2008 Iowa Hawkeyes football team

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

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

Leading up to the season

Previous season

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

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

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

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

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

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

Coaching rumors

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

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

Recruiting class

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

Schedule

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

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

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

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result Attendance
August 30 11:00 AM Maine* Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA BTN W 46–3   70,585
September 6 11:00 AM Florida International* Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA BTN W 42–0   70,585
September 13 11:00 AM Iowa State* Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA (Battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy) BTN W 17–5   70,585
September 20 11:00 AM at Pittsburgh* Heinz Field • Pittsburgh, PA ESPN2 L 21–20   50,321
September 27 11:00 AM Northwesterndagger Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA ESPN Classic L 22–17   70,585
October 4 11:00 AM at Michigan State Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, MI ESPN2 L 16–13   77,526
October 11 11:00 AM at Indiana Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN BTN W 45–9   33,428
October 18 11:00 AM Wisconsin Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA (Battle for the Heartland Trophy) BTN W 38–16   70,585
November 1 2:30 PM at Illinois Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL ABC/ESPN L 24–27   62,870
November 8 2:30 PM No. 3 Penn State Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA ABC/ESPN W 24–23   70,585
November 15 11:00 AM Purdue Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA BTN W 22–17   67,676
November 22 6:00 PM at Minnesota Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome • Minneapolis, MN (Battle for the Floyd of Rosedale) BTN W 55–0   64,071
January 1 10:00 AM vs. South Carolina Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, FL (Outback Bowl) ESPN W 31–10   55,117
*Non-conference game. daggerHomecoming. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time.

Personnel

Coaches

2008 Iowa Hawkeyes football coaches

Offensive Coaches

  • Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks - Ken O'Keefe
  • Running Backs and Special teams - Lester Erb
  • Wide receivers and Tight ends - Erik Campbell
  • Offensive Line - Reese Morgan
  • Recruiting and linebackers assistant - Eric Johnson

Defensive Coaches


Source: HawkeyeSports.com

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

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

Players

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

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

Season

Maine

1 2 3 4 Total
Black Bears 0 3 0 0 3
Hawkeyes 14 8 3 21 46

Florida International

1 2 3 4 Total
Golden Panthers 0 0 0 0 0
Hawkeyes 21 14 0 7 42

Iowa State

1 2 3 4 Total
Cyclones 0 0 3 2 5
Hawkeyes 3 0 0 14 17

Pittsburgh

1 2 3 4 Total
Hawkeyes 3 7 7 3 20
Panthers 7 7 0 7 21

Northwestern

1 2 3 4 Total
Wildcats 0 10 6 6 22
Hawkeyes 3 14 0 0 17

Michigan State

1 2 3 4 Total
Hawkeyes 0 3 3 7 13
Spartans 7 3 6 0 16

Indiana

1 2 3 4 Total
Hawkeyes 10 7 14 14 45
Hoosiers 3 6 0 0 9

Wisconsin

1 2 3 4 Total
Badgers 0 3 6 7 16
Hawkeyes 7 7 14 10 38

Illinois

1 2 3 4 Total
Hawkeyes 0 6 3 15 24
Fighting Illini 7 3 7 10 27

Penn State

1 2 3 4 Total
Nittany Lions 3 10 10 0 23
Hawkeyes 7 0 7 10 24

Purdue

1 2 3 4 Total
Boilermakers 0 10 0 7 17
Hawkeyes 6 6 3 7 22

Minnesota

1 234Total
• Iowa 3 241414 55
Minnesota 0 000 0

Outback Bowl vs. South Carolina

1 2 3 4 Total
Hawkeyes 14 7 10 0 31
Gamecocks 0 0 0 10 10

Statistics

Team

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

Scores by quarter

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

Offense

Rushing

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

Passing

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

Receiving

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

Defense

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

Special teams

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

Postseason Awards

Team players in the 2009 NFL Draft

Main article: 2009 NFL Draft
Player Position Round Pick NFL Club
Shonn Greene Running Back3 65 New York Jets
Bradley Fletcher Cornerback3 66 St. Louis Rams
Seth Olsen Guard4 132 Denver Broncos
Brandon Myers Tight End6 202 Oakland Raiders

[45]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 .
  2. ↑ .
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Iowa Hawkeyes 2007 Schedule and Results". SI.com. Archived from the original on December 1, 2007. Retrieved December 13, 2007.
  4. ↑ .
  5. ↑ .
  6. ↑ Schonbrun, Zach (September 7, 2007). "Blown Away: Iowa Rolls Over Syracuse With Dominating First Half". The Daily Orange. Retrieved January 24, 2008.
  7. ↑ .
  8. ↑ "Lions Maul Hapless Hawkeyes; Penn State 27, Iowa 7". Chicago Sun-Times. October 7, 2007. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
  9. ↑ .
  10. ↑ .
  11. ↑ Banks, Lacy J. (October 14, 2007). "Mild shock, Bad Burn; Iowa 10, Illinois 6: Quarterback Change No Help As Illini's Five-Game Run Ends". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  12. ↑ .
  13. ↑ "Michigan State Spartans vs. Iowa Hawkeyes". SI.com. October 30, 2007. Retrieved December 9, 2007.
  14. ↑ "Subs' Subs Subdue Spartans; Iowa 34, Michigan State 27". Chicago Sun-Times. October 28, 2007. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  15. ↑ .
  16. ↑ .
  17. ↑ "College Football: Hawks Fail to Land Bowl Bid". The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. December 3, 2007. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
  18. ↑ .
  19. ↑ .
  20. 1 2 .
  21. ↑ .
  22. 1 2 Heuser, John (November 26, 2007). "Iowa: No Permission Granted to Talk With Ferentz". The Ann Arbor News. Archived from the original on December 30, 2007. Retrieved December 16, 2007.
  23. ↑ Morehouse, Marc (November 19, 2007). "Barta Expects Ferentz to Stay at Iowa". Cedar Rapids Gazette. p. 1C. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  24. ↑ "Barta: No schools Have Contacted UI About Ferentz". The Des Moines Register. November 26, 2007. Retrieved December 16, 2007.
  25. ↑ "Michigan Hires WVU's Rodriguez". Sports Illustrated. December 16, 2007. Archived from the original on December 18, 2007. Retrieved December 16, 2007.
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 .
  27. ↑ Hensley, Jamison; Preston, Mike (January 5, 2008). "Ferentz Indicates He'll Stay at Iowa". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved January 20, 2008.
  28. ↑ Hensley, Jamison (January 19, 2008). "Ravens Hire Coach". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  29. ↑ .
  30. ↑ .
  31. 1 2 3 4 .
  32. ↑ Dutelle, Geoff (July 13, 2005). "Pitt Football Reveals Schedule". The Pitt News. Archived from the original on January 20, 2008. Retrieved December 13, 2007.
  33. ↑ .
  34. ↑ .
  35. ↑ .
  36. ↑ Minnesota plans to begin playing football at TCF Bank Stadium in 2009. Therefore, the final home game at the Metrodome will take place on November 22, 2008, against Iowa.
  37. ↑ .
  38. ↑ .
  39. 1 2 .
  40. 1 2 .
  41. ↑ "#13 Charles Godfrey". SI.com. Retrieved January 5, 2008.
  42. ↑ .
  43. ↑ .
  44. ↑ http://www.doakwalkeraward.com/
  45. ↑ 2009 NFL Draft Listing | Pro-Football-Reference.com
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