IOWA HAWKEYES NOTES:
1ST & TEN
1 – Head coach Kirk Ferentz is one bowl win shy of tying Joe Paterno (10) for most bowl wins as a member of the Big Ten Conference. Ferentz has a 9-9 bowl record with the nine bowl victories tying Barry Alvarez for the second-most in league history
2 – LB Jack Campbell is the recipient of the 2022 William V. Campbell Trophy, an award that recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the nation for their combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. He is the first Hawkeye to receive the honor and the seventh player to be a NFF National Scholar Athlete.
3 – The nation’s top linebacker. LB Jack Campbell is the first Hawkeye to receive the Butkus Award, which is presented to the nation’s top linebacker. The Cedar Falls, Iowa, native had a team-high 118 tackles in 2022, his second straight 100+ tackle season (261 over last two seasons). Campbell was also the Nagurski-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Butkus-Fitzgerald Big Ten Linebacker of the Year in 2022.
4 – TE Sam LaPorta is the second Hawkeye to earn the Kwalick-Clark Big Ten Tight End of the Year Award and he was one of three finalists for the John Mackey Award, which is given to the nation’s top tight end.
5 – RB Kaleb Johnson, an honorable mention Freshman All-American and honorable mention All-Big Ten selection, has three 100-yard games this season – the most by a Hawkeye freshman running back in program history. Johnson has a freshman record 762 yards on 142 attempts this season with a team-high six touchdowns to go along with a team-best 1,114 all-purpose yards.
6 – A stout defense. The Hawkeyes held eight opponents at 10 or fewer points during the regular season – a first for the program since 1929. Iowa is limiting opponents to 277.9 yards and 14.4 points per game. Nine Hawkeye defenders earned All-Big Ten recognition.
7 – Campbell is the 29th Hawkeye to earn consensus All-America honors and the 13th to be a unanimous consensus first-team All-American. It is the fourth straight year Iowa has had a consensus All-American. Under Kirk Ferentz, 26 players have earned first-team All-America status.
8 – New Hawkeye QB… With starting QB Spencer Petras injured and QB Alex Padilla in the transfer portal, the Hawkeyes will turn to QBs Joe Labas or Carson May in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl. Labas is a 6-foot-4 redshirt freshman from Brecksville, Ohio, while May is a 6-4 true freshman from Jones, Oklahoma.
9 – Dynamic Duo… LBs Jack Campbell and Seth Benson have combined for 206 tackles this season. The two All-Big Ten linebackers have combined for 546 tackles in their Hawkeye careers; Campbell is 19th all-time with 295 and Benson is 34th with 251.
10 – K Drew Stevens has made 16-of-18 field goal attempts this season, which are the most by a Hawkeye freshman in program history. Stevens, who earned College Football News second-team All-America honors, is 6-for-8 from 40+ this season, including 2-for-2 from beyond 50. The South Carolina native is leading the team with 69 points.
IOWA TO MEET KENTUCKY AT TRANSPERFECT MUSIC CITY BOWL
The University of Iowa football team will face Kentucky in the 2022 TransPerfect Music City Bowl on Dec. 31 in Nashville, Tennessee. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. (CT) from Nissan Stadium and the game will be televised on ABC.
• The Hawkeyes will be making their 35th bowl game appearance and their first Music City Bowl appearance. Iowa accepted a bid to play in the bowl in 2020 against Missouri, but it was cancelled because of COVID.
• The Hawkeyes are facing Kentucky for a second straight season as the Wildcats edged Iowa, 20- 17, in the 2022 Vrbo Citrus Bowl. Iowa is 6-6 all-time in bowl games against current Southeastern Conference opponents.
• The Hawkeyes have been bowl eligible 21 times in the last 22 seasons. Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz is one bowl win shy of tying Joe Paterno (10) for most bowl wins as a member of the Big Ten Conference. Ferentz has a 9-9 bowl record with his nine wins tying Barry Alvarez for second-most in Big Ten history.
