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Brian Ferentz listed as one of USA TODAY Sports’ Week 1 losers

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Brian Ferentz listed as one of USA TODAY Sports’ Week 1 losers


Early on, all was right in the world.

The Iowa Hawkeyes hit on a big pass play, a 36-yard touchdown to transfer wide receiver Seth Anderson from transfer quarterback Cade McNamara. Then, Iowa tacked on another 3-yard touchdown strike on fourth down from McNamara to fellow Michigan transfer in tight end Erick All.

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The party was on inside Kinnick Stadium! Until it wasn’t.

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The Hawkeyes proceeded to punt on four of their next seven offensive possessions with McNamara in the fold. That stretch also featured a turnover on downs.

Iowa did tack on a 20-yard Drew Stevens field goal before the end of the first half and a 3-yard touchdown run from sophomore running back Kaleb Johnson to effectively put things away in the fourth quarter. But, the roaring offensive start proved to be at least temporarily a bit of a mirage.

The Hawkeyes wound up winning 24-14 over Utah State, which means that Brian Ferentz and the Iowa offense fell one point shy of the average his designated performance objectives call for in order for him to retain his job beyond the 2023 college football season.

As a result, Paul Myerberg included Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz among his Week 1 college football losers.

Iowa’s embattled offensive coordinator is coaching this season with a revised contract containing two performance-related incentives: For Ferentz to go back onto his previous two-year rolling contract, Iowa must win at least seven games in 2023 and, crucially, average at least 25 points per game. On the first part, Ferentz is off to a good start; the Hawkeyes topped Utah State in Saturday’s opener. But Iowa scored only 24 points, setting Ferentz just a slight nudge behind the curve. The post-Week 1 new number: Iowa will need to average 25.1 points the rest of the way to get Ferentz back on his original deal. – Myerberg, USA TODAY Sports.

Outlets around the country are tracking Brian Ferentz’s progress frantically. Both CBS Sports and Football Scoop are among those that already have trackers on Brian Ferentz and the Iowa offenses’s points per game progress.

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While Iowa did indeed show some early progress, this will continue to be a storyline until the Hawkeye offense consistently proves that it isn’t.

Iowa could make a statement in its rivalry date at Iowa State this coming weekend. The Cyclones were among the nation’s top defenses a season ago, surrendering just 285.6 yards and 20.3 points per game. Those marks ranked fourth and 18th nationally.

The Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series kicks off at 2:30 p.m. on Fox from Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Josh on Twitter: @JoshOnREF

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Iowa

Iowa Rep. Shannon Lundgren joins growing 2nd District GOP field

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Iowa Rep. Shannon Lundgren joins growing 2nd District GOP field


Iowa Rep. Shannon Lundgren, R-Peosta, announced her run for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District Tuesday, joining a growing field of Republicans aiming to take the seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson. In a social media post Tuesday morning, Lundgren announced her U.S. House campaign, kicking off by stating her early support for President Donald […]



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Iowa Rep. Ashley Hinson launches campaign for U.S. Senate

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Iowa Rep. Ashley Hinson launches campaign for U.S. Senate


CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Republican U.S. Representative Ashley Hinson officially launched her campaign for U.S. Senate at the Radisson Hotel in Cedar Rapids on Sunday.

“In the Senate, I will fight to make America look more like Iowa,” Hinson said. “Here, we know the difference between boys and girls. We know that families deserve to keep more of what they earn, and we know the people, not the government, always come first,” she said.

Right now, Ashley Hinson represents northeast Iowa’s 2nd District in Congress.

She’s running to replace Republican Senator Joni Ernst, who announced earlier this month she would not run for re-election.

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“Ashley Hinson gives me hope. Someone that I know fights for me. Someone that has my back. And somebody that will have your back,” the Jones County Sheriff, Greg Graveler said about Hinson.

Hinson told Sunday’s crowd she wants to keep deporting illegal immigrants, cut taxes, and defend farmers in agriculture.

She also addressed Democrats who she said may consider her an extremist.

“If it’s extreme to want parents in charge of our kids’ education, if it’s extreme to want safe borders and safe streets, if it’s extreme to believe that there are only two genders, then they can go ahead and call me whatever they want,” Hinson said.

While Hinson will face plenty of competition for the Senate spot from other Republicans and Democrats, she said she’s confident in her campaign.

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“We can only deliver on these critical wins, and make America safer and stronger for a generation to come if we win this seat. Or correction – when we win this seat,” Hinson said.



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Iowa Looks to Extend Streak vs. MAC Opponents

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Iowa Looks to Extend Streak vs. MAC Opponents


A pair of lengthy streaks will go up against each other at Kinnick Stadium. Saturday, September 13 marks Week 3 of the college football season. Iowa and UMass are set to do battle at 7:30 p.m. EST.

The Hawkeyes return home with a 1-1 record. Their Week 1 victory over Albany wasn’t close, 34-7 in favor of the Hawkeyes. As for last week, Iowa wasn’t able to get past No. 16 Iowa State. Their three-point loss marked the second season in a row they lost to the Cyclones. Last year, they fell, 20-19. While they’ve only lost by four-combined points in the last two seasons, these are still key losses that don’t sit well with HC Kirk Ferentz.

Ferentz has been with Iowa since 1999. The 70-year-old head coach most recently won the Big Ten West in 2023 with his Hawkeyes finishing the 2024 season 8-4 (6-3). While Big 10 play has yet to begin, the legendary HC has a different streak that he’d love to keep alive.

Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz

Sep 6, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz looks on against the Iowa State Cyclones during the second half at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images / Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Omar-Rashon Borja of the Mid-American Conference wrote, “The Hawkeyes have not lost to a MAC school since 2013, when a Jordan Lynch-led NIU Huskies squad scored 10-unanswered points with five minutes remaining to take a 30-27 win at Kinnick Stadium.”

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He added that Iowa had also lost to Central Michigan the year prior, 32-31, marking back-to-back MAC losses for the Hawkeyes. Since falling to the Huskies by three-points in 2013, Iowa hasn’t looked back. They remain perfect against a conference that no Big 10 team has any right losing to in the first place.

As for the Minutemen, UMass has a streak of their own that they’ll bring to Kinnick Stadium, “The Minutemen have not defeated an Autonomous/Power conference team or an automatic qualifying team since beating Boston College in 1981,” Borja said.

Borja spoke highly about Iowa, but he knows that anything can happen in college football, “Sure, the conventional wisdom says the Minutemen stand no chance over the reliably consistent Iowa Hawkeyes, but Iowa has been the type of team to let an underdog hang around and stay in the game in the past due in the part to their style of play under long-time head coach Kirk Ferentz.”

Both streaks will go head-to-head in a Saturday night showdown that could see UMass shock the world. Iowa is far from a perfect team, but on paper, they should have no issue getting past 0-2 UMass. Borja predicted a 27-11 Iowa victory, you can find On SI’s score predictions here.

If UMass is able to get their biggest road victory in recent memory, it would snap their 44-year drought. Not only that, but it would snap a 10-year streak for Iowa that the Hawkeyes have no plans on dropping anytime soon.

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Don’t forget to bookmark Iowa Hawkeyes on SI for the latest news. exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and more!



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