Iowa
Iowa football: 5 numbers that stood out in Hawkeyes’ 20-17 loss at UCLA
Kirk Ferentz: Iowa got what it deserved in ‘team’ loss against UCLA
The Iowa head coach addressed reporters at the Rose Bowl after Friday’s 20-17 loss to the Bruins.
If Kirk Ferentz would’ve drawn up a worst-case scenario for Friday’s West Coast showdown, it would have looked exactly like what unfolded under the Rose Bowl lights.
Jay Higgins got hurt. Brendan Sullivan got hurt. Jackson Stratton actually took meaningful snaps. And most significantly, Iowa’s defense offered little resistance to a UCLA offense that’s suddenly humming along after several dormant weeks. All of it together equaled Iowa’s demoralizing 20-17 loss, which came in front of countless Hawkeyes fans hopeful for a rare Rose Bowl win.
Per usual, there were noteworthy numbers all across the final box score. Here are five figures that told the story of the Hawkeyes’ Friday stumble.
21…as in Kaleb Johnson set a new single-season program record with his 21st touchdown.
It happened somewhat unceremoniously given what unfolded afterward. But Johnson’s 2-yard score early in the first quarter officially etched his name further into the Iowa record book.
Johnson’s 21st TD of the season surpassed Shonn Greene’s 2008 record for most single-season scores in program history. With two games, at minimum remaining, Johnson figures to add to that total.
It was a rough night overall for Johnson, who found little room to run en route to just 49 rushing yards on 18 carries. Johnson certainly would’ve wanted the win, but this accolade will gain appreciation over time.
17…as in Iowa yielded 17-plus points in a quarter for the second time this season.
The Hawkeyes’ second quarter was nothing short of disastrous. Sullivan threw an interception, then was stripped while running for a first down. That ignited UCLA’s 17-point second quarter after Iowa built a 10-0 advantage, completely changing the game.
From 2017-23, the Iowa defense had just one quarter in which it yielded 17-plus points. That was a 21-point fourth allowed to Michigan to cap off a 42-3 blowout loss in the 2021 Big Ten title game. Now, it’s happened twice just this season.
Ohio State burned Iowa with a 21-point third quarter to take a commanding advantage. But that’s Ohio State. Allowing that to happen to UCLA is a different level of concerning.
714…as in Friday was the first time in 714 days that Jackson Stratton threw a collegiate pass.
Considering the circumstances, Stratton actually played pretty well. He finished 3-for-6 passing for 28 yards, twice converting on third down with solid completions to Jacob Gill. Stratton also added a 14-yard run that gave Drew Stevens a long field-goal chance, which ultimately turned into a first down after a leverage penalty.
Stratton’s last official action came Nov. 25, 2022, while playing for Colorado State. He threw just one pass that day, an incompletion. Overall, Friday was Stratton’s first significant action since Nov. 5, 2022, when he went 3-for-10 for 72 yards, one touchdown and an interception in a 28-16 loss to San Jose State.
138…as in Jacob Gill’s 138 receiving yards gave Iowa its first 100-yard pass-catcher in more than two calendar years.
A solid performance that’ll get lost in the shuffle. Gill delivered the best wide receiver showing Iowa has seen in some time. His six-catch, 138-yard game made him Iowa’s first 100-yard pass-catcher since Sam LaPorta’s 101 receiving yards in Iowa’s 9-6 loss to Illinois on Oct. 8, 2022.
Gill got the night started with a 32-yard screen, then a 59-yard reception on a Sullivan bomb that had the Iowa vibes strong. He later hauled in two nice grabs from Stratton to set up Kamari Moulton’s game-tying touchdown.
It’ll simply be a footnote, though, after Iowa couldn’t finish the job.
2…as in Brendan Sullivan threw two interceptions in a game for just the second time in his collegiate career.
It often seemed on Friday that Sullivan was trying to do too much.
He also appeared skittish in the pocket and paid for that with a pair of costly interceptions.
Carson Schwesinger grabbed the first one and rumbled 13 yards, setting up a UCLA touchdown that knotted the score at 10-10 early in the second quarter. Schwesinger snagged the second one, too, early in the third quarter.
Pair those interceptions with his fumble, and it was a night Sullivan will want to forget.
Dargan Southard is a sports trending reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.
Iowa
Penn State earns commitment from Iowa State leading wide receiver via transfer
Penn State landed Iowa State’s pair of quarterbacks earlier Sunday, including starter Rocco Becht, in a splash move. Now, the Cyclones’ leading receiver is coming with them.
Wide receiver Brett Eskildsen committed to Penn State via the transfer portal, becoming the seventh Cyclone to join the Nittany Lions this weekend. He announced the move on social media.
