Game Preview: at UCLA

• Iowa is facing UCLA for the first time since 1985 when they met in the Rose Bowl. This is the Hawkeyes first time going West in the regular season since 2010 — at Arizona. Iowa last played in California in 2019 in the Holiday Bowl.
• The Hawkeyes have scored 79 points in the last two games with junior QB Brendan Sullivan under center. The offense has scored 38+ points in five games this season — the most since 2008.
• Iowa won its 700th game in program history in Week 10 against Wisconsin, becoming the 35th school to reach the milestone.
• The Hawkeyes are bowl eligible for the 12th straight year and for the 23rd time in the last 24 seasons.
• SWEET NOVEMBER. Iowa has won 19 of its last 21 games in the month of November, dating back to 2019.
• Iowa rushed for 329 yards in Week 10 against Wisconsin — the most for the program since 2019 and tied for the most in the Big Ten in 2024. The Hawkeyes had four players rush for 50+ yards — a first under head coach Kirk Ferentz.
• Ferentz has 202 career victories as Iowa’s head coach — second-most in Big Ten history. He trails only Ohio State’s Woody Hayes (205) for the most overall wins in league history.
• Junior RB Kaleb Johnson was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 4 after finishing with 135 yards on 24 attempts and scoring three touchdowns in the win over Wisconsin. He has scored at least one TD in every game — the longest stretch in program history — and has three touchdowns in four games.
• Johnson found the end zone for the 20th time in Week 10, tying Shonn Greene’s single season record. He has 120 points, which are tied with Greene and Nate Kaeding for the single-season school record.
• QB Brendan Sullivan rushed for 58 yards — the most since C.J. Beathard’s 77 yards at Iowa State in 2015.
• The Hawkeyes are 14-for-14 in red zone scoring opportunities (13 TDs, 1 FG) with Sullivan under center.
• The Hawkeyes have scored 40 points in three straight home games for the first time since 2011. Iowa is 31-0 when scoring 21+ points since 2020.
• Iowa scored 28 points in the third quarter against Northwestern — the most in a quarter since scoring 31 at Maryland in 2021. The Hawkeyes have scored 42 points in the third quarter in the past two weeks.
• Iowa’s defense surrendered just 163 yards of total offense against the Wildcats — the second game allowing 200 or fewer yards this season. The Hawkeyes did not allow an offensive touchdown in the game and are allowing just five points and 212 yards in the last two games.
• Johnson, who has 1,279 yards — the seventh-most in program history — is second in the nation in rushing yards (1,279), rushing yards per game (142.1), rushing touchdowns (19), total touchdowns (20), total points (120) and fifth in yards per carry (7.52).
• Big play KJ… Johnson has 20 rushes of 20+ yards, six 40+ yard runs and nine touchdown runs of 25+ yards this season. Iowa has 23 20+ yard rushes in 2024.
• Iowa’s rushing attack has churned out 200+ yards in seven games — the most for the program since 2015. The team’s 222.3 yards per game ranks first in the Big Ten and 10th nationally.
• Senior LB Jay Higgins — a Butkus Award semifinalist for a second straight year — is leading the Big Ten in tackles (sixth nationally), making 94 tackles (10.4 per game). He has led the team in tackles in all nine games, including a season-high 14 tackles in Weeks 6, 7 and 8 against Ohio State, Washington and Michigan State. He also has three interceptions (18th nationally) and two forced fumbles.
• Higgins, who has 311 career tackles, has five double-digit tackle games this season and 16 in his career.
• Graduate LB Nick Jackson made his 500th career tackle against Washington. He is currently third in FBS history with 528 career tackles and his 7.1 tackles per game this season are 10th in the Big Ten.
• TOs — The Hawkeyes have forced 17 turnovers in nine games — 12 interceptions, five fumble recoveries. The 17 takeaways are second in the Big Ten and 14th nationally.
• The Hawkeyes are averaging 30.8 points and 356.1 yards of total offense in nine games, which ranks 45th and 95th 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 fourth in the Big Ten and 18th nationally with three interceptions.
• Since the start of the 2015 season, Iowa is 77-3 when leading by eight points at any point in a game.
• Since 2009, Iowa has 240 interceptions — second-most in the nation. The team’s 35 interception returns for a touchdown are the fourth-most in the nation in that span.

SERIES HISTORY

• Friday’s game will be the 10th meeting in the all-time series between Iowa and UCLA and the first as conference foes.
• The Bruins hold a 7-2 advantage in the series that began in 1938. Iowa has won two of the last four meetings, dating back to 1974.
• Iowa is 0-6 all-time at UCLA, which includes a 45-28 loss to the Bruins in the last meeting in the1985 Rose Bowl. The first five losses were played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
• The Hawkeyes are 2-4 all-time at Rose Bowl Stadium with their most recent appearance coming in the 2015 Rose Bowl against Stanford — a 45-16 loss.
• Iowa was awarded a forfeit for the 1977 loss due to UCLA ineligible players.

SERIES RESULTS

9/23/1938 L 3-27 (A)
9/26/1947 L 7-22 (A)
9/24/1949 L 25-41 (H)
10/21/1955 L 13-33 (#7) (A)
9/22/1973 L 18-55 (#18) (A)
9/21/1974 W 21-10 (#12) (H)
*10/1/1977 L 16-34 (A)
9/26/1981 W 20-7 (#6) (H)
1/1/1985 L 28-45 (#14)(Pasadena, Calif.)