| OPPONENT | Utah State at Iowa |
| DATE | Saturday, Sept. 2 |
| LOCATION | Iowa City, Iowa | Kinnick Stadium (69,250) |
| KICKOFF | 11:03 a.m. (CT) |
| TELEVISION | FS1 |
| RADIO | Hawkeye Radio Network |
First and 10
- Iowa is ranked 25th in the preseason Associated Press poll and the team is receiving votes, coming in 26th in the preseason coaches’ poll. The Hawkeyes have been in the preseason AP Top 25 in four of the past five seasons and 10 times in the Kirk Ferentz era (27 times in program history).
- The Hawkeyes return 14 starters (six offense, five defense, three specialists) for the 2023 season.
- Head coach Kirk Ferentz — the dean of coaches in college football — is two wins shy of the 200-win milestone in his coaching career. Ferentz will be the 24th Division I coach to reach the 200-win mark. Former Hawkeye head coach Hayden Fry had 236 career victories.
By the Numbers
7th
The Hawkeyes rank seventh nationally with the most consecutive winning seasons amongst Power 5 programs. Iowa is one of six teams to win eight or more games each year since 2015 (excluding COVID).
5
Iowa is one of five college football teams (Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Georgia) that have won at least eight games the last seven completed seasons while winning 75 percent of its games in the COVID year.
3rd
Over the past five seasons, Iowa has the third-most wins in the Big Ten Conference. The Hawkeyes have 43 overall, trailing only Ohio State (55) and Michigan (46).
200
Kirk Ferentz is two wins from notching career victory No. 200. Ferentz enters 2023 with 198 career victories as a head coach.
3rd X 2
Iowa's scoring defense has surrendered 18.86 points per game (in 178 games) since 2009 — ranking third nationally. The unit's 4.81 yards per play total is third-best in the same span.
2nd
The Hawkeyes have 218 interceptions since 2009 — tied for the second most nationally (one behind Oregon). Iowa’s 33 interception returns for a touchdown are third-most in the nation in that span.
EYES ON THE HAWKEYES
- Junior DB Cooper DeJean and senior punter Tory Taylor are preseason All-Americans by various outlets.
- DeJean is the preseason Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. The Odebolt, Iowa, native had 75 tackles, five interceptions and three defensive touchdowns as a sophomore, setting the single season record.
- Michigan transfer Cade McNamara will start his 17th career game when he takes the field for the Hawkeyes. For his career, McNamara has completed 63.1 percent of his passes for 3,181 yards and 21 touchdowns. He played in three games in 2022 before missing the remainder of the season because of a knee injury.
- Freshman RB Kaleb Johnson returns after rushing for an Iowa freshman record 779 yards on 151 carries. The Ohio native had three 100-yard games and a team-high six touchdowns.
WATCH: Kirk Ferentz Weekly Press Conference
Kirk Ferentz Weekly Press Conference: preview Utah State
Aggies vs. Hawkeyes
SERIES HISTORY
- The Hawkeyes are 2-0 all-time against Utah State, winning the most recent meeting 48-7 in 2002. Iowa put up 70 points, winning 70-14 during the 1957 season.
- Iowa is 11-1-1 all-time against current members of the Mountain West Conference. It is the second straight year the Hawkeyes have faced a MWC foe; Iowa shutout Nevada, 27-0, last season in Iowa City.
SERIES RESULTS
- 9/28/1957 – W, 70-14 (H)
- 9/21/2002 – W, 48-7 (H)
APPROACHING SELLOUT STATUS
Six University of Iowa home football games are sold out for the 2023 season. There are a limited number of tickets remaining for the home finale against Illinois on Nov. 18. Iowa sold out all seven home games during the 2022 season.
Ticket Information