2007 Iowa Hawkeyes football team

The 2007 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa during the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Heading into the season, several players left the team while several other players ran into criminal allegations. Following a disappointing 2006 season that included losses to Indiana, Northwestern and Minnesota, the team was coached by Kirk Ferentz and played their six home games at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.

2007 Iowa Hawkeyes football
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Record	6–6 (4–4 Big Ten)
Head coach	Kirk Ferentz (9th season)
Offensive coordinator	Ken O'Keefe (9th season)
Offensive scheme	Pro-style
Defensive coordinator	Norm Parker (9th season)
Base defense	4–3
MVP	Mike Humpal
MVP	Albert Young
Captain	5 Tom Busch Mike Humpal Bryan Mattison Daniel Olszta Albert Young
Home stadium	Kinnick Stadium (Capacity: 70,585)
Uniform

2007 Big Ten Conference football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 5 Ohio State $		7	–	1					11	–	2
No. 18 Michigan		6	–	2					9	–	4
No. 20 Illinois %		6	–	2					9	–	4
No. 24 Wisconsin		5	–	3					9	–	4
Penn State		4	–	4					9	–	4
Iowa		4	–	4					6	–	6
Purdue		3	–	5					8	–	5
Indiana		3	–	5					7	–	6
Michigan State		3	–	5					7	–	6
Northwestern		3	–	5					6	–	6
Minnesota		0	–	8					1	–	11
$ – BCS representative as conference champion % – BCS at-large representative Rankings from AP Poll

Previous season

Main article: 2006 Iowa Hawkeyes football team

Players prepare to play Montana on September 2, 2006.

Entering 2006 ranked 16th in the AP Poll and 17th in the Coaches Poll, the Hawkeyes had high hopes for the season. Following victories over Montana, Syracuse, Iowa State and Illinois, the Hawkeyes were 4–0 heading into their game with top-ranked Ohio State. With tickets for the game going for US$500 on eBay, the game was hyped as one of the biggest in Kinnick Stadium history. But quarterback Drew Tate threw 3 interceptions, and the Hawkeyes lost 38–17. In total, Iowa had 4 turnovers while Ohio State had zero.

Following the loss to Ohio State, Iowa proceeded to score a season-high 47 points in a victory over Purdue. But the most notable score came during the 4th quarter, when Adam Shada intercepted a Curtis Painter pass and returned it a school record 98-yards for the touchdown. However, Iowa's joy would not last long, as the Hawkeyes were upset by Indiana only a week later. The 31–28 win was Indiana's biggest win since a victory over 9th-ranked Ohio State in 1987.

From there, the season unraveled, and the Hawkeyes lost four of their remaining five games en route to a 6–6 record. The Hawkeyes were not invited to a bowl game following the conclusion of the 2007 season.

Before the season

On April 20, 2007, it was announced by Ferentz that two players, Ryan Bain and Justin Edwards, were leaving the team. Both are planning on transferring to other schools. Bain, who had 56 career tackles, was later found guilty on charges of disorderly conduct. About two months later, it was announced that Shonn Greene and Amari Spievey were no longer on the team. Greene, a junior running back, had 378 rushing yards and two touchdowns in his career. Another month later, and it was announced that Lucas Cox and Marcus Wilson were leaving the team. Wilson, a sophomore defensive back, played in all 13 games in 2006 and recorded 21 tackles and one interception. Earlier in July, senior defensive back Devan Moylan was given an additional year of eligibility. After suffering a leg injury in the fourth game of 2006 against Illinois, he applied for a medical hardship. Prior to the 2007 season, he had 28 tackles and one interception in his career.

Criminal charges

On August 20, 2007, two Hawkeye wide receivers were arrested and charged with the unauthorized use of a credit card. Dominique Douglas and Anthony Bowman, both sophomores, were suspended indefinitely by Ferentz following allegations that they bought more than $2,000 in merchandise with stolen credit cards. The crime is a felony, and if convicted, the two players can face up to five years in prison along with a $7,500 fine. Another player, Arvell Nelson, also experienced trouble with the law. Nelson posted a $545 bond for failure to appear in court after being charged with driving with a suspended license. He also paid a $390 fine for not having insurance. 1 in every 10 Iowa football players during the 2007 season had off-field arrests, the highest among any year in Kirk Ferentz's tenure at Iowa.

Recruiting class

The Hawkeyes received 22 letters of intent on National Signing Day, February 7, 2007.

