Iowa Hawkeyes football

Early History

Football was first played as a club sport at Iowa in 1872, with intramural games against other colleges played as early as 1882, but it was not until 1889 that the University of Iowa first officially recognized a varsity football team. In 1899, Iowa completed its first undefeated football season, which led to an invitation to join the Western Conference, now known as the Big Ten Conference. In 1900, the Hawkeyes secured another undefeated season and won a share of the Western Conference title in their first year of league play.

The Big 8 years and return to Big Ten

In 1907 Iowa helped form the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association. They participated in football in the new league for four seasons, while retaining their existing membership in the Western Conference. Iowa tied with Nebraska in 1907 for the league championship in its first season of competition. They would leave the conference after the 1910 football season and return to the Big Ten.^[3]

Howard Jones era and 1930s

Iowa claimed consecutive Big Ten titles in 1921 and 1922. The Hawkeyes won 20 straight games in the early 1920s under the guidance of Hall of Fame coach Howard Jones. Jones soon left Iowa and established a powerhouse at Southern California, and the Hawkeyes were abysmal for most of the 1930s.

1929 Big Ten suspension

Iowa was expelled from the Big Ten on May 25, 1929. The reasons were officially unstated and university president William Jessup professed not to know why the faculty committee voted to expel the university. Discussions of player compensation and Iowa's inaction on alleged ethics violation appear to have been a main cause.^[4]

Following the 1929 season, the Big Ten faculty committee unanimously voted to reinstate Iowa to the conference on February 1, 1930. On December 11, 1929, Iowa had disqualified 27 players, presumably due to compensation issues, and was advised not to seek reinstatement of any of those players.^[5]

Eddie Anderson era (1939–1942, 1946-1949)

As a result, little was expected of Iowa’s 1939 team, led by new coach Eddie Anderson. Nicknamed the “Ironmen”, the 1939 Hawkeyes scored several upset victories and vaulted into the national rankings. Though Iowa fell a game short of the Big Ten title, team MVP Nile Kinnick won almost every major national award, including the 1939 Heisman Trophy.

Forest Evashevski era (1952–1960)

Forest Evashevski was hired as Iowa’s head coach in 1952. He lured Calvin Jones to Iowa, where Jones became the first Hawkeye – and the first African-American – to win the Outland Trophy in 1955. From 1956 to 1960, Evashevski led Iowa to four finishes in the top five of the national rankings, three Big Ten Conference titles, two Rose Bowl victories (in 1957 and 1959), and the 1958 FWAA national championship. After the 1960 season, Evashevski left coaching to become Iowa’s athletic director.

The forgotten season

In 1960 the Hawkeyes held on to the #1 ranking for much of the season. The Hawkeyes defeated #8 Ohio State, #15 Michigan State, and #10 Purdue. Iowa lost to rival #3 Minnesota. The game was the only loss of the year for the 1960 Hawkeyes and they shared the Big Ten title with Minnesota. However, at that time, the Big Ten did not allow their teams to go to any bowl except for the Rose Bowl. As such, Minnesota was picked over Iowa to go to Pasadena and Iowa was left out, despite a #2 ranking in the Coaches' Poll and a #3 ranking in the AP. Minnesota went on to win the National Championship. This season is known as the "Forgotten Season", for despite ending the season with a #2/3 ranking and a share of the Big Ten title, the Hawks were left out of January play.^[6]

1960s and 70s

Evashevski's departure from the sidelines began a two-decade downturn in Iowa's fortunes. Jerry Burns coached from 1961 though 1965. He had a 16–27–2 record. His first team finished 5–4, which would be Iowa's last winning record for 20 years. Ray Nagel followed from 1966–1970 with a 16–32–2 record. Consecutive 5–5 records in 1968 and 1969 would be the Hawks' only non-losing records from 1961 to 1980. Frank Lauterbur followed, coaching from 1971–1973 with a 4–28–1 record, with a 0–11 record in 1973. Bob Commings coached the Hawkeyes from 1974–1978. His record was 18 wins and 37 losses.

