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2008 Iowa Hawkeyes football
Outback Bowl champion
Conference Big Ten Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 20
APNo. 20
Record9–4 (5–3 Big Ten)
Head coach
Offensive coordinator Ken O'Keefe (10th season)
Offensive scheme Pro-style
Defensive coordinator Norm Parker (10th season)
Base defense 4–3
Home stadium Kinnick Stadium
(Capacity: 70,585) [2]
Uniform
Seasons
←  2007
2009 →
2008 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 8 Penn State $+   7 1     11 2  
No. 9 Ohio State %+   7 1     10 3  
No. 24 Michigan State   6 2     9 4  
Northwestern   5 3     9 4  
No. 20 Iowa   5 3     9 4  
Wisconsin   3 5     7 6  
Minnesota   3 5     7 6  
Illinois   3 5     5 7  
Purdue   2 6     4 8  
Michigan   2 6     3 9  
Indiana   1 7     3 9  
  • $ – BCS representative as conference champion
  • % – BCS at-large representative
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2008 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa and the Iowa Hawkeyes football program in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Coached by Kirk Ferentz, the Hawkeyes played their seven home games in Kinnick Stadium.

Leading up to the season

Previous season

Iowa's defense lines up against the Syracuse Orange on September 8, 2007.

Iowa opened the 2007 season on September 1, 2007, against Northern Illinois in a game played at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. [3] Hawkeye running backs Albert Young and Damian Sims ran for 144 and 110 yards rushing respectively, while Iowa's defense held the Huskies to just 21 yards rushing. The Hawkeyes won, 16–3, and ended the four-game losing streak that comprised the final four games of Iowa's 2006 season. [4] The next week, Iowa defeated Syracuse in the Hawkeyes' home opener, 35–0. [3] Jake Christensen threw for 278 yards and four touchdowns as the Hawkeye defense held the Orange to just five first downs and 103 yards of total offense in Syracuse's worst defeat since a 51–14 loss to Georgia Tech in the 2004 Champs Sports Bowl. [5] Iowa took a quick 28–0 lead with 9:55 left in the second quarter, and the Hawkeye defense sacked Syracuse six times while holding the Orange to 24 rushing yards. [6] Following the first two games – which saw the Iowa defense give up only three points – the Hawkeyes traveled to Ames, Iowa, to play 0–2 Iowa State on September 15. [3] The Cyclones began the season with losses to Kent State and Northern Iowa, but had won six out of the last nine games against the Hawkeyes, including three of the last four played at Jack Trice Stadium. Iowa fell behind by 12 at half-time, and lost, 15–13, starting yet another four-game losing streak. [3] Placekicker Bret Culbertson scored all of Iowa State's points on five field goals, the last coming with one second remaining. [7]

Iowa takes the field on October 6, 2007, against Penn State.

Following a 20-point loss at Penn State on October 6, [8] which was preceded by losses to Wisconsin and Indiana, [3] the Hawkeyes returned to Kinnick Stadium for a game against Illinois, who was coming into the game after home victories over Penn State and Wisconsin. [9] Christensen threw for 182 yards and the game's only touchdown – a 20-yard pass to Brandon Myers in the third quarter which gave the Hawkeyes a 10–6 lead. However, it appeared that Illinois had taken a 12–10 lead on an 83-yard Eddie McGee touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter, but it was called back due to a penalty. The Illini were forced to punt, but got the ball back with 2:28 remaining. McGee threw passes of 28 and 24 yards to Arrelious Benn, putting the Illini at the Iowa 12-yard line. However, Brett Greenwood intercepted a McGee pass at the goal-line, sealing the win and snapping an eight-game Big Ten losing streak for Iowa heading into a road game at Purdue. [10] [11] But Iowa lost to the Boilermakers a week later, 31–6, to put the Hawkeyes' record at 3–5 with only four games remaining. Curtis Painter threw for 315 yards and three touchdowns for Purdue, who had lost to the Hawkeyes, 47–17, only a year earlier. [12] In Iowa's next game against Michigan State, the Hawkeyes entered half-time down by 14 points only to take a 20–17 lead with 10:05 remaining in regulation. The game was destined for overtime when Michigan State's Brett Swenson hit a field goal with four seconds remaining, and the Spartans quickly garnered a seven-point lead following a Jehuu Caulcrick touchdown in the first overtime. Down by a touchdown, Christensen found wide receiver Paul Chaney for a 23-yard touchdown pass and following the extra point, the game headed to double overtime. Iowa had the ball first and scored on a Jevon Pugh one-yard run, giving the Hawkeyes their own seven-point lead. However, the Spartans were unable to score and Iowa won, 34–27. The win was Iowa's first overtime victory in Kinnick Stadium history. [13] [14]

Iowa's offense sets up against Western Michigan's defense on November 17, 2007.

On November 3, Iowa defeated Northwestern, 28–17, after trailing, 14–0, in the first quarter. The Wildcats took a 17–14 on a third-quarter field goal after the Hawkeyes tied the game at 14, but Sims ran for two fourth-quarter touchdowns to seal the Iowa victory. Christensen threw for 299 yards for Iowa, who came back from a 14-point deficit in the second straight game. [15] Later, on November 10, Iowa defeated Minnesota, 21–16, to reclaim the Floyd of Rosedale trophy. With one home game remaining against Western Michigan, Iowa held a three-game winning streak and a 6–5 overall record. [3] But the Hawkeyes lost to the Broncos, 28–19, and gave up 489 yards in the process. Western Michigan took a 19–0 second quarter lead before Iowa scored 13 straight points to make it a six-point game. But the Hawks would get no closer and eventually lost by nine. [16] Soon thereafter, Iowa was not selected for a bowl game, ending a six-year streak in which the Hawkeyes played in a bowl and rumors about the firing of Kirk Ferentz were rampant. [17]

Coaching rumors

Following Michigan's loss to Appalachian State, rumors about the possibility of Ferentz becoming Michigan's head coach began to circulate. [18] [19] LSU coach Les Miles was widely believed to be Michigan's top choice for the job, [20] but any chance of that happening likely ended when LSU extended Miles' contract through 2012. [21] Ferentz's relationship with Michigan president Mary Sue Coleman may have contributed to the rumor, as Coleman was the president at Iowa when Ferentz was hired. [20] However, indications that the rumor was false were revealed when Iowa's sports information director, Phil Haddy, reported that Michigan had not asked for permission to talk with Ferentz. [22] It was a point reiterated by Gary Barta, Iowa's athletic director. [23] [24] Ferentz's contract has a clause requiring him to contact Barta when talking to other schools, [22] which indicates that he was not a candidate to become Michigan's next head coach. On December 16, West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez was hired as Carr's successor at Michigan. [25]

Soon thereafter, Ferentz was once again rumored for a coaching job, this time for the Baltimore Ravens. Ferentz was an assistant head coach at Baltimore for six years, [1] [26] and became a "respected assistant" in his time there. However, when asked about the Baltimore job, Ferentz said, "I've got a great job here, and with that being said, I'm sure Baltimore will get a top-notch coach." Ferentz also cited wanting to see his son James – who is slated to be a freshman at Iowa in 2008 – play every weekend. [27] The Ravens eventually hired Philadelphia Eagles secondary coach John Harbaugh on January 18, 2008. [28]

Recruiting class

The Hawkeyes had 24 verbal commitments for the 2008 recruiting class. One of the players, Nate Guillory, is a junior college recruit. The other 23 players are all high school seniors. James Ferentz, Kirk's son, is among the players committed to play for Iowa in 2008. [29] [30]

Schedule

The Hawkeyes opened the 2008 season with three home games against Maine, Florida International, and Iowa State, followed by a road game versus Pittsburgh. [31] The game marked the first of four meetings between Pittsburgh and Iowa. The teams will met in Iowa City in 2011 and 2015, and in Pittsburgh in 2016. [32] Pitt closed the 2007 season with an upset victory over second-ranked West Virginia. Had the Mountaineers won, they would have likely played in the national championship game. [33]