• Eighteen coaches have won 10 or more bowl games in their career. Among active coaches, only Nick Saban (18), Mack Brown (14), Kyle Whittingham (11), Mike Gundy (11) and Dabo Swinney (11) have more bowl wins than Ferentz.
• Since the 2001 season, only Ohio State (12) and Wisconsin (11), within the Big Ten, have more bowl wins (including FCS Playoffs and the BCS championship game), than Iowa. Iowa is 17-16-1 all-time in bowl games.
THE SERIES
• The Hawkeyes are 0-1 all-time against Kentucky, falling 20-17 to the Wildcats in the 2022 Vrbo Citrus Bowl in Orlando.
• Iowa is 6-6 all-time against opponents from the Southeastern Conference in bowl games.
2022 VRBO CITRUS BOWL RECAP
No. 22 Kentucky’s Chris Rodriguez scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:48 remaining and the Wildcats had the game-clinching interception with 48 seconds to play to down the Hawkeyes, 20-17, at the 2022 Vrbo Citrus Bowl in Orlando. QB Spencer Petras completed 19-of-30 attempts for 211 yards and one touchdown, but he was intercepted three times. RBs Gavin and Leshon Williams combined for 140 yards on 26 attempts and TE Sam LaPorta had seven catches for 122 yards and one touchdown. LBs Jack Campbell (14) and Seth Benson (10) combined for 24 tackles in the contest.
HAWKEYE HISTORY
Iowa has played 1,293 games since beginning football in 1889. Iowa’s overall record is 683-571-39 (.543). That includes a 424-227-16 (.648) record in home games, a 259-344-23 (.432) record in games away from Iowa City, a 353-389-25 (.477) mark in Big Ten games and a 308-192-15
(.613) record in Kinnick Stadium.
TROPHY COLLECTION
• Iowa is 2-2 in trophy games this season. The Hawkeyes fell 10-7 to Iowa State in their first trophy game of the 2022 season – the team’s first loss to the Cyclones since 2014. Iowa reclaimed the Heartland Trophy on Nov. 12, downing Wisconsin, 24-10, in Kinnick Stadium and defeated Minnesota for the eighth straight time, winning 13-10, to retain the Floyd of Rosedale trophy. Nebraska downed Iowa, 24-17, in the regular season finale to claim the Heroes Trophy for the first time since 2013.
• Iowa is 27-9 in its last 36 trophy games (includes bowl games and conference championships). The Hawkeyes are 24-8 in their last 32 rivalry trophy games (Iowa State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin).
THE NUMBERS BEHIND THE WINNING STREAK
• The Hawkeyes averaged 23.5 points during their four-game winning streak. Offensively, Iowa averaged 300 yards in the four games with the rushing attack averaging 105.8 yards per game.
• Iowa put together its two best offensive performances in consecutive weeks, finishing with a season-high 33 points and 398 yards total offense against Northwestern and 376 yards total offense at Purdue.
• The team’s rushing attack churned out 178 yards against the Wildcats and a season-high 184 yards in West Lafayette.
• The 398 yards against Northwestern were the most for the team since gaining 428 yards at Maryland (W, 51-14) in 2021.
• Iowa had a season-long 91-yard scoring drive at Purdue, which was capped by Sam LaPorta’s first touchdown reception of the season.
• The Hawkeyes scored on their first four offensive possessions to start the game (FG, TD, FG, TD) against Northwestern and on seven of their eight offensive possessions. (Iowa scored on nine straight offensive possessions at Maryland in 2021).
KJ2 = RECORD
Freshman RB Kaleb Johnson is leading the team with 762 rushing yards on 142 carries, which are the most rushing yards by a Hawkeye freshman in program history (passing Tyler Goodson’s 638 yards, 2019). Johnson has three 100-yard games and a team-high six touchdowns.
• Johnson had his first career 200-yard game (second career 100-yard game), finishing with 200 yards on 22 attempts with one touchdown – his fourth of the season – in the road win at Purdue. The yardage and attempts were both career highs.