Eskildsen recorded 30 receptions, 526 yards and five touchdowns as a sophomore in 2025. He also appeared in all 13 games as a freshman but made just two catches for 17 yards.
The 6-1, 200-pound wideout is from Frisco, Texas, and is a three-star in the 247Sports transfer rankings (No. 118 overall, No. 30 WR). He was a three-star out of high school as well, where he had more than 1,5000 career receiving yards.
Becht’s top man from 2026 is now in place. He’ll also be able to throw to standout Penn State freshman Koby Howard and quick youngster Tyseer Denmark, who have confirmed their returns thus far.
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Iowa
Iowa State picks up commitment from Arkansas State QB Jaylen Raynor
Iowa State football has picked up a commitment from Arkansas State quarterback Jaylen Raynor, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on Jan. 3.
Raynor has one season of eligibility remaining. The 6-foot, 202-pounder from Kernersville, North Carolina, passed for 3,361 yards and 19 touchdowns this season. He was intercepted 11 times.
Raynor also rushed for 423 yards and seven touchdowns.
He passed for 8,694 yards and 52 touchdowns in three seasons at Arkansas State.
“The (Iowa State) coaching staff is known for winning,” Raynor told Thamel. “The head coach is a known winner and done it on multiple levels.”
Raynor will join Arkansas State offensive coordinator Keith Heckendorf in Ames. Heckendorf was named Cyclones quarterbacks coach this week.
Raynor completed 19 of 33 passes for 222 yards in a 24-16 loss to Iowa State on Sept. 13, 2025.
Iowa
Seven Iowa High School Wrestlers Off To Dominant Starts This Season – FloWrestling
The first month of the Iowa high school wrestling season has been filled with scintillating individual performances. Here’s a look at seven standouts who have been racking up bonus points in December.
Drew Anderson (Riverside)
The Class 1A state runner-up last year at 132 is up to 144 this season and he’s 14-0 with 11 technical falls, a pair of pins and a forfeit win. Anderson, a junior in his second season at the school, already owns the Riverside school record for technical falls with 28. Anderson is on pace to more than double the previous Riverside tech record of 23.
Urijah Courter (West Marshall)
Courter won the 2A title last season at 113 after placing third as a freshman at 106. He’s up to 120 this season. Courter is 14-0 this season with 10 pins and two technical falls. His ledger also includes a 6-5 win against Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont’s Simon Bettis in a rematch of last season’s state title bout.
Cooper Hinz (Jesup)
Entering the holiday break, Michigan commit and two-time state medalist Cooper Hinz is 22-0 with 21 wins via pin, technical fall or forfeit. His other victory was a 4-1 overtime decision against returning state placewinner Cain Rodgers of North Fayette Valley. More impressively, all of Hinz’s pins and technical falls have all come in the first period.
Lincoln Jipp (Bettendorf)
Jipp placed fifth at 138, third at 165 and second at 175 in Class 3A during his first three seasons. Now he’s up to 215 — 77 pounds more than where he started his career as a freshman. The North Carolina recruit pinned his way through the prestigious Dan Gable Donnybrook. He’s 16-0 with 10 pins, four technical falls and a forfeit.
Mason Koehler (Glenwood)
The returning 2A champ at 215 is 20-0 with 18 pins and a major decision. His only two matches that went the distance came at the Council Bluffs Classic, where he defeated Nebraska standout Ryan Boehle of Grand Island 14-4 and Minnesota hammer Joe Kruse of Totino-Grace 9-2. The rest of Koehler’s matches this season ended in first-period pins. He has already registered a six-second pin and another in nine seconds this season.
Jaxon Miller (Carlisle)
Miller is a three-time state medalist, a two-time finalist and returning state champ in Class 3A. He placed fourth as a freshman at 145 before making trips to the finals at 157 and 165. He’s 16-0 this season with 13 first-period pins, two technical falls and a forfeit.
Keaton Moeller (Starmont)
Moeller placed third in 1A as a freshman at 145 before winning a state title at 150 as a sophomore. He missed all of last season after suffering a torn ACL in football. Now he’s back as a senior at 190 and Moeller hasn’t missed a beat. He’s 13-0 with five pins, six technical falls and a pair of forfeits. He has yet to wrestle a full period this season.
Iowa High School Premium Rankings
Check out the Iowa High School Wrestling Premium Rankings, which are generated by using an athlete’s complete match history to predict a wrestler’s performance against others in their weight class by considering factors such as win-loss records, the quality of their victories (pins, technical falls, major decisions), the strength of their opponents and overall historical performance patterns. The data is updated every Monday, sourced from the Trackwrestling season results. Since each team is responsible for maintaining their season results, any data discrepancies for a wrestler should be addressed by contacting their coach to manage the information within the season. This includes the weight class assigned. Wrestlers are eligible to be ranked after competing in five matches at a single weight.
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