2006 Iowa Hawkeyes Season, Game Recaps, Scores and Reviews
Dec. 30
Alamo Bowl
Texas 26 ... Iowa 24
Texas overcame a rough start and
held on by running off most of the final few minutes once the
momentum had shifted. Iowa came out on fire going 77 yards in nine
plays finishing with a one-yard Albert Young run and getting a
63-yard catch-and-run for a score from Andy Brodell for an early
14-0 lead. Texas slowed down the bleeding with a 27-yard Ryan Bailey
field goal, but needed a big break as Iowa appeared to go up 21-3 on
a pass to Scott Chandler that was called back on a questionable
penalty. Iowa didn't score, and Texas took advantage going 80 yards
in 13 plays finishing with a 20-yard scoring pass to Limas Sweed in
the final minute of the first half. The Longhorns finally took the
lead midway through the third quarter on a 72-yard touchdown catch
from Jamaal Charles, but Iowa came back to retake the lead on a
23-yard Brodell catch. Texas answered on its next drive finishing a
long drive with a two-yard Selvin Young touchdown run. Iowa pulled
within two on a 38-yard field goal with 6:20 to play, but couldn't
get back in scoring range. Player of the game ... Texas QB Colt McCoy completed 26
of 40 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns Stat Leaders: Texas- Passing: Colt
McCoy, 26-40, 308 yds, 2 TD Rushing: Jamaal Charles, 4-26. Receiving:
Jermichael Finley, 8-46 Iowa - Passing:
Drew Tate, 15-25, 274 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Albert Young, 13-64, 1 TD Receiving:
Andy Brodell, 6-159, 2 TD Notes & Thoughts ... Texas might have beaten Iowa, but
the win shouldn't mask some major problems in the coaching and with
how the team performed. Despite all its talent, the running game
never got going finishing with a mere 70 yards, while the secondary
full of top NFL prospects gave up too many big plays. Iowa might
have been pumped up, but Texas should've won in a walk on speed and
athleticism alone. ... As this game proved, Colt McCoy was the most
valuable player in the Big 12. It's a completely different Longhorn
team with him at close to 100%. ... Where did Andy Brodell come
from? The Iowa receiver blew past the Texas secondary like it wasn't
even there. It's a shame Drew Tate wasn't healthy all season long.
He showed how good he could be when he's right. ... Even in a loss,
this was a good showing for the Big Ten. Texas was a national title
caliber team that almost got beat by an also-ran.
Nov. 18
Minnesota 34 ... Iowa 24
Minnesota broke open a tight game with a eight-yard touchdown
catch from Matt Spaeth and a 25-yard Amir Pinnix scoring run. Pinnix
started off the scoring with a ten-yard dash, and the passing game
came through with a 64-yard bomb to Ernie Wheelwright to give
the Gophers the lead for good. Iowa's Drew Tate threw for 354 yards
with a 50-yard touchdown pass to Andy Brodell and a three-yard pass
to Scott Chandler, but he threw three interceptions and was benched
for a period. The Hawkeyes outgained the Gophers 546 yards to 459,
but five turnovers did them in.
Player of the game ...
Minnesota RB Amir Pinnix ran for 119 yards and two touchdowns on 23
carries and had a pair of catches for 10 yards. Stat Leaders: Iowa - Passing: Drew Tate, 26-36,
354 yds, 2 TDs, 3 INTs Rushing: Albert Young, 25-133, 1 TD Receiving: Andy
Brodell, 7-159, 1 TD Minnesota - Passing: Bryan Cupito, 18-30, 267
yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Amir Pinnix, 23-119, 2 TDs Receiving: Logan
Payne, 7-64 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Ugh. A
three game losing streak and losses in five of the final six games
isn't the way Iowa pictured this season going. Missed plays and
dropped passes were the problem against Wisconsin last week, while
turnovers were the problem against Minnesota. Drew Tate suffered the
ultimate indignity of getting benched for a period, but he came back
with his best drive of the game. 2-6 in Big Ten play isn't going to
sit well this off-season no matter how the bowl game goes.
