2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team The 2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa and the Iowa Hawkeyes athletic program during the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season . The team played its home games at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City , Iowa . 2009 marked Kirk Ferentz ' s 11th year as head coach of Iowa . The Hawkeyes finished the season as the 2010 Orange Bowl Champions . The Hawkeyes came off a 9 – 4 season in 2008 , including a win over South Carolina in the Outback Bowl and a 24 – 23 upset of Big Ten champion of Penn State . Schedule . The Hawkeyes played 13 opponents in the 2009 season , finishing 11 – 2 ( 6 – 2 in conference play ) and defeated Georgia Tech in the 2010 Orange Bowl . Regular season . Northern Iowa . " at Kinnick Stadium , Iowa City , Iowa " The Hawkeyes struggled early , gaining just 104 yards of total offense in the first half . After trading field goals , UNI took a 10 – 3 lead after quarterback Pat Grace threw a 14 - yard touchdown pass to Ryan Mahaffey . The Hawkeyes woke up in the second half , going 70 yards in six plays and getting an 11 - yard touchdown run from Adam Robinson with under 10 minutes remaining in the third quarter . Iowa would regain the lead early in the fourth quarter when Tony Moeaki caught a touchdown pass from Ricky Stanzi . After a Billy Hallgren field goal , the Panthers threatened late in the game , with Grace leading them down the field in the final minutes to set up a potential game - winning kick and an upset . Hallgren ' s first attempt was blocked , but the officials ruled the ball went behind the line of scrimmage and UNI recovered with one second left . Jeremiha Hunter blocked the second kick , sealing the victory for the Hawkeyes . < ref name = " Iowa / UNI " > ESPN . com . Retrieved on September 5 , 2009 . < / ref > This was the first time in FBS history that a team had blocked two field goals on consecutive plays . Despite the win , Iowa ' s struggle against a Football Championship Subdivision opponent knocked them out of both the Associated Press and USA Today Top 25 polls until their upset of # 5 Penn State at the end of the month . Iowa State . The Cyclones scored first with a 46 - yard field goal from Grant Mahoney in the first quarter . But Iowa was able to capitalize on good field position resulting from an onside kick attempt by Iowa State and took the lead for good on a one - yard pass from Ricky Stanzi to Brett Morse . The Hawkeyes benefitted from six turnovers , scoring four more touchdowns off Cyclone mistakes . Tyler Sash had three of Iowa ' s five interceptions , tying a school record . Arizona . " at Kinnick Stadium , Iowa City , Iowa " The Hawkeyes scored on the opening drive , with a 2 - yard touchdown run by Adam Robinson . But Arizona tied the score at 7 after Terevin Wade returned a Ricky Stanzi interception 38 yards into the end zone . Iowa ' s defense would again prove to be the difference - maker in this game , not allowing a touchdown until 1 : 53 was remaining in the game , with the Hawkeyes well ahead . Tyler Sash also netted his seventh interception in five games ( dating back to last year ) . < ref name = " Iowa / UA Recap " > Iowa / UA Recap . Retrieved on September 20 , 2009 . < / ref > Penn State . " at Beaver Stadium , State College , Pennsylvania " The Hawkeyes fell behind early , 10 – 0 , after a 79 - yard pass from Daryll Clark to Chaz Powell on Penn State ' s first play from scrimmage and then a 20 - play drive by the Nittany Lions that led to a Collin Wagner field goal . But Iowa would score 21 unanswered points after that to stun Penn State for the second consecutive year . The defense shut down the Nittany Lions in the final three quarters , forcing four turnovers , and the turning point in the game came when Penn State punted , clinging to a 10 – 5 lead in the fourth quarter , Adrian Clayborn blocked a punt and ran it back 53 yards for a touchdown to give the Hawkeyes the lead . With the momentum changed , they were more easily able to move the ball on their final two drives . For many Penn State fans , the way the game played out reminded them of the games from their dismal 3 – 9 ( 1 – 7 ) season with many close losses in 2003 , but for many Iowa fans , the way the game played out also brought back memories of 2003 , reminding them of their 2003 season where they finished # 8 in the nation and beat Penn State 26 – 14 at home , during a span of three years ( 2002 , 2003 , 2004 ) where they were # 8 for three consecutive years and won a share of the conference championship in two of those years ( 2002 and 2004 ) . The win at Penn State on prime - time network television catapulted Iowa to a number 13 ranking in the AP poll and a number 17 ranking in the coaches ' poll . At year ' s end , it would also prove to be a selling point for choosing the Hawkeyes over the Nittany Lions for an at - large bid in the