. Patterson’s first year with the Horned Frogs was 2001. Among Big Ten coaches, only Pat Fitzgerald (2006) and Mark Dantonio (2007) have been at their current schools for 10 seasons or more.
 
     FINISH STRONG
     Iowa has outscored its opponents 93-54 in the fourth quarter. QB Nate Stanley has a 150.6 passing efficiency in the fourth quarter and overtime (136.78 overall). The numbers include 35 completions in 62 attempts for 483 yards, six touchdowns and one interception. Iowa scored points in the final two minutes to tie the game or take the lead against Iowa State, Penn State and Northwestern.
 
     WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED
     Junior DB Josh Jackson leads the country in interceptions (7), interception return yards (163), and passes defended (23), and ranks third in passes broken up (16). His seven interceptions tie for fourth among Iowa’s single-season leaders.  Desmond King (2015), Lou King (1981), and Nile Kinnick (1939), share the Iowa record with eight.
     He has five interceptions in the last two weeks, returning two for touchdowns against Wisconsin (43, 52). He is the first Hawkeye to have two interceptions returned for a touchdown in the same game since B.J. Lowery (35, 13) did it in 2013. Jackson is the first Hawkeye to do it in a Big Ten game.  Lowery and Jackson share Iowa’s single game record. Iowa returned two interceptions for touchdowns against North Texas in 2015 (Jewell 34, Bower 88).
     Iowa has four pick-sixes this season (Snyder 89 vs. Illinois; Hooker 30 vs. Ohio State; Jackson 43 vs. Wisconsin; Jackson 52 vs. Wisconsin). The four pick-sixes ties a team single-season record (1995, 2010, 2015, 2017).
     Jackson tied a school record with three interceptions against No. 3 Ohio State on Nov. 4. He is a Bednarik Award semifinalist and was named the Walter Camp national defensive Player of the Week for his play against the Buckeyes.
     Jackson has started all 10 games this season after entering the year with one career start at defensive back. He was a wide receiver in Iowa’s 2015 spring camp.
     Jackson and S Amani Hooker have stepped up to lead a secondary that lost two members to the NFL (Desmond King, Chargers; Greg Mabin, Bills/49ers).
     Hooker returned an interception 30 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the game against No. 3 Ohio State. It was Hooker’s second career interception and first touchdown. He made his first career start Week 4 against No. 4 Penn State and recorded a career-high 13 tackles. Hooker has started three of the last four games at strong safety. He missed the Wisconsin game with an injury. He has 44 tackles this season, fourth on the team.
 
     JACKSON NAMED B1G CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
    DB Josh Jackson was named Big Ten Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Week following Iowa’s 38-14 loss at No. 6 Wisconsin Saturday. Jackson recorded two pass interception touchdowns at Wisconsin, covering 43 and 52 yards.  He also had a forced fumble that was recovered by teammate Manny Rugamba, three tackles, and one pass break-up. 
    The honor marks the second straight week Jackson has been recognized by the Big Ten. He is the second Hawkeye ever to earn conference Player of the Week honors in consecutive weeks.  Tim Dwight was named special teams Player of the Week on consecutive weeks in 1997.
    Jackson tied a school record with the two interception returns for scores (B.J. Lowery, 2013), and he is the first Hawkeye to do it in a Big Ten game.  His first theft came on Wisconsin’s opening drive and gave the Hawkeyes a 7-0 advantage.  The second interception and return cut Iowa’s deficit to 17-14 in the third quarter.
    Jackson leads the nation in interceptions (seven), interception return yards (163), and passes defended (23), and ranks third in passes broken up (16). He has five interceptions in the last two weeks.  His seven interceptions rank fourth best for a single season at Iowa, just one from tying Iowa’s single-season record (Desmond King, 2015; Lou King, 1981; Nile Kinnick, 1939).
 
    JACKSON EARNS NATIONAL AND BIG TEN HONORS
    DB Josh Jackson was named Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week and Big Ten Conference Defensive Player of the Week following Iowa’s 55-24 win over No. 3 Ohio State on Nov. 4. Jackson was also named the national defensive Player of the Week by College Sports Madness.
    Jackson tied a school record with three pass interceptions (Tyler Sash and Grant Steen), and also added three solo tackles.  His first theft led to a touchdown that gave Iowa a 31-17 halftime advantage.  His second interception led to a field goal, and his third stopped an Ohio State scoring threat in the fourth quarter.  His final interception was also recognized by ESPN as Saturday’s Play of the Day in college football.
    Jackson and the Hawkeye defense allowed just seven points in the second half while holding Ohio State 200 yards total offense and 22 points below its season averages.  He is the second Hawkeye to earn the Walter Camp weekly defensive honor this season, as senior linebacker Josey Jewell was recognized following Iowa’s victory over Wyoming in the season opener. 
  
