Waterloo Times

The University of Iowa Hawkeyes football team have pounded their way to a No. 3 ranking, according to an Associated Press poll.

This is the earliest in the season the team has attained this high of a ranking since 1985, according to Go Iowa Awesome.

The ranking came about after the Hawkeyes defeated the Maryland Terrapins on Oct. 1, and highly ranked teams — including Oregon, Arkansas, Notre Dame and Florida — all went down to defeat.

Fans of the Hawkeyes, The Murphy Group simply said in a tweet, “Iowa: #3 Metallica: Nothing Else Matters.”

The AP conducts weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA college teams in Division 1 sports. The Hawkeyes compete in the West Division of the Big Ten, a conference they first joined back in 1899.

Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz, who has guided the team since 1999, has had successful seasons before. In both 2002 and 2015 the team made it to a No. 3 spot in the rankings, according to Go Iowa Awesome.

Alabama and Georgia occupy the No. 1 and No. 2 spots in the AP poll.

The Hawkeyes are 5-0 for the season and have won 11 straight games, including last season, KIWA Radio reported. They faced the No. 4 rated Penn State team Oct. 9 in the Hawkeyes home Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City.

Ferentz said during an interview with KIWA the team benefits from a combination of veteran and new talent.

“The clear thing about it to me is our senior leadership, our veteran leadership — not just seniors — the guys that have played over this year and last year, they’re really doing a good job showing the younger guys," Ferentz said. "And we've got a lot of younger guys. They’re showing them how to act and how do things, all week long and not just in games. ... I think that’s where it starts.”