1990 Iowa Hawkeyes football team

The 1990 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa in the 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Hawkeyes played their home games at Kinnick Stadium and were led by legendary coach Hayden Fry.

1990 Iowa Hawkeyes football
Big Ten co-champion
Rose Bowl, L 34–46 vs. Washington
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 16
AP	No. 18
Record	8–4 (6–2 Big Ten)
Head coach	Hayden Fry (12th season)
Offensive coordinator	Carl Jackson (2nd season)
Defensive coordinator	Bill Brashier (12th season)
MVP	10^[1]^[2] Greg Aegerter Nick Bell Melvin Foster Merton Hanks Jim Johnson Mike Miller Matt Ruhland Sean Smith Tony Stewart Michael Titley
Captain	Greg Aegerter Merton Hanks Jim Johnson Tony Stewart
Home stadium	Kinnick Stadium (Capacity: 70,220)
Seasons ← 1989 1991 →

1990 Big Ten Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 7 Michigan +	6	–	2	–	0			9	–	3	–	0
No. 16 Michigan State +	6	–	2	–	0			8	–	3	–	1
No. 25 Illinois +	6	–	2	–	0			8	–	4	–	0
No. 18 Iowa +	6	–	2	–	0			8	–	4	–	0
Ohio State	5	–	2	–	1			7	–	4	–	1
Minnesota	5	–	3	–	0			6	–	5	–	0
Indiana	3	–	4	–	1			6	–	5	–	1
Northwestern	1	–	7	–	0			2	–	9	–	0
Purdue	1	–	7	–	0			2	–	9	–	0
Wisconsin	0	–	8	–	0			1	–	10	–	0
+ – Conference co-champions Rankings from AP Poll

After starting 7–1 and rising to #6 in the polls, Iowa finished the season with an 8–4 record (6–2 Big Ten), winning a four-way tie for the Big Ten Conference championship by defeating the three other teams atop the conference standings – Michigan, Michigan State, and Illinois – in their respective head-to-head matchups. The Hawkeyes earned their third trip to Pasadena in ten years, but fell behind early in the 1991 Rose Bowl and lost 46–34 to the Washington Huskies. It would be another 25 years before Iowa would make a return trip to the Rose Bowl.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 15	1:00 pm	Cincinnati*		Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA	IPTV	W 63–10	66,700^[3]
September 22	11:00 am	Iowa State*		Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA (Cy-Hawk Trophy)		W 45–35	70,389^[4]
September 29	7:00 pm	at No. 10 Miami (FL)*		Orange Bowl Miami, FL	PPV	L 21–48	70,420^[5]
October 6	12:00 pm	at No. 18 Michigan State		Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI		W 12–7	76,873^[6]
October 13	1:00 pm	Wisconsin	No. 25	Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA	IPTV	W 30–10	69,890^[7]
October 20	11:30 am	at No. 10 Michigan	No. 23	Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI	ESPN	W 24–23	105,517^[8]
October 27	1:00 pm	Northwestern	No. 15	Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA		W 56–14	69,501^[9]
November 3	2:30 pm	at No. 5 Illinois	No. 13	Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL	ABC	W 54–28	72,714^[10]
November 10	11:00 am	Ohio State	No. 6	Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA	ABC	L 26–27	70,033^[11]
November 17	2:30 pm	Purdue	No. 13	Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA	ABC	W 38–9	67,636^[12]
November 24	1:30 pm	at Minnesota	No. 13	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Minneapolis, MN (Battle for the Floyd of Rosedale)		L 24–31	64,694^[13]
January 1	3:30 pm	vs. No. 8 Washington*	No. 17	Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA (Rose Bowl)	ABC	L 34–46	101,273^[14]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