Following the conclusion of the non-conference portion of their schedule, the Hawkeyes will begin Big Ten play with a home game against Northwestern, and will open October with road games against Michigan State and Indiana. [31] Iowa was 1–1 against the Spartans and Hoosiers in 2007, winning, 34–27, over MSU while losing, 38–20, to IU. Following the two road games, Iowa will play at home against Wisconsin. Iowa lost, 17–13, to the Badgers in 2007. [3] Following a bye week, the Hawkeyes will play at Illinois, in what will be Iowa's third road game in five weeks. However, Iowa follows this with two home games, against Penn State and Purdue. [31] Iowa lost to both teams in 2007 by 20 points or more. [3] A week following the Hawkeyes' final home game against Purdue, Iowa will play Minnesota in the Gophers' home finale. [31] [34] Minnesota will look to take back the Floyd of Rosedale trophy a year after Iowa won it for the sixth time in seven years. [35] The game will likely also be Minnesota's last at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. [36]

Two of Iowa's games – vs. Northwestern and at Michigan State – have been scheduled for 11:00 AM starts. [37] The season finale against Minnesota has been set for a 6:00 p.m. start time. [38]

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
August 3011:00 AM Maine* BTNW 46–370,585
September 611:00 AM Florida International*
  • Kinnick Stadium
  • Iowa City, IA
BTNW 42–070,585
September 1311:00 AM Iowa State*
BTNW 17–570,585
September 2011:00 AMat Pittsburgh* ESPN2L 20–2150,321
September 2711:00 AM Northwesterndagger
  • Kinnick Stadium
  • Iowa City, IA
ESPN ClassicL 17–2270,585
October 411:00 AMat Michigan StateESPN2L 13–1677,526
October 1111:00 AMat IndianaBTNW 45–933,428
October 1811:00 AM Wisconsin
BTNW 38–1670,585
November 12:30 PMat Illinois ABC/ESPNL 24–2762,870
November 82:30 PMNo. 3 Penn State
  • Kinnick Stadium
  • Iowa City, IA
ABC/ESPNW 24–2370,585
November 1511:00 AM Purdue
  • Kinnick Stadium
  • Iowa City, IA
BTNW 22–1767,676
November 226:00 PMat MinnesotaBTNW 55–064,071
January 110:00 AMvs. South Carolina*ESPNW 31–1055,117
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Central time

Personnel

Coaches

2008 Iowa Hawkeyes football coaches

Offensive coaches

  • Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks - Ken O'Keefe
  • Running backs and Special teams - Lester Erb
  • Wide receivers and tight ends - Erik Campbell
  • Offensive line – Reese Morgan
  • Recruiting and linebackers assistant - Eric Johnson

Defensive coaches



Source: HawkeyeSports.com Archived 2007-06-25 at the Wayback Machine

Kirk Ferentz will be in his tenth season as head coach at Iowa in 2008, and he has a 61–49 record entering the season. Ferentz came to Iowa in 1999, following an assistant coaching job for the Baltimore Ravens and a heading coaching job at Maine. [26] Earlier in his career, Ferentz was an assistant coach under Hayden Fry at Iowa. From 1981 to 1989, Ferentz was Iowa's offensive line coach. From there, Ferentz took the heading coaching position at Maine, and followed that by taking an assistant position in Baltimore. He was named Iowa's 25th head football coach on December 2, 1998. [1]

Norm Parker, Iowa's defensive coordinator, will also be in his tenth year at Iowa. [39] The same can also be said for Ken O'Keefe, Iowa's offensive coordinator. [40] Under Parker, Iowa's rushing defense has nationally ranked in the top 10 in three seasons. Parker has also coached several linebackers now playing in the NFL, including Chad Greenway, Abdul Hodge, and LeVar Woods. Before coming to Iowa, Parker coached 12 seasons at Michigan State, five at Minnesota, and three at Illinois. [39] Under O'Keefe, Iowa has had the top scoring offense in the Big Ten twice, in 2001 and 2002, and 14 offensive players coached by O'Keefe have been drafted into the NFL. Before coaching at Iowa, O'Keefe was the head coach at Allegheny College, where he won a Division III national title in 1990. He was also head coach at Fordham University for one year before coming to Iowa. [40]

Players

Returning for the Hawkeyes in 2008 are nine starters on offense, and as many as 18 total starters could be back for Iowa. Senior running back Young is gone, along with fellow running back Damian Sims and fullback Tom Busch. The rest of the offense, including the offensive line and wide receiver positions, are intact going into 2008. On the defense, up to seven starters may return, but the Hawkeyes lose linebackers Mike Klinkenborg and Mike Humpal along with defensive ends Kenny Iwebema and Bryan Mattison. Cornerbacks Adam Shada and Charles Godfrey are also done with their playing days at Iowa. [26] Godfrey, who completed 2007 with five interceptions, [41] was regarded as a possible third- to sixth-round draft pick in the 2008 NFL Draft before being picked in the third-round. [42] [43] Another Iowa player, Devan Moylan, is seeking for another year after missing most of 2007 with an injury. [26]

Returnees on offense include Jake Christensen, who succeeded Drew Tate at the quarterback position. Christensen threw for 2,269 yards and 17 touchdowns in his sophomore season, while throwing only six interceptions. Also returning are 11 true freshmen and 20 redshirt freshmen who saw playing time in 2007. With 31 total freshmen receiving playing time, the Hawkeyes ranked third in the country in that category, behind North Carolina and Florida, who played 38 and 33 freshmen respectively. [26]

Season

Maine

Maine at Iowa
1 234Total
Black Bears 0 300 3
Hawkeyes 14 8321 46
  • Date: August 30
  • Location: Kinnick Stadium
  • Game start: 11:05 AM CST
  • Elapsed time: 3:00
  • Game attendance: 70,585
  • Game weather: 76 °F (24 °C), Clear and Sunny, Wind S 5 mph (8.0 km/h)
  • Referee: Dave Witvoet
  • Television network: BTN

Iowa was able to push visiting Maine around in this opening day victory. Running back duo Shonn Greene and Jewel Hampton combined for almost 200 yards rushing and three touchdowns as the Hawkeyes didn't have to go to the air often is this one-sided contest.

Florida International

FIU at Iowa
1 234Total
Golden Panthers 0 000 0
Hawkeyes 21 1407 42
  • Date: September 6
  • Location: Kinnick Stadium
  • Game start: 11:05 AM CST
  • Elapsed time: 2:42
  • Game attendance: 70,585
  • Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C), Cloudy, Wind WNW 6 mph (9.7 km/h)
  • Referee: Mike Cannon

Iowa shutout visiting Florida International in this blowout win. Ricky Stanzi had three touchdowns on just 10 passing attempts and Shonn Greene added 130 yards rushing as the Panthers could not stop the Hawkeyes. The final score isn't even indicative of how much Iowa dominated as they played their second string for the majority of the second half.

Iowa State

Iowa State at Iowa
1 234Total
Cyclones 0 032 5
Hawkeyes 3 0014 17
  • Date: September 13
  • Location: Kinnick Stadium
  • Game start: 11:05 AM CST
  • Game attendance: 70,585
  • Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C), Cloudy, Wind SSW 10 mph (16 km/h)
  • Television network: BTN

Iowa reclaimed the Cy-Hawk trophy in this low-scoring affair. Ricky Stanzi had trouble getting the Iowa offense going throughout the first half. Jake Christensen was brought in and led Iowa on a long drive that put them up 10–3 in the fourth quarter. The game's victor was still well in doubt until Andy Brodell returned a punt back 82 yards for a touchdown to put Iowa in control in the final minutes. With seconds left in the game Iowa kneeled down in the end zone resulting in a safety forcing Iowa State into a long drive that proved to be too much for the Cyclones to overcome.

