# 2023 Iowa Hawkeyes football team

The 2023 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa as members of the West Division of the Big Ten Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Hawkeyes were led by Kirk Ferentz in his 25th year as head coach. The Hawkeyes played their home games at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa, and sold out all seven home contests for the second consecutive season. The Iowa Hawkeyes football team drew an average home attendance of 69,250 in 2023.
With a victory over Illinois on Senior Day, Iowa secured the Big Ten West title for the third time. A win over rival Nebraska in the regular season finale completed a 10-win regular season. They competed in the Big Ten Championship Game against the East Division champion No. 2 Michigan, where they were shutout by the eventual national champions 26–0. The Hawkeyes ended the 2023 season with a 35-0 shutout loss to No. 21 Tennessee in the Citrus Bowl.
Senior punter Tory Taylor was named First-team All-Big Ten for the third time, Eddleman–Fields Punter of the Year for the second time, a Unanimous First-team All-American, and the 2023 Ray Guy Award winner as the nation's most outstanding punter. Despite missing the final four games due to a season-ending injury, junior cornerback Cooper DeJean was named First-team All-Big Ten for the second time, Tatum–Woodson Defensive Back of the Year, Rodgers–Dwight Return Specialist of the Year, and a Unanimous First-team All-American. Defensive coordinator Phil Parker won the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant coach in college football.
The team became infamous over the course of the season for their great defense being paired with a historically terrible offense, causing some to call them the "Best Worst Team Ever". The four lowest Over/Unders in college football history were set in games involving the 2023 Hawkeyes, the lowest being an O/U of 24.5 against Nebraska. In each of those four games the final combined score was below the line. On October 30, it was announced that offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz would not be retained in 2024, but would be allowed to finish the rest of the 2023 season. At the time of the announcement, the Hawkeyes' offense was averaging 19.5 points per game, ranking 120th out of 133 in the FBS.

## Preseason

Iowa lost several players in the transfer portal, including top two wide receivers Keagan Johnson and Arland Bruce IV, backup quarterback Alex Padilla, and running back Gavin Williams. Two top defensive players, cornerback Terry Roberts and linebacker Jestin Jacobs, transferred to Miami and Oregon, respectively.
Iowa added players in the transfer portal before the 2023 season, including Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara, Michigan tight end Erick All, and Charleston Southern wide receiver Seth Anderson, son of NFL wide receiver Flipper Anderson. Saginaw Valley State offensive tackle Daijon Parker committed to Iowa after originally committing to Virginia.
Iowa was picked second in the West Division by Big Ten media, behind Wisconsin.

## Player movement
### Transfers in

| Date | Player | Position | Previous Team | Notes |
| December 1, 2022 | Cade McNamara | QB | Michigan Wolverines | Third-team All-Big Ten (2021) |
| December 14, 2022 | Erick All | TE | Michigan Wolverines | |
| January 1, 2023 | Seth Anderson | WR | Charleston Southern Buccaneers | 2022 Big South Conference offensive freshman of the year |
| January 4, 2023 | Deacon Hill | QB | Wisconsin Badgers | |
| January 7, 2023 | Daijon Parker | OT | Saginaw Valley State | Previously committed to Virginia |
| February 8, 2023 | Nick Jackson | LB | Virginia | 2022 All-ACC Second Team |
| May 4, 2023 | Kaleb Brown | WR | Ohio State | |
| June 16, 2023 | Rusty Feth | OG | Miami (OH) | 2022 All-MAC Second Team |

