Iowa Hawkeyes Football

Three Big Ten Conference titles and Rose Bowl appearances as the Big Ten Conference representative (1981, 1985, 1990) 14 bowl game appearances since 1980 14 first-division finishes in the Big Ten Conference, including three championships and seven additional finishes among the top three teams in the league 11 seasons which included at least seven victories, including 10-win seasons in 1985, 1987 and 1991. In 1981, with Fry in his third season at Iowa and Ferentz in his first year as the Hawkeye offensive line coach, Iowa found itself celebrating victories over nationally ranked Nebraska, UCLA and Michigan, a Big Ten title and its first trip to the Rose Bowl since the 1958 season.Powered by an offense led by all-American quarterback Chuck Long and a defensive unit led by all-America linebacker Larry Station, the 1985 Hawkeyes staked claim to the top of the college football world. Iowa's 1985 squad was ranked No. 1 nationally for five weeks en route to a school-record 10 victories, another Big Ten title, and an appearance in the 1986 Rose Bowl. Iowa's Mike Haight, under the guidance of Ferentz, was named Big Ten Lineman of the Year. Unranked and unheralded at the start of the season, the 1990 Hawkeyes shocked the nation by defeating Big Ten rivals Michigan, Michigan State and Illinois - all on the road - to claim the Big Ten crown and earn yet another berth in the "Granddaddy of all bowl games," the 1991 Rose Bowl.Iowa's 1991 squad also provided some surprises. The Hawkeyes used another high-powered offense and solid defense to capture 10 victories en route to a berth in the 1991 Holiday Bowl. The 10th victory -- a 23-8 verdict over Big Ten rival Minnesota -- was the 100th for Fry as head coach of the Hawkeyes. The Hawkeyes earned their third bowl invitation of the 1990s in 1993, winning their final three regular season games to earn an invitation to the inaugural Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, TX. The clinching victory, a 21-3 win over Minnesota in the season finale, was win No. 200 in Fry's legendary coaching career.Iowa's late-season success continued in 1995 as Iowa defeated Wisconsin in Madison and Minnesota in Iowa City for a 7-4 record, earning an invitation to the Sun Bowl. In El Paso, the Hawkeyes dominated Pac-10 co-champion Washington, winning 38-18.Iowa maintained its status as one of the Best in the Big Ten in 1996, posting a 9-3 record and placing third in the league. A 21-20 win at Penn State sparked Iowa to a 6-2 Big Ten record and the Hawkeyes capped the season with a 27-0 shutout over Texas Tech in the Builders Square Alamo Bowl.Iowa earned its third straight bowl invitation in 1997, posting a 7-5 record despite losing three road games by a total of just eight points. The Hawkeyes featured the Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Year in RB Tavian Banks and the Defensive Lineman of the Year in DT Jared DeVries.Another measure of Iowa's success over the past 20 seasons is the Hawkeyes' standing as nearly a full-time member of the various "Top 25" polls. Iowa was ranked among the nation's elite at season's end 10 times under Fry, including the aforementioned 1985 campaign when the Hawkeyes were the top team in the land for five straight weeks.The number of Hawkeyes singled out for post-season honors is also an indication of Iowa's stature as one of the nation's premier programs. More than 65 Hawkeyes earned all-American status and well over 135 earned all-Big Ten honors at Iowa during the 1980's and 1990's.Two Hawkeyes - all-American quarterback Chuck Long and all-American running back Nick Bell - have been named winners of the coveted Chicago Tribune Silver Football, awarded annually to the Big Ten Conference's most valuable player.