Brian Ferentz, the University of Iowa's offensive coordinator in 2023, wearing a headset and white team-branded shirt, speaks to a referee on the field during a game. The 2023 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa as members of the West Division of the Big Ten Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season . The Hawkeyes were led by Kirk Ferentz in his 25th year as head coach. The Hawkeyes played their home games at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa , and sold out all seven home contests for the second consecutive season. The Iowa Hawkeyes football team drew an average home attendance of 69,250 in 2023.
With a victory over Illinois on Senior Day, Iowa secured the Big Ten West title for the third time. A win over rival Nebraska in the regular season finale completed a 10-win regular season. They competed in the Big Ten Championship Game against the East Division champion No. 2 Michigan , where they were shutout by the eventual national champions 26–0. The Hawkeyes ended the 2023 season with a 35-0 shutout loss to No. 21 Tennessee in the Citrus Bowl .
Senior punter Tory Taylor was named First-team All-Big Ten for the third time, Eddleman–Fields Punter of the Year for the second time, a Unanimous First-team All-American , and the 2023 Ray Guy Award winner as the nation's most outstanding punter. Despite missing the final four games due to a season-ending injury, junior cornerback Cooper DeJean was named First-team All-Big Ten for the second time, Tatum–Woodson Defensive Back of the Year , Rodgers–Dwight Return Specialist of the Year , and a Unanimous First-team All-American. Defensive coordinator Phil Parker won the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant coach in college football.
The team became infamous over the course of the season for their great defense being paired with a historically terrible offense, causing some to call them the "Best Worst Team Ever".[ 2] [ 3] Over/Unders in college football history were set in games involving the 2023 Hawkeyes, the lowest being an O/U of 24.5 against Nebraska.[ 4] [ 5] Brian Ferentz would not be retained in 2024, but would be allowed to finish the rest of the 2023 season. At the time of the announcement, the Hawkeyes' offense was averaging 19.5 points per game, ranking 120th out of 133 in the FBS.[ 6]
In 2026, the NCAA ruled that quarterback Cade McNamara was ineligible to play for Iowa due to tampering violations, as Kirk Ferentz and assistant coah Jon Budmayr had broken NCAA rules by contacting McNamara before he entered the transfer portal. As a result, the NCAA forced Iowa to vacate the four victories in which McNamara played before he suffered a season-ending injury. The four games Iowa vacated were the wins over Utah State , Iowa State , Western Michigan , and Michigan State .[ 7]
Preseason
Iowa lost several players in the transfer portal , including top two wide receivers Keagan Johnson and Arland Bruce IV, backup quarterback Alex Padilla , and running back Gavin Williams. Two top defensive players, cornerback Terry Roberts and linebacker Jestin Jacobs, transferred to Miami and Oregon , respectively.
Iowa added players in the transfer portal before the 2023 season, including Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara , Michigan tight end Erick All , and Charleston Southern wide receiver Seth Anderson, son of NFL wide receiver Flipper Anderson . Saginaw Valley State offensive tackle Daijon Parker committed to Iowa after originally committing to Virginia .
Iowa was picked second in the West Division by Big Ten media, behind Wisconsin.[ 8]
