#10 Mekhi Sargent Season 2020-21

Hawk Item – – One of nine seniors named to 2020 Leadership Group . . . tied for third in the Big Ten with seven rushing touchdowns . . . ranks 20th in career rushing with 1,740 yards . . . tied for 26th in career scoring with 126 points . . . 11th player in school history to score as many as 20 career rushing touchdowns . . . ranked seventh in the Big Ten in rushing touchdowns (9) and 10th in total touchdowns (10) in 2018 . . . ranked in the top 15 in the Big Ten in yards per carry, rushing yards and rushing yards per game in 2018 . . . scored multiple touchdowns in four games . . . joined Iowa program after playing one season at Iowa Western Community College in 2017 and redshirting in 2016.

2020 Honors – – Honorable mention All-Big Ten by league coaches and media . . . Doak Walker Award preseason Watch List . . . 2020 – – Saw action in all eight games, with one start . . . tied for team lead with seven rushing touchdowns . . . rushed 76 times for 432 yards and had one pass reception for six yards . . . saw action in 24-20 loss at Purdue as offense gained 460 yards total offense . . . rushed 11 times for 71 yards at Purdue, including a one-yard touchdown . . . saw action in 21-20 loss to Northwestern . . . four rushing attempts for 20 yards and one reception for six yards vs. Northwestern . . . saw action in 49-7 win over Michigan State as offense rushed for 226 yards and gained 405 yards total offense . . . nine rushing attempts for 31 yards and two touchdowns vs. MSU, with scoring runs of two and six yards . . . two rushing touchdowns for fourth time in career . . . saw action in 35-7 win at Minnesota as offense rushed for 235 yards . . . 9 rushing attempts for 86 yards and one touchdown at Minnesota, with a career-long run of 36 yards . . . scored on a 14-yard run . . . also recorded one solo tackle on special teams . . . saw action in 41-21 win at Penn State as offense gained 175 net rushing yards . . . led rushing attack at PSU with 101 yards on 15 attempts . . . scored on two one-yard rushes for fifth career game with two scores . . . saw action in 26-20 win over Nebraska . . . five rushing attempts for 18 yards vs. Nebraska, including a two-yard touchdown to even the score in the third quarter . . . saw action in 35-21 win at Illinois as offense gained 242 yards total offense . . . 10 rushing attempts for 54 yards at Illinois, with a long of 20 yards . . . started at running back in 28-7 win over #25 Wisconsin . . . 13 rushing attempts for 51 yards vs. the Badgers with a long of 15 yards.

2019 Honors – – Doak Walker Award preseason Watch List . . . preseason fourth-team All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports . . . 2019 – – Saw action in all 13 games, with eight starts . . . ranked second on the team in rushing attempts, yards and touchdowns (119-563-4) . . . also had 14 receptions for 138 yards . . . started at running back in 38-14 win over Miami . . . led team with 156 yards total offense vs. Miami . . .14 rushing attempts for 91 yards, including a two-yard touchdown, and a long of 17 yards vs. Miami . . . four receptions for 65 yards vs. Miami, including a long of 41 yards to set up a touchdown . . . started at running back in 30-0 win over Rutgers as offense gained 438 yards total offense . . . 13 attempts for 59 rushing yards vs. Rutgers, along with two receptions for12 yards . . . started at running back in 18-17 win at Iowa State . . . 13 rushing attempts for 58 yards at Iowa State, with a long of 22 yards . . . also had three receptions for 25 yards, with a long of 14 yards . . . started at running back in 48-13 win over Middle Tennessee as offense gained 644 yards total offense . . . rushed 14 times for 91 yards vs. MTSU, including a four-yard touchdown . . . started at running back in 10-3 loss at #18 Michigan . . . rushed seven times for 12 yards at Michigan and had two receptions for 21 yards . . . started at running back in 17-12 loss to #9 Penn State . . . rushed nine times for 18 yards and had one reception for 10 yards vs. PSU . . . started at running back in 26-20 win over Purdue . . . rushed 13 times for 68 yards vs. Purdue, including 14-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter . . . started at running back in 20-0 win at Northwestern . . . 15 attempts for 46 yards and a touchdown at Northwestern, along with one reception for six yards . . . touchdown came on a one-yard run in the third quarter . . . saw action in 24-22 loss at #16 Wisconsin . . . four rushing attempts for 21 yards at Wisconsin . . . saw action in 23-19 win over #7 Minnesota . . . six rushing attempts for 18 yards vs. Minnesota . . . saw action in 19-10 win over Illinois, with one rushing attempt for six yards as offense gained 387 yards total offense . . . saw action in 27-24 win at Nebraska . . . eight rushing attempts for 55 yards at Nebraska, with a long of 30 yards, along with one reception . . . saw action in 49-24 Holiday Bowl win over #22 USC . . . two rushing attempts for 20 yards vs. USC.