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Roster

1990 Iowa Hawkeyes football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class OL 75 Greg Aegerter Sr WR 81 Jeff Anttila Fr OT 78 Rob Baxley Jr RB 43 Nick Bell Sr TE 87 Alan Cross So OT 65 Scott Davis So C 60 Mike Devlin So WR 82 Jon Filloon Jr WR 3 Danan Hughes So OL 69 Mike Miller Sr FB 34 Lew Montgomery So QB 7 Matt Rodgers Jr RB 32 Mike Saunders Jr WR 22 Sean Smith Sr RB 21 Tony Stewart Sr TE 84 Michael Titley Sr OL 61 Dave Turner Jr OL 73 Ted Velicer So FB 46 Matt Whitaker So RB 23 Paul Kujawa So	Defense Pos. # Name Class DL 91 Bret Bielema So DB 17 Phil Bradley Jr DB 29 Greg Brown Sr FS 18 Doug Buch So DB 19 Gary Clark Jr NG 88 Maurea Crain Fr NG 54 Rod Davis Jr LB 31 John Derby Jr LB 49 Teddy Joe Faley So LB 66 Melvin Foster Sr DE 96 Ron Geater Jr CB 45 Merton Hanks Sr DB 5 Carlos James So DT 71 Jim Johnson Sr DT 93 Jeff Nelson So CB 27 Eddie Polly Jr DT 57 Matt Ruhland Sr DE 99 Moses Santos Jr DE 8 Leroy Smith Jr DL 64 Mike Wells Fr SS 15 Brian Wise Jr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class K 11 Jeff Skillett Jr	Head coach Hayden Fry Coordinators/assistant coaches Carl Jackson – Offensive Coordinator Bill Brashier – Defensive Coordinator Don Patterson – Quarterbacks/Wide receivers Bernie Wyatt – Recruiting Coordinator Bill Dervich – Strength and Conditioning Milan Vooletich – Defensive ends Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible   Injured   Redshirt

Rankings

Further information: 1990 NCAA Division I-A football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	—	RV	—	RV	RV	—	25	22	15	13	6	13	13	18	17	18
Coaches	—	—	—	RV	25	RV	24	19	13	13	5	12	11	15	15	16

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Game summaries

Cincinnati

Cincinnati at Iowa

1 2 3 4 Total Bearcats 7 3 0 0 10 • Hawkeyes 0 28 21 14 63 Date: September 15 Location: Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA Game attendance: 66,700 Television network: IPTV Sources: Box Score and Game Story

Scoring summary 1 1:45 CIN Abrams 1-yard run (Rowe kick) CIN 7–0 2 IOWA Matt Rodgers 1-yard run (Skillett kick) Tied 7–7 2 IOWA Matt Rodgers 1-yard run (Skillett kick) Tied 14–7 2 12:21 IOWA Nick Bell 12-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 21–7 2 IOWA Tony Stewart 69-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 28–7 2 0:29 CIN Rowe 27-yard field goal IOWA 28–10 3 IOWA Lew Montgomery 1-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 35–10 3 IOWA Matt Rodgers 11-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 42–10 3 IOWA Jim Hartlieb 2-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 49–10 4 IOWA Kujawa 13-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 56–10 4 IOWA Jim Hartlieb 11-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 63–10

See also: Cincinnati Bearcats football

Kicking off the start of the 1990 Iowa Hawkeye season, the Hawks welcomed in the Cincinnati Bearcats. The Bearcats finished out the '89 season at 1–9–1 as the Hawks finished out at 5–6. In a game that ended up in a blowout, the Hawks cruised to a 63–10 win. Iowa managed to set records as well as they pummeled the Cincinnati defense. After Cincinnati built a 7–0 lead after an interception and a 1-yard touchdown run from Joe Abrams, the Hawks took command for the afternoon. After a scoreless first quarter, quarterback Matt Rodgers led the Hawks to 28 unanswered points, following two touchdowns from Rodgers, and one each from running backs Nick Bell and Tony Stewart. Cincinnati scored its last points of the game with a late field goal and ended the half with Iowa up 28–10. After halftime, Iowa went on cruise control. Iowa went on to score 21 points in the 3rd and 14 in the 4th to win the contest 63–10. Rodgers ended the game going 15–27 on passes with 191 yards. Hawkeye offense racked up 662 yards with 455 yards rushing. The defense was excellent as well. The Bearcats were allowed only 4 first downs and 69 yards rushing.