Player movement
Transfers out
Date
Player
Position
Destination
Notes
Ref
November 29, 2022
Alex Padilla QB
SMU Mustangs [ 17]
November 29, 2022
Josh Volk
OL
Northern Iowa Panthers [ 18]
December 1, 2022
Keagan Johnson
WR
Kansas State Wildcats [ 19]
December 2, 2022
Arland Bruce IV
WR
Oklahoma State Cowboys [ 20]
December 2, 2022
Gavin Williams
RB
Northern Illinois Huskies [ 21] [ 22]
December 5, 2022
Jestin Jacobs LB Oregon Ducks 2-year starter at LB (before injury)
[ 23]
January 6, 2023
Dallas Craddieth
S
Kent State Golden Flashes [ 24]
January 8, 2023
Reggie Bracy
CB
Troy Trojans [ 25]
April 30, 2023
Carter Erickson
S
Northwest Missouri State Bearcats [ 26]
May 4, 2023
Carson May
QB
Wyoming Cowboys Previously committed to CCC Red Ravens
[ 27]
May 13, 2023
Zach Brand
RB
Northern Iowa Panthers [ 26]
June 8, 2023
Terry Roberts
CB Michigan State Spartans Previously committed to Miami
[ 28]
Schedule
Date Time Opponent Rank Site TV Result Attendance Source September 2 11:00 a.m. Utah State * No. 25 FS1 W 24–14 (vacated)69,250 [ 29] September 9 2:30 p.m. at Iowa State * FOX W 20–13 (vacated)61,500 [ 30] September 16 2:30 p.m. Western Michigan * No. 25 Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA BTN W 41–10 (vacated)69,250 [ 31] September 23 6:30 p.m. at No. 7 Penn State No. 24 CBS L 0–31110,830 [ 32] September 30 6:30 p.m. Michigan State Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA NBC W 26–16 (vacated)69,250 [ 33] October 7 2:30 p.m. Purdue Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA Peacock W 20–1469,250 [ 34] October 14 3:00 p.m. at Wisconsin FOX W 15–676,205 [ 35] October 21 2:30 p.m. Minnesota No. 24 Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA (rivalry ) NBC L 10–1269,250 [ 36] November 4 2:30 p.m. vs. Northwestern Peacock W 10–738,000 [ 37] November 11 2:30 p.m. Rutgers No. 22 Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA BTN W 22–069,250 [ 38] November 18 2:30 p.m. Illinois No. 16 Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA FS1 W 15–1369,250 [ 39] 11:00 a.m. at Nebraska No. 17 CBS W 13–1086,183 [ 40] December 2 7:00 p.m. vs. No. 2 Michigan * No. 16 FOX L 0–2667,842 [ 41] 12:00 p.m. vs. No. 21 Tennessee * No. 17 ABC L 0–3543,861 [ 42]
Rankings
Ranking movementsLegend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking Week Poll Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Final AP 25 RV 25 24 — — RV 24 — — RV RV 20 18 20 24 Coaches RV RV 24 22 RV RV RV 23 RV RV RV 23 19 17 17 22 CFP Not released — 22 16 17 16 17 Not released
Roster
2023 Iowa Hawkeyes football team roster
Players
Coaches
Offense
Defense
Special teams
Head coach Coordinators/assistant coaches Brian Ferentz – Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks Phil Parker – Defensive coordinator/secondary LeVar Woods – Special teams coordinator George Barnett Offensive line
Kelvin Bell – Defensive line
Ladell Betts – Running backs Kelton Copeland – Wide receivers
Abdul Hodge – Tight ends/fullbacks Jay Niemann – Assistant defensive line/defensive recruiting coordinator Seth Wallace – Assistant defensive coordinator/linebackers Raimond Braithwaite – Director, strength and conditioning
Kammy Powell – Head Football Athletic Trainer Legend (C) Team captain(S) Suspended(I) IneligibleRoster
Game summaries
Utah State
Utah State at No. 25 Iowa
Team
1
2 3 4 Total
Aggies
0
3 3 8
14
• No. 25 Hawkeyes 14
3 0 7
24