### Transfers out

| Date | Player | Position | Destination | Notes |
| November 29, 2022 | Alex Padilla | QB | SMU Mustangs | |
| November 29, 2022 | Josh Volk | OL | Northern Iowa Panthers | |
| December 1, 2022 | Keagan Johnson | WR | Kansas State Wildcats | |
| December 2, 2022 | Arland Bruce IV | WR | Oklahoma State Cowboys | |
| December 2, 2022 | Gavin Williams | RB | Northern Illinois Huskies | |
| December 5, 2022 | Jestin Jacobs | LB | Oregon Ducks | 2-year starter at LB (before injury) |
| January 6, 2023 | Dallas Craddieth | S | Kent State Golden Flashes | |
| January 8, 2023 | Reggie Bracy | CB | Troy Trojans | |
| April 30, 2023 | Carter Erickson | S | Northwest Missouri State Bearcats | |
| May 4, 2023 | Carson May | QB | Wyoming Cowboys | Previously committed to CCC Red Ravens |
| May 13, 2023 | Zach Brand | RB | Northern Iowa Panthers | |
| June 8, 2023 | Terry Roberts | CB | Michigan State Spartans | Previously committed to Miami |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 2 | 11:00 a.m. | Utah State* | No. 25 | Kinnick StadiumIowa City, IA | FS1 | W 24–14 | 69,250 |
| September 9 | 2:30 p.m. | at Iowa State* | | Jack Trice StadiumIowa City, IA (rivalry) | FOX | W 20–13 | 61,500 |
| September 16 | 2:30 p.m. | Western Michigan* | No. 25 | Kinnick StadiumIowa City, IA | BTN | W 41–10 | 69,250 |
| September 23 | 6:30 p.m. | at No. 7 Penn State | No. 24 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA | CBS | L 0–31 | 110,830 |
| September 30 | 6:30 p.m. | Michigan State | | Kinnick StadiumIowa City, IA | NBC | W 26–16 | 69,250 |
| October 7 | 2:30 p.m. | Purdue | | Kinnick StadiumIowa City, IA | Peacock | W 20–14 | 69,250 |
| October 14 | 3:00 p.m. | at Wisconsin | | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI (rivalry) | FOX | W 15–6 | 76,205 |
| October 21 | 2:30 p.m. | Minnesota | No. 24 | Kinnick StadiumIowa City, IA (rivalry) | NBC | L 10–12 | 69,250 |
| November 4 | 2:30 p.m. | vs. Northwestern | | Wrigley FieldChicago, IL | Peacock | W 10–7 | 38,000 |
| November 11 | 2:30 p.m. | Rutgers | No. 22 | Kinnick StadiumIowa City, IA | BTN | W 22–0 | 69,250 |
| November 18 | 2:30 p.m. | Illinois | No. 16 | Kinnick StadiumIowa City, IA | FS1 | W 15–13 | 69,250 |
| November 24 | 11:00 a.m. | at Nebraska | No. 17 | Memorial StadiumLincoln, NE (rivalry) | CBS | W 13–10 | 86,183 |
| December 2 | 7:00 p.m. | vs. No. 2 Michigan* | No. 16 | Lucas Oil StadiumIndianapolis, IN (Big Ten Championship Game, Big Noon Kickoff) | FOX | L 0–26 | 67,842 |
| January 1, 2024 | 12:00 p.m. | vs. No. 21 Tennessee* | No. 17 | Camping World StadiumOrlando, FL (Citrus Bowl) | ABC | L 0–35 | 43,861 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll (and CFP Rankings, after October 31) - Released prior to gameAll times are in Central timeSource: |||||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | 25 | RV | 25 | 24 | — | — | RV | 24 | — | — | RV | RV | 20 | 18 | 20 | 24 |
| Coaches | RV | RV | 24 | 22 | RV | RV | RV | 23 | RV | RV | RV | 23 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 22 |
| CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | 22 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 17 | Not released |

## Game summaries
### Utah State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Aggies | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 14 |
| • No. 25 Hawkeyes | 14 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
The Hawkeyes' season opener was the first matchup in the series since a 48–7 win in 2002. It was also the first Iowa career start for Cade McNamara who threw for 191 yards and two touchdowns to start out the year 1–0.
| Statistics | USU | IOWA |
| First downs | 19 | 17 |
| Total yards | 329 | 284 |
| Rushing yards | 116 | 88 |
| Passing yards | 213 | 196 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 27:48 | 32:12 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Utah State | Passing | Cooper Legas | 32/48, 213 yards, TD, INT |
| Utah State | Rushing | Rahsul Faison | 7 carries, 59 yards |
| Utah State | Receiving | Terrell Vaughn | 12 receptions, 93 yards, TD |
| Iowa | Passing | Cade McNamara | 17/30, 191 yards, 2 TD |
| Iowa | Rushing | Kaleb Johnson | 19 carries, 63 yards, TD |
| Iowa | Receiving | Luke Lachey | 7 receptions, 73 yards |