     STANLEY MAKING AND CHASING HISTORY
     QB Nate Stanley has 22 touchdown passes, second in the Big Ten and tied for 14th in the nation. He is the first Hawkeye to throw 20-plus touchdowns in a season since James Vandenberg threw 25 touchdowns in 2001. Chuck Long holds the single season TD record. He threw 27 touchdowns in 1985.
     Stanley has thrown five touchdown passes in a game twice this season (at Iowa State, vs. Ohio State), becoming the first Hawkeye to have two five-touchdown passing games in the same season. Stanley’s five TD passes against Ohio State tied a Kinnick Stadium record (Chuck Long in 1985, Fred Riddle in 1963).
     In program history, only Stanley and Chuck Long have two career games with five or more touchdowns. Long threw six TDs against Texas in 1984 and six against Northwestern in 1985.
      Stanley threw 12 touchdowns in the first four games of the season, becoming the first quarterback in program history to throw 12 touchdown passes in their first four starts. The four-game stretch was Iowa’s best since Chuck Hartlieb threw 12 touchdowns over a four-game stretch in 1987. Chuck Long threw 14 touchdowns in the first four games in 1985.
     Stanley threw three touchdowns in his first career start Week 1. The last quarterback to do that was Ricky Stanzi (3, vs. Florida Atlantic in 2008). Since, 1999, the only other quarterback to throw three or more touchdowns in his first career start under Ferentz was Jon Beutjer (4, at Indiana in 2000).  
     Stanley threw for five touchdowns and 333 yards against Iowa State in Week 2, becoming the first Iowa quarterback with 300-plus passing yards and five-plus touchdown passes since Chuck Hartlieb vs. Northwestern in 1987.
 
     REINVENTING THE STADIUM WAVE
      In a tradition that started at the University of Iowa football team’s season opener in 2017, fans inside Kinnick Stadium and patients and families inside the UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital exchange waves at the end of the first quarter of each home game.
      The UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital opened in 2017. It is connected to the south end of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and overlooks Kinnick Stadium from the southwest grandstands. During Iowa football home games, patients and their families can watch the game from the top floor (Level 12), one of the highest vantage points in Iowa City.
      The wave highlights the relationship between the football team and the hospital. The Hawkeyes’ “Touchdowns for Kids” campaign has long been a fundraiser and during every game, a “Kid Captain” from the hospital receives special recognition from the Hawkeye football program.
 
     TACKLE BY JOSEY JEWELL
     LB Josey Jewell leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth in the nation with 11.6 tackles per game. Jewell missed the Northwestern game due to injury. The DNP snapped a streak of 37 consecutive starts. He has 104 tackles this season, tops in the Big Ten and tied for fifth nationally. He is a finalist for the NCAA Senior CLASS Award, and a semifinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, Bednarik Award, and Butkus Award.
     Jewell is 11 tackles away from 115 this season. He could become the third Hawkeye in program history to have three seasons with at least 115 tackles (Larry Station 83, 84, 85; Abdul Hodge 03, 04, 05). Jewell has led the team in tackles in each of the last two seasons (126 in 2015, 124 in 2016).
     Jewell has 405 career tackles, sixth all-time in program history. He needs 11 stops to tie Chad Greenway for fifth all-time (416). He has 20 career games with double digit tackles, including seven this season. He matched his career high with 16 tackles vs. Penn State and at Michigan State.
     Jewell was named Walter Camp, Lott IMPACT, and Bednarik Award national and Big Ten Conference Defensive Player of the Week following Iowa’s 24-3 win over Wyoming on Sept. 2. He led Iowa with 14 tackles, including seven solo stops.
     Jewell was named Big Ten co-Defensive Player of the Week, Bronko Nagurski Defensive Player of the Week, Bednarik Award, and College Sports Madness Defensive Player of the Week following his performance vs. No. 4 Penn State.  He matched his career best with 16 tackles, including 11 solo stops.  He added three tackles for loss, two pass break-ups, and a recovered fumble.  His fifth career interception and 33-yard return in the second quarter led to Iowa’s first touchdown of the game.
     Jewell was named midseason first team All-American by five media outlets, including Associated Press, ESPN.com, CBSSports.com, Sporting News, and The All-American. He is a semifinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, Bednarik Award, and Butkus Award.
 
