| OPPONENT | Northwestern (3-4, 1-3) at Iowa (4-3, 2-2) |
| DATE | Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024 |
| LOCATION | Iowa City, Iowa | Kinnick Stadium (69,250) |
| KICKOFF | 2:40 p.m. (CT) |
| TELEVISION | BTN |
| RADIO | Hawkeye Radio Network |
First and 10
• The Hawkeyes will welcome Northwestern to Iowa City for Homecoming for the second time in three seasons. Iowa has won 11 of its last 14 Homecoming games dating back to 2009 and is 62-44-5 all-time on Homecoming.
• Iowa put up 40 points against a Big Ten opponent for the first time since 2021 (51 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.
• Iowa has two players on the midseason All-America lists for CBS, Sporting News and The Athletic. The Hawkeyes are one of three teams with multiple players on CBS’ list along with Texas and Ohio State.
• RB Kaleb Johnson eclipsed the 1,000-yard single season rushing mark in Week 8 at Michigan State, becoming the 22nd Hawkeye to surpass 1,000 yards. Johnson has five 100-yard games this season and he has scored at least one touchdown in every game.
• Johnson is 11th in program history with 2,277 career rushing yards.
• Johnson is second in the nation in rushing yards (1,035), rushing yards per game (147.9) fourth in yards per carry (7.84), rushing touchdowns (13), total touchdown (14) and scoring (12.0).
• Big play KJ… Johnson has 17 rushes of 20+ yards, five 40+ yard runs and six touchdown runs of 25+ yards this season. Iowa has 19 20+ yard rushes in 2024.
• Iowa’s rushing attack has churned out 200+ yards in five games. The team’s 210 yards per game ranks first in the Big Ten and 17th nationally.
• Senior LB Jay Higgins is leading the Big Ten in tackles (seventh nationally), making 76 tackles (10.9 per game). He has led the team in tackles in all seven games, including a season-high 14 tackles in Weeks 6, 7 and 8 against Ohio State, Washington and Michigan State. He also has two interceptions and two forced fumbles.
• Higgins, who is seven tackles shy of 300 for his career, has four double-digit tackle games this season and 15 in his career.
• Graduate LB Nick Jackson made his 500th career tackle against Washington. He is currently third in FBS history with 514 career tackles and his 7.1 tackles per game in ’24 is eighth in the Big Ten.
• 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 12 turnovers in seven games — eight interceptions, four fumble recoveries. The 12 takeaways are fourth in the Big Ten and 27th nationally.
• 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.
• The Hawkeyes are averaging 27.9 points and 346.9 yards of total offense in seven games, which ranks 74th and 102nd nationally, respectively.
• 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 ninth nationally with three interceptions.
• Iowa’s rushing defense has allowed fewer than 100 yards in four games, including just 24 yards in Week 3 against Troy. The unit allows 112.9 rushing yards per game, 29th-fewest in the nation, and it has allowed two touchdowns 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 (19) and fewest penalties per game (2.71), while ranking second in fewest penalty yards (185) and fewest penalty yards per game (26.43).
• Iowa’s defense has allowed fewer than 400 yards in 33 of the last 35 games and 14 or fewer points in 21 of their last 34 games. The Hawkeyes have held 10 teams without a touchdown since the start of the 2022 season.
• 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 236 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
11
RB Kaleb Johnson is 11th in program history with 2,277 career rushing yards.
7
LB Jay Higgins is seven tackles shy of reaching 300 for his career.
1
LB Jay Higgins is leading the Big Ten, averaging 10.9 tackles per game.
11
The Hawkeyes have won 11 of their last 14 Homecoming games inside Kinnick Stadium.
22
RB Kaleb Johnson is the 22nd Hawkeye to surpass 1,000 rushing yards in a single season.
2
Iowa is one of three schools to have two players on the CBS All-America team.
SULLY IN THE (RED) ZONE
The Hawkeyes are 7-for-7 in red zone scoring opportunities (6 TDs, 1 FG) with junior QB Brendan Sullivan under center this season. Iowa rolled out the package in Week 3 against Troy.
• Sullivan recorded his first career completion and touchdown pass as a Hawkeye in the Week 3 win over Troy — a 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Addison Ostrenga. In Week 4 at Minnesota, Sullivan had a 1-yard rushing touchdown — his first of the season.
• He went 2-for-2 against Washington, leading the team to a touchdown and field goal and 1-for-1 at Michigan State, scoring a 3-yard rushing touchdown.
• The Northwestern transfer led the Hawkeyes on a five play, 75-yard scoring drive in his first true series in Week 6 at Ohio State. He had a 30-yard rush and 12-yard completion during the series.
WEJ ON THE RETURN
Senior Kaden Wetjen is leading the nation with 516 combined kick return yards. He is 11th nationally in kickoff returns (26.2 average) and 20th in punt returns (9.9). The Williamsburg, Iowa, native has had a career-long kickoff return in consecutive games, including a 39-yarder in Week 8 at Michigan State. He had a career-high 145 kickoff return yards on five attempts in East Lansing.