### at Iowa State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Hawkeyes | 3 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
| Cyclones | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 13 |
The Hawks avenged last season's 10–7 defeat by collecting their sixth straight victory at Jack Trice Stadium, earning Kirk Ferentz his 200th collegiate career win.
| Statistics | IOWA | IOWA ST |
| First downs | 9 | 19 |
| Total yards | 235 | 290 |
| Rushing yards | 112 | 87 |
| Passing yards | 123 | 203 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 26:30 | 33:30 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Iowa | Passing | Cade McNamara | 12/21, 123 yards, INT |
| Iowa | Rushing | Jaziun Patterson | 10 carries, 86 yards, TD |
| Iowa | Receiving | Luke Lachey | 3 receptions, 58 yards |
| Iowa State | Passing | Rocco Becht | 23/44, 203 yards, TD, INT |
| Iowa State | Rushing | Cartevious Norton | 21 carries, 59 yards |
| Iowa State | Receiving | Jayden Higgins | 8 receptions, 95 yards, TD |

### Western Michigan

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Broncos | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| • No. 25 Hawkeyes | 0 | 14 | 17 | 10 | 41 |
The Hawkeyes evened the all-time series (2–2), building on the 59–3 victory in 2013. A blocked punt in the third quarter that resulted in a safety proved to be the turning point in cementing Iowa's upper hand. After trailing 10–7 in the second quarter, the Hawks scored the final 34 points of the game.
| Statistics | WMU | IOWA |
| First downs | 8 | 19 |
| Total yards | 239 | 387 |
| Rushing yards | 117 | 254 |
| Passing yards | 122 | 133 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 26:07 | 33:53 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Western Michigan | Passing | Treyson Bourguet | 5/16, 124 yards, TD |
| Western Michigan | Rushing | Treyson Bourguet | 8 carries, 32 yards |
| Western Michigan | Receiving | Kenneth Womack | 2 receptions, 11 yards |
| Iowa | Passing | Cade McNamara | 9/19, 103 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| Iowa | Rushing | Leshon Williams | 12 carries, 145 yards |
| Iowa | Receiving | Steven Stilianos | 2 receptions, 29 yards |

### at No. 7 Penn State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 24 Hawkeyes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • No. 7 Nittany Lions | 3 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 31 |
In a game played under the lights in Happy Valley between two unbeaten top 25 teams, Iowa was humbled by the Nittany Lions. The Hawkeyes, wearing alternate uniforms, were dominated in every phase of the game.
| Statistics | IOWA | PSU |
| First downs | 4 | 28 |
| Total yards | 76 | 397 |
| Rushing yards | 20 | 215 |
| Passing yards | 56 | 182 |
| Turnovers | 4 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 14:33 | 45:27 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Iowa | Passing | Cade McNamara | 5/14, 42 yards |
| Iowa | Rushing | Kamari Moulton | 6 carries, 18 yards |
| Iowa | Receiving | Erick All | 3 receptions, 35 yards |
| Penn State | Passing | Drew Allar | 25/37, 166 yards, 4 TD |
| Penn State | Rushing | Kaytron Allen | 21 carries, 72 yards |
| Penn State | Receiving | KeAndre Lambert-Smith | 8 receptions, 66 yards, TD |