Nov. 11
Wisconsin 24 ... Iowa 21
Wisconsin's Tyler Donovan filled in for an injured John Stocco
and threw a thee-yard touchdown pass to Travis Beckum and a 42-yard
jump ball for a touchdown to Luke Swan for a 17-14 first half lead,
but it was a 97-yard drive in the fourth quarter culminating in a
one-yard P.J. Hill scoring run to get the points needed to put it
away. Iowa had its chances pulling within three on a 24-yard Trey
Stross touchdown catch, but two late drives stalled on dropped
passes on fourth down. Drew Tate threw three touchdowns passes
including two short scoring throws in the second quarter. Player of the game ... Wisconsin QB Tyler Donovan
completed 17 of 24 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns Stat Leaders: Iowa- Passing: Drew Tate,
10-31, 170 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT Rushing: Damien Sims, 7-53. Receiving:
Andy Brodell, 2-18 Wisconsin - Passing: Tyler Donovan,
17-24, 228 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: P.J. Hill, 28-77, 1 TD. Receiving: Travis Beckum,
8-70, 1 TD Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
The loss to Wisconsin summed up the
season. There were a few moments when Iowa looked like Iowa with big
plays, good execution, and nice stretches on both sides of the ball,
but there breakdowns on defense in key spots and worst of all, drops
on fourth downs late that would've kept drives alive. With four
losses in the last five games and a 2-5 Big Ten record, this was not
the season the Hawkeyes were planning for, and things could get a
whole lot worse if there isn't a sharp performance at Minnesota next
week. Drew Tate started to play like Drew Tate against Wisconsin,
and now he has to finish up by being even better.
Nov. 4
Northwestern 21 ... Iowa 7
Northwestern forced three turnovers with a big day from the
defense and a balanced performance from the offense getting a
five-yard Tyrell Sutton touchdown run in the first quarter, a
seven-yard scoring catch from Eric Peterman in the second, and a
34-yard Terrell Jordan touchdown run late in the fourth to put it
away. Iowa never got on track and had problems getting a big play
only scoring on a three-yard Damian Sims run in the third quarter.
Player of the game ... Northwestern RB Tyrell Sutton ran 28
times for 168 yards and a touchdown and caught five passes for 35
yards Stat Leaders: Iowa- Passing: Drew Tate,
18-27, 147 yds, 2 INT Rushing: Albert Young, 18-72. Receiving:
Dominique Douglas, 7-77 Northwestern - Passing: C.J. Bacher,
19-29, 218 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Tyrell Sutton, 28-168, 1 TD. Receiving:
Ross Lane, 5-52 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Disastrous. Absolutely disastrous. Iowa
has no business losing at home to lowly Northwestern as part of a
four-game Big Ten losing streak. There were too many mistakes, too
many defensive breakdowns, and not any big plays down the field as
the Wildcat defense let Drew Tate complete the short passes and then
came up with the pop. Now that any hope of going to a New Year's Day
game is gone, it's all about finishing strong needing to rebound in
a hurry to beat Wisconsin and turn things around. A nine-win season
is still possible.
Oct. 28
Iowa 24 ... Northern Illinois 14
Redshirt freshman Jake Christensen stepped in with Drew Tate
out and threw two touchdown passes to go along with a seven-yard
Albert Young scoring run to get by NIU. Down 17-0 going into the
fourth quarter, the Huskies wend on two long scoring drives with
Garrett Wolfe pounding it in from a yard out and getting a 25-yard
touchdown catch from Britt Davis, but the Hawkeyes went on an
80-yard drive of its own to answered with a ten-yard Scott Chandler
scoring catch. NIU's two final drives ended in turnovers.
Player of the game ... Iowa RB Albert Young ran 25 times for 124
yards and a touchdown and caught three passes for 23 yards. Stat Leaders: Iowa- Passing: Jake
Christensen, 19-30, 256 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT Rushing: Albert Young, 25-124, 1 TD. Receiving:
Scott Chandler, 5-63, 1 TD Northern Illinois - Passing: Phil
Horvath, 15-30, 123 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Garrett Wolfe, 22-66, 1 TD. Receiving:
Brandon Davis, 4-17 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Iowa
didn't quite come up with an explosive, complete performance against
Northern Illinois, but it showed it could win without Drew Tate at
the helm and got Jake Christensen, the future of the program, some
critical work. The linebackers did a great job of keeping Garrett
Wolfe in check, and now they'll need to keep up the pressure against
Northwestern's struggling spread offense. Now that bowl eligibility
is there, it's time to make a big push for a New Year's Day spot
over the last three weeks.
