JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
Iowa Football: Play of the Decade | Hawkeye Nation
It has been one of the most successful decades in Iowa football history. Iowa is 79 and 45 this decade, while they were 77-40-4 in the 1980's and 62-53-2 in the 1990's. There have been so many amazing games and plays during the decade of the 200's, it's going to be hard to winnow down the list to a Top Five, but here is our best shot at that. You will get to decide which play was the best of the decade.
92 Seconds to Glory (October 24th, 2009): The Iowa Hawkeyes had just fallen behind to the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium 13-9, and needed a touchdown to win. They had 70 yards to go and 92 seconds to get there. Quarterback Rick Stanzi engineered a 10-play drive that culminated with a touchdown pass with :02 seconds remaining on 4th and goal. It helped Iowa get to 8-0 for the first time in school history and finished off back to back road wins at Wisconsin and Michigan State. Iowa would move to #4 in the BCS rankings , the highest ranking in that poll in school history.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7wJzfaBOIQ"]YouTube- Iowa vs. Michigan State: Stanzi to McNutt[/ame]
"All Up" (January 1st, 2005): LSU had just taken a 25-24 lead with :49 seconds to play in the Capital One Bowl. Iowa return the kickoff to the 29 and two plays later found itself in a disorganized fire drill, with time running off the clock and timeouts remaining. The game was going to end on the third play of the drive, and as Gary Dolphin said, "Drew Tate doesn't know that. He fires downfield and it's caught! Into the endzone! Touchdown Iowa! Touchdown Iowa! I don't believe what I just saw! Touchdown Iowa! Oh my god I don't believe what I just saw!" Tate found Warren Holloway, 'The Forgotten Man' streaking uncovered down the far sideline and the pass covered 56 yards and instantly went into college football lore as one of the best finishes to any bowl game ever played, and sent Iowa to it's third straight double-digit victory total season.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVxmHu9XcyQ"]YouTube- hawkeye miracle[/ame]
Banks to Clark (October 5th, 2002): Iowa found itself trailing Purdue 28-24 with 2:11 to play in the game. Quarterback Brad Banks rushed for 44 yards on the first play of the drive that began at the Iowa 13 yard line. He then hooked up with Mo Brown for 20 yards, and 14 to Dallas Clark to get the ball down to the Purdue 9 yard line. But the drive stalled and Iowa faced a 4th and goal from the Purdue 7 yard line with just over a minute remaining. That's when the Hawks drew up a play that would become a staple of the offense for seasons to come. Brad Banks dropped back to pass and looked left with every route being run slanted to the left side of the field...with one exception. Tight end Dallas Clark lined up on the left side of the line, he blocked for a count, then released underneath the linebackers to the right, away from the flow of the play and Banks' eyes. At the last second, Banks wheeled his head and shoulder to the right and in the face of pressure, he lofted a pass to a wide open Dallas Clark. Banks would take a huge hit on the play. It was the final 'close shave' of the regular season for Iowa, as the Hawks would run the table in the Big Ten.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JeJLXjW9Nk"]YouTube- Brad Banks Heisman Run[/ame]
Regina to History (November 8th, 2008): Daniel Murray was a walk on place kicker from Iowa City Regina. He had ‘lost’ the job earlier in the year to true freshman kicker Trent Mossbrucker. But when Mossbrucker got a case of the yips in the middle of the season and the Iowa Hawkeyes having driven the ball down the field with 3:21 to play when they started the final drive, trailing 23-21, Ferentz turned to Murray for the field goal attempt from 31 yards out. Murray’s last field goal attempt had come in week four at Pittsburgh, a 35 yarder that was blocked. Murray delivered this time around, and Iowa had beaten the #3 team in the nation and ruined Penn State’s national championship dreams. It also turned the corner for Iowa, who did not lose again that season and not until an entire calendar year had passed before falling against Northwestern on November 7th of 2009.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJJZzX-aiTk"]YouTube- Iowa upsets #3 Penn State 11-8-08 in a great finish LIVE!!![/ame]
Ball & Hammer (October 18th, 2008): Shonn Greene was a one man wrecking crew in 2008. Well, that's not fair to the offensive line play last season, which was stellar. Greene was the only back in the nation to gain at least 100 yards rushing in each of his 13 games. One run that stand out to me was his carry on the Iowa sideline against Wisconsin where he broke several tackles, spun, broke more tackles and was basically a man amongst boys, which the Big Ten Network's Chris Martin echoed at the end of that play. Here is a collection of Greene's highlights against Wisconsin, perhaps the best game of his Iowa career, including that run.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9PAm2J1hu8"]YouTube- Shonn Greene for Heisman[/ame]
In the story, I have some links to more plays worth mentioning...you may feel there are others just as worthy. If so, paste a video link into the body of this post and they will show up as well.