2018 – – Saw action in all 13 games while starting the final four games . . . led team in rushing attempts, yards and rushing touchdowns (159-745-9) . . . 17 receptions for 156 yards and one touchdown . . . saw action in 33-7 win over Northern Illinois as offense gained 209 net rushing yards . . . rushed 12 times for 40 yards vs. NIU and had one reception for six yards . . . saw action in 13-3 win over Iowa State . . . rushed 11 times for 25 yards vs. ISU . . . scored the only touchdown of the game on a two-yard run in the fourth quarter . . . saw action in 38-14 win over Northern Iowa as offense gained 545 yards total offense . . . rushed 15 times for 72 yards and two touchdowns, while only pass reception covered 48 yards . . . scoring runs covered two and 10 yards . . . saw action in 28-17 loss to #18 Wisconsin . . . rushed six times for 14 yards vs. Wisconsin . . . saw action in 48-31 win at Minnesota as offense gained 420 yards total offense . . . rushed 9 times for 33 yards and one touchdown at Minnesota . . . two-yard scoring run for final points of the game . . . saw action in 42-16 win at Indiana at offense gained 479 yards total offense . . . 10 rushing attempt for 59 yards, with a long of 18 yards at Indiana, along with two receptions for 20 yards, including a long of 21 yards . . . saw action in 23-0 win over Maryland as offense gained 224 net rushing yards . . . rushed 10 times for 54 yards vs. Maryland, with a long of 14 yards . . . saw action in 30-24 loss at #17 Penn State . . . career-bests in rushing attempts and yards with 16 carries for 91 yards at Penn State, with a long of 23 yards . . . also had one reception for 15 yards . . . saw action at running back in 38-36 loss at Purdue . . . 10 rushing attempts for 39 yards at Purdue, with a long of six yards . . . scored two touchdowns at Purdue, each on a one-yard run . . . also had career-best four receptions for 33 yards . . . started at running back in 14-10 loss to Northwestern . . . rushed 10 times for 27 yards and had three receptions for 19 yards vs. Northwestern . . . started at running back in 63-0 win at Illinois as offense gained 400 yards total offense . . . career-bests of 17 rushing attempts for 121 yards and two scored at Illinois, with a long of 29 yards . . . scoring runs covered three and 29 yards . . . also had one reception for six yards at Illinois . . . started at running back in 31-28 win over Nebraska as offense rushed for 226 yards and gained 419 yards total offense . . .surpassed 100 rushing yards for the second straight week with 26 rushes for 173 yards, both career high marks . . . scored on a 15-yard rush and added a five-yard reception for a touchdown . . . rushed for 31 of the 41 yards gained on final game-winning drive . . . started at running back in 27-22 Outback Bowl win over #18 Mississippi State . . . seven rushing attempts for minus three yards vs. MSU and one reception for four yards.

Junior College – – Earned first-team JUCO All-America honors . . . selected as NJCAA offensive co-Most Valuable Player . . . totaled 205 rushing attempts for 1,449 yards in 10 games . . . also collected 12 receptions for 91 yards while totaling 16 total touchdowns (14 rushing).

High school honors – – Earned All-America honors as a senior . . . earned first-team all-state honors as a senior after earning third-team honors as a sophomore and junior . . . first-team all-conference for three straight years . . . Career – – Four-year football letterman as running back and defensive back . . . prep team posted 16-4 record in final two seasons while advancing to state playoffs both years . . . holds prep records for rushing yards in a season (2,094) and career (4,821), total offense in a season (2,261) and career (4,684), touchdowns in a season (27) and career (49), and scoring in a season (172) and career (304) . . . team captain for three years . . . 171 rushing attempts for 2,094 yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior . . . 107 rushing attempts for 1,147 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior . . . rushed for 1,080 yards and six touchdowns on 156 attempts as a sophomore . . . earned two letters in sprint events for prep track team.

Personal – – Born 10/08/97 . . . sport and recreation management major . . . mother is Yolanda Gardner . . . high school coach was Johnny Hughes . . . junior college coach was Scott Strohmeier.