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football Edit

A trip down memory lane

Wisconsin at Iowa
October 14, 1950
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The year 1950 marked a new era in Iowa football.
The Leonard Raffensperger era.
In 1949 Holy Cross succeeded in luring Eddie Anderson back to Worcester, Massachusetts as its new head football coach. The board in control of athletics wanted an Iowa man in charge and they looked at several ex-Hawkeyes including Coe football coach Moray Eby. In the end they hired the man in charge of their freshman football program, Leonard Raffensperger.
Prior to coming to Iowa, Raff had been a successful prep coach in Iowa at Reinbeck and East Waterloo.
Iowa opened up the right way upsetting a ranked USC team in Los Angeles. But a 20-7 loss at Indiana brought the Hawkeyes back to earth.
The first home game of the season would feature Coach Ivan Williamson and his Wisconsin Badgers. The two teams had split the last four games in the series with Iowa on the wrong end of a 35-13 thumping in Madison the previous year.
While Iowa was 1-1, Wisconsin had won over Marquette and Illinois to come in at 2-0. Iowa featured a stout ground game while Wisconsin featured an aerial attack. Newspaper accounts say that both teams were working on improving the other part of their offense coming into this game. One other note is that Wisconsin played almost entirely two platoon football while Iowa played single platoon except for its backfield.
A crowd of 46,333 showed up for the opener at Iowa Stadium. A beautiful 72 degree day helped draw the largest opening day crowd in Iowa Stadium history.
Unfortunately, the Hawks were stymied by the Badger defense, in particular safety Ed Withers.
In the first period Withers plucked a wobbly pass by Iowa's Glenn Drahn out of the air and weaved 30 yards for the first score of the game. Neither team could mount an offense, rarely passing midfield until Withers snatched a Fred Ruck pass for his third interception of the day. The 42-yard return gave Bucky the ball at Iowa's 36. A few short plays later Wisconsin added its second touchdown of the day and Wisconsin owned a commanding 14-0 lead.
Withers had one last big play in him. Mike Riley caught a screen pass at the Iowa 23 and started up field for what looked like a sure touchdown, but Withers (that man again) came flying up from Riley's blind spot and brought him down at the Badgers 25. That would be Iowa's deepest penetration of the day as the Badger defense stiffened and Iowa couldn't score, suffering its first shutout since 1948.
For the day Wisconsin picked off five Iowa passes and actually had almost as many yards in returns (106) as they had rushing (111).
Iowa out gained the visitors 256-155 but seldom did they get past midfield.
Fullback Bill Reichardt led all runners with 104 yards on 18 totes.
Iowa would finish the season 3-5-1 with a devastating 83-21 loss to Ohio State. That's not a misprint. OSU actually led 35-0 at the end of the first quarter.
The Hawkeyes did gain something important that season.
Iowan Meredith Wilson penned the Iowa Fight Song and gave the rights to the University.
Iowa's two deeps:
Offense
LE - Jerry Long 6-2 200, Dick Swartzendruber 6- 215
LT - Hubert Johnston 6-6 240, Donald Woodhouse 5-20 240
LG - Austin Turner 6-1 205, Robert Lage 5-10 190
C - John Towner 5-11 200, Ronald Petersen 6-3 192
RG - Louis Ginsberg 5-11 195, "Junebug" Perrin 5-7 200
RT - Andrew Buntz 6-2 205, Harold Bradley 6-2 215
RE - Robert Hoff 6-0 190, David DeProspero 6-5 220
QB - Glenn Drahn 6-0 185, Fred Ruck, Jr. 6-1 190
LH - Donald Commack 5-9 165, Donald Fryauf 5-11 185
RH - Jerold Faske 5-9 185, William Greene 5-10 170
FB - Bill Reichardt 5-11 200, Donald "Mike" Riley 6-1 210
Defense
LE - Jerry Long 6-2 200, Dick Swartzendruber 6- 215
LT - Hubert Johnston 6-6 240, Donald Woodhouse 5-20 240
LG - "Junebug" Perrin 5-7 200, Robert Lage 5-10 190
RG - Louis Ginsberg 5-11 195, Austin Turner 6-1 205
RT - Harold Bradley 6-2 215, Andrew Buntz 6-2 205
RE - Robert Hoff 6-0 190, David DeProspero 6-5 220
LLB - John Towner 5-11 200, Joseph Paulsen 6-0 195
RLB - Charles Denning 5-11 190, Donald "Mike" Riley 6-1 210
LH - William Greene 5-10 170, Bernard Bennett 5-10 175
RH - Duane Brandt 6-0 195, Joseph Bristol 5-11 185
S - Burt Brinzmann 5-11 168
This week's photo feature:
Coach Leonard Raffensperger
Iowa Coaching Staff
Athletic Director Paul Brechler
Iowa Players #1
Iowa Players #2
Iowa Players #3
Iowa Players #4
Iowa Players #5
Iowa Players #6
Iowa Stadium
Glenn Drahn Feature
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