• The 200 rushing yards are the 18th-most in a single game in program history and the second-most by a Hawkeye freshman all-time (Marcus Coker, 219 vs. Missouri, Insight Bowl). He is the first Hawkeye to rush for 200 yards in a game since 2015.
• Johnson tallied his third 100-yard game, rushing for 109 yards on 16 attempts with one touchdown against Nebraska. He had a 44-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, tying his third longest rush of the season. Johnson is the first Hawkeye with three 100+ yard rushing games in a single season.
• Johnson had a career-long 75-yard touchdown run on the second play of the third quarter at Purdue. It is Iowa’s longest rush since Tyler Goodson’s 80-yard touchdown run against Wisconsin in 2020.
• Johnson rushed for his first 100-yard game in his third career contest, finishing with 103 yards on seven carries and scoring two touchdowns against Nevada on Sept. 17. The Ohio native had touchdown runs of 40 and 55 yards to become the first Hawkeye in at least the last 20 years to have two rushing touchdowns of 40+ yards in a single game.
• Johnson is the first Iowa freshman to eclipse 100 yards since Tyler Goodson (13-116-1 TD) at Nebraska in 2019. Johnson is also the first Iowa freshman with 100+ yards and two touchdowns in a game since Coker in the 2010 Insight Bowl.
• Johnson has a team-high 1,114 all-purpose yards, averaging 92.8 yards per game. He is averaging 25 yards per kickoff return.
TURNOVER FREE
The Hawkeyes posted a 5-1 record during the regular season when they didn’t commit a turnover. The lone loss was the 27-14 home loss to No. 4 Michigan on Oct. 1.
IOWA’S DEFENSE..
• is No. 1 in FBS, allowing 4.10 yards per play.
• has given up 200 or fewer yards in five games.
• has held opponents to 13 or fewer points in nine of 12 games, eight opponents at 10 or fewer points and three at three or fewer points. It is the first time since 1929 that the defense has allowed 10 or fewer points in eight games. The 1929 team gave up 28 points the entire eight-game season.
• has held eight opponents under 100 yards rushing. Iowa limited Northwestern to 18 yards on Oct. 29 – the fewest since holding Northern Iowa to six yards in 2018. They were the sixth-fewest rushing yards allowed in the Kirk Ferentz era and the fewest allowed against a Big Ten foe since limiting Minnesota to seven yards in 2008.
• has held 10 opponents below their season scoring average and all 12 opponents below their season total offense average.
• kept Purdue out of the end zone, allowing only a second quarter field goal. It was the first time in 62 games (dating back to 2017) that the Boilermakers didn’t score a touchdown.
• is second in defensive touchdowns (4), fourth in total defense (277.9), sixth in scoring defense (14.4), seventh in team passing efficiency defense (108.96), ninth in passing yards allowed (173.8), 11th in first downs defense (193), 13th in rushing defense (104.1), 20th in interceptions (13), 21st in third-down conversion defense (.325) and 25th in turnovers gained (21).
SACK YOU VERY MUCH
Iowa registered a season-high seven sacks against Northwestern, with all seven sacks coming from different Hawkeyes – DL Lukas Van Ness, DL Deontae Craig, DL Ethan Hurkett, DL Logan Lee, DL Noah Shannon, LB Seth Benson and DL Joe Evans. The seven sacks are the most for the
program against a Big Ten team since tallying seven sacks against Northwestern in 2000. (Iowa had seven sacks last season against Kent State.)
• Iowa also had 10 tackles for loss against Northwestern – its second game with 10+ TFL this season. Van Ness leads the team with 9.5 TFL.
DEFENSIVE SCORING
Iowa’s defense extended its pick six streak to 15 consecutive years at Rutgers when sophomore DB Cooper DeJean made an over the shoulder catch and returned the interception 45 yards for his first career touchdown. It was the 30th longest interception return for a touchdown in school history and the 50th all-time. • Iowa leads the Big Ten and ranks third nationally with four defensive touchdowns (two interceptions, two fumble returns). Western Kentucky has a nation-best six defensive touchdowns.
