logo
What Penn State fans need to know about the Iowa Hawkeyes in 2025

What Penn State fans need to know about the Iowa Hawkeyes in 2025

Yahoo12 hours ago
A new college football season will soon arrive in Iowa City, Iowa and the big question will be whether or not the Iowa offense will have a new look that thrives more than in recent years. Iowa had some ups and downs as the Big Ten expanded, and the Hawkeyes had some close calls go the other way to prevent a more favorable postseason landing spot. But that has been par for the course for Iowa lately as the Hawkeyes continue to build a solid defense and running game. Will they have a passing game worth reckoning with in 2025? That may be the biggest question.
Here's a look at the Hawkeyes entering the 2025 college football season.
Advertisement
2024 in review
The theme of Iowa football in recent years has been playing with solid defense and wondering if the offense can do anything. It has been a struggle to get the Iowa offense to click at times. Iowa finished the 2025 season ranked second in the Big Ten in rushing offense but 17th in passing offense. Iowa had 10 touchdown passes and averaged just 20.0 passes per game, the lowest average among Big Ten programs. Kaleb Johnson led the Big Ten in rushing average with 128.08 yards per game and had a Big Ten-leading 21 games. He is now a Pittsburgh Steeler, so Iowa will look to replace his rushing production with Kamari Moulton and Jaziun Patterson.
Iowa went 8-5 last season with a 27-24 loss in the Music City Bowl to the Missouri Tigers to close out the season. Iowa had a one-point loss to Iowa State and lost by a field goal to UCLA, but suffered double-digit setbacks against Ohio State and Michigan State. Some would say Iowa was just a few plays away from a 10 or 11-win season, but the Hawkeyes know what needs to improve to flip some of those close games in their favor.
Head coach profile
Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz during a timeout against Penn State in Beaver Stadium Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in State College, Pa.
Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz returns for his 27th season as head coach of the Hawkeyes, remaining college football's longest tenured head coach. Ferentz will soon become the all-time leader in Big Ten coaching victories as he enters the 2025 season jus one conference win shy of the current record of 205 wins held by Woody Hayes of Ohio State (Penn State's Joe Paterno accumulated 162 wins in Big Ten play during his career, good for fifth on the Big Ten's all-time list).
Advertisement
Top offensive player
Nov 8, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz shakes hands with Iowa Hawkeyes offensive lineman Gennings Dunker (67) after a score in the second half against the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Iowa is home to one of the top offensive linemen in college football this season with offensive tackle Gennings Dunker. Dunker is being scouted as one of the best offensive tackles in the 2026 NFL draft pool and could be a potential first-round draft pick. Dunker was a second-team All-Big Ten player last season and will be a tough challenge for opposing defensive linemen to get around this fall.
Top defensive player
Aaron Graves stands for a photo during Hawkeye football media day in Iowa City, Friday, Aug. 12, 2022. H1a5033 Cr2
Defensive tackle Aaron Graves is back in 2025 after recording six sacks for the Hawkeyes last season. Graves was an honorable mention for All-Big Ten last fall and should be in the mix for more All-Big Ten honors this season. Graves would have been a decent draft pick in the NFL draft had he turned pro in 2025, so his return is a nice boost for the Iowa defensive line, which should be very good this season.
Advertisement
2025 schedule
Aug. 30 vs. Albany
Sept. 6 at Iowa State
Sept. 13 vs. UMass
Sept. 19 (Fri) at Rutgers
Sept. 27 vs. Indiana
Oct. 11 at Wisconsin
Oct. 18 vs. Penn State
Oct. 25 vs. Minnesota
Nov. 8 vs. Oregon
Nov. 15 at USC
Nov. 22 vs. Michigan State
Nov. 28 (Fri) at Nebraska
Iowa faces some challenges in the Big Ten schedule with three games against teams that were in the College Football Playoff last season, but they also get to play those games at home (against Indiana, Penn State, and Oregon). Penn State has had some tough matchups in Iowa over the years, but the Nittany Lions have owned the upper hand in the series in recent years. This road trip for Penn State is well worth monitoring for a potential upset alert.
The Hawkeyes skip games against Ohio State and Michigan this season but will play on the road twice in November against USC and Nebraska. Iowa also plays its in-state rival from the Big 12 Iowa State on the road in Ames, Iowa this season. With a win total floating around 7.5, predicting which way Iowa's season may go seems risky without knowing if the offense will be rejuvenated at all. However, Iowa winning eight games feels very on-brand for Iowa.
Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X, Facebook, and Threads
Advertisement
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: What to know about the Iowa Hawkeyes in 2025 from a Penn State view
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Will Blackmon joins the cast of Good Morning Football
Will Blackmon joins the cast of Good Morning Football

