2024 Iowa Football - Final Notes

HAWKEYES | 1ST & 10
• Iowa played in the 2024 Music City Bowl for the second time in three seasons.  
• The Hawkeyes have qualified for a bowl game in 12 straight seasons -- tied for the seventh-longest streak in the FBS. The program has been bowl-eligible 23 times in the last 24 seasons under Mon Family Head Football Coach Kirk Ferentz.
• Iowa is one of five teams in FBS to have won at least eight games in each of the last nine completed seasons (Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Ohio State).   
• Ferentz has 204 career victories as Iowa’s head coach -- second-most in Big Ten history. With his next victory, he will tie Ohio State’s Woody Hayes (205) for the most overall wins in league history.
• The Hawkeyes won their 700th game in program history in Week 10 against Wisconsin, becoming the 35th school to reach the milestone.
• CONSENSUS… the Hawkeyes had two players -- RB Kaleb Johnson and LB Jay Higgins -- earn consensus All-America honors. They are the 32nd and 33rd consensus All-Americans in program history. Higgins is the 15th unanimous selection.
• Iowa had five players earn All-America distinction by at least one outlet.
• KR Kaden Wetjen was the recipient of The Jet Award, presented to the top returner in college football. He is the first Hawkeye to receive the honor. Wetjen was the only player in the nation to have a punt and kickoff return for a touchdown.
• Iowa had three players -- LB Jay Higgins, RB Kaleb Johnson and KR/PR Kaden Wetjen -- win Big Ten positional honors. The Hawkeyes were the only school to have three players recognized. 
• Iowa had 20 players earn All-Big Ten recognition, including five first-team All-Big Ten selections.
• Junior Aaron Graves was named a second-team CSC Academic All-American after boasting a 4.0 grade point average in exercise science.
• Iowa had six players garner CSC Academic All-District honors and a school-record 47 Academic All-Big Ten honorees.
• LB Nick Jackson played in 73 career collegiate games -- the most in NCAA history -- and finished with 555 career tackles, the most by a power conference player and the second-most in FBS history.  
• Iowa averaged 197.2 rushing yards per game -- the most for the program since 2002 (214.2). The Hawkeyes rushed for 200+ yards in eight games (250+ in four games), a program record. 
• The Hawkeyes led the Big Ten in rushing for just the fourth time in program history (1958, 1959, 1960, 2024) and ranked 24th nationally.
• RB Kaleb Johnson, who declared for the 2025 NFL Draft in December, rushed for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns in 12 games -- the third-most rushing yards in a season in program history. He finished with program records in single-season points (138), total touchdowns (23) and rushing scores (21). He scored at least one touchdown in every game.
• Iowa is 32-1 when scoring 21+ points since 2020. Since the start of the 2015 season, Iowa is 78-5 when leading by eight points at any point in a game
• TOs -- The Hawkeyes forced 24 turnovers in 13 games -- 16 interceptions, eight fumble recoveries. The 24 takeaways were second in the Big Ten and ranked 17th nationally. Iowa’s 16 interceptions were third-most in the Big Ten (14th-most nationally) and the most for the program since 2021. The unit had at least one interception in 11 of the team’s 13 games.
• Iowa’s defense allowed 17.8 points per game in 2024. The unit has allowed fewer than 20 points per game in nine consecutive seasons -- the longest streak nationally. Iowa finished 11th in FBS in scoring defense and 20th in total defense (318.4).
• The Hawkeyes have posted 12 straight winning seasons -- the second-longest streak in the Big Ten and seventh-longest in FBS.
• Since 2009, Iowa has 244 interceptions -- the third-most in the nation. The team’s 35 interception returns for a touchdown are the fifth-most in the nation in that span.
• Iowa had 21 former players in the 2025 NFL Playoffs -- tied for the ninth-most in the nation.  
• Former OL Tristian Wirfs, a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, made NFL history, becoming the first player to earn All-Pro honors as both a right tackle and left tackle.

THE NATION'S TOP KICK RETURNER
Senior Kaden Wetjen was named the recipient of The 2024 Jet Award, which honors the most outstanding return specialist in college football. He is the first Hawkeye to receive the distinction.
• The Williamsburg, Iowa, native led the country by a wide margin, finishing with 1,055 combined kick return yards. He ranked first in the FBS in kickoff return yards (727) and second in punt return yards (328). Wetjen had two return for scores in 2024 -- a 100-yard kickoff return against No. 19 Missouri in the Music City Bowl and an 85-yard punt return in the win over Northwestern. 
• He was the only player in the nation to have both a kickoff and punt return for a touchdown.
• The return tied the longest in program history and tied Iowa’s longest bowl game kickoff return (C.J. Jones against USC in the 2003 Orange Bowl) and the Music City Bowl’s longest kickoff return (LSU’s Leonard Fournette, 2014). He had three returns for 151 yards against the Tigers, averaging 50.33 yards per return, which is an Iowa bowl game record. Wetjen is the fifth Hawkeye all-time to have a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
• During the regular season, Wetjen returned a punt 85 yards for a score against Northwestern, the seventh-longest in school history. He had 100+ kickoff return yards in three straight games (Washington, Michigan State, Northwestern) -- a first by a Hawkeye since at least 1978.

