BadgerBlitz.com''s All-Out Blitz weekly series is where you can find everything you need to know about Wisconsin's next opponent. We get you ready for the Badgers playing against No.19 Iowa.
NEED TO KNOW
No.25 Wisconsin (2-2) vs. No.19 Iowa (5-2)
Date/Time – Saturday, December 12, 2:30 p.m. CT
Venue – Kinnick Stadium (FieldTurf)
Television – FS1 (Tim Brando and Spencer Tillman)
Radio - Wisconsin Radio Network (Matt Lepay, Mike Lucas, Mark Tauscher), Sirius 106, XM 203.
Point Spread – Wisconsin by 2
Wisconsin Head Coach: Paul Chryst (9th year, 6th at Wisconsin) 54-17 record as Wisconsin's coach
Iowa Head Coach: Kirk Ferentz (25th year, 22nd at Iowa) 167-106 record as Iowa's coach
Series History: Wisconsin leads 48-43-2 (Iowa leads 24-20-1 in Iowa City)
WHEN IOWA HAS THE BALL
SERIES NOTES
Wisconsin has won four straight over the Hawkeyes and has claimed seven of its last eight meetings with Iowa, dating to 2010.
The Badgers have won their last five trips to Iowa City, dating to 2010.
Wisconsin holds a 9-5 lead in the series since the Heartland Trophy debuted in 2004.
Saturday’s meeting marks the ninth game in series history in which both teams have been ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. Wisconsin is 4-4 in such games, including wins in the three most recent (2010, 2017, 2019).
Wisconsin faces the Hawkeyes as a ranked team for the ninth consecutive meeting.
With 93 all-time meetings, Iowa is Wisconsin’s third most-played rival. The Badgers have faced Minnesota 129 times — the most played rivalry of any FBS teams — and Northwestern 102 times.
UW is 14-7 against Iowa since breaking an 18-game winless streak against the Hawkeyes in 1997. From 1977 to ’96, Wisconsin was 0-17-1 against Iowa.
WHEN WISCONSIN HAS THE BALL
WISCONSIN NOTES TO CONSIDER
Dating to the 2010 season, Wisconsin has won 22 of its last 24 games with a traveling trophy on the line vs. Iowa (Heartland Trophy), Minnesota (Paul Bunyan’s Axe) and Nebraska.
Dec. 12 will mark the latest date on which Wisconsin has played a non-bowl game since it closed the 1896 campaign (when the Badgers claimed the inaugural Western Conference title) with an indoor game against the Carlisle Indian School at Chicago Coliseum on Dec. 19, 1896. That game came more than 3 weeks after the Badgers had concluded their conference schedule unbeaten on Nov. 26.
Allowing 49 points through 4 games (including just 5 TDs surrendered by the defense), Wisconsin leads all Power Five teams and ranks No. 2 nationally in points allowed, at 12.3 per game.
Including just 1 given up to Indiana last Saturday, the Badgers have allowed 6 runs of 10-plus yards on the season, the fewest of any FBS team. Among teams that have played at least 4 games, Colorado State has allowed the 2nd fewest, with 12 in 4 games.
Junior TE Jake Ferguson has caught at least 1 pass in each of his 31 career games. A catch Saturday would allow Ferguson to match Travis Beckum’s run of 32 straight games played with a catch (2006-08), the longest streak by a UW tight end.
IOWA NOTES TO CONSIDER
The Hawkeyes are 18-4 in their last 22 rivalry trophy games (Iowa State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin), with all four losses coming to Wisconsin. The Hawkeyes defended Floyd of Rosedale at Minnesota on Nov. 13 (W, 35-7). Iowa defended the Heroes Trophy with a 26-20 win on Nov. 27 against Nebraska.
Iowa has won its last five games, outscoring its opponents 186-76 and averaging 37.2 points per game during the winning streak. The Hawkeyes 186 points scored over the last five games represent the best five-game stretch since Iowa totaled 207 in the first five games of 2002.
The Hawkeyes rank third in the Big Ten with 10 interceptions (Indiana 17; Northwestern 12). DE Zach VanValkenburg has four fumble recoveries this season, tied for the most in the country. Iowa has scored 66 points off turnovers this year (29 percent of total points).
Iowa has played 21 straight games without surrendering 25 points, the longest streak in the nation among Power 5 teams.
TE Sam LaPorta leads Iowa in receptions (26) and receiving yards (260). Only two times since 1992 has a tight end led Iowa in season receiving yards. Alan Cross in 1992 (55-640) and T.J. Hockenson in 2018 (49-760).