Pittsburgh

Iowa at Pittsburgh
1 234Total
Hawkeyes 3 773 20
Panthers 7 707 21
  • Date: September 20
  • Location: Heinz Field
  • Game start: 11:00 AM CST
  • Game attendance: 50,321
  • Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C), Partly Cloudy, Wind S 5 mph (8.0 km/h)
  • TV announcers (ESPN2): Pam Ward, Ray Bentley

Iowa entered the game at Heinz Field undefeated and the only FBS team remaining to not give up a touchdown in the 2008 season. Pittsburgh, despite losing their season home opener to Bowling Green, posed a tough team led by 2007 Big East Rookie of the Year and future NFL icon LeSean McCoy. Pittsburgh had finished third in the Big East preseason media poll after spoiling West Virginia's national championship hopes the previous season. The Hawkeyes, still amid a quarterback battle between Christensen and Stanzi, decided to start and end the game with Christensen while rotating throughout the first half. Iowa struggled to defend quarterback draw plays and found themselves in a 14-3 hole with 12:34 left in the second quarter, despite holding McCoy to 18 rushing yards in the first half. Touchdowns from Shonn Greene, who rushed for a game-high 147 yards, and Christensen enabled Iowa to take a 17-14 late third-quarter lead. McCoy put the Panthers in front for good with a 27-yard fourth-quarter touchdown run. Trent Mossbrucker connected on a 39-yard field goal to get the Hawkeyes within a point, but both ensuing Iowa drives sputtered ending in a sack and a fumble, respectively, giving Pittsburgh the win. [44] [45] [46]

Northwestern

Northwestern at Iowa
1 234Total
Wildcats 0 1066 22
Hawkeyes 3 1400 17
  • Date: September 27
  • Location: Kinnick Stadium
  • Game start: 11:00 AM CST
  • Game attendance: 70,585
  • Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), Fair, Wind S 5 mph (8.0 km/h)
  • TV announcers (ESPN Classic): Dave LaMont, Shaun King

Upstart Northwestern rolled into Kinnick Stadium off to their best start since 1962, having won their first four games of the year. Their strength of competition - Syracuse, Duke, FCS-level Southern Illinois and Ohio - was criticized though. [47] The Wildcats were on the ropes early. Iowa, naming Stanzi as the starter after the previous week's loss to Pittsburgh, leapt to a 17–3 lead behind a Shonn Greene 18-yard touchdown run and a 45-yard touchdown catch by Andy Brodell. Northwestern tipped the score back in their favor with three straight passing touchdowns. Iowa had a final chance with 4:16 left in the game. Stanzi drove the offense to the Northwestern 8 but tossed four consecutive incompletions to seal the loss. Shonn Greene rushed for a career-high 159 yards on 21 carries but was sidelined for the Hawkeyes' final two drives from a fourth-quarter blow to the head while being tackled. The Hawkeyes suffered five turnovers and were held scoreless for the final 32:11 of the game. [48]

Michigan State

Iowa at Michigan State
1 234Total
Hawkeyes 0 337 13
Spartans 7 360 16
  • Date: October 4
  • Location: Spartan Stadium
  • Game start: 11:00 AM CST
  • Game attendance: 77,526
  • Game weather: 48 °F (9 °C), Fair, Wind Calm 0 mph (0 km/h)
  • Television network: ESPN2

Losers of two straight games, Iowa limped into East Lansing against yet another formidable opponent. Michigan State opened the season with a road loss to California but recovered to win four games in a row. Media billed the game as a showdown between Shonn Greene and Spartans' eventual NFL fifth-round draft pick Javon Ringer, the nation's No. 6 and No. 2-ranked rushers at that point, respectively. [49] Turnovers again plagued the Hawkeyes, as the Spartans forced three in the first half on their way to a 16-3 third-quarter lead. Iowa narrowed the margin to three points with a field goal and 31-yard Andy Brodell touchdown reception. With the ball on the Michigan State 21 and 2:16 left in the game, the Hawkeyes faced a fourth-and-1 situation. Rather than attempt a 38-yard game-tying field goal, Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz elected to keep his offense on the field. Ricky Stanzi handed off to Greene, but the Spartan defense dropped him for a three-yard loss. Greene rushed for 157 yards on 30 carries in the heartbreaker. Ringer finished with 91 yards in Michigan State's fourth straight home win over Iowa. Ferentz acknowledged after the game if they would have run a play-action pass instead of a run on Greene's three-yard loss, they might have scored a touchdown. [50]

Indiana

Iowa at Indiana
1 234Total
Hawkeyes 10 71414 45
Hoosiers 3 600 9
  • Date: October 11
  • Location: Memorial Stadium
  • Game start: 11:03 AM CST
  • Game attendance: 33,428
  • Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C), Cloudy, Wind ESE 6 mph (9.7 km/h)
  • Television network: BTN

Wisconsin

Wisconsin at Iowa
1 234Total
Badgers 0 367 16
Hawkeyes 7 71410 38
  • Date: October 18
  • Location: Kinnick Stadium

Shonn Greene had arguably the best game of his Doak Walker Award season as he rushed for 217 yards and four touchdowns with nearly nine yards per attempt. Wisconsin was utterly unable to slow him down and Iowa cruised to the win as they rarely had to go the air in this contest.

Illinois

Iowa at Illinois
1 234Total
Hawkeyes 0 6315 24
Fighting Illini 7 3710 27

Penn State

Penn State at Iowa
1 234Total
No. 3 Nittany Lions 3 10100 23
Hawkeyes 7 0710 24
  • Date: November 8
  • Location: Kinnick Stadium
  • Game start: 2:37 PM CST
  • Elapsed time: 3:03
  • Game attendance: 70,585
  • Game weather: 38 °F (3 °C), Cold and Cloudy, Wind WNW 25 mph (40 km/h)
  • Referee: Dan Capron
  • TV announcers ( ABC/ESPN): Brad Nessler, Bob Griese, Paul Maguire

Iowa got a much-needed win in this under-the-lights upset. Penn State came in heavily favored and was playing for a chance to reach the national championship. It was a back-and-forth affair that came down to a crucial kick. Daniel Murray nailed a 31-yard field goal to give the Hawkeyes the victory. Iowa did have to kick off again though as one second still remained on the clock but Penn State was unable to do anything as Iowa recovered the ball. It was a critical game for Ferentz and propelled them to a 13-game winning streak.

Purdue

Purdue at Iowa
1 234Total
Boilermakers 0 1007 17
Hawkeyes 6 637 22
  • Date: November 15
  • Location: Kinnick Stadium

Minnesota

Iowa at Minnesota
1 234Total
Hawkeyes 3 241414 55
Golden Gophers 0 000 0

This was the final college football game at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. After a sluggish start in the first quarter Iowa dominated the rest of the way. The Hawkeyes shut out the Gophers and Iowa's offense was able to score at will. Shonn Greene became the all-time single season rushing leader with another great performance – 144 yards and 2 TD. Derrell Johnson-Koulianos hauled in 7 receptions for 181 yards and a touchdown.

Outback Bowl

South Carolina vs. Iowa
1 234Total
Gamecocks 0 0010 10
Hawkeyes 14 7100 31

Shonn Greene was unstoppable in this Outback Bowl blowout as he rushed for 121 yards and three touchdowns. Iowa shutout South Carolina through the first three quarters and forced five turnovers as well.