Hayden Fry era (1979–1998)

Hall of Fame coach Hayden Fry was hired after the 1978 season to try to reverse Iowa’s fortunes. After decades of losing, Fry revived the Iowa program. In 20 years at Iowa, he led the Hawkeyes to 14 bowl games, including three Rose Bowl appearances (in 1982, 1986 and 1991), and won three Big Ten titles. Among the legends that Fry left behind is the iconic pink visitors locker room, as well as a statement he made the day he started as Iowa Head Coach that he would take the team to a bowl game within four years, or he would step down. He would not only succeed in his boast, by sending Iowa to the 1982 Rose Bowl, he would do it in three years, besting his ambitious prognostication by one year. Fry retired in 1998, turning the program over to his former assistant Kirk Ferentz.

Kirk Ferentz era (1999–present)

Ferentz led Iowa to three consecutive top ten finishes from 2002 to 2004 and two Big Ten titles. The Hawkeyes have played in 13 bowl games in the past 16 seasons, and in 27 bowl games over the last 36 seasons. Kirk Ferentz has been the head coach since Hayden Fry's retirement after the 1998 season, and has led the team to a number of Bowl appearances, including two Orange Bowls and the 2016 Rose Bowl. Iowa has cracked the top 25 at the end of the season six times during the Kirk Ferentz era – No. 8 in 2002, 2003, and 2004, No. 20 in 2008, No. 7 in 2009, and No. 9 in 2015. In 2018, Iowa began its 130th season of football, and its 119th season in the Big Ten.

National championships

Iowa has been selected national champions in 1921, 1922, 1956, 1958, and 1960 by NCAA-designated major selectors.^{[7][8]:111, 113} All but the 1922 championship are claimed by the school.^[9]

Iowa finished the 1958 regular season ranked #2 in the AP and Coaches Polls, behind 11–0 LSU, although both votes were taken before the bowl games. Iowa convincingly won the 1959 Rose Bowl, 38–12, setting or tying six Rose Bowl records. The Football Writers Association of America gave their national championship trophy, the Grantland Rice Trophy, to Iowa.

Conference championships

Iowa has won 13 conference championships in school history, eight shared and five outright, winning 11 with the Big Ten, one with the WIUFA and one with the MVIAA. .^[10]

† Co-championship

Divisional championships

Iowa has one Big Ten division championship.

Iowa State

Iowa plays Iowa State annually for the Cy-Hawk Trophy, which began in 1977. The teams first meeting was in 1894. The teams quit meeting after the 1934 season until they renewed their rivalry in 1977. It was in 1977 when the tradition of the Cy-Hawk Trophy began, when the Des Moines Athletic Club donated a trophy dedicated to the rivalry. It was quickly dubbed the "Cy-Hawk Trophy". Iowa leads the overall series 44–22, and Iowa also leads the trophy series 28–14.

Minnesota

Iowa plays Minnesota annually for the Floyd of Rosedale, which is Iowa's oldest trophy that began in 1935. The teams first meeting was in 1891. Minnesota leads the overall series 62–47–2, and also leads the trophy series 42–39–2. Floyd of Rosedale was created in 1935 after Minnesota Governor Floyd Olson bet a prize pig that the Gophers would win the game, a goal which the Gophers would accomplish that year. After the death of the pig, its image was cast in bronze, and the Floyd of Rosedale trophy was created.

Nebraska

Iowa plays Nebraska annually for the Heroes Trophy, which began when Nebraska joined the Big Ten Conference in 2011. Nebraska leads the overall series 29–16–3, but Iowa leads the trophy series 4–3. Since the inauguration of the series as a conference game, the game has been played on the Friday following Thanksgiving.

Wisconsin

Iowa has played Wisconsin for the Heartland Trophy since 2004. The teams' first meeting was in 1894. Wisconsin leads the overall series 47–43–2, and the trophy series at 8–5.