Scoring summary 1 14:18 Iowa Seth Anderson 36-yard pass from Cade McNamara (Drew Stevens kick) Iowa 7–0 7:44 Iowa Erick All 3-yard pass from Cade McNamara (Drew Stevens kick)Iowa 14–0 2 11:03 USU William Testa 32-yard field goal Iowa 14–3 0:07 Iowa Drew Stevens 20-yard field goal Iowa 17–3 3 12:02 USU Elliott Nimrod 45-yard field goal Iowa 17–6 4 10:17 Iowa Kaleb Johnson 3-yard run (Drew Stevens kick)Iowa 24–6 1:36 USU Terrell Vaughn 16-yard pass from Cooper Legas (Rahsul Faison pass from Cooper Legas) Iowa 24–14
The Hawkeyes' season opener was the first matchup in the series since a 48–7 win in 2002. It was also the first Iowa career start for Cade McNamara who threw for 191 yards and two touchdowns to start out the year 1–0.[ 44] [ 45]
Statistics USU IOWA
First downs 19 17
Total yards 329 284
Rushing yards 116 88
Passing yards 213 196
Turnovers 1 0
Time of possession 27:48 32:12
Team Category Player Statistics
Utah State Passing Cooper Legas 32/48, 213 yards, TD, INT
Rushing Rahsul Faison 7 carries, 59 yards
Receiving Terrell Vaughn 12 receptions, 93 yards, TD
Iowa Passing Cade McNamara 17/30, 191 yards, 2 TD
Rushing Kaleb Johnson 19 carries, 63 yards, TD
Receiving Luke Lachey 7 receptions, 73 yards
at Iowa State
Team
1
2 3 4 Total
• Hawkeyes 3
14 3 0
20
Cyclones
0
3 0 10
13
Scoring summary 1 5:56 Iowa Drew Stevens 28-yard field goal Iowa 3–0 2 13:39 Iowa Jaziun Patterson 4-yard run (Drew Stevens kick) Iowa 10–0 4:29 Iowa Sebastian Castro 30-yard interception return (Drew Stevens kick) Iowa 17–0 0:04 ISU Chase Contreraz 42-yard field goal Iowa 17–3 3 3:57 Iowa Drew Stevens 34-yard field goal Iowa 20–3 4 13:18 ISU Chase Contreraz 46-yard field goal Iowa 20–6 2:53 ISU Jayden Higgins 16-yard pass from Rocco Becht (C. Contreraz kick) Iowa 20–13
The Hawks avenged last season's 10–7 defeat by collecting their sixth straight victory at Jack Trice Stadium , earning Kirk Ferentz his 200th collegiate career win.[ 46] [ 47] [ 48]
Statistics IOWA IOWA ST
First downs 9 19
Total yards 235 290
Rushing yards 112 87
Passing yards 123 203
Turnovers 1 1
Time of possession 26:30 33:30
Team Category Player Statistics
Iowa Passing Cade McNamara 12/21, 123 yards, INT
Rushing Jaziun Patterson 10 carries, 86 yards, TD
Receiving Luke Lachey 3 receptions, 58 yards
Iowa State Passing Rocco Becht 23/44, 203 yards, TD, INT
Rushing Cartevious Norton 21 carries, 59 yards
Receiving Jayden Higgins 8 receptions, 95 yards, TD
Western Michigan
Western Michigan at No. 25 Iowa
Team
1
2 3 4 Total
Broncos
7
3 0 0
10
• No. 25 Hawkeyes 0
14 17 10
41
Date: September 16Location: Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA Game start: 2:40 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3:51Game attendance: 69,250Game weather: 78 °F (26 °C), Cloudy, Wind NW 6 mph (9.7 km/h)Referee: Gregory BlumTV announcers (BTN ): Lisa Byington (play-by-play), Anthony Herron (analyst), and Shane Sparks (sidelines)
Scoring summary 1 5:40 WMU Anthony Sambucci 64-yard pass from Treyson Bourguet (Palmer Domschke kick) WMU 7–0 2 8:26 Iowa Diante Vines 3-yard pass from Cade McNamara (Drew Stevens kick) Tied 7–7 4:45 WMU Palmer Domschke 27-yard field goal WMU 10–7 1:29 Iowa Leshon Williams 25-yard pass from Cade McNamara (Drew Stevens kick) Iowa 14–10 3 7:30 Iowa Safety, blocked punt through the end zone Iowa 16–10 4:02 Iowa Kamari Moulton 3-yard run (Erick All pass from Cade McNamara) Iowa 24–10 2:10 Iowa Kamari Moulton 1-yard run (Drew Stevens kick) Iowa 31–10 4 5:20 Iowa Drew Stevens 31-yard field goal Iowa 34–10 0:30 Iowa Max White 2-yard run (Drew Stevens kick) Iowa 41–10
The Hawkeyes evened the all-time series (2–2), building on the 59–3 victory in 2013. A blocked punt in the third quarter that resulted in a safety proved to be the turning point in cementing Iowa's upper hand. After trailing 10–7 in the second quarter, the Hawks scored the final 34 points of the game.[ 49] [ 50]
