NOTES: Family Weekend vs. Northern Iowa

1ST & 10
• Iowa is 17-1 all-time against Northern Iowa with 17 consecutive victories. Saturday’s game is the first meeting since 2018.
• The Hawkeyes won the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series matchup against Iowa State on Sept. 12. Iowa is now in possession of all four traveling trophies – Cy-Hawk, Floyd of Rosedale, Heartland and Heroes.
• Second-year kicker Caden Buhr drilled a 42-yard game-winning field goal with 15 seconds remaining to give Iowa the 16-13 win over Iowa State. Since 2015, Iowa has won 10 games on a field goal in the final 30 seconds of the fourth quarter. 
• Third-year linebacker Cam Buffington made 15 tackles against the Cyclones – the most in a game by a Hawkeye since Jay Higgins in 2024. He is ninth nationally, averaging 10.5 stops per game.
• Through two weeks, Iowa’s defense is leading the nation in first down defense (16), is fifth in scoring defense (6.5), sixth in passing defense (115.0), and seventh in total defense (187.5).
• Iowa’s offensive line has yet to give up a sack through the first two weeks of the season, while the rushing attack averages 191 yards per contest. The Hawkeyes have three new starting offensive linemen.
• Iowa eclipsed the 500-yard mark in the season-opening win over NIU, finishing with 507 yards, including 298 on the ground. The total is the high-water mark under OC Tim Lester.
• The Hawkeye defense – with eight first-time starters – posted a season-opening shutout, while limiting NIU to 120 yards of total offense, seven first downs and forcing two turnovers. The Huskies didn’t get their initial first down until the 4:10 mark of the third quarter.
• Iowa has 10 shutouts since 2018, which is tied with Penn State for the most in FBS over that timeframe.
• Fourth-year RB Kamari Moulton had a career-high 183 yards and two touchdowns on just 11 carries in Week 1 against NIU. He is eighth nationally, averaging 120 yards per game through two weeks.
• Third-year Tony Diaz has 15 receptions (on 25 targets) for 179 yards and one touchdown in 2026. His 7.5 receptions are 11th nationally, while his 89.5 yards per game ranks 30th.
• Iowa has sold out 30 consecutive games in Kinnick Stadium.

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday’s game will mark the 73rd meeting in the series where Iowa holds a 46-25 advantage (Iowa’s win over the Cyclones in 2023 was vacated). The series began in 1894 -- a 16-8 Cyclone victory. 
• Iowa is 25-15 all-time against Iowa State inside Kinnick Stadium. The Cyclones have won the last two meetings in Iowa City, winning 10-7 in 2022 and 20-19 in 2024.
• The last eight meetings in the series have been decided by 10 points or fewer. The last four matchups have been one score games and three of the four have been decided by a field goal or less.
• Head coach Kirk Ferentz is 13-12 all-time against Iowa State, including winning 10 of the last 17 meetings, dating back to the 2008 season. 
• The teams did not meet between 1935-1976, or 2020. The teams played 43 straight seasons from 1977-2019 before the Big Ten announced in 2020 that it would not play nonconference games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Iowa held a 29-14 advantage in the series from 1977-2019. 

4 ADDED TO KINNICK MEDIA WALL OF FAME
The University of Iowa Athletics Department will add four individuals to the Kinnick Stadium Media Wall of Fame on Saturday. The four honorees are the Voice of the Hawkeyes Gary Dolphin, former SID Steve Roe, former Gazette columnist Mike Hlas and the late Steve Batterson, who was the long-time Iowa beat writer for the Quad-City Times.

HANK LEADS WAY
Fourth-year quarterback Hank Brown went the distance for the first time this season in Iowa’s Week 2 victory over Iowa State. The Tennessee native completed 21-of-30 attempts for 191 yards, while also rushing eight times for 22 yards with one touchdown.  
• His 191 passing yards were his high-water mark as a Hawkeye and the rushing touchdown was the second of his career.

