Iowa quarterback Deacon Hill says the way the Hawkeyes responded to a loss at Penn State has been a key to their 6-1 record. The Hawkeyes have won three straight since getting demolished by the Nittany Lions 31-0 and Hill will make his third start for the injured Cade McNamara on Saturday at home against Minnesota.

Hill passed for only 37 yards in a 15-6 win at Wisconsin and while he expects the passing game to improve it is important for him to limit mistakes.

Hill says the Gophers play a sound style of defense.

With a pair of All Big Ten caliber tight ends lost for the season Steven Stillianos (still-ee-ah-nos) has an expanded role for Iowa. The Lafayette transfer has five receptions this season and played most of the game at Wisconsin after Erick All suffered a season ending knee injury in the first quarter.

Stillianos says the Hawkeyes were forced to move on after Luke Lachey suffered a broken ankle against Western Michigan and they will need to do the same without All.

Stillianos saya an oppurunity like this is why he transferred to Iowa.

The 24th ranked Hawkeyes host Minnesota on Saturday.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa Director of Track and Field Joey Woody announced the 2023-24 indoor schedule on Wednesday. The Hawkeyes’ schedule features five home meets at the Hawkeye Indoor Track Facility.

“This schedule is set up so that our athletes can compete against great competition right away at home before we travel to some bigger invitational meets in February,” Woody said. “We are always looking to compete against the best in the country and this schedule allows our athletes to do that and to hit NCAA qualifying marks throughout the season. This schedule prepares us well for the Big Ten and NCAA Championships.”

2023-24 Schedule Notes
— The Hawkeyes begin the season at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Open in Boston, Massachusetts, on Dec. 2.

— Iowa will host four consecutive meets following the season-opener – the Jimmy Grant Alumni Invitational (Dec. 9), the Hawkeye Invitational (Jan. 13), the seventh-annual Larry Wieczorek Invitational & Multi (Jan. 19-20), and the Iowa Open (Jan. 27). The Hawkeyes will also host the Iowa Last Chance Qualifier on Feb. 16.

— The Hawkeyes spend most of February away from Iowa City, with feature meets at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic (Feb. 2-3) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Tyson Invitational (Feb. 9-10) in Fayetteville, Arkansas, the Texas Tech Invitational (Feb. 9-10) in Lubbock, Texas, and several last chance qualifiers (Feb. 16-17).

— The Big Ten Indoor Championships will be held at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio, on Feb. 23-24 before wrapping up the season at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Boston, Massachusetts, on Mar. 6-9.

— Iowa returns two All-Americans – Heptathlete Austin West and hurdler Grant Conway – to the 2023-24 roster. Led by Woody, the Hawkeyes are in search of their third men’s Indoor Big Ten Title in the last four years, returning 12 point scorers from last year’s third place team. The women’s team returns 13 point scorers from the 2022-23 indoor team that placed third at last season’s Indoor Big Ten Championships.

Full Schedule
Dec. 2 – Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener (Boston, Mass.)
Dec. 9 – Jimmy Grant Alumni Invitational (Iowa City, Iowa)
Jan. 13 – Hawkeye Invitational (Iowa City, Iowa)
Jan. 19-20 – Larry Wieczorek Invitational & Multi (Iowa City, Iowa)
Jan. 27 – Iowa Open (Iowa City, Iowa)
Feb. 2-3 – New Mexico Collegiate Classic (Albuquerque, N.M.)
Feb. 2-3 – Meyo Invitational (South Bend, Ind.)
Feb. 2-3 – Iowa State Classic (Ames, Iowa)
Feb. 9-10 – Tyson Invitational (Fayetteville, Ark.)
Feb. 9-10 – Texas Tech Invitational (Lubbock, Texas)
Feb. 9-10 – BU David Hemery Valentine Invitational (Boston, Mass.)
Feb. 9-10 – Wisconsin Windy City Invite (Chicago, Ill.)
Feb. 16 – Iowa Last Chance Qualifier (Iowa City, Iowa)
Feb. 16 – Matador Qualifier (Lubbock, Texas)
Feb. 16 – Arkansas Qualifier (Fayetteville, Ark.)
Feb. 17 – Alex Wilson Invitational (South Bend, Ind.)
Feb. 23-24 – Big Ten Indoor Championships (Geneva, Ohio)
Mar. 6-9 – NCAA Indoor Championships (Boston, Mass.)

4 Hawkeyes Named Midseason All-America

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Four University of Iowa football players were named to midseason All-America teams on Wednesday: senior defensive back Sebastian Castro, junior defensive back Cooper DeJean, senior linebacker Jay Higgins and senior punter Tory Taylor. DeJean, Higgins and Taylor were recognized by multiple outlets.