### Michigan State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Spartans | 3 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 16 |
| • Hawkeyes | 3 | 7 | 3 | 13 | 26 |
Iowa recorded back-to-back victories in series for first time since 2009–2010. The Spartans were looking to avenge a humbling loss from their last visit – 49–7 in 2020 – during a week where there head coach Mel Tucker was fired. With Cade McNamara suffering a season-ending knee injury in the first quarter the offense continued to struggle. Cooper DeJean returned a punt 70 yards to give Iowa the lead for good with under four minutes left. This game marked Kirk Ferentz's 200th Big Ten Conference regular season game as Iowa's head coach (116–84).
| Statistics | MSU | IOWA |
| First downs | 20 | 15 |
| Total yards | 349 | 222 |
| Rushing yards | 156 | 61 |
| Passing yards | 193 | 161 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 33:48 | 26:12 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Michigan State | Passing | Noah Kim | 25/44, 193 yards, 3 INT |
| Michigan State | Rushing | Nate Carter | 20 carries, 108 yards |
| Michigan State | Receiving | Montorie Foster Jr. | 8 receptions, 79 yards |
| Iowa | Passing | Deacon Hill | 11/27, 115 yards, TD, INT |
| Iowa | Rushing | Leshon Williams | 12 carries, 38 yards |
| Iowa | Receiving | Erick All | 4 receptions, 67 yards, TD |

### Purdue

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Boilermakers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| • Hawkeyes | 7 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
Purdue had won two of the last three at Kinnick Stadium, the latter of which spoiled the Hawkeyes' homecoming, unbeaten record, and No. 2 AP ranking. They had a chance to win again but were held on a fourth down. This was the first start for QB Deacon Hill in the 1,300th game in Iowa program history. He struggled in the first half but settled down in the second.
| Statistics | PUR | IOWA |
| First downs | 21 | 13 |
| Total yards | 343 | 291 |
| Rushing yards | 96 | 181 |
| Passing yards | 247 | 110 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 35:28 | 24:32 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Purdue | Passing | Hudson Card | 25/40, 247 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Purdue | Rushing | Devin Mockobee | 20 carries, 89 yards, TD |
| Purdue | Receiving | TJ Sheffield | 6 receptions, 93 yards, TD |
| Iowa | Passing | Deacon Hill | 6/21, 110 yards, TD, INT |
| Iowa | Rushing | Kaleb Johnson | 17 carries, 134 yards, TD |
| Iowa | Receiving | Erick All | 5 receptions, 97 yards, TD |

### at Wisconsin

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Hawkeyes | 0 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 15 |
| Badgers | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Iowa won at Wisconsin for the first time since 2015 and recorded back-to-back wins in rivalry series for the first time since 2008–2009. This was a defensive struggle with both teams trading punt after punt. The Hawkeyes never trailed in the game and grabbed ahold of the Big Ten West lead.
| Statistics | IOWA | WIS |
| First downs | 9 | 18 |
| Total yards | 237 | 332 |
| Rushing yards | 200 | 104 |
| Passing yards | 37 | 228 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 30:33 | 29:27 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Iowa | Passing | Deacon Hill | 6/14, 37 yards |
| Iowa | Rushing | Leshon Williams | 25 carries, 174 yards, TD |
| Iowa | Receiving | Erick All | 2 receptions, 19 yards |
| Wisconsin | Passing | Braedyn Locke | 15/30, 122 yards, INT |
| Wisconsin | Rushing | Braelon Allen | 18 carries, 87 yards |
| Wisconsin | Receiving | Bryson Green | 5 receptions, 86 yards |

### Minnesota

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Golden Gophers | 3 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 12 |
| No. 24 Hawkeyes | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
The Hawkeyes, ranked in the top 25 again after a 3-week absence, had won eight straight and 9 of 10 in the series entering the game. Minnesota won at Kinnick Stadium for the first time since 1999. A controversial penalty upset Iowa fans at the end of the game, negating a potential game-winning touchdown by Cooper DeJean.
| Statistics | MIN | IOWA |
| First downs | 12 | 9 |
| Total yards | 239 | 127 |
| Rushing yards | 113 | 11 |
| Passing yards | 126 | 116 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 3 |
| Time of possession | 35:25 | 24:35 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Minnesota | Passing | Athan Kaliakmanis | 10/25, 126 yards |
| Minnesota | Rushing | Darius Taylor | 16 carries, 59 yards |
| Minnesota | Receiving | Daniel Jackson | 7 receptions, 101 yards |
| Iowa | Passing | Deacon Hill | 10/28, 116 yards, INT |
| Iowa | Rushing | Kaleb Johnson | 6 carries, 18 yards |
| Iowa | Receiving | Nico Ragaini | 4 receptions, 28 yards |