Statistics WMU IOWA
First downs 8 19
Total yards 239 387
Rushing yards 117 254
Passing yards 122 133
Turnovers 1 2
Time of possession 26:07 33:53
Team Category Player Statistics
Western Michigan Passing Treyson Bourguet 5/16, 124 yards, TD
Rushing Treyson Bourguet 8 carries, 32 yards
Receiving Kenneth Womack 2 receptions, 11 yards
Iowa Passing Cade McNamara 9/19, 103 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing Leshon Williams 12 carries, 145 yards
Receiving Steven Stilianos 2 receptions, 29 yards
at No. 7 Penn State
No. 24 Iowa at No. 7 Penn State
Team
1
2 3 4 Total
No. 24 Hawkeyes
0
0 0 0
0
• No. 7 Nittany Lions 3
7 14 7
31
Scoring summary 1 1:35 PSU Alex Felkins 46-yard field goal PSU 3–0 2 9:17 PSU Khalil Dinkins 9-yard pass from Drew Allar (A. Felkins kick)PSU 10–0 3 8:20 PSU Tyler Warren 2-yard pass from Drew Allar (Alex Felkins kick) PSU 17–0 1:01 PSU Tyler Warren 7-yard pass from Drew Allar (Alex Felkins kick) PSU 24–0 4 12:19 PSU KeAndre Lambert-Smith 3-yard pass from Drew Allar (Alex Felkins kick)PSU 31–0
In a game played under the lights in Happy Valley between two unbeaten top 25 teams, Iowa was humbled by the Nittany Lions. The Hawkeyes, wearing alternate uniforms, were dominated in every phase of the game.[ 51] [ 52]
Statistics IOWA PSU
First downs 4 28
Total yards 76 397
Rushing yards 20 215
Passing yards 56 182
Turnovers 4 0
Time of possession 14:33 45:27
Michigan State
Michigan State at Iowa
Team
1
2 3 4 Total
Spartans
3
6 7 0
16
• Hawkeyes 3
7 3 13
26
Scoring summary 1 11:25 Iowa Drew Stevens 40-yard field goal Iowa 3–0 3:48 MSU Jonathan Kim 31-yard field goal Tied 3–3 2 11:04 MSU Jonathan Kim 32-yard field goal MSU 6–3 3:48 Iowa Erick All 13-yard pass from Deacon Hill (Drew Stevens kick) Iowa 10–6 0:00 MSU Jonathan Kim 58-yard field goal Iowa 10–9 3 13:08 MSU Cal Haladay 42-yard fumble return (Jonathan Kim kick) MSU 16–10 7:38 Iowa Drew Stevens 53-yard field goal MSU 16–13 4 5:19 Iowa Drew Stevens 36-yard field goal Tied 16–16 3:45 Iowa Cooper DeJean 70-yard punt return (Drew Stevens kick) Iowa 23–16 0:59 Iowa Drew Stevens 34-yard field goal Iowa 26–16
Iowa recorded back-to-back victories in series for first time since 2009–2010. The Spartans were looking to avenge a humbling loss from their last visit – 49–7 in 2020 – during a week where there head coach Mel Tucker was fired. With Cade McNamara suffering a season-ending knee injury in the first quarter the offense continued to struggle. Cooper DeJean returned a punt 70 yards to give Iowa the lead for good with under four minutes left. This game marked Kirk Ferentz 's 200th Big Ten Conference regular season game as Iowa's head coach (116–84).[ 53] [ 54] [ 55]
Statistics MSU IOWA
First downs 20 15
Total yards 349 222
Rushing yards 156 61
Passing yards 193 161
Turnovers 3 2
Time of possession 33:48 26:12
Team Category Player Statistics
Michigan State Passing Noah Kim 25/44, 193 yards, 3 INT
Rushing Nate Carter 20 carries, 108 yards
Receiving Montorie Foster Jr. 8 receptions, 79 yards
Iowa Passing Deacon Hill 11/27, 115 yards, TD, INT
Rushing Leshon Williams 12 carries, 38 yards
Receiving Erick All 4 receptions, 67 yards, TD
Purdue
Purdue at Iowa Homecoming
Team
1
2 3 4 Total
Boilermakers
0
7 0 7
14
• Hawkeyes 7
3 3 7
20
