Hawk-Item – – First native Iowan to start opening game at quarterback since 2001 (Kyle McCann) . . . ranked third in the Big Ten in passing yards per game (232.5), fourth in total offense (237.2) and fifth in pass efficiency (138.5) in 2011 . . . 13 of 25 scoring passes covered over 20 yards . . . tied for third in single-season touchdown passes (25) and ranks fourth in season passing yards (3,022) and ninth in career passing yards (3,537) . . . 399 passing yards vs. Pittsburgh tied as seventh best single-game total in school history, while 31 completions ranks fourth best and 48 attempts ties as seventh best . . . had career-best four touchdown passes in win over Indiana . . . three scoring passes vs. Louisiana-Monroe, Pittsburgh and Purdue . . . one of five juniors named to 2011 Leadership Group . . . one of two sophomores named to 2010 Leadership Group . . . of two redshirt freshmen named to 2009 Leadership Group.
2011 Honors – – Named to Capital One/CoSIDA District Six Academic All-America team . . . academic all-Big Ten . . . Permanent Team Captain, Offense . . . honorable mention Quarterback of the Week from College Football Performance Awards in wins over Pittsburgh, Louisiana-Monroe and Indiana . . . Big Ten Conference offensive Player of the Week vs. Pittsburgh . . . nominated for Manning Award ‘Starts of the Week’ vs. Pittsburgh . . . nominated for Quarterback Performance of the Year vs. Pittsburgh 2011 – – Started all 13 games, completing 237-404 pass attempts for 3,022 yards and 25 touchdowns, with seven interceptions . . . also rushed for 61 yards on 78 attempts and scored three touchdowns . . . started at quarterback in 34-7 opening win over Tennessee Tech . . . completed 13-21 attempts for 219 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions . . . scoring strikes covered 88 and 19 yards . . . also rushed four times for 13 yards, including a one-yard touchdown for first career score . . . started at quarterback and played every offensive down in triple-overtime loss at Iowa State . . . completed 16-28 passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns at ISU . . . had six-yard touchdown pass in first quarter and 23-yard scoring strike in second overtime . . . also rushed seven times for 19 yards . . . started at quarterback in 31-27 win over Pittsburgh as offense gained 475 yards total offense . . . completed 31-48 passes for 399 yards and three touchdowns in win over Pittsburgh . . . scored on one-yard run for second touchdown of the season . . . led second half rally with touchdown passes of 14, 25 and 22 yards, all in the fourth quarter . . . completed 10 straight passes in the second half and 17 of last 20 passes overall . . . started at quarterback in 45-17 win over Louisiana-Monroe as offense gained 453 yards total offense . . . completed 21-32 attempts for 270 yards and three touchdowns vs. ULM, while also scoring on one-yard run . . . scoring strikes covered 13, 17 and 23 yards to increase season totals to 10 touchdowns and just one interception . . . started at quarterback and played every offensive down in 13-3 loss at Penn State . . . completed 17-34 passes for 169 yards, with two interceptions . . . also had career-high 12 rushing attempts for 10 yards . . . started at quarterback and played every offensive down in 41-31 win over Northwestern as offense gained 379 yards . . . completed 14-22 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception . . . scoring passes covered 47 yards in the second quarter and 35-yards in the fourth quarter . . . had 14-yard run on fourth down to set up final touchdown . . . started at quarterback in 45-24 win over Indiana as offense gained 456 yards total offense . . . completed 12-16 passes for 253 yards and career-best four touchdowns, with no interceptions . . . scoring strikes covered 80, 24, 29 and one yard . . . also rushed for 11 yards, with a long of 24 yards . . . started at quarterback and played every offensive down in 22-21 loss at Minnesota as offense gained 446 yards total offense . . . completed 16-24 passes for 177 yards and a touchdown, with no interceptions vs. Minnesota . . . started at quarterback and played every offensive down in 24-16 win over 13th-ranked Michigan . . . completed 14-21 passes for 171 yards and one touchdown, with no interceptions . . . completed one-yard scoring pass in second quarter while directing offense that had no turnovers . . . started at quarterback and played every offensive down in 37-21 loss to Michigan State . . . completed 22-47 passes for 262 yards and two touchdowns vs. MSU, with one interception . . . scoring strikes covered eight and three yards . . . started at quarterback and played every offensive down in 31-21 win at Purdue as offense gained 408 yards total offense . . . completed 22-32 passes for 273 yards and three touchdowns . . . scoring strikes covered 26, 5 and 51 yards . . . started at quarterback and played every offensive down in 20-7 loss at Nebraska . . . completed 16-35 attempts for 182 yards, with one interception, and had four rushing yards on four attempts . . . started at quarterback in Insight Bowl loss to Oklahoma . . . completed 23-44 attempts for 216 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception . . . tossed scoring strikes of five and nine yards to lead Iowa to within 21-14 deficit in fourth quarter.