Statistics

Team

Iowa Opp
Scoring 394 169
  Points per Game 30.3 13.0
First Downs 269 215
  Rushing 146 68
  Passing 108 129
  Penalty 15 18
Total Offense 4815 3787
  Avg per Play 5.8 4.4
  Avg per Game 370.4 291.3
Fumbles-Lost 20-13 17-9
Penalties-Yards 53-446 65-604
  Avg per Game 34.3 46.5
Iowa Opp
Punts-Yards 51-2088 76–3034;
  Avg per Punt 40.9 39.9
Time of Possession/Game 31:31 28:29
3rd Down Conversions 65-159 67-194
4th Down Conversions 7-14 9-16
Touchdowns Scored 48 17
Field Goals-Attempts 19-24 17-23
PAT-Attempts 45-47 14-16
Attendance 491,186 288,216
  Games/Avg per Game 70,169 57,643

Scores by quarter

1 2 3 4 Total
Iowa 91 103 78 91 363
Opponents 27 55 38 49 169

Offense

Rushing

Name GP-GS Att Yds Avg TDs Long Yds/G
Shonn Greene 13-13 308 1850 5.9 20 75 142.3
Jewel Hampton 11-0 89 450 5.01 7 22 40.9
Paki O'Meara 6-0 21 62 3.0 2 17 10.3
Jake Christensen 7-3 17 30 1.8 1 11 4.3
Andy Brodell 12-11 3 24 8.0 0 24 2.0
Ricky Stanzi 13-10 56 20 0.4 0 20 1.5
Jayme Murphy 2-0 7 7 1.0 0 4 3.5
Derrell Johnson-Koulianos 12-12 1 6 6.0 0 6 0.5
Trey Stross 10-10 1 4 1.0 0 4 0.4
Jared Oberland 2-0 3 2 0.7 0 5 1.0
Marvin McNutt 2-0 1 0 0.0 0 0 0.0
Total 13 508 2468 4.8 30 75 189.4
Opponents 13 397 1479 3.1 7 29 94.0

Passing

Name GP-GS Effic Att-Cmp-Int Pct Yds TD Lng Avg/G
Ricky Stanzi 13-10 134.8 254-150-9 59.1 1956 14 59 150.5
Jake Christensen 8-3 117.2 63-36-1 57.1 396 2 40 56.5
Marvin McNutt 2-0 -5.3 3-1-1 33.3 10 0 10 5.0
Total 13 82.3 320-187-11 58.4 2362 16 59   181.7
Opponents 13 98.3 463-256-23 55.3 1222 9 52 197.3

Receiving

Name GP-GS No. Yds Avg TD Long Avg/G
  Derrell Johnson-Koulianos 13-10 44 639 14.5 3 59 49.2
  Andy Brodell 12-12 36 533 14.8 4 45 41.0
  Brandon Myers 13-13 34 441 13.0 4 28 33.9
  Allen Reisner 13-0 11 200 18.2 1 38 15.4
  Tony Moeaki 9-1 13 144 11.1 1 48 16.0
  Trey Stross 11-2 13 109 8.4 1 20 9.9
  Colin Sandeman 13-0 6 76 12.7 2 25 5.8
  Shonn Greene 13-13 8 49 6.1 0 23 3.8
  Brett Morse 12-9 5 40 8.0 0 13 3.3
  Paki O'Meara 10-0 3 33 11.0 0 20 3.3
  Wade Leppert 11-4 5 22 4.4 0 8 2.0
  Ben Evans 2-0 2 20 10.0 0 12 10.0
  Paul Channey Jr. 5-0 2 19 9.5 0 11 3.8
  DeMarco Paine 2-0 3 16 5.3 0 12 8.0
  Marvin McNutt 3-0 1 11 11.0 0 11 3.7
  Don Nordmann 1-0 1 10 10.0 0 10 10.0
Total 13 187 2362 12.6 16 59 181.7
Opponents 13 256 2565 10.0 9 52 197.3

Defense

Name GP Tackles Sacks Pass Defense Interceptions Fumbles Blkd
Kick
Solo Ast Total TFL-Yds No-Yds BrUp QBH No.-Yds Avg TD Long Rcv-Yds FF
  Pat Angerer 13-11 46 61 107 6.5-21 1.0-3 3 3 5-34 6.8 0 14 0-0 0 0
Total

Special teams

Name Punting Kickoffs
No. Yds Avg Long TB FC I20 Blkd No. Yds Avg TB OB
Total
Name Punt Returns Kick Returns
No. Yds Avg TD Long No. Yds Avg TD Long
Total

Postseason awards

Team players in the 2009 NFL draft

Player Position Round Pick NFL club
Shonn Greene Running back 3 65 New York Jets
Bradley Fletcher Cornerback 3 66 St. Louis Rams
Seth Olsen Guard 4 132 Denver Broncos
Brandon Myers Tight end 6 202 Oakland Raiders

[52]

