1985 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
The 1985 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa in the 1985 Big Ten Conference football season. The team was coached by Hayden Fry and played their home games at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.
1985 Iowa Hawkeyes football | |
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Big Ten champion | |
Conference | Big Ten Conference |
Ranking | |
Coaches | No. 9 |
AP | No. 10 |
1985 record | 10–2 (7–1 Big Ten) |
Head coach | Hayden Fry (7th season) |
Offensive coordinator | Bill Snyder (7th season) |
Defensive coordinator | Bill Brashier (7th season) |
MVP | 13[1]
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Captain | Mike Haight Ronnie Harmon Chuck Long Hap Peterson Larry Station [2] |
Home stadium | Kinnick Stadium (Capacity: 67,700) |
1985 Big Ten Conference football standings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 10 Iowa $ | 7 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 10 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 2 Michigan | 6 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 10 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Illinois | 5 | – | 2 | – | 1 | 6 | – | 5 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 14 Ohio State | 5 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Michigan State | 5 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Minnesota | 4 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Purdue | 3 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wisconsin | 2 | – | 6 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Indiana | 1 | – | 7 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Northwestern | 1 | – | 7 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Season
Chuck Long declared that he would return for his senior season. He became an instant Heisman Trophy candidate, and Iowa was a preseason top five team. After three weeks in 1985, the Hawkeyes ascended to #1 in the national rankings for the second time in team history (1960).
Three weeks later, in the sixth game of the season, #1 Iowa faced #2 Michigan in Kinnick Stadium. Iowa trailed 10-9 as the Hawkeyes regained possession of the football at their own 22-yard line with just 5:27 remaining in the game. Long drove the Iowa team to the 12-yard line with two seconds remaining to set up kicker Rob Houghtlin's game-winning field goal as time expired. After a rout of Northwestern, the Hawkeyes were upset by the #8 Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus.
The loss to Ohio State cost Iowa their #1 ranking, but the Hawkeyes still won the Big Ten title outright for the first time in 27 years.[3] Chuck Long won many major national awards as a senior, including the 1985 Maxwell Award, given to the nation's top player and the Davey O'Brien Award, given to the nation's top quarterback. He was the Big Ten Player of the Year and a consensus first team All-American. Finally, Chuck Long was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy to Bo Jackson of Auburn in what used to be the closest margin in Heisman history, losing by just 45 points.
Iowa lost in Chuck Long's final game in the 1986 Rose Bowl. Long's Iowa teams compiled a 35-13-1 record. He graduated with 10,461 passing yards and 74 touchdowns on 782 completions.
Schedule
Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
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September 14 | Drake* | No. 5 | W 58–0 | 66,135 | ||
September 21 | Northern Illinois* | No. 4 |
| W 48–20 | 66,014 | |
September 28 | at Iowa State* | No. 3 |
| ABC | W 57–3 | 53,202 |
October 5 | Michigan State | No. 1 |
| CBS | W 35–31 | 66,044 |
October 12 | at Wisconsin | No. 1 | W 23–13 | 79,023 | ||
October 19 | No. 2 Michigan | No. 1 |
| CBS | W 12–10 | 66,350 |
October 26 | at Northwestern | No. 1 |
| W 49–10 | 47,269 | |
November 2 | at No. 8 Ohio State | No. 1 | CBS | L 13–22 | 90,467 | |
November 9 | Illinois | No. 6 |
| W 59–0 | 66,120 | |
November 16 | at Purdue | No. 5 | CBS | W 27–24 | 57,762 | |
November 23 | Minnesota | No. 3 |
| TBS | W 31–9 | 66,020 |
January 1 | vs. No. 13 UCLA* | No. 4 | NBC | L 28–45 | 103,292 | |
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Roster
1985 Iowa Hawkeyes football team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Offense
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Defense
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Special teams
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Rankings
Week | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Final | ||||
AP | 4 (7) | 4 (5) | 5 (5) | 4 (5) | 3 (5) | 1 (35) | 1 (34) | 1 (27) | 1 (60) | 1 (58) | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 (3) | 3 (3) | 4 (2) | 10 | ||||
Coaches | 8 (1) | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 (19) | 1 (16) | 1 (16) | 1 (42) | 1 (42) | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
Game summaries
Drake
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Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
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11–3 | 1941 | W 25–8 |
Northern Illinois
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Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
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First meeting |
at Iowa State
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Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
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20–12 | 1984 | W 59–21 |
The Hawkeyes earned the third of 15 consecutive wins over their in-state rivals. To date, this remains the largest margin of victory in the series. The convincing win vaulted Iowa to the #1 ranking in the country, a spot they would occupy for five consecutive weeks.
