Brian Ferentz, the University of Iowa's offensive coordinator in 2023, wearing a headset and white team-branded shirt, speaks to a referee on the field during a game.
With a victory over Illinois on Senior Day, Iowa secured the Big Ten West title for the third time. A win over rivalNebraska in the regular season finale completed a 10-win regular season. They competed in the Big Ten Championship Game against the East Division champion No. 2 Michigan, where they were shutout by the eventual national champions 26–0. The Hawkeyes ended the 2023 season with a 35–0 shutout loss to No. 21 Tennessee in the Citrus Bowl.
The team became infamous over the course of the season for their great defense being paired with a historically terrible offense, causing some to call them the "Best Worst Team Ever".[2][3] The four lowest over-unders in college football history were set in games involving the 2023 Hawkeyes, the lowest being 24.5 against Nebraska.[4][5] In each of those four games the final combined score was below the line. On October 30, it was announced that offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz would not be retained in 2024, but would be allowed to finish the rest of the 2023 season. At the time of the announcement, the Hawkeyes' offense was averaging 19.5 points per game, ranking 120th out of 133 in the FBS.[6]
In 2026, the NCAA ruled that quarterback Cade McNamara was ineligible to play for Iowa due to tampering violations, as Kirk Ferentz and assistant coah Jon Budmayr had broken NCAA rules by contacting McNamara before he entered the transfer portal. As a result, the NCAA forced Iowa to vacate the four victories in which McNamara played before he suffered a season-ending injury. The four games Iowa vacated were the wins over Utah State, Iowa State, Western Michigan, and Michigan State.[7]
Preseason
Iowa lost several players in the transfer portal, including top two wide receivers Keagan Johnson and Arland Bruce IV, backup quarterback Alex Padilla, and running back Gavin Williams. Two top defensive players, cornerback Terry Roberts and linebacker Jestin Jacobs, transferred to Miami and Oregon, respectively.
The Hawkeyes' season opener was the first matchup in the series since a 48–7 win in 2002. It was also the first Iowa career start for Cade McNamara who threw for 191 yards and two touchdowns to start out the year 1–0.[44][45]
The Hawks avenged last season's 10–7 defeat by collecting their sixth straight victory at Jack Trice Stadium, earning Kirk Ferentz his 200th collegiate career win.[46][47][48]
Anthony Sambucci 64-yard pass from Treyson Bourguet (Palmer Domschke kick)
WMU 7–0
2
8:26
Iowa
Diante Vines 3-yard pass from Cade McNamara (Drew Stevens kick)
Tied 7–7
4:45
WMU
Palmer Domschke 27-yard field goal
WMU 10–7
1:29
Iowa
Leshon Williams 25-yard pass from Cade McNamara (Drew Stevens kick)
Iowa 14–10
3
7:30
Iowa
Safety, blocked punt through the end zone
Iowa 16–10
4:02
Iowa
Kamari Moulton 3-yard run (Erick All pass from Cade McNamara)
Iowa 24–10
2:10
Iowa
Kamari Moulton 1-yard run (Drew Stevens kick)
Iowa 31–10
4
5:20
Iowa
Drew Stevens 31-yard field goal
Iowa 34–10
0:30
Iowa
Max White 2-yard run (Drew Stevens kick)
Iowa 41–10
The Hawkeyes evened the all-time series (2–2), building on the 59–3 victory in 2013. A blocked punt in the third quarter that resulted in a safety proved to be the turning point in cementing Iowa's upper hand. After trailing 10–7 in the second quarter, the Hawks scored the final 34 points of the game.[49][50]
In a game played under the lights in Happy Valley between two unbeaten top 25 teams, Iowa was humbled by the Nittany Lions. The Hawkeyes, wearing alternate uniforms, were dominated in every phase of the game.[51][52]
Erick All 13-yard pass from Deacon Hill (Drew Stevens kick)
Iowa 10–6
0:00
MSU
Jonathan Kim 58-yard field goal
Iowa 10–9
3
13:08
MSU
Cal Haladay 42-yard fumble return (Jonathan Kim kick)
MSU 16–10
7:38
Iowa
Drew Stevens 53-yard field goal
MSU 16–13
4
5:19
Iowa
Drew Stevens 36-yard field goal
Tied 16–16
3:45
Iowa
Cooper DeJean 70-yard punt return (Drew Stevens kick)
Iowa 23–16
0:59
Iowa
Drew Stevens 34-yard field goal
Iowa 26–16
