in the fact that it was Hayden's second game at Iowa. Oklahoma was #3 in the country at the time with Heisman winner Billy Sims in the backfield for the Sooners. Iowa was a 35 point underdog in the game. Iowa trailed 7-6 at halftime and ended up losing 21-6 (it was 14-6 late in the game).
What was even more memorable (and significant) was Hayden's reaction after the game. Mind you if Iowa hadn't been the worst program in the country in the preceding 20 years they were certainly in that class. Anyway, when a reporter commented to Hayden in the post-game press conference that his team had played a pretty good game, Hayden replied, "I just talked to my players about that. First, we got our butts kicked. Then we get complimented. I just told the team that if I see one single man with a smile on his face, I'll bust him in the mouth. Losing is losing and we didn't play well. These kids have been babied and pampered so much when they lose that it makes me sick. Losing and looking good is a bunch of crap."
What a masterful psychologist Hayden was. He realized that it wasn't just about playing better but that there had to be a major attitude adjustment in the program that required the players to expect, truly expect, to win every game. It was about confidence and a winning mentality. Although Iowa lost that day it was in many ways the beginning of everything that has happened to Iowa football in the last 32 years...
iahawk72
What was even more memorable (and significant) was Hayden's reaction after the game. Mind you if Iowa hadn't been the worst program in the country in the preceding 20 years they were certainly in that class. Anyway, when a reporter commented to Hayden in the post-game press conference that his team had played a pretty good game, Hayden replied, "I just talked to my players about that. First, we got our butts kicked. Then we get complimented. I just told the team that if I see one single man with a smile on his face, I'll bust him in the mouth. Losing is losing and we didn't play well. These kids have been babied and pampered so much when they lose that it makes me sick. Losing and looking good is a bunch of crap."
What a masterful psychologist Hayden was. He realized that it wasn't just about playing better but that there had to be a major attitude adjustment in the program that required the players to expect, truly expect, to win every game. It was about confidence and a winning mentality. Although Iowa lost that day it was in many ways the beginning of everything that has happened to Iowa football in the last 32 years...
iahawk72
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