Iowa football: 5 numbers that stood out in Hawkeyes’ 20-17 loss at UCLA

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.