The 2008 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 coll ...
and the
Iowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football program represents the University of Iowa in college football. The Hawkeyes compete in the West division of the Big Ten Conference. Iowa joined the Conference (then known as the Western Conference or Big Nine) in 1899 ...
program in the
2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the highest level of college football competition in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
The regular season began on August 28, 2008 and ended on D ...
. Coached by
Kirk Ferentz
Kirk James Ferentz (born August 1, 1955) is an American football coach. He is the current head football coach at the University of Iowa, a position he has held since the 1999 season. From 1990 to 1992, Ferentz was the head football coach at the ...
, the Hawkeyes played their seven home games in
Kinnick Stadium
Nile Kinnick Stadium is a stadium located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the home stadium of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes football team. First opened in 1929 as Iowa Stadium to replace Iowa Field, it currently holds up to 69,250 p ...
.
Leading up to the season
Previous season

Iowa opened the 2007 season on September 1, 2007, against
Northern Illinois
Northern Illinois is a region generally covering the northern third of the U.S. state of Illinois. The region is by far the most populous of Illinois with nearly 9.7 million residents as of 2010.
Economics
Northern Illinois is dominated by t ...
in a game played at
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side, Chicago, Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Foot ...
in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Roc ...
.
Hawkeye
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball,
and block. The ...
s 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.
The next week, Iowa defeated Syracuse in the Hawkeyes' home opener, 35–0.
Jake Christensen threw for 278 yards and four
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Americ ...
s as the Hawkeye defense held the Orange to just five
first downs
A down is a period in which a play transpires in gridiron football. The down is a distinguishing characteristic of the game compared to other codes of football, but is synonymous with a "tackle" in rugby league. The team in possession of the ...
and 103 yards of total offense in Syracuse's worst defeat since a 51–14 loss to
Georgia Tech
The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part o ...
in the 2004
Champs Sports Bowl
The Pop-Tarts Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that is played in Orlando, Florida, at Camping World Stadium. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group which also organizes the Citrus Bowl and the Florida Clas ...
.
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.
Following the first two games – which saw the Iowa defense give up only three points – the Hawkeyes traveled to
Ames,
Iowa
Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...
, to play 0–2
Iowa State
Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...
on September 15.
The Cyclones began the season with losses to
Kent State
Kent State University (KSU) is a public research university in Kent, Ohio. The university also includes seven regional campuses in Northeast Ohio and additional facilities in the region and internationally. Regional campuses are located in Ash ...
and
Northern Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois ...
, but had won six out of the last nine games against the Hawkeyes, including three of the last four played at
Jack Trice Stadium
Jack Trice Stadium (originally Cyclone Stadium and formerly Jack Trice Field, sometimes referred to as "the Jack") is a stadium located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Primarily used for college football, it is the home field of the Iowa State C ...
. Iowa fell behind by 12 at
half-time
In several team sports, matches are played in two halves. Half-time (also written halftime or half time) is the name given to the interval between the two halves of the match. Typically, after half-time, teams swap ends of the field of play in or ...
, and lost, 15–13, starting yet another four-game losing streak.
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker (PK or K), is the player in gridiron football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals and extra points. In many cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist or punter.
Sp ...
Bret Culbertson scored all of Iowa State's points on five
field goals
A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ball ...
, the last coming with one second remaining.

Following a 20-point loss at
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855 as the Farmers' High ...
on October 6,
[ ] which was preceded by losses to
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
and
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...
,
the Hawkeyes returned to Kinnick Stadium for a game against
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Roc ...
, who was coming into the game after home victories over Penn State and Wisconsin.
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.
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
Curtis Jeffrey Painter (born June 24, 1985) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft.
High school career ...
threw for 315 yards and three touchdowns for Purdue, who had lost to the Hawkeyes, 47–17, only a year earlier.
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
Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways:
*by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society) ...
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 conversion, try (American football, also known as a point(s) after touchdown, PAT, or (depending on the number of points) extra point/2-point conversion), or convert (Canadian football) occurs immediately after a touchdown during which the sc ...