     THE SERIES
     Purdue holds a 46-38-3 advantage in the series that began with a 16-0 Iowa win in 1910. The Hawkeyes have won four straight, winning by an average of 18 points per game. Iowa has won nine of the last 11, and 21 of the last 28 meetings. Iowa is 21-19-2 in games played in Iowa City.
     Iowa and the Boilermakers battled to a 21-21 tie at West Lafayette in 1994. That game marks the last tie game for Iowa before the college football tie-breaker system was put in place.  

     POCKET PRESSURE
     Sophomore DE Anthony Nelson is tied for third in the Big Ten with six sacks (27 yards). Nelson had six sacks as a freshman last season, second best on the team. True freshman A.J. Epenesa is tied for second on the team with 3.5 sacks, and leads the team with seven quarterback hurries.
 
     TIGHT ENDS MOVE THE CHAINS
     Second-year tight ends Noah Fans (So.) and T.J. Hockenson (redshirt freshman) have combined for 43 receptions this season. Among those 43 receptions, all but six have resulted in a touchdown (10) or first down (27).
     Fant has 23 receptions, including a team-high seven touchdowns. The seven touchdowns are a single-season record for an Iowa tight end. He has 13 more catches that resulted in a first down. Fant’s seven touchdowns are the most by a Hawkeye since Marvin McNutt caught 12 touchdown passes in 2012.
     Hockenson has 20 receptions, including three touchdowns and 14 catches that resulted in a first down.
 
     WADLEY PURSUES RARE FEAT
     Senior RB Akrum Wadley has 784 yards rushing in 2017. He rushed for 1,081 yards in 2016, and with another 1,000-yard campaign he could become the fourth Hawkeye in program history to produce back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons, and the first since Fred Russell went back-to-back in 2002 (1,355) and 2003 (1,264). The other Hawkeyes with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons include Sedrick Shaw (1,002 in 1994, 1,477 in 1995, 1,116 in 1996) and Ladell Betts (1,090 in 2000 and 1,060 in 2001). 
 
     WADLEY MOVING UP THE CHARTS
     RB Akrum Wadley is one of 15 players in program history to rush for 2,000 career yards. He has 473 career carries for 2,547 rushing yards, ninth all-time. He needs nine yards to tie Owen Gill for eighth all-time.
     Wadley has 23 career rushing touchdowns, tying for sixth all-time, 30 career touchdowns, sixth all-time, and 180 career points, 12th all-time.
     Wadley has 3,365 career all-purpose yards, 11th most in program history (2,547 rush, 718 receiving, 100 KO returns). He is averaging 119.4 all-purpose yards per game, fifth best in the Big Ten.
  
     VANDEBERG STREAKING UP THE RANKINGS
     Senior WR Matt VandeBerg has a reception in 29 consecutive games played. He has 129 career receptions, 10th most in program history. He has 1,628 career receiving yards, 17th in program history. He is 14 yards from passing Al Bream in career receiving yards, and six receptions from tying Ed Hinkel in receptions.  
     VandeBerg missed Iowa’s final nine games of 2016 due to a foot injury sustained in practice on Sept. 26. He played in the first four games of the season, leading the team in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns (19-284-3 TDs) before the injury. On Dec. 21, 2016, the Big Ten Conference granted the University of Iowa’s medical hardship waiver request on behalf of VandeBerg and granted the wide receiver a fifth year of eligibility.
 
     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 Carlos O’Kelly’s in Iowa City.
 
      ALL ABOARD TO KINNICK STADIUM!
      The Hawkeye Express, the passenger train that transports fans from Coralville to Kinnick Stadium, is in its 14th season in 2017.
      Adults can ride the train for $15, 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 (cash only on game day) at the Hawkeye Express depot located near the boarding ramp.  The trip to Kinnick Stadium is approximately 10 minutes. Media credentials are accepted as well.
      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.
 
          IOWA GAME DAY INFORMATION
          The University of Iowa has implemented changes intended to improve the safety and game day experience for fans attending Iowa football home games at Kinnick Stadium this fall. Changes include, but are not limited to, a partial closure of Hawkins Drive, a postgame two-lane traffic pattern on Melrose Avenue, single-game ADA parking, and information regarding the UI Hawkeye Marching Band pregame performance in the Recreation Building. A complete list of game day changes and procedures is available at http://hawkeyesports.com/footballgameday.