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Iowa State

Iowa State at Iowa
Battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy

1 2 3 4 Total Cyclones 7 7 7 14 35 • Hawkeyes 7 10 21 7 45 Date: September 22 Location: Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA Game start: 11:00 AM CDT Game attendance: 70,389 Television network: ABC Sources: Box Score and Game Story

Scoring summary 1 IOWA Titley 7-yard pass from Matt Rodgers (Skillett kick) IOWA 7–0 1 ISU Utter 1-yard run (Shudak kick) Tied 7–7 2 IOWA Nick Bell 28-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 14–7 2 ISU Glotfelty 7-yard pass from Utter (Shudak kick) Tied 14–14 2 IOWA Skillett 25-yard field goal IOWA 17–14 3 IOWA Matt Rodgers 5-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 24–14 3 IOWA Stewart 18-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 31–14 3 IOWA Montgomery 1-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 38–14 3 ISU Glotfelty 39-yard pass from Utter (Shudak kick) IOWA 38–21 4 ISU Williams 1-yard run (Shudak kick) IOWA 38–28 4 IOWA Montgomery 15-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 45–28 4 ISU Pederson 66-yard fumble return (Shudak kick) IOWA 45-35

See also: 1990 Iowa State Cyclones football team

The Hawkeyes won a high-scoring affair with in-state rival Iowa State, their eighth in a series of fifteen straight wins in the rivalry.

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At Miami (FL)

Iowa at #10 Miami

1 2 3 4 Total Hawkeyes 0 14 7 0 21 • Hurricanes 14 10 7 17 48 Date: September 29 Location: Orange Bowl Miami, FL Game attendance: 70,420 Sources: Box Score and Game Story

Scoring summary 1 4:14 UM McGuire 1-yard run (Huerta kick) Miami 7–0 1 UM Wesley Carroll 73-yard pass from Craig Erickson (Huerta kick) Miami 14–0 2 13:42 IOWA Nick Bell 3-yard run (Skillett kick) Miami 14–7 2 UM Darryl Spencer 40-yard pass from Craig Erickson (Huerta kick) Miami 21–7 2 IOWA Nick Bell 53-yard pass from Matt Rodgers (Skillett kick) Miami 21–14 2 UM Huerta field goal Miami 24–14 3 8:29 IOWA Sean Smith 35-yard pass from Matt Rodgers (Skillett kick) Miami 24–21 3 UM McGuire 6-yard run (Huerta kick) Miami 31–21 4 14:04 UM Wesley Carroll 16-yard pass from Craig Erickson (Huerta kick) Miami 38–21 4 UM Huerta 36-yard field goal Miami 41–21 4 UM Ryan McNeil 75-yard fumble return (Huerta kick) Miami 48–21

See also: 1990 Miami Hurricanes football team

After pulling to within 24–21 midway through the third quarter, Iowa fell to the mighty Miami Hurricanes in the Orange Bowl, 48–21. It was Miami's 33rd consecutive home win. Even in showing some competitiveness at the game in Miami, FL, few Hawk fans could have guessed what was going to follow, especially following the 5–6 debacle of the previous season, which represented the first season Iowa had not gone to a bowl since 1980.

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At Michigan State

Iowa at #18 Michigan State

1 2 3 4 Total • Hawkeyes 0 9 0 3 12 Spartans 0 0 0 7 7 Date: October 6 Location: Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI Game start: 11:00 AM CDT Game attendance: 76,873 Sources: Box Score and Game Story

Scoring summary 2 IOWA Skillett 31-yard field goal IOWA 3–0 2 IOWA Nick Bell 5-yard pass from Matt Rodgers (kick failed) IOWA 9–0 4 MSU Hickson 6-yard run (Langeloh kick) IOWA 9–7 4 IOWA Skillett 34-yard field goal IOWA 12–7

See also: 1990 Michigan State Spartans football team

In opening Big Ten play, Iowa started what ended up being their third Rose Bowl run in ten seasons. What set this conference season apart from others was that the Hawkeyes played most of their best football on the road. In weeks 1, 3, and 5, Iowa upset what ended up being the other three teams that tied for the Big 10 championship that season, all at their home venue. First was a wind-blown, defensive struggle at East Lansing, with Iowa holding onto a 12–7 victory. Hayden Fry admitted after the game that every pass he had Matt Rodgers throw was with the wind, which was blowing at a diagonal across Spartan Stadium.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin at #25 Iowa
rivalry Game

1 2 3 4 Total Badgers 0 10 0 0 10 • Hawkeyes 3 9 0 18 30 Date: October 13 Location: Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA Game start: 1:00 PM CDT Game attendance: 69,890 Television network: IPTV Sources: Box Score and Game Story

