Game Preview: at No. 7 Penn State

• The Hawkeyes open Big Ten Conference play on Saturday at Penn State. Iowa is 8-3 in its last 11 league openers and 13-11 all-time under head coach Kirk Ferentz. Iowa has opened Big Ten play six previous times (three in Happy Valley) against Penn State in the Ferentz era, winning four of the six meetings.
• Iowa will be playing in its second White Out in Happy Valley. The unranked Hawkeyes won in the White Out in 2009 courtesy of Adrian Clayborn’s blocked punt and return for a touchdown in Iowa’s 21-10 win over the fifth-ranked Nittany Lions.
• Iowa is 3-0 for the 11th time under Ferentz (2023, 2021, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2015, 2009, 2008, 2006, 2003, 2001). The Hawkeyes have started 4-0 six times under Ferentz (2021, 2019, 2015, 2009, 2006, 2003).
• 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, who has 201 career victories, 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 remains in the national polls for a second straight week, coming in at No. 22 in the AFCA Coaches’ Poll and No. 24 in the AP Poll – up one spot from Week 3. The Hawkeyes are receiving votes in the FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll.
• Hello CBS! Iowa will be making its first television appearance on CBS in 26 years on Saturday in Happy Valley. The Hawkeyes’ last appearance on the network came in the 1997 Sun Bowl vs. Arizona State – a 17-7 loss (Iowa’s last regular season game on CBS came in 1986 against Michigan). Saturday is Iowa’s 17th game on CBS; the program is 11-4-1 all-time on the network.
• Iowa will be playing on a grass playing surface for the second time this season Saturday at Beaver Stadium. The Hawkeyes have won their last six games on grass, including a 20-13 win at Iowa State in Week 2.

SERIES HISTORY

• Saturday will be the 32nd meeting in the all-time series. The Hawkeyes have won the last two meetings, including a 23-20 victory over the fourth-ranked Nittany Lions in 2021 on Nico Ragaini’s 44-yard fourth-quarter touchdown reception from Spencer Petras with 6:26 to play.
• Iowa is 8-7 all-time in Happy Valley, including a 41-21 victory in the last meeting in 2020. It was the Hawkeyes’ largest margin of victory in the series. Prior to the win, Penn State had won six straight games.
• Penn State holds a 17-14 advantage overall in the series. Since the Nittany Lions joined the Big Ten in 1993, the series is tied, 11-11.
• Head coach Kirk Ferentz is 10-8 against the Nittany Lions, including 4-4 in University Park.
• Four of the last five games in the series have been decided by six points or less.

SERIES RESULTS

• 11/15/1930 W 19-0 (H)
• 9/25/1971 L 14-44 (#12) (H)
• 9/30/1972 L 10-14 (#13) (A)
• 9/29/1973 L 8-27 (#6) (A)
• 9/28/1974 L 0-27 (#19) (H)
• 9/27/1975 L 10-30 (#12) (H)
• 9/25/1976 W 7-6 (#11) (A)
• 9/17/1983 W 42-34 (A)
• 9/15/1984 L 17-20 (#12) (H)
• 9/18/1993 L 0-31 (#14) (H)
• 9/17/1994 L 21-61 (#6) (A)
• 10/21/1995 L 27-41 (#19) (H)
• 10/19/1996 W 21-20 (#10) (A)
• 10/9/1999 L 7-31 (#2) (H)
• 11/4/2000 W 26-23 (2OT) (A)
• 9/29/2001 W 24-18 (H)
• 9/28/2002 W 42-35, OT (#12) (A)
• 10/25/2003 W 26-14 (H)
• 10/23/2004 W 6-4 (A)
• 10/6/2007 L 7-27 (A)
• 11/8/2008 W 24-23 (#3) (H)
• 9/26/2009 W 21-10 (#5) (A)
• 10/2/2010 W 24-3 (#22) (H)
• 10/8/2011 L 3-13 (A)
• 10/20/2012 L 14-38 (H)
• 11/5/2016 L 14-41 (#12) (A)
• 9/23/2017 L 19-21 (#4) (H)
• 10/27/2018 L 24-30 (#17) (A)
• 10/12/2019 L 12-17 (#8) (H)
• 11/21/2020 W 41-21 (A)
• 10/9/2021 W 23-20 (#4) (H)