• Iowa’s defense found the end zone a second time in Piscataway when DB Kaevon Merriweather scooped up a Rutgers fumble (forced on a hit by DB Sebastian Castro) and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown. It was the eighth fumble return for a touchdown in school history and the fifth longest in the record books.
• The Hawkeye defense scored its third touchdown at No. 2 Ohio State when DL Joe Evans sacked C.J. Stroud to force a fumble, recovered and returned it 11 yards for his first career touchdown. The score gave Iowa a 7-3 lead in Columbus.
• Iowa had its second pick six of the season against Wisconsin when DeJean picked off Graham Mertz and returned it 32 yards for the touchdown.
• Iowa’s defense has scored 28 points this season via four touchdowns and two safeties.
MIGHTY D
• The Hawkeyes gave up 59 points (9.8 per game) in the first six games. It was the lowest point total for the program through six games since 1956.
• The unit gave up just 20 points in the first four games — the fewest points allowed for the program in 66 years.
• Iowa held Purdue to season lows in points (3) and total yards (255), 189.6 below its season average (444.6). The unit held Purdue QB Aidan O’Connell to a season-low 168 yards and to a 46.5 completion percentage – his lowest of the season. Purdue was just 2-of-16 on third down.
• Iowa held Wisconsin to 10 points and just 51 rushing yards. The 10 points tied a season low and it was just the second time this season the Badgers didn’t rush for 100+ yards.
• The Hawkeyes gave up 360 total yards and 66 rushing yards to No. 2 Ohio State, an offense that was averaging 543.7 yards and 228.0 rushing yards per game.
• Iowa gave up 151 yards of total offense to a Nevada offense that was averaging 336.3 yards per game. It was the second time this season Iowa allowed 151 yards or fewer (120 vs. South Dakota State). It was the first time since 1986 that Iowa’s defense has given up 160 or fewer (125 at Iowa State, 159 vs. NIU, 150 vs. UTEP) in the team’s first three games.
• Iowa’s passing defense held the Wolfpack to 82 yards, tied for the 13th fewest in a game in the Kirk Ferentz era. The Hawkeyes have held three opponents under 100 yards passing (87 vs. South Dakota State, 87 at Minnesota).
KENTUCKY WILDCATS NOTES:
UK FACES IOWA IN TRANSPERFECT MUSIC CITY BOWL
For the second consecutive season, Kentucky and Iowa will meet during bowl season, as the schools follow up their meeting in the VrboCitrus Bowl to conclude the 2021 season, a 20-17 UK victory, with a showdown in the Transperfect Music City Bowl. It marks UK’s seventh consecutive bowl appearance, 22nd all-time and record sixth in the Nashville event. UK will be without the services of quarterback Will Levis and third-leading career rusher Chris Rodriguez Jr. after they opted out of the game. The Cats should still have plenty of weapons, including star freshman receivers Barion Brown, who is from Nashville, and Dane Key. The game also features a pair of top 20 defenses in what could be a physical, hard-hitting rematch.
QUICK NOTES
• UK is 12-9 all-time in bowl games. The Cats are appearing in a school-record seventh straight bowl. The Cats have won their last four bowl games.
• UK is appearing in the Transperfect Music City Bowl for the sixth time, the most of any participating schools. The Cats have a 2-3 record in the Music City Bowl, defeating Clemson (2006) and Florida State (2007) and losing to Syracuse (1999), Clemson (2009) and Northwestern (2017).
• Kentucky is coming off its fourth-straight win over intrastate rival Louisville, defeating the Cardinals, 26-13, on Nov. 26 at Kroger Field in Lexington. It also marked UK’s fifth-straight victory in the regular-season finale, first time in school history that has been accomplished.
