Game Preview: Western Michigan

• Head coach Kirk Ferentz — the dean of coaches in college football – won his 200th career game on Sept. 9 when the Hawkeyes won a 20-13 Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series matchup at Iowa State. Ferentz is the 27th head coach to reach the milestone at an FBS institution and just the 99th college coach across all divisions since 1890.
• Iowa is back in the AP Top 25 poll in Week 2, coming in at No. 25. The Hawkeyes also enter the AFCA Coaches’ Poll at No. 24 and are receiving votes in the FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll. (The team was No. 25 in the preseason AP Poll.)
• Senior DB Sebastian Castro was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 11 after returning an interception 30 yards for a touchdown, collecting four tackles and a pass breakup in Iowa’s 20-13 road win at Iowa State.
• Tight End U – Iowa’s tight end duo of Luke Lachey and Erick All has combined for 16 catches for 178 yards and one touchdown in the Hawkeyes’ first two wins of 2023. Lachey has a team-best 10 catches for 131 yards, while All has six receptions for 47 yards and one touchdown.
• Lachey and All have combined for 106 career receptions for 1,274 yards and seven touchdowns.

SERIES HISTORY

• Saturday’s game will be the fourth meeting all-time between Iowa and Western Michigan. The Broncos hold a 2-1 advantage in the series, winning 27-21 in 2000 and 28-19 in 2007. The Hawkeyes won the most recent meeting, 59-3, in 2013 when P.J. Fleck was Western Michigan’s head coach.
• The Hawkeyes have won their last five games against teams from the Mid-American Conference. Iowa’s last loss to a MAC team came against Northern Illinois, 30-27, in the 2013 season opener.

SERIES RESULTS

• 9/9/00 – L, 21-27 (H)
• 11/17/07 – L, 19-28 (H)
• 9/21/13 – W, 59-3 (H)