Oct. 21
Michigan 20 ... Iowa 6
Michigan's defense held Iowa to 41 rushing yards and two third
quarter Kyle Schlicher field goals while the offense got two Mike
Hart touchdown runs and two Garrett Rivas field goals. Shawn Crable
and LaMarr Woodley combined for five sacks as part of the consistent
pressure on Iowa QB Drew Tate. The Hawkeye defense kept Michigan's
offense in check only allowing 291 yards of total offense and forced
an interception. Player of the game ... Michigan's Shawn Crable and
LaMarr Woodley combined for six tackles, five sacks, and two forced
fumbles. Stat Leaders: Iowa- Passing: Drew Tate,
21-36, 197 yds Rushing: Damian Sims, 7-22. Receiving:
Dominique Douglas, 6-63 Michigan - Passing: Chad Henne, 23-33,
203 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Mike Hart, 31-126, 2 TD. Receiving: Adrian
Arrington, 8-79 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Iowa has proven to be merely average
over the last few weeks failing to make the next step up in overall
play, but the real problem has been Drew Tate. The senior hasn't
been able to use his experience and talent to carry the team and
make everyone around him better as one of the year's bigger
disappointments. While he hasn't been bad, he hasn't taken his game
to another level, and couldn't come up with any key plays to make
the loss to Michigan more of a battle. Granted, he was under a heavy
pass rush and didn't get much help from the running game, but a
quarterback of his caliber needs to be one of the best players on
the field, and he wasn't.
Oct. 14
Indiana 31 ... Iowa 28
Indiana stunned Iowa with three Kellen Lewis touchdown passes
to James Hardy with a 20-yard strike to finish off the scoring
midway through the fourth quarter. Iowa had chances including a late
drive getting to the Indiana 41, but got stopped on a Will Meyers
interception allowing the offense to run out the clock. Damian Sims
ran for two one-yard scoring runs for the Hawkeyes and got up 21-7
in the first half on a 25-yard Herb Grigsby touchdown run, but the
defense couldn't hold as the Hoosiers went on a 24-7 run over the
final 34 minutes starting with a two-yard Lewis scoring run.. Player of the game ... Indiana WR James Hardy caught
eight passes for 104 yards and three touchdowns. Stat Leaders: Indiana- Passing: Kellen
Lewis, 19-25, 255 yds, 3 TD Rushing: Demetrius McCray, 13-84. Receiving:
James Hardy, 8-104, 3 TD Iowa - Passing: Drew Tate, 23-40, 292 yds,
1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Damian Sims, 22-94, 2 TD. Receiving: Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Inexcusable. Did Iowa lack focus against Indiana with the big game
against Michigan coming up? Injuries have been an issue, but the
defense should've been far stronger against a Hoosier offense that
found a way to make every big play, and a defense that somehow held
up despite getting run on and thrown over all game long. There's no
reason the Hawkeyes should only score seven points over the final 39
minutes of the game against a defense this soft. If Iowa can't
handle the Hoosier D, what's it going to do against Michigan?
Oct. 7
Iowa 47 ... Purdue 17
Iowa ripped off 539 yards of total offense with all phases of
the attack working in the easy win. Damien Sims, who filled in for
an injured Albert Young, ran for two touchdowns and Drew Tate threw
two touchdown passes, while the defense held the Boilermaker offense
down early and finished off the scoring with a 98-yard interception
return for a score form Adam Shada. Purdue got an 18-yard Greg Orton
touchdown catch and a 16-yard Jaycen Taylor touchdown run in the
second half, but most of the yards and big plays came in the second
half when the game was out of reach. Player of the game ... Iowa safety Miguel Merrick made
14 tackles and broke up a pass. Stat Leaders: Iowa- Passing: Drew Tate,
17-23, 253 yds, 2 TD Rushing: Damian Sims, 20-155, 2 TD. Receiving:
Dominique Douglas, 4-90 Purdue - Passing: Curtis Painter, 22-46,
249 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Kory Sheets, 14-73. Receiving: Dorien
Bryant, 6-96 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Iowa got over the Ohio State loss in a
big hurry with a hot start against Purdue to end any thoughts of
this being a letdown week. Drew Tate was efficient and effective and
Damian Sims was fantastic in place of Albert Young. Purdue's offense
has been fantastic, but it didn't get rolling until the second half.
