Game Preview: Gold Out Game vs. Troy

• 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.

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.