Iowa
Iowa football: 5 numbers that stood out in Hawkeyes’ 32-20 loss vs Michigan State
Video: Kirk Ferentz reacts to Iowa’s loss to Michigan State
Head coach Kirk Ferentz discusses Iowa’s loss to Michigan State.
Just when it seemed this Iowa football team had patched up several important holes, another wave of problems arrived Saturday night.
The final product was a 32-20 dud at Michigan State, a game in which the Hawkeyes struggled offensively but played even worse defensively. MSU quarterback Aidan Chiles torched Iowa’s banged-up secondary time and time again and had two 100-yard receivers to tout afterward.
Per usual, there were noteworthy numbers all over the box score. Here are five figures that stand out from Iowa’s ugly loss.
0…as in Michigan State punted zero times, a first for an Iowa opponent since 2013
It’s quite the baffling stat considering how much importance Iowa places on defensive disruption. Michigan State went up and down the field on the Hawkeyes with little resistance.
The Spartans scored on eight of their 10 drives, minus the final kneel-down, including earning points on four consecutive possessions in the second half. The last time an Iowa opponent didn’t punt was Ohio State in 2013, a 34-24 Buckeyes win.
100…as in Iowa yielded 100 receiving yards to two Michigan State wide receivers, including a career day from Montorie Foster Jr.
A banged-up Iowa secondary took an injury hit pregame with Sebastian Castro out, then took one in-game with safety Koen Entringer going down. Couple those issues with Iowa’s cornerback problems opposite Jermari Harris, and Michigan State found an easy route to success.
Wide receiver Nick Marsh hauled in eight catches for 113 yards, while Montorie Foster Jr. racked up five catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. His 18-yard score put the Hawkeyes in a 19-7 hole late in the third quarter after Iowa finally found the end zone.
It was the first 100-yard game of Foster’s career, which dates back to the 2020 season. That’s the kind of history Iowa’s defense isn’t used to aiding.
468…as in Iowa surrendered 468 total yards, the most since Wisconsin in 2019
Iowa’s impressive streak of not allowing 400 total yards ended two games ago at Ohio State. Now, the Hawkeyes have done it again.
Michigan State rolled up 468 total yards, the most for any Iowa foe since Wisconsin had 473 total yards in its 24-22 win on Nov. 9, 2019. That game featured NFL running back Jonathan Taylor scampering for 250 yards.
Michigan State split its production pretty evenly with 256 passing yards and 212 rushing yards. The Spartans ran 70 plays to Iowa’s 46 while piling up 305 yards on first down alone. Not a winning formula for the Hawkeyes or anyone else.
196…as in Michigan State threw for 196 yards on first downs
Overall, Chiles was 15-for-17 for 196 yards on first downs. The Spartans averaged 8.7 yards and scored both of their touchdowns on first down as well.
What does that mean? More evidence showing how much Iowa played catch-up the entire way Saturday. The Hawkeyes rarely kept Michigan State off schedule with early-down disruptions, thus leading to several lengthy scoring drives throughout the game.
6…as in Kaleb Johnson now has six touchdowns of 25-plus yards this season
Johnson’s 75-yard scoring scamper kept Iowa afloat late as he added to his incredible junior season with another highlight run.
Overall, Johnson finished with 98 rushing yards on 14 carries as Iowa’s main source of offensive life. There wasn’t much else for Johnson outside the long run, but his end-zone visit again reminded everyone how special this running back is.
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
Vote: Who Should be Iowa’s High School Athlete of the Week? (4/19/2026)
Here are the candidates for High School on SI’s Iowa high school athlete of the week for April 13-18. Read through the nominees and cast your vote.
Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. PT on Sunday, April 26. The winner will be announced in the following week’s poll. Here are this week’s nominees:
Taylor Roose, Pella boys track and field
Roose competed in three events at the Norwalk Invitational, winning all three in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash and long jump.
Daxon Kiesau, Urbandale boys track and field
Kiesau swept the throwing events at the Norwalk Invitational, taking first place in the shot put and the discus.
Alex Burger, Southeast Valley boys track and field
Competing at home, Burger dominated, earning four gold medals. He won the 400-meter hurdles and the long jump while running on the winning 4×200-meter relay and shuttle hurdle relay.
Kolby Hodnefield, Clear Lake boys track and field
Hodenfield, a defending state champion, broke the meet, venue and school record in the 200 and the 400 at the Clear Lake Invitational. He added victories as part of the 4×100 and 4×400 relays. Both relays also set meet records.
Easton Moon, North Polk boys tennis
Moon has started off his senior season on the courts unbeaten, winning all four matches while dropping just one game in 44 played.
Ava Lohrbach, Gilbert girls golf
One of the top golfers in the state, Lohrbach has had a hot start, firing a 35 in her nine-hole debut and a 72 for her 18-hole opener.
