2021 Iowa Hawkeyes football team

2021 Iowa Hawkeyes football
Big Ten West Division champion
Big Ten Championship Game, L 3–42 vs. Michigan
Citrus Bowl, L 17–20 vs. Kentucky
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Division	West Division
Ranking
Coaches	No. 23
AP	No. 23
Record	10–4 (7–2 Big Ten)
Head coach	Kirk Ferentz (23rd season)
Offensive coordinator	Brian Ferentz (5th season)
Offensive scheme	Multiple
Defensive coordinator	Phil Parker (10th season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	Kinnick Stadium

2021 Big Ten Conference football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
No. 3 Michigan xy$^		8	–	1					12	–	2
No. 6 Ohio State x		8	–	1					11	–	2
No. 9 Michigan State		7	–	2					11	–	2
Penn State		4	–	5					7	–	6
Maryland		3	–	6					7	–	6
Rutgers		2	–	7					5	–	8
Indiana		0	–	9					2	–	10
West Division
No. 23 Iowa xy		7	–	2					10	–	4
Minnesota		6	–	3					9	–	4
Wisconsin		6	–	3					9	–	4
Purdue		6	–	3					9	–	4
Illinois		4	–	5					5	–	7
Nebraska		1	–	8					3	–	9
Northwestern		1	–	8					3	–	9
Championship: Michigan 42, Iowa 3
^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

The 2021 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa during the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Hawkeyes played their home games at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa, and competed in the West Division of the Big Ten Conference. They were led by 23rd-year head coach Kirk Ferentz.

With a victory over rival Nebraska on November 26 coupled with a Wisconsin loss to Minnesota the following day, Iowa won its first Big Ten West title since 2015. They competed in the Big Ten Championship Game against East Division co-champion Michigan, where they lost by a 39-point margin. Iowa capped the 2021 season with a frustrating 20–17 loss to No. 22 Kentucky in the Citrus Bowl. The Hawkeyes finished with a record of 10–4 (7–2 B1G), the seventh season with 10+ wins in the Ferentz era.

Junior center Tyler Linderbaum was named Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, unanimous First-team All-American, and was awarded the Rimington Trophy. He later became the 11th Iowa player of the Ferentz era taken in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 4	2:30 p.m.	No. 17 Indiana	No. 18	Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA	BTN	W 34–6	68,166
September 11	3:30 p.m.	at No. 9 Iowa State*	No. 10	Jack Trice Stadium Ames, IA (rivalry, College GameDay)	ABC	W 27–17	61,500
September 18	2:30 p.m.	Kent State*	No. 5	Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA	BTN	W 30–7	61,932
September 25	2:30 p.m.	Colorado State*	No. 5	Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA	FS1	W 24–14	65,456
October 1	7:00 p.m.	at Maryland	No. 5	Maryland Stadium College Park, MD	FS1	W 51–14	45,527
October 9	3:00 p.m.	No. 4 Penn State	No. 3	Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA (Big Noon Kickoff)	FOX	W 23–20	69,250
October 16	2:30 p.m.	Purdue	No. 2	Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA	ABC	L 7–24	69,250
October 30	11:00 a.m.	at Wisconsin	No. 9	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI (rivalry)	ESPN	L 7–27	74,209
November 6	6:00 p.m.	at Northwestern	No. 22	Ryan Field Evanston, IL	BTN	W 17–12	38,141
November 13	2:30 p.m.	Minnesota	No. 20	Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA (rivalry)	BTN	W 27–22	69,250
November 20	1:00 p.m.	Illinois	No. 17	Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA	FS1	W 33–23	64,132
November 26	12:30 p.m.	at Nebraska	No. 16	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE (rivalry)	BTN	W 28–21	86,541
December 4	7:00 p.m.	vs. No. 2 Michigan*	No. 13	Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis, IN (Big Ten Championship Game, Big Noon Kickoff)	FOX	L 3–42	67,183
January 1, 2022	12:00 p.m.	vs. No. 22 Kentucky*	No. 15	Camping World Stadium Orlando, FL (Citrus Bowl)	ABC	L 17–20	50,769
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll (and CFP Rankings, after November 2) - Released prior to game All times are in Central time