• The Wildcats improved their streak to 20 straight nonconference wins, the longest such active streak in FBS, which dates back to the 2017 Music City Bowl loss to Northwestern.
• In their regular-season finale, Kentucky continued its streak of holding 15 of its last 16 opponents to 24 points or less as the defense continues to prove it’s one of the strongest in the conference. The Wildcats concluded the regular season ranked 20th in the nation in total defense (320.2 ypg) and 12th in scoring defense (19.1 ppg).
• On the other side of the ball, quarterback Will Levis concluded the regular season ranked fourth in the SEC and 27th in the nation in passing efficiency (151.9 rating points), while he also concluded the regular season ranked seventh in the league and 29th in the nation in
completion percentage (65.4). However, Levis has opted out and will not play in the bowl.
• Running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. put an exclamation point on his career at Kentucky, amassing 3,644 rushing yards after recording his school record 20th game of 100-plus rushing yards against Louisville on Nov. 26. His 3,644 rushing yards in his career are the third-most in program history. However, he has opted out and will not play ni the bowl.
• Seventeen different players have recorded at least one reception this season.
• The Wildcats have had 41 different offensive and defensive players start at least one game this season, which is 12th most in the nation. New Mexico leads the nation with 50 different starters in 2022.
• This is head coach Mark Stoops’ 10th year as head coach at UK, making him the longest tenured coach in program history. With Kentucky’s win at then-No. 12/19 Florida on Sept. 10, he surpassed Paul “Bear” Bryant as the winningest head coach in program history and now has a 66-58 overall record.
• Stoops is the second-longest tenured active head coach in the SEC, behind Alabama’s Nick Saban, and the ninth-longest in the nation (FBS).
• He has inked a contract extension that will keep him in Lexington through June 2031 with amended financial terms.
• Stoops began his tenure at Kentucky 12-26 (.316) (2013 – through first two games of 2016). He has since gone 54-32 (.623) (2016 – present).
• Stoops was on the midseason watch lists for the Bobby Dodd and Paul “Bear” Bryant National Coach of the Year Awards. He was also named the honorary head coach of the 2022 Allstate American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team for his work with the Kentucky Children’s Hospital.
• The Wildcats’ nationally-ranked defense is filled with experienced defenders, including seniors Jacquez Jones, Keidron Smith, DeAndre Square, Tyrell Ajian and Jordan Wright and juniors J.J. Weaver and Carrington Valentine.
• Senior linebacker DeAndre Square joins former Wildcat Josh Paschal (2019-21) as the only players in school history to be elected team captain three straight seasons.
• The Wildcats have 40 wins in the last four-plus seasons, which is the fifth most in the SEC and tied for 16th among Power Five programs.
• The Wildcats are tied for second in the SEC East with Florida (54) in wins from 2016 – present (54) and only behind Georgia (78).
• Last season, Kentucky finished 10-3 and won the Vrbo Citrus Bowl for the second time in the past four seasons, defeating No. 15 Iowa, 20-17, on Jan. 1, 2022.
• All three of UK’s second-place SEC East finishes have been in the last seven seasons under Mark Stoops.
• UK has recorded multiple wins against ranked teams in four of the past five seasons, including this season (three in 2018, two in 2020, two in 2021, two in 2022). Before 2018, the Cats had just one season with multiple wins against ranked foes in the previous 40 years (two in 2007).
• Kentucky has 11 players in school history who have rushed for at least 1,900 career yards. Four of those have come during Stoops’ tenure – Benny Snell Jr. (3,873), Chris Rodriguez Jr. (3,644), Stanley “Boom” Williams (2,511) and A.J. Rose (1,971).
• Since Brad White joined the staff in 2018, including defensive coordinator since 2019, UK has been ranked in the top 25 in total defense in three seasons (2018, ‘19, and ‘21) and twice in scoring defense (2018 and ‘19). UK concluded the regular season in the top 20 in both categories in 2022.