Nathan Manske, Algona boys golf
An elite quarterback and basketball player, Manske is showing his golfing skills this spring, coming out with a state-low 30 in a nine-hole event.
Ella Hein, Tipton girls track and field
Hein set school records in the 400-meter run and long jump at the Tiger/Tigerette Relays while also locking in the Blue Standard and qualifying for the Drake Relays. She won the long jump (18-6) and was second in the 400.
Maeve Bowen-Burt, Iowa City High girls track and field
The sophomore helped the Little Hawks land three Drake Relays events on the last night of qualifying, advancing in the 400 hurdles, along with the sprint medley and 4×400 relays.
About Our Athlete of the Week Voting
High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals. Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports. Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.
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Iowa
Houston icon George Foreman laid to rest in Iowa, drawn by a peaceful 1988 visit
The late boxing great George Foreman lies buried in a cemetery in the northwestern corner of Iowa – a place he has no connection to outside of a lone visit to the region nearly 40 years ago.
Foreman died March 21, 2025, at the age of 76 in Houston and was buried in Logan Park Cemetery at Sioux City, Iowa, a month later, city officials confirmed. Foreman’s family returned Thursday to his burial site, holding a news conference with Sioux City Mayor Bob Scott to reveal Foreman’s burial place, marked by a large monument that bears an image of him as a teen following his Olympic gold medal boxing win.
The family explained in a statement released by Sioux City officials that he had visited the Iowa city in 1988, and often recalled the sense of peace he experienced there.
After traveling to the city on April 17 last year to bury Foreman, his family said they immediately understood the region’s appeal.
“Our father lived a life of purpose, faith and gratitude,” the family said in a statement released by Sioux City officials. “To see him laid to rest in a place that brought him peace means everything to us.”
Scott joined the family at Foreman’s monument that lies just a few miles north of the Missouri River in an upper Midwest city of nearly 87,000 people. The cemetery overlooks the scenic Loess Hills, created by windblown silt deposits that reach up to 200 feet high (about 61 meters) and line the river along the Iowa border for 200 miles (322 kilometers).
“Their story is a reminder of how one place can stay with someone for a lifetime,” Scott said.
A native Texan, Foreman rose to fame when he made the 1968 U.S. Olympic boxing team, winning gold in Mexico City. He became the heavyweight champion of the world in 1973 by defeating the great Joe Frazier, only to lose the title a year later to Muhammad Ali in the famous “Rumble in the Jungle.”
A full 20 years later in 1994, Foreman became the oldest man to win the heavyweight championship at 45, defeating Michael Moorer in an epic upset.
Foreman retired in 1997 with a 76-5 career record.
He then moved on to the next chapter in his life as a businessman, pitchman and occasional actor, becoming known to a new generation as the face of the George Foreman Grill. The simple cooking machine sold more than 100 million units and brought him more wealth than boxing.
A biographical movie based on Foreman’s life was released in 2023.
Copyright © 2026 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Iowa
GOP governor candidate Zach Lahn pitches Iowa-first platform at Dubuque town hall
DUBUQUE, Iowa (KCRG) — About 50 Iowans braved the threat of severe storms to hear from Republican candidate for governor Zach Lahn at his town hall in Dubuque Friday night.
Lahn, a farmer and businessman, said his campaign is about solving the long-term systemic issues facing Iowans.
One priority is addressing what Lahn calls a cancer crisis in Iowa, as the state has the second-highest cancer rate in the country. Solving the crisis means ensuring Iowans have access to clean, nitrate-free drinking water, working with farmers to reduce agricultural runoff.
“Iowans are just ready for something that they should be able to count on, like clean drinking water,” Lahn said. “We have ways to clean up the drinking water in Iowa that isn’t on the backs of farmers, but is working alongside with them because they’re drinking the water too, and they want to do what’s right.”
Lahn also wants to stop Iowa’s “brain drain,” as more of Iowa’s college graduates left the state for opportunities elsewhere.
“Don’t leave! Give me some time! I’m going to fight to keep you here,” Lahn said. “I was one of these kids. I thought I had to leave the state to find something better. We have to prioritize Iowa’s incentive dollars to make sure they’re going to grow Iowa businesses that are going to be here for the long haul, so our kids have places to work.”
Running a distinct campaign feels challenging this election, as Lahn is one of five GOP candidates who want to be Iowa’s next governor, facing U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, former Department of Administrative Services Director Adam Steen, state Rep. Eddie Andrews and former state Rep. Brad Sherman.
Iowa Auditor Rob Sand is the only Democrat running for the state’s top office.
Lahn said he stands out by promising Iowa will be for Iowans, pledging to ban the use of eminent domain for private gain and tax out-of-state landowners and data centers at higher rates to lower property taxes.
“It always goes back to follow the money, so when it comes to not being a weak-kneed Republican today, I believe the paramount piece of that is answering only to the citizens of Iowa, not to special interests to pad their bottom line, but what’s best for the people of Iowa,” Lahn said.
Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.
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