College recruiting information (2007)
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	40‡	Commit date
Christian Ballard DE	Lawrence, KS	Lawrence Free State HS	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	277 lb (126 kg)	4.75	Sep 26, 2006
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 79
Jordan Bernstine S	Des Moines, IA	Lincoln HS	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	4.42	Dec 23, 2006
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 78
Broderick Binns LB	St. Paul, MN	Cretin Durham Hall	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	235 lb (107 kg)	4.70	Nov 6, 2006
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 78
Bryan Bulaga OG	Woodstock, IL	Marian Central Catholic HS	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	273 lb (124 kg)	4.79	May 20, 2006
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 80
Jacody Coleman LB	Beaumont, TX	West Brook Senior HS	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	232 lb (105 kg)	4.63	Dec 17, 2006
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 73
Lebron Daniel LB	Cleveland, OH	Glenville HS	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	223 lb (101 kg)	4.84	Dec 30, 2006
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 40
Mike Daniels DE	Blackwood, NJ	Highland HS	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	230 lb (100 kg)	4.60	Jan 29, 2007
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 40
Bruce Davis LB	Cleveland, OH	Glenville HS	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	230 lb (100 kg)	4.70	Jan 30, 2007
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 65
Cedric Everson CB	Detroit, MI	Mumford HS	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	178 lb (81 kg)	4.35	Feb 7, 2007
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 79
Zach Furlong TE	Xenia, OH	Xenia HS	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	214 lb (97 kg)	4.72	Dec 11, 2006
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 73
Adam Gettis DE	Frankfort, IL	Lincoln-Way East HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	233 lb (106 kg)	4.90	Nov 27, 2006
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 71
Cody Hundertmark DT	Humboldt, IA	Humboldt HS	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	266 lb (121 kg)	4.78	May 6, 2007
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 71
Marvin McNutt QB	Florissant, MO	Hazelwood Central HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	183 lb (83 kg)	4.60	Jul 9, 2006
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 77
Diaunate Morrow S	Lakewood, OH	St. Edward HS	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	182 lb (83 kg)	4.65	Dec 13, 2006
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 65
Dezman Moses LB	Willingboro, NJ	Willingboro HS	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	214 lb (97 kg)	4.60	Nov 22, 2006
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 40
Tyler Nielsen LB	Humboldt, IA	Humboldt HS	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	213 lb (97 kg)	4.50	May 10, 2006
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 78
Jevon Pugh RB	Naples, FL	Naples HS	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	4.60	Jan 30, 2007
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 68
Allen Reisner TE	Marion, IA	Marion HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	215 lb (98 kg)	4.70	Feb 3, 2007
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 40
Colin Sandeman WR	Bettendorf, IA	Bettendort HS	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	188 lb (85 kg)	4.52	May 6, 2006
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 76
Tyler Sash S	Oskaloosa, IA	Oskaloosa HS	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	191 lb (87 kg)	4.56	Aug 3, 2006
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 69
Abe Satterfield CB	Erie, PA	Cathedral Preparatory School	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	283 lb (128 kg)	4.40	Aug 14, 2006
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 67
Markus Zusevics OT	Arlington Heights, IL	Prospect HS	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	258 lb (117 kg)	4.80	Jan 4, 2007
	Star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 78
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 37   Rivals: 22
‡ Refers to 40 yard dash Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Iowa Commit List for 2007". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 5, 2007. "Scout.com: Football Recruiting". Scout.com. Retrieved July 5, 2007. "Recruit Tracker 2007". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 5, 2007. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved July 5, 2007. "2007 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 5, 2007.

Awards

Albert Young lines up for a play against Montana in 2006.