Bowl Championship Series . Arkansas State . " at Kinnick Stadium , Iowa City , Iowa " Iowa jumped out to a 14 – 0 lead behind two touchdown passes by Ricky Stanzi . Unlike Stanzi , the offense would stall , however , which allowed the Red Wolves back into the game before the first half ended , with quarterback Corey Leonard connecting with Brandon Thompkins for a score . The Hawks would answer back in the second half , as Tyler Sash ' s fifth interception on the year set up a 43 - yard TD pass from Stanzi to Marvin McNutt . Stanzi was then picked off twice , the second interception going 75 yards for a touchdown ( Stanzi ' s 2nd pick - six this year ) . Daniel Murray extended the lead to 10 with a 20 - yard field goal , but Arkansas State wouldn ' t go away . They took the ball 68 yards in a 17 plays and nearly 8 minutes to close the gap within 3 . The Hawkeyes would hold on though to improve their record to 5 – 0 , with Michigan coming to town in a prime - time national telecast next . < ref name = " Iowa / Ark . St . recap " > Iowa Athletic Department , " Close Call , But Iowa Wins Ninth Game in a Row . " Retrieved on October 4 , 2009 . < / ref > Michigan . " at Kinnick Stadium , Iowa City , Iowa " The scoring began with Stanzi ' s third pick - six of the year , with cornerback Donovan Warren taking the intercepted pass 40 yards to give Michigan an early 7 – 0 lead . Iowa would respond , however , with Stanzi finding tight end Tony Moeaki for a touchdown to cap a nine - play , 57 - yard drive . The Wolverines committed five turnovers to the Hawkeyes ' one , the most crucial being an interception by Brett Greenwood with 46 seconds remaining in the game to seal Iowa ' s 10th consecutive victory , the second - longest winning streak in the nation behind Florida . < ref name = " Iowa / Michigan recap " > Iowa Athletic Department , " Iowa Victory Streak Reaches 10 Games . " Retrieved on October 11 , 2009 . < / ref > Wisconsin . " at Camp Randall Stadium , Madison , Wisconsin " After a scoreless first quarter , the Badgers jumped to a 10 – 0 lead after freshman running back Montee Ball scored from 10 yards out . Then , in a scene reminiscent of Iowa ' s effort at Penn State three weeks earlier , the Hawks rattled off 20 unanswered points , while the defense intercepted Wisconsin QB Scott Tolzien three times . < ref name = " Iowa / Wisconsin recap " > Wisconsin Athletic Department , " Homecoming effort falls short in 20 – 10 loss to Iowa " . Retrieved on October 18 , 2009 . < / ref > Also similar to the win over Penn State , Tolzien was picked off two times on Wisconsin ' s final drives that threatened to put Wisconsin in the game again . Unlike that night , Iowa was not trailing in the 4th quarter , they took a 17 – 10 lead early in the 4th and nearly scored once more up 20 – 10 in the red zone , but couldn ' t convert a 4th down . Despite this , the 10 - point lead was more than enough for the Hawkeyes to win . The win , paired with Ohio State ' s loss at Purdue , gave Iowa sole possession of first place in the Big Ten . Michigan State . " at Spartan Stadium , East Lansing , Michigan " It was a defensive battle for 58 minutes , with both teams getting very close to the goal line , only to come away with field goals . Down 9 – 6 in the fourth quarter , the Spartans scored on a 30 - yard touchdown pass from Kirk Cousins to Blair White with 1 : 37 left in the game . But the Hawkeyes would respond by taking the ball down the field . Finally , on 4th and goal at the 7 - yard line with 2 seconds remaining , Ricky Stanzi connected with Marvin McNutt for the game - winning touchdown . The win gave the Hawkeyes its best start in school history at 8 – 0 . < ref name = " Iowa / Michigan State recap " > Michigan State Athletic Department . " Michigan State Falls to No . 7 Iowa . " Retrieved on October 25 , 2009 . < / ref > Indiana . " at Kinnick Stadium , Iowa City , Iowa " The Hawkeyes ' perfect season and hopes at a national championship were in serious jeopardy for three quarters , as Indiana went into the locker room ahead 21 – 7 at the half thanks to an opening - drive score and special teams miscues by the Hawkeyes ( a 9 - yard punt and a fumble on a punt return deep in Iowa territory ) . The Hoosiers looked to extend the lead to three scores when Tyler Sash somehow managed to intercept a Ben Chappell pass and take it 86 yards the other way for a touchdown . Ricky Stanzi had perhaps his worst game as Iowa ' s quarterback , throwing five interceptions , four in the third quarter as the Hawkeye offense played into a strong wind from the north . He and his team were able to recover in the fourth quarter , however , as Stanzi found Marvin McNutt for a 92 - yard touchdown pass then on the next offensive play , connected with Derrell Johnson - Koulianos for a score from 66 yards out that would put Iowa up for good . In all , the Hawkeyes scored 28 unanswered points in the final 15 minutes after trailing 24 – 14 to improve their record to 9 – 0 . < ref name = " Iowa / Indiana recap " > Iowa Athletic Department , " A Halloween Scare Turns to Iowa High - Fives . " Retrieved on October 31 , 2009 . < / ref > Northwestern . " at Kinnick Stadium , Iowa City , Iowa " In the first quarter , Ricky Stanzi quickly rattled off 10 points for the Iowa offense , putting them in the lead early . However , those would be the only points the Hawkeyes would score all day , and , as the second quarter drew to a close , the Hawkeyes would find themselves without their starting quarterback , as Stanzi went down with a high ankle sprain , effectively ending his season , and forcing untested backup , freshman James Vandenberg into the spotlight . The spotlight would prove to be too much for Vandenberg , as he could never mount an effective enough drive to overcome the suddenly mounting score . Iowa would eventually lose the game and their number 4 ranking in the national polls . Ohio State . " at Ohio Stadium , Columbus , Ohio " Devin Barclay kicked a 39 - yard field goal in overtime to defeat the injured but spirited Iowa Hawkeyes 27 - 24 . James Vandenberg would make his first start in place of injured Ricky Stanzi in this battle for the Big Ten championship and the conference ' s automatic bid , which would put the winner in the Rose Bowl . Vandenberg showed remarkable poise playing such a big game in a tough environment in Columbus , completing 20 of his 33 passes for two touchdowns , including the game - tying score to Marvin McNutt with 2 : 42 left in regulation . Derrell Johnson - Koulianos also helped in the Hawks ' comeback with a 99 - yard kickoff return for a touchdown after Ohio State extended its lead to 24 – 10 on a 49 - yard Brandon Saine run following a Vandenberg interception . Iowa would not score in its overtime possession however . < ref name = " Iowa / OSU recap " > Iowa Athletic Department , " Championship Effort by Buckeyes Falls Short , " November 14 , 2009 . Retrieved on December 6 , 2009 . < / ref > Minnesota . " at Kinnick Stadium , Iowa City , Iowa " It was a battle of defenses on Senior Day in Iowa City , as both the Hawkeyes and Gophers combined for 372 total yards and 17 punts , more than the total number of points . The game ' s lone touchdown came on a 1 - yard run by Brandon Wegher with 52 seconds left in the first half . The Hawkeye defense also turned the Gophers away after having four chances to make it a game with the ball on Iowa ' s 2 - yard line . < ref name = " Iowa / Minnesota recap " > Iowa Athletic Department , " A Day for Defense , " November 21 , 2009 . Retrieved on December 6 , 2009 . < / ref > With the win , Iowa finished the season at 10 – 2 and a final BCS ranking of number 10 . On December 6 , 2009 , they were selected to play the Atlantic Coast Conference champion Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at the 2010 Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens , Florida on January 5 , marking the Hawkeyes ' second postseason visit to South Florida in seven years . 2010 FedEx Orange Bowl . Georgia Tech . " at Land Shark Stadium , Miami Gardens , Florida " The Hawkeyes came into the 76th Orange Bowl as underdogs to Georgia Tech , but were able to set the tempo at the very beginning . The Hawkeyes brought a piece of Iowa with them to South Florida , the temperature was 49 degrees at kickoff , making it the coldest Orange Bowl on record . After a Marvin McNutt fumble on the game ' s opening drive led to good field position for the Yellow Jackets ' dangerous triple - option attack , the Iowa defense was able to force a 3 - and - out . On the next two offensive drives , quarterback Ricky Stanzi , who had surgery to repair a muscle tear that was a result of his injury against Northwestern , led the Hawkeyes into the end zone , throwing a 3 - yard touchdown pass to Marvin McNutt and a 21 - yard pass to Colin Sandeman to give Iowa the early 14 – 0 advantage . But as he had done three times already in 2009 , Stanzi also threw an interception that resulted in six points for the other team , with Jerrard Tarrant scoring from 40 yards on the return . After getting manhandled in the first half , Georgia Tech ' s offense would wake up , getting into scoring position on their first drive but unable to put points on the board , then getting a one - yard score from Anthony Allen to cap an 11 - play , 71 - yard drive and bring the Jackets to within a field goal . Norm Parker ' s defense , however , was once again able to stop Tech after that , and a 32 - yard touchdown by Brandon Wegher with 1 : 56 remaining would seal Iowa ' s first major bowl victory since the 1959 Rose Bowl . Defensive end Adrian Clayborn , who announced he would return to the Hawkeyes next season , was named the Orange Bowl ' s Most Valuable Player . He had 9 tackles and 2 sacks . The Iowa defense limited Georgia Tech to 143 yards rushing , less than half of their average for the season .