Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, son of Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz, and frequent Willets Pod punching bag, has a challenge to keep his job beyond 2023: score 25 points per game. Can he do it?
Let’s take another angle on this, and check out how Iowa did the last time they faced each of these opponents…
Utah State — 48-7 (h), 2002: Nate Kaeding was Iowa’s leading scorer with two field goals and six extra points, of which four were actually scored by the offense (all by different players), plus a blocked punt and a fumble return. This Iowa team had Dallas Clark, and he did not score in this game.
@ Iowa State — 7-10 (h), 2022: Leshon Williams ran 14 times for 34 yards and the Hawkeyes’ only score of last year’s El Assico.
Western Michigan — 59-3 (h), 2013: Sure, seems like a cupcake. This was Iowa’s only win, ever, against the Broncos, who came to Kinnick Stadium and scored victories in 2000 and 2007.
@ Penn State — 23-20 (h), 2021: Caleb Shudak hit two field goals and PATs after two (2) Spencer Petra’s passing TDs to pace Iowa with eight points.
Michigan State – 49-7 (h), 2020: The pandemic year sure was weird, as Iowa scored nothing but touchdowns, including two apiece by co-leading scorers Tyler Goodson and Mekhi Sargent, each with a pair of single-digit yard scoring runs. There were also return touchdowns by Charlie Jones on a punt and Riley Moss on an interception. It’s still Iowa.
Purdue – 24-3 (a), 2022: Iowa scored three offensive touchdowns against the Boilermakers last year, but this would still be below target for Brian Ferentz. You have to ask if that’s really fair, and then ask, who cares?
@ Wisconsin – 24-10 (h), 2022: Another game in which the Hawkeyes’ victorious performance of a year ago would be below Brian’s standards. Sure, Iowa only had 146 yards of total offense and 11 first downs against Wisconsin last year, and capitalized on three turnovers, but… uh…
Minnesota – 13-10 (a), 2022: All Brian Ferentz does is lead winning offenses, and all Iowa asks for is more… than one touchdown (on a one-yard QB sneak) and two field goals. The Hawkeyes had 280 yards of offense and fumbled three times in Minneapolis in November, but didn’t lose any of them, and collected two Gophers turnovers.
@ Northwestern – 33-13 (h), 2022: Kicker Drew Stevens was responsible for 15 of those points (four field goals, three extra points)... at home… against 2022 Northwestern.
Rutgers – 27-20 (a), 2022: How did Iowa get its 27 points in New Jersey last year? Interception return, fumble return, field goal, two-yard touchdown run, field goal. A fat 277 yards of offense… and a 3-0 turnover margin.
Illinois – 6-9 (a), 2022: This game had no touchdowns. How did Iowa lose a game with no touchdowns in it?
@ Nebraska – 17-24 (h), 2022: Iowa was down 24-0 in the third quarter before getting on the scoreboard. The Hawkeyes had 274 yards of offense in this game.
That’s a total of 330 points — 27.5 per game. All Iowa has to do is match what it did against each of its 2023 opponents the last time they faced them, and Brian keeps his job. And that’s with a six-point game against Illinois allowed in there. And, for some reason, Iowa-Northwestern this year will be at Wrigley Field, it was announced this morning.
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