Fun Facts: Washington vs. Iowa. Kirk Ferentz is going head to head against Belichick.

The bluest skies you’ve ever seen are in Seattle. Unfortunately, it rains there a lot. On with the Washington-Iowa Fun Facts!

1. Washington was 25-3 over the previous two seasons.

2. The Huskies were ranked No. 10 the last time they played at Iowa, in 1964. The Hawkeyes won, 28-18.

3. Washington Coach Jedd Fisch has been an assistant coach for the Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots in the NFL, and Minnesota, Miami (Fla.) and Michigan in college football before becoming Arizona’s head coach in 2021.

4. Iowa leads the nation in fewest penalties (2.4 per game) and penalty yards (20.0). Washington averages 7.5 and 70.7.

5. The Huskies have outgained all six of their foes, and had 222 more yards than Rutgers in defeat.

6. Iowa linebacker Nick Jackson is three tackles from ranking fourth on the NCAA’s all-time list and eight tackles from his 500th.

7. The Huskies have 49 players from California.

8. Iowa has allowed 5.08 yards per play, ranking 48th nationally. It allowed a national-best 4.08 last season.

9. Washington’s Denzel Boston has eight touchdown catches, second in the nation only to San Jose State’s Nick Nash. But Boston doesn’t lead his own team in receptions. He has 35. Giles Jackson has 38.

10. Washington is sixth in yards per play allowed, as well as third in passing defense, eighth in total defense and 10th in total defense.

11. The last Iowa-Washington game was in 1995 when the Hawkeyes upset the 20th-ranked Huskies 38-18 in the Sun Bowl. Iowa’s Sedrick Shaw and Tavian Banks rushed for 135 and 122 yards, respectively. Brion Hurley had field goals of 50, 49 and 47 yards.

12. Washington defensive coordinator Steve Belichick spent the last 12 years on the coaching staff of his father’s (Bill Belichick) New England Patriots teams. Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz was on Bill Belichick’s Cleveland Browns coaching staff from 1993-1995.

13. Huskies offensive coordinator Brennan Carroll is the son of Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll.

14. Under Ferentz, Iowa is 65-65 in games decided by one score. The Hawkeyes have won five of the last seven of those.

15. Twenty Huskies transferred to Washington from other FBS programs, including six who followed Fisch from Arizona last offseason. Of the 74 Washington players on the travel squad to Rutgers last month, 46 were going on their first road trip as a Husky.

16. Iowa’s Cade McNamara is 107th nationally in passing efficiency. Washington’s Will Rogers is 11th.

17. A more-famous Will Rogers was a social commentator who said we will never have true civilization until we have learned to recognize the rights of others.

18. Starbucks, grunge rock and pickleball originated in or near Seattle.

19. Seattle is the home of Rat City Studios, Rat City Roller Derby, Rat City Brass tribute band, Rat City Bikes, and the Rat City Art and Food Walk.

20. Kurt Cobain lived in Seattle. Kurt Vonnegut lived in Iowa City.

Comments: mike.hlas@thegazette.com