Scoring summary 1 10:15 Iowa Kaleb Johnson 67-yard run (Drew Stevens kick) Iowa 7–0 2 14:57 Iowa Drew Stevens 27-yard field goal Iowa 10–0 0:32 Purdue TJ Sheffield 43-yard pass from Hudson Card (Julio Macias kick) Iowa 10–7 3 7:58 Iowa Drew Stevens 23-yard field goal Iowa 13–7 4 14:24 Iowa Erick All 22-yard pass from Deacon Hill (Drew Stevens kick) Iowa 20–7 2:54 Purdue Devin Mockobee 2-yard run (Julio Macias kick) Iowa 20–14
Purdue had won two of the last three at Kinnick Stadium , the latter of which spoiled the Hawkeyes' homecoming, unbeaten record, and No. 2 AP ranking. They had a chance to win again but were held on a fourth down. This was the first start for QB Deacon Hill in the 1,300th game in Iowa program history. He struggled in the first half but settled down in the second.[ 56] [ 57] [ 58]
Statistics PUR IOWA
First downs 21 13
Total yards 343 291
Rushing yards 96 181
Passing yards 247 110
Turnovers 2 1
Time of possession 35:28 24:32
Team Category Player Statistics
Purdue Passing Hudson Card 25/40, 247 yards, TD, 2 INT
Rushing Devin Mockobee 20 carries, 89 yards, TD
Receiving TJ Sheffield 6 receptions, 93 yards, TD
Iowa Passing Deacon Hill 6/21, 110 yards, TD, INT
Rushing Kaleb Johnson 17 carries, 134 yards, TD
Receiving Erick All 5 receptions, 97 yards, TD
at Wisconsin
Team
1
2 3 4 Total
• Hawkeyes 0
7 0 8
15
Badgers
0
0 6 0
6
Scoring summary 2 11:49 Iowa Leshon Williams 82-yard run (Drew Stevens kick) Iowa 7–0 3 9:55 Wisc Nathanial Vakos 36-yard field goal Iowa 7–3 3:58 Wisc Nathanial Vakos 52-yard field goal Iowa 7–6 4 13:08 Iowa Drew Stevens 48-yard field goal Iowa 10–6 12:15 Iowa Team Safety Iowa 12–6 1:55 Iowa Drew Stevens 40-yard field goal Iowa 15–6
Iowa won at Wisconsin for the first time since 2015 and recorded back-to-back wins in rivalry series for the first time since 2008–2009. This was a defensive struggle with both teams trading punt after punt. The Hawkeyes never trailed in the game and grabbed a hold of the Big Ten West lead.[ 59] [ 60] [ 61]
Statistics IOWA WIS
First downs 9 18
Total yards 237 332
Rushing yards 200 104
Passing yards 37 228
Turnovers 0 2
Time of possession 30:33 29:27
Team Category Player Statistics
Iowa Passing Deacon Hill 6/14, 37 yards
Rushing Leshon Williams 25 carries, 174 yards, TD
Receiving Erick All 2 receptions, 19 yards
Wisconsin Passing Braedyn Locke 15/30, 122 yards, INT
Rushing Braelon Allen 18 carries, 87 yards
Receiving Bryson Green 5 receptions, 86 yards
Minnesota
Team
1
2 3 4 Total
• Golden Gophers 3
0 6 3
12
No. 24 Hawkeyes
3
7 0 0
10
Date: October 21Location: Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA Game start: 2:33 pm CDT Elapsed time: 3:38Game attendance: 69,250Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C), Sunny, Wind NW 22 mph (35 km/h)Referee: Tim O'DeyTV announcers (NBC): Paul Burmeister (play-by-play), Anthony Herron (analyst), Zora Stephenson (sideline)
Scoring summary 1 10:35 Iowa Drew Stevens 23-yard field goal Iowa 3–0 0:17 Minn Dragan Kesich 43-yard field goalTied 3–3 2 0:49 Iowa Deacon Hill 1-yard run (Drew Stevens kick)Iowa 10–3 3 8:59 Minn Dragan Kesich 44-yard field goal Iowa 10–6 2:25 Minn Dragan Kesich 28-yard field goal Iowa 10–9 4 8:33 Minn Dragan Kesich 31-yard field goal Minn 12–10
The Hawkeyes, ranked in the top 25 again after a 3-week absence, had won eight straight and 9 of 10 in the series entering the game. Minnesota won at Kinnick Stadium for the first time since 1999. A controversial penalty upset Iowa fans at the end of the game, negating a potential game-winning touchdown by Cooper DeJean .[ 62] [ 63]
Statistics MIN IOWA
First downs 12 9
Total yards 239 127
Rushing yards 113 11
Passing yards 126 116
Turnovers 0 3
Time of possession 35:25 24:35
Team Category Player Statistics
Minnesota Passing Athan Kaliakmanis 10/25, 126 yards