Iowa recorded back-to-back victories in series for first time since 2009–2010. The Spartans were looking to avenge a humbling loss from their last visit – 49–7 in 2020 – during a week where there head coach Mel Tucker was fired. With Cade McNamara suffering a season-ending knee injury in the first quarter the offense continued to struggle. Cooper DeJean returned a punt 70 yards to give Iowa the lead for good with under four minutes left. This game marked Kirk Ferentz's 200th Big Ten Conference regular season game as Iowa's head coach (116–84).[53][54][55]
TJ Sheffield 43-yard pass from Hudson Card (Julio Macias kick)
Iowa 10–7
3
7:58
Iowa
Drew Stevens 23-yard field goal
Iowa 13–7
4
14:24
Iowa
Erick All 22-yard pass from Deacon Hill (Drew Stevens kick)
Iowa 20–7
2:54
Purdue
Devin Mockobee 2-yard run (Julio Macias kick)
Iowa 20–14
Purdue had won two of the last three at Kinnick Stadium, the latter of which spoiled the Hawkeyes' homecoming, unbeaten record, and No. 2 AP ranking. They had a chance to win again but were held on a fourth down. This was the first start for QB Deacon Hill in the 1,300th game in Iowa program history. He struggled in the first half but settled down in the second.[56][57][58]
Iowa won at Wisconsin for the first time since 2015 and recorded back-to-back wins in rivalry series for the first time since 2008–2009. This was a defensive struggle with both teams trading punt after punt. The Hawkeyes never trailed in the game and grabbed a hold of the Big Ten West lead.[59][60][61]
The Hawkeyes, ranked in the top 25 again after a 3-week absence, had won eight straight and 9 of 10 in the series entering the game. Minnesota won at Kinnick Stadium for the first time since 1999. A controversial penalty upset Iowa fans at the end of the game, negating a potential game-winning touchdown by Cooper DeJean.[62][63]
Iowa has won four of five in this series. The game at Wrigley Field was the first time the Hawkeyes have played on a baseball field since the 2017 Pinstripe Bowl. The game was yet another defensive struggle with neither team even scoring in the first half. Hawkeye kicker Drew Stevens nailed a 52-yard field goal with seconds left to defeat the Wildcats.[64][65][66][67]
Kaleb Brown 10-yard pass from Deacon Hill (Drew Stevens kick)
Iowa 22–0
Kirk Ferentz has yet to lose to Rutgers, and this victory tied him with Bo Schembechler in career wins (194) as a Big Ten coach. After struggling to score in the first half, the Hawkeyes found their rhythm in the second. Iowa is now 4–0 against the Scarlet Knights all-time, shutting them out for a second time.[68][69]
Safety, John Paddock sacked in end zone by Joe Evans
Iowa 2–0
3:19
ILL
Caleb Griffin 52-yard field goal
Illinois 3–2
2
10:20
Iowa
Addison Ostrenga 4-yard pass from Deacon Hill (Drew Stevens kick)
Iowa 9–3
6:53
ILL
Reggie Love III 1-yard run (Caleb Griffin kick)
Illinois 10–9
4
14:56
ILL
Caleb Griffin 29-yard field goal
Illinois 13–9
4:43
Iowa
Kaleb Johnson 30-yard run (Drew Stevens kick blocked)
Iowa 15–13
Illinois broke a long losing streak in the series in previous year, but has not won at Kinnick Stadium since 1999. A victory on Senior Day gave the Hawkeyes the Big Ten West outright, and Kirk Ferentz moved all alone into third place in career wins as a Big Ten head coach.[70][71][72]
In this rivalry matchup, No. 17 Iowa racked up its 10th win of the season, its sixth straight win in Lincoln, and kept Nebraska from reaching bowl eligibility for the first time since 2016 as they recaptured the Heroes Trophy. After having two field goals blocked earlier in the game, Iowa kicked a game-winner as time expired to escape with the victory.[73][74][75]
Fox's Big Noon Kickoff was on hand for this top 20 match-up. Iowa was attempting to defeat Michigan for the first time since 2016 and earn the program's first outright Big Ten title since 1985, but it wasn't to be. Two years after being humbled by the Wolverines in the Big The Championship Game, the Hawkeyes were unable to pose a scoring threat in this one and were blanked 26–0.[76][77]
Iowa made its second Citrus Bowl appearance in three years and third overall. The Hawkeyes, looking to redeem themselves in three phases - being shut out in previous game, a narrow loss in last Citrus Bowl appearance, and being blown out by Tennessee in a bowl game nine years prior, were dominated from start to finish in Brian Ferentz's last game as offensive coordinator.[78][79][80][81]