It has been one of the most successful decades in Iowa football history. Iowa is 79 and 45 this decade, while they were 77-40-4 in the 1980's and 62-53-2 in the 1990's. There have been so many amazing games and plays during the decade of the 200's, it's going to be hard to winnow down the list to a Top Five, but here is our best shot at that. You will get to decide which play was the best of the decade.
92 Seconds to Glory (October 24th, 2009): The Iowa Hawkeyes had just fallen behind to the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium 13-9, and needed a touchdown to win. They had 70 yards to go and 92 seconds to get there. Quarterback Rick Stanzi engineered a 10-play drive that culminated with a touchdown pass with :02 seconds remaining on 4th and goal. It helped Iowa get to 8-0 for the first time in school history and finished off back to back road wins at Wisconsin and Michigan State. Iowa would move to #4 in the BCS rankings , the highest ranking in that poll in school history.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7wJzfaBOIQ"]YouTube- Iowa vs. Michigan State: Stanzi to McNutt[/ame]
"All Up" (January 1st, 2005): LSU had just taken a 25-24 lead with :49 seconds to play in the Capital One Bowl. Iowa return the kickoff to the 29 and two plays later found itself in a disorganized fire drill, with time running off the clock and timeouts remaining. The game was going to end on the third play of the drive, and as Gary Dolphin said, "Drew Tate doesn't know that. He fires downfield and it's caught! Into the endzone! Touchdown Iowa! Touchdown Iowa! I don't believe what I just saw! Touchdown Iowa! Oh my god I don't believe what I just saw!" Tate found Warren Holloway, 'The Forgotten Man' streaking uncovered down the far sideline and the pass covered 56 yards and instantly went into college football lore as one of the best finishes to any bowl game ever played, and sent Iowa to it's third straight double-digit victory total season.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVxmHu9XcyQ"]YouTube- hawkeye miracle[/ame]
Banks to Clark (October 5th, 2002): Iowa found itself trailing Purdue 28-24 with 2:11 to play in the game. Quarterback Brad Banks rushed for 44 yards on the first play of the drive that began at the Iowa 13 yard line. He then hooked up with Mo Brown for 20 yards, and 14 to Dallas Clark to get the ball down to the Purdue 9 yard line. But the drive stalled and Iowa faced a 4th and goal from the Purdue 7 yard line with just over a minute remaining. That's when the Hawks drew up a play that would become a staple of the offense for seasons to come. Brad Banks dropped back to pass and looked left with every route being run slanted to the left side of the field...with one exception. Tight end Dallas Clark lined up on the left side of the line, he blocked for a count, then released underneath the linebackers to the right, away from the flow of the play and Banks' eyes. At the last second, Banks wheeled his head and shoulder to the right and in the face of pressure, he lofted a pass to a wide open Dallas Clark. Banks would take a huge hit on the play. It was the final 'close shave' of the regular season for Iowa, as the Hawks would run the table in the Big Ten.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JeJLXjW9Nk"]YouTube- Brad Banks Heisman Run[/ame]
Regina to History (November 8th, 2008): Daniel Murray was a walk on place kicker from Iowa City Regina. He had ‘lost’ the job earlier in the year to true freshman kicker Trent Mossbrucker. But when Mossbrucker got a case of the yips in the middle of the season and the Iowa Hawkeyes having driven the ball down the field with 3:21 to play when they started the final drive, trailing 23-21, Ferentz turned to Murray for the field goal attempt from 31 yards out. Murray’s last field goal attempt had come in week four at Pittsburgh, a 35 yarder that was blocked. Murray delivered this time around, and Iowa had beaten the #3 team in the nation and ruined Penn State’s national championship dreams. It also turned the corner for Iowa, who did not lose again that season and not until an entire calendar year had passed before falling against Northwestern on November 7th of 2009.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJJZzX-aiTk"]YouTube- Iowa upsets #3 Penn State 11-8-08 in a great finish LIVE!!![/ame]
Ball & Hammer (October 18th, 2008): Shonn Greene was a one man wrecking crew in 2008. Well, that's not fair to the offensive line play last season, which was stellar. Greene was the only back in the nation to gain at least 100 yards rushing in each of his 13 games. One run that stand out to me was his carry on the Iowa sideline against Wisconsin where he broke several tackles, spun, broke more tackles and was basically a man amongst boys, which the Big Ten Network's Chris Martin echoed at the end of that play. Here is a collection of Greene's highlights against Wisconsin, perhaps the best game of his Iowa career, including that run.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9PAm2J1hu8"]YouTube- Shonn Greene for Heisman[/ame]
In the story, I have some links to more plays worth mentioning...you may feel there are others just as worthy. If so, paste a video link into the body of this post and they will show up as well.