Yahoo

time30 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Will Blackmon joins the cast of Good Morning Football

The ever-changing cast of Good Morning Football has undergone another change. Via former NFL defensive back Will Blackmon has joined the cast for the upcoming season. A fourth-round pick from Boston College in 2006, Blackmon spent four years with the Packers, two with the Giants, two with the Jaguars, and two with the Commanders. He last played in the NFL in 2016. Advertisement Blackmon, who also returned punts and kickoffs during his time in the NFL, was a member of the Super Bowl XLVI champion Giants. He had served on a rotating cast of contributors following the departure of Akbar Gbaja-Biamila after one season. Blackmon did enough to get the full-time gig. The show has been in a state of flux for most of the past year, with a surprising move of the production from New York to Los Angeles (and a 5:00 a.m. local start time) and the departure of multiple members of the cast, including Jason McCourty and Peter Schrager.

Pacers guard Haliburton will miss entire '25-26 NBA season
Pacers guard Haliburton will miss entire '25-26 NBA season

Yahoo

time36 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Pacers guard Haliburton will miss entire '25-26 NBA season

Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers will miss the entire 2025-26 NBA season while recovering from a torn riht Achilles tendon injury suffered in last month's NBA Finals, team president Kevin Pritchard said (Maddie Meyer) Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton will miss the entire 2025-26 NBA season after suffering a torn right Achilles tendon in the NBA Finals, team president Kevin Pritchard said Monday. Haliburton was playing with a right calf strain when he went down in the first quarter of Indiana's 103-91 loss to Oklahoma City in the title-deciding contest. Advertisement "I have no doubt that he will be back better than ever," Pritchard said. "He will not play next year though. We would not jeopardize that now. Don't get any hopes up that he will play." Haliburton sparked the Pacers to their first NBA Finals since 2000, averaging 18.6 points, 9.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals a game. "He plays best when he is really hungry and I'm guessing next year, he's going to be champing at the bit to prove to everybody that he's back," Pritchard said. "We're just going to have to take it slow and make sure he's back to 100 per cent. I expect great things and him being an-All NBA player -- we witnessed something with clutch shotmaking that I've never seen in the NBA." Advertisement That included a game-winning basket at the buzzer to beat Oklahoma City in the finals' opener. Pritchard said the Pacers haven't given up on being an NBA contender but realize they will lack something special until Haliburton returns from June 23 surgery. "We were 24 minutes and an injury away," Pritchard said. "We have some challenges with Ty's injury but we like what we have. "We'll have some guys that hopefully will have some opportunities and when he gets back, it'll be the cherry on top, I guess." Haliburton's rehabilitation is off to a strong start, Pritchard said. Advertisement "He has been doing great," Pritchard said. "He's doing good, but the real work starts now in terms of rehab and it's tough." Haliburton has said he would take the chance again and play in the winner-take-all last game of the NBA Finals despite suffering the injury, but Pritchard said he didn't feel the same. "Would I have him do it over and over? I would not," Pritchard said. "If I knew he was going to get hurt, I would sacrifice that game because I care for the kid so much." The Pacers have also lost another key member of their run to the finals as center Myles Turner signed a four-year free agent deal with Milwaukee. js/pb

Dolphins finalizing trade for Pro Bowl TE Darren Waller, who's coming out of retirement
Dolphins finalizing trade for Pro Bowl TE Darren Waller, who's coming out of retirement

Yahoo

time40 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Dolphins finalizing trade for Pro Bowl TE Darren Waller, who's coming out of retirement

One day after trading away Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Miami Dolphins are staying busy on the trade front. This time, they're bringing in a player. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Dolphins are finalizing a deal with the New York Giants to acquire tight end Darren Waller. Advertisement Waller retired last summer but is returning to the NFL to play for the Dolphins. Pelissero reports that Waller informed the Giants recently that he wants to play again but only for the Dolphins, thus this trade. The Dolphins are trading a conditional 2026 sixth-round pick to the Giants for Waller and a 2027 seventh-rounder. Waller's new contract with the Dolphins is for one year and up to $5 million. This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Dolphins finalizing trade with Giants for retired TE Darren Waller

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store