References

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  2. ^ "Kinnick Stadium". University of Iowa Department of Athletics. Archived from the original on October 8, 2007. Retrieved October 12, 2007.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Iowa Hawkeyes 2007 Schedule and Results". SI.com. Archived from the original on December 1, 2007. Retrieved December 13, 2007.
  4. ^ "Iowa 16, Northern Illinois 3". Yahoo! Sports. September 1, 2007. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
  5. ^ "Iowa 35, Syracuse 0". Yahoo! Sports. September 9, 2007. Retrieved January 19, 2008.
  6. ^ Schonbrun, Zach (September 7, 2007). "Blown Away: Iowa Rolls Over Syracuse With Dominating First Half". The Daily Orange. Archived from the original on August 5, 2011. Retrieved January 24, 2008.
  7. ^ "Iowa State's game-winning kick caps win over Iowa". ESPN. September 15, 2007. Retrieved January 19, 2008.
  8. ^ "Lions Maul Hapless Hawkeyes; Penn State 27, Iowa 7". Chicago Sun-Times. October 7, 2007. Retrieved December 15, 2007.[ dead link]
  9. ^ "Illinois Fighting Illini Schedule - 2007". ESPN. Archived from the original on January 2, 2008. Retrieved January 19, 2008.
  10. ^ "Christensen, Young help Iowa snap eight-game Big Ten skid". ESPN. October 13, 2007. Retrieved January 19, 2008.
  11. ^ Banks, Lacy J. (October 14, 2007). "Mild shock, Bad Burn; Iowa 10, Illinois 6: Quarterback Change No Help As Illini's Five-Game Run Ends". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on January 21, 2016. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  12. ^ "Purdue 31, Iowa 6". Yahoo! Sports. October 20, 2007. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
  13. ^ "Michigan State Spartans vs. Iowa Hawkeyes". SI.com. October 30, 2007. Retrieved December 9, 2007.
  14. ^ "Subs' Subs Subdue Spartans; Iowa 34, Michigan State 27". Chicago Sun-Times. October 28, 2007. Archived from the original on January 21, 2016. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  15. ^ "Christensen airs it out, Sims scores twice in Iowa's 28-17 win over Northwestern". Big Ten Network. November 3, 2007. Archived from the original on November 6, 2007. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
  16. ^ "W. Michigan 28, Iowa 19". ESPN. November 17, 2007. Retrieved January 19, 2008.
  17. ^ "College Football: Hawks Fail to Land Bowl Bid". The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. December 3, 2007. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
  18. ^ "Iowa's Kirk Ferentz offered Michigan job?". Fanblogs.com. November 26, 2007. Archived from the original on December 28, 2007. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
  19. ^ "Say Hello To My Little Ferentz". MGoBlog. November 25, 2007. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
  20. ^ a b "Kirk Ferentz to Michigan? Really?". FanHouse. November 23, 2007. Archived from the original on November 28, 2007. Retrieved December 16, 2007.
  21. ^ "LSU extends Miles' contract through '12". ESPN. December 6, 2007. Archived from the original on December 11, 2007. Retrieved December 16, 2007.
  22. ^ a b Heuser, John (November 26, 2007). "Iowa: No Permission Granted to Talk With Ferentz". The Ann Arbor News. Archived from the original on October 15, 2009. Retrieved December 16, 2007.
  23. ^ Morehouse, Marc (November 19, 2007). "Barta Expects Ferentz to Stay at Iowa". Cedar Rapids Gazette. p. 1C. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  24. ^ "Barta: No schools Have Contacted UI About Ferentz". The Des Moines Register. November 26, 2007. Retrieved December 16, 2007.[ dead link]
  25. ^ "Michigan Hires WVU's Rodriguez". Sports Illustrated. December 16, 2007. Archived from the original on December 18, 2007. Retrieved December 16, 2007.
  26. ^ a b c d e "Hawkeyes Look to 2008". University of Iowa Department of Athletics. December 18, 2007. Archived from the original on December 23, 2007. Retrieved December 19, 2007.
  27. ^ Hensley, Jamison; Preston, Mike (January 5, 2008). "Ferentz Indicates He'll Stay at Iowa". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved January 20, 2008.
  28. ^ Hensley, Jamison (January 19, 2008). "Ravens Hire Coach". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  29. ^ "Iowa Hawkeyes 2008 Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved December 21, 2007.
  30. ^ "Iowa Commit List for 2008". Rivals.com. Retrieved December 21, 2007.
  31. ^ a b c d "Future Schedules". University of Iowa Department of Athletics. Archived from the original on November 27, 2007. Retrieved December 9, 2007.
  32. ^ Dutelle, Geoff (July 13, 2005). "Pitt Football Reveals Schedule". The Pitt News. Archived from the original on January 20, 2008. Retrieved December 13, 2007.
  33. ^ "Pitt throws curveball at BCS with win over No. 2 WVU". ESPN. December 1, 2007. Archived from the original on December 7, 2007. Retrieved December 27, 2007.
  34. ^ "Minnesota Golden Gophers Football - 2008 Schedule". GopherSports.com. Retrieved December 9, 2007.[ dead link]
  35. ^ "Iowa 21, Minnesota 16". ESPN. November 10, 2007. Archived from the original on December 22, 2007. Retrieved December 27, 2007.
  36. ^ Minnesota plans to begin playing football at TCF Bank Stadium in 2009. Therefore, the final home game at the Metrodome will take place on November 22, 2008, against Iowa.
  37. ^ "Two Iowa Football Game Times Announced". University of Iowa Department of Athletics. May 12, 2008. Archived from the original on May 17, 2008. Retrieved May 12, 2008.
  38. ^ "Iowa-Minnesota Football Game Time Set". University of Iowa Department of Athletics. May 13, 2008. Archived from the original on May 24, 2008. Retrieved May 13, 2008.
  39. ^ a b "Norm Parker". University of Iowa Department of Athletics. Archived from the original on November 11, 2007. Retrieved January 2, 2008.
  40. ^ a b "Ken O'Keefe". University of Iowa Department of Athletics. Archived from the original on December 18, 2007. Retrieved January 2, 2008.
  41. ^ "#13 Charles Godfrey". SI.com. Retrieved January 5, 2008.
  42. ^ "Charles Godfrey, CB, Iowa". NFL Draft Scout. Archived from the original on January 25, 2008. Retrieved January 5, 2008.
  43. ^ Steuber, Chris (November 7, 2007). "2008 NFL Draft: Day Two Ball-Hawking DBs". Scout.com. Archived from the original on December 11, 2007. Retrieved January 5, 2008.
  44. ^ "Iowa Wins the Battle, Loses the War". University of Iowa Athletics. September 20, 2008. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  45. ^ "Pittsburgh Edges Iowa, 21-20". Pitt Panthers #H2P. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  46. ^ "Rutgers Tabbed Fourth in BIG EAST Football Preseason Poll". Rutgers University Athletics. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  47. ^ "Northwestern vs. Iowa - Game Recap - September 27, 2008 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  48. ^ "Hawkeyes fumble opportunity against 'Cats". University of Iowa Athletics. September 27, 2008. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  49. ^ "Iowa vs. Michigan State - Game Recap - October 4, 2008 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
  50. ^ "Inches keep Hawkeyes from victory". University of Iowa Athletics. October 4, 2008. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
  51. ^ "Home". doakwalkeraward.com.
  52. ^ 2009 NFL Draft Listing | Pro-Football-Reference.com
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2008 Iowa Hawkeyes football
Outback Bowl champion
Conference Big Ten Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 20
APNo. 20
Record9–4 (5–3 Big Ten)
Head coach
Offensive coordinator Ken O'Keefe (10th season)
Offensive scheme Pro-style
Defensive coordinator Norm Parker (10th season)
Base defense 4–3
Home stadium Kinnick Stadium
(Capacity: 70,585) [2]
Uniform
Seasons
←  2007
2009 →
2008 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 8 Penn State $+   7 1     11 2  
No. 9 Ohio State %+   7 1     10 3  
No. 24 Michigan State   6 2     9 4  
Northwestern   5 3     9 4  
No. 20 Iowa   5 3     9 4  
Wisconsin   3 5     7 6  
Minnesota   3 5     7 6  
Illinois   3 5     5 7  
Purdue   2 6     4 8  
Michigan   2 6     3 9  
Indiana   1 7     3 9  
  • $ – BCS representative as conference champion
  • % – BCS at-large representative
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2008 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa and the Iowa Hawkeyes football program in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Coached by Kirk Ferentz, the Hawkeyes played their seven home games in Kinnick Stadium.

Leading up to the season

Previous season

Iowa's defense lines up against the Syracuse Orange on September 8, 2007.

Iowa opened the 2007 season on September 1, 2007, against Northern Illinois in a game played at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. [3] Hawkeye running backs Albert Young and Damian Sims ran for 144 and 110 yards rushing respectively, while Iowa's defense held the Huskies to just 21 yards rushing. The Hawkeyes won, 16–3, and ended the four-game losing streak that comprised the final four games of Iowa's 2006 season. [4] The next week, Iowa defeated Syracuse in the Hawkeyes' home opener, 35–0. [3] Jake Christensen threw for 278 yards and four touchdowns as the Hawkeye defense held the Orange to just five first downs and 103 yards of total offense in Syracuse's worst defeat since a 51–14 loss to Georgia Tech in the 2004 Champs Sports Bowl. [5] Iowa took a quick 28–0 lead with 9:55 left in the second quarter, and the Hawkeye defense sacked Syracuse six times while holding the Orange to 24 rushing yards. [6] Following the first two games – which saw the Iowa defense give up only three points – the Hawkeyes traveled to Ames, Iowa, to play 0–2 Iowa State on September 15. [3] The Cyclones began the season with losses to Kent State and Northern Iowa, but had won six out of the last nine games against the Hawkeyes, including three of the last four played at Jack Trice Stadium. Iowa fell behind by 12 at half-time, and lost, 15–13, starting yet another four-game losing streak. [3] Placekicker Bret Culbertson scored all of Iowa State's points on five field goals, the last coming with one second remaining. [7]

Iowa takes the field on October 6, 2007, against Penn State.

Following a 20-point loss at Penn State on October 6, [8] which was preceded by losses to Wisconsin and Indiana, [3] the Hawkeyes returned to Kinnick Stadium for a game against Illinois, who was coming into the game after home victories over Penn State and Wisconsin. [9] Christensen threw for 182 yards and the game's only touchdown – a 20-yard pass to Brandon Myers in the third quarter which gave the Hawkeyes a 10–6 lead. However, it appeared that Illinois had taken a 12–10 lead on an 83-yard Eddie McGee touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter, but it was called back due to a penalty. The Illini were forced to punt, but got the ball back with 2:28 remaining. McGee threw passes of 28 and 24 yards to Arrelious Benn, putting the Illini at the Iowa 12-yard line. However, Brett Greenwood intercepted a McGee pass at the goal-line, sealing the win and snapping an eight-game Big Ten losing streak for Iowa heading into a road game at Purdue. [10] [11] But Iowa lost to the Boilermakers a week later, 31–6, to put the Hawkeyes' record at 3–5 with only four games remaining. Curtis Painter threw for 315 yards and three touchdowns for Purdue, who had lost to the Hawkeyes, 47–17, only a year earlier. [12] In Iowa's next game against Michigan State, the Hawkeyes entered half-time down by 14 points only to take a 20–17 lead with 10:05 remaining in regulation. The game was destined for overtime when Michigan State's Brett Swenson hit a field goal with four seconds remaining, and the Spartans quickly garnered a seven-point lead following a Jehuu Caulcrick touchdown in the first overtime. Down by a touchdown, Christensen found wide receiver Paul Chaney for a 23-yard touchdown pass and following the extra point, the game headed to double overtime. Iowa had the ball first and scored on a Jevon Pugh one-yard run, giving the Hawkeyes their own seven-point lead. However, the Spartans were unable to score and Iowa won, 34–27. The win was Iowa's first overtime victory in Kinnick Stadium history. [13] [14]

Iowa's offense sets up against Western Michigan's defense on November 17, 2007.

