Charting the Iowa football defense under Kirk Ferentz

I was going to post this with the 2020 two deeps, but decided to make that a different post.

The point here is just to shed some light on some of the names and numbers that have played defense for the Hawkeyes.

The 2018 and 2019 defenses are among Iowa's best under head coach Kirk Ferentz.

Have fun debating who the most disruptive defensive lineman under Kirk Ferentz was. Mitch King shows up in four years of leaders. Bryan Mattison put up big numbers. Aaron Kampman. Poor Howard Hodges was like a half sack behind Matt Roth every year. Enormously productive career and didn't get his name in here.

Anyway, had fun doing this. It did take all day.

Kirk Ferentz era defenses ranked

(2019 in bold)

Scoring defense

1. 2008 — 13.0 points per game

2. 2019 — 14.0 (21 TDs, 12 FGs)

3. 2009 — 15.4 (23 TDs, 13 FGs)

4. 2003 — 16.2

5. 2010 — 17.0 (27 TDs, 11 FGs)

6. 2004 — 17.6

7. 2018 — 17.8 (28 TDs, 12 FGs)

8. (tie) 2007 and 2016 — 18.8

10. 2013 — 18.9 (30 TDs, 12 FGs)

11. 2002 — 19.7

12. 2017 — 19.9 (30 TDs, 16 FGs)

13. 2005 — 20.0

14. 2015 — 20.4 (32 TDs, 20 FGs)

15. 2006 — 20.7

16. 2001 — 21.5

17. 2012 — 22.9

18. 2011 — 23.8 (38 TDs, 16 FGs)

19. 2014 — 25.6 (41 TDs, 16 FGs)

20. 2000 — 27.5

21. 1999 — 31.5

Total defense

1. 2004 — 3,526 total yards (293.8 per game)

2. 2009 — 3,595 (276.5, 4.26 yards per play)

3. 2008 — 3,787 (291.3)

4. 2018 — 3,817 (293.6, 4.56)

5. 2001 — 3,901 (325.1)

6. 2013 — 3,940 (303.1, 4.58)

7. 2019 — 4,007 (308.2, 4.8)

8. 2003 — 4,089 (314.5)

9. 2007 — 4,212 (351.2)

10. 2010 — 4,317 (321.8, 5.29)

11. 2006 — 4,469 (343.8)

12. 2014 — 4,475 (344.2, 5.28)

13. 2016 — 4,565 (351.2, 5,11)

14. 2012 — 4,579 (381.6, 5,54)

15. 2005 — 4,592 (382.7)

16. 2002 — 4,619 (355.3)

17. 2017 — 4,647 (357.5, 5.08)

18. 2015 — 4,774 (341.0, 4.96)

19. 2011 — 4,926 (378.9, 5.12)

20. 1999 — 5,097 (463.4)

21. 2000 — 5,291 (440.9)

Rush defense

1. 2002 — 1,065 yards (81.9 per game)

2. 2004 — 1,110 (92.5)

3. 2003 — 1,205 (92.7)

4. 2008 — 1,222 (94.0)

5. 2010 — 1,320 (101.5, 3.2 per carry)

6. 2001 — 1,405 (117.1)

7. 2018 — 1,424 (109.5, 3.3)

8. 2007 — 1,464 (122.0)

9. 2019 — 1,463 (112.5, 3.5)

10. 2005 — 1,512 (101.5, 3.2)

11. 2009 — 1,607 (123.6, 3.5)

12. 2013 — 1,669 (128.4, 3.5)

13. 2015 — 1,700 (121.4, 3.6)

14. 2006 — 1,737 (133.6)

15. 2017 — 1,880 (144.6, 4.1)

16. 2012 — 1,945 (162.1, 4.1)

17. 2016 — 1,947 (149.8, 3.9)

18. 2011 — 2,028 (156.0, 3.7)

19. 2014 — 2,188 (168.3, 4.4)

20. 2000 — 2,331 (194.3)

21. 1999 — 2,698 (245.3)

Passing defense

1. 2009 — 1,988 yards (152.9 yards per game, 5.2 yards per attempt, 9 TDs, 21 INTs)

2. 2013 — 2,271 (174.7, 5.7, 20, 13)

3. 2014 — 2,287 (175.9, 6.5, 18, 13)

4. 2018 — 2,393 (184.1, 6.0, 19, 20)

5. 1999 — 2,399 (218.1, 23 TDs, 6 INTs)

6. 2004 — 2,416 (201.3, 15, 17)

7. 2001 — 2,496 (208.0, 15, 13)

8. 2019 — 2,544 (195.7, 6.1, 12, 12)

9. 2016 — 2,618 (201.4, 6.5, 18, 9)

10. 2012 — 2,634 (219.5, 7.5, 16, 10)

11. 2008 — 2,656 (197.3, 9 TDs, 23 INTs)

12. 2006 — 2,732 (210.2, 20, 14)

13. 2007 — 2,750 (229.2, 13, 14)

14. 2017 — 2,767 (212.8, 6.0, 19, 21)

15. 2003 — 2,884 (221.8, 11, 13)

16. 2011 — 2,898 (222.9, 7.0, 21, 10)

17. 2000 — 2,960 (246.7, 21, 9)

18. 2010 — 2,994 (230.5, 6.3, 12, 19)

19. 2015 — 3,074 (219.6, 6.2, 17, 19)

20. 2005 — 3,080 (256.7, 18, 10)

21. 2002 — 3,554 (273.4, 15, 20)

PBU/INT

(Highs in bold)

2019 — 46 PBU (pass breakups) (CB Michael Ojemudia 9), 12 INT (Ojemudia 3)