### at Northwestern

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Hawkeyes | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
| Wildcats | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
Iowa has won four of five in this series. The game at Wrigley Field was the first time the Hawkeyes have played on a baseball field since the 2017 Pinstripe Bowl. The game was yet another defensive struggle with neither team even scoring in the first half. Hawkeye kicker Drew Stevens nailed a 52-yard field goal with seconds left to defeat the Wildcats.
| Statistics | IOWA | NW |
| First downs | 14 | 12 |
| Total yards | 169 | 170 |
| Rushing yards | 104 | 89 |
| Passing yards | 65 | 81 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 30:18 | 29:42 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Iowa | Passing | Deacon Hill | 10/15, 65 yards, TD, INT |
| Iowa | Rushing | Leshon Williams | 24 carries, 79 yards |
| Iowa | Receiving | Addison Ostrenga | 3 receptions, 15 yards, TD |
| Northwestern | Passing | Brendan Sullivan | 12/19, 81 yards, TD |
| Northwestern | Rushing | Anthony Tyus III | 10 carries, 40 yards |
| Northwestern | Receiving | A. J. Henning | 4 receptions, 13 yards |

### Rutgers

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Scarlet Knights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • No. 22 Hawkeyes | 0 | 3 | 3 | 16 | 22 |
Kirk Ferentz has yet to lose to Rutgers, and this victory tied him with Bo Schembechler in career wins (194) as a Big Ten coach. After struggling to score in the first half, the Hawkeyes found their rhythm in the second. Iowa is now 4–0 against the Scarlet Knights all-time, shutting them out for a second time.
| Statistics | RUT | IOWA |
| First downs | 7 | 21 |
| Total yards | 127 | 402 |
| Rushing yards | 34 | 179 |
| Passing yards | 93 | 223 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 21:38 | 38:22 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Rutgers | Passing | Gavin Wimsatt | 7/18, 93 yards, INT |
| Rutgers | Rushing | Kyle Monangai | 13 carries, 39 yards |
| Rutgers | Receiving | Ian Strong | 3 receptions, 47 yards |
| Iowa | Passing | Deacon Hill | 20/31, 223 yards, TD, INT |
| Iowa | Rushing | Leshon Williams | 13 carries, 63 yards |
| Iowa | Receiving | Addison Ostrenga | 8 receptions, 47 yards |

### Illinois

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Fighting Illini | 3 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| • No. 16 Hawkeyes | 2 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 15 |
Illinois broke a long losing streak in the series in previous year, but has not won at Kinnick Stadium since 1999. A victory on Senior Day gave the Hawkeyes the Big Ten West outright, and Kirk Ferentz moved all alone into third place in career wins as a Big Ten head coach.
| Statistics | ILL | IOWA |
| First downs | 18 | 18 |
| Total yards | 280 | 281 |
| Rushing yards | 65 | 114 |
| Passing yards | 215 | 167 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 26:02 | 33:58 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Illinois | Passing | John Paddock | 22/47, 215 yards |
| Illinois | Rushing | Reggie Love III | 18 carries, 64 yards, TD |
| Illinois | Receiving | Isaiah Williams | 8 receptions, 105 yards |
| Iowa | Passing | Deacon Hill | 19/29, 167 yards, TD |
| Iowa | Rushing | Leshon Williams | 16 carries, 54 yards |
| Iowa | Receiving | Kaleb Brown | 7 receptions, 71 yards |