On November 3, Iowa defeated Northwestern, 28–17, after trailing, 14–0, in the first quarter. The Wildcats took a 17–14 on a third-quarter field goal after the Hawkeyes tied the game at 14, but Sims ran for two fourth-quarter touchdowns to seal the Iowa victory. Christensen threw for 299 yards for Iowa, who came back from a 14-point deficit in the second straight game. [15] Later, on November 10, Iowa defeated Minnesota, 21–16, to reclaim the Floyd of Rosedale trophy. With one home game remaining against Western Michigan, Iowa held a three-game winning streak and a 6–5 overall record. [3] But the Hawkeyes lost to the Broncos, 28–19, and gave up 489 yards in the process. Western Michigan took a 19–0 second quarter lead before Iowa scored 13 straight points to make it a six-point game. But the Hawks would get no closer and eventually lost by nine. [16] Soon thereafter, Iowa was not selected for a bowl game, ending a six-year streak in which the Hawkeyes played in a bowl and rumors about the firing of Kirk Ferentz were rampant. [17]

Coaching rumors

Following Michigan's loss to Appalachian State, rumors about the possibility of Ferentz becoming Michigan's head coach began to circulate. [18] [19] LSU coach Les Miles was widely believed to be Michigan's top choice for the job, [20] but any chance of that happening likely ended when LSU extended Miles' contract through 2012. [21] Ferentz's relationship with Michigan president Mary Sue Coleman may have contributed to the rumor, as Coleman was the president at Iowa when Ferentz was hired. [20] However, indications that the rumor was false were revealed when Iowa's sports information director, Phil Haddy, reported that Michigan had not asked for permission to talk with Ferentz. [22] It was a point reiterated by Gary Barta, Iowa's athletic director. [23] [24] Ferentz's contract has a clause requiring him to contact Barta when talking to other schools, [22] which indicates that he was not a candidate to become Michigan's next head coach. On December 16, West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez was hired as Carr's successor at Michigan. [25]

Soon thereafter, Ferentz was once again rumored for a coaching job, this time for the Baltimore Ravens. Ferentz was an assistant head coach at Baltimore for six years, [1] [26] and became a "respected assistant" in his time there. However, when asked about the Baltimore job, Ferentz said, "I've got a great job here, and with that being said, I'm sure Baltimore will get a top-notch coach." Ferentz also cited wanting to see his son James – who is slated to be a freshman at Iowa in 2008 – play every weekend. [27] The Ravens eventually hired Philadelphia Eagles secondary coach John Harbaugh on January 18, 2008. [28]

Recruiting class

The Hawkeyes had 24 verbal commitments for the 2008 recruiting class. One of the players, Nate Guillory, is a junior college recruit. The other 23 players are all high school seniors. James Ferentz, Kirk's son, is among the players committed to play for Iowa in 2008. [29] [30]

Schedule

The Hawkeyes opened the 2008 season with three home games against Maine, Florida International, and Iowa State, followed by a road game versus Pittsburgh. [31] The game marked the first of four meetings between Pittsburgh and Iowa. The teams will met in Iowa City in 2011 and 2015, and in Pittsburgh in 2016. [32] Pitt closed the 2007 season with an upset victory over second-ranked West Virginia. Had the Mountaineers won, they would have likely played in the national championship game. [33]

Following the conclusion of the non-conference portion of their schedule, the Hawkeyes will begin Big Ten play with a home game against Northwestern, and will open October with road games against Michigan State and Indiana. [31] Iowa was 1–1 against the Spartans and Hoosiers in 2007, winning, 34–27, over MSU while losing, 38–20, to IU. Following the two road games, Iowa will play at home against Wisconsin. Iowa lost, 17–13, to the Badgers in 2007. [3] Following a bye week, the Hawkeyes will play at Illinois, in what will be Iowa's third road game in five weeks. However, Iowa follows this with two home games, against Penn State and Purdue. [31] Iowa lost to both teams in 2007 by 20 points or more. [3] A week following the Hawkeyes' final home game against Purdue, Iowa will play Minnesota in the Gophers' home finale. [31] [34] Minnesota will look to take back the Floyd of Rosedale trophy a year after Iowa won it for the sixth time in seven years. [35] The game will likely also be Minnesota's last at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. [36]

Two of Iowa's games – vs. Northwestern and at Michigan State – have been scheduled for 11:00 AM starts. [37] The season finale against Minnesota has been set for a 6:00 p.m. start time. [38]

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
August 3011:00 AM Maine* BTNW 46–370,585
September 611:00 AM Florida International*
  • Kinnick Stadium
  • Iowa City, IA
BTNW 42–070,585
September 1311:00 AM Iowa State*
BTNW 17–570,585
September 2011:00 AMat Pittsburgh* ESPN2L 20–2150,321
September 2711:00 AM Northwesterndagger
  • Kinnick Stadium
  • Iowa City, IA
ESPN ClassicL 17–2270,585
October 411:00 AMat Michigan StateESPN2L 13–1677,526
October 1111:00 AMat IndianaBTNW 45–933,428
October 1811:00 AM Wisconsin
BTNW 38–1670,585
November 12:30 PMat Illinois ABC/ESPNL 24–2762,870
November 82:30 PMNo. 3 Penn State
  • Kinnick Stadium
  • Iowa City, IA
ABC/ESPNW 24–2370,585
November 1511:00 AM Purdue
  • Kinnick Stadium
  • Iowa City, IA
BTNW 22–1767,676
November 226:00 PMat MinnesotaBTNW 55–064,071
January 110:00 AMvs. South Carolina*ESPNW 31–1055,117
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Central time

Personnel

Coaches

2008 Iowa Hawkeyes football coaches

Offensive coaches

  • Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks - Ken O'Keefe
  • Running backs and Special teams - Lester Erb
  • Wide receivers and tight ends - Erik Campbell
  • Offensive line – Reese Morgan
  • Recruiting and linebackers assistant - Eric Johnson

Defensive coaches



Source: HawkeyeSports.com Archived 2007-06-25 at the Wayback Machine

Kirk Ferentz will be in his tenth season as head coach at Iowa in 2008, and he has a 61–49 record entering the season. Ferentz came to Iowa in 1999, following an assistant coaching job for the Baltimore Ravens and a heading coaching job at Maine. [26] Earlier in his career, Ferentz was an assistant coach under Hayden Fry at Iowa. From 1981 to 1989, Ferentz was Iowa's offensive line coach. From there, Ferentz took the heading coaching position at Maine, and followed that by taking an assistant position in Baltimore. He was named Iowa's 25th head football coach on December 2, 1998. [1]

Norm Parker, Iowa's defensive coordinator, will also be in his tenth year at Iowa. [39] The same can also be said for Ken O'Keefe, Iowa's offensive coordinator. [40] Under Parker, Iowa's rushing defense has nationally ranked in the top 10 in three seasons. Parker has also coached several linebackers now playing in the NFL, including Chad Greenway, Abdul Hodge, and LeVar Woods. Before coming to Iowa, Parker coached 12 seasons at Michigan State, five at Minnesota, and three at Illinois. [39] Under O'Keefe, Iowa has had the top scoring offense in the Big Ten twice, in 2001 and 2002, and 14 offensive players coached by O'Keefe have been drafted into the NFL. Before coaching at Iowa, O'Keefe was the head coach at Allegheny College, where he won a Division III national title in 1990. He was also head coach at Fordham University for one year before coming to Iowa. [40]