Michigan State
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Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
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10–11–1 | 1984 | L 16–17 |
In their first game since ascending to the #1 ranking, the Hawkeyes survived a wild, back and forth thriller. The teams combined for well over 1,000 yards of total offense. Chuck Long (30-39, 380 yards, 4 TD) scored the winning touchdown on a 2-yard bootleg with 27 seconds remaining.
at Wisconsin
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Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
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26–34–2 | 1984 | T 10–10 |
Michigan
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Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
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6–27–3 | 1984 | W 26–0 |
The #1 Hawkeyes dominated the game statistically — holding major advantages in total yards (422-182), offensive plays (84-41), and time of possession (38:05-21:55) — but could not find the end zone. Rob Houghtlin kicked a 29-yard field goal as time expired to lift the top-ranked Hawkeyes to victory over the #2 "Wolverdinks", as Houghtlin referred to them.[12]
at Northwestern
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Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
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31–14–3 | 1984 | W 31–3 |
On a windy day in Evanston, Chuck Long went 19-26 for 399 yards and a Big Ten record-tying 6 TDs. Bill Happel hauled in three touchdowns, finishing with 117 yards on 5 receptions.
at Ohio State
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Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
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11–30–2 | 1984 | L 26–45 |
Illinois
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Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
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17–30–2 | 1984 | W 21–16 |
at Purdue
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Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
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19–40–2 | 1984 | W 40–3 |
Minnesota
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Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
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24–52–2 | 1984 | L 17–23 |
In the battle for the Floyd of Rosedale, Iowa beat the Golden Gophers in Lou Holtz's last game as Minnesota's head coach. Chuck Long, in his final game at Kinnick Stadium, became the first player in Big Ten history to eclipse 10,000 career passing yards.
vs. (Rose Bowl)
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Overall record | Last meeting | Result |
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3–5 | 1981 | W 20–7 |
Awards and honors
- Chuck Long, Quarterback – Big Ten Player of the Year, Davey O'Brien Award,[32] Maxwell Award,[32] and Runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. Consensus First-team All-American.[33]
- Larry Station, Linebacker – Consensus First-team All-American.[33]
Team players in the 1986 NFL Draft
Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL club |
Chuck Long | Quarterback | 1 | 12 | Detroit Lions |
Ronnie Harmon | Running back | 1 | 16 | Buffalo Bills |
Mike Haight | Tackle | 1 | 22 | New York Jets |
Devon Mitchell | Defensive back | 4 | 92 | Detroit Lions |
Larry Station | Linebacker | 11 | 287 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
Future head coaches
Name | 1985 Position | School | Tenure |
Barry Alvarez | Linebackers Coach | Wisconsin Badgers football | 1990–2005 |
Bill Snyder | Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach | Kansas State Wildcats football | 1989–2005, 2009–2018 |
Bob Stoops | Volunteer Coach | Oklahoma Sooners football | 1999–2016 |
Chuck Long | Quarterback | San Diego State Aztecs football | 2006–2008 |
Dan McCarney | Defensive Line Coach | Iowa State Cyclones football | 1995–2006 |
Jay Norvell | Defensive back | Nevada Wolf Pack football | 2017–present |
Kirk Ferentz | Offensive line coach | Iowa Hawkeyes football | 1999–present |
Mark Stoops | Defensive back | Kentucky Wildcats football | 2013–present |
References
- The University of Iowa Athletic Communications. "University of Iowa Football 2011 Media Fact Book: IOWA MVPs" (PDF). The University of Iowa Athletic Communications. p. 145. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
- The University of Iowa Athletic Communications. "University of Iowa Football 2011 Media Fact Book: IOWA Captains" (PDF). The University of Iowa Athletic Communications. p. 146. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
- Big Ten Football Media Guide. Note that Michigan had a 6-1-1 record in second place to Iowa's 7-1 record. Michigan also had tied with Illinois.