Roster

2021 Iowa Hawkeyes football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class QB 2 Deuce Hogan  Fr QB 5 Joey Labas Fr QB 8 Alex Padilla So QB 7 Spencer Petras Jr RB 34 Zach Brand Fr RB 15 Tyler Goodson Jr RB 20 Deavin Hilson Fr RB 21 Ivory Kelly-Martin Sr RB 17 Max White Fr RB 25 Gavin Williams  Fr RB 4 Leshon Williams  Fr FB 40 Turner Pallissard Jr FB 32 Johnny Plewa So FB 38 Monte Pottebaum Jr WR 14 Brody Brecht Fr WR 10 Arland Bruce IV Fr WR 19 Max Cooper Sr WR 1 Nolan Donald So WR 26 Jamison Heinz  Fr WR 81 Desmond Hutson So WR 27 Jack Johnson  Fr WR 6 Keagan Johnson Fr WR 16 Charlie Jones Sr WR 83 Alec Kritta So WR 14 Quavon Matthews  Fr WR 89 Nico Ragaini Jr WR 29 Jackson Ritter So WR 3 Tyrone Tracy Jr WR 0 Diante Vines  Fr WR 28 Isaiah Wagner Fr WR 18 Alec Wick Fr TE 88 Jackson Frericks So TE 46 Tommy Kujawa Sr TE 85 Luke Lachey  Fr TE 84 Sam LaPorta Jr TE 49 Andrew Lentsch Fr TE/FB 42 Denin Limouris Fr TE 80 Josiah Miamen So TE 82 Johnny Pascuzzi Fr TE 48 Bryce Schulte Sr TE 87 Elijah Yelverton  Fr OL 63 Justin Britt So OL 66 Jeremy Chaplin Fr OL 77 Connor Colby Fr OL 74 David Davidkov Fr OL 56 Nick DeJong So OL 67 Gennings Dunker Fr OL 76 Tyler Elsbury  Fr OL 55 Luke Empen Jr OL 69 Tyler Endres So OL 54 Matt Fagan Jr OL 52 Asher Fahey  Fr DL 58 Taylor Fox So OL 73 Cody Ince Jr OL 65 Tyler Linderbaum Jr OL 53 Michael Myslinski Fr OL 79 Jack Plumb Jr OL 78 Mason Richman  Fr OL 64 Kyler Schott Sr OL 70 Beau Stephens Fr OL 57 Clayton Thurm So OL 75 Josh Volk  Fr	Defense Pos. # Name Class DL 94 Yahya Black  Fr DL 86 Jeff Bowie Fr DL 88 Isaiah Bruce  Fr DL 45 Deontae Craig  Fr DL 13 Joe Evans Jr DL 48 Ethan Hurkett   Fr DL 95 Logan Jones  Fr DL 85 Logan Lee So DL 59 Griffin Liddle Fr DL 48 Max Llewellyn Fr DL 51 Jeremiah Pittman Fr DL 98 Chris Reames So DL 99 Noah Shannon Jr DL 50 Louie Stec So DL 80 Brennan Sweeney Fr DL 91 Lukas Van Ness  Fr DL 97 Zach VanValkenburg Sr DL 92 John Waggoner Jr DL 86 Jameson Witte  Fr LB 44 Seth Benson Jr LB 31 Jack Campbell Jr LB 39 Eric Epenesa Fr LB 41 Jaden Harrell Fr LB 34 Jay Higgins So LB 5 Jestin Jacobs So LB 46 Logan Klemp Jr LB 32 Eli Miller Fr LB 43 Karson Sharar Fr LB 40 Josef Smith  Fr LB 35 Justice Sullivan Fr LB 25 Kelby Telander Fr LB 36 Mike Timm Jr LB 42 Zach Twedt Fr LB 17 Wyatt Wegener  Fr DB 4 Dane Belton Jr DB 7 Reggie Bracy So DB 29 Sebastian Castro So DB 15 Dallas Craddieth Jr DB 19 Gaven Cooke Fr DB 17 Brenden Deasfernandes  Fr DB 3 Cooper DeJean Fr DB 37 Kyler Fisher So DB 8 Matt Hankins Sr DB 27 Jermari Harris So DB 21 Thomas Hartlieb So DB 28 Jack Koerner Sr DB 11 AJ Lawson  Fr DB 13 Henry Marchese Sr DB 26 Kaevon Merriweather Jr DB 33 Riley Moss Sr DB 12 Jaxon Rexroth Fr DB 22 Terry Roberts Jr DB 30 Quinn Schulte So DB 23 Xavior Williams Sr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class K 96 Lucas Amaya So K 1 Aaron Blom  Fr K 94 Caleb Shudak Sr P 2 Ryan Gersonde Sr P 9 Tory Taylor So P 45 Nick Phelps Jr LS 44 Luke Elkin Fr LS 50 Zach Kluver So LS 18 Austin Spiewak Sr LS 97 Liam Reardon  Fr	Head coach Kirk Ferentz Coordinators/assistant coaches Brian Ferentz – Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends Phil Parker – Defensive Coordinator/Secondary LeVar Woods – Special Teams Coordinator George Barnett – Offensive Line Kelvin Bell – Defensive Line Ladell Betts – Running Backs Kelton Copeland – Wide Receivers Jay Niemann – Assistant Defensive Line/Defensive Recruiting Coordinator Ken O'Keefe – Quarterbacks Seth Wallace – Assistant Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Raimond Braithwaite – Director, Strength and Conditioning Kohle Helle – Assistant, Strength and Conditioning Drew Heitland – Assistant, Strength and Conditioning Ben Morse – Assistant, Strength and Conditioning Cody Myers – Assistant, Strength and Conditioning John Engelbrecht – Nutrition & Performance Analytics Paul Federici – Director, Football Operations Ben Hansen – Assistant Director, Football Operations Jason Manson – Director of Player Development Sam Brincks – Interim Director, Player Development Scott Southmayd – Director, Player Personnel Tyler Barnes – Director, Recruiting Krisanne Ryther – Recruiting Operations and Special Events Coordinator Caleb Saunders – Director, Football Creative Media Justin Elsner – Football Graphic Designer Eric Copeland – Graduate Assistant Adam Cox – Graduate Assistant Justin Flood – Graduate Assistant Austin Showalter – Director, Football Analytics Shane Viilo – Football Analyst Tyler Parker – Football Analyst Bob Rahfeldt – Director, Football Video Operations Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster Last update: 10/12/21

Rankings

Further information: 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
( ) = First-place votes

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	18	10	5	5	5	3	2	11	9	19	19	18	17	15	17	23
Coaches	18	12	7	6	5	3	2 (1)	11	10	16	14	14	12	12	16	23
CFP	Not released									22	20	17	16	13	15	Not released

