Game Notes: Iowa vs. Iowa State

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1st and 10

1: On Sept. 1, 2018, the first game of his 20th season, Kirk Ferentz (144-97) moved past Hayden Fry (143-89-6) to become Iowa’s all-time winningest coach.
 
2: Saturday’s game will mark the 66th meeting in the series. Iowa holds a 43-22 advantage in the series that began with a 16-8 ISU win in 1894.  The Hawkeyes are 24-14 all-time in games played in Iowa City. Iowa has won three straight in the series. The last time Iowa won four straight in the series was during a stretch of 15 in a row from 1983-97.
 
3: QB Nate Stanley set career highs in completions (27), attempts (41), yards (333), and touchdowns (5) in Iowa’s 44-41 overtime win at Iowa State in 2017. WR Nick Easley set a career bests with seven receptions, and WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette had four catches for 36 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner. It was Smith-Marsette’s first career start.
 
4: QB Nate Stanley threw a 1-yard touchdown to TE Noah Fant in the season opener. It was Stanley’s 27th career touchdown pass. He is three shy of tying Brad Banks for 10th all-time in program history. Stanley and Fant have connected for touchdowns 12 times over the last 14 games.
 
5: TE Noah Fant has 13 career touchdown receptions, tying Quinn Early and Mike Flagg for 10th all-time in program history. The 13 touchdown receptions tie Flagg for most by a tight end in program history. Twelve of Fant’s touchdown receptions have come from QB Nate Stanley over the Hawkeyes’ last 14 games. His 13 career touchdowns have come from near and far, listed in chronological order: 5, 2, 27, 23, 7, 45, 25, 3, 6, 4, 69, 8, 1.
 
6: The Hawkeyes do not have a junior or senior at the running back position group. Sophomores Ivory Kelly-Martin, Mekhi Sargent, and Toren Young are the elder statesmen of the group. Henry Geil is a true freshman. The quartet combined for 199 yards rushing in Week 1.
 
7:  For the first time in Kirk Ferentz’s 20 seasons as Iowa head coach, the Hawkeyes opened the season without a linebacker with a single career start. Week 1 starting linebackers Amani Jones, Kristian Welch, and Nick Niemann started for the first time in their careers in Iowa’s 33-7 win over Northern Illinois. The trio entered the season with a combined 24 career tackles, 848 fewer career tackles than Iowa’s three starting linebackers in 2017 (Josey Jewell 437; Bo Bower, 234; Ben Niemann, 201).
 
8: In in its last two regular season games, Iowa has outscored its opponents 72-7 in the second half (42-0 at Nebraska, 30-7 vs. Northern Illinois).
 
9: Ferentz has 144 overall wins and 86 Big Ten wins as Iowa’s head coach. The 144 wins in all games coached as a member of the Big Ten Conference rank fifth in league history. The 86 conference wins rank sixth among the conference’s all-time winningest coaches in Big Ten games.
 
10: Iowa Corn is the sponsor of the Cy-Hawk Series and the annual football game between the two schools. Iowa and Iowa State played for the Cy-Hawk Trophy from the time the series resumed in 1977, with the Hawkeyes holding a 27-14 advantage in those games. The Cy-Hawk Trophy currently resides in Iowa City as a result of Iowa’s 44-41 (OT) victory last season in Ames.
 
     HAWKEYE HISTORY
     Iowa has played 1,234 games since beginning football in 1889. Iowa’s overall record is 642-553-39 (.535). That includes a 401-219-16 (.643) record in home games, a 241-334-23 (.421) record in games away from Iowa City, a 324-374-25 (.465) mark in Big Ten games and a 285-184-15 (.607) record in Kinnick Stadium.
 
     6 THROUGH THE AIR
     QB Nate Stanley threw a 1-yard touchdown to TE Noah Fant in the season opener. It was Stanley’s 27th career touchdown pass. He is three shy of tying Brad Banks for 10^th all-time in program history. Stanley and Fant have connected for touchdowns 12 times over the last 14 games.
     Stanley threw 26 touchdowns last year, one shy of tying the single-season record held by Chuck Long (27, 1985). Of those 26 touchdown passes, TE Noah Fant caught a team-high 11 touchdown passes last year, followed by WR Nick Easley (4). In total, 20 of Stanley’s 26 touchdown targets return in 2018. TE T.J. Hockenson caught three touchdowns from Stanley in 2017, and WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette pulled in two touchdown receptions.
 
     FOSTER INHERITS FRESH LEGS
     Running backs coach Derrick Foster is in his first season on Iowa’s staff in charge of a position group that graduated 75 percent of its rushing yards in 2017, and entered 2018 with one combined career start (Toren Young).
     In Iowa’s Week 1 win against Northern Illinois, Iowa running backs Young (84), Ivory Kelly-Martin (62), Mekhi Sargent (40), and Henry Geil (13) combined for 199 yards rushing.
     Kelly-Martin made his first career-start and had a team and career high 16 carries for 62 yards and one touchdown. Sargent and Geil both made their Hawkeye debuts. Young did not start, but he registered a team and career high 84 yards on eight carries. He also scored a touchdown, and rushed for a 40-yard gain that set up Iowa’s first touchdown. The 40-yard rush is Iowa’s longest play from scrimmage this season.
     The Hawkeye do not have a junior or senior among the position group. Sophomores Kelly-Martin, Sargent, and Young are the elder statesmen of the group. Geil is a true freshman.
     Iowa graduated running backs Akrum Wadley (1,109 yards) and James Butler (396 yards) in 2017. The duo combined for 1,505 rushing yards in 2017.
    
     NEW FACES IN THE CROWD
     For the first time in Kirk Ferentz’s 20 seasons as Iowa head coach, the Hawkeyes opened the season without a linebacker with a single career start. Week 1 starting linebackers Amani Jones, Kristian Welch, and Nick Niemann have appeared in 26, 25, and 14 career games, respectively, but all three started for the first time in their careers in Iowa’s 33-7 win over Northern Illinois.
      The trio entered the season with a combined 24 career tackles, 848 fewer career tackles than Iowa’s three starting linebackers in 2017 (Josey Jewell 437; Bo Bower, 234; Ben Niemann, 201).
     The last time Ferentz had this little starting experience at the linebacker position was in 2014. That year, Quinton Alston, Bo Bower, and Reggie Spearman were Iowa’s starting linebackers in the season opener. Only Alston had a previous career start (2012 at Michigan).
     In Ferentz’s first season in 1999, the opening day starting linebackers — LeVar Woods, Aaron Kampman, and Derrick Davison — had two career starts combined. Both starts belonged to Kampman, who started the final two games in 1998.
 
     FERENTZ BECOMES IOWA’S ALL-TIME WINNINGEST COACH, MOVES UP BIG TEN CHARTS
     Head coach Kirk Ferentz (144-97) became Iowa’s all-time winningest coach on Sept. 1, 2018. The Hawkeyes defeated Northern Illinois, 33-7. It was Ferentz’s 144^th win as Iowa’s head coach, one more than his predecessor, Hayden Fry (143-89-6). Fry coach Iowa for 20 years (1979-98). Ferentz is in his 20^th season.
     Ferentz’s 144 wins in all games coached as a member of the Big Ten Conference rank fifth in league history. Iowa has at least eight wins in three straight seasons and owns a 29-12 mark from 2015-17.
     Ferentz has 86 Big Ten wins as Iowa’s head coach. The 86 conference wins rank sixth among the conference’s all-time winningest coaches in Big Ten games.
     Both Ferentz (144, 86) 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).
     Iowa is the only school in the country to have just two head football coaches since 1979.
 
     FERENTZ TOPS IN LONGEVITY
     Kirk Ferentz is in his 20th 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. Iowa is the only school to have just two head football coaches since 1979.
     Defensive coordinator Phil Parker and strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle are also in their 20^th seasons on Iowa’s staff. Defensive line coach Reese Morgan joined the staff in 1999 and is in his 19^th season. Quarterbacks coach Ken O’Keefe was on Ferentz’s original coaching staff before he left for the NFL following the 2011 season. He returned to Iowa in 2017 to coach Iowa’s quarterbacks.
     Ferentz is the only Division I coach to coach three sons. Brian Ferentz, a former Hawkeye letterman and captain (2003-05), is in his seventh season on Iowa’s coaching staff. James Ferentz was a three-year starter on the Hawkeye offensive line and a team captain before graduating in 2013. Steven was an offensive lineman and letterwinner in 2015 and 2016.

    YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE
    TE Noah Fant has 13 career touchdown receptions, tying Quinn Early and Mike Flagg for 10th all-time in program history. The 13 touchdowns receptions tie Flagg for most by a tight end in program history.  
Twelve of Fant’s touchdown receptions have come from QB Nate Stanley over the Hawkeyes’ last 14 games. His first career touchdown reception came from QB C.J. Beathard (5 yards, at Purdue on Oct. 15, 2016).
His 13 career touchdowns have come from near and far, listed in chronological order: 5, 2, 27, 23, 7, 45, 25, 3, 6, 4, 69, 8, 1.
Fant was one of 10 conference players named to the Big Ten Preseason Honors List. He had 30 receptions last season, including a team-high 11 touchdowns, tied for most in the country among FBS tight ends and the most by a Hawkeye since Marvin McNutt caught 12 touchdown passes in 2012. Fant led Iowa and all FBS tight ends with 16.5 yards per catch in 2017.
 
      THE SERIES
      Saturday’s game will mark the 66th meeting in the series. Iowa holds a 43-22 advantage in the series that began with a 16-8 ISU win in 1894.  The Hawkeyes are 24-14 all-time in games played in Iowa City. Iowa has won three straight in the series. The last time Iowa won four straight in the series was when it won 15 in a row from 1983-97.
      The teams did not meet between 1935 and 1976.  Iowa holds a 27-14 advantage since the series resumed in 1977. 
 
   IOWA CORN CY-HAWK TROPHY
Iowa Corn is the sponsor of the Cy-Hawk Series and the annual football game between the two schools.
Iowa and Iowa State played for the Cy-Hawk Trophy from the time the series resumed in 1977, with the Hawkeyes holding a 27-14 advantage in those games.  That original Cy-Hawk Trophy was donated to the series by the Des Moines Athletic Club.  The Cy-Hawk Trophy currently resides in Iowa City as a result of Iowa’s 44-41 (OT) victory last season in Ames.
Saturday’s game is the second event in the 15th annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk series. The soccer teams meet Sept. 7 in Ames.
 
    IOWA VS. THE BIG 12
Iowa holds an all-time record of 58-34 (.630) 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.

    TROPHY GAMES
    The Hawkeyes have four trophy games on the schedule in 2018. Iowa defends the Cy-Hawk trophy Saturday aganst Iowa State, the Floyd of Rosedale trophy at Minnesota on Oct. 6, and the Heroes Trophy on Nov. 23 against Nebraska at Kinnick Stadium. Iowa will try to regain possession of the Heartland Trophy against Wisconsin on Sept. 22 at Kinnick Stadium.
 
     FILLING HOLES IN TAKEAWAYS
     Iowa had one interception in its 33-7 win against Northern Illinois Week 1 (Amani Hooker). The Hawkeyes led the nation with 21 interceptions in 2017. The Hawkeyes return nine of the 21 thefts, led by safeties Jake Gervase (3) and Hooker (2). Returners DE Parker Hesse, S Geno Stone, LB Kristian Welch, and DL Brady Reiff also recorded interceptions last season.  Iowa lost the nation’s leader in interceptions, Josh Jackson (8), and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Josey Jewell (2), to the NFL. Both players were consensus All-Americans.
     Iowa has at least one interception return for a touchdown in each of the last 10 seasons, and 15 of the last 17 seasons.
 
     IOWA LEADERSHIP GROUP
     The University of Iowa football program has 12 players among its 2018 Leadership Group. The group includes six seniors, five juniors, and one sophomore. The Leadership Group votes on the weekly game day captains, is involved in team decision-making throughout the season, and provides feedback to the head coach.  Players were selected by team vote.
     The group consists of seniors WR Nick Easley, DB Jake Gervase, DE Parker Hesse, LB Aaron Mends, DL Matt Nelson, and OL Keegan Renders, juniors DB Amani Hooker, LB Amani Jones, DL Anthony Nelson, FB Brady Ross, and QB Nate Stanley, and sophomore RB Toren Young.
 
     BACK ON CAMPUS
     Four former players are on the University of Iowa football staff in 2018. Brian Ferentz, a three-year letterman from 2003-05, is in his seventh year on staff, his second as offensive coordinator. 
     LeVar Woods, a three-year letterman from 1998-2000, enters his 11th year on the Iowa staff. Woods was named Special Teams Coordinator in 2017. He coached tight ends from 2015-17 and linebackers from 2012-14. He rejoined the program as an administrative assistant in 2008.
     Kelvin Bell joined the Iowa program as a defensive lineman in 2000, but had his career cut short due to injury. He returned to the program as a graduate assistant and served as director of on-campus recruiting from 2012-13, before being named recruiting coordinator and defensive assistant coach in February, 2016.
     Broderick Binns, a four-year letterman from 2008-11, was named director of player development in April, 2016. Binns previously served as a graduate assistant in 2014 and 2015, working with Hawkeye special teams.
 
     HAWKEYE LEGACIES
     Iowa has six players on its roster whose father played for the Hawkeyes: TE Drew Cook (Marv in 1985-88), DL A.J. Epenesa (Epenesa in 1997), WR Henry Marchese (John in 1985), DE Anthony Nelson and DE Nathan Nelson (Jeff in 1990-92), and QB Ryan Schmidt (Rick 1984-85).
     Iowa has four sets of the brothers on the team: DL Jack Kallenberger and OL Mark Kallenberger, DL Anthony Nelson and DL Nathan Nelson, OL Landan Paulsen and OL Levi Paulsen, and TE Ben Subbert and LS Jackson Subbert.
     Iowa has two players whose brothers played at Iowa: LB Nick Niemann (Ben in 2014-17) and DL Brady Reiff (Riley in 2008-11). Both older brothers are currently playing in the NFL.
     LS Austin Spiewak is the grandson of Gary Grouwinkel, who played for Iowa in the 1957 and 1959 Rose Bowl Games.
     OL Trey Winters is the son of James Winters, a former All-Big Ten basketball player who led the Hawkeyes in scoring in 1994.
     LB Dillon Doyle is the son of head strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle.
 
     SEEING DOUBLE
     Junior offensive linemen Landan and Levi Paulsen are the sixth set of twins to play football at the University of Iowa. The offensive linemen from Woodbury High School in Northwest Iowa join the company of Leo and Lloyd Jensvold (1929-30), Harold and Herbert Shoener (1946-47), Kent and Kevin Ellis (1977-80), Aaron and Evan Kooiker (1992), and Shane and Shaun Prater (2008).
     The last brothers to start in the same game for the Hawkeyes weere James and LeShun Daniels. James was Iowa’s starting center in the 2016 season opener against Miami (Ohio), and LeShun was Iowa’s starting running back.
     The last twins to start for the Hawkeyes were SS Kent Ellis and CB Kevin Ellis in 1980.
 
     IOWA PROGRAM NOTES
•   The Hawkeyes have earned bowl eligibility in 16 of the last 17 seasons.
•   Iowa is the only school to have two head football 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 and is in his 20th season. Ferentz also served as Iowa’s offensive line coach from 1981-89 under Fry.
•   Iowa is one of 19 teams to have played in at least 15 bowl games since 2001.
•   Iowa has appeared in 15 bowl games since 2001. Among Big Ten schools, only Ohio State and Wisconsin have appeared in more (16). 
•   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 313 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 honors. Iowa’s Hayden Fry and Penn State’s Joe Paterno both won the award three times. 
•   Iowa has had nine individual national award winners under head coach Kirk Ferentz. They include 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); Robert Gallery (2003 Outland, Top Lineman); Shonn Greene (2008 Doak Walker, Top Running Back); Brandon Scherff (2014 Outland, Top Lineman), Desmond King (2015 Jim Thorpe), Josey Jewell (2017 Lott IMPACT).
•   Iowa’s offensive line earned the Joe Moore Award in 2016, an honor bestowed upon the top offensive line unit in the country.
•   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. Iowa is 63-42 (.600) since 2010.
 
    PAT GREEN TO PERFORM ‘WAVE ON WAVE’ IN KINNICK STADIUM
    Three-time Grammy nominee Pat Green will perform during halftime of the Northern Iowa at Iowa football game in Kinnick Stadium on Sept. 15. Green joins the Hawkeye Marching Band and the Northern Iowa Panther Marching Band to perform “Wave on Wave,” the anthem of the Iowa Wave to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. Green has sold more than two million albums and released a string of 15 hits on the Billboard Top Country Singles Chart.
    The marching bands will have a traditional performance of one number before they join Green in “Wave on Wave.” Green will perform from the stands near the south end zone with 50 members of each band. The combined remaining Hawkeye and Panther band members will create images on the field for the children to view during the performance.

      ALL ABOARD TO KINNICK STADIUM!
      The Hawkeye Express, the passenger train that transports fans from Coralville to Kinnick Stadium, is in its 15th season in 2018.
      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 kickoff. 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.
 
     REINVENTING THE STADIUM WAVE
      The University of Iowa football program received the prestigious 2017 Disney Sports Spirit Award after launching a heart-warming tradition at its home games last season that touched the lives of scores of young patients at the University’s Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
      In a tradition that started at the 2017 season opener, 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 southeast 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.
 
      HAWK TALK WITH KIRK FERENTZ
Head 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. The first show is Aug. 29. There is no show during the Hawkeyes’ by week (Wednesday, Sept. 26).