Ferentz becomes Iowa’s all-time wins leader
Kirk Ferentz’s recordsetting 144th win at Iowa could not have been more emblematic of his tenure in Iowa City.
There were times when every play on offense looked like a struggle — especially early on. But they kept grinding, finally breaking through with a win powered by mental toughness, the running game and a punishing defense.
Nate Stanley threw for 108 yards and a touchdown, Ferentz passed mentor Hayden Fry as Iowa’s all-time leader in wins and the Hawkeyes rolled past Northern Illinois 33-7 in a season opener on Saturday.
Fry, who counted Ferentz among his assistants for nearly a decade, went 143-896 in 20 seasons before Ferentz took over in 1999.
The often-stoic Ferentz couldn’t hold back his emotions as the seconds ticked down, sharing a tearful embrace with his son, offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz.
After a very sluggish start, Stanley found Iowa defensive end A.J. Epenesa reaches for Northern Illinois quarterback Marcus Childers during Saturday’s game.
Noah Fant for a 1-yard TD reception midway through the third quarter to make it 10-0. Ivory Kelly-Martin’s 2-yard run pushed Iowa’s lead to 17, and Toren Young’s 6-yard TD rush put the Hawkeyes ahead 24-0 early in the fourth quarter.
It was a signature Ferentz win, with the Hawkeyes running for 209 yards while holding the Huskies to just 211 yards overall.
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