Game summaries

No. 17 Indiana

See also: 2021 Indiana Hoosiers football team

Indiana at Iowa

1 2 3 4 Total No. 17 Hoosiers 3 0 3 0 6 • No. 18 Hawkeyes 14 17 0 3 34 Date: September 4 Location: Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA Game start: 2:40 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3:14 Game attendance: 68,166 Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), Cloudy, Wind NW 10 mph (16 km/h) Referee: Larry Smith TV announcers (BTN): Brandon Gaudin (play-by-play), James Laurinaitis (analyst) & Rick Pizzo (sideline) Source: Box Score

Scoring summary 1 13:35 Iowa Tyler Goodson 56-yard run (Caleb Shudak kick) Iowa 7–0 12:45 Iowa Riley Moss 30-yard interception return (Caleb Shudak kick) Iowa 14–0 4:28 Indiana Charles Campbell 36-yard field goal Iowa 14–3 2 11:54 Iowa Spencer Petras 9-yard run (Caleb Shudak kick) Iowa 21–3 1:41 Iowa Riley Moss 55-yard interception return (Caleb Shudak kick) Iowa 28–3 0:00 Iowa Caleb Shudak 41-yard field goal Iowa 31–3 3 8:39 Indiana Charles Campbell 41-yard field goal Iowa 31–6 4 9:52 Iowa Caleb Shudak 35-yard field goal Iowa 34–6

Iowa jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. The Hawkeyes defense came out in full force, getting three interceptions – including two pick sixes by senior Riley Moss – and kept Indiana out of the end zone. Equally impressive for an opening game, Iowa limited itself to a mere two penalties.

Statistics	IU	IOWA
First downs	11	18
Total yards	233	303
Rushing yards	77	158
Passing yards	156	145
Turnovers	3	2
Time of possession	32:04	27:56

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Indiana	Passing	Michael Penix Jr.	14/31, 156 yards, 3 INT
	Rushing	Stephen Carr	19 carries, 57 yards
	Receiving	Ty Fryfogle	5 receptions, 84 yards
Iowa	Passing	Spencer Petras	13/27, 145 yards
	Rushing	Tyler Goodson	19 carries, 99 yards, TD
	Receiving	Sam LaPorta	5 receptions, 83 yards

At No. 9 Iowa State

Iowa at Iowa State
Cy-Hawk Trophy

1 2 3 4 Total • No. 10 Hawkeyes 0 14 10 3 27 No. 9 Cyclones 3 7 0 7 17 Date: September 11 Location: Jack Trice Stadium Ames, IA Game start: 3:37 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3:25 Game attendance: 61,500 Game weather: 91 °F (33 °C), Sunny, Wind S 10 mph (16 km/h) Referee: John O'Neill TV announcers (ABC): Rece Davis (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (analyst) & Holly Rowe (sideline) Source: Box Score

Scoring summary 1 0:39 ISU Connor Assalley 23-yard field goal ISU 3–0 2 8:13 Iowa Tyler Goodson 4-yard run (Caleb Shudak kick) Iowa 7–3 1:01 Iowa Charlie Jones 26-yard pass from Spencer Petras (Caleb Shudak kick) Iowa 14–3 0:07 ISU Breece Hall 4-yard run (Connor Assalley kick) Iowa 14–10 3 5:08 Iowa Jack Campbell 6-yard fumble return (Caleb Shudak kick) Iowa 21–10 2:56 Iowa Caleb Shudak 51-yard field goal Iowa 24–10 4 12:53 Iowa Caleb Shudak 22-yard field goal Iowa 27–10 3:27 ISU Tarique Milton 13-yard pass from Hunter Dekkers (Connor Assalley kick) Iowa 27–17

See also: 2021 Iowa State Cyclones football team and College GameDay (football)

This season's Cy-Hawk matchup was a showdown of top 10 teams in the AP poll, making this the first time the schools have faced off as ranked opponents. ESPN's College GameDay was on hand for the second straight time in the series as the annual contest was cancelled the previous year due to COVID-19. Iowa extended its win streak in the series to six games, and has now won five consecutive games against ranked opponents – its longest such streak since 1960.

Statistics	IOWA	IOWA ST
First downs	11	21
Total yards	173	339
Rushing yards	67	87
Passing yards	106	252
Turnovers	0	4
Time of possession	31:38	28:22

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Iowa	Passing	Spencer Petras	11/21, 106 yards, TD
	Rushing	Tyler Goodson	21 carries, 55 yards, TD
	Receiving	Charle Jones	2 receptions, 36 yards, TD
Iowa State	Passing	Brock Purdy	13/27, 138 yards, 3 INT
	Rushing	Breece Hall	16 carries, 69 yards, TD
	Receiving	Charlie Kolar	4 receptions, 34 yards

Kent State

See also: 2021 Kent State Golden Flashes football team

Kent State at Iowa

1 2 3 4 Total Golden Flashes 7 0 0 0 7 • No. 5 Hawkeyes 9 7 7 7 30 Date: September 18 Location: Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA Game start: 2:40 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3:04 Game attendance: 61,932 Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C), Sunny, Wind SE 4 mph (6.4 km/h) Referee: Larry Smith TV announcers (BTN): Mark Followill (play-by-play), Anthony Herron (analyst) & Coley Harvey (sideline) Source: Box Score