• Kenny Iwebema

  First-team all-Big Ten – Rivals.com

  First-team all-Big Ten – CFN.com

• Mitch King

  First-team all-Big Ten – Rivals.com

  Second-team all-Big Ten – Athlon Sports

• Bryan Mattison

  First-team all-Big Ten – Athlon Sports

  Second-team all-Big Ten – Rivals.com

  Second-team all-Big Ten – CFN.com

• Mike Klinkenborg

  Lott Trophy watch list

  Bednarik Award watch list

  Second-team all-Big Ten – Rivals.com

  Second-team all-Big Ten – CFN.com

  Second-team all-Big Ten – Athlon Sports

• Tony Moeaki

  Mackey Award watch list

• Albert Young

  Second-team all-Big Ten – CFN.com

  Second-team all-Big Ten – Athlon Sports

• Dace Richardson

  Second-team all-Big Ten – Rivals.com

  Second-team all-Big Ten – Athlon Sports

• Matt Kroul

  Second-team all-Big Ten – Athlon Sports

• Adam Shada

  Third-team all-Big Ten – Athlon Sports

• Rafael Eubanks

  Rimington Trophy watch list

  Second-team all-Big Ten – Athlon Sports

• Seth Olsen

  Third-team all-Big Ten – Athlon Sports

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 1	2:30 p.m.	vs. Northern Illinois*	Soldier Field Chicago, IL	ESPNU	W 16–3	61,500
September 8	7:00 p.m.	Syracuse*	Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA	BTN	W 35–0	70,585
September 15	12:30 p.m.	at Iowa State*	Jack Trice Stadium Ames, IA (Battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy)	Versus	L 13–15	49,516
September 22	7:00 p.m.	at No. 9 Wisconsin	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI (Battle for the Heartland Trophy)	ABC	L 13–17	82,630
September 29	11:00 a.m.	Indiana	Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA	BTN	L 20–38	70,585
October 6	2:30 p.m.	at Penn State	Beaver Stadium State College, PA	ABC	L 7–27	108,951
October 13	11:00 a.m.	No. 18 Illinois	Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA	ESPN2	W 10–6	70,585
October 20	11:00 a.m.	at Purdue	Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN	ESPN2	L 6–31	58,123
October 27	11:00 a.m.	Michigan State	Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA	ESPN2	W 34–27 2OT	70,585
November 3	11:00 a.m.	at Northwestern	Ryan Field Evanston, IL	ESPN2	W 28–17	30,173
November 10	11:00 a.m.	Minnesota	Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA (Battle for the Floyd of Rosedale)	BTN	W 21–16	70,585
November 17	2:30 p.m.	Western Michigan*	Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA	BTN	L 19–28	70,585
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

Schedule notes

Due to the Big Ten's rotating schedule, Iowa did not play either Michigan or Ohio State in 2007. Instead, Iowa played Michigan State and Penn State, two teams that the Hawkeyes had not played since 2004.

Iowa's schedule was ranked as the 9th toughest (or 3rd easiest) in the Big Ten by SI.com.