• UK has allowed 30 or fewer points in 57 of its past 64 games, including 42 of the last 49 games since Brad White became coordinator, and has held its last 15 of 16 opponents to 24 points or less (then-No. 3/3 Tennessee scored 44 points on Oct. 29).
• UK has allowed fewer than 400 yards in 13 of its last 15 games (then-No. 3/3 Tennessee combined for 422 yards on Oct. 29 and Vanderbilt tallied 448 on Nov. 12).
• During Stoops’ tenure, the Wildcats have had nine different starting quarterbacks win a game in Jalen Whitlow, Maxwell Smith, Patrick Towles, Drew Barker, Stephen Johnson, Luke Wright, Lynn Bowden Jr., Terry Wilson and Will Levis.
• Since 2016, UK is 21-10 (.677) in games decided by seven points or less.
• The Wildcats signed their highest-rated recruiting class in school history in 2022. Six of the first-year players are seeing significant action.
KENTUCKY IN BOWL GAMES
• The Wildcats own a 12-9 all-time record in bowl games, including a 4-2 record under head coach Mark Stoops.
• UK is appearing in its school-record seventh straight bowl game.
• Kentucky has won four straight bowl games which is tied with Northwestern, Syracuse, Texas and Troy for the third-longest active streak in FBS. The Cats defeated Penn State, Virginia Tech, N.C. State and Iowa for their bowl game winning streak.
• UK is appearing in the Transperfect Music City Bowl for the sixth time, the most of any participating school. The Cats have a 2-3 record in the Music City Bowl, defeating Clemson (2006) and Florida State (2007) and losing to Syracuse (1999), Clemson (2009) and Northwestern (2017).
Bowl Games : Consecutive bowl game wins
Alabama 7 years – 2015 .. 2021
Minnesota 5 years – 2015 .. 2021
Kentucky 4 years – 2018 .. 2021
Northwestern 4 years – 2016 .. 2020
Syracuse 4 years – 2010 .. 2018
Texas 4 years – 2017 .. 2020
Troy 4 years – 2010 .. 2018
KENTUCKY-IOWA SERIES
• This marks UK’s second meeting against Big Ten member Iowa, both coming in bowl games the past two seasons.
• Kentucky is 30-37-4 all-time against current Big Ten members.
• UK defeated Iowa, 20-17, in the teams’ first matchup, a thrilling game in the Vrbo CitrusBowl on January 1, 2022. The Cats mounted a last-minute scoring drive and then sealed the victoy on an interception by inside linebacker DeAndre Square.
A UK WIN WOULD…
• Be Kentucky’s fifth straight bowl win, improving its school-record streak of consecutive bowl wins.
• Give Kentucky eight wins, the fourth time in the last five seasons, and the 16th time all-time, UK has finished with at least eight wins.
• Be the school’s 13th bowl victory overall and third in the Music City Bowl.
• Extend Stoops’ all-time school records for wins (67).
• Improve Kentucky’s nation-leading nonconference winning streak to 21 games.
KENTUCKY VS. THE RANKED
• Kentucky has played 265 ranked teams in the Associated Press poll in its history, while the Wildcats are 50-210-5 in those games.
• The Wildcats are 2-3 against ranked teams this season, defeating then-No. 12/19 Florida on the road and then-No. 16/17 Mississippi State at home.
• The Cats fell to then-No. 14/11 Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi, in a heartbreaking, 22- 19, loss and it lost to then-No. 3/3 Tennessee on the road, 44-6.
• The Cats played top-ranked Georgia tough before falling 16-6.
• Kentucky has won five of its last nine ranked meetings, including No. 23 NC State in 2020, No. 10 Florida and No. 17 Iowa in 2021, and No. 12 Florida and No. 16 Mississippi State in 2022.
• Since 2015, the Wildcats are 11-15 against ranked teams.
• Kentucky has a 7-5 all-time record against ranked teams in bowl games.
• UK has defeated its last three ranked opponents in bowl games.