Scoring summary 1 8:03 Iowa Safety, Dustin Crum sacked by Lukas Van Ness in end zone Iowa 2–0 6:34 Iowa Tyler Goodson 46-yard run (Caleb Shudak kick) Iowa 9–0 5:00 Kent Keshunn Abram 23-yard pass from Dustin Crum (A. Glass kick) Iowa 9–7 2 0:19 Iowa Sam LaPorta 5-yard pass from Spencer Petras (Caleb Shudak kick) Iowa 16–7 3 0:32 Iowa Tyler Goodson 35-yard run (Caleb Shudak kick) (Caleb Shudak kick) Iowa 23–7 4 4:07 Iowa Tyler Goodson 2-yard run (Caleb Shudak kick) (Caleb Shudak kick) Iowa 30–7

The Hawkeyes, playing as an AP top 5 team at home for the first time since 1985, won for the 300th time at Kinnick Stadium since its opening in 1929. Tyler Goodson had his best game to date, rushing for 153 yards. This was the first meeting of the programs since 2004.

Statistics	KENT	IOWA
First downs	17	21
Total yards	264	418
Rushing yards	79	206
Passing yards	185	212
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	23:22	36:38

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Kent State	Passing	Dustin Crum	16/23, 185 yards, TD
	Rushing	Marquez Cooper	10 carries, 38 yards
	Receiving	Keshunn Abram	6 receptions, 138 yards, TD
Iowa	Passing	Spencer Petras	25/36, 209 yards, TD
	Rushing	Tyler Goodson	22 carries, 153 yards, 3 TD
	Receiving	Sam LaPorta	7 receptions, 65 yards, TD

Colorado State

See also: 2021 Colorado State Rams football team

Colorado State at Iowa

1 2 3 4 Total Rams 0 14 0 0 14 • No. 5 Hawkeyes 0 7 14 3 24 Date: September 25 Location: Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA Game start: 2:41 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3:13 Game attendance: 65,456 Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C), Sunny, Wind W 15 mph (24 km/h) Referee: Mark Kluczynski TV announcers (FS1): Tim Brando (play-by-play) and Spencer Tillman (analyst) Source: Box Score

Scoring summary 2 13:45 Iowa Keagan Johnson 43-yard pass from Spencer Petras (Caleb Shudak kick) Iowa 7–0 3:55 CSU Todd Centeio 10-yard run (Cayden Camper kick) Tied 7–7 0:24 CSU Gavin Williams 3-yard pass from Todd Centeio (Cayden Camper kick) CSU 14–7 3 8:17 Iowa Tyrone Tracy Jr. 6-yard run (Caleb Shudak kick) Tied 14–14 6:01 Iowa Sam LaPorta 27-yard pass from Spencer Petras (Caleb Shudak kick) Iowa 21–14 4 12:32 Iowa Caleb Shudak 45-yard field goal Iowa 24–14

This was the first meeting between the two schools. After a sluggish start, the Hawkeyes shut out Colorado State in the second half to extend its streak of holding opponents under 25 points.

Statistics	CSU	IOWA
First downs	12	12
Total yards	250	278
Rushing yards	95	54
Passing yards	155	224
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	31:20	28:40

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Colorado State	Passing	Todd Centeio	16/30, 155 yards, TD
	Rushing	A'Jon Vivens	17 carries, 45 yards
	Receiving	Trey McBride	6 receptions, 59 yards
Iowa	Passing	Spencer Petras	15/23, 224 yards, 2 TD, INT
	Rushing	Tyler Goodson	18 carries, 57 yards
	Receiving	Sam LaPorta	4 receptions, 45 yards, TD

At Maryland

See also: 2021 Maryland Terrapins football team

Iowa at Maryland

1 2 3 4 Total • No. 5 Hawkeyes 3 31 10 7 51 Terrapins 7 0 7 0 14 Date: October 1 Location: Maryland Stadium College Park, MD Game start: 8:04 p.m. EDT Elapsed time: 3:37 Game attendance: 45,527 Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C), Cloudy, Wind N 0 mph (0 km/h) Referee: Jerry McGinn TV announcers (FS1): Tim Brando (play-by-play) and Spencer Tillman (analyst) Source: Box Score

Scoring summary 1 7:16 Iowa Caleb Shudak 41-yard field goal Iowa 3–0 3:37 Maryland Chigoziem Okonkwo 9-yard pass from Taulia Tagovailoa (Joseph Petrino kick) Maryland 7–3 2 14:57 Iowa Spencer Petras 1-yard run (Caleb Shudak kick) Iowa 10–7 14:04 Iowa Arland Bruce IV 8-yard pass from Spencer Petras (Caleb Shudak kick) Iowa 17–7 10:53 Iowa Spencer Petras 1-yard run (Caleb Shudak kick) Iowa 24–7 5:46 Iowa Monte Pottebaum 2-yard run (Caleb Shudak kick) Iowa 31–7 0:29 Iowa Caleb Shudak 38-yard field goal Iowa 34–7 3 12:49 Iowa Tyler Goodson 67-yard pass from Spencer Petras (Caleb Shudak kick) Iowa 41–7 8:35 Iowa Caleb Shudak 32-yard field goal Iowa 44–7 6:01 Maryland Rakim Jarrett 7-yard pass from Taulia Tagovailoa (Joseph Petrino kick) Iowa 44–14 4 14:18 Iowa Tyrone Tracy Jr. 7-yard pass from Spencer Petras (Caleb Shudak kick) Iowa 51–14

In the first match-up of the teams since 2018, Iowa tied the school record with six interceptions in this lopsided road win. It is the first 5–0 start for the program since 2015. The Hawkeyes also scored the most points in a quarter since 2002.

