A trip down memory lane
Minnesota at Iowa
November 19, 1983
Iowa football was in the infancy of its turnaround under head coach Hayden Fry. The 1981 season was the legendary run to the Rose Bowl.
Then 1982 saw freshman Chuck Long lead the Hawkeyes to the Peach Bowl.
What would the destination for the 1983 Hawks be? The 1983-84 college bowl schedule was barren (16 bowls) compared to the bloated bowl schedule of today. It appeared to be the Gator Bowl against the Florida Gators, but Iowa had to over come one last obstacle in long time conference rival, Minnesota.
The Gophers had fallen on hard times. Actually, "fallen" doesn't adequately describe what happened to Minnesota. Coach Joe Salem's squad had plummeted.
The Golden Gophers had lost their last 16 Big Ten games. A record of Lauteburian proportions.
Iowa on the other hand came in smoking hot. The 11th ranked Hawkeyes had an 8-2 record. The only losses were a 33-0 blowout at Illinois and a 16-13 loss at the Big House.
Things were not all rosy in the House of Hawkeye. Quarterback Chuck Long was walking around campus on crutches. He had suffered an ankle injury in the win over Michigan State the previous week. Fry stated at his weekly press conference that Tom Grogan or Cornelius Robertson would be the likely game day starter.
Usually that news would be the biggest topic coming out of a press conference, but not this week.
Three weeks before Iowa had waxed Indiana 49-3. The last score though was a source of controversy. Robertson, the third string quarterback, had thrown for the last score with less than a minute to go.
Hoosier coach Sam Wyche was enraged and held his post game meeting with his team in the end zone. Local sports reporter, Howard James of KGAN-TV was enraged, too.
He took Iowa, and Fry particularly, to task on a local newscast.
The dust had not settled as a prickly Fry held a 14 minute presser. He was not happy with being called out by a newsman.
Coach Fry was also at odds with the University administration over a hoped for indoor practice facility. The money appeared to be there, but University officials were non-committal on a location. Fry even implied that he might walk if Iowa didn't act seriously about raising a competitive program.
The end of the season drama would have to wait though. A bronze pig was coming to town. The Gophers might be 1-9, but this was still a rivalry game and anything was possible.
A Kinnick Stadium record crowd of 66,160 turned out to honor its seniors.
Iowa won the toss and took the ball first. After the kick sailed into the end zone, Iowa trotted out with Tom Grogan at the helm. Grogan was a doubtful starter this day. He had been bothered by back spasms all week and it looked like third stringer Robertson would get the nod. The long time backup from Kansas City was the answer to a trivia question. Name a player who played on a Rose Bowl and a Final Four team.
On the first play Grogan pitched to half back Eddie Phillips who swept right before seeing a seam to his left. One cut and Phillips was in the open for a game opening 80-yard touchdown run.
On the next drive Grogan mixed the run with some pinpoint passing. Minnesota held but Iowa still got a Tom Nichol field goal for the 10-0 lead.
Iowa again held the Gophers and this time a 26-yard reverse by flanker Ronnie Harmon and a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty on Minnesota put the Hawks on the Gopher nine-yard line. From there Phillips blew through for a score, 17-0.
Nichol added another short field goal to start the second quarter to make it 20-0.
Owen Gill was next on the TD parade as the Baby Bull took a pitch at the 41, broke a tackle at the 31 and drug a Gopher safety from the ten to pay dirt. 27-0.
After a short Minnesota punt was returned 29 yards by Robert Smith to the Gopher 25, Corny Robertson got in for a series. He promptly found Harmon for a juggling catch and a 34-0 half time lead.
Minnesota found its legs at the start of the second half with a 68-yard TD pass.
Iowa answered with a long drive. Then, with the ball on the Gopher 22, Ronnie Harmon was given the ball on a reverse. The play was designed to be a half back pass, but Harmon juked his way into the end zone and Iowa's lead grew to 41-7.
A ten play drive early in the fourth culminated with Phillips' third score of the day, this one from one yard out. 48-7.
Minnesota added a field goal which made the game 48-10, but Iowa still not done.
Fullback Norm Granger showed why he was one of the most explosive fullbacks of the Fry era when he flew 65 yards for another Iowa touchdown, 55-10.
You might think that Iowa was done, but their fourth string running back got into the act. Actually the number four back was wide out Harmon, who hoped to played tailback in 1984. Harmon skittered 11 yards for the final score. A tired Nichols missed the extra point and Iowa brought home the bacon in style, 61-10.
Phillips ran for 172 yards on 17 carries. He also became Iowa's career rushing leader with 2,144 yards
Gill, (9-104) and Granger (9-123) joined the 100 yard rushers club as Iowa plowed for 511 yards on the ground.
A fitting bit of revenge over the Gophers who handed Fry's Rose Bowl team a Big Ten loss at Kinnick in 1981.
Iowa impressed the folks at the Gator Bowl who officially extended the offer to Iowa. Up from Florida to scout the Hawkeyes was a young assistant coach, Mike Shanahan.
In a side note, I read in the Gazette that the George Raveling era was beginning that weekend with a home tilt against the Italian National Team. Iowa's starting five was Mike Payne, Craig Anderson, Greg Stokes, Steve Carfino, and Andre Banks.
Coach Raveling had also started his first recruiting class, getting LOI's from Al Lorenzen, Jeff Moe, and Clarence "Bill" Jones.
I added an Atari ad since I know many Hawk fans are video gamers. This is what folks did in the stone ages.
Finally, for my buddy Bill H, cheers and poms. Enjoy.
Iowa's two deeps:
SE - Moritz 6-0 185, Happel 6-0 185
LT - Alt 6-7 275, Croston 6-6 265
LG - Hanna 6-3 265, Bailey 62- 250
C - Joel Hilgenberg 6-3 250, Sindlinger 6-2 235
RG - Roehlk 6-2 265, Carroll 6-2 250
RT - Levelis 6-5 280, Mike Haight 6-3 250
TE - Mike Hufford 6-3 245, Hayes 6-5 225
QB - Grogan 6-3 200, Robertson 5-10 190
RB - Phillips 6-1 215, Gill 6-2 220
FB - Granger 5-11 220, Buggs 6-0 215
WB - Harmon 6-0 195, Broghamer 5-11 185
LE - Wancket 6-3 225, Gear 6-1 215
LT - Paul Hufford 6-3 260, Drost 6-5 260
NG - Peterson 6-2 250, Vrieze 6-4 240
RT - Little 6-4 250, Schuster 6-5 255
RE - Hooks 6-3 232, Boddicker 6-5 230
LB - Spitzig 6-3 225, Yacullo 6-2 227
LB - Station 6-1 230, Davis 6-2 225
CB - Hunter 6-0 195, Sims 5-10 180
SS - Mike Stoops 6-2 185, Hartman 6-1 185
FS - Mitchell 6-2 185, Hawley 5-11 90
CB - Creer 6-1 185, Corbin 6-2 195.
This week's photo feature:
