Game Notes: Iowa at Northwestern

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1st and 10

1: DE A.J. Epenesa leads a defense that ranks fifth in the country in scoring defense (11.6 ppg), eighth in rushing defense (91.1 ypg), and 10th in total defense (275.0 ypg).
 
2: Iowa is allowing 11.6 points per game, the lowest total of the Ferentz era (next best is 13.0 in 2008), and the lowest by any Hawkeye team since 1965 (9.2). Iowa’s 275.0 ypg in total defense is the lowest by any Hawkeye team since 1984 (272.2).
 
3. The Hawkeyes have allowed just 98 first downs (14.0 per game), sixth fewest in the country and second in the Big Ten. 
 
4: QB Nate Stanley has nine touchdown passes this season and 61 in his career, tied with Drew Tate for second all-time in program history. He trails Chuck Long (74) on the all-time list.
 
5: QB Nate Stanley has started the last 33 games at quarterback (22-11), and the Hawkeyes have averaged 28.7 points per game in those starts. That average ties for fifth in school history, and 10th nationally among active quarterbacks. His streak of 33 consecutive starts at quarterback ranks second in school history to Long (47).
 
6: SS Geno Stone has forced three fumbles and ranks fourth on the team with 32 tackles. He is the only Hawkeye with at least one TFL, INT, PBU, QBH, FF, and FR.
 
7. K Keith Duncan leads the country with 17 field goals made. He is 17-of-19 on field goal attempts and 16-of-16 PAT attempts. He leads the team and ranks second in the Big Ten, 10th in the country, in scoring with 67 points.
 
8. WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette has 991 career receiving yards. He needs nine yards to become the 42nd player in program history to reach 1,000 yards receiving. He has 2,179 all-purpose yards. Only 19 players in school history have 2,500 or more.
 
9: WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette averages 28.7 yards on 36 career kickoff returns. The Big Ten record of average kickoff return yardage (minimum 40 returns) is 28.8, set by Stan Brown of Purdue (1968-70). He has 1,033 kickoff return yards.
 
10: Seven different Hawkeyes have combined to rush for nine touchdowns. Six of those touchdowns have come from inside the 2-yard line, seven from inside the 4-yard line. RB Mekhi Sargent leads the team with three (2, 4, 14). Six more Hawkeyes have one rushing touchdown: Young (2), QB Nate Stanley (1), FB Brady Ross (1), WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette (14), QB Spencer Petras (1), Goodson (1).
  
      HAWKEYE HISTORY
      Iowa has played 1,253 games since beginning football in 1889. Iowa’s overall record is 655-559-39 (.538). That includes a 409-222-16 (.645) record in home games, a 246-337-23 (.425) record in games away from Iowa City, a 331-380-25 (.467) mark in Big Ten games and a 293-187-15 (.607) record in Kinnick Stadium. Oct. 5, 2019 marked the 90^th anniversary of the first game in Kinnick Stadium, a 46-0 win over Monmouth.
      When Iowa hosts Minnesota on Nov. 16, it will mark the 130th anniversary of Iowa football. The Hawkeyes played their first football game on Nov. 16, 1889, against Grinnell.
 
    THE SERIES
    Iowa holds a 50-27-3 advantage in the series that began with a 12-6 Iowa victory in 1897. The Hawkeyes are 24-16-3 all-time in games played in Evanston.
Iowa won 21 consecutive games over Northwestern prior to a 31-20 Wildcat win in 1995 in Evanston. The Wildcats hold a 13-9 advantage since snapping that Hawkeye win streak, and have an active three-game win streak.  
 
      STANLEY CLIMBS SCHOOL AND CONFERENCE CHARTS
      QB Nate Stanley has nine touchdown passes this season and 61 in his career, tied with Drew Tate for second all-time in program history. He trails Chuck Long (74) on the all-time list.
      Stanley has started the last 33 games at quarterback (22-11), and the Hawkeyes have averaged 28.7 points per game in those starts. That average ties for fifth in school history, and 10th nationally among active quarterbacks. His streak of 33 consecutive starts at quarterback ranks second in history to Long (47).
      Stanley is 14-5 at Kinnick Stadium, 7-5 in conference games at Kinnick.
      Stanley has 17 career multi-touchdown games, including three this season. He completed three touchdown passes in the season opener against Miami, Ohio, three more in Week 2 against Rutgers, and two against Middle Tennessee in Week 4. He has 10 career games with at least three passing touchdowns. Only Long has more in program history (11).
      Stanley threw 26 touchdown passes in 2018, second most in the Big Ten, one shy of tying Chuck Long (1985) for the most in single season school history, and tied for second most all-time in single season history. Stanley also threw 26 touchdown passes in 2017. Stanley’s 52 touchdown passes from 2017-18 are the most ever in school history over a two-year span. Long tossed 49 touchdown passes from 1984 (22) to 1985 (27).
      Stanley threw for a career-high 2,852 yards in 2018, the seventh-highest single-season total in school history. He ranks fourth in career passing yards (7,122) and fourth in career total offense (6,989).
      Stanley is one of 20 senior quarterbacks named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List. He was named to six preseason watch lists and listed on the preseason Big Ten third team by Phil Steele.
 
Nate Stanley Awards Watch

• Walter Camp Player of the Year Preseason Watch List
• Manning Award Preseason Watch List
• Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Top 20
• Maxwell Award Preseason Watch List
• O’Brien Award Preseason Watch List
• CFPA Player of the Year Award Preseason Watch List
• Preseason third-team All-Big Ten by Phil Steele
• Preseason fourth-team All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports

                 
     POCKET PRESSURE
     DE A.J. Epenesa leads a defense that ranks fifth in the country in scoring defense (11.6 ppg), eighth in rushing defense (91.1 ypg), and 10th in total defense (275.0 ypg). Those marks rank fourth, third, and third in the Big Ten, respectively.
     Iowa’s scoring defense is the lowest total of the Ferentz era (next best is 13.0 in 2008), and the lowest by any Hawkeye team since 1965 (9.2). Iowa’s total defense is the lowest by any Hawkeye team since 1984 (272.2).
     The Hawkeyes have allowed just 98 first downs (14.0 per game), sixth fewest in the country and second in the Big Ten.  
     Iowa has allowed nine touchdowns in seven games. Among Big Ten schools, only Ohio State (5), Wisconsin (7), and Penn State (8) have allowed less. Iowa is one of five schools in the country to allow just two rushing touchdowns or fewer.
     Iowa’s defense allowed just five first downs against Rutgers in Week 2. That ties for the fewest allowed in the Kirk Ferentz era (Syracuse, 2007). Rutgers’ 125 yards of total offense ranks as the fifth lowest total in the Ferentz era.
     In its Week 7 win against Purdue, Iowa allowed 33 yards rushing, its lowest total against a Big Ten opponent since 2013.
     Epenesa leads Iowa with three sacks and eight quarterback hurries. He led the Big Ten and ranked ninth in the country with 10.5 sacks in 2018. His running mate, DE Chauncey Golston, has a team-high 5.0 tackles-for-loss (17 yards).
     Epenesa is a quarterfinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy. He was named to four preseason All-America first teams, listed on six preseason watch lists, and is preseason Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year by CollegeFootballNews.com.
     Epenesa recorded at least one sack in nine of 13 games last season and was named first-team All-Big Ten by league media, and second-team All-Big Ten by league coaches. He ranked second in the conference and 16th nationally in forced fumbles (4), and ranked fourth in the Big Ten in tackles for loss. He totaled 37 tackles, four pass breakups, eight QB pressures, and a blocked punt in 2018. He recovered his own forced fumble and returned it 19 yards for a touchdown at Illinois.
     The Hawkeyes ranked third in the Big Ten last season with 35 sacks, the second highest single-season total in the Ferentz era (2002, 40).
 
A.J. Epenesa Awards Watch

• Nagurski Trophy Preseason Watch List
• Big Ten Conference Preseason Watch List
• Bednarik Award Preseason Watch List
• Lott IMPACT Trophy Quarterfinalist
• Polynesian Player of the Year Preseason Watch List
• Hendricks Award Preseason Watch List
• Preseason Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year by CollegeFootballNews.com
• Preseason first team All-America by Associated Press
• Preseason first-team All-America by Sports Illustrated
• Preseason first-team All-America by CollegeFootballNews.com
• Preseason first-team All-America by Athlon Sports
• Preseason second-team All-America by Phil Steele
• Preseason first-team All-Big Ten by CollegeFootballNews.com
• Preseason first-team All-Big Ten by Phil Steele
• Preseason first-team All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports

 
     RETURN TO SENDER
     WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette is named on the Paul Hornung Award watch list, an honor bestowed to the most versatile player in college football.
     Smith-Marsette leads the team in receiving yards (443) and all-purpose yards (659). He ranks third on the team with 27 receptions. He rushed for a touchdown (14 yards) in Week 4, and is tied for the team lead with four touchdowns. He set a career-high with 113 receiving yards in Week 2.
     Smith-Marsette averages 28.7 yards on 36 career kickoff returns. The Big Ten record of average kickoff return yardage (minimum 40 returns) is 28.8, set by Stan Brown of Purdue (1968-70). He has 1,033 kickoff return yards.
     Smith-Marsette has 991 career receiving yards. He needs nine yards to become the 42nd player in program history to reach 1,000 yards receiving. He has 2,179 all-purpose yards. Only 19 players in school history have 2,500 or more.
     In 2018, Smith-Marsette led the Big Ten and ranked No. 2 in the country, averaging 29.5 yards on 24 kickoff returns. He was named Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year in the Big Ten Conference.  He had 23 receptions for 361 yards and three touchdowns. His 15.7 yards per catch led the Hawkeyes (minimum 20 receptions).  
 