Roster

2007 Iowa Hawkeyes football roster Archived June 25, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
Quarterbacks 6 Christensen, Jake – sophomore 7 McNutt, Marvin – freshman 8 Nelson, Arvell – freshman 11 Farnsworth, Adam – junior 12 Stanzi, Ricky – freshman Running backs 19 O'Meara, Paki – freshman 21 Young, Albert – senior 27 Pugh, Jevon – freshman 28 Sims, Damian – senior 29 Williams, Eddie – junior 31 Brown, Dana – sophomore 33 Mongongo, Brian – freshman 35 Busch, Tom – senior 36 Morse, Brett – freshman 38 McLaughlin, Jordan – junior Wide receivers 10 Evans, Ben – freshman 15 Johnson-Koulianos, Derrell – freshman 22 Sandeman, Colin – freshman 26 Chaney, Jr, Paul – freshman 32 Nordmann, Don – freshman 80 Brodell, Andy – junior 84 Bowman, Anthony – sophomore 86 Stross, Trey – sophomore 88 Douglas, Dominique – sophomore 89 Cleveland, James – freshman Tight ends 30 Spading, Kyle – sophomore 81 Moeaki, Tony – junior 82 Reisner, Allen – freshman 83 Myers, Brandon – junior 85 Sabers, Michael – junior 87 Furlong, Zach – freshman 90 Gerstandt, Tyler – sophomore Offensive line 51 Blum, Tyler – sophomore 52 Eubanks, Rafael – sophomore 54 Amendola, Richie – sophomore 55 Aumaitre, Nyere – junior 56 Zusevics, Markus – freshman 58 Bruggeman, Rob – junior 59 Thilges, Ben – freshman 60 Detweiler, Tyrel – freshman 60 Calloway, Kyle – sophomore 61 Meade, Travis – sophomore 63 Vandervelde, Julian – freshman 68 Kuempel, Andy – sophomore 69 Haganman, Kyle – freshman 70 Postler, Austin – junior 71 Olsen, Seth – junior 73 Gettis, Adam – freshman 74 Doering, Dan – sophomore 75 Aeschliman, Wesley – junior 76 Kanellis, Alex – junior 78 Richardson, Dace – junior 79 Bulaga, Brian – freshman		Defensive line 46 Ballard, Christian – freshman 47 King, Mitch – junior 53 Kroul, Matt – junior 56 Rashad, Dunn – junior 58 Oberland, Jared – junior 59 Narinskiy, Anton – junior 64 Hundertmark, Cody – freshman 72 Mahmens, Mark – sophomore 74 Brayton, Nick – freshman 87 Nardo, Thomas – freshman 90 McCracken, Grant – junior 91 Binns, Broderick – freshman 92 Iwebema, Kenny – senior 93 Daniels, Mike – freshman 94 Clayborn, Adrian – freshman 95 Klug, Karl – freshman 96 Daniel, Lebron – freshman 98 Geary, Chad – sophomore 99 Mattison, Bryan – senior Linebackers 33 Tarpinian, Jeff – freshman 37 McGrath, Gavin – junior 40 Klinkenborg, Mike – senior 41 Gattas, Bryon – sophomore 42 Hunter, Jeremiha – freshman 43 Angerer, Pat – sophomore 44 Anderson, Mike – junior 45 Nielsen, Tyler – freshman 48 Johnson, Troy – freshman 49 Edds, A.J. – sophomore 50 Petersen, Ross – freshman 51 Moses, Dezman – freshman 55 Coleman, Jacody – freshman 57 Morio, Mike – freshman 57 Davis, Bruce – freshman Defensive backs 1 Greiner, Justin – freshman 2 Dalton, Harold – junior 3 Morrow, Diauntae – freshman 4 Bernstine, Jordan – freshman 9 Sash, Tyler – freshman 13 Godfrey, Charles – senior 14 Moylan, Devan – senior 16 Gardner, Drew – junior 17 Murphy, Jayme – freshman 17 Satterfield, Abe – freshman 18 Tillison, Lance – freshman 19 Shada, Adam – senior 20 Everson, Cedric – freshman 20 Kuchel, Nick – freshman 29 Fletcher, Bradley – junior 30 Greenwood, Brett – freshman 32 Smith Derrick – freshman 34 Rowell, Chris – sophomore 36 Herbst, Taylor – sophomore		Kickers 1 Murray, Daniel – freshman 39 Signor, Austin – sophomore Punters 2 Guthrie, Eric – freshman 5 Donahue, Ryan – freshman Long snappers 42 Murphy, Nick – freshman 65 Schulze, Andrew – freshman 65 Olszta, Daniel – senior 67 Koeppel, Josh – freshman 77 Huntrods, Clint – senior – indicates redshirt (second-year freshman)

Coaches

Name	Position	Year at Iowa
Kirk Ferentz	Head coach	9th
Ken O'Keefe	Offensive coordinator and Quarterbacks	9th
Norm Parker	Defensive coordinator and Linebackers	9th
Chris Doyle	Strength and conditioning	9th
Lester Erb	Receivers and Special Teams	8th
Carl Jackson	Running backs	22nd
Eric Johnson	Recruiting Coordinator and Tight Ends	9th
Reese Morgan	Offensive line	8th
Rick Kaczenski	Defensive line	3rd
Phil Parker	Defensive backs	9th
Darrell Wilson	Outside linebackers and Special Teams	6th
Bill Dervrich	Director of football operations	28th
James Dobson	Strength and conditioning Assistant	9th
Seth Wallace	Defensive Graduate Assistant Coach	2nd
Ned Amendola	Director, UI Sports Medicine Center	6th
Matthew Engelbert	Video Coordinator	19th
Paul Federici	Director of Athletic Training Services	4th
Bob Rahfeldt	Assistant Video Coordinator	11th
Scott Southmayd	Quality control Director	6th
John Streif	Assistant Athletic Trainer	35th

Game summaries

Northern Illinois

1 2 3 4 Total • Iowa 0 13 3 0 16 Northern Illinois 0 3 0 0 3 Date: Saturday, September 1 Location: Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

Playing in Soldier Field in Chicago, the Hawkeyes defeated the Northern Illinois Huskies 16–3. Albert Young ran for 144 yards and a touchdown as Iowa's defense kept the Huskies from scoring a touchdown. Damian Sims also made his mark by running for 110 yards. The Hawkeyes held Northern Illinois to 21 yards rushing, and Charles Godfrey intercepted two Dan Nicholson passes. Sophomore quarterback Jake Christensen opened the season with 133 yards and one touchdown.

