Minnesota Football: First look at the Iowa Hawkeyes
The Minnesota Golden Gophers (5-2, 3-1) have won back-to-back games and are coming off an upset of No. 25 on Friday at Huntington Bank Stadium. This weekend, the Gophers will take on the Iowa Hawkeyes (5-2, 3-1).
Gophers Nation takes a first look at the Hawkeyes below.
Game / Broadcast Details
Where: Iowa City, Iowa
Stadium: Kinnick Stadium (69,250)
Time: 2:30 p.m. CT
Television: CBS
Radio: KFAN 100.3 | Mike Grimm, Darrell Thompson, Justin Gaard
Odds: Minnesota is an 8.5-point underdog to Iowa, with the total currently set at 39.5 points according to BetMGM.
Head Coach Profile: Kirk Ferentz
The longest tenured coach in college football, Kirk Ferentz, is now in his 27th season with the Hawkeyes after taking over the program in 1999. The Big Ten’s all-time leader in conference wins, Ferentz has collected a career 209-126 record, leading the Hawkeyes to 21 bowl games in his previous 26 seasons.
His 209 career wins rank 16th all-time in college football, and his 21 career bowl games rank 10th, with his 10 wins ranking 15th.
Iowa 2025 Results
| Date | Opponent | Result | Record |
| 8/30 | Albany | 34-7 W | 1-0 |
| 9/6 | at Iowa State | 13-16 L | 1-1 |
| 9/13 | Massachussetts | 47-7 W | 2-1 (1-0) |
| 9/19 | at Rutgers | 38-28 W | 3-1 (2-0) |
| 9/27 | Indiana | 15-20 L | 3-2 (2-1) |
| 10/11 | at Wisconsin | 37-0 W | 4-2 (3-1) |
| 10/18 | Penn State | 25-24 W | 5-2 (4-1) |
Series History
The Gophers and Hawkeyes have met 118 times all-time coming into this weekend, with the Gophers holding a 63-53-2 advantage all-time. The Gophers dominated the series from 1891 to 1981, but Iowa has had the advantage over Minnesota since 1892. The Gophers have managed just 12 wins since winning four straight from 1978 through 1981.
How the Gophers and Hawkeyes match up statistically
| Minnesota Offense | Iowa Defense | ||
| Stat Category | # (National Rank) | Stat Category | # (National Rank) |
| Scoring Offense | 26.9 (79) | Scoring Defense | 14.6 (T-9) |
| Rushing Offense | 123.00 (108) | Rushing Defense | 92.4 (13) |
| Passing Offense | 217.7 (82) | Passing Defense | 200.3 (49) |
| Total Offense | 340.6 (107) | Total Defense | 249.4 (8) |
| Sacks Allowed | 11 (T-50) | Sacks | 13 (T-77) |
| 3rd Down % | 46.7 (28) | 3rd Down % | 35.4 (T-44) |
| 4th Down % | 33.3% (T-123) | 4th Down % | 23.0 (T-6) |
| Red Zone % | 93.5% (T-21) | Red Zone % | 80.0% (T-40) |
| Iowa Offense | Minnesota Defense | ||
| Stat Category | # (National Rank) | Stat Category | # (National Rank) |
| Scoring Offense | 29.9 (59) | Scoring Defense | 19.0 (T-27) |
| Rushing Offense | 192.7 (34) | Rushing Defense | 97.7 (T-19) |
| Passing Offense | 131.4 (132) | Passing Defense | 118.0 (1) |
| Total Offense | 324.1 (118) | Total Defense | 294.7 (19) |
| Sacks Allowed | 9 (T-33) | Sacks | 23 (T-8) |
| 3rd Down % | 39.5% (74) | 3rd Down % | 37.6 (64) |
| 4th Down % | 66.6% (T-24) | 4th Down % | 50.0% (T-54) |
| Red Zone % | 85.7% (T-64) | Red Zone % | 86.3% (T-86) |
Stay Tuned
Stay tuned to Gophers Nation as we bring the latest updates on Minnesota football and the Golden Gophers’ upcoming matchup against Iowa.
Join Gophers Nation for ELITE Minnesota coverage!
GophersNation.com provides everything that passionate Minnesota fans expect and want: Wall-to-wall coverage of Gophers athletics and recruiting.
Join the Gophers Nation community and receive all the benefits that come with it:
- Elite team and recruiting coverage of the program you love.
- Interact with other passionate Gophers fans on our Inside Gophers Nation board
- Exclusive access to the Gophers Nation staff, who are always ready to answer your questions.
- Access to the premier network in college athletics (On3 + Rivals)
- Plus much more!
SIGN UP: Join GophersNation’s Minnesota community today for $1.
