2008 Iowa Hawkeyes football team 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 opened the 2007 season on September 1 , 2007 , against Northern Illinois in a game played at Soldier Field in Chicago , Illinois . Hawkeye running back 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 s 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 . 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 , to play 0 – 2 Iowa State on September 15 . 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 . Placekicker Bret Culbertson scored all of Iowa State ' s points on five field goals , the last coming with one second remaining . Following a 20 - point loss at Penn State on October 6 , which was preceded by losses to Wisconsin and Indiana , 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 . 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 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 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 . 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 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 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 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 , Iowa ' s athletic director . 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 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 . 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 at Iowa in 2008 – play every weekend . The Ravens eventually hired Philadelphia Eagles secondary coach John Harbaugh 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 seniors . James Ferentz , Kirk ' s son , is among the players committed to play for Iowa in 2008 . Schedule . The Hawkeyes will open the 2008 season with three home games against , Florida International , and Iowa State , followed by a road game versus Pittsburgh . 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 and a heading coaching job at Maine . 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 . Norm Parker , Iowa ' s defensive coordinator , 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 s 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 . 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 . 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 end s Kenny Iwebema and Bryan Mattison . Cornerback s Adam Shada and Charles Godfrey are also done with their playing days at Iowa . Godfrey , who completed 2007 with five interception s , was regarded as a possible third - to sixth - round draft pick in the 2008 NFL Draft 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 , who succeeded Drew Tate at the quarterback position . Christensen threw for 2 , 269 yards and 17 touchdown s 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 . Season . Minnesota .