5 ALL-AMERICANS; 2 CONSENSUS
The Hawkeyes had five players -- P Rhys Dakin, LS Luke Elkin, RB Kaleb Johnson, LB Jay Higgins, KR Kaden Wetjen -- earn All-America distinction by at least one outlet during the 2024 season. Two players -- Johnson and Higgins -- were consensus All-Americans -- the 31st and 32nd in program history (18 under Kirk Ferentz). Higgins was a unanimous consensus All-American.
• Iowa is the only school to have a consensus All-American in each of the last six seasons. 
• The program has 12 consensus All-Americans over the past 11 seasons and Iowa has had multiple consensus All-Americans seven times in program history (1981, 1984, 2002, 2003, 2017, 2023, 2024).

DURING THE FERENTZ ERA
Thirteen different players have won 15 national awards under head coach Kirk Ferentz, including the AP Player of the Year, Davey O’Brien, Outland (twice), John Mackey (twice), Jim Thorpe, Lou Groza, Doak Walker, Lott IMPACT, Rimington, Butkus, Ray Guy and Jet Award.

HAWKEYES GARNER CSC ACADEMIC HONORS
• Junior Aaron Graves was named a second-team College Sports Communicators Academic All-American.  It was his first career honor. 
• Iowa had six players – seniors Luke Lachey, Mason Richman and Quinn Schulte, juniors Gennings Dunker and Aaron Graves and sophomore Zach Lutmer – earn CSC Academic All-District recognition.
• In 26 years under head coach Kirk Ferentz, 12 Iowa student-athletes have combined on 16 occasions to earn Academic All-America recognition.  

TACKLING MACHINE
Senior LB Jay Higgins had 14 tackles in three consecutive games in Week 6 at Ohio State, Week 7 against Washington and Week 8 at Michigan State. The Indianapolis native had six 10+ tackle games this season and 17 in his career.    
• He has had at least 14 tackles in a game seven times in his career. 
• He finished with a team-high 124 tackles (9.5 per game) to rank second in the Big Ten and 17th nationally. Higgins also had four interceptions -- tied for the most by a Power 4 linebacker in the nation -- and two forced fumbles. His four picks are the most by a Hawkeye linebacker since Josey Jewell (4) in 2016.
• Higgins was one of three players nationally with 100+ tackles and four interceptions.
• He averaged 10.3 tackles per game in Big Ten play, recording 93 tackles in nine games.
• Higgins had 124 tackles this season, becoming the first Hawkeye since Jack Campbell (2021-22) to record 100+ tackles in back-to-back seasons.
• He finished his career with 341 tackles, which are the 14th-most in program history. 

