Game Preview: Michigan State

hawkeyesports.com

25 September 2023

First and 10

By the Numbers

18

LB Jay Higgins had 18 tackles at Penn State, the most by a Hawkeye since Jack Campbell in 2021.

17.0

Iowa's defense ranks 26th nationally, giving up 17 points per game.

6

Six true freshmen have seen the field during the first four weeks of the 2023 season.

400

Nick Jackson, a transfer from Virginia, made his 400th career tackle in Happy Valley. He ranks seventh in the Big Ten in tackles (9.0 per game).

14-7

Iowa has won eight of its last 11 night games in Kinnick since 2015. The program is 14-7 in home night games all-time.

52.3

Senior punter Tory Taylor had a career-best 52.3 average on seven punts at Penn State.

KINNICK UNDER THE LIGHTS

For a second straight year, the Hawkeyes will host a night game inside Kinnick Stadium. It will be the 22nd home night game in program history, dating back to 1992. Iowa has won eight of its last 11 night games in Kinnick since 2015. The program is 14-7 in home night games all-time.

Spartans vs. Hawkeyes

SERIES HISTORY

Saturday’s game is the 49th game in the all-time series that began with a 21-7 Michigan State win in 1953. That first meeting, played in Iowa City on Sept. 26, 1953, marked MSU’s first game as a member of the Big Ten Conference.
Iowa leads the all-time series 24-22-2, including a 49-7 win in the most recent meeting in 2020. That was the most lopsided Hawkeye win in the series.
Michigan State has won three of the last four and four of the last six meetings in the series. Iowa is 14-10-1 at home against the Spartans.
Kirk Ferentz recorded his first Big Ten win as Iowa’s head coach when the Hawkeyes topped Michigan State (21-16) in Iowa City in 2000. The teams have played two overtime contests with Iowa winning both in double overtime (34-27 in 2007 and 19-16 in 2012).

SERIES RESULTS

9/26/1953 – L, 7-21 (#2) (H)
9/25/1954 – W, 14-10 (#7) (H)
10/10/1959 – W, 37-8 (H)
10/8/1960 – W, 27-15 (#13) (A)
11/6/1965 – L, 0-35 (#1) (H)
11/5/1966 – L, 7-56 (#2) (A)
10/25/1969 – W, 19-18 (H)
10/24/1970 – L, 0-37 (A)
10/23/1971 – L, 3-34 (A)
10/28/1972 – T, 6-6 (H)
11/24/1973 – L, 6-15 (H)
11/23/1974 – L, 21-60 (#14) (A)
11/22/1975 – L, 23-27 (H)
11/20/1976 – W, 30-17 (A)
11/19/1977 – L, 16-22 (H)
11/25/1978 – L, 7-42 (#14) (A)
11/17/1979 – W, 33-23 (H)
11/22/1980 – W, 41-0 (A)
11/21/1981 – W, 36-7 (H)
11/20/1982 – W, 24-18 (A)
11/12/1983 – W, 12-6 (A)
11/10/1984 – L, 16-17 (H)
10/5/1985 – W, 35-31 (H)
10/4/1986 – W, 24-21 (#17) (A)
10/3/1987 – L, 14-19 (H)
10/1/1988 – T, 10-10 (A)
10/7/1989 – L, 14-17 (#24) (H)
10/6/1990 – W, 12-7 (#18) (A)
10/23/1993 – L, 10-24 (#24) (A)
10/22/1994 – W, 19-14 (H)
10/7/1995 – W, 21-7 (A)
10/5/1996 – W, 37-30 (H)
10/2/1999 – L, 3-49 (#14) (A)
10/7/2000 – W, 21-16 (H)
10/13/2001 – L, 28-31 (A)
10/12/2002 – W, 44-16 (H)
9/27/2003 – L, 10-20 (A)
10/2/2004 – W, 38-16 (H)
10/27/2007 – W, 34-27 (2 OT) (H)
10/4/2008 – L, 13-16 (A)
10/24/2009 – W, 15-13 (A)
10/30/2010 – W, 37-6 (#5) (H)
11/12/2011 – L, 21-37 (#13) (H)
10/13/2012 – W, 19-16 (2 OT) (A)
10/5/2013 – L , 14-26 (H)
12/5/2015 – L, 13-16 (#5) (N)
9/30/2017 – L, 10-17 (A)
11/7/2020 – W, 49-7 (H)

The Hawkeyes blocked a kick/punt in consecutive games, giving the Iowa special teams’ unit five blocks since the start of the 2022 season. Iowa has blocked at least one block in each of the last three seasons. (The unit had a field goal block wiped off the board at Penn State due to a leaping penalty.)
Senior DL Logan Lee blocked Iowa State’s Chase Contreraz’s field goal on the Cyclones’ opening possession of the game in Iowa’s 20-13 road win in Ames. It was Lee’s second career blocked kick. He also blocked a field goal attempt versus Minnesota in 2021.
Sophomore DL Anterio Thompson blocked a WMU punt in the third quarter — his first career punt block — that resulted in a safety. The block came in Thompson’s first career game as a Hawkeye. It was Iowa’s first safety since recording two against South Dakota State in the 2022 season opener.
Iowa leads the Big Ten and is tied for first nationally with two blocks. The Hawkeyes are third nationally in blocked punts (1).