### at Nebraska

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • No. 17 Hawkeyes | 0 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| Cornhuskers | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
In this rivalry matchup, No. 17 Iowa racked up its 10th win of the season, its sixth straight win in Lincoln, and kept Nebraska from reaching bowl eligibility for the first time since 2016 as they recaptured the Heroes Trophy. After having two field goals blocked earlier in the game, Iowa kicked a game-winner as time expired to escape with the victory.
| Statistics | IOWA | NEB |
| First downs | 14 | 10 |
| Total yards | 257 | 264 |
| Rushing yards | 163 | 75 |
| Passing yards | 94 | 189 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 3 |
| Time of possession | 31:45 | 28:15 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Iowa | Passing | Deacon Hill | 11/28, 94 yards, INT |
| Iowa | Rushing | Leshon Williams | 16 carries, 111 yards |
| Iowa | Receiving | Kaleb Brown | 3 receptions, 21 yards |
| Nebraska | Passing | Chubba Purdy | 15/28, 189 yards, TD, INT |
| Nebraska | Rushing | Chubba Purdy | 12 carries, 42 yards |
| Nebraska | Receiving | Billy Kemp | 4 receptions, 21 yards |

### vs. No. 2 Michigan (Big Ten Championship game)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • No. 2 Wolverines | 10 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 26 |
| No. 16 Hawkeyes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fox's Big Noon Kickoff was on hand for this top 20 match-up. Iowa was attempting to defeat Michigan for the first time since 2016 and earn the program's first outright Big Ten title since 1985, but it wasn't to be. Two years after being humbled by the Wolverines in the Big The Championship Game, the Hawkeyes were unable to pose a scoring threat in this one and were blanked 26–0.
| Statistics | MICH | IOWA |
| First downs | 13 | 7 |
| Total yards | 213 | 155 |
| Rushing yards | 66 | 35 |
| Passing yards | 147 | 120 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 3 |
| Time of possession | 36:32 | 23:28 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Michigan | Passing | J. J. McCarthy | 22/30, 147 yards |
| Michigan | Rushing | Blake Corum | 16 carries, 52 yards, 2 TD |
| Michigan | Receiving | Cornelius Johnson | 9 receptions, 64 yards |
| Iowa | Passing | Deacon Hill | 18/32, 120 yards |
| Iowa | Rushing | Leshon Williams | 9 carries, 25 yards |
| Iowa | Receiving | Addison Ostrenga | 7 receptions, 50 yards |

### vs. No. 21 Tennessee (Citrus Bowl)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 17 Hawkeyes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • No. 21 Volunteers | 0 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
Iowa made its second Citrus Bowl appearance in three years and third overall. The Hawkeyes, looking to redeem themselves in three phases - being shut out in previous game, a narrow loss in last Citrus Bowl appearance, and being blown out by Tennessee in a bowl game nine years prior, were dominated from start to finish in Brian Ferentz's last game as offensive coordinator.
| Statistics | IOWA | TENN |
| First downs | 11 | 25 |
| Total yards | 173 | 383 |
| Rushing yards | 113 | 232 |
| Passing yards | 60 | 151 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 29:48 | 30:12 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Iowa | Passing | Deacon Hill | 7/18, 56 yards, 2 INT |
| Iowa | Rushing | Marco Lainez | 6 carries, 51 yards |
| Iowa | Receiving | Kaleb Brown | 3 receptions, 39 yards |
| Tennessee | Passing | Nico Iamaleava | 12/19, 151 yards, TD |
| Tennessee | Rushing | Dylan Sampson | 20 carries, 133 yards |
| Tennessee | Receiving | Ramel Keyton | 3 receptions, 51 yards |

## Awards and honors

Individual Awards :
| Player/Coach | Award |
| Cooper DeJean | Tatum–Woodson Defensive Back of the Year Rodgers–Dwight Return Specialist of the Year Unanimous All-American |
| Tory Taylor | Eddleman–Fields Punter of the Year Ray Guy Award Unanimous All-American |
| Phil Parker | Broyles Award |

## Players drafted into the NFL

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL Club |
| 2 | 40 | Cooper DeJean | CB | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 4 | 115 | Erick All | TE | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 4 | 122 | Tory Taylor | P | Chicago Bears |
| 6 | 178 | Logan Lee | DT | Pittsburgh Steelers |