SEPTEMBER 12TH, 1981 – IOWA 10, #6 Nebraska 7. After showing so much promise in Hayden’s first season in Iowa City, the Hawkeyes regressed badly in the 1980 season, making Iowa fans wonder if what they really got in Hayden Fry was just more of the same. But that all disappeared in the season–opener of 1981, as the name IOWA transformed from punchline to prime player in the college football world.
Bluntly, this should not have been the shocker it was to so many. In fact, two of the college football pre-season magazines actually targeted this game for an upset, mostly because of the last time the Huskers visited Iowa City in Hayden’s first year, 1979. On the afternoon of September 22nd, Iowa’s third game (and first non–conference home game) gave them one of the most excruciating losses of the entire Hayden Fry era. Behind five lost Nebraska fumbles and two rushing TD’s by Dean McKillip, the Hawkeyes led the Cornhuskers 21–7, with less than seven minutes to go in the 3rd qtr. But in short order, Nebraska scored two TD’s and the game–winning field goal to nip Iowa, 24–21.
But many, especially on the Nebraska side of the state line, had forgotten that, as NU destroyed Iowa the next season, 57–0 in Lincoln. And lest one think that these were among the more pedestrian Nebraska teams (there was a time Tom Osborne seemed to be trying to set a record for consecutive 9–3 seasons), the 1979 team was undefeated and ranked #2 in the country when they went down for their season–closing rivalry game against hated Oklahoma in Norman. The Sooners, having lost the previous season in Lincoln, 17–14 in a game where they came in as the nation’s #1 team, paid the Huskers back by an identical 17–14 score. An upset in the Cotton Bowl made the season less than it could have been, but the Shuckers still finished 10–2 & #9 in the final poll.
This 1981 team seemed just as good and would, in fact, end up playing for the national title in the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day. But none of that mattered to Hayden and his team. After the previous rather dismal season, they had a huge chip on their shoulder, and were waiting in the weeds to take down one of the nation’s true legacy football programs on this afternoon where the temperature hovered near 90 degrees.
As for the game itself, if you are looking for a memorable game in terms of being extremely well–played by both teams, you will have to look elsewhere. Nebraska continued their fumble–itis from two years ago, putting five on the Iowa turf and losing three of them, while also throwing two interceptions. Iowa, for its part, also lost three fumbles and passed for only 28 net yards all afternoon. But Iowa had one HUGE advantage, and that was in the right foot of punter Reggie Roby. “Ol’ Thunderfoot” punted five times for an average of almost 56 yards, keeping the Huskers in the shadow of their own goalpost most of the game.
Meanwhile, Nebraska’s punter, Grant Campbell, had his first attempt of the game partially blocked by Lou King, and Iowa took over at the Cornhusker 44. Five rushes by replacement starter Eddie Phillips for 35 yards keyed the drive and gave Iowa an early 7–0 lead – the first time a team had scored on the white shirts in the 1st quarter of a game in nearly two years (sorry, Nebby – but THE black shirts wore black shirts that afternoon and kicked your butts).
Nebraska’s next two possessions ended in turnovers in their own territory, followed by Iowa FG attempts. Lon Olejniczak made the second one from 35 yards out, and Iowa had a 10–0 lead early in the 2nd quarter, keyed again by more fine running from Phillips, who ended the game with 94 yards rushing on 19 carries.
The rest of the game was all about Iowa’s dominating defense. The powerful Cornhusker attack was kept either in front of their own goal post or on the sidelines for most of the game – the Hawk ‘D’ shut them out in the 1st half, then held them to only 10 offensive plays in the 3rd quarter, holding the Cornhuskers without a 3rd–quarter score for the first time since the end of the 1973 season. Nebraska ended up being held to an almost unheard of 231 yards. That was still almost 30 yards more than Iowa gained that afternoon, even though Iowa did have a drive that chewed up fully half the 3rd quarter (though it ended up with no points).