Syracuse

1 2 3 4 Total Syracuse 0 0 0 0 0 • Iowa 14 14 7 0 35 Date: Saturday, September 8 Location: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa

Iowa's defense lines up against Syracuse on September 9, 2007.

Behind a strong defensive performance, the Hawkeyes shut out the Syracuse Orange at Kinnick Stadium. Rebounding from a shaky performance against Northern Illinois, Christensen threw for 278 yards and four touchdowns, three of them to tight end Tony Moeaki. On special teams, Kenny Iwebema blocked two field goals to help preserve the worst loss for Syracuse coach Greg Robinson in his tenure with the Orange. After the game, Syracuse running back Curtis Brinkley said:

We need to be a lot more fundamentally sound, there were a lot of missed assignments and there were a lot of people not hitting their targets. There's a little bit of everything we need to fix up.

The 35-point loss was Syracuse's most-lopsided since a 51–14 loss to Georgia Tech in the 2004 Champs Sports Bowl.

Iowa State

1 2 3 4 Total Iowa 0 0 10 3 13 • Iowa St 6 6 0 3 15 Date: Saturday, September 15 Location: Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, Iowa Game start: 1:30 p.m. EST Television network: Versus Source: ESPN

Scoring summary 1 10:02 ISU Bret Culbertson 21-yard field goal ISU 3-0 1 3:44 ISU Bret Culbertson 33-yard field goal ISU 6-0 2 11:48 ISU Bret Culbertson 42-yard field goal ISU 9-0 2 4:35 ISU Bret Culbertson 40-yard field goal ISU 12-0 3 9:50 IOWA Jake Christensen 11-yard run (Austin Signor kick) ISU 12-7 3 5:35 IOWA Austin Signor 36-yard field goal ISU 12-10 4 3:38 IOWA Austin Signor 41-yard field goal IOWA 13-12 4 0:01 ISU Bret Culbertson 28-yard field goal ISU 15-13

Iowa State kicked its way to a 15–13 victory in Ames.

See also: Cy-Hawk Trophy

Wisconsin

Huddle before Wisconsin game

1 2 3 4 Total Iowa 0 10 0 3 13 • Wisconsin 0 7 0 10 17 Date: Saturday, September 22 Location: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin

See also: 2007 Wisconsin Badgers football team and Heartland Trophy

Iowa's defense forced three Wisconsin turnovers, but could not hold off the Badgers' 4th quarter rally, losing 17–13.

Indiana

1 2 3 4 Total • Indiana 7 14 7 10 38 Iowa 0 7 6 7 20 Date: Saturday, September 29 Location: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa

Iowa was unable to contain a scoring explosion from Indiana, including three early touchdowns by Hoosier quarterback Kellen Lewis. Iowa added to its difficulties with penalties and breakdowns in pass protection. Although quarterback Jake Christensen passed for 308 yards and three touchdowns, he was sacked nine times, including four by Jammie Kirlew. The Hawkeyes also missed two field goals and an extra point.

Penn State

1 2 3 4 Total Iowa 0 0 0 7 7 • Penn St 0 13 7 7 27 Date: Saturday, October 6 Location: Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

See also: 2007 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

Quarterback Jake Christensen was sacked twice, and the Hawkeyes were held scoreless until an interception near the Penn State end zone set up Trey Stross' 4th-quarter touchdown reception in a 27–7 blowout loss on the road at Penn State. Iowa was held to eight first downs while Penn State had 26.

Illinois

1 2 3 4 Total Illinois 3 0 3 0 6 • Iowa 0 3 7 0 10 Date: Saturday, October 13 Location: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa

See also: 2007 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

Entering the game, Iowa had lost eight straight Big Ten games, with their last win a 47–17 decision over Purdue on October 7, 2006. Illinois, however, entered the game ranked 18th in the country, and was looking to become bowl eligible with a win over the Hawkeyes.

From the very beginning, the game was a defensive one. The Hawkeyes held Illinois running back Rashard Mendenhall to 67 yards, and slowed the nation's fifth-best rushing offense to 137 yards total. But the Illinois defense remained strong against the run, and held the Hawkeyes to a three yards per rush average.

