Honestly, if you looked at the uiowa football schedule 2024 back in August, you probably thought you knew exactly how this was going to go. Typical Iowa, right? A defense that hits like a freight train and an offense that... well, let's just say it usually moves with the urgency of a sloth on a Sunday afternoon. But the 2024 season wasn't exactly the same old story. Sure, the Hawkeyes finished 8-5, which feels very "Kirk Ferentz," but the way they got there was a bit of a roller coaster.
It started with a literal bang against Illinois State—a 40-0 blowout—and ended with a tough 27-24 loss to Missouri in the Music City Bowl. In between, we saw a rushing attack that was actually, dare I say, explosive?
The Heartbreak and the Hype: Early Season Struggles
The Cy-Hawk game is always a bloodbath. On September 7, Kinnick Stadium was electric, but Iowa State snuck out with a 20-19 win. Losing to the Cyclones at home hurts. It just does. It’s one of those games that lingers in the back of your throat for weeks.
After that, the Hawkeyes bounced back against Troy, but the real test was the Big Ten opener. Heading into Minneapolis to play for Floyd of Rosedale is never easy. But Iowa took care of business, winning 31-14. It felt like maybe, just maybe, the new offensive coordinator Tim Lester was actually onto something.
Then came Columbus.
Look, nobody expected Iowa to waltz into Ohio Stadium and bully the Buckeyes. Ohio State was ranked No. 3 for a reason. The first half was a defensive slugfest, with Iowa actually holding them to just 7 points. But the wheels came off in the third quarter. A 35-7 loss is a reality check. It reminds you that while Iowa is "Good," there’s still a massive gap between "Good" and "Playoff Contender."
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That Mid-Season Surge
If you stopped watching after the Ohio State game, you missed some of the best football Iowa has played in years. They absolutely dismantled Washington 40-16. Then, after a weird hiccup against Michigan State (a 32-20 loss that eventually saw some wins vacated in the conference, though the on-field result stood), they went on a tear.
They dropped 40 on Northwestern.
They hung 42 on Wisconsin.
Read those numbers again. 40 and 42. For an Iowa team, that’s basically like scoring 100.
Why the 2024 Roster Felt Different
The uiowa football schedule 2024 was navigated largely on the back of Kaleb Johnson. He was a beast. He didn't just run; he punished people. Johnson finished the year with over 1,500 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns. He broke program records that had stood for decades.
And then there’s Jay Higgins.
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Higgins is the quintessential Iowa linebacker. No flash, just 171 tackles and a nose for the ball. He was a unanimous All-American. Watching him and Nick Jackson (who played a record-shattering 73 career games) was like watching a masterclass in "bend but don't break" defense.
The Full 2024 Results Breakdown
If you're looking for the raw data, here is how the season actually shook out:
- Aug 31: Illinois State (W, 40-0)
- Sept 7: Iowa State (L, 19-20)
- Sept 14: Troy (W, 38-21)
- Sept 21: at Minnesota (W, 31-14)
- Oct 5: at Ohio State (L, 7-35)
- Oct 12: Washington (W, 40-16)
- Oct 19: at Michigan State (L, 20-32)
- Oct 26: Northwestern (W, 40-14)
- Nov 2: Wisconsin (W, 42-10)
- Nov 8: at UCLA (L, 17-20)
- Nov 23: at Maryland (W, 29-13)
- Nov 29: Nebraska (W, 13-10)
- Dec 30: Missouri - Music City Bowl (L, 24-27)
The Nebraska Game: A Classic Nail-Biter
We have to talk about the Nebraska game on Black Friday. It was ugly. It was cold. It was everything Big Ten football is supposed to be. Iowa only had five first downs the entire game. Five! Nebraska outgained them by nearly 200 yards.
But football isn't played on a spreadsheet.
With 20 seconds left, Max Llewellyn forced a fumble on Dylan Raiola. Iowa recovered. Drew Stevens, who had been shaky at times, stepped up and nailed a 53-yard field goal as time expired. 13-10. The stadium went nuts. It’s those kinds of wins that keep the fan base coming back, even when the offense makes you want to pull your hair out.
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The Special Teams Factor
You can't talk about Iowa without mentioning the specialists. Rhys Dakin had the impossible task of following Tory Taylor, and honestly? He held his own. But Kaden Wetjen was the real spark. The guy won the Jet Award for the best returner in the country. He had a 100-yard kickoff return in the bowl game against Missouri that nearly flipped the momentum.
Iowa led the Big Ten in rushing in 2024. That hasn't happened since the late 50s. Think about that. Even with the QB carousel between Cade McNamara and Brendan Sullivan, the ground game was legit.
What's Next for the Hawkeyes?
The 2024 season is in the books, and while 8-5 might feel like a "down" year to some, it's Iowa's 12th straight winning season. That’s consistency most programs would kill for.
If you're looking to gear up for the next cycle, here are the three things you should do right now:
- Watch the Kaleb Johnson Highlight Reel: Seriously, his vision in the zone-run scheme was elite. It’s a blueprint for how Iowa wants to play moving forward.
- Monitor the Portal: With McNamara and Sullivan both having ups and downs, the QB room is the biggest question mark heading into spring ball.
- Review the Big Ten Realignment: 2024 was our first taste of the "new" Big Ten with USC, UCLA, and Washington. Iowa's trip to the Rose Bowl to play UCLA was a sign of things to become a regular occurrence.
The Hawkeyes might not be everyone's cup of tea, but they are never boring. Even when they’re winning 13-10 with five first downs.