Still, it took an amazing combination of talent, execution and good fortune to hold off the hard–charging Shuckers. Davenport native Roger Craig, sharing snaps with Mike Rozier in the backfield, led Nebraska, rushing for 74 yards on 19 carries – but also had two of their fumbles – and both at key points in the game. Placekicker Kevin Seibel, who had missed from 47 yards away in the 1st half, ended a promising 4th–qtr. drive with another miss from 37 yards out.
Nebraska was running out of chances – though the next one was looking REALLY good for the Cornhuskers. Starting from their own 16–yard–line with 4:29 left in the game, they moved the ball 50 yards in just four plays to the Iowa 34. But then Nebraska’s 5th–year starting QB, Mark Mauer, making his first start after the graduation of Jeff Quinn, pulled away from All–American center Dave Rimington’s snap too quickly, and as he turned lost the ball, with Mark Bortz recovering the fumble for Iowa. A few games later, both Mauer and his equally ineffective back–up, Nate Mason, would be replaced by a young man named Turner Gill.
But the contest still wasn’t over. Iowa’s Phil Blatcher fumbled three plays later, giving the ball back to the Cornhuskers at the Iowa 41 with 2:04 to play. But with Craig stuffed for two yards on one play, sandwiched by three incompletions, Iowa got the ball right back, even though they also went 3–&–out. But the final thunderous 53–yard punt by Roby put Nebraska back at their own 22 in the game’s final minute. A Lou King interception sealed the earth–shaking win for Iowa with 38 seconds left in the game, sending the record (at that time) crowd of 60,160 into a huge frenzy.
I remember after the game, even though the big story focused on Dave McClain’s Wisconsin Badgers beating #1 Michigan, that the ABC scores–central reporter got Hayden Fry on the phone and visited with him on the win. It was the first of three times that Hayden would receive a national phone interview by this individual on ABC-TV that Fall, making him famous enough that some visiting relatives from Alabama (some of whom were also Auburn fans) were all asking me, “Who the hell is this Hayden guy?” Nobody asks that anymore.
Why #3? When you see what is game #2 (and why) you may understand. But the bottom line is that Iowa, looking like Iowa the next week, played really poorly against Iowa State. I’m not sure anyone, after that loss, would be convinced of what was to come the rest of that season.
Game highlights are here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa-ZKZwKDSc .
Bluntly, this should not have been the shocker it was to so many. In fact, two of the college football pre-season magazines actually targeted this game for an upset, mostly because of the last time the Huskers visited Iowa City in Hayden’s first year, 1979. On the afternoon of September 22nd, Iowa’s third game (and first non–conference home game) gave them one of the most excruciating losses of the entire Hayden Fry era. Behind five lost Nebraska fumbles and two rushing TD’s by Dean McKillip, the Hawkeyes led the Cornhuskers 21–7, with less than seven minutes to go in the 3rd qtr. But in short order, Nebraska scored two TD’s and the game–winning field goal to nip Iowa, 24–21.
But many, especially on the Nebraska side of the state line, had forgotten that, as NU destroyed Iowa the next season, 57–0 in Lincoln. And lest one think that these were among the more pedestrian Nebraska teams (there was a time Tom Osborne seemed to be trying to set a record for consecutive 9–3 seasons), the 1979 team was undefeated and ranked #2 in the country when they went down for their season–closing rivalry game against hated Oklahoma in Norman. The Sooners, having lost the previous season in Lincoln, 17–14 in a game where they came in as the nation’s #1 team, paid the Huskers back by an identical 17–14 score. An upset in the Cotton Bowl made the season less than it could have been, but the Shuckers still finished 10–2 & #9 in the final poll.
This 1981 team seemed just as good and would, in fact, end up playing for the national title in the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day. But none of that mattered to Hayden and his team. After the previous rather dismal season, they had a huge chip on their shoulder, and were waiting in the weeds to take down one of the nation’s true legacy football programs on this afternoon where the temperature hovered near 90 degrees.
