Hawkeyes crush Huskies as Kirk Ferentz earns 200th Big Ten win

IOWA CITY, Ia. — Iowa had plenty of reasons to celebrate after Saturday’s 40-16 victory over Washington at Kinnick Stadium.

After all, the Hawkeyes rebounded from a blowout loss on the road in week six, improved to a winning record in Big Ten play, and Coach Kirk Ferentz earned his 200th career Big Ten win. The milestone victory moved Ferentz up to No. 2 behind Hall of Famer Woody Hayes, and his team accomplished that feat in dominant fashion.

Although Washington (4-3) led in total offense, plays, first downs and time of possession, Iowa came out on top in yards per play, and third down efficiency. Once the smoke cleared, the Hawkeyes forced two turnovers on defense, executed on special teams and running back Kaleb Johnson stole the show.

Ferentz thought his team made a statement in front of a sold out crowd, and felt they played a complete game on a memorable day for College Football’s longest-tenured coach.

“Really pleased with the way the guys prepared, the way they kept focused on things that were important, and certainly today it showed, and they competed the full 60,” Ferentz said. “It wasn’t perfect, but it was a great effort by everybody, to that point, I thought we played good complementary football today, and when we do that, it gives us a chance to have good outcomes.”

The Hawkeyes drew first blood after Johnson rushed for a six-yard touchdown towards the end of the first quarter. The Huskies responded though. As a matter of fact each of Washington’s first two drives consisted of 14 plays, and took over seven minutes off the clock.

After two field goals by kicker Drew Stevens, and a touchdown reception by Johnson, Iowa led by 10 points at halftime. However, the Hawkeyes came out even more motivated in the second half. The momentum shifted clearly to Iowa’s side after an interception by defensive back Jamari Harris. The rout started with another field goal by Stevens midway through the third quarter, and the Hawkeyes scored 20 unanswered points until it was under three minutes left in the game.

Johnson took over, with several explosive runs. Once the smoke cleared, he ended up with a game-high, 166 yards on the ground, and three total touchdowns. Not to mention Johnson’s longest run of the day was a 53-yarder. Johnson also eclipsed the century mark in rushing for the fifth time this season, and averaged a jaw-dropping, 7.9 yards per carry, which impressed Ferentz.

“He’s really done a great job there, really setting up blocks, being patient,” he said. “He’s running tough, and that’s a big part too, he’s starting to learn to use what he has, and that’s a good thing for everybody.”

Quarterback Cade McNamara played one of his best games of the season, considering he threw two touchdown passes and didn’t turn the ball over. McNamara only completed eight of his 14 throws for 108 yards, but he managed the game perfectly to Ferentz. In his eyes that’s what veteran signal-callers are supposed to do, and McNamara’s 33-yard touchdown pass to wideout Dayton Howard was his longest completion of the afternoon.

Defensively the Hawkeyes took care of business too. The Huskies’ 393 yards of total offense was its’ second-lowest output of the season. Iowa had three fourth down stops, and made life extremely hard for Washington’s quarterback Will Rogers in the pocket. He also had very little time to throw the ball. Iowa generated four sacks on Rogers, picked him off and forced a fumble.

Linebacker Jay Higgins led the way with a game-high, 14 tackles. Fellow linebacker Nick Jackson added 11 stops, and defensive back Xavier Nwankpa also put together a double-digit tackling performance. Defensive lineman Aaron Graves put Rogers to the turf twice, and forced a fumble.

Washington became one-dimensional after Iowa created a big lead, and the players on defense were able to pin their ears back. At that point it was a clear sign to Ferentz, that his defense smelled blood in the water.

“Getting the stops on downs, the score got away a little bit, so they had to do that,” the 69-year old said. “Once we got to where we were pretty sure they’re going to have to throw the ball, so it made it a little easier for us to play, but they did a great job.”

Special teams were solid for the Hawkeyes too. Defensive lineman Yahya Black blocked a kick, there were explosive returns and Stevens nailed all four of his field goal attempts, including a 51-yarder in the fourth quarter.

Ferentz couldn’t have imagined that the Hawkeyes would put on a memorable outing for the fans, and helped him capture his 200th career win in Big Ten play. His legacy speaks volumes now. Still, Ferentz is grateful for the victory, and wants to keep the momentum going as the Hawkeyes approach week eight.

“As far as the 200 part, you have to be lucky, you have to be in the right place, with a lot of good people, and that’s coaching staff and support staff, so a lot of people are involved in this, I’ve worked with nothing but great coaches my entire career, and been lucky wherever I’ve been.”