| OPPONENT | (RV) Iowa (4-2, 2-1) at Michigan State (3-2, 1-2) |
| DATE | Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024 |
| LOCATION | East Lansing, Mich. | Spartan Stadium (75,005) |
| KICKOFF | 6:30 p.m. (CT) |
| TELEVISION | NBC |
| RADIO | Hawkeye Radio Network |
First and 10
• Iowa is playing in East Lansing for the first time since 2017 — a 17-10 Spartan victory. There have been three meetings since 2017, which includes two Hawkeye wins.
• Since 2020, Iowa is 14-5 in road games and the Hawkeyes have posted a winning road record dating back to the start of the 2018 season (20-9 record).
• Iowa put up 40 points against a Big Ten opponent for the first time since 2021 (55 at Maryland). The Hawkeyes are 29-0 when scoring 21+ points since 2020.
• Head coach Kirk Ferentz moved into second place in Big Ten history with his 200th victory on Oct. 12 against Washington. He trails only Ohio State’s Woody Hayes (205) for the most overall wins in league history.
• Junior DL Aaron Graves earned Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors after finishing with five tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles in the Week 7 victory over Washington. He is the second Hawkeye to be honored this season.
• RB Kaleb Johnson recorded his fifth 100-yard game of the season, finishing with 166 yards on 21 attempts with two touchdowns in the win over Washington in Week 7. He was named the Senior Bowl Co-Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts.
• Johnson is 63 yards from reaching the 1,000-yard mark for the season. He will be the 22nd 1,000-yard rusher in program history and the first since the 2021 season (Tyler Goodson). Johnson is 13th in program history with 2,179 career rushing yards.
• Johnson is second in the nation in rushing yards (937), rushing yards per game (156.2), third in yards per carry (7.94), fourth in rushing touchdowns (12), total touchdown (13) and scoring (13.0).
• Big play KJ… Johnson has 16 rushes of 20+ yards, four 40+ yard runs and five touchdown runs of 25+ yards this season. Iowa has 18 20+ yard rushes in 2024.
• Iowa’s rushing attack has churned out 200+ yards in five of the team’s six games. The team’s 222.8 yards per game ranks first in the Big Ten and 13th nationally.
• Senior LB Jay Higgins is leading the Big Ten in tackles (ninth nationally), making 62 tackles (10.3 per game). He has led the team in tackles in all six games, including a season-high 14 tackles in Weeks 6 and 7 against Ohio State and Washington. He also has two interceptions and two forced fumbles. Higgins has three double-digit tackle games this season and 14 in his career.
• Graduate LB Nick Jackson made his 500th career tackle against Washington. He is currently fourth in FBS history with 503 career tackles.
• PK Drew Stevens made four field goals for the third time in his career, connecting from 37, 46, 25 and 51 yards in Week 7 against Washington. He is 4-for-4 from 40-49 yards this season and it was his fifth career 50+ yard FG.
• Stevens will tie Brion Hurley for the school record of six made field goals of 50+ yards with his next make.
• TOs — The Hawkeyes have forced 11 turnovers in six games — seven interceptions, four fumble recoveries. The 11 takeaways are third in the Big Ten and 11th nationally.
• DB Jermari Harris had his first career pick-six, returning an interception 28-yards for a touchdown in Week 3 against Troy. It extended Iowa’s pick-six streak to 17 straight years, the longest active streak nationally. Harris ranks second in the Big Ten and sixth nationally with three interceptions. He also ranks ninth in the country in passes defended per game (1.3).
• Iowa’s rushing defense has allowed fewer than 100 yards in four of the first six games, including just 24 yards in Week 3 against Troy. The unit allows 96.3 rushing yards per game, 18th-fewest in the nation, and it has allowed just one touchdown on the ground.
• Don’t beat yourself! Iowa didn’t commit a penalty in Week 3 against Troy and was flagged for only one penalty in road games at Minnesota and Ohio State. Iowa leads the nation in fewest penalties (16), fewest penalties per game (2.67), fewest penalty yards (155) and fewest penalty yards per game (25.83).
• Since the start of the 2015 season, Iowa is 75-3 when leading by eight points at any point in a game.
• Since 2009, Iowa has 235 interceptions — tied for the third-most in the nation. The team’s 35 interception returns for a touchdown are the fourth-most in the nation in that span.
By the Numbers
3
Three of Iowa’s five road games will be played on natural grass, including Saturday’s game at Michigan State.
63
RB Kaleb Johnson is 63 yards from reaching the 1,000-yard mark for the season.
10
The Hawkeye offense has 10 scoring drives of 70 or more yards this season through the first six games. Iowa had a season-long 80-yard touchdown drive against Washington.
10.3
Senior LB Jay Higgins leads the Big Ten and ranks ninth nationally, averaging 10.3 tackles per game.
4 X 3
PK Drew Stevens made four field goals for the third time in his career, connecting from 37, 46, 25 and 51 yards in Week 7 against Washington.
43.7
Junior RB Kaleb Johnson has 937 of Iowa's 2,145 yards of total offense in 2024.
