Game Preview: Gold Out Game vs. Troy

Game Preview: Gold Out Game vs. Troy

OPPONENT Troy (0-2) at Iowa (1-1)
DATE Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024
LOCATION Iowa City, Iowa | Kinnick Stadium (69,250)
KICKOFF 3 p.m. (CT)
TELEVISION FS1
RADIO Hawkeye Radio Network

First and 10

  • Saturday’s nonconference regular season finale against Troy is the first meeting in the all-time series between the two schools.
  • It is the annual Harvest Kickoff Gold Game and Family Weekend in Kinnick as fans are encouraged to wear gold clothing.
  • Junior RB Kaleb Johnson has posted back-to-back 100-yard games (six career 100-yard contests). He rushed for 187 yards and two touchdowns against Iowa State — the most by a Hawkeye against the Cyclones since 1996.
  • Johnson is averaging 153 yards in two games this season, which ranks second in the Big Ten and fourth nationally. He has a team-high 24 points on four touchdowns, which is fourth in the nation.
  • Big play KJ2… Johnson has five runs of 25+ yards and two runs of 50+ yards in 2024. His 161.5 all-purpose yards per game ranks seventh in the country.
  • The Hawkeyes are averaging 29.5 points and 397.5 yards of total offense through the first two weeks of 2024, which ranks 74th and 68th nationally, respectively.
  • Senior LB Jay Higgins had 11 tackles and an interception against Iowa State. It was his 12th career game with 10 or more tackles and his second career interception. The Indianapolis native has a team-high 18 tackles with his nine tackles per game ranking third in the Big Ten.
  • The Hawkeyes have forced four turnovers in two games — two interceptions, two fumble recoveries. The four turnovers are fifth in the Big Ten and 18th in FBS.
  • Iowa led 13-0 at the half and 19-7 in the third quarter against Iowa State. It was the first time the Hawkeyes surrendered a 13-point second half in 10 years (2014 vs. Nebraska).
  • The Hawkeyes piled up 492 yards of total offense under first-year OC Tim Lester against Illinois State — the most by a Hawkeye OC in his debut dating back to 1979. It was the program’s highest offensive production since 2019 and the most in a season opener since 2002.
  • The Hawkeye defense allowed just 189 yards of total offense and forced three turnovers to pitch its first season-opening shutout since 2005. Iowa has eight shutouts since 2018, second most in the FBS in that span (Georgia, 9).
  • Senior QB Cade McNamara eclipsed 4,000 career passing yards against Iowa State. He has 4,036 yards for his career.
  • Iowa’s defense has allowed fewer than 400 yards in 30 consecutive games — the longest active streak nationally. The unit has allowed 14 or fewer points in 20 of their last 29 games and it has held 10 teams without a touchdown since the start of the 2022 season.
  • Iowa returns 19 starters — nine on offense, eight on defense, two on special teams — the most in the Big Ten.
  • Head coach Kirk Ferentz has 197 career wins as a member of the Big Ten Conference — third most all-time. He trails only Woody Hayes (205) and Amos Alonzo Stagg (199).
  • LBs Nick Jackson and Jay Higgins are two of the active leaders in career tackles among Power 5 teams and the pair is being tabbed as the best linebacker duo in college football. Jackson has an NCAA-best 468 career tackles, while Higgins is ninth with 240.
  • The Hawkeyes are 158-8-1 when allowing 10 points or less since 1970 and 391-59-19 when allowing 10 points or less all-time.
  • Since the start of the 2015 season, Iowa is 72-3 when leading by eight points at any point in a game.
  • Iowa has sold out Kinnick Stadium prior to the start of the season for a second straight season.
  • Since 2009, Iowa has 230 interceptions — tied for the fourth-most in the nation. The team’s 34 interception returns for a touchdown are the fourth-most in the nation in that span.

By the Numbers

200+

Iowa has rushed for 200+ yards in back-to-back games for the first time since 2020.

153

RB Kaleb Johnson is averaging 153 yards in two games this season, which ranks second in the Big Ten and fourth nationally.

> 400

Iowa’s defense has allowed fewer than 400 yards in 30 consecutive games -- the longest active streak nationally.

7

Iowa has played seven games decided by a single possession since the start of the 2023 season. The Hawkeyes are 5-2 in such games.

11

Senior LB Jay Higgins had 11 tackles and an interception against Iowa State. It was his 12th career game with 10 or more tackles and his second career interception.

4

The Hawkeyes have forced four turnovers in two games -- two interceptions, two fumble recoveries. The four turnovers are fifth in the Big Ten and 18th in FBS.

OUR BELL COW

Junior RB Kaleb Johnson is averaging 153 yards on 18 attempts this season. The Ohio native has 36 carries for 306 yards and four touchdowns, which includes five rushes of 25+ yards.
• He is second in the Big Ten in rushing and fourth nationally, while his four touchdowns lead the league (and rank fifth in FBS). Johnson averages 8.5 yards per carry which is third in the Big Ten and 10 in the nation.
• Johnson has rushes of 26, 27, 37, 54 and 64 yards in 2024 — two of which went for touchdowns (26, 64).
• Johnson has posted back-to-back 100-yard games, becoming the first Hawkeye to accomplish the feat in the first two games of the season since 2017 (Akrum Wadley). The last player to have back-to-back 100-yard games was Tyler Goodson in 2021.
• He has six career 100-yard games — three in 2021, one in 2022 and two in 2023.
• Johnson rushed for 187 yards and two touchdowns on a career-high 25 attempts against Iowa State in Week 2. He had 105 yards in the first half alone. Johnson is the first Hawkeye since 2017 to post a 100-yard game against the Cyclones and the yardage total is the most by an Iowa player in the series since 1996 (Tavian Banks, 182).
• He rushed for 119 yards on 11 carries (all in the second half) against Illinois State in the season opener, which included a 64-yard touchdown run – the third-longest rush of his career.
• Johnson is the first Hawkeye since Goodson in 2020 to score two touchdowns in consecutive games.

WEJ ON THE RETURN

Senior Kaden Wetjen is averaging 10.4 yards per punt return on eight returns this season, which ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 29th nationally. The Williamsburg, Iowa, native had a 23-yard punt return against Illinois State in Week 1 to go along with a punt return touchdown that was wiped off the board because of penalty.

TIGHT GAMES

Iowa has played 130 games in the Ferentz era in games decided by one score or less. The Hawkeyes are 65-65 (.500) in such contests. Over the past two seasons, Iowa has won five of seven games decided by eight points or fewer.

Trojans vs. Hawkeyes

SERIES HISTORY

  • Saturday’s game is the first in the all-time series between Iowa and Troy.
  • The Hawkeyes have played two teams from the current members of the Sun Belt Conference. Iowa defeated Arkansas State, 24-21, in 2009 and Louisiana Monroe, 41-17, in 2011. Both games were played in Iowa City.

TURNOVER KINGS

  • For a unit that had just 15 turnovers in 14 games in 2023, the Hawkeyes emphasis on forcing turnovers had a strong start to 2024. Iowa forced three Illinois State turnovers — two fumble recoveries and a Jermari Harris interception — during Week 1 and Jay Higgins had a pick in Week 2 against Iowa State.
  • Iowa’s four turnovers are 18th nationally and the turnover margin is 27th.