2015 Iowa Hawkeyes football team

The 2015 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Hawkeyes, led by 17th year head coach Kirk Ferentz, were members of the West Division of the Big Ten Conference and played their home games at Kinnick Stadium. Despite modest expectations entering the season, the team finished 12–2 overall and 8–0 in Big Ten play to win the West Division. After losing a classic to Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship Game, the Hawkeyes were invited to the 2016 Rose Bowl where they were beaten by Stanford. The team established a new single-season school record for wins.

2015 Iowa Hawkeyes football
Big Ten West Division champion
Rose Bowl, L 16–45 vs. Stanford
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
DivisionWest Division
Ranking
CoachesNo. 10
APNo. 9
Record12–2 (8–0 Big Ten)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorGreg Davis (4th season)
Offensive schemeMultiple
Defensive coordinatorPhil Parker (4th season)
Base defense4–3
CaptainC. J. Beathard
Austin Blythe
Jordan Lomax
Drew Ott
Home stadiumKinnick Stadium
Seasons
← 2014
2016 →
2015 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
No. 6 Michigan State xy$^   7 1     12 2  
No. 4 Ohio State x   7 1     12 1  
No. 12 Michigan   6 2     10 3  
Penn State   4 4     7 6  
Indiana   2 6     6 7  
Rutgers   1 7     4 8  
Maryland   1 7     3 9  
West Division
No. 9 Iowa xy   8 0     12 2  
No. 23 Northwestern   6 2     10 3  
No. 21 Wisconsin   6 2     10 3  
Nebraska   3 5     6 7  
Minnesota   2 6     6 7  
Illinois   2 6     5 7  
Purdue   1 7     2 10  
Championship: Michigan State 16, Iowa 13
  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

2015 commitments

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US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight 40 Commit date
Ryan Boyle
QB
West Des Moines, IA Dowling Catholic High School 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 204 lb (93 kg) 4.6 Mar 26, 2014 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Drew Cook
ATH
Iowa City, IA Iowa City Regina High School 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 208 lb (94 kg) 4.7 Feb 26, 2014 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
James Daniels
C
Warren, OH Warren G. Harding High School 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 287 lb (130 kg) 5.2 Jul 31, 2014 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Adrian Falconer
WR
Leesburg, FL Leesburg High School 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 186 lb (84 kg) 4.5 Jun 21, 2014 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Angelo Garbutt
OLB
Carrollton, TX Hebron High School 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 207 lb (94 kg) 4.5 Mar 2, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Eric Graham
RB
Prattville, AL Autauga Academy 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 197 lb (89 kg) 4.4 Apr 2, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPNN/A
Jack Hockaday
OLB
Maroa, IL Maroa-Forsyth High School 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 203 lb (92 kg) 4.6 Mar 29, 2014 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Garret Jansen
DE
Pella, IA Pella High School 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 248 lb (112 kg) 5.0 Jan 30, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Justin Jinning
OLB
The Colony, TX The Colony High School 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 4.7 Jun 23, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Ron Nash
WR
Sioux City, IA Iowa Western Community College 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 195 lb (88 kg) NA Mar 31, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: ScoutN/A   RivalsN/A   247SportsN/A    ESPNN/A
Anthony Nelson
DE
Waukee, IA Waukee High School 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 213 lb (97 kg) 4.9 May 1, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Jake Newborg
OG
Inwood, IA West Lyon High School 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 271 lb (123 kg) 5.0 Aug 31, 2014 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Emmanuel Ogwo
WR
Mesquite, TX Van Horn High School 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 4.6 Jul 30, 2014 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPNN/A
Levi Paulsen
OT
Moville, IA Woodbury Central High School 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 266 lb (121 kg) 5.0 Feb 3, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Landan Paulsen
OG
Moville, IA Woodbury Central High School 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 274 lb (124 kg) 5.0 Feb 3, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Brady Reiff
DE
Parkston, SD Parkston High School 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 4.5 Apr 24, 2014 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Michael Slater Jr.
DE
Chesterfield, MO Parkway Central High School 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 250 lb (110 kg) 4.7 Oct 15, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Jerminic Smith
WR
Garland, TX South Garland High School 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 176 lb (80 kg) 4.4 Feb 11, 2014 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Nate Vejvoda
TE
New Lenox, IL Providence Catholic High School 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 213 lb (97 kg) 4.7 Jul 26, 2014 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Brett Waechter
OT
Hartley, IA Hartley–Melvin–Sanborn High School 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 260 lb (120 kg) 5.0 Nov 6, 2014 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN: 
Nick Wilson
OLB
West Des Moines, IA Dowling Catholic High School 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 206 lb (93 kg) 4.6 Jan 2, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPNN/A
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 51   Rivals: 58  247Sports: 59
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "ESPN- College Football Recruiting Schools". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
  • "2015 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 22, 2015.

