Aug 30, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz looks on before the game against the Albany Great Danes at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Iowa's Kirk Ferentz Has History of Success vs. Penn State

Originally posted on Iowa Hawkeyes on SI
By Jordon Lawrenz | Last updated Oct 18, 2025 1:00 PM ET

With a 208-126 all time record at Iowa, Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz finds himself with a winning record against Penn State. Ferentz, who's been with the program since 1999, is set to face the Nittany Lions for the 20th time in his career.

In the first 19 games, he holds a 10-9 record. All-time, Iowa trails Penn State, 18-14. Recent history has favored Iowa as the Hawkeyes have won two of the last three meetings. That said, PSU won in 2023, the last time these two teams faced off.

In fact, the Nittany Lions dominated. 31-0 was the final score as Penn State shut out Iowa in the same season they entered as No. 25 in the Preseason AP Top 25. At one point that season, Iowa was ranked as high as No. 18.

Regardless, Ferentz is facing a James Franklin-less Nittany Lions squad for the first time since 2012. Iowa and Penn State don't play each other every year, so that's why it goes back to '12, even though Franklin was appointed head coach in 2014.

In the Ferentz vs. Franklin head-to-head, PSU holds a 5-2 advantage. Iowa may have won two of their last three meetings, but Penn State seven of their last nine dating to when Franklin was hired.

Most of Iowa's success against PSU came during Ferentz's first few seasons with the team. His worst record, 1-10, came during his first season in 1999. It only took him three seasons to get Iowa to an 11-2 record, something every head coach could only dream of.

Despite losing 31-7 in his first meeting against the Nittany Lions, Ferentz went on to win five straight, including eight of the next nine. From 1999-2011, PSU only beat Iowa at Kinnick Stadium on one occasion. From 2012-19, they beat them three times.

Seeing as Penn State hosted their 2023 meeting, it's only fair for this one to be played in Iowa City, IA. A sold-out crowd is expected at Kinnick Stadium as fans embrace the "stripe out" theme. October 9, 2021, marked the last time they played at Kinnick, a game that saw Ferentz's squad victorious, 23-20.

Disregarding the series history, Iowa has momentum on their side. This is nowhere near the Penn State team experts thought they'd be, and without James Franklin and quarterback Drew Allar, things got much easier for a Hawkeyes squad looking to sneak their way into the Top 25.

This article first appeared on Iowa Hawkeyes on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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