Statistics	IOWA	UMD
First downs	24	14
Total yards	428	271
Rushing yards	145	97
Passing yards	283	174
Turnovers	0	7
Time of possession	39:00	21:00

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Iowa	Passing	Spencer Petras	21/30, 259 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Tyler Goodson	19 carries, 66 yards
	Receiving	Arland Bruce IV	6 receptions, 43 yards, TD
Maryland	Passing	Taulia Tagovailoa	16/29, 157 yards, 2 TD, 5 INT
	Rushing	Taulia Tagovailoa	4 carries, 24 yards
	Receiving	Dontay Demus Jr.	4 receptions, 61 yards

No. 4 Penn State

See also: 2021 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

Penn State at Iowa

1 2 3 4 Total No. 4 Nittany Lions 14 3 3 0 20 • No. 3 Hawkeyes 3 7 3 10 23 Date: October 9 Location: Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA Game start: 3:05 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3:39 Game attendance: 69,250 Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C), Cloudy, Wind SE 12 mph (19 km/h) Referee: John O'Neill TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (analyst) and Jenny Taft (sideline) Source: Box Score

Scoring summary 1 11:08 Iowa Caleb Shudak 34-yard field goal Iowa 3–0 8:37 Penn State Noah Cain 2-yard rush (Jordan Stout kick) Penn State 7–3 3:21 Penn State Sean Clifford 4-yard rush (Jordan Stout kick) Penn State 14–3 2 12:31 Penn State Jordan Stout 32-yard field goal Penn State 17–3 7:08 Iowa Charlie Jones 9-yard pass from Spencer Petras (Caleb Shudak kick) Penn State 17–10 3 12:31 Penn State Jordan Stout 32-yard field goal Penn State 20–10 1:36 Iowa Caleb Shudak 48-yard field goal Penn State 20–13 4 8:08 Iowa Caleb Shudak 36-yard field goal Penn State 20–16 6:26 Iowa Nico Ragaini 44-yard pass from Spencer Petras (Caleb Shudak kick) Iowa 23–20

Iowa was seeking its first home win over Penn State since 2010 with Fox's Big Noon Kickoff on hand. This match-up of top five teams in the AP poll was the first such game at Kinnick Stadium since No. 2 Michigan visited the No. 1 Hawkeyes in 1985. Iowa fell behind 17–3 to PSU, but after an injury to Nittany Lions quarterback Sean Clifford, the Hawkeyes slowly clawed back, outscoring Penn State 20–3 the rest of the way to earn the 23–20 win. With this victory, Iowa improved to 6–0, became bowl eligible, extended their overall win streak to 12 games, and ascended to No. 2 in both major polls the following day.

Statistics	PSU	IOWA
First downs	18	18
Total yards	287	305
Rushing yards	107	110
Passing yards	180	195
Turnovers	4	1
Time of possession	24:07	35:53

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Penn State	Passing	Sean Clifford	15/25, 146 yards, 2 INT
	Rushing	Sean Clifford	3 carries, 36 yards, TD
	Receiving	Jahan Dotson	8 receptions, 48 yards
Iowa	Passing	Spencer Petras	17/31, 195 yards, 2 TD, INT
	Rushing	Tyler Goodson	25 carries, 88 yards
	Receiving	Nico Ragaini	4 receptions, 73 yards, TD

Purdue

See also: 2021 Purdue Boilermakers football team

Purdue at Iowa

1 2 3 4 Total • Boilermakers 7 7 3 7 24 No. 2 Hawkeyes 0 7 0 0 7 Date: October 16 Location: Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA Game start: 2:37 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3:40 Game attendance: 69,250 Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C), Sunny, Wind W 16 mph (26 km/h) Referee: Jeffrey Servinski TV announcers (ABC): Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Dusty Dvoracek (analyst) and Tom Luginbill (sideline) Source: Box Score

Scoring summary 1 3:38 Purdue Aidan O'Connell 6-yard run (Mitchell Fineran kick) Purdue 7–0 2 3:20 Iowa Ivory Kelly-Martin 3-yard run (Caleb Shudak kick) Tied 7–7 0:19 Purdue T. J. Sheffield 3-yard pass from Aidan O'Connell (Mitchell Fineran kick) Purdue 14–7 3 11:07 Purdue Mitchell Fineran 31-yard field goal Purdue 17–7 4 12:29 Purdue David Bell 21-yard pass from Aiden O'Connell (Mitchell Fineran kick) Purdue 24–7

The unranked Boilermakers dominated this matchup with the Hawkeyes, and won for the fourth time in the last five meetings with Iowa.