Rushing Darius Taylor 16 carries, 59 yards
Receiving Daniel Jackson 7 receptions, 101 yards
Iowa Passing Deacon Hill 10/28, 116 yards, INT
Rushing Kaleb Johnson 6 carries, 18 yards
Receiving Nico Ragaini 4 receptions, 28 yards
at Northwestern
Iowa at Northwestern
Team
1
2 3 4 Total
• Hawkeyes 0
0 7 3
10
Wildcats
0
0 0 7
7
Scoring summary 3 9:04 Iowa Addison Ostrenga 2-yard pass from Deacon Hill (Drew Stevens kick) Iowa 7–0 4 1:50 NW Cam Johnson 5-yard pass from Brendan Sullivan (J. Olsen kick) Tied 7–7 0:14 Iowa Drew Stevens 52-yard field goal Iowa 10–7
Iowa has won four of five in this series. The game at Wrigley Field was the first time the Hawkeyes have played on a baseball field since the 2017 Pinstripe Bowl . The game was yet another defensive struggle with neither team even scoring in the first half. Hawkeye kicker Drew Stevens nailed a 52-yard field goal with seconds left to defeat the Wildcats.[ 64] [ 65] [ 66] [ 67]
Statistics IOWA NW
First downs 14 12
Total yards 169 170
Rushing yards 104 89
Passing yards 65 81
Turnovers 1 0
Time of possession 30:18 29:42
Team Category Player Statistics
Iowa Passing Deacon Hill 10/15, 65 yards, TD, INT
Rushing Leshon Williams 24 carries, 79 yards
Receiving Addison Ostrenga 3 receptions, 15 yards, TD
Northwestern Passing Brendan Sullivan 12/19, 81 yards, TD
Rushing Anthony Tyus III 10 carries, 40 yards
Receiving A. J. Henning 4 receptions, 13 yards
Rutgers
Rutgers at No. 22 Iowa
Team
1
2 3 4 Total
Scarlet Knights
0
0 0 0
0
• No. 22 Hawkeyes 0
3 3 16
22
Scoring summary 2 2:50 Iowa Drew Stevens 32-yard field goal Iowa 3–0 3 4:18 Iowa Drew Stevens 43-yard field goal Iowa 6–0 4 13:38 Iowa Jaz Patterson 4-yard run (pass failed) Iowa 12–0 5:43 Iowa Drew Stevens 24-yard field goal Iowa 15–0 4:39 Iowa Kaleb Brown 10-yard pass from Deacon Hill (Drew Stevens kick) Iowa 22–0
Kirk Ferentz has yet to lose to Rutgers, and this victory tied him with Bo Schembechler in career wins (194) as a Big Ten coach. After struggling to score in the first half, the Hawkeyes found their rhythm in the second. Iowa is now 4–0 against the Scarlet Knights all-time, shutting them out for a second time.[ 68] [ 69]
Statistics RUT IOWA
First downs 7 21
Total yards 127 402
Rushing yards 34 179
Passing yards 93 223
Turnovers 1 1
Time of possession 21:38 38:22
Team Category Player Statistics
Rutgers Passing Gavin Wimsatt 7/18, 93 yards, INT
Rushing Kyle Monangai 13 carries, 39 yards
Receiving Ian Strong 3 receptions, 47 yards
Iowa Passing Deacon Hill 20/31, 223 yards, TD, INT
Rushing Leshon Williams 13 carries, 63 yards
Receiving Addison Ostrenga 8 receptions, 47 yards
Illinois
Illinois at No. 16 Iowa
Team
1
2 3 4 Total
Fighting Illini
3
7 0 3
13
• No. 16 Hawkeyes 2
7 0 6
15
Scoring summary 1 11:24 Iowa Safety, John Paddock sacked in end zone by Joe Evans Iowa 2–0 3:19 ILL Caleb Griffin 52-yard field goal Illinois 3–2 2 10:20 Iowa Addison Ostrenga 4-yard pass from Deacon Hill (Drew Stevens kick) Iowa 9–3 6:53 ILL Reggie Love III 1-yard run (Caleb Griffin kick) Illinois 10–9 4 14:56 ILL Caleb Griffin 29-yard field goal Illinois 13–9 4:43 Iowa Kaleb Johnson 30-yard run (Drew Stevens kick blocked) Iowa 15–13
Illinois broke a long losing streak in the series in previous year, but has not won at Kinnick Stadium since 1999. A victory on Senior Day gave the Hawkeyes the Big Ten West outright, and Kirk Ferentz moved all alone into third place in career wins as a Big Ten head coach.[ 70] [ 71] [ 72]
Statistics ILL IOWA
First downs 18 18
Total yards 280 281
Rushing yards 65 114
Passing yards 215 167
Turnovers 0 0
Time of possession 26:02 33:58