DeJean was recognized as a first team honoree by the Associated Press, The Athletic and FOX. He was named to ESPN’s first team on Tuesday.

DeJean is fourth on the Hawkeyes with 36 tackles, he has 1.5 tackles for loss, two pass break-ups and two interceptions, including one in the end zone against Michigan State. He has played 309 snaps this season in coverage without giving up a touchdown.

The Odebolt, Iowa, native is leading the Big Ten and ranks 13th nationally with a 13.0 punt return average and he is one of 29 players in the country with a punt return touchdown. DeJean returned a punt 70 yards for a game-deciding score against Michigan State late in the fourth quarter.

Higgins earned first-team accolades by FOX and the Sporting News and second-team laurels by the Associated Press.

Higgins leads the Big Ten and ranks second nationally (the most by a Power 5 player) with 12.4 tackles per game. He has two 15+ and five 10+ tackle games this season.

The Indianapolis native has 55 tackles in four Big Ten games, averaging 13.8 tackles per contest. Higgins had 18 tackles at Penn State, tied for the second-most in a game this season and the most by a Hawkeye since Jack Campbell in 2021.

Taylor was recognized as a first team honoree by the Associated Press, CBS, The Athletic and FOX. He was tabbed to ESPN’s first team yesterday.

Taylor, an Australia native, has punted an FBS-best 45 times this season with only one touchback. He ranks first in the conference and fourth in the country in average yards per punt (48.3). Nineteen of his 45 punts have been for 50+ yards, including six of 60+ yards, while 17 have been downed inside the 20, eight inside the 10 and five inside the 5.

Taylor has earned Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honors each of the last two weeks and has been included in Ray’s 8, which recognizes top punting performances nationally, four of the first six weeks of 2023. He was previously named to ESPN’s midseason All-America team.

Castro was recognized as a second team honoree by the Associated Press.

The native of Oak Lawn, Illinois, ranks first on the team in interceptions (3) and pass press break-ups (3), second in tackles for loss (5) and sixth in total tackles (30). Castro’s 30-yard pick-six at in-state rival Iowa State proved to be the winning score. His efforts in the win over the Cyclones earned the senior Big Ten Player of the Week accolades. Castro had an interception and helped force a defensive safety in the fourth quarter to help preserve Iowa’s road win at Wisconsin on Oct. 14.

No. 24 Iowa (6-1, 3-1) will host Minnesota (3-3, 1-2) on Saturday on Duke Slater Field at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City (2:33 p.m. CT, NBC).

HAWKEYE PLAYERS NAMED MIDSEASON FIRST-TEAM ALL-AMERICA

Cooper DeJean: Associated Press, ESPN, The Athletic, FOX

Jay Higgins: FOX, Sporting News

Tory Taylor: Associated Press, ESPN, Sporting News, CBS, The Athletic, FOX

HAWKEYE PLAYERS NAMED MIDSEASON SECOND-TEAM ALL-AMERICA

Sebastian Castro: Associated Press

Jay Higgins: Associated Press

IRVING, Texas – Iowa State redshirt freshman Avery Gillahan has been named the Big 12 Freshman of the Week for the second time this season, helping lead ISU to a 2-0 week with wins over both Kansas and Kansas State.

Gillahan has been a constant in the net all season, as the Strongsville, Ohio, native took over for program legend Jordan Silkowitz who was drafted into the NWSL this past winter.

Against Kansas, Gillahan recorded her third shutout of the season, as she tied a career-high with eight saves against the Jayhawks. She followed up her clean sheet against KU with a six-save performance against Kansas State on Sunday.

Gillahan played all 180 possible minutes across the two matches, totaling 14 saves. Iowa State’s six wins are the most since 2016 and are the most under head coach Matt Fannon. ISU’s three conference wins are also its most since 2016.

She is just the second Cyclone to earn Big 12 Freshman of the Week twice, joining Hannah Cade back in 2016. Gillahan is one of just seven ISU players to earn the award, joining the likes of Anna Lindgren, Lauren McConnell, Olivia Edwards, Mira Emma, Hannah Cade and Klasey Medelberg.

ISU will be back in action next Monday, October 23, when it wraps up the regular season against the top-ten-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders at home. Next Monday’s match is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. and will be streamed live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.

Big 12 Weekly Award Winners 

Offensive Player of the Week: Lexi Missimo (UT) & Ashleigh Williams (TTU)

Defensive Player of the Week: Mackenzie Aunkst (WVU)

Goalkeeper of the Week: Lynette Hernaez (BYU)

Freshman of the Week: Avery Gillahan