Schedule

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DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 511:00 amNo. 2 (FCS) Illinois State*BTNW 31–1459,450
September 123:45 pmat Iowa State*FOXW 31–1761,500
September 197:00 pmPittsburgh*
  • Kinnick Stadium
  • Iowa City, IA
BTNW 27–2463,636
September 262:30 pmNorth Texas*
  • Kinnick Stadium
  • Iowa City, IA
ESPNUW 62–1656,041
October 311:00 amat No. 19 WisconsinESPNW 10–680,933
October 1011:00 amIllinois No. 22
  • Kinnick Stadium
  • Iowa City, IA
ESPN2W 29–2066,693
October 1711:00 amat No. 20 NorthwesternNo. 17ABC/ESPN2W 40–1044,135
October 312:30 pmMarylandNo. 10
  • Kinnick Stadium
  • Iowa City, IA
ABC/ESPN2W 31–1562,667
November 72:30 pmat IndianaNo. 9ESPNW 35–2744,739
November 147:00 pmMinnesotaNo. 5
BTNW 40–3570,585
November 2111:00 amPurdueNo. 5
  • Kinnick Stadium
  • Iowa City, IA
ESPN2W 40–2062,920
November 272:30 pmat NebraskaNo. 4ABCW 28–2090,830
December 57:15 pmvs. No. 5 Michigan StateNo. 4FOXL 13–1666,985
January 14:10 pmvs. No. 6 Stanford*No. 5ESPNL 16–4594,268

[1]