Team Category Player Statistics
Illinois Passing John Paddock 22/47, 215 yards
Rushing Reggie Love III 18 carries, 64 yards, TD
Receiving Isaiah Williams 8 receptions, 105 yards
Iowa Passing Deacon Hill 19/29, 167 yards, TD
Rushing Leshon Williams 16 carries, 54 yards
Receiving Kaleb Brown 7 receptions, 71 yards
at Nebraska
Team
1
2 3 4 Total
• No. 17 Hawkeyes 0
10 0 3
13
Cornhuskers
0
7 3 0
10
Scoring summary 2 13:22 Iowa Deacon Hill 1-yard run (Drew Stevens kick) Iowa 7–0 5:12 Iowa Drew Stevens 28-yard field goal Iowa 10–0 3:43 Neb Jaylen Lloyd 66-yard pass from Chubba Purdy (Tristan Alvano kick) Iowa 10–7 3 6:18 Neb Tristan Alvano 44-yard field goal Tied 10–10 4 0:00 Iowa Marshall Meeder 38-yard field goal Iowa 13–10
In this rivalry matchup, No. 17 Iowa racked up its 10th win of the season, its sixth straight win in Lincoln, and kept Nebraska from reaching bowl eligibility for the first time since 2016 as they recaptured the Heroes Trophy. After having two field goals blocked earlier in the game, Iowa kicked a game-winner as time expired to escape with the victory.[ 73] [ 74] [ 75]
Statistics IOWA NEB
First downs 14 10
Total yards 257 264
Rushing yards 163 75
Passing yards 94 189
Turnovers 1 3
Time of possession 31:45 28:15
Team Category Player Statistics
Iowa Passing Deacon Hill 11/28, 94 yards, INT
Rushing Leshon Williams 16 carries, 111 yards
Receiving Kaleb Brown 3 receptions, 21 yards
Nebraska Passing Chubba Purdy 15/28, 189 yards, TD, INT
Rushing Chubba Purdy 12 carries, 42 yards
Receiving Billy Kemp 4 receptions, 21 yards
Team
1
2 3 4 Total
• No. 2 Wolverines 10
0 10 6
26
No. 16 Hawkeyes
0
0 0 0
0
Scoring summary 1 6:01 MICH James Turner 35-yard field goalMICH 3–0 1:07 MICH Blake Corum 2-yard run (James Turner kick)MICH 10–0 3 9:09 MICH Blake Corum 6-yard run (James Turner kick) MICH 17–0 0:22 MICH James Turner 46-yard field goal MICH 20–0 4 9:14 MICH James Turner 36-yard field goal MICH 23–0 3:38 MICH James Turner 50-yard field goal MICH 26–0
Fox's Big Noon Kickoff was on hand for this top 20 match-up. Iowa was attempting to defeat Michigan for the first time since 2016 and earn the program's first outright Big Ten title since 1985, but it wasn't to be. Two years after being humbled by the Wolverines in the Big The Championship Game, the Hawkeyes were unable to pose a scoring threat in this one and were blanked 26–0.[ 76] [ 77]
Statistics MICH IOWA
First downs 13 7
Total yards 213 155
Rushing yards 66 35
Passing yards 147 120
Turnovers 0 3
Time of possession 36:32 23:28
Team Category Player Statistics
Michigan Passing J. J. McCarthy 22/30, 147 yards
Rushing Blake Corum 16 carries, 52 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Cornelius Johnson 9 receptions, 64 yards
Iowa Passing Deacon Hill 18/32, 120 yards
Rushing Leshon Williams 9 carries, 25 yards
Receiving Addison Ostrenga 7 receptions, 50 yards
Team
1
2 3 4 Total
No. 17 Hawkeyes
0
0 0 0
0
• No. 21 Volunteers 0
14 7 14
35
Scoring summary 2 14:54 Tenn Nico Iamaleava 19-yard run (Charles Campbell kick)Tennessee 7–0 8:12 Tenn Nico Iamaleava 3-yard run (Charles Campbell kick) Tennessee 14–0 3 1:43 Tenn Nico Iamaleava 2-yard run (Charles Campbell kick) Tennessee 21–0 4 14:15 Tenn James Pearce Jr. 52-yard interception return (Charles Campbell kick)Tennessee 28–0 4:48 Tenn McCallan Castles 18-yard pass from Nico Iamaleava (Charles Campbell kick)Tennessee 35–0
Iowa made its second Citrus Bowl appearance in three years and third overall. The Hawkeyes, looking to redeem themselves in three phases - being shut out in previous game, a narrow loss in last Citrus Bowl appearance, and being blown out by Tennessee in a bowl game nine years prior, were dominated from start to finish in Brian Ferentz 's last game as offensive coordinator.[ 78] [ 79] [ 80] [ 81]