1953: #20 Iowa vs #1 Notre Dame

On Nov. 21, 1953, an undefeated #1 ranked Notre Dame team was set to face the Hawkeyes in South Bend. In the first quarter, Iowa defensive back Dusty Rice intercepted the Irish, which allowed the Hawkeyes to drive the ball 72-yards for an Iowa touchdown and a 7–0 lead. With only 2 seconds left in the first half, Irish tackle Frank Varrichione fell down with an injury which stopped the clock (Notre Dame had no time outs left). Varrichione went in that same play and the Irish scored on a touchdown pass to Dan Shannon, to tie the game 7–7 at the half. With the score still deadlocked late into the fourth quarter, Iowa intercepted a pass on their own 48-yard line. The Hawkeyes then scored on a touchdown pass to end Frank Gilliam to give the Hawkeyes a 14–7 lead with 2:06 left in the game, with Notre Dame having no time outs remaining. With only 6 seconds left and the clock ticking away Frank Varrichione came down with another injury which stopped the clock (again he went back in that very same play). Notre Dame then scored a touchdown to tie the game up and stay unbeaten. After the game, sportswriters such as Grantland Rice and others were infuriated calling it unfair, and the Irish earned the label: "The Fainting Irish of Notre Dame". Iowa head coach Forest Evashevski said after the game: "When the One Great Scorer comes to write against our name, He won't write whether we won or lost, but how come we got gypped at Notre Dame". The Hawkeyes, who were ranked #20 before the game, jumped teams with better records to gain the #9 ranking. Varrichione has since admitted that the injuries were fake, in Steve Delsohn’s book, Talking Irish: The Oral History Of Notre Dame Football. In addition, Notre Dame Heisman winner Johnny Lattner praised his team's tactics calling it "Pretty smart thinking, wasn't it?".^[13] Because of this game, the NCAA changed the rules making players sit out at least one down before returning to the game.

1956: #6 Ohio State at #7 Iowa

On November 17, Iowa (ranked No. 7 in the AP Poll) defeated Ohio State (ranked No. 6), 6–0, before a crowd of 57,732 at Iowa Stadium. Ohio State went into the game with the second best rushing attack in the country but were held to 147 rushing yards, their lowest rushing yardage total in two years. The result broke Ohio State's winning streak of 17 games against conference opponents and clinched for Iowa the conference championship and a berth in the Rose Bowl. After time expired, Iowa fans hauled down the goal posts and paraded through Iowa City.^[14]

1957 Rose Bowl: #3 Iowa vs. #10 Oregon State

Aided by three rushing touchdowns, the Big Ten Champion Iowa Hawkeyes got off to a 21-6 start at the half. After the half, Iowa scored two more touchdowns and beat Oregon State 35-19. With the victory, Iowa won their first Rose Bowl Game in program history. Quarterback Ken Ploen was the games MVP ending the game with one rushing touchdown and one passing touchdown.

1959 Rose Bowl: #2 Iowa vs. #16 California

With their win in the Rose Bowl in 1959, the Iowa Hawkeyes won their first, and only, National Championship. However, although Iowa won the Grantland Rice Trophy as awarded by the Football Writers Association of America following the Bowl games, LSU was voted #1 in both major polls, the AP and Coaches polls, which were tallied before the Bowl games were played.

This game was lopsided and by the end of the third quarter, with a 22–6 advantage over the California Golden Bears, Iowa could smell victory. The championship, however, is disputed. The AP, whose poll came out before the bowl games, had picked LSU as their National Champion. Many believe that the Iowa Hawkeyes rightfully hold the 1958 National Championship.^[15] Significantly more people believe Iowa's fictitious claim to the 1958 National Championship is a sham.

1981: #7 Nebraska at Iowa

Official recap—There weren't many among the 60,160 who jammed Iowa's Kinnick Stadium who thought they were watching a matchup of the eventual Midwest entries in the Rose and Orange Bowls. There probably weren't a whole lot more who thought Iowa would avenge a 57–0 slaughter the Hawkeyes had suffered in Lincoln the year before. However, Iowa took advantage of excellent field position to jump to a 10–0 first-half lead, then held on to win a 10–7 stunner over the seventh-ranked Huskers.

The Hawkeye defense held the Huskers to their lowest total offense output of the season—234 yards—and stopped the Nebraska offense three straight times in Iowa territory after Roger Craig's one-yard TD had pulled the Huskers within 10–7 early in the final period. NU was stymied in the fourth quarter by a missed 30-yard field goal, a fumble, and Lou King's diving interception, which secured Iowa's victory with 39 seconds remaining.

