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Game Preview: RutgersGame Preview: Rutgers
Football

Game Preview: Rutgers

OPPONENT Rutgers at Iowa
DATE Saturday, Nov. 11
LOCATION Iowa City, Iowa | Kinnick Stadium (69,250)
KICKOFF 2:40 p.m. (CT)
TELEVISION BTN
RADIO Hawkeye Radio Network
  • The Hawkeyes are 7-2 overall and 4-2 in Big Ten Conference play. Iowa leads the West Division with three weeks remaining in the regular season.
  • Sweet November. Iowa has won 15 of its last 16 games in the month of November.
  • How ‘bout the D? Iowa’s defense ranks fourth nationally, giving up 13.7 points per game. The Hawkeyes have allowed one touchdown over their last 12 quarters and three touchdowns over the past 20 quarters.
  • Two of the best: Senior LB Jay Higgins is a semifinalist for the Butkus Award, given to the nation’s best linebacker, while junior DB Cooper DeJean is a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award, awarded to the nation’s best defensive back. Higgins was also named to the midseason list for the 2023 Rotary Lombardi Award.
  • Sophomore kicker Drew Stevens is the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week after drilling a game-winning 53-yard field goal with 14 seconds remaining in Iowa’s road win over Northwestern on Nov. 4.
  • Stevens is the fifth Hawkeye recognized by the Big Ten this season. DB Sebastian Castro, DB Cooper DeJean, LB Nick Jackson and P Tory Taylor (2) — have combined to earn six Big Ten Conference weekly recognitions this season. Iowa has had the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week four times in 2023.
  • Iowa is 3-1 in one-score games this season.
  • DB Cooper DeJean made his Iowa offense debut against Northwestern.  On his first play, he took a jet sweep for 8 yards before serving as a decoy on the next play.
4

Iowa’s defense ranks fourth nationally, giving up 13.7 points per game. The Hawkeyes have allowed one touchdown over their last 12 quarters and three touchdowns over the past 20 quarters.

1

Iowa’s rushing defense has allowed just one touchdown on the ground in 2023, which is tied for the national lead. The Hawkeyes are one of two teams nationally to allow one rushing touchdowns (UCLA).

2

The Hawkeyes have two national award semifinalists -- Cooper DeJean (Thorpe) and Jay Higgins (Butkus).

6

The Hawkeye defense ranks sixth nationally, surrendering 14.5 points per game. Iowa has held its last two opponents without a touchdown and it limited Wisconsin to just six points -- a season low.

1

Kirk Ferentz is one win from moving into a tie with Michigan’s Bo Schembechler for most overall wins as a member of the Big Ten Conference.

23.0

Sixth-year DL Joe Evans is tied for seventh on Iowa’s career sacks list with 23.0 career sacks.

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IOWA’S DEFENSE

  • has allowed just one touchdown in their last 12 quarters and three touchdowns over their last 20 quarters (five games).
  • has given up one touchdown or less in seven of nine games this season. The unit has allowed one touchdown or less in 16 of the last 22 contests and has held eight teams without a touchdown since the start of the 2022 season.
  • allowed a season-low six points in the road win at Wisconsin. The Hawkeyes shut out the Badgers in the first half and it marked just the fourth time in the last 20 years for Wisconsin to be shutout in the first half at home.
  • has allowed one rushing touchdown in nine games, which is tied for the national lead. (Iowa is one of two teams to have allowed one rushing touchdown this season (UCLA).
  • allowed just 81 passing yards to Northwestern on Nov. 4 – the fewest since 2019 (Rutgers, 41 yards).
  • is fourth nationally in scoring defense, surrendering 13.7 points per game.
  • is fifth in passing efficiency defense (101.73), sixth in red zone defense (.682), 13th in passing yards allowed (177.2), 17th in total defense (298.7) and 20th in third down defense (.318).
  • has allowed just 12 “explosive plays” (plays of 20+ yards) in nine games this season (two rushing, 10 passing).

SERIES HISTORY

  • Saturday’s game is the fourth all-time meeting between Iowa and Rutgers. The Hawkeyes are 3-0 against the Scarlet Knights, winning twice in Piscataway and once in Iowa City.
  • During the lone meeting in Kinnick Stadium, Iowa allowed just five first downs, 47 passing yards and 125 yards total offense in 2019.

SERIES RESULTS

9/24/2016 W 14-7 (A)
9/7/2019 W 30-0 (H)
9/24/2022 W 27-10 (A)

FIRST TIMERS
FIRST TIMERS
  • TE Addison Ostrenga caught his first career touchdown pass in the third quarter of Iowa’s 10-7 road win over Northwestern on Nov. 5. The Wisconsin native had three catches for 15 yards in the game.
  • WR Kaleb Brown had his first career reception as a Hawkeye — a 23-yarder on Iowa’s final drive to set up the game-winning field goal against Northwestern. Brown wore No. 81 in the second half of the game against the Wildcats.

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