Roster

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2015 Iowa Hawkeyes football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
QB 16 C. J. Beathard Jr
QB 11 Ryan Boyle Fr
QB 18 Drew Cook Fr
QB 15 Ryan Schmidt Fr
QB 8 Tyler Wiegers   Fr
RB 40 Lane Akre Fr
RB 33 Jordan Canzeri Sr
RB 38 Adam Cox Jr
RB 29 LeShun Daniels Jr. Jr
RB 23 Eric Graham Fr
RB 26 Joly Marcel   Fr
RB 41 Austin Kelly   Fr
RB 45 Drake Kulick So
RB 31 Aaron Mends   Fr
RB 10 Jonathan Parker So
RB 42 Macon Plewa Sr
RB 25 Akrum Wadley So
WR 2 Brandon Bishop   Fr
WR 82 Adrian Falconer Fr
WR 84 Andre Harris So
WR 17 Jacob Hillyer Sr
WR 15 Joshua Jackson   Fr
WR 14 Conner Keane So
WR 83 Riley McCarron Jr
WR 85 Derrick Mitchell, Jr. So
WR 21 Ronald Nash Fr
WR 6 Emmanuel Ogwo Fr
WR 3 Jay Scheel   Fr
WR 9 Jerminic Smith Fr
WR 4 Tevaun Smith Jr
WR 20 Andrew Stone Sr
WR 89 Matt VandeBerg Jr
TE 87 Jake Duzey   Sr
TE 46 George Kittle Jr
TE 80 Henry Krieger-Coble Sr
TE 92 Jameer Outsey   Fr
TE 86 Peter Pekar So
TE 92 Blake Simons Fr
TE 85 Nate Vejvoda Fr
TE 90 Nate Wieting Fr
TE 81 Jon Wisnieski   Fr
OL 63 Austin Blythe Sr
OL 75 Ike Boettger So
OL 64 Cole Croston Jr
OL 78 James Daniels Fr
OL 54 Steve Ferentz Jr
OL 76 Dalton Ferguson   Fr
OL 74 Mitch Keppy Jr
OL 70 Lucas LeGrand   Fr
OL 52 Boone Myers So
OL 57 Jake Newborg Fr
OL 68 Landan Paulsen Fr
OL 66 Levi Paulsen Fr
OL 69 Keegan Render   Fr
OL 59 Ross Reynolds   Fr
OL 58 Eric Simmons Sr
OL 71 Brett Waechter Fr
OL 65 Jordan Walsh Sr
OL 73 Ryan Ward Jr
OL 79 Sean Welsh So
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
DL 99 Nathan Bazata So
DL 90 Sam Brincks   Fr
DL 97 Darian Cooper   Sr
DL 56 Faith Ekakitie Jr
DL 77 Daniel Gaffney So
DL 60 Jacob Giese Fr
DL 72 Brant Gressel So
DL 93 Terrence Harris   Fr
DL 40 Parker Hesse   Fr
DL 88 Jake Hulett So
DL 53 Garret Jansen Fr
DL 67 Jaleel Johnson Jr
DL 34 Nate Meier Sr
DL 98 Anthony Nelson Fr
DL 96 Matt Nelson   Fr
DL 95 Drew Ott   Sr
DL 91 Brady Reiff Fr
DL 94 Michael Slater Fr
DL 61 Kyle Terlouw Jr
LB 41 Bo Bower So
LB 51 Drake Dunker Fr
LB 36 Cole Fisher Sr
LB 22 Angelo Garbutt Fr
LB 45 Eric Grimm   Fr
LB 48 Jack Hockaday Fr
LB 43 Josey Jewell So
LB 21 Justin Jinning Fr
LB 15 Steve Manders So
LB 44 Ben Niemann So
LB 39 Travis Perry Sr
LB 55 Brady Ross Fr
LB 50 Jacob Sobotka   Fr
LB 49 Melvin Spears Sr
LB 29 Nick Wilson Fr
DB 4 Jacob Black So
DB 7 Sean Draper Sr
DB 28 Maurice Fleming Jr
DB 12 Anthony Gair Jr
DB 30 Jake Gervase   Fr
DB 14 Desmond King Jr
DB 8 Isaiah Kramme Fr
DB 27 Jordan Lomax Sr
DB 13 Greg Mabin Jr
DB 4 John Milani Fr
DB 11 Michael Ojemudia Fr
DB 37 Brandon Snyder   Fr
DB 19 Miles Taylor So
DB 5 Omar Truitt   Fr
DB 26 Kevin Ward So
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
K 2 Mick Ellis So
K 1 Marshall Koehn Sr
K 91 Miguel Recinos   Fr
P 16 Dillon Kidd Sr
P 7 Colton Rastetter Fr
LS 97 Tyler Kluver So
LS 50 Jackson Subbert Fr


Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
  • Greg DavisOffensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks
  • Phil ParkerDefensive Coordinator
  • Brian FerentzOffensive Line
  • Bobby Kennedy – Wide Receivers
  • Reese Morgan – Defensive Line
  • Jim ReidLinebackers
  • Seth Wallace – Recruiting Coordinator/Defensive Assistant Coach
  • Chris White – Running Backs and Special Teams
  • LeVar WoodsTight Ends
  • Chris DoyleStrength and Conditioning
  • Raimond Braithwaite – Strength and Conditioning Assistant Coach
  • Justin Lima – Strength and Conditioning Assistant Coach
  • Cody Myers – Strength and Conditioning Assistant Coach
  • Joel Welsh, Jr. – Strength and Conditioning Assistant Coach
  • Paul Federici – Director of Football Operations
  • Chic Ejiasi – Director of Player Development
  • Scott Southmayd – Director of Player Personnel
  • Max Allen – Director of New Media
  • Ben Hansen – Assistant Director of Football Operations
  • Kelvin Bell – Director of On-Campus Recruiting
  • Tyler Anderson – Defensive Graduate Assistant
  • Broderick Binns – Special Teams Graduate Assistant
  • A.J. Haase – Offensive Graduate Assistant
  • Ned Amendola, M.D. – Director, UI Sports Medicine Center
  • Doug West – Senior Athletic Trainer
  • Russ Haynes – Associate Director, Athletic Training Services
  • Bob Rahfeldt – Video Coordinator
  • Chris Ruth – Assistant Video Coordinator

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  •   Injured
  •   Redshirt

Roster
Last update: 8/27/15

Rankings

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Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes ( ) = First-place votes
Week
PollPre1234567891011121314Final
APRVRVRV2217121010863469
CoachesRVRVRV2317131111863 (1)3 (1)710
CFPNot released955445Not released

Game summaries

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#2 (FCS) Illinois State

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Illinois State at Iowa
1 234Total
No. 2 (FCS) Redbirds 0 0014 14
Hawkeyes 7 1077 31

Iowa was in control of this opening day game but wasn't able to pull away until well into the third quarter. The Hawkeyes had a balanced offensive attack with nearly 450 yards of total offense with Daniels getting over 100 yards on the ground.