Statistics IOWA TENN
First downs 11 25
Total yards 173 383
Rushing yards 113 232
Passing yards 60 151
Turnovers 3 0
Time of possession 29:48 30:12
Team Category Player Statistics
Iowa Passing Deacon Hill 7/18, 56 yards, 2 INT
Rushing Marco Lainez 6 carries, 51 yards
Receiving Kaleb Brown 3 receptions, 39 yards
Tennessee Passing Nico Iamaleava 12/19, 151 yards, TD
Rushing Dylan Sampson 20 carries, 133 yards
Receiving Ramel Keyton 3 receptions, 51 yards
Players drafted into the NFL
References
↑ "MSU hit with 3-yr probation; 14 wins from 3 seasons vacated" . ESPN.com . November 12, 2025.↑ Forde, Pat (December 1, 2023). "Iowa Is a Deliciously Awful Football Miracle" . Sports Illustrated . Retrieved January 22, 2024 . ↑ Dochterman, Scott (October 23, 2023). "Dochterman: Winning ugly is the enemy of progress for Iowa football" . The Athletic . Retrieved January 22, 2024 . ↑ Pensabene, Vincent (November 24, 2023). "Top five lowest over/under point totals in college football history" . www.sportskeeda.com . Retrieved January 22, 2024 . ↑ Rasmussen, Karl (November 24, 2023). "Iowa-Nebraska Features Lowest Over/Under Betting Total in College Football History" . Sports Illustrated . Retrieved January 22, 2024 . ↑ "Ferentz's son won't return as Iowa's OC in 2024" . ESPN.com . October 30, 2023.↑ Trotter, Jake (April 14, 2026). "Iowa to vacate four wins from 2023 in McNamara tampering case" . ESPN.com . Retrieved April 14, 2026 . ↑ Nathan Baird, cleveland com (July 25, 2023). "Michigan clear favorite over Ohio State in 13th annual cleveland.com Preseason Big Ten Football Poll" . cleveland . Retrieved August 11, 2023 . ↑ "Iowa lands ex-Michigan QB McNamara as transfer" . ESPN.com . December 2, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2022 .↑ "Former Michigan TE Erick All Jr. commits to Iowa" . www.thegazette.com . Retrieved December 19, 2022 .↑ "Iowa adds wide receiver Seth Anderson from transfer portal" . www.thegazette.com . Retrieved January 1, 2023 .↑ "Former Wisconsin quarterback Deacon Hill commits to Iowa" . Hawk Central . Retrieved January 8, 2023 .↑ "Iowa football flips transfer portal offensive lineman Daijon Parker from Virginia" . Hawk Central . Retrieved January 8, 2023 .↑ "Iowa football gets Virginia LB Nick Jackson from the transfer portal. Here's the impact" . Hawk Central . Retrieved July 19, 2023 .↑ Dochterman, Scott. "Former Ohio State WR Kaleb Brown commits to Iowa" . The Athletic . Retrieved July 19, 2023 . ↑ "Feth embraces 'great opportunity' on Iowa's offensive line" . www.thegazette.com . Retrieved July 19, 2023 .↑ Howe, Rob. "Alex Padilla Enters Transfer Portal" . Sports Illustrated . Retrieved December 19, 2022 . ↑ Clough, Eliot. "Former Hawkeye Turns Panther via Transfer Portal" . KCRR 97.7 . Retrieved January 8, 2023 . ↑ "Kansas State football picks up wide Iowa receiver Keagan Johnson from transfer portal" . The Topeka Capital-Journal . Retrieved December 19, 2022 .↑ "Iowa wide receiver Arland Bruce IV announces decision to enter NCAA transfer portal" . The Des Moines Register . Retrieved December 19, 2022 .↑ "Iowa running back Gavin Williams announces decision to enter NCAA transfer portal" . The Des Moines Register . Retrieved December 19, 2022 .↑ Werner, Chris. "Former Iowa football running back Gavin Williams announces transfer to Northern Illinois" . The Daily Iowan . 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