A Trip Down Memory Lane

With Arizona State on the horizon, it’s time for another Trip Down Memory Lane. Since we don’t have much of a history with Arizona State, I’m pulling out an old program I recently purchased.

In 1957, the Hawkeyes were flying high after a 1956 campaign that saw Iowa finish 9-1. That Hawkeye club finished a storybook season with a 35-19 thrashing of Oregon State in the Rose Bowl.

The 1957 club would be breaking in a new quarterback as All-American/Big Ten MVP Kenny Ploen had graduated along with all Big Ten players Frank Gilliam and Donald Suchy.

Coach Forest Evashevski’s cupboard was not bare though with All-American lineman Alex Karras returning along with wide outs Jim Gibbons and Don Norton, guard Bob Commings, and junior quarterback Randy Duncan.

The 1957 season opener was played September 28th at Iowa Stadium against the Utah State Aggies of the Skyline Conference. Utah State was coming off of a 6-4, third place finish and the Aggies opened with a 26-12 win over Hawaii.

This Hawkeye team was not the Rainbow Warriors though and this game was over before both teams boarded their team buses bound for Iowa Stadium as the Hawkeyes rolled to a 70-14 win. Randy Duncan showed that the QB position was in capable hands tossing three early TD passes. Duncan hit Jim Gibbons for a 44 yard TD, minutes later he followed that pass with another long one (47 yards) to Don Norton and he ended the string with an 80 yarder to sophomore Geno Sessi.

Sessi, who was listed as a third string left half back in the program, only got three touches but he scored touchdowns on all three for a pretty efficient day. In fact, it was a very efficient day all around for the Hawks as they hit the Aggies with a then record 648 yards total offense.

The 1957 Hawkeyes would demonstrate that the 9-1 record achieved by the ’56 squad was not a flash in the pan, but an indicator of things to come under Coach Evy.

The two deeps this time will look different as this was the era of one-platoon football so please keep that in mind. Below the depth chart is gallery of photo features from the 1957 program.

LE - Jim Gibbons 6-3, 198, Curt Merz 6-4. 222

LT - Alex Karras 6-2, 229, Dick Theer 6-2, 200

LG - Frank Bloomquist 6-2, 206, Don Bowen 6-2, 203

C - Mac Lewis 6-6, 289, Bill Lapham 6-3, 230

RG - Bob Commings 5-9, 174, Hugh Drake 6-0, 188

RT - Dick Klein 6-4, 251, Frank Rigney 6-4, 230

RE - Don Norton 6-1, 169, Bob Prescott 6-3, 192

QB - Randy Duncan 6-0, 175, Gene Veit 5-11, 179

LHB - Bill Gravel 5-8, 173, Kevin Furlong 5-9, 164

RHB - C. (Mike) Hagler 5-9, 165, Bill Happel 5-11, 163

FB - John Nocera 6-1, 194, Fred Harris 6-1, 192.