As for the game itself, if you are looking for a memorable game in terms of being extremely well–played by both teams, you will have to look elsewhere. Nebraska continued their fumble–itis from two years ago, putting five on the Iowa turf and losing three of them, while also throwing two interceptions. Iowa, for its part, also lost three fumbles and passed for only 28 net yards all afternoon. But Iowa had one HUGE advantage, and that was in the right foot of punter Reggie Roby. “Ol’ Thunderfoot” punted five times for an average of almost 56 yards, keeping the Huskers in the shadow of their own goalpost most of the game.
Meanwhile, Nebraska’s punter, Grant Campbell, had his first attempt of the game partially blocked by Lou King, and Iowa took over at the Cornhusker 44. Five rushes by replacement starter Eddie Phillips for 35 yards keyed the drive and gave Iowa an early 7–0 lead – the first time a team had scored on the white shirts in the 1st quarter of a game in nearly two years (sorry, Nebby – but THE black shirts wore black shirts that afternoon and kicked your butts).
Nebraska’s next two possessions ended in turnovers in their own territory, followed by Iowa FG attempts. Lon Olejniczak made the second one from 35 yards out, and Iowa had a 10–0 lead early in the 2nd quarter, keyed again by more fine running from Phillips, who ended the game with 94 yards rushing on 19 carries.
The rest of the game was all about Iowa’s dominating defense. The powerful Cornhusker attack was kept either in front of their own goal post or on the sidelines for most of the game – the Hawk ‘D’ shut them out in the 1st half, then held them to only 10 offensive plays in the 3rd quarter, holding the Cornhuskers without a 3rd–quarter score for the first time since the end of the 1973 season. Nebraska ended up being held to an almost unheard of 231 yards. That was still almost 30 yards more than Iowa gained that afternoon, even though Iowa did have a drive that chewed up fully half the 3rd quarter (though it ended up with no points).
Still, it took an amazing combination of talent, execution and good fortune to hold off the hard–charging Shuckers. Davenport native Roger Craig, sharing snaps with Mike Rozier in the backfield, led Nebraska, rushing for 74 yards on 19 carries – but also had two of their fumbles – and both at key points in the game. Placekicker Kevin Seibel, who had missed from 47 yards away in the 1st half, ended a promising 4th–qtr. drive with another miss from 37 yards out.
Nebraska was running out of chances – though the next one was looking REALLY good for the Cornhuskers. Starting from their own 16–yard–line with 4:29 left in the game, they moved the ball 50 yards in just four plays to the Iowa 34. But then Nebraska’s 5th–year starting QB, Mark Mauer, making his first start after the graduation of Jeff Quinn, pulled away from All–American center Dave Rimington’s snap too quickly, and as he turned lost the ball, with Mark Bortz recovering the fumble for Iowa. A few games later, both Mauer and his equally ineffective back–up, Nate Mason, would be replaced by a young man named Turner Gill.
But the contest still wasn’t over. Iowa’s Phil Blatcher fumbled three plays later, giving the ball back to the Cornhuskers at the Iowa 41 with 2:04 to play. But with Craig stuffed for two yards on one play, sandwiched by three incompletions, Iowa got the ball right back, even though they also went 3–&–out. But the final thunderous 53–yard punt by Roby put Nebraska back at their own 22 in the game’s final minute. A Lou King interception sealed the earth–shaking win for Iowa with 38 seconds left in the game, sending the record (at that time) crowd of 60,160 into a huge frenzy.
I remember after the game, even though the big story focused on Dave McClain’s Wisconsin Badgers beating #1 Michigan, that the ABC scores–central reporter got Hayden Fry on the phone and visited with him on the win. It was the first of three times that Hayden would receive a national phone interview by this individual on ABC-TV that Fall, making him famous enough that some visiting relatives from Alabama (some of whom were also Auburn fans) were all asking me, “Who the hell is this Hayden guy?” Nobody asks that anymore.
Why #3? When you see what is game #2 (and why) you may understand. But the bottom line is that Iowa, looking like Iowa the next week, played really poorly against Iowa State. I’m not sure anyone, after that loss, would be convinced of what was to come the rest of that season.
Game highlights are here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa-ZKZwKDSc .