O-LINE NAMED TO MIDSEASON HONOR ROLL
Iowa’s offensive line was named to the midseason honor roll for the Joe Moore Award on Oct. 8. The award honors offensive line units that display a high level of toughness, effort, teamwork, consistency, technique and finishing. The Hawkeye offense has rushed for 200+ yards in five of the team’s first seven games, averaging 210 yards this season.
Wildcats vs. Hawkeyes
SERIES HISTORY
- Iowa holds a 54-28-3 advantage in the series that began with a 12-6 Iowa victory in 1897.
- Iowa won 21 consecutive games over Northwestern prior to a 31-20 Wildcat win in 1995 in Evanston. The Wildcats hold a 14-13 advantage since snapping that Hawkeye winning streak.
- Iowa has won the last three and four of the last five meetings in the series.
- The Hawkeyes are 27-12 all-time at home against Northwestern.
- Six of the last eight meetings have been decided by seven points or less.
SERIES RESULTS
10/16/1897 W 12-6 (A)
11/23/1900 T 5-5 (A)
10/8/1910 L 5-10 (A)
11/25/1911 W 6-0 (H)
10/29/1913 W 78-6 (A)
11/7/1914 W 27-0 (A)
10/16/1915 W 9-6 (H)
11/11/1916 L 13-20 (A)
11/17/1917 L 14-25 (A)
11/16/1918 W 23-7 (H)
11/8/1919 W 14-7 (A)
11/6/1920 W 20-0 (H)
11/19/1921 W 14-0 (A)
11/25/1922 W 37-3 (H)
11/24/1923 W 17-14 (A)
11/20/1926 L 6-13 (H)
11/29/1927 L 0-12 (A)
11/21/1931 L 0-19 (H)
11/19/1932 L 6-44 (A)
10/7/1933 W 7-0 (A)
10/6/1934 W 20-7 (A)
11/23/1935 T 0-0 (A)
10/3/1936 L 7-18 (A)
11/25/1939 T 7-7 (A)
10/22/1949 W 28-21 (#13) (H)
11/15/1952 W 39-14 (A)
10/26/1957 W 6-0 (A)
10/25/1958 W 26-20 (H)
10/3/1959 L 10-14 (#2) (H)
10/1/1960 W 42-0 (#6) (A)
10/23/1965 L 0-9 (A)
10/22/1966 L 15-24 (H)
11/11/1967 L 24-39 (A)
11/9/1968 W 68-34 (H)
10/9/1971 L 3-28 (H)
10/14/1972 W 23-12 (A)
10/13/1973 L 15-31 (A)
10/12/1974 W 35-10 (H)
11/1/1975 W 24-21 (A)
10/30/1976 W 13-10 (H)
9/10/1977 W 24-0 (H)
9/16/1978 W 20-3 (H)
10/13/1979 W 58-6 (A)
10/18/1980 W 25-3 (H)
10/3/1981 W 64-0 (A)
10/2/1982 W 45-7 (H)
10/8/1983 W 61-21 (H)
10/6/1984 W 31-3 (A)
10/26/1985 W 49-10 (A)
10/25/1986 W 27-20 (H)
11/7/1987 W 52-24 (A)
11/5/1988 W 35-10 (H)
10/28/1989 W 35-22 (A)
10/27/1990 W 56-14 (H)
11/16/1991 W 24-10 (A)
11/14/1992 W 56-14 (H)
11/13/1993 W 23-19 (A)
11/12/1994 W 49-13 (H)
11/11/1995 L 20-31 (#14) (A)
11/9/1996 L 13-40 (#18) (H)
11/15/1997 L 14-15 (A)
10/10/1998 W 26-24 (H)
10/16/1999 L 21-23 (A)
11/11/2000 W 27-17 (#12) (H)
11/10/2001 W 59-16 (A)
11/9/2002 W 62-10 (H)
11/5/2005 L 27-28 (A)
11/4/2006 L 7-21 (H)
11/3/2007 W 28-17 (A)
9/27/2008 L 17-22 (H)
11/7/2009 L 10-17 (H)
11/13/2010 L 17-21 (A)
10/15/2011 W 41-31 (H)
10/27/2012 L 17-28 (A)
10/26/2013 W 17-10 (OT) (H)
11/1/2014 W 48-7 (H)
10/17/2015 W 40-10 (#20) (A)
10/1/2016 L 31-38 (H)
10/21/2017 L 10-17 (OT) (A)
11/10/2018 L 10-14 (H)
10/26/2019 W 20-0 (A)
10/31/2020 L 20-21 (H)
11/6/2021 W 17-12 (A)
10/29/2022 W 33-12 (H)
11/4/2023 W 10-7 (A)
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.