[2]

Statistics ILL ST IOWA
First downs 14 22
Total yards 231 431
Rushing yards 35 210
Passing yards 196 221
Turnovers 0 1
Time of possession 27:32 32:28
Team Category Player Statistics
Illinois State Passing Jake Kolbe 11/15, 147 yards, 2 TD
Rushing M. Coprich 13 carries, 32 yards
Receiving Anthony Warrum 3 receptions, 58 yards, TD
Iowa Passing C. J. Beathard 15/24, 211 yards, TD
Rushing LeShun Daniels 26 carries, 123 yards
Receiving Matt VandeBerg 6 receptions, 59 yards, TD

at Iowa State

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Iowa at Iowa State
Cy-Hawk Trophy
1 234Total
Hawkeyes 3 7714 31
Cyclones 3 1400 17

It was an emotional week leading up to the game because former All-Big Ten Safety Tyler Sash and basketball legend Roy Marble died. The Hawkeyes honored Sash by wearing the number 9 (Sash's jersey number at Iowa) in place of the Tigerhawk on one side of their helmets.[3]

C. J. Beathard threw three touchdown passes to lead the Hawkeyes to victory.[4] He also added two long runs and was named co-Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week.[5]

Statistics IOWA ISU
First downs 22 18
Total yards 475 310
Rushing yards 260 63
Passing yards 215 247
Turnovers 1 1
Time of possession 33:22 26:38
Team Category Player Statistics
Iowa Passing C. J. Beathard 15/25, 215 yards, 3 TD
Rushing Jordan Cazeri 24 carries, 124 yards, TD
Receiving Matt VandeBerg 9 receptions, 114 yards, TD
Iowa State Passing Sam B. Richardson 19/35, 247 yards, 2 TD, INT
Rushing Trever Ryen 4 carries, 23 yards
Receiving Allen Lazard 7 receptions, 71 yards

Pittsburgh

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Pittsburgh at Iowa
1 234Total
Panthers 0 7107 24
Hawkeyes 3 14010 27

The Hawkeyes never trailed in this physical matchup, and Marshall Koehn booted a 57-yard field goal as time expired to give Iowa the win.[6] His effort was good enough to earn Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honors.[7]

Statistics PITT IOWA
First downs 15 22
Total yards 282 363
Rushing yards 55 105
Passing yards 227 258
Turnovers 2 1
Time of possession 27:18 32:42
Team Category Player Statistics
Pittsburgh Passing Nathan Peterman 20–29, 219 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing D. Hall 14 carries, 38 yards
Receiving Tyler Boyd 10 receptions, 131 yards, TD
Iowa Passing C. J. Beathard 27–40, 258 yards, INT
Rushing Jordan Canzeri 12 carries, 49 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Tevaun Smith 3 receptions, 73 yards

North Texas

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North Texas at Iowa
1 234Total
Mean Green 0 1330 16
Hawkeyes 14 211314 62

The Hawkeyes dominated from start to finish in this lopsided victory. The final result isn't even indicative of how much Iowa rolled over the Mean Green as Iowa called off the dogs in the second half but still continued to score. Jordan Canzeri rushed for 4 touchdowns to tie the Iowa single-game record.

[8]

Statistics UNT IOWA
First downs 22 23
Total yards 356 488
Rushing yards 183 210
Passing yards 173 278
Turnovers 3 2
Time of possession 28:15 31:45
Team Category Player Statistics
North Texas Passing Andrew McNulty 14–36, 137 yards, INT
Rushing Jeff Wilson 14 carries, 74 yards
Receiving Carlos Harris 5 receptions, 43 yards
Iowa Passing C. J. Beathard 18–21, 278 yards, 2 TD
Rushing Jordan Canzeri 22 carries, 115 yards, 4 TD
Receiving Tevaun Smith 4 receptions, 115 yards, TD

at No. 19 Wisconsin

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Iowa at #19 Wisconsin
Heartland Trophy
1 234Total
Hawkeyes 0 1000 10
No. 19 Badgers 3 030 6

