Hawkeye Recap: Hawk Predators - Opponents that made Iowa look bad

2025-2026 FB Record
9 - 4

2025-2026 MBB Record
24 - 13

2025-2026 WBB Record
27 - 7

2025-2026 W Record
12 - 6

2025-2026 WW Record
15 - 1

Personalize this site

948 highlight videos and 715 full game videos gathered from the internet about the past 7,185 Iowa Hawkeye football (since 1889), men's basketball (since 1901), women's basketball (since 1974), women's wrestling (since 2023) and men's wrestling (since 1910) games. We also have profiles for 2032 players and 150 coaches.

9/5/2026 Football vs Northern Illinois

9/12/2026 Football vs Iowa State

9/19/2026 Football vs Northern Iowa

Check back after the game for videos! View all upcoming games or buy tickets (all sports)

Home Coaches News Quotes Podcasts Contact ☰

Hawkeye Recap: Hawk Predators - Opponents that made Iowa look bad

HAWK PREDATORS

The following players have caused much stress and pain for Iowa fans

FOOTBALL

Devonte Ross (Troy) - He scored 3 TDs on long plays (2 long TD pass catches of 62 and 63 yards, and 1 punt return for 77 yards) which gave Iowa a serious scare when they trailed 14-10 at halftime. But the Hawks prevailed by winning 38-21.
Nico Iamaleava (Tennessee) - Making his first career start, the freshman QB ran for 3 TDs and threw for 1 TD in a 35-0 rout over the Hawkeyes and their highly-ranked defense in the 2024 Citrus Bowl. He was a high-ranked recruit out of high school, but had limited playing time all season.
David Bell and Aidan O'Connell (Purdue) - In a huge 24-7 upset at #2 Iowa in 2021, the QB and WR combo picked apart a good Hawkeye defense. O'Connell went 30-for-40 and 375 yards and 2 TDs. Bell caught 11 passes for 240 yards and 1 TD, which was a similar performance to 2 previous games against the Hawks, where he went for over 100 yards receiving. His three-year, three-game totals against Iowa were 35 receptions, 558 yards, five touchdowns.
Saquon Barkley (Penn State) - Penn State came into the game ranked #4, and avoided an upset with a last-second TD pass. Barkley had 358 all-purpose yards in a 21-19 win over the Hawks. 305 of the yards were on offense. He carried the ball 28 times for 211 yards, and he caught 12 passes for 94 yards. In 40 touches, he averaged over 7.5 yards, with the remaining 53 yards on three kick returns. Watch his highlights from the game.
Christian McCaffery (Stanford) - In the 2016 Rose Bowl, he ended the game quickly in the first quarter with a short pass he turned into an easy 75-yard TD. Early in the 2nd quarter, he returned a punt for a TD. On the day, he averaged 9.6 yards per carry with 172 yards on 18 carries. He also converted numerous key 3rd down conversions, and the Hawks were down 35-0 at halftime with no chance for a comeback.
David Johnson (Northern Iowa) - He amassed 237 total yards (203 receiving yards on 5 receptions), including a 70-yard TD pass where he ran past the Iowa defense. He was the best player on both teams that day. His performance kept the game close, but the Hawks pulled out a 31-23 victory.
James Hardy (Indiana) - In 2005, he had 13 catches for 203 yards and a TD, but it wasn't enough as Iowa held on for a 38-21 victory. But in 2006, he had 8 catches for 104 yards and 3 TDs in a 31-28 upset win over #15 Iowa in Indiana.
Andrew Walter and Derek Hagan (Arizona State) - Hagan caught 8 passes for 112 yards and 2 TDs, and Walter went 31-for-43 for 428 yards and 5 touchdowns. ASU blew out the #16 Hawks 44-7 in Tempe.
Seneca Wallace (Iowa State) - The only loss during the regular season in 2002 was against Iowa State, mainly by the performance of Wallace. He passed for 361 yards on 23 of 37 passes, threw for a score and ran for another to rally from a 24-7 halftime deficit, leading them to a 36-31 victory.
Antwaan Randle El (Indiana) - In 1998, he rushed for 84 yards on 16 carries, and socred 1 TD in a 14-7 win at home over Iowa. In 1999, he led the Hoosiers to a 38-31 at Kinnick, throwing for 12-23 for 247 yards and 3 TD passes. In 2000, he led the Hoosiers to a 45-22 win at home, and accounted for 298 of the Hoosiers' 644 total yards, including 192 on the ground on 19 carries and a TD pass. He had a 62-yard TD run and a 13-yard TD run in the 4th quarter. In 2001, the Hawks tried to keep him in check, but he still gained 387 total yards (127 yards rushing on 26 carries, 14-27 passing for 160 yards) and scored 2 TDs in Iowa's 42-28 win over the Hoosiers. In his career against Iowa, he gained 1,040 total yards and threw or ran for 10 TDs.
Ron Dayne (Wisconsin) - In 1996, the Hawks held him to 62 yards (his season-low), and beat the Badgers easily 31-0. In 1997, he was injured and didn't play, but the Badgers still won 13-10 over the #12 Hawks. But in 1998, he pounded the Hawkeye defense and finished with 164 yards on 39 carries, helping them to a 31-0 blowout win. In 1999, he rushed for 216 yards in a 41-3 victory at home over Iowa, setting an all-time NCAA rushing record during the game.
John Fitzgerald (Tulsa) - He threw for 357 yards on 22 of 37 passes and 1 TD, picking apart the Iowa defense, and led the Golden Hurricanes to a 27-20 major upset over Iowa in Tulsa.
LeShon Johnson (Northern Illinois) - He rushed for 306 yards on 32 carries and two touchdowns (26 and 81 yards). He broke the long-time Kinnick Stadium rushing record of 286 yards previously held by Ed Podolak in 1968 against Northwestern. Luckily, the Hawks easily won the game 54-20, and he didn't impact the outcome.
Eric Ball (UCLA) - In the 1986 Rose Bowl, the second-string freshman tailback tied a Rose Bowl record by scoring four touchdowns, and was the game's MVP after rushing for 227 yards (one yard short of the Rose Bowl record). He was named to the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 1996.
Jacque Robinson (Washington) gained 142 yards on 20 carries and set up or scored three of the Huskies' four touchdowns, and was named 1982 Rose Bowl player of the game in a 28-0 win over the Hawks.
Elmer Bailey (Minnesota) - Split end caught 6 passes for 158 yards, including 2 long TD receptions (50 and 57 yards) in a 24-7 victory over the 1981 team (that would end up in the Rose Bowl). On the season, he had 37 catches for 552 yards and 7 TDs, but did go on to play in the NFL for a few seasons.
Mark Herrmann (Purdue) was 26 of 34 passing for 439 yards, blowing out the Hawks in a 58-13 victory over the Hawks in 1980.
Ben McCall (Purdue) ran for 96 yards on 14 carries and gained another 95 yards by catching eight passes, scoring 2 TD's in their 20-14 victory over the Hawks in 1979. Coming into the game, he had rushed only four times in the season for 20 yards and hadn't caught a pass.
Bob White (Ohio State) scored 3 TDs in an upset win over Iowa 38-28, which was Iowa's only loss of the season. The fullback had a 71-yard TD, and two short TD runs. He ran for 209 yards on 33 carries. He was also key to a critical 17-13 victory over Iowa in 1957, when he powered the Buckeyes to victory with tough runs on the final drive, including the game-winning TD, and finished with 157 yards rushing.
Clinton Jones (Michigan State) scored 7 TDs in 2 games against the Hawks. He scored 4 TDs in a 35-0 win in 1965 (MSU was ranked #1), and rushed 21 times for 268 yards (a new school record) and 3 TDs in a 56-7 win in 1966, including two TD runs of over 70 yards (MSU was ranked #2).
Duane Purvis rushed for 190 yards on 23 carries, including one TD, and threw a 50-yard TD pass in an 18-0 victory over Iowa at Iowa Stadium in 1932.

