First and 10
- The Hawkeyes played in the 2024 Citrus Bowl for the third time in program history. It was Iowa’s 18th January bowl game, including the 13th under head coach Kirk Ferentz.
- Iowa is one of only nine FBS programs with an active bowl game appearance streak of 10+ years.
- Iowa won its third Big Ten West Division crown under Ferentz in 2023 (2015, 2021, 2023).
- Iowa was bowl eligible for the 22nd time in the last 23 seasons under head coach Kirk Ferentz.
- The Hawkeyes won 10 games in the regular season for the seventh time (five under Ferentz) and it was the 11th 10-win season in program history (eight under Ferentz).
- Iowa has won 25 Big Ten games between 2020-23, matching its highest four-year conference win total in program history (1982-85, 2002-05).
- The Hawkeyes finished in the top 25 of both the AFCA Coaches and Associated Press Polls for the 11th time under Kirk Ferentz and the 28th time in program history.
- Woody, Amos & Kirk… Ferentz’s has 196 career wins as a member of the Big Ten Conference, the third-most all-time, trailing only Woody Hayes (205) and Amos Alonzo Stagg (1999).
- Defensive coordinator Phil Parker was the recipient of the Frank Broyles Award, the AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year and the Football Scoop Defensive Coordinator of the Year. He is the first Hawkeye to win the Broyles and the third to earn the top AFCA honor.
- Special teams coordinator LeVar Woods was named the Football Scoop Special Teams Coordinator of the Year.
- CONSENSUS… DB Cooper DeJean and P Tory Taylor were consensus All-Americans – the 30th and 31st in school history. Iowa has had a unanimous first-team All-American in four straight seasons and the Hawkeyes are the only school nationally with a consensus All-American in each of the last five seasons.
- Senior Tory Taylor was named the recipient of the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s top punter. He is the first Hawkeye to earn the honor.
- Iowa had 20 players earn All-Big Ten honors, including first-team selections Jay Higgins (LB), Cooper DeJean (DB and RS) and Taylor (P). DeJean was the recipient of the Tatum-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year and the Rodgers-Dwight Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year, while Taylor was tabbed as the Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year.
- Taylor broke an NCAA punting yardage record, that was set in 1938, in the Citrus Bowl. He finished the season with 93 punts for a record 4,479 yards in 2023. He also had the best career punting average (46.3), single-season punting average (48.2) and most career games averaging 40 or more yards (43) in NCAA history.
- CLUTCH… The Hawkeyes went 5-1 in 2023 in games decided by seven points or less.
- What a duo… LB Jay Higgins tied the Iowa single season record, finishing with 171 tackles — the most by a Power 5 player — in 2023. LB Nick Jackson finished with 110 tackles to tally his fourth consecutive 100-tackle season. Higgins’ 92 tackle assists were a school record.
- Iowa’s defense ranked fourth nationally, giving up 14.8 points per game. The Hawkeyes allowed 20 touchdowns — fourth fewest nationally — in 2023. The Hawkeye rushing defense allowed seven rushing touchdowns — the third fewest in the nation.
- Iowa > 400. Iowa’s defense has allowed fewer than 400 yards in 28 consecutive games — the longest active streak nationally. The Hawkeyes gave up 4.08 yards per play during the 2023 season to lead the nation for a second straight season.
- The Hawkeyes have allowed 14 or fewer points in 19 of their last 27 games and the defense has held nine teams without a touchdown since the start of the 2022 season. The unit allowed one touchdown or less in 10 of 14 games in 2023 and in 19 of the last 27 games.
- Walking wounded. Four of Iowa’s most prominent players — QB Cade McNamara, TE Luke Lachey, TE Erick All and DB Cooper DeJean – all missed substantial time with season-ending injuries.
- Since the start of the 2015 season, Iowa is 71-2 when leading by eight points at any point in a game.
- The Hawkeyes played in front of eight straight sellouts and 11 overall sellouts in 14 games. The three games that weren’t sold out were the road game at Northwestern at Wrigley Field, the Big Ten Championship Game against Michigan and the Citrus Bowl vs. Tennessee.
By the Numbers
171
Senior LB Jay Higgins tied the Iowa school record, finishing the season with 171 tackles in 2023.
1
DC Phil Parker became the first Hawkeye assistant coach to win the Broyles Award, given to the nation's top assistant coach.
15
Iowa has won 25 Big Ten games between 2020-23, matching its highest four-year conference win total in program history (1982-85, 2002-05).
30/31
DB Cooper DeJean and P Tory Taylor are consensus All-Americans -- the 30th and 31st in school history.
4,479
Tory Taylor's punting yardage total, breaking an NCAA record that had stood since 1938.
14.8
Iowa's scoring defense, which ranked fourth in the NCAA in 2023.
4 ALL-AMERICANS; 2 CONSENSUS
The Hawkeyes had four players garner All-America recognition by at least one outlet during the 2023 season. Two players — Cooper DeJean and Tory Taylor — were unanimous consensus All-Americans — the 30th and 31st in program history (16 under Kirk Ferentz).
- Sebastian Castro – Pro Football Focus (first team), Associated Press (third team)
- Cooper DeJean – FWAA (first team), CBS (first team), The Athletic (first team), Sports Illustrated (first-team returner), Walter Camp (first team), Associated Press (first team), Sporting News (first team), AFCA (first team), ESPN (second team)
- Jay Higgins – FWAA (first team), CBS (second team), Sports Illustrated (first team), Walter Camp (second team), Associated Press (second team), Sporting News (second team), AFCA (second team), ESPN (second team)
- Tory Taylor – FWAA (first team), CBS (first team unanimous), The Athletic (first team), Sports Illustrated (first team), Pro Football Focus (second team), Walter Camp (second team), Associated Press (first team), Sporting News (first team), AFCA (first team), ESPN (first team)
NATIONAL AWARDS
- Cooper DeJean (Nagurski finalist/Jim Thorpe Award finalist/Lott IMPACT Trophy semifinalist /Bednarik Award semifinalist)
- Joe Evans (Burlsworth Trophy semifinalist)
- Jay Higgins (Butkus Award semifinalist)
- Drew Stevens (Lou Groza Award semifinalist)
- Tory Taylor (Ray Guy Award recipient)
- Phil Parker (Broyles Award recipient, AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year)
DURING THE FERENTZ ERA…
Twelve different players have won 14 national awards under head coach Kirk Ferentz, including the AP Player of the Year, Davey O’Brien, Outland (twice), John Mackey (twice), Jim Thorpe, Lou Groza, Doak Walker, Lott IMPACT, Rimington, Butkus and Ray Guy.
THE NATION'S TOP PUNTER
- Senior Tory Taylor became the first Hawkeye to win the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s top collegiate punter. The Australian broke Iowa’s single-season punting yardage record for a third consecutive year and he finished the 2023 season by breaking the NCAA single-season punting yardage record with 93 punts for 4,479 yards.
- A Big Ten coach (not named Kirk Ferentz) voted for Taylor as the Big Ten’s best player in the Silver Football award voting. He finished sixth overall in the balloting.