As long as Tate plays like he did against the Boilermakers and as
long as the defense can keep getting off to solid starts, Iowa has a
shot to run the table. This win will look better and better as the
year goes on.
Sept. 30
Ohio State 38 ... Iowa 17
Ohio State took the raucous Iowa crowd out of the game early
with a 12-yard touchdown catch from Anthony Gonzalez 2:24 into the
game, and stayed ahead the rest of the way. Troy Smith threw four
touchdown passes and Gonzalez scored again on a brilliant, weaving
30-yard touchdown catch. Iowa got a four-yard touchdown catch from
Andy Brodell and a 15-yard touchdown run from Albert Young, but the
Buckeyes always stayed one step ahead turning a Marcus Freeman
interception of Drew Tate into a 12-yard touchdown pass to Brian
Robiskie. Player of the game ... Ohio State QB Troy Smith
completed 16 of 25 passes for 186 yards and four touchdowns
and ran seven times for 20 yards Stat Leaders: Iowa- Passing: Drew Tate,
19-41, 249 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT Rushing: Albert Young, 11-48, 1 TD. Receiving:
Scott Chandler, 6-87 Ohio State - Passing: Troy Smith, 16-25,
186 yds, 4 TD
Rushing: Antonio Pittman, 25-117, 1 TD. Receiving:
Ted Ginn, 7-69 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Iowa needed a perfect performance from
its veteran leader, Drew Tate, to get by Ohio State, but he wasn't
sharp. Was he pressing too much, or did he simply have problems with
the Ohio State defense? A little of both. The Hawkeyes appeared to
abandon the run a little too early putting the game in Tate's hands.
It sort of worked since there were chances in the second half to
make a big comeback, but time after time the Buckeyes came through.
There's no shame in losing to the number one team in the country,
but now the key will be to get the focus back in a hurry and now
blow a winnable home game against Purdue. The secondary had better
be far tighter next week.
Sept. 23
Iowa 24 ... Illinois 7
Iowa exploded for 21 points in just over four minutes late in
the second half with a one-yard Damian Sims touchdown run, and a
six-yard scoring dash from Albert Means, and a 35-yard scoring pass
to Tony Moeaki. The Hawkeye offense sputtered a bit in the second
half, but got up 24-0 on a 45-yard Kyle Schlicher field goal. Juice
Williams threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Willis midway
through the fourth. Player of the game ... Iowa RB Albert Young ran 14
times for 57 yards and a touchdown and caught six passes for 40
yards. Stat Leaders: Iowa- Passing: Drew Tate,
17-27, 190 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing: Albert Young, 14-57, 1 TD. Receiving:
Albert Young, 6-40 Illinois - Passing: Juice Williams, 9-32,
161 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Pierre Thomas, 11-50. Receiving: Jacob
Willis, 3-78, 1 TD Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Iowa went through the motions against
Illinois and won with ease, but there has to be some concern over
how many yards the D allowed to an anemic offense. Granted, Iowa
came up with four interceptions, but the third down defense wasn't
all that tight and there wasn't nearly enough offense in the second
half. The Hawkeyes might be 4-0, but they're not playing nearly well
enough to beat Ohio State next week. Maybe the team is waiting to
turn it on? As long as Drew Tate is efficient, Iowa has a shot.
Sept. 16
Iowa 27 ... Iowa State 17
Iowa bounced back from a 14-3 deficit with three Drew Tate
touchdown passes including a 19-yard play to Tony Moeaki and a
two-yard loft to Tom Busch as part of a 17-0 second half run. Iowa
State's offense was solid early with Bret Meyer throwing an
eight-yard scoring pass to Todd Blythe and running for a nine-yard
score, but the Hawkeyes put the clamps down in the second half only
allowing a 32-yard Bret Culbertson field goal. Player of the game ... Iowa QB Drew Tate completed 26
of 38 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns with an interception Stat Leaders: Iowa- Passing: Drew Tate,
26-38, 274 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Albert Young, 18-57. Receiving:
Dominique Douglas, 6-88 Iowa State - Passing: Bret Meyer, 15-31,
152 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Stevie Hicks, 15-74, 1 TD Receiving: Todd
Blythe, 4-45, 1 TD Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
What a difference Drew Tate makes. Tate
is the attitude for the offense and the obvious leader making all
the big plays when the team needs them the most. Iowa State looked
great early and appeared on its way to yet another win in the
rivalry, but Tate spread the ball around well, made a few big
throws, and came up with the plays his counterpart, Bret Meyer,
didn't. It would've been nice if Albert Young and the running game
did a bit more. it will at Illinois next week.
