7–5 (4–4 in Big Ten play). Betts rushed for 1,060 yards and 10 touchdowns behind the offensive line whose young players had struggled the prior seasons but now were experienced in Ferentz's zone blocking scheme. The team defeated Minnesota for Ferentz's first Floyd of Rosedale Trophy, 42–24. The Hawkeyes beat Texas Tech in the Alamo Bowl, 19–16, in Ferentz's first bowl game appearance. Several players earned first or second-team Big Ten honors, including Betts, offensive linemen Eric Steinbach and David Porter, defensive end Aaron Kampman, and sophomore Bob Sanders, a lightly recruited but hard-hitting safety recommended to Ferentz out of high school by his mentor Joe Moore. Betts and Sanders won team MVP honors. The 2002 season would prove to be memorable for Ferentz and the Hawkeyes. The team finished the regular season with an 11–1 record, finishing as co-conference champions with national champion Ohio State. Both teams finished 8–0 in conference play. The Hawkeye offensive line, featuring first-team all-Big Ten members Steinbach, Robert Gallery, and Bruce Nelson and second-team all-conference tackle Porter, paved the way for running back Fred Russell and the Iowa rushing attack. Playmaking skill position players, many of whom were recruited by Bielema, included senior quarterback Brad Banks, receivers Maurice Brown and C.J. Jones, and converted linebacker Dallas Clark at tight end. On defense, the front seven was effective against the Big Ten rushing attacks and consistently pressured opposing passers, protecting the young secondary. Sanders' big hits and playmaking from the safety position keyed the defense. The lone regular season loss came against in-state rival Iowa State, in which Seneca Wallace and the Cyclones came back from a 24–7 halftime deficit to defeat the Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. The Hawkeyes won the rest of their regular season games, including an overtime victory at #12 Penn State and a thrilling back-and-forth victory against Purdue, in which the dual-threat Banks and nimble tight end Clark connected twice for crucial touchdowns at Kinnick. Two convincing conference wins followed, including a 44–16 rout of Michigan State, in which the Hawkeye defense stopped star Spartan receiver Charles Rogers' 14-game touchdown streak. The Hawkeyes achieved a thorough 34–9 road victory at #8 Michigan, with Sanders' hit and forced fumble on a Wolverine punt return sparking 24 unanswered points by the Hawkeyes in the second half. That game was followed by Ferentz's first win against rival Wisconsin, with the ninth-ranked Hawkeyes holding Wisconsin's