IOWA CITY – University of Iowa junior defensive back Josh Jackson has been named Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week following Iowa’s 55-24 win over No. 3 Ohio State Saturday in Kinnick Stadium. The award was announced Sunday by the Walter Camp Football Foundation. Jackson was also named the national defensive Player of the Week by College Sports Madness.
Jackson (6-foot-1, 192-pounds), a native of Corinth, Texas (Lake Dallas), tied a school record with three pass interceptions (Tyler Sash and Grant Steen), and also added three solo tackles. His first theft led to a touchdown that gave Iowa a 31-17 halftime advantage. His second interception led to a field goal, and his third stopped an Ohio State scoring threat in the fourth quarter. His final interception was also recognized by ESPN as Saturday’s Play of the Day in college football.
Jackson and the Hawkeye defense allowed just seven points in the second half while holding Ohio State 200 yards total offense and 22 points below its season averages. Jackson leads the nation in passes defended (15 PBU, 5 interceptions), and is tied for second nationally with 0.6 interceptions per game. Jackson has five of Iowa’s 13 interceptions on the season. He is fifth on the team with 36 tackles.
Jackson is the second Hawkeye to earn the Walter Camp weekly defensive honor this season, as senior linebacker Josey Jewell was recognized following Iowa’s victory over Wyoming in the season opener. Jackson and Jewell have also been named semifinalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award.
The 25th-ranked Hawkeyes (6-3, 3-3) travel to third-ranked Wisconsin (9-0, 6-0) on Saturday (2:30 p.m., ABC).
1st and 10
1: Iowa’s 2017 opponents have a combined record of 68-40 (.630). TeamRankings.com lists the Hawkeyes at No. 8 in strength of schedule, third among Big Ten teams (No. 1 Penn State, No. 3 Ohio State). The Hawkeyes first nine opponents have a combined record of 51-30. Their final three opponents have a combined record of 17-10.
2: Iowa’s three losses have been decided by one possession, and two have come down to the game’s final play. Since 2014, Iowa is 33-12 in the regular season, and 10 of those 12 losses have been decided by one possession. Since 2014, Iowa is 13-10 in games decided by one possession, including 2-3 this year.
3: The Hawkeyes are playing to regain possession of the Heartland Trophy. It is their third of four trophy games this season. Iowa has successfully defended two rivalry trophies, winning at Iowa State, 44-41 (OT,) to retain the Cy-Hawk trophy, and topping Minnesota, 17-10, to retain Floyd of Rosedale. Iowa will defend the Heroes Trophy on Nov. 24 at Nebraska.
4: Iowa ranks No. 4 in the B1G and 16th nationally in scoring defense (18.1). Iowa has held 8-of-9 opponents below their scoring average (Iowa State lone exception). The Hawkeyes have 13 interceptions, second only to Wisconsin (14) in the Big Ten.
5: QB Nate Stanley has 22 touchdown passes, second in the Big Ten and tied for 11th in the nation. Stanley has thrown 12 touchdowns and zero interceptions against this week’s AP top 25 (No. 11 Ohio State, No. 13 Michigan State, No. 16 Penn State, No. 24 Iowa State). He averaged 236.8 passing yards per game against those four opponents.
6: LB Josey Jewell leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth in the nation with 11.3 tackles per game. He has 92 tackles this season, tops in the Big Ten and tied for ninth nationally. Jewell has 393 career tackles, seventh all-time in program history.
7: Junior DB Josh Jackson leads the country in passes defended (20) and is tied for second in interceptions (5) and passes broken up (15). He leads the Big Ten in interceptions (5) and passes defended (20). Jackson tied a school record with three interceptions against No. 3 Ohio State on Nov. 4. He is a Bednarik Award semifinalist and was named the Big Ten and Walter Camp national defensive Player of the Week after his three interceptions in the win over Ohio State.
8: Season-ending injuries to senior tackles Ike Boettger and Boone Myers have cleared the depth chart for redshirt freshman LT Alaric Jackson and freshman RT Tristan Wirfs. Jackson has started every game this season at left tackle. Wirfs has started the last four games at right tackle. He is the first true freshman in Ferentz’s 19 seasons to start at offensive tackle.
9: Sophomore DE Anthony Nelson is tied for third in the Big Ten with six sacks (27 yards). Nelson had six sacks as a freshman last season, second best on the team. True freshman A.J. Epenesa is tied for second on the team with 2.5 sacks, and leads the team with seven quarterback hurries.
10: Second-year tight ends Noah Fants (So.) and T.J. Hockenson (redshirt freshman) have combined for 42 receptions this season. Among those 42 receptions, all but five have resulted in a touchdown (10) or first down (27). Fant’s seven touchdowns are a single-season school record for a tight end.