2010 – – Saw action in three games, completing 5-8 passes for 45 yards and one touchdown . . . saw action in 37-7 opening win over Eastern Illinois . . . completed all three pass attempts for 27 yards and gained 11 yards on two rushing attempts . . . saw action in 35-7 win over Iowa State as offense gained 479 yards total offense . . . gained 18 yards on three rushing attempts vs. Iowa State and had one incomplete pass . . . did not see action in 34-27 loss at Arizona . . . saw action in 45-0 win over Ball State as offense gained 562 yards total offense . . . completed 2-4 passes for 18 yards, including a six-yard scoring strike . . . also gained three yards on only rushing attempt . . . did not see action in 24-3 win over Penn State . . . did not see action in 38-28 win at Michigan . . . did not see action in 31-30 loss to Wisconsin . . . did not see action in 37-6 win over fifth-ranked Michigan State . . . did not see action in 18-13 win at Indiana . . . did not see action in 21-17 loss at Northwestern . . . did not see action in 20-17 loss to Ohio State . . . did not see action in 27-24 loss at Minnesota . . . did not see action in 27-24 Insight Bowl win over 12th-ranked Missouri.
2010 – – Listed as second team quarterback following spring practice.
2009 Honors – – Academic all-Big Ten. 2009 – – Saw action in four games, completing 42-87 attempts for 470 yards, with two touchdowns and five interceptions . . . saw first career action in 35-3 win at Iowa State as offense gained 426 yards total offense . . . completed 2-3 passes for 38 yards at ISU . . . saw action in 17-10 loss to Northwestern . . . completed 9-27 passes for 82 yards, with one interception, and also had two rushing yards . . . started at quarterback in 27-24 overtime loss at Ohio State . . . completed 20-33 passes for 233 yards and two touchdowns at OSU, with three interceptions . . . had nine-yard scoring pass to tie game in third period and 10-yard scoring strike to tie the game with 2:42 remaining . . . completed first seven pass attempts of the game in leading Iowa to 3-0 first period advantage . . . started at quarterback and played every offensive down in 12-0 win over Minnesota . . . completed 11-24 passes for 117 yards, with one interception.
2008 – – Redshirted.
High school honors – – EA Sports third team all-American . . . Iowa Class-3A Player of the Year as a senior . . . named Most Outstanding Player in Iowa and to all-America team by prepnation.com . . . one of top 10 quarterbacks in the nation and top 101 players nationally by prepnation.com . . . Iowa High School Offensive Player of the Year as a senior . . . captain of the Class-3A all-state team as a senior . . . first team all-state as a junior and senior . . . elite all-state selection as a senior . . . first team all-district as a junior and senior . . . KHQA News tri-state (Iowa, Illinois and Missouri) Player of the Year as a senior . . . Career – – Most prolific passer in Iowa high school history . . . holds 12 different Iowa high school passing records, including career passing yards (7,709), touchdown passes (93), single season passing yards (3,729 as a senior) and single season touchdown passes (49 as a senior) . . . ranks sixth all-time nationally in single-season completion percentage (70%) and 10th nationally in career completion percentage (64.6%) . . . passed for 1,325 yards and 15 touchdowns as a sophomore . . . threw for 2,655 yards and 29 touchdowns as a junior . . . intercepted only seven times in 372 attempts as a senior . . . team captain . . . compiled 11 varsity letters . . . lettered three times in basketball and tennis and once in both baseball and golf . . . earned first team all-conference honors in basketball as a senior . . . won basketball team award (Chief Award) for leadership and hustle . . . two time tennis conference champion.
Personal – – Born 11/24/89 . . . human physiology major . . . academic all-state selection . . . member of National Honor Society . . . named to the Principal[apos]s Honor Roll 16 times . . . Citizenship Award Winner . . . participant in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program . . . parents are Ann and Toby Vandenberg . . . high school coach was Jayson Campbell.