The Iowa Hawkeyes football team beat Kentucky 21-0 in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl on Saturday to finish the season a very respectable 8-5. That’s impressive considering just how brutal their offense was this season.
Iowa averaged 17.4 points per game this season (123rd of 131), while their defense allowed 14.4 points per game (6th of 131). The Hawkeyes play complementary football, so coach Kirk Ferentz isn’t too alarmed by the bad offense. But one stat really put things in perspective.
Against Kentucky, the Hawkeyes scored one offensive touchdown and had two pick-sixes on defense. Cooper DeJean had a 14-yard pick-six in the second quarter to put his team up 21-0. That was DeJean’s third pick-six on the season.
COOPER DEJEAN PICK SIX
pic.twitter.com/uOeZz7AcHG— SuperHawkeyeFan (@superhawkeyefan) December 31, 2022
Now here’s the big stat: DeJean, a defensive back, had more touchdown catches this season than all of Iowa’s wide receivers combined.
Iowa DB Cooper DeJean finished the year with three pick-sixes, effectively giving him more caught touchdowns on the season than every WR on the Hawkeyes offense combined.
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) December 31, 2022
Yes, that’s a real stat.
Iowa only had seven passing touchdowns all season. Their defense scored six touchdowns. Tight end Luke Lachey caught four of the TDs. Tight end Sam LaPorta caught another touchdown, and receivers Arland Bruce IV and Nico Ragaini each caught a touchdown.
Maybe things will change when Cade McNamara begins playing next season, but Iowa only having wide receivers catch two touchdowns this season leaves a lot of room for growth in 2023.
