Game Preview: Illinois State (2024)

Football / August 26, 2024

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OPPONENT	Illinois State (0-0) at No. 25 Iowa
DATE	Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024
LOCATION	Iowa City, Iowa \| Kinnick Stadium (69,250)
KICKOFF	11:01 a.m. (CT)
TELEVISION	BTN
RADIO	Hawkeye Radio Network

First and 10

Iowa returns 19 starters — nine on offense, eight on defense, two on special teams — which are the most in the Big Ten.
Head coach Kirk Ferentz and assistant coach Jon Budmayr will not coach Saturday’s game Illinois State due to a school-imposed one game suspension for a past recruiting violoation. It is the first Hawkeye game not coached by Hayden Fry or Kirk Ferentz since Nov. 25, 1978, at Michigan State.
Assistant head coach Seth Wallace will be the acting head coach for Saturday’s game.
Iowa has been ranked in the top six in the nation in scoring defense in four of the last five seasons and in the top 10 in total defense in four of the last six seasons. The unit led the country in fewest yards per play allowed in 2022 (3.99) and 2023 (4.08).
Iowa’s defense has allowed fewer than 20 points per game in eight consecutive seasons — the longest active streak in the nation.
During the College Football Playoff era, Iowa has won 88 games – the 12th-most among Power Five Conference teams. The 88 victories are tied for the fourth-most among Big Ten teams (Ohio State, 115; Michigan, 95; Wisconsin, 90; Penn State, 88).
The Hawkeyes are one of nine FBS programs with a streak of 10+ years of reaching bowl eligibility – Georgia (27), Oklahoma (25), Wisconsin (22), Alabama (20), Clemson (19), Oklahoma State (18), Iowa (11), Ohio State (11), Memphis (10).
Head coach Kirk Ferentz has 196 career wins as a member of the Big Ten Conference – third most all-time. He trails only Woody Hayes (205) and Amos Alonzo Stagg (199).
Iowa is one of 10 FBS programs to have posted 10 straight winning seasons (Alabama, Boise State, Clemson, Georgia, Iowa, Memphis, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Utah and Wisconsin).
Only five programs nationally have posted top 10 defenses for three consecutive seasons — Alabama, Clemson, Iowa, Penn State and Georgia — and only eight programs have posted top 25 defenses in five straight seasons (Alabama, Clemson, Iowa, Notre Dame, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Texas A&M and Georgia).
LBs Nick Jackson and Jay Higgins both enter the 2024 season as two of the active leaders in career tackles among Power 5 teams and the pair is being tabbed as the best linebacker duo in college football. Jackson has an NCAA-best 455 career tackles, while Higgins is ninth with 222.
Iowa’s defense has allowed fewer than 400 yards in 28 consecutive games — the longest active streak nationally. The unit has allowed 14 or fewer points in 19 of their last 27 games and it has held nine teams without a touchdown since the start of the 2022 season.
The Hawkeyes are 157-8-1 when allowing 10 points or less since 1970 and 390-59-19 when allowing 10 points or less all-time.
Since the start of the 2015 season, Iowa is 71-2 when leading by eight points at any point in a game.
Iowa has sold out Kinnick Stadium prior to the start of the season for a second straight season.
Since 2009, Iowa has 234 interceptions — the most in the nation. The team’s 34 interception returns for a touchdown are tied for the fourth-most in the nation in that span.

By the Numbers

2

The Hawkeyes return two defensive players -- Sebastian Castro and Jay Higgins -- who garnered All-America distinction during the 2023 season.

19

Iowa returns 19 starters -- nine on offense, eight on defense, two on special teams -- which are the most in the Big Ten.

> 20

Iowa’s defense has allowed fewer than 20 points per game in eight consecutive seasons -- the longest active streak in the nation.

251/165

Eleven returning players Iowa’s offensive line have combined to play in 251 games, including 165 starts.

25

The Hawkeyes are ranked 25th in the preseason Associated Press and Coaches polls. Iowa has been ranked in the preseason poll in five consecutive seasons, matching the best streak in program history (1957-61).

677

The combined tackle total for Iowa LBs Nick Jackson and Jay Higgins entering the 2024 season.

