NOTES: Military Appreciation vs. Purdue

1ST & 10

• Iowa has won eight straight Kinnick Stadium night games, dating back to 2022.
• The Hawkeyes were 19th in the initial College Football Playoff rankings that were released on Nov. 3. Iowa has been in the rankings 36 weeks since its inception – the 15th-most in the nation.
• November is for the Hawkeyes… Iowa has won 24 of its last 29 games in the month of November dating back to 2019. 
• L.J. Phillips, Jr., rushed for 128 yards in Week 10 at Northwestern, becoming Iowa’s fifth different 100-yard rusher in 2026. It’s the first time in program history Iowa has had five 100-yard rushers in a single season.
• Braeden Jackson had a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in Week 10 at Northwestern. He is the fifth player in program history to have two kickoff returns for a TD and one of four players in the nation this season with multiple returns for TDs.
• Over his last two games, QB Hank Brown is completing 80 percent of his passes (36-of-45) for 348 yards and three touchdowns.  
• WR Tony Diaz had a 24-yard touchdown reception against Northwestern – his second straight game with a touchdown catch.
• The Hawkeye defense has allowed one touchdown over its last nine quarters (and two over the last 12 quarters) dating back to Week 8 at Minnesota. The unit is third in the FBS in scoring defense (12.2), fifth in rushing defense, (81.9), eighth in sacks (3.33) and ninth in total defense (276.7).
• Iowa has three shutouts this season -- the most for the program since 1997. The unit has 12 shutouts since 2018 – the most in the nation during that span.
• Iowa is bowl eligible for the 14th consecutive season and for the 24th time in the last 26 seasons.
• The Hawkeyes have two victories over ranked opponents this season (at Michigan, Wisconsin) – a first since 2021.
• Iowa’s defense limited Washington to (-3) rushing yards in Week 6 – the second-fewest yards allowed under Kirk Ferentz and the fewest since 2004. Iowa has held five opponents under 100 rushing yards this season.
• Iowa’s offense finished with 465 yards of total offense against at Washington – the most in a Big Ten game under OC Tim Lester.  
• Iowa’s offensive line has allowed eight sacks in its first nine games (eighth in FBS), while the rushing attack averages 173.8 yards per contest, ranking 47th nationally. 
• Third-year linebacker Cam Buffington – a Butkus Award semifinalist -- has a team-high 82 tackles and has led the team in tackles in five games. He has four 10+ tackle games, including a career-high 15 stops against Iowa State – the most in a game by a Hawkeye since Jay Higgins in 2024. He is second in the Big Ten (23rd nationally), averaging 9.1 tackles per game.
• Iowa has sold out 33 consecutive games in Kinnick Stadium.

HANK UNDER CENTER
Fourth-year quarterback Hank Brown has started seven of the Hawkeyes’ first nine games during the 2026 season. In eight games played, the Tennessee native is 125-of-190 for 1,316 yards with nine touchdowns. He is completing 65.8 percent of his attempts.
• Brown has 11 explosive passes during the season, including three apiece in wins over Michigan and Wisconsin.
• Over the last month, Brown has twice engineered 90-yard fourth-quarter touchdown drives while trailing. At Michigan, the Hawkeyes went 91 yards on 11 plays in 1:46 to score a game-winning touchdown as time expired. In Week 8 at Minnesota, Brown directed a 98-yard, four-play drive in 1:58 for a game-tying touchdown. 
• In Week 10 at Northwestern, Brown completed 16-of-21 attempts for 126 yards with one touchdown. He was 11-of-13 for 102 yards and one touchdown in in the first half. 
• In Week 9 vs. Wisconsin, Brown completed 20-of-24 attempts for 222 yards and two touchdowns to garner Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week and Manning Award Stars of the Week honors on Nov. 2. He started the game 7-of-8 for 90 yards with a touchdown and was 16-of-18 for 190 yards and two touchdowns in the first half – the most in a first half by a Hawkeye since Nate Stanley (212 vs. Illinois) in 2019.
• Brown’s 83.3 completion percentage against the Badgers was the highest by any Iowa QB in a Big Ten game (min. 20 attempts) since at least 1995.
• In Week 4, Brown completed 21-of-35 attempts for 227 yards and two touchdowns. He was 13-of-19 for 142 yards and two touchdowns (4-of-6 on third down) in the fourth quarter in leading the Hawkeyes to a come-from-behind victory. He hit Reece Vander Zee for a 16-yard score as time expired to send the team to the walk-off win.
• Brown went the distance for the first time this season in Iowa’s Week 2 victory over Iowa State. He completed 21-of-30 attempts for 191 yards, while also rushing eight times for 22 yards with one touchdown.  
• In seven drives spanning Week 2 and Week 3, Brown guided the offense on seven consecutive scoring drives – two fourth-quarter field goals vs. Iowa State and five touchdowns in the first half against UNI.