Players

Returning for the Hawkeyes in 2008 are nine starters on offense, and as many as 18 total starters could be back for Iowa. Senior running back Young is gone, along with fellow running back Damian Sims and fullback Tom Busch. The rest of the offense, including the offensive line and wide receiver positions, are intact going into 2008. On the defense, up to seven starters may return, but the Hawkeyes lose linebackers Mike Klinkenborg and Mike Humpal along with defensive ends Kenny Iwebema and Bryan Mattison. Cornerbacks Adam Shada and Charles Godfrey are also done with their playing days at Iowa. [26] Godfrey, who completed 2007 with five interceptions, [41] was regarded as a possible third- to sixth-round draft pick in the 2008 NFL Draft before being picked in the third-round. [42] [43] Another Iowa player, Devan Moylan, is seeking for another year after missing most of 2007 with an injury. [26]

Returnees on offense include Jake Christensen, who succeeded Drew Tate at the quarterback position. Christensen threw for 2,269 yards and 17 touchdowns in his sophomore season, while throwing only six interceptions. Also returning are 11 true freshmen and 20 redshirt freshmen who saw playing time in 2007. With 31 total freshmen receiving playing time, the Hawkeyes ranked third in the country in that category, behind North Carolina and Florida, who played 38 and 33 freshmen respectively. [26]

Season

Maine

Maine at Iowa
1 234Total
Black Bears 0 300 3
Hawkeyes 14 8321 46
  • Date: August 30
  • Location: Kinnick Stadium
  • Game start: 11:05 AM CST
  • Elapsed time: 3:00
  • Game attendance: 70,585
  • Game weather: 76 °F (24 °C), Clear and Sunny, Wind S 5 mph (8.0 km/h)
  • Referee: Dave Witvoet
  • Television network: BTN

Iowa was able to push visiting Maine around in this opening day victory. Running back duo Shonn Greene and Jewel Hampton combined for almost 200 yards rushing and three touchdowns as the Hawkeyes didn't have to go to the air often is this one-sided contest.

Florida International

FIU at Iowa
1 234Total
Golden Panthers 0 000 0
Hawkeyes 21 1407 42
  • Date: September 6
  • Location: Kinnick Stadium
  • Game start: 11:05 AM CST
  • Elapsed time: 2:42
  • Game attendance: 70,585
  • Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C), Cloudy, Wind WNW 6 mph (9.7 km/h)
  • Referee: Mike Cannon

Iowa shutout visiting Florida International in this blowout win. Ricky Stanzi had three touchdowns on just 10 passing attempts and Shonn Greene added 130 yards rushing as the Panthers could not stop the Hawkeyes. The final score isn't even indicative of how much Iowa dominated as they played their second string for the majority of the second half.

Iowa State

Iowa State at Iowa
1 234Total
Cyclones 0 032 5
Hawkeyes 3 0014 17
  • Date: September 13
  • Location: Kinnick Stadium
  • Game start: 11:05 AM CST
  • Game attendance: 70,585
  • Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C), Cloudy, Wind SSW 10 mph (16 km/h)
  • Television network: BTN

Iowa reclaimed the Cy-Hawk trophy in this low-scoring affair. Ricky Stanzi had trouble getting the Iowa offense going throughout the first half. Jake Christensen was brought in and led Iowa on a long drive that put them up 10–3 in the fourth quarter. The game's victor was still well in doubt until Andy Brodell returned a punt back 82 yards for a touchdown to put Iowa in control in the final minutes. With seconds left in the game Iowa kneeled down in the end zone resulting in a safety forcing Iowa State into a long drive that proved to be too much for the Cyclones to overcome.

Pittsburgh

Iowa at Pittsburgh
1 234Total
Hawkeyes 3 773 20
Panthers 7 707 21
  • Date: September 20
  • Location: Heinz Field
  • Game start: 11:00 AM CST
  • Game attendance: 50,321
  • Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C), Partly Cloudy, Wind S 5 mph (8.0 km/h)
  • TV announcers (ESPN2): Pam Ward, Ray Bentley

Iowa entered the game at Heinz Field undefeated and the only FBS team remaining to not give up a touchdown in the 2008 season. Pittsburgh, despite losing their season home opener to Bowling Green, posed a tough team led by 2007 Big East Rookie of the Year and future NFL icon LeSean McCoy. Pittsburgh had finished third in the Big East preseason media poll after spoiling West Virginia's national championship hopes the previous season. The Hawkeyes, still amid a quarterback battle between Christensen and Stanzi, decided to start and end the game with Christensen while rotating throughout the first half. Iowa struggled to defend quarterback draw plays and found themselves in a 14-3 hole with 12:34 left in the second quarter, despite holding McCoy to 18 rushing yards in the first half. Touchdowns from Shonn Greene, who rushed for a game-high 147 yards, and Christensen enabled Iowa to take a 17-14 late third-quarter lead. McCoy put the Panthers in front for good with a 27-yard fourth-quarter touchdown run. Trent Mossbrucker connected on a 39-yard field goal to get the Hawkeyes within a point, but both ensuing Iowa drives sputtered ending in a sack and a fumble, respectively, giving Pittsburgh the win. [44] [45] [46]

Northwestern

Northwestern at Iowa
1 234Total
Wildcats 0 1066 22
Hawkeyes 3 1400 17
  • Date: September 27
  • Location: Kinnick Stadium
  • Game start: 11:00 AM CST
  • Game attendance: 70,585
  • Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), Fair, Wind S 5 mph (8.0 km/h)
  • TV announcers (ESPN Classic): Dave LaMont, Shaun King

Upstart Northwestern rolled into Kinnick Stadium off to their best start since 1962, having won their first four games of the year. Their strength of competition - Syracuse, Duke, FCS-level Southern Illinois and Ohio - was criticized though. [47] The Wildcats were on the ropes early. Iowa, naming Stanzi as the starter after the previous week's loss to Pittsburgh, leapt to a 17–3 lead behind a Shonn Greene 18-yard touchdown run and a 45-yard touchdown catch by Andy Brodell. Northwestern tipped the score back in their favor with three straight passing touchdowns. Iowa had a final chance with 4:16 left in the game. Stanzi drove the offense to the Northwestern 8 but tossed four consecutive incompletions to seal the loss. Shonn Greene rushed for a career-high 159 yards on 21 carries but was sidelined for the Hawkeyes' final two drives from a fourth-quarter blow to the head while being tackled. The Hawkeyes suffered five turnovers and were held scoreless for the final 32:11 of the game. [48]

Michigan State

Iowa at Michigan State
1 234Total
Hawkeyes 0 337 13
Spartans 7 360 16
  • Date: October 4
  • Location: Spartan Stadium
  • Game start: 11:00 AM CST
  • Game attendance: 77,526
  • Game weather: 48 °F (9 °C), Fair, Wind Calm 0 mph (0 km/h)
  • Television network: ESPN2

Losers of two straight games, Iowa limped into East Lansing against yet another formidable opponent. Michigan State opened the season with a road loss to California but recovered to win four games in a row. Media billed the game as a showdown between Shonn Greene and Spartans' eventual NFL fifth-round draft pick Javon Ringer, the nation's No. 6 and No. 2-ranked rushers at that point, respectively. [49] Turnovers again plagued the Hawkeyes, as the Spartans forced three in the first half on their way to a 16-3 third-quarter lead. Iowa narrowed the margin to three points with a field goal and 31-yard Andy Brodell touchdown reception. With the ball on the Michigan State 21 and 2:16 left in the game, the Hawkeyes faced a fourth-and-1 situation. Rather than attempt a 38-yard game-tying field goal, Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz elected to keep his offense on the field. Ricky Stanzi handed off to Greene, but the Spartan defense dropped him for a three-yard loss. Greene rushed for 157 yards on 30 carries in the heartbreaker. Ringer finished with 91 yards in Michigan State's fourth straight home win over Iowa. Ferentz acknowledged after the game if they would have run a play-action pass instead of a run on Greene's three-yard loss, they might have scored a touchdown. [50]

Indiana

Iowa at Indiana
1 234Total
Hawkeyes 10 71414 45
Hoosiers 3 600 9
  • Date: October 11
  • Location: Memorial Stadium
  • Game start: 11:03 AM CST
  • Game attendance: 33,428
  • Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C), Cloudy, Wind ESE 6 mph (9.7 km/h)
  • Television network: BTN

Wisconsin

Wisconsin at Iowa
1 234Total
Badgers 0 367 16
Hawkeyes 7 71410 38
  • Date: October 18
  • Location: Kinnick Stadium

Shonn Greene had arguably the best game of his Doak Walker Award season as he rushed for 217 yards and four touchdowns with nearly nine yards per attempt. Wisconsin was utterly unable to slow him down and Iowa cruised to the win as they rarely had to go the air in this contest.

