Take a bow, Kirk Ferentz. The legendary Iowa football coach now has the most wins in Big Ten history.
Ferentz notched his 206th victory at Iowa on Saturday night as the Hawkeyes defeated the University of Massachusetts, 47-7. He had a chance to reach this mark last Saturday, but Iowa fell short in a 16-13 loss to cross-state rival Iowa State. However, that loss allowed Ferentz to achieve history in front of the Hawkeyes’ home crowd.
“It’s special to be in Kinnick [Stadium],” Ferentz said. “Always has been. Means a lot to me, personally.”
Ferentz surpassed legendary Ohio State coach Woody Hayes, who won 205 games over 28 seasons from 1951 to 1978.
“The whole concept,” Ferentz explained, “was just do the best we can at whatever you’re doing and things have worked out. I found a great place and been around a lot of great people.”
Mark Gronowski threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, and Kaden Wetjen scored two touchdowns as Iowa defeated Massachusetts 47-7 on Saturday, making Kirk Ferentz the Big Ten’s all-time winningest coach.
It was the 206th win for Hawkeyes’ coach Kirk Ferentz, surpassing Ohio State’s Woody Hayes.
Gronowski, who transferred from South Dakota State after last season, completed touchdown passes of 20 and 3 yards to Seth Anderson on Iowa’s first two possessions of the game. He added a 13-yard touchdown run with 26 seconds left in the first half to give the Hawkeyes (2-1) a 30-7 halftime lead.
Gronowski, who came into the game ranked 130th in NCAA Division I in passing yards per game at 63.5, threw for 179 yards, completing 16 of 24 passes.
Wetjen scored on a 20-yard end-around in the first quarter, then tied a program record with a 95-yard punt return for a touchdown early in the third quarter.
Drew Stevens had field goals of 54 and 27 yards for the Hawkeyes. Backup quarterback Hank Brown threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to KJ Parker in the fourth quarter.
Iowa held the Minutemen (0-3) to just 119 yards. Massachusetts had zero yards rushing on 16 carries in the first half.
Massachusetts junior cornerback TJ Magee had to be taken from the field on a cart after being injured on Wetjen’s punt return for a touchdown.
Magee was blocked by Iowa’s Kael Kolarik on the return and fell into a teammate. Television replays showed Magee’s head snapped back on the second hit.
The game was delayed for several minutes as Magee was tended to by the training staffs of the Minutemen and Iowa. He was immobilized on a back board and was taken to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, across the street from Kinnick Stadium, for further evaluation. Massachusetts officials said in a statement that Magee was “alert and moving his extremities.”
Iowa will start its Big Ten schedule next Friday when it travels to play at Rutgers (3-0) on Friday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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