, 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.

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.
Later, on November 10, Iowa defeated Minnesota, 21–16, to reclaim the
Floyd of Rosedale
Floyd may refer to:
As a name
* Floyd (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Floyd (surname), a list of people and fictional characters
Places in the United States
* Floyd, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Floyd, Io ...
trophy. With one home game remaining against
Western Michigan, Iowa held a three-game winning streak and a 6–5 overall record.
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.
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.
Coaching rumors
Following Michigan's loss to Appalachian State, rumors about the possibility of Ferentz becoming Michigan's head coach began to circulate.
LSU coach
Les Miles
Leslie Edwin Miles (born November 10, 1953) is a former American football coach. He most recently served as the head coach at Kansas. His head coaching career began with the Oklahoma State Cowboys, where he coached from 2001 to 2004. Following t ...
was widely believed to be Michigan's top choice for the job,
but any chance of that happening likely ended when LSU extended Miles' contract through 2012.
Ferentz's relationship with Michigan president
Mary Sue Coleman
Mary Sue Wilson Coleman (born October 2, 1943) is an American chemist and academic administrator who served as the president of the University of Iowa from 1995 to 2002, the 13th president of the University of Michigan from 2002 to 2014, and ...
may have contributed to the rumor, as Coleman was the president at Iowa when Ferentz was hired.
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.
It was a point reiterated by
Gary Barta
Gary Barta (born September 4, 1963) is the current athletic director at the University of Iowa.
Before coming to Iowa, Barta was the athletic director at the University of Wyoming from 2003 to 2006. In early 2005, Barta was a finalist for the at ...
, Iowa's
athletic director
An athletic director (commonly "athletics director" or "AD") is an administrator at many American clubs or institutions, such as colleges and university, universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of c ...
.
[ ] Ferentz's contract has a clause requiring him to contact Barta when talking to other schools,
which indicates that he was not a candidate to become Michigan's next head coach. On December 16, West Virginia's
Rich Rodriguez
Richard Alan Rodriguez (; born May 24, 1963), also known as Rich Rod, is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach at Jacksonville State University. Rodriguez previously was the head football coach at Salem Uni ...
was hired as Carr's successor at Michigan.
Soon thereafter, Ferentz was once again rumored for a coaching job, this time for the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays it ...
. Ferentz was an assistant head coach at Baltimore for six years,
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
A freshman, fresher, first year, or frosh, is a person in the first year at an educational institution, usually a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions.
A ...
at Iowa in 2008 – play every weekend.
The Ravens eventually hired
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
secondary coach
John Harbaugh
John William Harbaugh (born September 23, 1962) is an American football coach who is the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). Previously, he coached the defensive backs for the Philadelphia Eagles and s ...
on January 18, 2008.
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
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
seniors. James Ferentz, Kirk's son, is among the players committed to play for Iowa in 2008.
Schedule
The Hawkeyes opened the 2008 season with three home games against
Maine
Maine () is a U.S. state, state in the New England and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and territories of Canad ...
,
Florida International, and Iowa State, followed by a road game versus Pittsburgh.
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
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
in 2016.
Pitt closed the 2007 season with an upset victory over second-ranked
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...
. Had the Mountaineers won, they would have likely played in the
national championship game.
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.
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.
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.
Iowa lost to both teams in 2007 by 20 points or more.
A week following the Hawkeyes' final home game against Purdue, Iowa will play Minnesota in the Gophers' home finale.
[ ] Minnesota will look to take back the Floyd of Rosedale trophy a year after Iowa won it for the sixth time in seven years.
The game will likely also be Minnesota's last at the
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (commonly called the Metrodome) was a domed sports stadium located in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It opened in 1982 as a replacement for Metropolitan Stadium, the former home of the National Football League' ...
.
Two of Iowa's games – vs. Northwestern and at Michigan State – have been scheduled for 11:00 AM starts.
