NASHVILLE, TN – On this date in 2001, Kirk Ferentz and his Iowa football squad battled Mike Leach and the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Alamo Bowl. The Hawkeyes won a rather uneventful game, 19-16, but the game still holds some significance.
That contest marked the first ever bowl game appearance and victory for Ferentz, but it’s also a game that represents an old era of college football. There was no transfer portal, no name, image, and likeness, and 65,000 fans in attendance, a far cry from some bowl games today.
Ferentz has coached in his fair share of bowl games, 30 to be exact, but the preparations for Monday’s Music City Bowl contest against Missouri have looked different. Unlike most of the other bowl games this season, Iowa’s senior-laden class is playing in this game.
23 years ago, that was the expectation, but times have changed in 2024. Today’s matchups offer one more opportunity for seniors to bid farewell to their programs, but they also present somewhat of an audition for younger players to prove themselves and potentially land starting spots for the next season and beyond.
That trend has benefited the Hawkeyes, who have seen strong development on both sides of the ball from their underclassmen players during bowl prep.
“It gives us a chance for the younger players to get some exposure that they wouldn’t normally get and watch and see how they progress,” Ferentz said.
Iowa’s offense has been one of the worst units in the country over the past few seasons, but the group seemed to turn a slight corner under first-year offensive coordinator Tim Lester this year.
The Hawkeyes averaged a respectable 28 points per game in 2024, a marked improvement from a measly 15.4 points per game in 2023. One of the reasons for the jump was the emergence of running back Kaleb Johnson, but Iowa feels like its receiving corps has made immense progress over the past month of practice.
Third-year wideout Jacob Gill led this group with 365 yards and will be a key player next season, but first-year Reece Vander Zee has also impressed the coaching staff. Vander Zee recorded 176 yards and three touchdowns on 14 receptions, with two of those scores coming in his first collegiate game against Illinois State on Aug. 31.
Vander Zee missed the final five weeks of the regular season with a foot injury, but he will play on Monday. Lester is encouraged with his progress and is excited to see his young star on the field again.
“He was just kind of hitting his stride as a receiver and was out I think six weeks,” Lester said at a press conference on Sunday. “He’s kind of had to reteach himself. He’s been coming along.”
Another name that Lester mentioned was KJ Parker, another true freshman wide receiver. Hailing from Bellwood, Illinois, Parker didn’t see any game action this season and took a redshirt year, but has jumped on Lester’s radar during bowl prep.
“KJ Parker is a guy who redshirted who has a ton of reps, which I was excited to watch him out there,” Lester said. “It’s been fun to watch him out there.”
Was recently told by a source that freshman wide receiver KJ Parker has had an impressive month of bowl prep. Added that he has “phenomenal ball skills.”
Based on this practice clip on Parker’s Instagram story, it sure looks like to be true. pic.twitter.com/svI4CGculh
— Eliot Clough (@EliotClough) December 28, 2024
Defensive coordinator Phil Parker didn’t dive much into specific players, but praised defensive backs Zach Lutmer and Koen Entringer for their growth throughout the season. Both have played sparingly this year, but Parker expects both to “be on the field a lot” in 2025.
The departures of stalwarts Nick Jackson and Jay Higgins will leave a large hole in the linebacker corps, but Parker is confident in some of the young players coming up, which includes juniors Jaxon Rexroth
“You go back for this whole month of how many reps you can take and then wait for spring ball to come and see their growth, which has really been important for us as a program that’s a developing program,” Parker said.
Special teams coordinator LeVar Woods has also seen growth from his unit, which has perennially ranked as one of the nation’s best during his tenure. The entire unit has been cohesive all season, but Woods made sure to credit two young freshmen, Rashad Godfrey and Brevin Doll, for their diligence and patience in their new settings.
“When you give them an opportunity, you can tell they’ve been paying attention throughout the whole year,” Woods said.