In the first half, the Hawkeyes capitalized on a short punt and an interception to set up a two-yard TD run by Eddie Phillips and a 35-yard field goal by Lon Olejniczak. Meanwhile, the Huskers were held scoreless through three quarters for the first time since 1973 and didn't get out of their own territory until late in the second period, partly because of Iowa punter Reggie Roby's 50-plus yard average. NU quarterbacks Mark Maurer and Nate Mason completed only 8-of-18 passes for 81 yards and rushed 12 times for minus-2 yards.

Iowa used its upset win as a launching pad to defeat such teams as UCLA, Michigan and Purdue and post its first winning season since 1961.^[16]

“At this minute, this is the greatest victory of my life," Iowa coach Hayden Fry said. "I’m getting to be an old man and I don’t want to hurt any of my other teams that pulled off some upsets. But while I’ve been at Iowa, this is far and away the greatest victory.

“If you stay with this game long enough, the worm is bound to turn. Don’t think we didn’t earn this one, either. We did it fair and square, plus we showed a lot of character.” ^[17]

1985: #2 Michigan at #1 Iowa

The Hawkeyes trailed 10–9 late in the fourth quarter, in what may be considered the greatest game ever played at Kinnick Stadium. Iowa got the ball, with 5:27 left, on their own 22-yard line. Led by their All-American Quarterback, Chuck Long, Iowa drove the ball to the Michigan 12-yard line. As the clock expired, kicker Rob Houghtlin sent one through the uprights, to give Iowa the win. The Hawkeyes would go on to accept an invitation to the 1986 Rose Bowl.^[18]

2005 Capital One Bowl: #11 Iowa vs. #12 LSU ("The Catch")

The game has gone down in Hawkeye history known simply as "The Catch". Iowa was set to play the defending National Champion LSU Tigers. Despite leading the entire game, Iowa found itself down 24–25 and got the ball with only 46 seconds left on the clock. With only a few seconds left in the game, Iowa found itself on their own 44-yard line facing a 2nd and 6. Iowa Quarterback Drew Tate threw the ball 56 yards to Warren Holloway for an Iowa touchdown that gave the Hawkeyes a 30–25 victory over Nick Saban's defending champion Tigers. The touchdown was Holloway's first and only career touchdown.^[19]

2008: #3 Penn State at Iowa

The undefeated Penn State Nittany Lions came into the game ranked #3 in the country with hopes of a BCS national championship. The Hawkeyes, on the other hand, were 5–4 and coming off a tough loss at Illinois. The Hawkeyes jumped out to an early lead following a Penn State fumble on their first drive, but the Nittany Lions would come back to take a 13–7 lead into halftime. With less than four minutes left in the game, and trailing 23–21, Iowa strong safety Tyler Sash intercepted Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark's pass inside Iowa territory. The Hawkeyes drove to within field goal range where kicker Daniel Murray made a 31-yard field goal with :01 left to play. Iowa would go on to win 24–23 and hand Penn State its only regular season loss of the year. The Hawkeyes would go on to beat South Carolina in the Outback Bowl. The win would be the first in a 13-game winning streak for Iowa stretching into the 2009 season.

2010 Orange Bowl: #9 Georgia Tech vs. #10 Iowa

The game pitted the ACC Champion Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets against #10 Iowa. On Iowa's second drive of the game, quarterback Ricky Stanzi drove the Hawkeyes 80 yards, culminating in a 3-yard touchdown pass to Marvin McNutt, putting Iowa on top 7-0. Iowa scored another touchdown on their next drive, following a Georgia Tech punt, with Stanzi hitting Colin Sandeman for 21 yards, extending the Hawkeyes lead to 14-0. On the ensuing drive, GT punted for the third time in a row. On Iowa's next drive, Stanzi was intercepted by Jerrard Tarrant who returned the pick for a touchdown, cutting Iowa's lead to 14-7. Georgia Tech received the ball at the start of the second half. Iowa took over on downs after Georgia Tech missed a 41 yard field goal. On Iowa's next drive, they extended their lead by three thanks to a 33 yard field goal from kicker Daniel Murray. At the start of the 4th Quarter, Iowa had a 17-7 lead. This lead was cut when Georgia Tech drove down the field for its first and only offensive touchdown of the game. The touchdown cut Iowa's lead to 17-14. However, Iowa running back Brandon Wegher sealed the win for the Hawkeyes with his 32 yard rushing touchdown late in the 4th Quarter. Iowa beat Georgia Tech by a final score of 24-14.