Illinois

Iowa at Illinois
1 234Total
Hawkeyes 0 6315 24
Fighting Illini 7 3710 27

Penn State

Penn State at Iowa
1 234Total
No. 3 Nittany Lions 3 10100 23
Hawkeyes 7 0710 24
  • Date: November 8
  • Location: Kinnick Stadium
  • Game start: 2:37 PM CST
  • Elapsed time: 3:03
  • Game attendance: 70,585
  • Game weather: 38 °F (3 °C), Cold and Cloudy, Wind WNW 25 mph (40 km/h)
  • Referee: Dan Capron
  • TV announcers ( ABC/ESPN): Brad Nessler, Bob Griese, Paul Maguire

Iowa got a much-needed win in this under-the-lights upset. Penn State came in heavily favored and was playing for a chance to reach the national championship. It was a back-and-forth affair that came down to a crucial kick. Daniel Murray nailed a 31-yard field goal to give the Hawkeyes the victory. Iowa did have to kick off again though as one second still remained on the clock but Penn State was unable to do anything as Iowa recovered the ball. It was a critical game for Ferentz and propelled them to a 13-game winning streak.

Purdue

Purdue at Iowa
1 234Total
Boilermakers 0 1007 17
Hawkeyes 6 637 22
  • Date: November 15
  • Location: Kinnick Stadium

Minnesota

Iowa at Minnesota
1 234Total
Hawkeyes 3 241414 55
Golden Gophers 0 000 0

This was the final college football game at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. After a sluggish start in the first quarter Iowa dominated the rest of the way. The Hawkeyes shut out the Gophers and Iowa's offense was able to score at will. Shonn Greene became the all-time single season rushing leader with another great performance – 144 yards and 2 TD. Derrell Johnson-Koulianos hauled in 7 receptions for 181 yards and a touchdown.

Outback Bowl

South Carolina vs. Iowa
1 234Total
Gamecocks 0 0010 10
Hawkeyes 14 7100 31

Shonn Greene was unstoppable in this Outback Bowl blowout as he rushed for 121 yards and three touchdowns. Iowa shutout South Carolina through the first three quarters and forced five turnovers as well.

Statistics

Team

Iowa Opp
Scoring 394 169
  Points per Game 30.3 13.0
First Downs 269 215
  Rushing 146 68
  Passing 108 129
  Penalty 15 18
Total Offense 4815 3787
  Avg per Play 5.8 4.4
  Avg per Game 370.4 291.3
Fumbles-Lost 20-13 17-9
Penalties-Yards 53-446 65-604
  Avg per Game 34.3 46.5
Iowa Opp
Punts-Yards 51-2088 76–3034;
  Avg per Punt 40.9 39.9
Time of Possession/Game 31:31 28:29
3rd Down Conversions 65-159 67-194
4th Down Conversions 7-14 9-16
Touchdowns Scored 48 17
Field Goals-Attempts 19-24 17-23
PAT-Attempts 45-47 14-16
Attendance 491,186 288,216
  Games/Avg per Game 70,169 57,643

Scores by quarter

1 2 3 4 Total
Iowa 91 103 78 91 363
Opponents 27 55 38 49 169

Offense

Rushing

Name GP-GS Att Yds Avg TDs Long Yds/G
Shonn Greene 13-13 308 1850 5.9 20 75 142.3
Jewel Hampton 11-0 89 450 5.01 7 22 40.9
Paki O'Meara 6-0 21 62 3.0 2 17 10.3
Jake Christensen 7-3 17 30 1.8 1 11 4.3
Andy Brodell 12-11 3 24 8.0 0 24 2.0
Ricky Stanzi 13-10 56 20 0.4 0 20 1.5
Jayme Murphy 2-0 7 7 1.0 0 4 3.5
Derrell Johnson-Koulianos 12-12 1 6 6.0 0 6 0.5
Trey Stross 10-10 1 4 1.0 0 4 0.4
Jared Oberland 2-0 3 2 0.7 0 5 1.0
Marvin McNutt 2-0 1 0 0.0 0 0 0.0
Total 13 508 2468 4.8 30 75 189.4
Opponents 13 397 1479 3.1 7 29 94.0

Passing

Name GP-GS Effic Att-Cmp-Int Pct Yds TD Lng Avg/G
Ricky Stanzi 13-10 134.8 254-150-9 59.1 1956 14 59 150.5
Jake Christensen 8-3 117.2 63-36-1 57.1 396 2 40 56.5
Marvin McNutt 2-0 -5.3 3-1-1 33.3 10 0 10 5.0
Total 13 82.3 320-187-11 58.4 2362 16 59   181.7
Opponents 13 98.3 463-256-23 55.3 1222 9 52 197.3

Receiving

Name GP-GS No. Yds Avg TD Long Avg/G
  Derrell Johnson-Koulianos 13-10 44 639 14.5 3 59 49.2
  Andy Brodell 12-12 36 533 14.8 4 45 41.0
  Brandon Myers 13-13 34 441 13.0 4 28 33.9
  Allen Reisner 13-0 11 200 18.2 1 38 15.4
  Tony Moeaki 9-1 13 144 11.1 1 48 16.0
  Trey Stross 11-2 13 109 8.4 1 20 9.9
  Colin Sandeman 13-0 6 76 12.7 2 25 5.8
  Shonn Greene 13-13 8 49 6.1 0 23 3.8
  Brett Morse 12-9 5 40 8.0 0 13 3.3
  Paki O'Meara 10-0 3 33 11.0 0 20 3.3
  Wade Leppert 11-4 5 22 4.4 0 8 2.0
  Ben Evans 2-0 2 20 10.0 0 12 10.0
  Paul Channey Jr. 5-0 2 19 9.5 0 11 3.8
  DeMarco Paine 2-0 3 16 5.3 0 12 8.0
  Marvin McNutt 3-0 1 11 11.0 0 11 3.7
  Don Nordmann 1-0 1 10 10.0 0 10 10.0
Total 13 187 2362 12.6 16 59 181.7
Opponents 13 256 2565 10.0 9 52 197.3

Defense

Name GP Tackles Sacks Pass Defense Interceptions Fumbles Blkd
Kick
Solo Ast Total TFL-Yds No-Yds BrUp QBH No.-Yds Avg TD Long Rcv-Yds FF
  Pat Angerer 13-11 46 61 107 6.5-21 1.0-3 3 3 5-34 6.8 0 14 0-0 0 0
Total

Special teams

Name Punting Kickoffs
No. Yds Avg Long TB FC I20 Blkd No. Yds Avg TB OB
Total
Name Punt Returns Kick Returns
No. Yds Avg TD Long No. Yds Avg TD Long
Total

Postseason awards

Team players in the 2009 NFL draft

Player Position Round Pick NFL club
Shonn Greene Running back 3 65 New York Jets
Bradley Fletcher Cornerback 3 66 St. Louis Rams
Seth Olsen Guard 4 132 Denver Broncos
Brandon Myers Tight end 6 202 Oakland Raiders

[52]

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