HAWKEYE SHUTOUTS
• Iowa’s defense has posted three shutouts in 2026 – the 19th, 20th and 21st shutouts of the Kirk Ferentz era.
• The three shutouts are the most for the program since 1997 and the most in a single season under Ferentz.
• The Hawkeyes have 12 shutouts since 2018, the most in the nation in that span.
• In Week 1 with eight new starters, Iowa limited Northern Illinois to 120 yards and seven total first downs en route to a season-opening shutout. Iowa held 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.
• In Week 3 against UNI, Iowa allowed 155 yards of total offense (53 on ground, 102 through air) and nine first downs.
• In Week 9 vs. Wisconsin, the Hawkeyes forced three turnovers and limited the Badgers to 235 yards of total offense. Wisconsin had just 52 yards on the ground as it was shutout for the second straight year – a first by either team in the 100-game history in the series.

BUILDING BLOCKS
• Iowa has allowed 255 or fewer yards in five games this season and under 200 yards in a pair of contests. 
• Through nine games, Iowa’s defense is third in the nation in scoring defense (12.2), fifth in rushing defense (81.9), seventh in sacks (3.33), third-down defense (.291) and first-down defense (134), ninth in total defense (276.7) and 10th in red zone defense (.727)
• Iowa is leading the Big Ten in scoring defense and red zone defense, while ranking second in rushing defense and sacks.

STOPPING THE RUN
Iowa’s rush defense in Week 6 was stout and that might be an understatement. The Hawkeyes limited Washington to (-3) rushing yards in the 41-24 victory – the second-fewest yards allowed in a game in head coach Kirk Ferentz’s tenure.  
• Washington’s running backs had 12 carries for 19 yards in the game and that total was wiped out and then some thanks to six Hawkeye sacks for 22 yards.  
• Iowa’s rush defense is allowing 81.9 yards in nine games – fifth fewest in the nation -- and the defense has allowed just two rushing touchdowns on the season.

EVERYWHERE CAM
Third-year linebacker Cam Buffington has a team-high 82 tackles in nine games, averaging 9.1 stops per game to rank second in the Big Ten (and rank 23rd nationally). He has 47 solo tackles (which are tops in the Big Ten and No. 9 in FBS), nine TFL, three sacks and four QB hurries.
• Buffington, who has led the team in tackles in five games, has four double-digit tackle games this season. He had a career-high 15 tackles, including nine solo stops, in Iowa’s Week 2 victory over Iowa State, 11 stops in Week 4 at Michigan, 10 in Week 8 at Minnesota and 12 in Week 10 at Northwestern. He was named the Lott IMPACT Trophy Player of the Week on Sept. 16.  
• His 15 tackles are the most by a Hawkeye since Jay Higgins in 2024.