     SARGENT LEADS RUNNING BACK BY COMMITTEE
     RB Mekhi Sargent leads the team in carries (83) and rushing yards (397). He has started the last 11 games and is named on the Doak Walker Award Preseason Watch List.
     RB Toren Young and RB Tyler Goodson rank second on the team (53) in rush attempts. Young has 330 yards, averaging 6.2 yards per carry, best on the team and sixth in the Big Ten.  He rushed for a career-high 131 yards in Week 4. It was his first career 100-yard rushing game.
     Goodson has 258 yards rushing, and 17 receptions for 130 yards. His 70 combined touches ranks second on the team to Sargent (95).  
     Seven different Hawkeyes have combined to rush for nine touchdowns. Six of those touchdowns have come from inside the 2-yard line, seven from inside the 4-yard line. Sargent leads the team with three (2, 4, 14). Six more Hawkeyes have one rushing touchdown: Young (2), QB Nate Stanley (1), FB Brady Ross (1), WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette (14), QB Spencer Petras (1), Goodson (1).
     Young (131) and Goodson (97) rushed for career-highs Week 4 against Middle Tennessee State. The Hawkeyes rushed for 351 yards in the game, the fourth highest total in the Ferentz era.
     Juniors Ivory Kelly-Martin, Sargent, and Young shared the workload in 2018. The trio combined for 392 carries, 1,723 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns (nine by Sargent, five by Young, and two by Kelly-Martin). Sargent had 40.6 percent of the carries (159-745), Young had 34.7 percent of the attempts (136-637), and Kelly-Martin has 24.7 percent of the carries (97-341).
 
     GRAND THEFT SECONDARY
     Iowa ranks 22nd in the country and seventh in the Big Ten in passing defense (183.9 yards per game).
     DB Michael Ojemudia is tied for third in the Big Ten lead with two interceptions. He intercepted a pass in each of the first two weeks.  LB Djimon Colbert recorded the first interception of his career in Week 2. SS Geno Stone had one interception in Week 5. CB Riley Moss had an interception in Week 7.
     The Hawkeyes have five interceptions this season. Iowa led the Big Ten and tied for second in the country in 2018 with 20 interceptions. Over the last three seasons, no school has more interceptions than Iowa. The Hawkeyes have 46 interceptions since 2017, one more than Boston College has over the same period.  
     Entering this season, Iowa has at least one interception return for a touchdown in each of the last 11 seasons, and 16 of the last 18 seasons.
 
     DUNCAN GETTING HIS KICKS
     K Keith Duncan leads the country with 17 field goals made. He is 17-of-19 on field goal attempts and 16-of-16 on PAT attempts. He leads the team and ranks second in the Big Ten, 10th in the country, in scoring with 67 points. Duncan has connected on 9-of-10 kicks of at least 40 yards. He kicked a career-long 49 yard field goal against Middle Tennessee in Week 4. He kicked four field goals at Iowa State and four field goals against Purdue.
     Duncan is seeing his first action since 2016, when he made 9-11 field goal attempts and 38-39 PAT attempts (one was blocked). That year he kicked a 33-yard field goal as time expired to lift Iowa over #2 Michigan, 14-13. 
     Duncan was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week and Lou Groza Award Star of the Week on Sept. 16 following his performance at Iowa State. Duncan connected on a career-best four field goals at Iowa State. His final kick from 39 yards provided the margin of victory with 4:51 remaining in the fourth quarter. He also connected from 25 yards on Iowa’s first drive of the game and from 40 yards on the final play of the first half. He nailed a 42-yarder late in the third quarter. 
     The Big Ten weekly honor was the second of his career. He was previously recognized in 2016, earning the weekly honor following Iowa’s 14-13 win over Michigan. Duncan contributed two field goals in that win, including the game-winner from 33 yards on the final play of the game.  
 
     FERENTZ MOVES UP BIG TEN CHARTS
     Head coach Kirk Ferentz’s 157 wins in all games coached as a member of the Big Ten Conference rank fifth in league history. He is one of five coaches in Big Ten Conference history to win at least 150 games as a member of the Big Ten Conference. The top five includes Woody Hayes (202), Amos Alonza Stagg (199), Bo Schembechler (194), Joe Paterno (162), and Ferentz (157).
     Ferentz has 93 Big Ten wins as Iowa’s head coach. The 93 conference wins rank sixth among the conference’s all-time winningest coaches in Big Ten games.
     Ferentz (157-103) became Iowa’s all-time winningest coach on Sept. 1, 2018. The Hawkeyes defeated Northern Illinois, 33-7. It was Ferentz’s 144th win as Iowa’s head coach, one more than his predecessor, Hayden Fry (143-89-6). Fry coached Iowa for 20 years (1979-98). Ferentz is in his 21st season in 2019.
     Both Ferentz (157, 93) 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.