The win marked the first ever BCS Bowl win for the Iowa program (Iowa had won two Rose Bowls prior to the formation of the BCS). The win also marked Iowa's first ever Orange Bowl victory. Iowa is one of only five Big Ten teams to compete in and win an Orange Bowl.

2016: #2 Michigan at Iowa

Iowa entered this matchup against the 9–0 Wolverines with a 5–4 record, a letdown given the high expectations entering the season. Michigan arrived in Iowa City with the #1 scoring defense and the #3 scoring offense in the country. A week after being humbled 41–14 at Penn State, in the midst of a 3-game home losing streak, and after trailing 10–0 in the second quarter of this game, the Hawkeyes put forth a gritty, spirited effort. Freshman Keith Duncan drilled a 33-yard field goal as time expired to deliver Iowa a much needed win. Akrum Wadley was the offensive standout for the Hawkeyes with 115 yards rushing, and another 52 yards receiving that included a touchdown late in the first half. The Hawkeye defense did their part as well, allowing only 201 total yards and scoring a safety in the 14–13 win.

With Clemson and Washington both losing, this marked only the second time #2, #3, and #4 fell during the same day in the regular-season. The other time was October 19, 1985, and one of the games that day was #1 Iowa's 12–10 win over #2 Michigan.

2017: #6 Ohio State at Iowa

Iowa entered this matchup against the 7–1 Buckeyes with a 5–3 record. At kickoff, the Buckeyes were ranked #6 in the nation and although the game was being played at Iowa's Kinnick Stadium, Ohio State was a 21 point favorite to win. Early on, it was an even contest as the teams traded scores on their way to a 17-17 midway through the second quarter. However in the last 3 minutes of the first half, Iowa TE Noah Fant was on the receiving end of two Nate Stanley TD passes, sending Iowa into the locker room with a 31-17 lead. The second half belonged to the Hawkeyes as they sliced through the Ohio State defense on TD drives of 78, 60 and 47 yards on their way to a resounding 55-24 win. Notable performances from the game were 5 TD passes by Iowa QB Nathan Stanley, Iowa CB Joshua Jackson's 3 interceptions, Iowa RB Akrum Wadley rushing for 118 yards on 20 carries (5.9) and Ohio State QB J. T. Barrett throwing 4 INT's along with 3 TD's. On the day Iowa racked up a total of 487 yards against an Ohio State defense that came into the game only allowing 302 per contest. Many pundits remarked after the season that the lop-sided loss to Iowa was the reason that Ohio State was not part of the College Football Playoff, even though the Buckeyes ended the season as the B1G Champ.^[20]

Songs

Iowa's official fight song is the "Iowa Fight Song" which is sung by the marching band and the fans. Iowa's school song is "On Iowa". Iowa also plays a third fight song, entitled "Roll Along Iowa". After victories the band plays the Im Himmel gibt's kein Bier Polka, which translates to "In Heaven There is No Beer". Before the game (since 2005) the team has exited the tunnel together to "Back in Black" by AC/DC before joining hands and running onto the field in unison to "Enter Sandman" by Metallica.^[21]

Mascot

Iowa's mascot is Herky the Hawk, a black and gold caricature of a Hawk. Herky was created as a cartoon in 1948, and first appeared at a sporting event in 1959. Herky was actually named after the Greek God Hercules. The term "Hawkeye" originally appeared in the book The Last of the Mohicans and was later used in its plural form to describe the people of Iowa. The University of Iowa adopted this as the nickname for its athletic teams.

Hawkeye Marching Band

Founded in 1881, the Hawkeye Marching Band now performs at all Iowa Hawkeye home football games. The band also travels with the team to usually one away game per year and any post-season bowl games.