[9]

Following a season opening loss to #3 Alabama, the Badgers entered this game ranked #19 after three straight convincing wins (outscoring those opponents 114–3). Wisconsin kicked a field goal on the game's opening possession to take an early 3–0 lead. The Hawkeyes capitalized on two second quarter miscues to take a 10–3 advantage into the locker room. Wisconsin tacked on a field goal in the 3rd quarter, making it 10–6. Midway through the 4th quarter, the Hawkeyes recovered a costly Wisconsin fumble on a 2nd and goal play from the Iowa 1-yard line. The Badgers reached the Iowa 16 on their final possession, but a 4th down pass fell incomplete with 36 seconds remaining and the Hawkeyes ran out the clock, ending a classic defensive battle.[10] Cornerback Desmond King collected his second two-interception game of the season and was named co-Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week[11] and Jim Thorpe Defensive Player of the Week.[12]

Wisconsin was 71–9 in 80 games at Camp Randall Stadium dating back to the final game of the 2003 regular season and ending with this game. Incredibly, Iowa was 4–1 in those games with Wisconsin going 70–5 against all other opponents.

After this game, Wisconsin held a 44–43–2 edge in the rivalry.

Statistics IOWA WIS
First downs 14 21
Total yards 221 320
Rushing yards 144 86
Passing yards 77 234
Turnovers 2 4
Time of possession 29:14 30:46
Team Category Player Statistics
Iowa Passing C. J. Beathard 9/21, 77 yards, TD, INT
Rushing Jordan Canzeri 26 carries, 125 yards
Receiving Matt VandeBerg 6 receptions, 61 yards
Wisconsin Passing Joel Stave 21/38, 234 yards, 2 INT
Rushing Taiwan Deal 15 carries, 59 yards
Receiving Dare Ogunbowale 4 receptions, 43 yards

Illinois

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Illinois at #22 Iowa
Homecoming
1 234Total
Fighting Illini 7 067 20
No. 22 Hawkeyes 6 1076 29

[13]

Senior running back Jordan Canzeri carried the ball 43 times (school record) for 256 yards (third-best in school history) and a touchdown.[14][15] He also had a receiving touchdown, and earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors.[16]

Statistics ILL IOWA
First downs 20 23
Total yards 363 478
Rushing yards 46 278
Passing yards 317 200
Turnovers 2 0
Time of possession 24:09 35:51
Team Category Player Statistics
Illinois Passing Wes Lunt 25–42, 317 yards, TD
Rushing Ke'Shawn Vaughn 19 carries, 67 yards, TD
Receiving Geronimo Allison 8 receptions, 148 yards, TD
Iowa Passing C. J. Beathard 15–31, 200 yards, 2 TD
Rushing Jordan Canzeri 43 carries, 256 yards, TD
Receiving Jerminic Smith 4 receptions, 118 yards

at No. 20 Northwestern

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#17 Iowa at #20 Northwestern
1 234Total
No. 17 Hawkeyes 3 131410 40
No. 20 Wildcats 0 1000 10

[17]

Despite entering the game very banged up, and losing RB Jordan Canzeri early in this one, Iowa dominated the Wildcats.[18] Sophomore Akrum Wadley became the second Iowa running back to go over 200 yards in Big Ten play (in 2015). He finished with 204 yards and a school record-tying 4 rushing touchdowns, and was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week.[19]

The 30-point Hawkeye victory spoiled Northwestern's Homecoming and the 20-year Reunion of the 1995 Big Ten Championship team.

Statistics IOWA NW
First downs 24 13
Total yards 492 198
Rushing yards 294 51
Passing yards 198 147
Turnovers 1 3
Time of possession 37:22 22:38
Team Category Player Statistics
Iowa Passing C. J. Beathard 15/25, 176 yards, INT
Rushing Akrum Wadley 26 carries, 204 yards, 4 TD
Receiving Matt VandeBerg 8 receptions, 78 yards
Northwestern Passing Clayton Thorson 17/35, 125 yards, TD, INT
Rushing Justin Jackson 10 carries, 30 yards
Receiving Justin Jackson 5 receptions, 17 yards

Maryland

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Maryland at #10 Iowa
1 234Total
Terrapins 0 0015 15
No. 10 Hawkeyes 7 14010 31

The Hawkeyes never trailed in this game with the Terrapins. However, the game's result was still in doubt well into the fourth quarter until a pick six by eventual Jim Thorpe awardee and future NFL player Desmond King all but assured the victory for Iowa.

