FanPost

Top Five Iowa Wins of All Time

I'm as happy as the next guy to gripe about getting kicked in the proverbial junk by Iowa football. Since we're just killing time to September 3, though, let's talk about the other side of the coin: the greatest five wins in Kirk Ferentz's tenure at Iowa. This is off the top of my head and designed to start discussion YMMV. If you don't like it, leave it. Or comment. Whatever. It's America, after all (praise be to Stanzi).

5.) 2000 Iowa v. #24 Michigan State -- As many people hav documented, Hayden left the cupboard bare and his last couple seasons were pretty monumentally frustrating, albeit for different reasons. This game marks the official end to the transition and the beginning of the Ferentz era at Iowa. It was Iowa's first conference win under Ferentz and first win over a ranked opponent under Ferentz.

More importantly, this team featured a ton of young future Hawkeye stars including a young safety named Demond Sanders who had four tackles and a forced fumble in the game. This game was the point that turned Iowa from a 1-10 team in 1999 to a 11-1 team in 2002.

4.) 2002 #24 Iowa v. Purdue (aka "The Dallas Clark Game") -- this game doesn't carry the same significance to the program as some of the other games on this list. Part of my enjoyment was that I watched the last Iowa drive in the old south stands with the open bleachers and when Brad Banks dropped that soft pass into Clark's hands on fourth and goal I saw this news story in my head: thousands die as south stands at Kinnick Stadium collapse. Strangely, I was actually okay with that.

3.) 2004 #17 Iowa v. #9 Wisconsin -- This was a rare 2:30 kickoff in November. Michigan and tOSU played at 11:00 as the opening act. Coming into the game Michigan was undefeated in conference play while Iowa had just one loss, which came at the hands of the Wolverines in Ann Arbor in the first week of the conference season.

For what it's worth, if you weren't following Iowa back then (or if you don't remember) go back and watch that Iowa/Michigan game. It didn't end well for the Hawks, but it featured Drew Tate at his Fran Tarkenton best. At one point his helmet is ripped clean off (which later required stitches, IIRC) and he stays in the pocket, his hair blowing wild, directing traffic and looking for a crossing player in the back of the end zone. Also, Ed Hinkel made one of the greatest TD catches you will EVER see in your life (at the 1:50 mark in that youtube video).

Where was I? Oh, right. So on that November afternoon the Kinnick parking lot was abuzz. The Buckeyes were winning! And by the time the Hawkeyes came down the tunnel that November evening, the Wolverines had lost and a chance at the Big11Ten title. Iowa threw interceptions on its first two possessions but the defense (which featured Babs, Roth, Greenway and Hodge) kept the Badgers off the board.

For me, that game has two moments I may never forget. First, towards the end of the first half Tate spins away from pressure and throws easily 30 yards off of his back foot into the hands of a wide open Clinton Solomon. Second, when it was all said and done, Ferentz raised the Big11Ten trophy in Kinnick Stadium for the only time in his career.

2.) 2010 Orange Bowl, #10 Iowa v. #9 Georgia Tech -- For weeks the college football world cringed at the idea that Iowa might stay undefeated and play its way into the BCS title game. That all ended in the south end zone of Kinnick Stadium on an unusually warm November afternoon at the hands of noted dog-kicker and horrible person* Corey Wooton. Stanzi missed the remainder of that jNWU game as well as games against tOSU and Minnesooooota.

Stanzi's status was just one question mark. How would the Iowa defense handle the vaunted triple option running attack of Georgia Tech? Could Iowa's undersized CBs handle Demariyus Thomas when the Jackets decided to actually throw the ball? Would this be another instance of an overrated Iowa with a soft schedule crapping the bed in a big game?

As we know, Iowa played a very traditional Iowa game, dominating with defense and a balanced offense based on running the ball. More importantly, Iowa demonstrated that it could win a big-time football game.

1.) 2008 Iowa v. #3 Penn State -- After ending 2007 on a well-documented down note, 2008 was kind of an unknown. Would Shonn Greene be the player we hoped he would be as a freshman? Who would play QB? After a couple wins at Indiana and against Wisconsin at home, it seemed like some of those questions may have been answered. Then Iowa lost on a last-second FG in Chambana with the #3 rated team in the country coming to town.

You know what happened after that. Iowa played tough defense on a cold, windy, snow-flecked afternoon, Stanzi worked some late game magic and Daniel Murray iced the game with a solid kick and a brilliant celebration. To me, this game turned the tide for the Hawkeyes, led them to rip off three more wins including a pasting of Sakerlina in the Outback Bowl and was the basis of the 2009 season.

Honorable mentions -- too many. Hit up the comments with your favs (mine include 55-0, Seven Got Six, The Catch, The 2005 Outback Bowl, and many, many, many others).

Unless otherwise expressly indicated by BHGP editors, this FanPost is strictly the viewpoint of the author and is not endorsed by BHGP in any way.