Kinnick Wave

In 2017, Hawkeyes fans created what ESPN called "college football's coolest new tradition". In February of that year, the university's children's hospital, which has long had a close relationship with the Iowa football program, opened a new 12-story building across the street from Kinnick Stadium, with the top few floors featuring an unobstructed view of the playing field.^[22] The top floor of the hospital features the Press Box Cafe, a lounge area with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the field that is reserved for patients and their families on Hawkeyes game days, with big-screen TVs available when Iowa plays on the road.^[23][22] Following a suggestion posted to a Hawkeyes fan page on Facebook, by Iowan Krista Young, fans now face the hospital and wave to the children and their families at the end of the first quarter of every home game. For home night games, the first of which was against Penn State on September 23, 2017, "The Wave" features fans waving with their cell phone flashlights turned on.^[23] Two weeks after the Penn State game, with the Hawkeyes at home to Illinois, the Hawkeye Marching Band joined in this new tradition, forming a hand moving side-to-side and "waving" at the children during its halftime show.^[24] The Wave was even seen in the offseason—on February 15, 2018, inspired by a suggestion from nurses at the children's hospital, the stadium's maintenance crew created a pattern of a waving hand in snow that was covering the playing field. At least one patient was reported to have seen the crew creating the design, and upon completion, the crew went into the Press Box Cafe to see their final product.^[25]

The tradition has even spread beyond the Iowa fan base. With Iowa playing at Michigan State on September 30, ESPN's College GameDay aired a six-minute feature on The Wave, followed by the feature's reporter, Tom Rinaldi, leading the crowd at the Virginia Tech campus in a wave of their own.^[26] A few hours later at the end of the first quarter of the Iowa–Michigan State game, Spartans fans joined in The Wave with visiting Iowa fans.^[27]

Disney Sports announced it would present the Iowa football program with its Disney's Wide World of Sports Spirit Award, which annually goes to college football’s most inspirational figure on November 20, 2017. The award was presented to the University of Iowa for The Wave on ESPN on December 7, 2017.^[28]

Annual awards

Retired numbers

Two numbers have been retired by the Hawkeye football program, Nile Kinnick's No. 24 and Cal Jones' No. 62. Both Kinnick and Jones were consensus first team All-Americans, and both men died in separate plane crashes before their 25th birthday.

Kinnick won the University of Iowa's only Heisman Trophy in 1939 and is the man for whom Kinnick Stadium is named. Jones was the first African-American to win the Outland Trophy and is the only Hawkeye to be named first-team All-American three times.^[32]

Iowa's All-Time Team

As selected by Iowa's fans in 1989.

Special Mention

College Football Hall of Fame

Iowa has 14 inductees in the College Football Hall of Fame.^[33]

Pro Football Hall of Fame

Three Hawkeyes have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.^[34]

Current NFL players

This list includes players on active team rosters, this list does not include free agents or players on practice squads in 2018.^[35]

First round NFL draft picks

Iowa has had at least one player drafted in every NFL Draft since 1978. Through the 2017 NFL Draft, Iowa has had 282 draft picks. 254 in the NFL, 21 in the AFL, and 7 in the AAFC (the AFC and AAFC both merged with the NFL). and 76 players have gone in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft. Iowa has had 20 first round NFL Draft selections:^[36]

Division I opponents

Big Ten Opponents

This is the Hawkeyes football record against current Big Ten Conference opponents.

1. The University of Chicago was a Big Ten Conference member from 1896–1946.

Additional sources

• 75 Years With The Fighting Hawkeyes, by Bert McCrane & Dick Lamb (ASIN: B0007E01F8)
• 25 Years With The Fighting Hawkeyes, 1964–1988, by Al Grady (ASIN: B0006ES3GS)
• Hawkeye Legends, Lists, & Lore, by Mike Finn & Chad Leistikow ( ISBN 1-57167-178-1)
• University of Iowa Football, by Chuck Bright ( ISBN 0-87397-233-3)
• Black & Gold Memories, by George Wine ( ISBN 0-615-12398-8)
• Greatest Moments In Iowa Hawkeyes Football History, by Mark Dukes & Gus Schrader ( ISBN 1-57243-261-6)
• Tales From The Iowa Sidelines, by Ron Maly ( ISBN 1-58261-574-8)
• Stadium Stories: Iowa Hawkeyes, by Buck Turnbull ( ISBN 0-7627-3819-7)