[20] [21]

Statistics MD IOWA
First downs 15 18
Total yards 241 293
Rushing yards 167 110
Passing yards 74 183
Turnovers 4 1
Time of possession 27:08 32:52
Team Category Player Statistics
Maryland Passing Perry Hills 11–22, 74 yards, TD, 3 INT
Rushing Perry Hills 19 carries, 104 yards
Receiving T. Jacobs 3 receptions, 18 yards, TD
Iowa Passing C. J. Beathard 12–23, 183 yards
Rushing Akrum Wadley 19 carries, 67 yards, TD
Receiving Matt VandeBerg 3 receptions, 54 yards

at Indiana

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#9 Iowa at Indiana
1 234Total
No. 9 Hawkeyes 7 14014 35
Hoosiers 3 14010 27

Every time it looked like Iowa might pull away, Indiana came back to keep it close in this back-and-forth game. One of the most critical plays of the contest came on a C. J. Beathard diving touchdown with only 17 seconds remaining before halftime. The play was reviewed as it looked like he might have lost possession before crossing the goal line but it was ultimately ruled a touchdown.

[22] [23]

Statistics IOWA IU
First downs 26 26
Total yards 467 407
Rushing yards 234 227
Passing yards 233 180
Turnovers 0 1
Time of possession 34:30 25:30
Team Category Player Statistics
Iowa Passing C. J. Beathard 19/31, 233 yards, TD
Rushing Akrum Wadley 12 carries, 120 yards, TD
Receiving Matt VandeBerg 5 receptions, 68 yards
Indiana Passing Nate Sudfeld 16/37, 180 yards, TD, INT
Rushing Jordan Howard 22 carries, 174 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Rickey Jones 4 receptions, 39 yards

Minnesota

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Minnesota at #5 Iowa
Floyd of Rosedale
1 234Total
Golden Gophers 7 7714 35
No. 5 Hawkeyes 7 17313 40

[24][25]

Minnesota returned to Kinnick Stadium for the annual Floyd of Rosedale game with a lot of momentum from last year, when they routed Iowa 51–14 in the Twin Cities. Minnesota, despite losing David Cobb to the NFL last year and going through a mid-season coaching transition, had a lot to prove as they entered the undefeated #5 Iowa's home stadium in an attempt to deliver the upset. Mitch Leidner, who had not lived up to expectations early in the season, was coming off a good run of games, and had two weeks earlier come within a 4th-down pass at the 1 to beating a hot Michigan team.

Minnesota hung on well to the Hawkeyes but were unable to stop the Iowa halfbacks. LeShun Daniels Jr. ran for nearly 200 yards, and CJ Beathard scored on a play action bootleg in the red zone, reminiscent of Iowa great Chuck Long's game-winning bootleg against Michigan State in 1985.

Iowa kept building on its lead all night, and LeShun Daniels Jr. broke through the box to run it in 51 yards in the final 3 minutes. With Minnesota down two scores, Shannon Brooks took the offense on a high-energy no-huddle drive through the air that took less than 1 minute to score. Minnesota's onside kick failed, and Iowa took the win, 40–35.

Statistics MINN IOWA
First downs 24 27
Total yards 434 506
Rushing yards 133 272
Passing yards 301 234
Turnovers 0 0
Time of possession 24:28 35:32
Team Category Player Statistics
Minnesota Passing Mitch Leidner 19–27, 259 yards, TD
Rushing Shannon Brooks 14 carries, 86 yards, TD
Receiving K. J. Maye 7 receptions, 106 yards
Iowa Passing C. J. Beathard 18–26, 213 yards
Rushing LeShun Daniels 26 carries, 195 yards, 3 TD
Receiving Matt VandeBerg 6 receptions, 74 yards

Purdue

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Purdue at #5 Iowa
1 234Total
Boilermakers 0 1037 20
No. 5 Hawkeyes 14 6713 40

[26]

The Hawkeyes jumped ahead 20–0 early in the second quarter and, after Purdue closed to within 20–13, scored 20 of the game's final 27 points for the 40–20 triumph. The win on Senior Day secured Iowa's first unbeaten record at Kinnick Stadium since the 2004 season (6–0), and matched the 7–0 mark at home from the 2003 season.[27][28]