The season finale against Minnesota has been set for a 6:00 p.m. start time.
Personnel
Coaches
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
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays it ...
and a heading coaching job at Maine.
Earlier in his career, Ferentz was an assistant coach under
Hayden Fry
John Hayden Fry (February 28, 1929 – December 17, 2019) was an American college football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Southern Methodist University (SMU) from 1962 to 1972, North Texas State University—now know ...
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.
Norm Parker, Iowa's
defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator is a coach responsible for a gridiron football (American football) team's defense. Generally, the defensive coordinator, the offensive coordinator and the special teams coordinator represent the second level of a team's c ...
, will also be in his tenth year at Iowa.
The same can also be said for
Ken O'Keefe, Iowa's
offensive coordinator.
Under Parker, Iowa's rushing defense has nationally ranked in the top 10 in three seasons. Parker has also coached several
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, pl ...
s now playing in the
NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the maj ...
, including
Chad Greenway,
Abdul Hodge, and
LeVar Woods
LeVar Woods (born March 15, 1978) is the special teams coach at the University of Iowa, where he played linebacker during his college career. As a professional football player, he was originally signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted fre ...
. Before coming to Iowa, Parker coached 12 seasons at Michigan State, five at Minnesota, and three at Illinois.
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
he, תגל ערבה ותפרח כחבצלת
, mottoeng = "Add to your faith, virtue and to your faith, knowledge" ( 2 Peter 1:5)"The desert shall rejoice and the blossom as the rose" (Isaiah 35:1)
, faculty = 193 ...
, where he won a
Division III national title in 1990. He was also head coach at
Fordham University
Fordham University () is a Private university, private Jesuit universities, Jesuit research university in New York City. Established in 1841 and named after the Fordham, Bronx, Fordham neighborhood of the The Bronx, Bronx in which its origina ...
for one year before coming to Iowa.
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
In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numbe ...
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
Mike Klinkenborg, born January 19, 1985, was a starting middle linebacker for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes football team. Born and raised in a farm near Rock Rapids, Iowa, Klinkenborg is an elementary education major at Iowa and has 145 career ...
and Mike Humpal along with
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is p ...
s
Kenny Iwebema and
Bryan Mattison.
Cornerback
A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create turnove ...
s
Adam Shada
Adam; el, Ἀδάμ, Adám; la, Adam is the name given in Genesis 1-5 to the first human. Beyond its use as the name of the first man, ''adam'' is also used in the Bible as a pronoun, individually as "a human" and in a collective sense as ...
and
Charles Godfrey are also done with their playing days at Iowa.
Godfrey, who completed 2007 with five
interception
In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team ...
s,
was regarded as a possible third- to sixth-round draft pick in the
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft was the 73rd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 26 and April 27 ...
before being picked in the third-round.
Another Iowa player, Devan Moylan, is seeking for another year after missing most of 2007 with an injury.
Returnees on offense include
Jake Christensen
Jake Christensen (born August 15, 1986) is former American football quarterback for the Dresden Monarchs football team in the German Football League. His father is former National Football League veteran Jeff Christensen, who played for the Cinc ...
, who succeeded
Drew Tate
Drew Tate (born October 8, 1984) is an American gridiron football coach and former player. He is the tight ends coach at the University of Northern Iowa, a position he had held since 2022. He played college football as a quarterback at the Unive ...
at the
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
position. Christensen threw for 2,269 yards and 17
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Americ ...
s in his
sophomore
In the United States, a sophomore ( or ) is a person in the second year at an educational institution; usually at a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of Post-secondary school, post-secondary educati ...
season, while throwing only six interceptions. Also returning are 11
true freshmen
Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically, a student's athletic eligibility in a given sport is four seasons, aligning with th ...
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
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...
and
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...
, who played 38 and 33 freshmen respectively.