OUR BELL COW
Junior RB Kaleb Johnson declared for the NFL Draft on Dec. 1 following a season where he rushed for 1,537 yards (seventh nationally) with 21 rushing touchdowns (sixth in FBS). He finished sixth nationally, averaging 128.1 yards on 20 attempts per game, which included 20 rushes of 20+ yards. 
• Johnson’s 21 rushing touchdowns and 23 total touchdowns are a program record. He scored a touchdown in every game -- the longest streak in program history -- and had multiple touchdowns in seven games, which is believed to be a school record.
• His 138 points were a single-season school record and ranked sixth in the nation.
• He finished his career with 30 career rushing touchdowns (fourth-most all-time) and 32 total touchdowns (tied for the fifth-most all-time).
• He was fourth nationally in scoring (11.5), sixth in total touchdowns (23), total points (138), sixth in rushing touchdowns (21) and 12th in yards per carry (6.40).
• Johnson was the first Hawkeye since Mark Weisman in 2014 (five straight) to have two or more touchdowns in four consecutive games. He had nine touchdowns in the first four games -- the most in the team’s first four games since Tavian Banks in 1997 (12).
• Johnson had three games with three rushing touchdowns and four games with three total touchdowns this season. 
• In 12 games, Johnson had 20 20+ yard rushes -- 21, 23, 23, 24, 25, 26, 26, 27, 28, 28, 33, 33 37, 39, 40, 41, 53, 54, 64, 75 yards -- nine of which went for touchdowns (26, 64, 33, 28, 40, 75, 26, 41, 25). Iowa’s offense had 12 such rushes as a team during the 2023 season.
• In Week 8 at Michigan State, Johnson had a 75-yard touchdown run, tying his career long. It tied for the 21st longest touchdown run in program history. He had three touchdown runs of 26, 41 and 25 yards against Northwestern and three more against Wisconsin.
• Johnson posted four consecutive 100-yard games, becoming the first Hawkeye to accomplish the feat since Weisman in 2014. He had his second career 200-yard game at Minnesota. He had eight 100-yard games in 11 contests in 2024, which tied for second-most in a single season in program history.
• He finished with 12 career 100-yard games (three in 2022, one in 2023 and eight in 2024), which are tied for the sixth-most all-time.
• In the Week 13 road win at Maryland, Johnson had a career-high 35 carries for 164 yards and one touchdown. The 35 attempts were the most for the program since 2015. In his final collegiate game, he had 17 rushes for 45 yards and two receptions for 73 yards, including a 72-yard touchdown on a swing pass, which was a personal best.
• Johnson had a career-high 206 yards on 21 carries -- 9.8 yards per attempt -- in the road win at Minnesota, finding the end zone a career-best three times. He had five rushes of 20+ yards in the game.
• He had 166 yards on 21 attempts with two rushing touchdowns and three receptions for 22 yards and one touchdown in the Week 7 win over Washington.
• He finished with 25 carries for 173 yards and two touchdowns in Week 3 against Troy to surpass his rushing total from the 2023 season (463 yards). Johnson rushed for 187 yards and two touchdowns on a career-high 25 attempts against Iowa State in Week 2. He had 105 yards in the first half alone. Johnson is the first Hawkeye since 2017 to post a 100-yard game against the Cyclones and the yardage total is the most by an Iowa player in the series since 1996 (Tavian Banks, 182).   
• He rushed for 119 yards on 11 carries (all in the second half) against Illinois State in the season opener, which included a 64-yard touchdown run -- the fourth-longest rush of his career.
• Johnson was the fifth player in program history to have multiple career 200-yard games, joining Sedrick Shaw (250/214), Tavian Banks (314/204), Shonn Greene (217/211) and Marcus Coker (252/219).

RUSH STRONG
The Hawkeyes rushed for 200+ yards in eight games in 2024 -- believed to be the most in a single season in program history.  
• Iowa averaged 197.2 yards on 38.5 attempts per game -- the highest average for the program since 2002. The rushing attack finished second in the Big Ten and is 24th nationally.
• Iowa averaged 185.4 yards in Big Ten games to lead the league in rushing. It is the fourth time in program history that Iowa has led the league in rushing.
• The Hawkeyes had 26 rushes of 20+ yards in 2024 after having 12 runs of 20+ yards a season ago.  
• Iowa rushed for 329 yards -- the most for the program since 2019 -- and the most against a Big Ten opponent since 2016 (365, Purdue). The Hawkeyes had four players finish with 50+ rushing yards in the game -- a first under head coach Kirk Ferentz.
• The team’s 329 yards were the most against the Badgers since 1990 and it was the second straight season Iowa surpassed 200 yards against Wisconsin -- a first since 1989 and 1990.

3 OF THE BIG TEN’S BEST
• Senior Jay Higgins was named the Butkus-Fitzgerald Big Ten Linebacker of the Year -- the third Hawkeye in eight years to earn the honor. The Indianapolis native is the only player in the nation with 100+ tackles and four interceptions and his four picks are tied for the most amongst Power 4 linebackers.
• Junior Kaleb Johnson is the first Hawkeye recipient of the Ameche-Dayne Big Ten Running Back of the Year Award since it was introduced in 2011. The Ohio native had a record-breaking year, leading the league with 1,537 yards and 23 total touchdowns.
• Senior Kaden Wetjen became the fourth Hawkeye since 2018 to win the Rodgers-Dwight Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year honor. The Williamsburg, Iowa, native leads the nation with 888 combined kick return yards in 2024.