Illinois did not trail until late in the third quarter, when Iowa quarterback Jake Christensen found tight end Brandon Myers down the middle for the touchdown. With the score at 10–6 in favor of the Hawkeyes, the Illini made a switch to Eddie McGee at quarterback, after starter Isiah Williams had a fumble recovered by Iowa. With McGee in, the Illini appeared to have stunned the Kinnick Stadium crowd with an 83-yard touchdown pass, but it was called back due to an Illinois penalty.

Despite the penalty, Illinois was not done. On Illinois' final drive, McGee drove the Illini down to the Iowa 12 with passes of 28 and 24 yards to Arrelious Benn. But with 1:12 left in the game, a McGee pass was intercepted at the goal line by Iowa's Brett Greenwood. The win was Iowa's first over a ranked team since 2005.

Purdue

1 2 3 4 Total Iowa 3 0 3 0 6 • Purdue 7 7 7 10 31 Date: October 20 Location: Ross–Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, Indiana

See also: 2007 Purdue Boilermakers football team

Michigan State

1 2 3 4 OT 2OT Total Michigan St 7 10 0 3 7 0 27 • Iowa 0 3 14 3 7 7 34 Date: Saturday, October 27 Location: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa TV announcers (ESPN2): Dave Pasch & Andre Ware

Scoring summary 1 5:10 MSU Jehuu Caulcrick 1-yard run (Brett Swenson kick) MSU 7-0 2 14:10 MSU Brett Swenson 46-yard field goal MSU 10-0 2 6:40 IOWA Daniel Murray 43-yard field goal MSU 10-3 2 2:12 MSU Jehuu Caulcrick 1-yard run (Brett Swenson kick) MSU 17-3 3 10:07 IOWA Albert Young 26-yard run (Daniel Murray kick) MSU 17-10 3 3:57 IOWA Albert Young 3-yard run (Daniel Murray kick) Tied 17-17 4 10:05 IOWA Daniel Murray 47-yard field goal IOWA 20-17 4 0:04 MSU Brett Swenson 29-yard field goal Tied 20-20 OT MSU Jehuu Caulcrick 3-yard run (Brett Swenson kick) MSU 27-20 OT IOWA Paul Chaney 23-yard pass from Jake Christensen (Daniel Murray kick) Tied 27-27 2OT IOWA Jevon Pugh 1-yard run (Daniel Murray kick) IOWA 34-27

Iowa escaped with an overtime win.

Northwestern

1 2 3 4 Total • Iowa 0 7 7 14 28 Northwestern 14 0 3 0 17 Date: Saturday, November 3 Location: Ryan Field, Evanston, Illinois

The Hawkeyes were largely outplayed in the first half but benefited from an Adrian Clayborn field goal block that kept it a one possession game going into the locker room. A motivational halftime speech by Kirk Ferentz propelled them to dominate the second in which they forced four turnovers and outscored the Wildcats 21-3.

Minnesota

See also: 2007 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team and Floyd of Rosedale

1 2 3 4 Total Minnesota 0 10 0 6 16 • Iowa 14 7 0 0 21 Date: November 10 Location: Kinnick Stadium Game start: 12:00 p.m. EST

Scoring summary Q1 3:51 IOWA Myers 8 yard pass from Christensen (Murray kick) IOWA 7–0 Q1 :13 IOWA Young 1 yard run (Murray kick) IOWA 14–0 Q2 4:33 MINN Valentine 1 yard run (Monroe kick) IOWA 14–7 Q2 :50 IOWA Young 12 yard run (Murray kick) IOWA 21–7 Q2 :00 MINN Monroe 54 yard field goal IOWA 21–10 Q4 1:38 MINN Decker 22 yard pass from Weber (pass failed) IOWA 21–16

iowa recaptured the bronze pig in Iowa City.

Western Michigan

1 2 3 4 Total • Western Michigan 12 7 6 3 28 Iowa 0 6 7 6 19 Date: Saturday, November 17 Location: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa

Mid-American Conference member Western Michigan surprised the Hawkeyes, 28–19, in Iowa City.

See also: 2007 Western Michigan Broncos football team

Team players in the 2008 NFL draft

Main article: 2008 NFL draft

Player	Position	Round	Pick	NFL club
Charles Godfrey	CB	3	67	Carolina Panthers
Kenny Iwebema	DE	4	116	Arizona Cardinals
Mike Humpal	LB	6	188	Pittsburgh Steelers