SACK-R-US
Iowa tied a season-high with six sacks in Week 6 at Washington and Week 10 at Northwestern. Four different Hawkeyes had sacks in Seattle and six different players tallied a sack in Evanston. 
• Sixteen different Hawkeyes have tallied a sack in 2026 with Joseph Anderson leading the way with four sacks, while Jayden Montgomery and Bryce Hawthorne have 3.5 and Cam Buffington has 3.
• Iowa is second in the Big Ten (and seventh nationally), averaging 3.33 sacks per game.

BRAEDEN TO THE CRIB X 2
Second-year RB Braeden Jackson has two kickoff returns for touchdowns in 2026, joining exclusive company in Iowa football history. He is the fifth player all-time to return multiple kickoffs for touchdowns, joining Kaden Wetjen, Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Kahlil Hill.
• He is one of two Hawkeyes, along with Smith-Marsette, to have multiple kickoff return TDs in a single season.
• Jackson had a 99-yard kickoff return (untouched) for a score in Week 4 at Michigan, tying for the seventh-longest in program history. He had a 96-yard (untouched) return in Week 10 at Northwestern, marking the 13th-longest all-time.
• Iowa has had a kick return for a touchdown in three consecutive seasons and the team has four kickoff return TDs since 2024. The special teams unit has returned both a punt and kickoff for a touchdown in three straight seasons. 
• The return in Ann Arbor was the first kickoff return for a touchdown allowed by Michigan since 2019.
•  Jackson was the first player in the Big Ten to record a kickoff return for a touchdown in 2026 and he is one of four players nationally with multiple kickoff returns for a touchdown.  Jackson is the only Power Conference player with multiple kickoff returns for a touchdown.
•  Jackson is averaging 50.4 yards on five returns this year. Iowa’s kickoff return unit is No. 1 nationally, averaging 47 yards per return. 

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 Northern Illinois, averaging 36 yards per return. 
• The Florida native has 22 returns for 273 yards, averaging 12.4 yards, which ranks 14th in FBS (second in the Big Ten).
• James, who is on the Jet Award Midseason List, is one of 44 players nationally to return a punt for a touchdown this year.
• 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. He was named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 14 and a Lou Groza Award Star of the Week on Sept. 15.
• 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 was a perfect 2-for-2 in Week 5 against Ohio State, connecting from 43 and 48 yards and he made two field goals in the Week 6 road win at Washington, including a career-long 51-yarder. It was his first career make from 50+.
• In Week 9, Buhr had his second career three field goal game, connecting from 24, 28 and 54 yards. The 54-yarder was a career long and his second consecutive make from 50+ yards. He followed it up with a 52-yarder in Week 10 at Northwestern.
• Buhr has made nine straight field goals dating back to Week 5 vs. Ohio State. He has made his last three attempts from 50+ yards.
• Buhr has made 14-of-16 field goals this season, including 11 straight from under 50 yards. He is 3-of-3 from 20-29 yards, 3-for-3 from 30-39, 5-for-5 from 40-49 and 3-for-5 from 50+. He is 22nd nationally, averaging 1.56 field goals per game through the first nine games and he is 24th in field goal percentage (.875).
l game, connecting from 24, 28 and 54 yards.  The 54-yarder was a career long and his second consecutive make from 50+ yards.
• Buhr has made 13-of-15 field goals this season, including 11 straight from under 50 yards. He is 3-of-3 from 20-29 yards, 3-for-3 from 30-39, 5-for-5 from 40-49 and 2-for-4 from 50+. He is 13th nationally, averaging 1.63 field goals per game through the first eight games and he is 27th in field goal percentage (.867).

AUSSIE HAWKEYE
Second-year punter Boston Everitt is averaging 43.4 yards on 39 punts in his first nine games as a Hawkeye. He ranks 42nd in the NCAA and sixth in the Big Ten in punting average.
• The Aussie has 22 punts downed inside the 20, including four in Week 2 against Iowa State. He has had 14 punts fair caught and seven travel 50+ yards, including a career-long 60-yarder in Week 8 at Minnesota.  
• 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 216 career victories.
• Ferentz has 137 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.