Statistics	PUR	IOWA
First downs	24	17
Total yards	464	271
Rushing yards	86	76
Passing yards	378	195
Turnovers	1	4
Time of possession	34:46	25:14

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Purdue	Passing	Aidan O'Connell	30/40, 375 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	King Doerue	18 carries, 48 yards
	Receiving	David Bell	11 receptions, 240 yards, TD
Iowa	Passing	Spencer Petras	17/32, 195 yards, 4 INT
	Rushing	Tyler Goodson	12 carries, 68 yards
	Receiving	Sam LaPorta	5 receptions, 61 yards

At Wisconsin

See also: 2021 Wisconsin Badgers football team

Iowa at Wisconsin
Heartland Trophy

1 2 3 4 Total No. 9 Hawkeyes 0 0 7 0 7 • Badgers 7 13 0 7 27 Date: October 30 Location: Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI Game start: 11:02 a.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3:24 Game attendance: 74,209 Game weather: 51 °F (11 °C), Cloudy, Wind N 10 mph (16 km/h) Referee: Michael Cannon TV announcers (ESPN): Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Dan Orlovsky (analyst), and Kris Budden (sideline) Source: Box Score

Scoring summary 1 3:08 Wisc Jake Ferguson 4-yard pass from Graham Mertz (Collin Larsh kick) Wisconsin 7–0 2 12:18 Wisc Collin Larsh 29-yard field goal Wisconsin 10–0 7:40 Wisc Graham Mertz 1-yard run (Collin Larsh kick) Wisconsin 17–0 2:51 Wisc Collin Larsh 32-yard field goal Wisconsin 20–0 3 8:21 Iowa Spencer Petras 1-yard run (Caleb Shudak kick) Wisconsin 20–7 4 12:54 Wisc Graham Mertz 1-yard run (Collin Larsh kick) Wisconsin 27–7

The unranked Badgers dominated this matchup with the Hawkeyes, and became the first Iowa opponent to score more than 24 points since the 2018 regular season finale.

Statistics	IOWA	WIS
First downs	9	16
Total yards	156	270
Rushing yards	24	166
Passing yards	132	104
Turnovers	3	0
Time of possession	24:13	35:47

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Iowa	Passing	Spencer Petras	9/19, 93 yards
	Rushing	Tyler Goodson	13 carries, 27 yards
	Receiving	Sam LaPorta	3 receptions, 44 yards
Wisconsin	Passing	Graham Mertz	11/22, 104 yards, TD
	Rushing	Braelon Allen	20 carries, 104 yards
	Receiving	Danny Davis III	5 receptions, 59 yards, TD

At Northwestern

See also: 2021 Northwestern Wildcats football team

Iowa at Northwestern

1 2 3 4 Total • No. 22 Hawkeyes 7 7 3 0 17 Wildcats 0 3 3 6 12 Date: November 6 Location: Ryan Field Evanston, IL Game start: 6:10 p.m. CDT Elapsed time: 3:29 Game attendance: 38,141 Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C), Sunny, Wind S 14 mph (23 km/h) Referee: Ron Snodgrass TV announcers (BTN): Cory Provus (play-by-play), Matt Millen (analyst) and Elise Menaker (sideline) Source: Box Score

Scoring summary 1 0:22 Iowa Tyler Goodson 13-yard run (Caleb Shudak kick) Iowa 7–0 2 10:41 Iowa Arland Bruce IV 10-yard run (Caleb Shudak kick) Iowa 14–0 2:11 NW Charlie Kuhbander 22-yard field goal Iowa 14–3 3 10:41 Iowa Caleb Shudak 25-yard field goal Iowa 17–3 1:58 NW Charlie Kuhbander 30-yard field goal Iowa 17–6 4 2:21 NW Evan Hull 31-yard pass from Andrew Marty (pass failed) Iowa 17–12

Backup quarterback Alex Padilla led two first-half touchdown drives, and the Iowa defense forced three interceptions as the Hawkeyes snapped a two-game skid.

Statistics	IOWA	NW
First downs	19	20
Total yards	361	363
Rushing yards	185	93
Passing yards	176	270
Turnovers	0	3
Time of possession	31:05	28:55

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Iowa	Passing	Alex Padilla	18/28, 172 yards
	Rushing	Tyler Goodson	21 carries, 141 yards, TD
	Receiving	Keagan Johnson	5 receptions, 68 yards
Northwestern	Passing	Andrew Marty	25/44, 270 yards, TD, 3 INT
	Rushing	Evan Hull	11 carries, 41 yards
	Receiving	Evan Hull	6 receptions, 89 yards, TD

Minnesota

See also: 2021 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team

Minnesota at Iowa
Floyd of Rosedale

1 2 3 4 Total Golden Gophers 3 10 3 6 22 • No. 20 Hawkeyes 3 7 7 10 27 Date: November 13 Location: Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA Game start: 2:42 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3:26 Game attendance: 69,250 Game weather: 37 °F (3 °C), Cloudy, Wind W 12 mph (19 km/h) Referee: Jerry McGinn TV announcers (BTN): Brandon Gaudin (play-by-play), James Laurinaitis (analyst) & Rick Pizzo (sideline) Source: Box Score

Scoring summary 1 9:49 Iowa Caleb Shudak 50-yard field goal Iowa 3–0 2:07 Minnesota Matthew Trickett 20-yard field goal Tied 3–3 2 13:32 Iowa Alex Padilla 1-yard run (Caleb Shudak kick) Iowa 10–3 5:27 Minnesota Ko Kieft 37-yard pass from Cole Kramer (Matthew Trickett kick) Tied 10–10 0:00 Minnesota Matthew Trickett 31-yard field goal Minnesota 13–10 3 11:51 Iowa Charlie Jones 72-yard pass from Alex Padilla (Caleb Shudak kick) Iowa 17–13 6:14 Minnesota Matthew Trickett 29-yard field goal Iowa 17–16 4 12:49 Iowa Keagan Johnson 27-yard pass from Alex Padilla (Caleb Shudak kick) Iowa 24–16 5:28 Minnesota Chris Autman-Bell 68-yard pass from Tanner Morgan (pass failed) Iowa 24–22 0:41 Iowa Caleb Shudak 29-yard field goal Iowa 27–22

In Alex Padilla's first start at quarterback, Iowa won for the seventh straight time in this trophy series. Padilla threw for two touchdowns and ran for another in the victory. The Golden Gophers haven't won at Kinnick Stadium since 1999.

