A Trip Down Memory Lane
Featured programs this week are from September 13, 1975 and October 30, 1982.
September 13, 1975
Back in the day, the Hawkeyes would often lead off the season with a conference game. In 1975, it was Bob Blackman’s Fighting Illini.
During my time at Iowa, there was no doubt which game the students got up for. It wasn’t Iowa State, nor Minnesota and certainly not Wisconsin. It was Illinois. With a significant number of students from the Chicagoland area, this was a big game for the students. Even if both teams were not that good.
The 1974 Hawkeyes had led the nation in pass defense, of course no one had to pass on the '74 Hawks as they could run at will. Still Bob Commings' Hawks were looking forward to the start of the 1975 season. They returned 40+ lettermen and 15 starters including a pair of lineman, Rod Walters and Joe Devlin, that would end the season as All-Americans. Also included was a future Hawkeye assistant coach, Bobby Elliott, a Hilgenberg (Jim) at center, a future NCAA coach, Jim Caldwell (Wake Forest), and a Hufford (Joe).
Of course, it was another typical pre-Fry Iowa season, with high hopes dashed quickly. The Hawks hadn’t won a football opener since 1968, and the Illini weren’t interested in ending that streak as the Hawkeyes went down in a 27-12 defeat.
That loss would be one of five straight to open the 1975 campaign as the Hawks stumbled to a 3-8 (3-5) record.
Iowa would halt a 16 game road losing streak in 1975 as they beat Indiana 20-10. All in all, it was another disappointing autumn in Iowa City.
October 30, 1982
I can’t let this column end on a down note though, so I’ve added a second program to this week’s installment - the October 30, 1982 program.
The 1982 Hawks struggled out of the gate as they tried to find a replacement for Rose Bowl QB Gordy Bohannon. Losses to Nebraska and Iowa State started the season off, before the Hawks rallied in the desert to beat Arizona 17-14. The Arizona game also settled a brewing quarterback controversy as Chuck Long took the reins back from Tom Grogan.
Long kept the Hawks rolling through the Big Ten season winning against Northwestern, Indiana and Minnesota with only a 29-7 loss to Michigan. The Hawks were a strong running team coming into the Illinois game. They were led in rushing after seven games by Eddie Phillips with 572 yards on 4.9 per carry. Also, Norm Granger had run for 267 yards on 6.2 per carry and Owen Gill had gained 255 yards with a 5.5 yard average.
Coach Mike White’s Illinois team was led by Champaign Tony Eason (trivia: what famous 1960’s athlete was also nicknamed Champagne Tony?). They came into Iowa City with a 6-2 record.
I remember Eddie Phillips had a big day for the good guys rushing for 158 yards and a big play late in the game. In fact the game was chock full of “big” plays by the Hawks.
Halfback passes by Phillips and J.C. Love-Jordan and a fake field goal first down run by holder Tommy Grogan, as Hayden was clearly pulling out the “exotics” for this one. Two of the biggest plays were saved for late in the game.
The first was by Eddie Phillips who took a third and 29 handoff from Chuck Long and ran 30 yards for the first down with only two to three minutes left in the game.
After Iowa’s drive stalled just inside Illinois territory, Tom Nichol was called upon to pooch kick and he hit maybe the best pooch kick in Iowa history, rolling the ball out of bounds inside the Illinois one yard line. Eason went four and out, the students stormed the field and the Hawks had a 14-13 upset
The 1982 Hawks would end the season with Iowa’s first post-season win since the 1959 Rose Bowl as they defeated Johnny Major’s Tennessee Volunteers 28-22 in the Peach Bowl.
Listed below are several uploaded features from each game program, including the two deeps from both 1975 and 1982 at the very bottom along with heights and weights.
1975 Iowa Two Deeps
OFFENSE
TE - Yocum 6-2, 230, Grine 6-1, 218
LT - Walters 6-4, 256, Leonard 6-3, 270
LG - Devlin 6-5, 277, Boettner 6-2, 232
C - Hilgenberg 6-2, 218, Mayer6-1, 220
RG - Butler 6-3, 251, Davis 6-2, 240
RT - Ladick 6-2, 240, Klimczak 6-4, 250
SE - Schultz 5-11, 175, Paulson 6-1, 192
QB - McLaughlin 6-1, 203, B. Caldwell 6-0, 201
LH - Jensen 6-5, 233, Schick 6-0, 195
RH - Donovan 6-1, 188, Wellington 6-1, 218
FB - Fetter 6-0, 207, Holmes 6-1, 236
DEFENSE
LDE - Phillips 6-5, 232, Moore 6-2, 197
LDT - Marsh 6-6, 256, Dye 6-5, 246
NG - Bryant 6-0, 230, Trocano 6-0, 223
RDT - Peiffer 6-6, 260, Benschoter 6-2, 244
RDE - Wagner 6-2, 209, Washington 6-6, 230
LLB - Jackson 6-1, 240, Feuerbach 6-0, 230
RLB - Campbell 5-10, 199, Armington 6-2, 217
LC - Elliott 5-10, 175, J. Caldwell 5-11, 182
LS - Burks 6-0, 200, Sodergren 6-1 190 (Hey to Chuck if you’re out there)
RS - Penney 6-0, 188, Elliott (see above)
RC - Stech 6-0, 184, Walker 6-1, 189
1982 Iowa Two Deeps
OFFENSE
SE - Moritz 6-0, 180, Happel 6-0 180
LT - Alt 6-7, 275, Peiffer 6-7, 275 (from Keota same as the Peiffer on the 75 team)
LG - Levelis 6-5, 280, Banks 6-3, 250
C - Hilgenberg 6-3, 240, Bailey 6-2, 250
RG - Gerleman 6-4,255, Roehlk 6-2, 255.
RT - Miller 6-7, 275, Hanna 6-3, 255
TE - Hufford 6-3, 245, O’Brien 6-2, 240
QB - Long 6-4, 185, Grogan 6-3, 190
RB - Phillips 6-1, 202, Gill 6-2, 212
FB - Granger 5-11, 215, Buggs 6-0, 200
WB - Harmon 6-0, 182, Love-Jordan 5-11, 180
DEFENSE
LE - Wancket 6-3, 220, Gear 6-1, 200
LT - Bortz 6-6, 265, P. Hufford 6-3, 255
NG - Browne 6-1, 260, Peterson 6-2, 250.
RT - Ulenhake 6-3, 265, Little 6-4, 235
RE - Strobel 6-4, 235, Hooks 6-3, 225
LB - Erb 6-2 225, Hedgeman 6-4, 188
LB - Station 6-1, 230, Jon Hayes 6-5, 225
LC - Hunter 6-0, 190, Mitchell 6-2, 175
SS - B. Stoops 6-0, 180, Chambers 6-3, 190
FS - Hawley 5-11, 180, Jackson 6-1, 180
RC - Creer 6-1 172, Corbin 6-2, 195.