- "1985 Iowa Hawkeyes Schedule and Results". sports-reference.com. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
- "Iowa 1985 AP Football Rankings". collegepollarchive.com. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
- "Iowa bites 'Dogs, 58-0: 37-point quarter ruins Drake effort". Cedar Rapids Gazette. September 15, 1985. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
- "Iowa rain falls only on NIU". Chicago Tribune. September 22, 1985. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
- "Big Ten Roundup : Iowa Routs Iowa State, 57-3, to Stay Unbeaten". Los Angeles Times. September 29, 1985. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
- "Third-ranked Iowa crushes Iowa State". The Salina Journal. September 29, 1985. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
- "Last-Minute Score Gives Iowa Victory". New York Times. October 5, 1985. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
- "Top-ranked Iowa eases past Wisconsin". Gainesville Sun. October 13, 1985. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
- Big Ten Elite, Season 2, Episode 3
- "Iowa Saves Biggest Noise For Finish". Chicago Tribune. October 20, 1985. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
- "Iowa Beats Michigan On Last Play, 12-10". Washington Post. October 20, 1985. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
- "Iowa's Last-second Kick Defeats Michigan, 12-10". Orlando Sentinel. October 20, 1985. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
- "Hawkeyes win No. 1 thriller, 12-10". Des Moines Register. October 20, 1985. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
- "Kick by Iowa Stops Michigan". The New York Times. October 20, 1985. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
- "Iowa Rolls, 49-10; Long Ties Record". New York Times. October 27, 1985. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
- "Iowa's Long Ball Rips NU". Chicago Tribune. October 27, 1985. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
- "Long Throws for Six Scores as Iowa Routs Northwestern, 49-10". Los Angeles Times. October 27, 1985. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
- "Ohio State Upsets Top-Ranked Iowa". New York Times. November 3, 1985. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
- "Like Father, Like Son? Iowa End Hopes So". Chicago Tribune. November 9, 1985. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
- "Iowa Hits Illini Early, Often". Chicago Tribune. November 10, 1985. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
- "A Long Day For Illinois, 59-0 : Quarterback Throws 4 Touchdown Passes in Iowa Rout". Los Angeles Times. November 10, 1985. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
- "1985: The Unexpected blowout". University of Iowa Athletic Department. September 3, 2010. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
- "Hawkeyes survive Purdue scare, 27-24". Des Moines Register via newspapers.com. November 17, 1985. p. 28. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
- "Iowa Wins, 27-24 on Late Field Goal". New York Times. November 17, 1985. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
- "Purdue Is Beaten By Iowa And Clock". Chicago Tribune. November 17, 1985. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
- "Believe It--Iowa Rules Big 10". Chicago Tribune. November 24, 1985. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
- "Long Achieves Dream of Leading Hawkeyes Back to the Rose Bowl". Los Angeles Times. November 24, 1985. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
- "ROSE BOWL; U.C.L.A. WALLOPS IOWA". New York Times. January 2, 1986. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
- ""College Football Awards - 1985"". espn.com. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
- "Consensus All-America Teams (1980-1989); 1985". sports-reference.com. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
- "1986 NFL Draft". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved November 10, 2015.