NOVEMBER 21ST, 1981 – (#19) IOWA 36, Michigan State 7. It’s too bad that, by now, virtually everyone who knows exactly where they were and what they were doing that day is at least 50 year old. And considering Iowa had not only played in, but actually won two Rose Bowls 25 years before that, you would think it was just a slightly longer-than-normal drought of success. But that would be the understatement of the century.
Iowa was still in the midst of a streak of 19 straight non-winning seasons, and had become a true definition of irrelevant. And even as this special season moved into the final week, most of the talk, once again, was about the Ohio State–Michigan game. Wolverine coach Bo Schembechler would not even give “that other team” a mention when talking about the importance of that day’s game.
And up to that time, why should he? From 1968–1980, the only question was which team between those two was going to represent the Big 10 in the Rose Bowl. Rare if ever was the time when anybody else was in the conversation for the Rose Bowl, and certainly not in the final week.
Even this year, Iowa needed help. Due to a scheduling quirk, Michigan had played one more conference game than either Iowa or Ohio State. So if the Wolverines won at home vs. the Buckeyes, they would go to the Rose Bowl no matter what. And with Michigan having been the pre-season #1 and the game in Ann Arbor (a place Woody Hayes only beat Bo Schembechler one time), I can’t imagine there was a ton of optimism.
Gratefully, the traditional rivalry started well in advance of this game in Iowa City. And by now, you’ve probably read the stories of Buckeye QB Art Schlichter scoring on a 6-yard keeper in the game’s final 3 minutes after Michigan squandered chance after chance, throwing three interceptions and losing a key fumble all well into Ohio State territory. The Buckeyes won 14–9, opening up the door to the Rose Bowl for some team named IOWA – if they could take care of business against the Spartans.
I will never forget the story of Iowa’s P.A. announcer, Father Bob Holzhammer, holding the sheet with the Ohio State-Michigan final in his hand and saying to the Iowa A.D., “Bump, I’ll read this whenever you want me to.” Bump gave him permission to just go ahead and read it right away.
By this time, Iowa had used a bruising ground game and perhaps THE signature defensive play in the career of hard-hitting safety Bob Stoops on the game’s very first play to build a 16-0 lead on a really cold afternoon. After the announcement, at least for a time, the momentum shifted dramatically.
The Spartans got their first TD with just over a minute left in the 1st half, and had taken the opening drive of the 3rd quarter to the Iowa 6-yard-line – easily the most nervous moment in the game for Hawkeye fans realizing they may soon have to learn how to spell P–A–S–A–D–E–N–A. But Sr. cornerback Tracy Crocker intercepted a pass in the end zone – his only one as a member of the Hawkeyes. From that point on, it was all Iowa.
Phil Blatcher rushed for an astounding 247 yards, despite having to take himself out of the game twice because of nearly frozen feet. Eddie Phillips picked up the slack in his absence, as Iowa rolled up almost 400 net rushing yards. Lou King added two more interceptions to tie for the single-season record (at that time).
After the game, Hayden Fry, for the first time as head coach at Iowa, allowed media into the dressing room, where they were treated to more roses than anyone had ever seen. Meanwhile, he thanked everyone from the coaches to the football families to the fans to the coffee vendors – even the media, with whom he had butted heads with, especially early in the season.
Why #5? Michigan State, even though they had won four of their last five, and had played three other losses tough against good teams, finished the year below .500. But this game will always be a legend for Hawk fans as it put this team squarely on the college football relevancy map – a place they have stayed almost 40 years later. And considering that two other Hayden Fry Rose Bowl-bound teams did not fare nearly as well after learning they would be Rose Bowl bound, this team THOROUGHLY took care of their business.
While there are many write-ups from that day you can still find (all of them worth reading), I was unable to find even a highlight video from this game. So be it – for those of us who experienced that day, even with an ear to a car speaker from an AM radio, the day was like few others
Iowa was still in the midst of a streak of 19 straight non-winning seasons, and had become a true definition of irrelevant. And even as this special season moved into the final week, most of the talk, once again, was about the Ohio State–Michigan game. Wolverine coach Bo Schembechler would not even give “that other team” a mention when talking about the importance of that day’s game.
And up to that time, why should he? From 1968–1980, the only question was which team between those two was going to represent the Big 10 in the Rose Bowl. Rare if ever was the time when anybody else was in the conversation for the Rose Bowl, and certainly not in the final week.
Even this year, Iowa needed help. Due to a scheduling quirk, Michigan had played one more conference game than either Iowa or Ohio State. So if the Wolverines won at home vs. the Buckeyes, they would go to the Rose Bowl no matter what. And with Michigan having been the pre-season #1 and the game in Ann Arbor (a place Woody Hayes only beat Bo Schembechler one time), I can’t imagine there was a ton of optimism.
Gratefully, the traditional rivalry started well in advance of this game in Iowa City. And by now, you’ve probably read the stories of Buckeye QB Art Schlichter scoring on a 6-yard keeper in the game’s final 3 minutes after Michigan squandered chance after chance, throwing three interceptions and losing a key fumble all well into Ohio State territory. The Buckeyes won 14–9, opening up the door to the Rose Bowl for some team named IOWA – if they could take care of business against the Spartans.
I will never forget the story of Iowa’s P.A. announcer, Father Bob Holzhammer, holding the sheet with the Ohio State-Michigan final in his hand and saying to the Iowa A.D., “Bump, I’ll read this whenever you want me to.” Bump gave him permission to just go ahead and read it right away.
By this time, Iowa had used a bruising ground game and perhaps THE signature defensive play in the career of hard-hitting safety Bob Stoops on the game’s very first play to build a 16-0 lead on a really cold afternoon. After the announcement, at least for a time, the momentum shifted dramatically.
The Spartans got their first TD with just over a minute left in the 1st half, and had taken the opening drive of the 3rd quarter to the Iowa 6-yard-line – easily the most nervous moment in the game for Hawkeye fans realizing they may soon have to learn how to spell P–A–S–A–D–E–N–A. But Sr. cornerback Tracy Crocker intercepted a pass in the end zone – his only one as a member of the Hawkeyes. From that point on, it was all Iowa.
Phil Blatcher rushed for an astounding 247 yards, despite having to take himself out of the game twice because of nearly frozen feet. Eddie Phillips picked up the slack in his absence, as Iowa rolled up almost 400 net rushing yards. Lou King added two more interceptions to tie for the single-season record (at that time).
After the game, Hayden Fry, for the first time as head coach at Iowa, allowed media into the dressing room, where they were treated to more roses than anyone had ever seen. Meanwhile, he thanked everyone from the coaches to the football families to the fans to the coffee vendors – even the media, with whom he had butted heads with, especially early in the season.
Why #5? Michigan State, even though they had won four of their last five, and had played three other losses tough against good teams, finished the year below .500. But this game will always be a legend for Hawk fans as it put this team squarely on the college football relevancy map – a place they have stayed almost 40 years later. And considering that two other Hayden Fry Rose Bowl-bound teams did not fare nearly as well after learning they would be Rose Bowl bound, this team THOROUGHLY took care of their business.
While there are many write-ups from that day you can still find (all of them worth reading), I was unable to find even a highlight video from this game. So be it – for those of us who experienced that day, even with an ear to a car speaker from an AM radio, the day was like few others