Senior Jordan Lomax led the Hawkeyes with 13 tackles, broke up a pass and forced a fumble in earning Lott IMPACT Player of the Week honors.[29]

Statistics PUR IOWA
First downs 21 21
Total yards 405 387
Rushing yards 137 174
Passing yards 268 213
Turnovers 1 1
Time of possession 32:54 27:06
Team Category Player Statistics
Purdue Passing Austin Appleby 23–40, 259 yards, TD
Rushing Markell Jones 24 carries, 87 yards, TD
Receiving DeAngelo Yancey 9 receptions, 117 yards
Iowa Passing C. J. Beathard 12–20, 213 yards, 3 TD
Rushing Jordan Canzeri 13 carries, 95 yards, TD
Receiving Henry Krieger-Coble 4 receptions, 76 yards, TD

at Nebraska

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#4 Iowa at Nebraska
The Heroes Game
1 234Total
No. 4 Hawkeyes 0 14140 28
Cornhuskers 0 1073 20

[30] [31]

The Hawkeyes finished their first unbeaten regular season since the 1922 season, establishing a single-season school record with 12 wins.[32][33][34] Iowa intercepted four passes (Parker Hesse returned one for a touchdown to earn Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors[35]), and Jordan Canzeri ran for 140 yards and two touchdowns in the victory. With wins over Iowa State, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Nebraska, Iowa recaptured all four rivalry trophies in 2015.

Statistics IOWA NEB
First downs 11 22
Total yards 250 433
Rushing yards 153 137
Passing yards 97 296
Turnovers 1 4
Time of possession 23:54 36:06
Team Category Player Statistics
Iowa Passing C. J. Beathard 9/16, 97 yards, TD
Rushing Jordan Canzeri 17 carries, 140 yards, 2 TD
Receiving George Kittle 2 receptions, 35 yards, TD
Nebraska Passing Tommy Armstrong Jr. 25/45, 296 yards, 4 INT
Rushing Imani Cross 19 carries, 55 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Cethan Carter 4 receptions, 76 yards

vs. No. 5 Michigan State (Big Ten Championship Game)

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#5 Michigan State vs. #4 Iowa
Big Ten Championship Game
1 234Total
No. 5 Spartans 3 067 16
No. 4 Hawkeyes 3 307 13

[36] [37] [38] [39]

Iowa turned the ball over twice in the first half – a fumble leading to the Spartans first points and an interception in the end zone – but led 6–3. Michigan State dominated the third quarter in time of possession and yardage, and tacked on two field goals to lead 9–6. Trailing entering the 4th quarter for the first time all season, the Hawkeyes responded in a big way with an 85-yard touchdown pass from C. J. Beathard to Tevaun Smith that gave Iowa a 13–9 lead with 14:49 remaining. After exchanging punts, Michigan State marched 82 yards in 22 plays and took 9:04 off the clock. The game-winning score came on a 1-yard touchdown run with 27 seconds left.[40] [41]

Statistics MSU IOWA
First downs 20 13
Total yards 365 268
Rushing yards 174 52
Passing yards 191 216
Turnovers 1 3
Time of possession 36:38 23:22
Team Category Player Statistics
Michigan State Passing Connor Cook 16–32, 191 yards, INT
Rushing LJ Scott 22 carries, 73 yards, TD
Receiving Aaron Burbridge 5 receptions, 61 yards
Iowa Passing C. J. Beathard 18–26, 216 yards, TD, INT
Rushing Derrick Mitchell Jr. 4 carries, 24 yards
Receiving Tevaun Smith 5 receptions, 110 yards, TD

vs. No. 6 Stanford (Rose Bowl)

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#6 Stanford vs. #5 Iowa
Rose Bowl
1 234Total
No. 6 Cardinal 21 1437 45
No. 5 Hawkeyes 0 0313 16

[42] [43] [44]

The Hawkeyes received a bid to the 2016 Rose Bowl after dropping in the College Football Playoff ranking to #5 in their loss to Michigan State, which came as a surprise to much of sports media who believed that Ohio State would jump the loser of the Big Ten Championship Game. Since the Rose Bowl traditionally gives a bid to the winner of the Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences, and due to the new College Football Playoff system where the conference champion was likely to enter the playoff, the Rose Bowl committee had announced prior to the Big Ten Championship Game that they would give a bid to the second highest-ranked Big Ten team if a Big Ten team entered the playoff, since it was clear that the winner of the Big Ten Championship Game would finish in the Top 4 ranking.

