Game Notes: Utah State

• Iowa is ranked 25th in the preseason Associated Press poll and the team is receiving votes, coming in 26th in the preseason coaches’ poll. The Hawkeyes have been in the preseason AP Top 25 in four of the past five seasons and 10 times in the Kirk Ferentz era (27 times in program history).• The Hawkeyes return 14 starters (six offense, five defense, three specialists) for the 2023 season.• Head coach Kirk Ferentz — the dean of coaches in college football — is two wins shy of the 200-win milestone in his coaching career. Ferentz will be the 24th Division I coach to reach the 200-win mark. Former Hawkeye head coach Hayden Fry had 236 career victories.• Junior DB Cooper DeJean and senior punter Tory Taylor are preseason All-Americans by various outlets. Taylor is a first-team selection by Phil Steele, Athlon Sports, The Athletic, Associated Press and The Sporting News, while DeJean is a first-team selection by The Athletic, AP and The Sporting News and a second-team honoree by both Athlon and Phil Steele.• DeJean is the preseason Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. The Odebolt, Iowa, native had 75 tackles, five interceptions and three defensive touchdowns as a sophomore, setting the single season record. Former Hawkeye LB Jack Campbell was the preseason Big Ten DPOY in 2022.• DeJean is rated as the 23rd ranked player in the nation by Pro Football Focus and No. 46 on ESPN.com’s top 100 players. The defensive back is on the watch lists for the Bronko Nagurski Award (defensive player of the year), Jim Thorpe Award (defensive back), Paul Hornung Award (versatility) and Chuck Bednarik Award (most outstanding defensive player).• The Hawkeyes rank seventh nationally with the most consecutive winning seasons amongst Power 5 programs. Iowa is one of six teams to win eight or more games each year since 2015 (excluding COVID).• Iowa is one of five college football teams (Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Georgia) that have won at least eight games the last seven completed seasons while winning 75 percent of its games in the COVID year.• Over the past five seasons, Iowa has the third-most wins in the Big Ten Conference. The Hawkeyes have 43 overall, trailing only Ohio State (55) and Michigan (46).• The Hawkeyes have had six NFL first round picks in the last five years – the seventh-most nationally in that span.• Michigan transfer Cade McNamara will start his 17th career game when he takes the field for the Hawkeyes. For his career, McNamara has completed 63.1 percent of his passes for 3,181 yards and 21 touchdowns. He played in three games in 2022 before missing the remainder of the season because of a knee injury.• The Hawkeyes have 218 interceptions since 2009 — tied for the second most nationally (one behind Oregon). Iowa’s 33 interception returns for a touchdown are third-most in the nation in that span.• Iowa is 99-33-2 in season openers, including a 20-4 mark under head coach Kirk Ferentz. The Hawkeyes are 20-2 in season openers since 2001.• Iowa’s scoring defense has surrendered 18.86 points per game (in 178 games) since 2009 — ranking third nationally. The unit’s 4.81 yards per play total is third-best in the same span.