Statistics	MIN	IOWA
First downs	23	12
Total yards	409	277
Rushing yards	189	71
Passing yards	220	206
Turnovers	0	1
Time of possession	40:02	19:40

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Minnesota	Passing	Tanner Morgan	14/30, 183 yards, TD
	Rushing	Ky Thomas	29 carries, 126 yards
	Receiving	Chris Autman-Bell	5 receptions, 109 yards, TD
Iowa	Passing	Alex Padilla	11/24, 206 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Tyler Goodson	18 carries, 59 yards
	Receiving	Charlie Jones	2 receptions, 106 yards, TD

Illinois

See also: 2021 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

Illinois at Iowa

1 2 3 4 Total Fighting Illini 10 3 3 7 23 • No. 17 Hawkeyes 7 10 3 13 33 Date: November 20 Location: Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA Game start: 1:10 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3:31 Game attendance: 64,132 Referee: Larry Smith TV announcers (FS1): Adam Alexander (play-by-play) and Devin Gardner (analyst) Source: Box Score

Scoring summary 1 8:37 Illinois Luke Ford 13-yard pass from Brandon Peters (James McCourt kick) Illinois 7–0 3:20 Illinois James McCourt 46-yard field goal Illinois 10–0 3:05 Iowa Charlie Jones 100-yard kickoff return (Caleb Shudak kick) Illinois 10–7 2 14:08 Iowa Arland Bruce IV 2-yard run (Caleb Shudak kick) Iowa 14–10 6:41 Iowa Caleb Shudak 51-yard field goal Iowa 17–10 3:13 Illinois James McCourt 45-yard field goal Iowa 17–13 3 9:12 Iowa Caleb Shudak 48-yard field goal Iowa 20–13 2:46 Illinois James McCourt 53-yard field goal Iowa 20–16 4 9:12 Iowa Caleb Shudak 48-yard field goal Iowa 23–16 9:12 Iowa Caleb Shudak 48-yard field goal Iowa 26–16 1:36 Iowa Jack Campbell 32-yard interception return (Caleb Shudak kick) Iowa 33–16 0:31 Iowa Isaiah Williams 16-yard pass from Brandon Peters (James McCourt kick) Iowa 33–23

Iowa won for the eighth straight time in the series. Illinois hasn't won at Kinnick Stadium since 1999.

Statistics	ILL	IOWA
First downs	11	18
Total yards	312	255
Rushing yards	64	172
Passing yards	248	83
Turnovers	2	1
Time of possession	25:42	34:18

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Illinois	Passing	Brandon Peters	16/36, 248 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Chase Brown	13 carries, 42 yards
	Receiving	Casey Washington	3 receptions, 61 yards
Iowa	Passing	Alex Padilla	6/17, 83 yards, INT
	Rushing	Tyler Goodson	27 carries, 132 yards
	Receiving	Arland Bruce IV	2 receptions, 45 yards

At Nebraska

See also: 2021 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

Iowa at Nebraska
Heroes Trophy

1 2 3 4 Total • No. 16 Hawkeyes 0 6 3 19 28 Cornhuskers 7 7 7 0 21 Date: November 26 Location: Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE Game start: 12:31 p.m. CST Elapsed time: 3:16 Game attendance: 86,541 Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C), Sunny, Wind SW 6 mph (9.7 km/h) Referee: Mark Kluczynski TV announcers (BTN): Brandon Gaudin (play-by-play), James Laurinaitis (analyst) & Rick Pizzo (sideline) Source: Box Score

Scoring summary 1 9:18 Neb Logan Smothers 2-yard run (Chase Contreraz kick) Neb 7–0 2 10:39 Iowa Caleb Shudak 51-yard field goal Neb 7–3 4:20 Neb Jaquez Yant 1-yard run (Chase Contreraz kick) Neb 14–3 0:39 Iowa Caleb Shudak 39-yard field goal Neb 14–6 3 5:54 Neb Logan Smothers 1-yard run (Chase Contreraz kick) Neb 21–6 0:27 Iowa Caleb Shudak 36-yard field goal Neb 21–9 4 14:16 Iowa Kyler Fisher 14-yard blocked punt return (Caleb Shudak kick) Neb 21–16 9:56 Iowa Safety Neb 21–18 7:21 Iowa Caleb Shudak 44-yard field goal Tied 21–21 2:58 Iowa Spencer Petras 2-yard run (Caleb Shudak kick) Iowa 28–21

After facing a 21–6 third quarter deficit, the Hawkeyes rallied to earn a win over the Cornhuskers as they outscored the home team 22–0 to end the game. It was Iowa's fifth straight victory in Lincoln and seventh straight victory overall in this trophy series.

