Iowa football’s identity keeps coming back to one simple idea: keep grinding longer than the other side.
That’s the message behind the Hawkeyes’ mantra, and it has become a defining part of how Kirk Ferentz’s team wants to play. Iowa may not always walk onto the field with the biggest, fastest or most gifted roster, but it has built its reputation on making opponents fight for everything over four quarters.
Ferentz said the line traces back to Tom Moore, Iowa’s Senior Consultant to Kirk Ferentz, who started his coaching career with the Hawkeyes in 1961 and is now back with the program. The phrase, Ferentz explained, is less about slogan-making and more about what football demands.
“It’s kind of a Tom Mooreism. It’s really what the game boils down to typically; it’s about -- you expect it to be tough, and then just understand you're going to have to go the full 60, maybe more than that, to get it done.
"The longest part, like the fourth quarter doesn't matter if you don't play well going up to - you have to give yourself a chance. That's kind of the evolution of the whole thing, I believe.
Then the players picked it,” said Ferentz when explaining Iowa's mantra.
That message has clearly landed in the locker room. Defensive back Jaylen Watson, a starting cornerback for Iowa this year, said the saying captures exactly what the Hawkeyes are about.
“Like I have on the back of this hoodie, 'Who plays the hardest the longest?' and that's the biggest motto that Coach Ferentz says to us.”
Watson pointed to Iowa’s comeback against Iowa State as an example of that mindset in action. The Hawkeyes fell behind 10-0, but, as Watson put it, “nobody blinked, nobody flinched.” Iowa kept clawing back and found a way to win a physical game against a tough opponent.
That approach figures to be tested again, and soon. Iowa could face another major challenge in Week 4 when it goes on the road to open Big Ten play against Michigan.
The Hawkeyes have shown before that they can outwork teams with more talent. If this group is going to take the next step and push itself into the College Football Playoff conversation, that same formula will have to hold up again this season.
In Other News...
Iowa May Have Found Its Next Linebacker Anchor
Cam Buffington has opened the 2026 season looking every bit like a linebacker Iowa can build around. The third-year defender has piled up 21 total tackles through two games, and his most eye-catching effort came in the Cy-Hawk game against Iowa State, where he was around the ball all afternoon. For a defense that has long valued reliable play in the middle, that kind of early production is hard to ignore.
Kirk Ferentz has already pointed to Buffingtons instincts and potential, praising the way he recognizes plays quickly and accelerates into them. That sort of feel for the game can separate a steady contributor from a true defensive anchor, and Iowa appears to be leaning that way with Buffington. The challenge now is whether he can keep that level of command going as the season starts to deepen and opponents adjust. [Read more 🡒]
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His value could go beyond just being a towering presence in the paint. McKeevers offensive rebounding stood out at Saint Marys, and his role there suggested he can provide steady minutes without needing to be the focal point of an offense. For Iowa, the bigger question now is how that size and production translate in a new setting, and how quickly he can settle into what could be an important frontcourt role. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Heads Into Iowa With Two Troubling Lineup Questions
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Kyle Whittingham offered updates on both players conditions and said he was hopeful they could be back for the matchup in Iowa. For a defense-first game on the road, the status of the backfield and the offensive line figures to matter plenty, especially with Michigan having already shown it can get pushed early before settling in. [Read more 🡒]