OFFENSIVE ERUPTION
Iowa’s offense erupted for 507 yards of total offense in the season opening 40-0 victory over Northern Illinois on Sept. 5 in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes rushed for 298 yards and had 26 first downs in the win.
• The unit had 251 yards in the first quarter and 372 yards in the first half – the most in an opening half since 2019 vs. Middle Tennessee State (358).  
• Iowa rushed for 298 yards on 38 attempts, averaging 7.6 yards per carry. The 298 yards are the third-most rushing yards during the Tim Lester tenure. The Hawkeyes have 13 games with 200+ rushing yards under OC Tim Lester.
• The Hawkeyes’ 507 yards in Week 1 are most during Lester’s Iowa tenure. The 507 yards of total offense was the most by an Iowa offensive unit since 2019 (644 vs. Middle Tennessee State).

DOMINANT DEBUT
The Iowa defense passed its Week 1 test with eight new starters. The Hawkeyes limited Northern Illinois to 120 yards and seven total first downs en route to a season-opening shutout – the 19th of the Kirk Ferentz era.
• Iowa limited the Huskies to 22 yards in the first quarter and 24 in the first half. NIU didn’t pick up its initial first down until the 4:10 mark in the third quarter (which came via penalty).  
• The 120 yards are tied for the sixth fewest allowed under Ferentz, while the seven first downs are tied for the seventh fewest.
• Iowa has 10 shutouts since 2018, which is tied for the most in the nation in that span (with Penn State).

BUILDING BLOCKS
After allowing just 120 yards in Week 1 against NIU, the Hawkeye defense built upon its success in Week 2. Iowa allowed 255 yards of total offense against Iowa State and just nine first downs.
• Through two weeks, Iowa’s defense is leading the nation in first down defense (16), is fifth in scoring defense (6.5), sixth in passing defense (115.0) and seventh in total defense (187.5). Iowa’s rushing defense is 18th nationally, allowing 72.5 yards per contest.

EVERYWHERE CAM
Third-year linebacker Cam Buffington had a career-high 15 tackles, including nine solo stops, in Iowa’s Week 2 victory over Iowa State. The 15 tackles are the most by a Hawkeye since Jay Higgins in 2024.
• Buffington is ninth nationally (third in the Big Ten), averaging 10.5 tackles per game.
• The Winfield, Iowa, native has led the team in tackles in both games this season.

TURNOVER TRACKER
Iowa forced a pair of turnovers in Week 1 against NIU – via a Deshaun Lee interception and a forced fumble by Brice Stevenson.  The Hawkeyes are 76-5 since 2012 when winning the turnover battle.
• Lee’s pick was the fourth of his career.

NO COOP, NO WEJ... ENTER EJ
Second-year wide receiver Evan James showed off his lightning speed in his Hawkeye debut in Week 1, returning a punt 77-yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. It was the 15th longest punt return for a touchdown in Iowa history.
• James had three punt returns for 108 yards in Week 1 against NIU, averaging 36 yards per return.  He was one of seven players nationally to return a punt for a touchdown in Week 1.
• Iowa has had at least one punt return for a touchdown in each of the past four seasons.

CLUTCH BUHR
Second-year kicker Caden Buhr was clutch in Iowa’s Week 2 victory over Iowa State, connecting on a career-best three field goals, including a 42-yard game-winner with 15 seconds remaining to give the Hawkeyes the 16-13 Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series win.
• It was Buhr’s first career game-winner, and it was the 10th Iowa game since 2015 that the Hawkeyes have won on a field goal in the final 30 seconds of the fourth quarter.
• Buhr has made 5-of-6 field goals this season, including five straight after missing his first collegiate attempt. He is 2-for-2 from 30-39, 3-for-3 from 40-49 and 0-for-1 from 50+. He is sixth nationally, averaging 2.5 field goals per game through the first two weeks of the season.

AUSSIE HAWKEYE
Second-year punter Boston Everitt is averaging 43.9 yards on nine punts in his first two games as a Hawkeye. The Aussie has six punts downed inside the 20, including four last week against Iowa State, and one travel 50+ yards.  
• Everitt, a native of Hope Island, Australia, continues Iowa’s Australian pipeline, following Tory Taylor and Rhys Dakin.

ALONE AT THE TOP
Kirk Ferentz is in his 28th season as Iowa’s head football coach, where he is the longest tenured active head coach in college football and all-time winningest coach in Big Ten Conference history. Ferentz broke the record during the 2025 season, passing Ohio State’s Woody Hayes atop the prestigious list. He currently has 211 career victories.
• Ferentz has 133 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.
• Ferentz has 11 career bowl game victories -- the most as a member of the Big Ten Conference.