Sept. 9
Iowa 20 ... Syracuse 13 2OT
Iowa stopped Syracuse seven times from the two-yard line to
preserve an overtime win. Without QB Drew Tate, who didn't play with
an abdominal injury, the Iowa offense sputtered all game long with
Jason Manson throwing four interceptions and only one touchdown pass
to Scott Chandler. The game went into overtime tied at ten after Pat
Shadle nailed a 41-yard field goal as time ran out following a pass
interference call. After a dropped pass in the end zone led to a
Shadle 19-yard field goal, Iowa's Kyle Schlicher answered with a
26-yard strike. Albert Young scored from one yard out on Iowa's
second OT possession, and it looked like the Orange would have no
problems tying it up after a pass interference call got it down to
the two, and another pass interference penalty gave SU four more
downs. SU's Tony Fiammetta was stuffed on first and second down, and
Perry Patterson was stuffed on a quarterback sneak on third down.
After a timeout, SU tried a tricky running play that went nowhere
with Pat Chiara getting stuffed by Iowa's Ken Iwebema. Player of the game ... The entire Iowa defensive line
for the seven stops from inside the two to hold on in overtime for
the win. Stat Leaders: Syracuse- Passing: Perry
Patterson, 19-32, 186 yds, 1 TD Rushing: Curtis Brinkley, 11-53. Receiving:
Taj Smith, 5-61 Iowa - Passing: Jason Manson, 14-28, 178
yds, 1 TD, 4 INT
Rushing: Albert Young, 14-58, 1 TD. Receiving:
Scott Chandler, 6-65 Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Does Drew Tate really mean that much to
Iowa? Apparently so. Jason Manson simply didn't appear to be ready
to handle the work against Syracuse, but he still walked out with a
win thanks to a goal line stand for the ages. Iowa fans will be
talking about the final sequence as long they play football in Iowa
City; it was simply that impressive. To beat Iowa State next week,
Tate has to be healthy, or else Manson has to stop turning the ball
over. Albert Young won't get any room to move if defenses can
continue to load up against the run.
Sept. 2
Iowa 41 ... Montana 7
Iowa outrushed Montana 166 yards to ten with Albert Young
leading the way with a five-yard touchdown dash along with a
five-yard scoring catch. Drew Tate threw short three touchdown
passes and Austin Signor connected on field goals from 41 and 35
yards out. Montana only managed a seven-yard Eric Allen touchdown
grab early in the third quarter. Player of the game ... Iowa RB Albert Young ran 19
times for 93 yards and a touchdown and led the Hawkeyes with 55
yards and a touchdown on four catches. Stat Leaders: Montana- Passing: Josh
Swogger, 16-28, 123 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT Rushing: Greg Coleman, 12-13. Receiving:
Eric Allen, 6-63, 1 TD Iowa - Passing: Drew Tate, 15-28, 223 yds,
3 TD
Rushing: Albert Young, 19-93, 1 TD. Receiving:
Albert Young, 4-55, 1 TD Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Iowa
might not have been as explosive against Montana as it usually is in
opening games against Inferior teams, but it was a good game to get
the new receivers involved and the new starting linebackers were
solid against the run. Outside of an Albert Young fumble that led to
the lone Montana score, this was a nearly flawless performance
considering so many key new starters needed to get their feet wet in
the opening game of the year.
Some day, Iowa will have all the pieces put together on day one and
then it'll really be time for the rest of the Big Ten to worry.
Every year, some preseason publication declares that it's the year
Kirk Ferentz's team will finally win an outright Big Ten title and
become the type of superpower that causes other teams to tremble.
Ohio State gets the blood boiling. The Michigan game always gets
circled on the calendar. Penn State, even during the down days, was
a big date that got everyone fired up. Iowa, even after four
straight January bowl appearances, just barely gets the blood
pressure up.
And why is that?
Maybe it's because the team is always out of the national
title hunt before the the leaves change colors.