Season
Maine
*Source:''
Box Score
Iowa was able to push visiting Maine around in this opening day victory. Running back duo
Shonn Greene
Shonn Greene (born August 21, 1985) is a former American football running back. He played college football for the University of Iowa, where in 2008, he was recognized as a unanimous All-American and also won the Doak Walker Award and the J ...
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
Iowa shutout visiting Florida International in this blowout win.
Ricky Stanzi had three touchdowns on just 10 passing attempts and
Shonn Greene
Shonn Greene (born August 21, 1985) is a former American football running back. He played college football for the University of Iowa, where in 2008, he was recognized as a unanimous All-American and also won the Doak Walker Award and the J ...
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 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
Jake Christensen (born August 15, 1986) is former American football quarterback for the Dresden Monarchs football team in the German Football League. His father is former National Football League veteran Jeff Christensen, who played for the Cinc ...
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 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
LeSean Kamel McCoy (born July 12, 1988), nicknamed "Shady", is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Pittsburgh and was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in t ...
. 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.
Northwestern
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. 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.
Michigan State
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
Shonn Greene (born August 21, 1985) is a former American football running back. He played college football for the University of Iowa, where in 2008, he was recognized as a unanimous All-American and also won the Doak Walker Award and the J ...
and Spartans' eventual NFL fifth-round draft pick
Javon Ringer, the nation's No. 6 and No. 2-ranked rushers at that point, respectively. 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
Kirk James Ferentz (born August 1, 1955) is an American football coach. He is the current head football coach at the University of Iowa, a position he has held since the 1999 season. From 1990 to 1992, Ferentz was the head football coach at the ...
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.
Indiana
Wisconsin
Shonn Greene
Shonn Greene (born August 21, 1985) is a former American football running back. He played college football for the University of Iowa, where in 2008, he was recognized as a unanimous All-American and also won the Doak Walker Award and the J ...
had arguably the best game of his
Doak Walker Award
Since 1990 the Doak Walker Award honors the top running back in college football in the United States. It is named in honor of Doak Walker, a former running back who played for the SMU Mustangs from 1945 to 1949 and in the National Football Lea ...
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
Penn State
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
Minnesota
This was the final college football game at the
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (commonly called the Metrodome) was a domed sports stadium located in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It opened in 1982 as a replacement for Metropolitan Stadium, the former home of the National Football League' ...
. 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
Shonn Greene (born August 21, 1985) is a former American football running back. He played college football for the University of Iowa, where in 2008, he was recognized as a unanimous All-American and also won the Doak Walker Award and the J ...
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
Shonn Greene
Shonn Greene (born August 21, 1985) is a former American football running back. He played college football for the University of Iowa, where in 2008, he was recognized as a unanimous All-American and also won the Doak Walker Award and the J ...
was unstoppable in this
Outback Bowl
The ReliaQuest Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, usually on New Year's Day. The event has been formerly called the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1995 and the Outback Bowl from 1996 to ...
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
Scores by quarter
Offense
Rushing
Passing
Receiving
Defense
Special teams
Postseason Awards
*
Shonn Greene
Shonn Greene (born August 21, 1985) is a former American football running back. He played college football for the University of Iowa, where in 2008, he was recognized as a unanimous All-American and also won the Doak Walker Award and the J ...
- Winner of the
Doak Walker Award
Since 1990 the Doak Walker Award honors the top running back in college football in the United States. It is named in honor of Doak Walker, a former running back who played for the SMU Mustangs from 1945 to 1949 and in the National Football Lea ...
, presented to the nation's top running back. Also received
consensus first-team All-American honors and was named
Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.
*
Mitch King - Named
Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year
Team players in the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft Listing Pro-Football-Reference.com
/ref>
References
{{Iowa Hawkeyes football navbox
Iowa
Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...
Iowa Hawkeyes football seasons
ReliaQuest Bowl champion seasons
Iowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football program represents the University of Iowa in college football. The Hawkeyes compete in the West division of the Big Ten Conference. Iowa joined the Conference (then known as the Western Conference or Big Nine) in 1899 ...