Statistics	IOWA	NEB
First downs	19	18
Total yards	364	327
Rushing yards	186	129
Passing yards	178	198
Turnovers	1	2
Time of possession	31:53	28:07

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Iowa	Passing	Spencer Petras	7/13, 102 yards
	Rushing	Tyler Goodson	23 carries, 156 yards
	Receiving	Sam LaPorta	3 receptions, 61 yards
Nebraska	Passing	Logan Smothers	16/22, 198 yards, INT
	Rushing	Logan Smothers	24 carries, 64 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Samori Toure	6 receptions, 67 yards

Vs. No. 2 Michigan (Big Ten Championship game)

Main article: 2021 Big Ten Football Championship Game

See also: 2021 Michigan Wolverines football team

Michigan vs Iowa
Big Ten Championship Game

1 2 3 4 Total • No. 2 Wolverines 14 0 7 21 42 No. 13 Hawkeyes 3 0 0 0 3 Date: December 4, 2021 Location: Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis, IN Game start: 8:19 p.m. EST Elapsed time: 3:23 Game attendance: 67,183 Game weather: None (retractable roof closed) Referee: Mike Cannon TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (analyst) & Jenny Taft (sideline) Source: Box Score

Scoring summary 1 6:38 Mich Blake Corum 67-yard run (Jake Moody kick) Michigan 7–0 5:27 Mich Roman Wilson 75-yard pass from Donovan Edwards (Jake Moody kick) Michigan 14–0 1:26 Iowa Caleb Shudak 22-yard field goal Michigan 14–3 3 8:23 Mich Hassan Haskins 4-yard run (Jake Moody kick) Michigan 21–3 4 11:16 Mich Hassan Haskins 1-yard run (Jake Moody kick) Michigan 28–3 5:24 Mich Erick All 5-yard pass from Cade McNamara (Jake Moody kick) Michigan 35–3 1:25 Mich Donovan Edwards 1-yard run (Jake Moody kick) Michigan 42–3

This game marked Iowa's second appearance in the Big Ten Championship Game (2015). Ferentz is now 1–2 against Michigan in the Harbaugh era.

Statistics	MICH	IOWA
First downs	21	15
Total yards	461	279
Rushing yards	211	104
Passing yards	250	175
Turnovers	2	1
Time of possession	28:21	31:39

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Michigan	Passing	Cade McNamara	16/24, 169 yards, TD, INT
	Rushing	Blake Corum	5 carries, 74 yards, TD
	Receiving	Roman Wilson	2 receptions, 82 yards, TD
Iowa	Passing	Spencer Petras	9/22, 137 yards
	Rushing	Gavin Williams	12 carries, 56 yards
	Receiving	Sam LaPorta	6 receptions, 62 yards

Vs. No. 22 Kentucky (Citrus Bowl)

Main article: 2022 Citrus Bowl

See also: 2021 Kentucky Wildcats football team

Iowa vs Kentucky
Citrus Bowl

1 2 3 4 Total No. 15 Hawkeyes 0 3 7 7 17 • No. 22 Wildcats 7 6 0 7 20 Date: January 1, 2022 Location: Camping World Stadium Orlando, FL Game start: 1:06 p.m. EST Elapsed time: 3:17 Game attendance: 50,769 Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C), Sunny, Wind S 11 mph (18 km/h) Referee: Jeff Heaser (ACC) TV announcers (ABC): Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Dusty Dvoracek (analyst), Tom Luginbill (sideline) Source: Box Score

Scoring summary 1 5:32 UK Chris Rodriguez Jr. 5-yard pass from Will Levis (Matt Ruffolo kick) Kentucky 7–0 2 11:03 Iowa Caleb Shudak 28-yard field goal Kentucky 7–3 2:48 UK Matt Ruffolo 21-yard field goal Kentucky 10–3 0:38 UK Matt Ruffolo 27-yard field goal Kentucky 13–3 3 3:21 Iowa Arland Bruce IV 20-yard run (Caleb Shudak kick) Kentucky 13–10 4 10:54 Iowa Sam LaPorta 36-yard pass from Spencer Petras (Caleb Shudak kick) Iowa 17–13 1:48 UK Chris Rodriguez Jr. 6-yard run (Matt Ruffolo kick) Kentucky 20–17

The Wildcats and Hawkeyes faced off for the first time, and Iowa returned to the Citrus Bowl for the first time since the 2005 Capital One Bowl. The loss kept the Hawkeyes from winning four consecutive bowl games for the first time in program history.

Statistics	IOWA	UK
First downs	20	24
Total yards	384	354
Rushing yards	173	121
Passing yards	211	233
Turnovers	3	1
Time of possession	22:06	37:54

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Iowa	Passing	Spencer Petras	19/30, 211 yards, TD, 3 INT
	Rushing	Gavin Williams	16 carries, 98 yards
	Receiving	Sam LaPorta	7 receptions, 122 yards, TD
Kentucky	Passing	Will Levis	17/28, 233 yards, TD, INT
	Rushing	Chris Rodriguez Jr.	20 carries, 107 yards, TD
	Receiving	Wan'Dale Robinson	10 receptions, 170 yards

Awards and honors

Individual Awards

Player	Award	Ref.
Charlie Jones	Rodgers–Dwight Return Specialist of the Year
Tyler Linderbaum	Rimington Trophy Rimington–Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year
Riley Moss	Tatum–Woodson Defensive Back of the Year

See also: 2021 College Football All-America Team and 2021 All-Big Ten Conference football team

Players drafted into the NFL

See also: 2022 NFL draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	NFL Club
1	25	Tyler Linderbaum	C	Baltimore Ravens
4	114	Dane Belton	S	New York Giants