It hasn't been just that Iowa always loses
at least one early game to tumble out of the title race, it's that
national fans can cross off the Hawkeyes after crushing losses like the
23-3 gaffe to Iowa State last year and the 44-7 blasting by Arizona
State in 2004. Worse yet, Iowa has lost it's last three Big Ten openers.
On the plus side, Ferentz and his staff has the team humming as the
season goes on.
While it's always important to get off to a hot start, it's more
important to be good in November, and that's where Iowa has succeeded
going 9-2 over the last four ears in the most crucial of months. This
year's team has just enough holes to fill that it might continue to
follow the pattern and have a few problems early on before rocking and
rolling late.
The offense will have few problems moving the ball with Drew Tate back
to lead the attack for a third straight season and tailback Albert Young
a burgeoning superstar running behind a talented, veteran line. The
hole? The receiving corps. It's very fast and should be great by the end
of the year, but it'll need time to develop.
The defense has the same issues. The defensive line that was a concern
last season will be one of the Big Ten's best this year, but the
linebacking corps won't be nearly as good and will need a few games to
get rolling. The safeties are excellent, but the corners are green. All
the problems on both sides of the ball aren't that big a deal and will
all be fine; it's just going to take a few games. By that time, Iowa
could be out of the hunt yet again.
So Iowa isn't going to win the national title. Would another January
bowl game be so bad? With this schedule, it might be because ...
The Schedule: It's
almost all that any Big Ten team could reasonably ask for. It's
light enough for Iowa to get that time to jell playing Montana, at
Syracuse, Iowa State, and at Illinois before dealing with Ohio State
in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes catch a huge break not having to play
Penn State, and not facing Michigan State this season isn't a bad
thing. If you believe that the battle for the Floyd of Rosedale
trophy at Minnesota will be like an Iowa home game, then the only
road game on the slate to worry about is at Michigan. Win that, and
get by the Buckeyes at home, and an unbeaten season is very likely.
Best
Offensive Player: Senior QB Drew Tate.
One of the Big Ten's toughest quarterbacks, Tate is also starting to
grow into one of the smartest with improved accuracy and
decision-making abilities. He might not always be the prettiest
quarterback, but he always seems to find a way to get the job done.
Best
Defensive Player: Junior DE Ken Iwebema. He turned into a flash of
a pass rusher last year and should be even more dangerous this
season with the rest of the front four good enough to take the heat
off. Fine, so offenses will gameplan to stop Iwebema. That means
Bryan Mattison will make plays at the other end, or quick tackles
Matt Kroul and Mitch King will fly up the middle.
Key
player to a successful season: Senior WR Calvin Davis. Herb
Grigsby should be a reliable target on one side, and Scott Chandler
will lead a strong group of tight ends, but it's Davis who has to
shine at split end and become the consistent deep threat who opens
things up for the rest of the offense.
The
season will be a success if ... Iowa wins 11 games and comes up
with at least a share of the Big Ten title. The Hawkeyes will be
favored in every conference game but two (at Michigan and home
against Ohio State). If this really is a Big Ten
championship-caliber team, it splits the the two nasty games and
beats everyone else.
Key
game: Sept. 30 vs. Ohio State. It'll take an upset for Iowa to
lose at home to Purdue, Northwestern or Wisconsin and on the road
against Illinois, Indiana and Minnesota. A win in Kinnick Stadium
over the Buckeyes would likely mean it's a one game season (October
21st at Michigan) for the title.
2005
Fun Stats:
- First quarter scoring: Iowa 119 - Opponents 37
- Field goals in eight Big Ten games: Iowa 14 of 17 - Opponents 4 of
9
- Time of possession: Opponents 32:27 - Iowa 27:33
The Last Time Iowa…
…played in a bowl game…2005 (Outback Bowl vs. Florida)
…missed a bowl game…2000
…pitched a shutout…2005 (Ball State)
…was shutout…2000 (Illinois)
…scored 50 points…2005 (Minnesota)
…went undefeated…1922
…won a conference title…2004 (share, Big Ten)
…had a 3,000-yard passer…1988 (Chuck Hartlieb)
…had a 1,000-yard rusher…2005 (Albert Young)
…had a 1,000-yard receiver…2000 (Kevin Kasper)
…had a first-round draft choice…2006 (LB Chad Greenway)
