How Iowa football’s resiliency fueled unexpected surge in Big Ten West

Following an exciting regular-season finale last week, the Big 10 stands ready to crown either Michigan or Iowa as its 2023 conference champion. The No. 2 ranked Wolverines enter following an impressive 30-24 victory over Ohio State, while the No. 16 ranked Hawkeyes look to play spoiler following a 13-10 win over Nebraska. If you're interested in…

Iowa reached the 10-win mark for 2023 after sneaking past Nebraska Friday for a 13-10 victory. The Hawkeyes have reached double digit wins and already earned a Big Ten Championship Game berth despite a slew of anemic offensive outputs. Combine Iowa's lack of offensive production with a slate of Big Ten West opponents that aren't exactly known for…

CHICAGO - As Iowa football fought to hold onto its fourth-quarter lead against Northwestern, a massive divot formed at about the Iowa 2-yard line. It was far greater in size than what any golf club could create. Perhaps, sinkhole would be a better description. Wrigley Field groundskeepers hurriedly patched the hole with dirt during a stoppage in…

2023 Big Ten Betting Preview Series: Iowa Hawkeyes Eric Froton is previewing every Big Ten squad by looking back at their 2022 season, breaking down any changes in 2023, analyzing their rosters and handicapping their win total for the season. In this installment, we breakdown the Iowa Hawkeyes. Iowa 2023 Season Preview HC - Kirk Ferentz (25th…

LINCOLN - If Jeff Sims' flings in the spring game didn't convince you he's ready to become a top-shelf Big Ten quarterback, take note that Iowa's new guy, Cade McNamara, didn't even participate in 11-on-11 drills as he fully rehabbed a knee injury. "He's clearly our starter right now," Kirk Ferentz said April 22 of the Michigan transfer. "It's not…

Iowa Hawkeyes punters Tory Taylor (9) and Ryan Gersonde (2) carry the Heroes Trophy after winning against Nebraska at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb., on Friday, Nov. 26, 2021. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette) Iowa has faced Big Ten teams with a mix of offensive styles. Purdue wins when it throws the ball well. Ohio State relies on its Heisman…

MINNEAPOLIS - Kirk Ferentz will be the first person to say he does not "know anything about gambling" and is "not advocating" for it. But the 24th-year Iowa head coach gave a little retrospective gambling wisdom after his team won its fourth straight Big Ten game following a three-game losing streak. "I'd guess if you put 10 bucks on us four weeks…

LINCOLN - The Big Ten's current TV contract has paid out roughly $50 million per school in recent non-COVID years. The new contract, which starts next year, could eventually pay out $100 million. Could some of that money be used to buy some damn offense in this league? Some coordinators? Some better playbooks? A few how-to guides on how to recruit…

The Floyd of Rosedale trophy is seen behind the goal post in the final moments of the fourth quarter of the 2019 game between Iowa and Minnesota in Iowa City. (The Gazette) The high temperature for Minneapolis on Saturday is supposed to be 17 degrees. The winning team's point total in the Iowa-Minnesota game might not be much higher. The over/under…

college football odds series for our Iowa Purdue prediction and pick. The Iowa Hawkeyes have had a brutal year, and it didn't have to be this way. Kirk Ferentz and Brian Ferentz knew that Spencer Petras was not a very good college quarterback, but they didn't make moves in the transfer portal to address that one glaring deficiency on the 2022 Iowa…

The Iowa Hawkeyes take on the Ohio State Buckeyes. Check out our college football odds series for our Iowa Ohio State prediction and pick. The Iowa Hawkeyes are the classic "half a loaf" team. They are tremendously strong on one side of the ball, and profoundly impotent and incompetent on the other side of the ball. There are plenty of other teams…

Illinois's Chase Brown (2) runs against Indiana's Tiawan Mullen (3) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, in Bloomington, Ind. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings) The last time Iowa went to Illinois in a football season unaffected by COVID-19, the Hawkeyes walked away with a 63-0 blowout win. This time, Iowa will be…

Can Iowa close a 39-point gap with Michigan from last December? That is the question Saturday's Big Ten championship game rematch at Kinnick Stadium boils down to. The Wolverines pounded the Hawkeyes 42-3 to clinch a spot in the College Football Playoff. Yes, teams change from year to year. But in the case of these 2 rosters, there's a surprising…

Nevada will travel to the Midwest to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes. WEEK 3: Nevada Wolf Pack (2-1) vs. Iowa Hawkeyes (1-1) WHEN: Saturday, September 17th - 4:30 PM PT/5:30 PM MT TV: Big Ten Network STREAMING: The Big Ten Network is on Fubo TV and here is the link where you can start a free trial. RADIO: Nevada is on ESPN 94.5 in Reno and Iowa is on…

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Iowa's defense came up with two second-half safeties, and the Hawkeyes opened the season with a 7-3 win over South Dakota State on Saturday. Neither team could do much offensively. Iowa finished with 166 yards of offense, while South Dakota State had 120. The two teams combined for more punts (21) than first downs…

Ranking 13th out of 14 teams in the Big Ten in total offense didn't stop the Iowa Hawkeyes from reaching the conference title game. However, the 42-3 loss to Michigan showed how much of a gap there was in the Hawkeyes' quest to win the conference championship. Quarterback Spencer Petras and tight end Sam LaPorta are among the top returnees on…

IOWA CITY - Every position group on Iowa's football team has talking points and/or goals for the upcoming game. The defensive line unit had three leading up to the Wisconsin game, and sophomore Deontae Craig shared the last one with reporters after the game: "Slumpbuster." Iowa had been in a near decade-long slump against its opponent on Saturday.…

Tough questions for Kirk Ferentz about QB decision of Petras over PadillaIowa head coach Kirk Ferentz understandably has QB questions after a 1-1 start and owning college football's worst offense. IOWA CITY - Even if the Iowa football team could gain 616 yards against visiting Nevada on Saturday night, it wouldn't be enough to definitively say the…

For 25 years as Iowa's head coach, Kirk Ferentz has been a master at finding motivation for his team in almost any situation. Get blown out on the road and come home to face a No. 2-ranked team? Hello, 14-13 upset of 2016 Michigan. Get off to an 0-2 start with program turmoil and about to face a team that just beat Michigan? Hello, 49-7 onslaught…

Iowa football is used to being disrespected. Just take last week's 13-10 win at Nebraska, after which junior offensive lineman Mason Richman went over to the Cornhuskers' student section and gave them some choice words. Paraphrased: "Have a nice Christmas break." Standing between Richman and the fans was a security guard, who was tasked with the…

IOWA CITY, Iowa - America loves an underdog, except when it comes to the Iowa Hawkeyes. Whether it was Colin Cowherd's weekly "Fake I.D." diss track in 2015 or the overwhelming blasts today, Iowa tends to receive the brunt of criticism that evades many programs. Cinderella stories turn the NCAA Tournament into March Madness. If Iowa were a fairy…

IOWA CITY - They couldn't find a ball. After all of this - a sports wagering investigation, devastating injury after devastating injury, an offensive coordinator told he won't be coming back next season, a comeback win on Senior Day to clinch the Big Ten West title - the Hawkeyes couldn't find a game ball to give head coach Kirk Ferentz. "First of…

Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz's first media press conference of 2023 covered a variety of topics. including Wednesday's National Signing Day additions and the Hawkeyes' activity in the NCAA transfer portal since early December. But one subject dominated the session: Ferentz's evaluation of Iowa's offense in 2022 and what, if any, changes were…