2018 — 49 PBU (Cash Amani Hooker, FS Jake Gervase 7), 20 INT (Hooker, Gervase, SS Geno Stone 4)

2017 — 72 PBU (CB Josh Jackson 18), 21 INT (Jackson 8

)

2016 — 54 PBU (LB Josey Jewell 9), 9 (CB Desmond King, SS Brandon Snyder 3)

2015 — 60 PBU (King 13), 19 INT (King 8

)

2014 — 35 PBU (FS Jordan Lomax 6), 13 INT (King, SS John Lowdermilk 3)

2013 — 39 PBU (CB B.J. Lowery 16), 13 INT (LB James Morris 4)

2012 — 38 PBU (CB Micah Hyde 14), 10 INT (CB Greg Castillo, LB Christian Kirksey, OLB Tommy Donatell 2)

2011 — 39 PBU (DE Broderick Binns, Hyde 8), 10 INT (FS Tanner Miller, Hyde 3)

2010 — 43 PBU (Hyde 7), 19 INT (FS Brett Greenwood 5)

2009 — 65 PBU (Binns 9), 21 INT (SS Tyler Sash 6)

2008 — 53 PBU (CB Bradley Fletcher 10), 23

INT (Sash 6)

2007 — 51 PBU (CB Charles Godfrey 9), 14 INT (Godfrey 5)

2006 — 50 PBU (SS Miguel Merrick 9), 14 INT (CB Adam Shada, Merrick, LB Mike Humpal 2)

2005 — 51 PBU (CB Jovon Johnson 11), 10 INT (Johnson, Shada 3)

2004 — 41 PBU (FS Sean Considine 9), 17 INT (Johnson, Allen 4)

2003 — 55 PBU (Johnson 13), 13 INT (Johnson 6)

2002 — 64 PBU (CB D.J. Johnson 15), 20 INT (Johnson, Pagel 4)

2001 — 68 PBU (CB Benny Sapp, CB Matt Stockdale 12), 13 INT (Bob Sanders 4)

2000 — 58 PBU (Sapp 13), 9 INT (FS Ryan Hansen 3)

1999 — 34 PBU (CB Tariq Holman 10), 6 INT (Holman 3)

Sacks/TFL/FF

(sacks, tackles for loss, forced fumbles)

2019 — 33.0 sacks (DE A.J. Epenesa 11.5

), 67.0 TFL (Epenesa 14.5), 11 FF (Epenesa 4)

2018 — 35.0 sacks (DE Epenesa 10.5), 71.0 TFL (Epenesa 16.5), 7 FF (Epenesa 4)

2017 — 29.0 sacks (DE Anthony Nelson 7.5), 64.0 TFL (LB Josey Jewell 13.5), 12 FF (Nelson, DE Parker Hesse, LB Ben Niemann 2)

2016 — 28.0 sacks (DT Jaleel Johnson 7.5), 60.0 TFL (Johnson 10.0), 14 FF (SS Brandon Snyder 3)

2015 — 30.0 sacks (DE Nate Meier 6.5), 62.0 (Meier 10.5), 10 FF (DE Drew Ott 3)

2014 — 27.0 sacks (DE Ott 8), 71 TFL (Ott 12.0), 6 FF (LB Quinton Alston, SS John Lowdermilk 2)

2013 — 24.0 sacks (LB James Morris 7), 80 TFL (Morris 17), 14 FF (CB B.J. Lowery 3)

2012 — 13.0 sacks (DE Joe Gaglione 5), 53 TFL (Gaglione, Morris 9), 11 FF (CB Micah Hyde, DT Steve Bigach, Gaglione 2)

2011 — 21.0 sacks (DT Mike Daniels 7), 62 TFL (Daniels 13), 12 FF (CB Shaun Prater 4)

2010 — 21.0 sacks (DT Karl Klug 5), 57 TFL (Klug 13), 6 FF (six players had one apiece)

2009 — 30.0 sacks (DE Adrian Clayborn 11.5

), 73 TFL (Clayborn 20), 14 FF (Clayborn 4)

2008 — 19.5 sacks (DT Mitch King 4), 68.5 TFL (King 15.5), 10 FF (King 2)

2007 — 27.0 sacks (DE Bryan Mattison 9), 66 TFL (King 14.5), 16 FF (Mattison 4)

2006 — 22.0 sacks (DE Mattison 6), 68 TFL (King 12), 10 FF (Mattison 4)

2005 — 24.5 sacks (DE Kenny Iwebema 7), 82 TFL (LB Abdul Hodge 11), 9 FF (Hodge, King 3)

2004 — 30.0 sacks (DT Jonathan Babineaux 10.5), 77 TFL (Babineaux 25

), 18 FF (Babineaux, DE Matt Roth 3)

2003 — 36.0 sacks (DE Roth 11.5), 91.5 TFL (Roth 13), 19 FF (SS Bob Sanders 6

)

2002 — 49.0

sacks (DE Roth 10), 87 TFL (DT Colin Cole 18), 16 FF (Sanders 4)

2001 — 28.0 sacks (DE Aaron Kampman 9), 89 TFL (Kampman 17), 15 FF (LB Roger Meyer 4)

2000 — 25.5 sacks (DT Derrick Pickens 6), 78 TFL (OLB LeVar Woods 11), 12 FF (Sanders, DT Anthony Herron, CB Benny Sapp 2)

1999 — 21.0 sacks (DE Scott Pospisil 6), 60 TFL (Pospisil 9), 4 FF (Woods, DT Corey Brown, LB Fred Barr, DL Cody O'Hare)

Comments: (319) 398-8256; marc.morehouse@thegazette.com