Depth Chart Season Schedule Team Roster Ticket Information

OUR PRESEASON NATIONAL DEFENSIVE POY

Senior Jay Higgins was tabbed as Phil Steele’s Preseason National Defensive Player of the Year leading into the 2024 season. The Indianapolis native was a tackling machine in 2023 in his first season as a starter, piling up 171 tackles to lead the Big Ten and rank third nationally. Higgins, who had 15+ tackles in three games and 10+ tackles in 10 games, tied an Iowa school record for the most tackles in a single season. He was a first-team All-American by the FWAA, Phil Steele and Sports Illustrated.

PRESEASON ACCOLADES

Yahya Black: Phil Steele All-Big Ten (third team), Athlon All-Big Ten (second team)
Sebastian Castro: Jim Thorpe Award Watch List, Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List, Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List, AP/CBS/ESPN All-American (second team), Athlon All-American (fourth team), PFF All-America (first team), Phil Steele/Athlon All-Big Ten (second team)
Connor Colby: Phil Steele All-Big Ten (fourth team), Athlon All-Big Ten (second team)
Deontae Craig: Phil Steele All-Big Ten (third team), Athlon All-Big Ten (third team)
Nick DeJong: Phil Steele All-Big Ten (third team)
Luke Elkin: Mannelly Award Watch List, Phil Steele All-Big Ten (fourth team)
Kirk Ferentz: Dodd Trophy Watch List
Jermari Harris: Athlon All-Big Ten (fourth team)
Jay Higgins: Phil Steele National Defensive Player of the Year, Butkus Award Watch List, Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List, Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List, Lombardi Award Watch List, Wuerffel Award Watch List, AP All-American (first team), Phil Steele All-American (first team), Athlon All-American (first team), ESPN All-American (second team), Walter Camp All-American (first team), Sporting News All-American (first team), CBS All-American (first team), USA Today All-American (first team), Phil Steele All-Big Ten (first team), Athlon All-Big Ten (first team), Big Ten Honors List
Nick Jackson: Butkus Award Watch List, Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List, Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List, Lombardi Award Watch List, Phil Steele All-American (fourth team), Athlon All-American (second team), Phil Steele All-Big Ten (first team), Athlon All-Big Ten (first team)
Logan Jones: Outland Trophy Watch List, Rimington Award Watch List, Lombardi Award Watch List, Phil Steele All-American (third team), Athlon All-American (third team), Phil Steele All-Big Ten (first team), Athlon All-Big Ten (first team)
Luke Lachey: John Mackey Watch List, Comeback Player of the Year Watch List, Phil Steele All-Big Ten (fourth team), Athlon All-Big Ten (second team)
Cade McNamara: Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Comeback Player of the Year Watch List
Xavier Nwankpa: Athlon All-Big Ten (third team)
Mason Richman: Phil Steele All-Big Ten (second team), Athlon All-Big Ten (fourth team)
Quinn Schulte: Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List, Athlon All-Big Ten (second team)
Drew Stevens: Lou Groza Award Watch List, Phil Steele All-Big Ten (third team), Athlon Preseason All-Big Ten (fourth team)
Leshon Williams: Doak Walker Watch List, Athlon All-Big Ten (fourth team)

EXPERIENCE GALORE

Seventeen key contributors on the Iowa football team are in their final year of eligibility. Seven are sixth-year seniors – DB Jermari Harris, QB Cade McNamara, LB Nick Jackson, DB Sebastian Castro, S Quinn Schulte, LB Kyler Fisher and OL Nick DeJong, while eight are fifth-year seniors – RB Leshon Williams, LB Jay Higgins, DE Deontae Craig, DE Ethan Hurkett, OL Tyler Elsbury, OL Mason Richman, OL Logan Jones, TE Luke Lachey and DL Yahya Black. One fourth-year starter – OL Connor Colby – will also exhaust his eligibility in 2024.

Redbirds vs. Hawkeyes

SERIES HISTORY

It will be the second game in the all-time series between Iowa and Illinois State. The Hawkeyes defeated the Redbirds, 31-14, during the 2015 season in Kinnick Stadium.
It is Iowa’s first game against an FCS opponent since hosting South Dakota State in the 2022 season opener.

SERIES RESULTS

9/2/15 – W – 31-14 (H)

C-MAC IS BACK

Graduate QB Cade McNamara was cleared in June to return to all football activities, nine months after suffering a knee injury during the Week 5 game against Michigan State. During his abbreviated first season as a Hawkeye, McNamara completed 43-of-71 passes for 425 yards and five touchdowns.
For his career, the Nevada native has completed 313-of-513 passes (61 percent) for 3,686 yards and has 25 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. He has played in 26 career games with 21 career starts.

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