#5 Iowa was named the home team and #6 Stanford was named the away team. Sports analysts had anticipated the contest to be exciting, due mainly to the matchup between Iowa's strong run defense and Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey, the Heisman Trophy runner-up. Iowa's run defense finished the season ranked 14th, allowing only 121 yards per game and having defeated historically rushing teams like Wisconsin, Indiana, and Nebraska.[45] Contrarily, Christian McCaffrey led the FBS in the 2015 season with 3,864 all-purpose yards, which came from punt/kick returns, runs from scrimmage, and passes out of the backfield.[46]

Christian McCaffrey caught a short pass and turned it into a 75-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. The Hawkeyes were unable to stop him, as he averaged 9.6 YPC (172 yards on 18 carries), returned a punt for a touchdown, and converted many third downs. Though he did not rush for any touchdowns from scrimmage, he proved to be the primary playmaker for Stanford, catching a third (4) of Kevin Hogan's passes. McCaffrey was such an offensive threat that Hogan was able to make large gains with the read option, including a wide-open first-quarter option TD run.

Iowa was unable to get their run game going, rushing as a team for 1.3 YPC (48 yards on 38 carries). The longest Iowa runs came from LeShun Daniels Jr. and Akrum Wadley (14 and 12 yards, respectively),[47] as well as a 14-yard scramble by Beathard. Iowa's inability to establish a run game closed up Iowa's potential for play-action passing, which has been Beathard's bread and butter all season. Jordan Canzeri, Iowa's power halfback, was unable to churn significant yardage, and 3rd-team halfback Akrum Wadley (who had a 200-yard game at Northwestern, when Daniels and Canzeri were both injured) split ballcarrying duties with Daniels in the second half. Iowa's halfbacks, their biggest threat all season, were overall unable to garner any significant yardage on the ground; Derek Mitchell Jr., Iowa's 4th-team halfback, saw significant action lining up in the backfield and caught 4 passes for 41 yards, and Wadley also contributed to the pass game by catching 3 for 60.[47]

Stanford shut Iowa out in the first half 35–0, with Stanford's 35 points the most scored in the first half of a Rose Bowl in its entire 102-year history.[48] Stanford's 21–0 first-quarter lead was also the most first-quarter points scored by one team in Rose Bowl history.[48] Christian McCaffrey gained a total of 368 all-purpose yards, setting another Rose Bowl record.[48]

By the second half, Stanford's explosiveness slowed down, scoring just 10 second-half points versus their 35 first-half points. Iowa did not score until the 3rd quarter when placekicker Marshall Koehn kicked a field goal after converting on 4th down earlier in the drive; Beathard threw 2 touchdowns in the 4th quarter, with Koehn missing one of the two PATs.

Iowa had a slight advantage in time of possession, possessing the ball for almost 33 minutes, though they were simply unable to make meaning out of their possessions. Iowa also outgained Stanford through the air by a slim margin, with 239 yards to Stanford's 223.[49]

Iowa remained a symbol of old-school Big Ten power football, with most of their completed passes thrown to tight ends and halfbacks. Matt Vandeberg caught a touchdown pass, but star wideout Tevaun Smith only recorded 2 short receptions.

Statistics STAN IOWA
First downs 19 18
Total yards 429 287
Rushing yards 206 48
Passing yards 223 239
Turnovers 1 2
Time of possession 27:09 32:51
Team Category Player Statistics
Stanford Passing Kevin Hogan 12–21, 223 yards, 3 TD, INT
Rushing Christian McCaffrey 18 carries, 172 yards
Receiving Christian McCaffrey 4 receptions, 105 yards, TD
Iowa Passing C. J. Beathard 21–33, 239 yards, 2 TD, INT
Rushing LeShun Danils 10 carries, 37 yards
Receiving Matt VandeBerg 4 receptions, 64 yards, TD

Postseason Awards

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Players in the 2016 NFL Draft

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Player Position Round Pick NFL club Ref
Austin Blythe Center 7 248 Indianapolis Colts [53]

References

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