JOHNSON ON CAREER RUSHING LIST
Junior RB Kaleb Johnson moved into 13th place in program history in career rushing with his 166-yard performance in the Week 71 win over Washington. The Ohio native has 2,179 yards in 29 career games. He is the 17th player in program history to surpass 2,000 career rushing yards.
• Johnson is 372 yards from the top 10 on Iowa’s all-time rushing list — Shonn Greene (12th, 2,228), Ronnie Harmon (11th, 2,271), Tyler Goodson (10th, 2,551).
KJ HAS…
• 937 of Iowa’s 2,145 yards of total offense (43.7 percent).
• 13 of the team’s 20 offensive touchdowns (65 percent).
• 78 of the team’s 175 total points (44.6 percent).
HAWKEYE FIRSTS
• Freshman Dayton Howard’s first career reception went for a 33-yard touchdown in the Week 7 win over Washington. The 33-yard pass is tied for the team’s longest passing play of the season.
• Junior Kaleb Johnson had an 18-yard touchdown reception — the first receiving TD of his career.
Spartans vs. Hawkeyes
SERIES HISTORY
- Saturday’s game is the 50th meeting in the all-time series that began with a 21-7 Michigan State win in 1953. That first meeting, played in Iowa City on Sept. 26, 1953, marked MSU’s first game as a member of the Big Ten Conference.
- Iowa leads the all-time series 25-22-2, including winning the last two games — 49-7 in 2020 and 26-16 in 2023. The 2020 meeting was the most lopsided Hawkeye win in the series.
- Saturday’s game is Iowa’s first game in East Lansing since 2017 — a 17-10 Spartan victory. Michigan State is 11-10-1 all-time in home games against Iowa.
- Saturday is the 15-year anniversary of the 2009 game where Ricky Stanzi connected with Marvin McNutt, Jr., for a touchdown pass as time expired to give the Hawkeyes a 15-13 road win at Spartan Stadium. That game is the last time Iowa has played a night game in East Lansing.
- Kirk Ferentz recorded his first Big Ten win as Iowa’s head coach when the Hawkeyes topped Michigan State (21-16) in Iowa City in 2000. The teams have played two overtime contests with Iowa winning both in double overtime (34-27 in 2007 and 19-16 in 2012).
SERIES RESULTS
9/26/1953 L 7-21 (#2) (H)
9/25/1954 W 14-10 (#7) (H)
10/10/1959 W 37-8 (H)
10/8/1960 W 27-15 (#13) (A)
11/6/1965 L 0-35 (#1) (H)
11/5/1966 L 7-56 (#2) (A)
10/25/1969 W 19-18 (H)
10/24/1970 L 0-37 (A)
10/23/1971 L 3-34 (A)
10/28/1972 T 6-6 (H)
11/24/1973 L 6-15 (H)
11/23/1974 L 21-60 (#14) (A)
11/22/1975 L 23-27 (H)
11/20/1976 W 30-17 (A)
11/19/1977 L 16-22 (H)
11/25/1978 L 7-42 (#14) (A)
11/17/1979 W 33-23 (H)
11/22/1980 W 41-0 (A)
11/21/1981 W 36-7 (H)
11/20/1982 W 24-18 (A)
11/12/1983 W 12-6 (A)
11/10/1984 L 16-17 (H)
10/5/1985 W 35-31 (H)
10/4/1986 W 24-21 (#17) (A)
10/3/1987 L 14-19 (H)
10/1/1988 T 10-10 (A)
10/7/1989 L 14-17 (#24) (H)
10/6/1990 W 12-7 (#18) (A)
10/23/1993 L 10-24 (#24) (A)
10/22/1994 W 19-14 (H)
10/7/1995 W 21-7 (A)
10/5/1996 W 37-30 (H)
10/2/1999 L 3-49 (#14) (A)
10/7/2000 W 21-16 (H)
10/13/2001 L 28-31 (A)
10/12/2002 W 44-16 (H)
9/27/2003 L 10-20 (A)
10/2/2004 W 38-16 (H)
10/27/2007 W 34-27 (2 OT) (H)
10/4/2008 L 13-16 (A)
10/24/2009 W 15-13 (A)
10/30/2010 W 37-6 (#5) (H)
11/12/2011 L 21-37 (#13) (H)
10/13/2012 W 19-16 (2 OT) (A)
10/5/2013 L 14-26 (H)
12/5/2015 L 13-16 (#5) (N)
9/30/2017 L 10-17 (A)
11/7/2020 W 49-7 (H)
9/30/2023 W 26-16 (H)
WOODY & KIRK
Kirk Ferentz, in his 26th season as Iowa’s head football coach and the longest tenured active head coach in college football, won his 200th career game as a member of the Big Ten Conference on Oct. 12, 2024, against Washington. The victory moved Ferentz into second place in Big Ten history, trailing only Ohio State’s Woody Hayes’ 205 wins.
• Ferentz has 124 Big Ten wins, which rank third all-time, trailing Hayes (153) and Michigan’s Bo Schembechler (143).
• Ferentz won his 200th career game at Iowa State in 2023. He is the 27th coach at an FBS institution to reach the 200-career win milestone and the 99th coach across all divisions. Former Hawkeye head coach Hayden Fry finished his career with 236 victories.