MORE NOTABLES
• Sophomore Kamari Moulton recorded his first career 100-yard game, finishing with 114 yards on 12 attempts with a touchdown in Week 13 at Maryland. He had a 68-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, a career long and the second-longest rush by the team this season.  
• Moulton and Kaleb Johnson were the first Hawkeye duo to post 100-yard rushbr>ing outputs in the same game since 2016 when LeShun Daniels, Jr. (158) and Akrum Wadley (105) accomplished the feat against Nebraska.
• The 20-degree temperature at kickoff in the regular season finale against Nebraska was the second coldest game in Kinnick Stadium history. 
• Junior WR Jacob Gill became the first Hawkeye to have a 100-yard receiving game since 2022 and the first Iowa wideout to achieve the feat since 2021, when he had six receptions for 138 yards in Week 11 at UCLA.
• Iowa’s rushing defense allowed fewer than 100 yards in seven games, including just 24 yards in Week 3 against Troy and 43 yards in Week 9 vs. Northwestern. The unit allows 115.3 rushing yards per game, 25th-fewest in the nation, and it has allowed four touchdowns on the ground -- the fewest in the nation (Ole Miss was second with 7).
• Don’t beat yourself! Iowa didn’t commit a penalty in Week 3 against Troy and was flagged for only one penalty in three contests (Minnesota, Ohio State, Nebraska). Iowa led the nation in fewest penalties per game (3.15), was second in fewest penalties (41) and fewest penalty yards (388) and third in fewest penalty yards per game (29.85).
• Badger Beatdown. Iowa beat Wisconsin, 42-10, in Week 10, the team’s largest margin of victory in the series since 1968. The Hawkeyes’ 42 points are the most by Iowa in the series since 1975.
• Iowa’s defense surrendered just 163 yards of total offense against Northwestern -- the second game allowing 200 or fewer yards this season. The Hawkeyes did not allow an offensive touchdown in the game.
• Complementary football… the Hawkeyes scored on offense, defense and special teams in the 40-14 victory over Northwestern -- a first for the program since 2021 (at Nebraska).
• Senior LB Jay Higgins finished second in the Big Ten in tackles (17th nationally), making 124 tackles (9.5 per game). He led the team in tackles in 11 games, including a season-high 14 tackles in Weeks 6, 7 and 8 against Ohio State, Washington and Michigan State. He also had four interceptions (tied for the most by a Power 4 LB) and two forced fumbles. 
• Higgins, who finished his career with 341 career tackles, had six double-digit tackle games this season and 17 in his career.
• Graduate LB Nick Jackson made his 500th career tackle against Washington. He finished his career with 555 career tackles (second-most in FBS history) and his 7.0 tackles per game this season were 12th in the Big Ten.
• Iowa scored 28 points in the third quarter against Northwestern -- the most in a quarter since scoring 31 at Maryland in 2021.
• Iowa rushed for 329 yards in Week 10 against Wisconsin -- the most for the program since 2019. The Hawkeyes had four players rush for 50+ yards -- a first under Ferentz.
• The Hawkeyes averaged 27.7 points and 328.8 yards of total offense, which ranked 72nd and 117th nationally.
• The Hawkeyes went 19-for-19 in red zone scoring opportunities (16 TDs, 3 FG) with QB Brendan Sullivan under center.
• OL Gennings Dunker missed the final two games of the regular season because of injury. OL Nick DeJong started the two games in place of Dunker. The Hawkeyes started the same offensive linemen in eight of the team’s 13 games.  
• DB Quinn Schulte made 40 consecutive starts (tied for fourth-longest nationally among DBs) -- one of five players in the secondary with 40 or more consecutive starts.
• OL Nick DeJong (59), LB Kyler Fisher (58), LB Jay Higgins (58), OL Mason Richman (55), DB Quinn Schulte (54), OL Connor Colby (53), DL Yahya Black (53), DB Sebastian Castro (53), DL Deontae Craig (51) and OL Tyler Elsbury (50) have played in 50+ games as a Hawkeye. DeJong played 59 games -- the most games played under Ferentz.
• Since 2020, Iowa is 15-7 in road games and the Hawkeyes have posted a winning road record dating back to the start of the 2018 season (21-11 record).
• Iowa came-from-behind in the second half to win three games in 2024 (trailed 14-10 vs. Troy; 14-7 at Minnesota, 10-0 vs. Nebraska).
• Iowa’s defense has allowed fewer than 400 yards in 38 of the last 41 games and 14 or fewer points in 25 of their last 40 games. The Hawkeyes have held 11 teams without a touchdown since the start of the 2022 season.
• Iowa has played 10 games decided by a single possession since the start of the 2023 season. The Hawkeyes are 6-4 in such games.
• The Hawkeye offense had 22 scoring drives of 70 or more yards this season. Iowa had a season-long 90-yard touchdown drive in the Music City Bowl against No. 19 Missouri and a season-best 14 play drive in Week 13 at Maryland.
• Iowa led 13-0 at the half and 19-7 in the third quarter against Iowa State. It was the first time the Hawkeyes surrendered a 13-point second half in 10 years (2014 vs. Nebraska).
• The Hawkeyes are 160-8-1 when allowing 10 points or less since 1970 and 393-59-19 when allowing 10 points or less all-time.