BASKETBALL

Brandon Johnson (Minnesota) - In an OT loss to Minnesota in 2020, this graduate transfer went 8 for 9 from 3-point range, including all four of his attempts in OT, finishing with 26 points and 9 rebounds. He finished the season making only 14 3-pointers total, and ended with 25.5% 3-point shooting on the year.
LaFester Rhodes (Iowa State) - He had a monster performance, scoring 56 points to help the #20 Cyclones upset the #7 Hawks 102-100 in Hilton in 1987.
Darrell Griffith (Louisville) - In the 1980 Final Four 80-72 victory over the Hawks, he scored 34 points, had 6 assists and 5 rebounds. Watch a video of his scoring plays in the game.
Terry Furlow (Michigan State) - In an upset loss to the Spartans 105-88 on the road in 1976, Furlow scored 50 points to set a school and fieldhouse record. He was 18 of 29 from the field, and 14 of 15 on free throws. The Hawks were 10-1 on the season coming into the game.
Rick Mounts (Purdue) - The 1969-70 basketball team was high scoring, but Mounts was explosive against Iowa. In the first game, he scored 53 points, but the Hawks won 94-88. The second meeting at Purdue was much closer. He nailed 27 field goals and 7 free throws in the game for a big ten record 61 points, but Iowa won the game 108-107. Watch a TV story about Rick Mounts against Iowa from KCRG
Bill Russell (San Francisco) - In a painful 83-71 loss in Iowa's only NCAA Championship game in 1956, he had 26 points and 27 rebounds to lead the Dons to their second-straight national title, and 55th-consecutve win (then an NCAA record).

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Jasmine Carson (LSU) - In the 2023 National Championship game, she scored 21 points off the bench in the first half (5-5 from 3-point range) to help LSU take a 17-point halftime lead, and essentially put the game out of reach. Prior to the championship game, she hadn't scored in the last 3 games.

Contact us if you know of some more player performances we should add!

Hawkeye Recap - Summary of Iowa football and basketball games