NOVEMBER 3RD, 1990 – #13 IOWA 54, (at) #5 Illinois 28. It is only fitting that this game occupies one of the top slots. Lest we forget, while most of the attention on Hayden’s top games goes to the Rose Bowl seasons of 1981 and their top-rated team from 1985, Hayden’s teams represented the Big 10 three times in Pasadena. And this team accomplished every bit as much to get to the Rose Bowl as the other teams did.
Iowa had already won tight, tough contests at both Michigan and Michigan State, the first Iowa team to beat both teams in the state of Michigan in the same year. But the team that was looking to be the team to beat was in Champaign. Despite an opening, late-night loss at Arizona (we know about those trips), Illinois came into the game undefeated in the Big 10 having disposed of both Michigan State and Ohio State along the way. And the only teams that had defeated Illinois in Champaign the previous two years won Big 10 championships.
Going into the game, Hayden quipped (as only he can), “Gratefully, we’re on the train to get to Pasadena. We may not be in the lead car, but we’re on the right track.” And earlier in the year, that would seem to be unlikely. The previous year, the Hawkeyes had missed getting into a bowl for the first time since Fry’s second season at Iowa, ending a bad Fall with a humiliating defeat in Iowa City to Minnesota, 43–7, leaving them a horrific 1–5 in Kinnick Stadium that year.
Then in week 3, Iowa had to travel down to defending national champion Miami (FL), and the powerful Hurricanes (who finished 3rd nationally at the end of this season) destroyed Iowa 48–21. Still, the upsets in East Lansing and Ann Arbor brought Iowa into Memorial Stadium with the same 5–0 Big 10 record as the Illini.
Chicago media were quite hyped for the game. In fact so many of them came down for the game that extra press space had to be found (actually built) to accommodate all of them, along with representatives from no less than nine different bowls. Still, when the game started, it didn’t take long for the Chicago media to see that the team they came down to write about wasn’t going to be getting the media darling write-ups they had both imagined and hoped for.
On the game’s second play, Illinois running back Wagner Lester fumbled, and Iowa recovered at their own 49. On the very next play, 255-lb. back Nick Bell bowled over Illinois defenders for a 42–yard run. Matt Rodgers connected with Mike Saunders three plays later for a 7–0 lead. Bell added a 26–yard run for Iowa’s third touchdown, and amassed over 100 yards rushing just in the 1st quarter!
Hayden Fry had his “exotics” on maximum that game, as Iowa’s other star running back, Tony Stewart, completed a halfback option pass to Danan Hughes for Iowa’s second TD. Then, when it looked like Illinois had FINALLY held Iowa to a field goal later in the 2nd quarter, Iowa ran a fake, with a reserve QB by the name of Jim Hartlieb throwing a 14–yard TD pass to TE Matt Whitaker to give the visiting Hawkeyes a 35-7 lead.
Iowa would not let up on the gas the entire game, at least in part to keep the dangerous Illinois offense and their star QB, Jason Verduzco, on the sidelines. Still, he finished 32–51 for 358 yards and 4 touchdowns for the game. Matt Rodgers, for his part, finished 11–16 for 188 yards and 3 TD’s (2 passes to Danan Hughes, 1 rushing TD). Stewart joined Bell in going over 100 yards rushing, as Iowa finished with 335 net rushing yards against what had been the conference’s top defense.
The next week, Illinois lost again at Michigan, and that coupled with an early-season tie by Ohio State with lowly Indiana set the stage for a four–way tie for the Big 10 at the end of the season, with Iowa going to the Rose Bowl by means of having beaten all three of the other teams that finished tied for the top spot - and all on the road.
Highlights for the game are here: .
Iowa had already won tight, tough contests at both Michigan and Michigan State, the first Iowa team to beat both teams in the state of Michigan in the same year. But the team that was looking to be the team to beat was in Champaign. Despite an opening, late-night loss at Arizona (we know about those trips), Illinois came into the game undefeated in the Big 10 having disposed of both Michigan State and Ohio State along the way. And the only teams that had defeated Illinois in Champaign the previous two years won Big 10 championships.
Going into the game, Hayden quipped (as only he can), “Gratefully, we’re on the train to get to Pasadena. We may not be in the lead car, but we’re on the right track.” And earlier in the year, that would seem to be unlikely. The previous year, the Hawkeyes had missed getting into a bowl for the first time since Fry’s second season at Iowa, ending a bad Fall with a humiliating defeat in Iowa City to Minnesota, 43–7, leaving them a horrific 1–5 in Kinnick Stadium that year.
Then in week 3, Iowa had to travel down to defending national champion Miami (FL), and the powerful Hurricanes (who finished 3rd nationally at the end of this season) destroyed Iowa 48–21. Still, the upsets in East Lansing and Ann Arbor brought Iowa into Memorial Stadium with the same 5–0 Big 10 record as the Illini.
Chicago media were quite hyped for the game. In fact so many of them came down for the game that extra press space had to be found (actually built) to accommodate all of them, along with representatives from no less than nine different bowls. Still, when the game started, it didn’t take long for the Chicago media to see that the team they came down to write about wasn’t going to be getting the media darling write-ups they had both imagined and hoped for.
On the game’s second play, Illinois running back Wagner Lester fumbled, and Iowa recovered at their own 49. On the very next play, 255-lb. back Nick Bell bowled over Illinois defenders for a 42–yard run. Matt Rodgers connected with Mike Saunders three plays later for a 7–0 lead. Bell added a 26–yard run for Iowa’s third touchdown, and amassed over 100 yards rushing just in the 1st quarter!
Hayden Fry had his “exotics” on maximum that game, as Iowa’s other star running back, Tony Stewart, completed a halfback option pass to Danan Hughes for Iowa’s second TD. Then, when it looked like Illinois had FINALLY held Iowa to a field goal later in the 2nd quarter, Iowa ran a fake, with a reserve QB by the name of Jim Hartlieb throwing a 14–yard TD pass to TE Matt Whitaker to give the visiting Hawkeyes a 35-7 lead.
Iowa would not let up on the gas the entire game, at least in part to keep the dangerous Illinois offense and their star QB, Jason Verduzco, on the sidelines. Still, he finished 32–51 for 358 yards and 4 touchdowns for the game. Matt Rodgers, for his part, finished 11–16 for 188 yards and 3 TD’s (2 passes to Danan Hughes, 1 rushing TD). Stewart joined Bell in going over 100 yards rushing, as Iowa finished with 335 net rushing yards against what had been the conference’s top defense.
The next week, Illinois lost again at Michigan, and that coupled with an early-season tie by Ohio State with lowly Indiana set the stage for a four–way tie for the Big 10 at the end of the season, with Iowa going to the Rose Bowl by means of having beaten all three of the other teams that finished tied for the top spot - and all on the road.
Highlights for the game are here: .