Scoring summary 1 IOWA Skillett 45-yard field goal IOWA 3–0 2 WIS Thompson 37-yard field goal Tied 3–3 2 WIS Williams 20-yard run (Thompson kick) WIS 10–3 2 IOWA Stewart 33-yard run (Skillett kick) Tied 10–10 2 IOWA Safety, Polly tackled Mahone in end zone IOWA 12–10 4 IOWA Nick Bell 3-yard run (Rodgers run) IOWA 20–10 4 IOWA Skillett 35-yard field goal IOWA 23–10 4 IOWA Olejniczak 34-yard interception return (Skillett kick) IOWA 30–10

See also: 1990 Wisconsin Badgers football team

After falling behind 10–3, the Hawkeyes scored the final 27 points of the game to earn a victory over the Badgers in the first meeting between Hayden Fry and former Iowa assistant Barry Alvarez.

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At Michigan

#23 Iowa at #10 Michigan

1 2 3 4 Total • Hawkeyes 0 7 3 14 24 Wolverines 7 7 6 3 23 Date: October 20 Location: Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI Game attendance: 105,517 Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C), Sunny, mild and breezy, Wind ESE 13–20 mph (21–32 km/h) TV announcers (ESPN): Wayne Larrivee Sources: Box Score and Game Story

Scoring summary 1 2:10 MICH Vaughn 2-yard run (Carlson kick) Michigan 7–0 2 11:25 IOWA Hughes 4-yard pass from Rodgers (Skillett kick) Tied 7–7 2 7:34 MICH Jefferson 7-yard run (Carlson kick) Michigan 14–7 3 8:18 IOWA Skillett 32-yard field goal Michigan 14–10 3 4:35 MICH Ware 7-yard blocked punt return (run failed) Michigan 20–10 4 12:16 IOWA Rodgers 1-yard run (Skillett kick) Michigan 20–17 4 4:27 MICH Carlson 47-yard field goal Michigan 23–17 4 1:09 IOWA Kujawa 1-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 24–23

See also: 1990 Michigan Wolverines football team

After a win over (what ended up being cellar-dweller) Wisconsin at home, Iowa traveled to the Big House in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines were still smarting after a tight, tough loss the previous week against Michigan State and it was Homecoming week. But Iowa kept it close throughout. Following a botched two-point conversion by the Wolverines after they had taken a 20–10 lead, the Hawkeyes went to work. Following one Hawkeye touchdown countered by a Michigan field goal, the Hawkeyes put together a drive for the ages, never facing a third-down. Tony Stewart grabbed the last of a series of key passes from Matt Rodgers with one hand, giving the Hawkeyes the ball at the Michigan 1-yard line. Paul Kujawa ran it in from there, and with the extra point, the Hawks took the lead by the eventual final score of 24–23. A sack by Moses Santos and an interception by linebacker John Derby sealed the stunner. It was Michigan's first loss on Homecoming since the 1967 season.

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Northwestern

Northwestern at #15 Iowa

1 2 3 4 Total Wildcats 0 0 7 7 14 • Hawkeyes 6 29 14 7 56 Date: October 27 Location: Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA Game attendance: 69,501 Sources: Box Score and Game Story

Scoring summary 1 IOWA Nick Bell 4-yard run (kick blocked) IOWA 6–0 2 IOWA Titley 3-yard pass from Matt Rodgers (Kujawa pass from Rodgers) IOWA 14–0 2 IOWA Nick Bell 16-yard run (Skillett kick) Tied 21–0 2 IOWA Danan Hughes 11-yard pass from Rodgers (Skillett kick) IOWA 28–0 2 IOWA Nick Bell 26-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 35–0 3 NW Zipfel 2-yard pass from Williams (Adler kick) IOWA 35–7 3 IOWA Lampkin 3-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 42–7 3 IOWA Middleton 7-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 49–7 4 IOWA Lampkin 5-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 56–7 4 NW Krebs 3-yard run (Adler kick) IOWA 56–14

See also: 1990 Northwestern Wildcats football team

Nick Bell rushed 16 times for 136 yards and 3 touchdowns. Tony Stewart added 122 yards on 15 carries as the Hawkeyes rushed for 371 yards.

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At Illinois

#13 Iowa at #5 Illinois

1 2 3 4 Total • Hawkeyes 21 14 9 10 54 Fighting Illini 0 14 0 14 28 Date: November 3 Location: Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL Game start: 2:30 CDT Game attendance: 72,714 Game weather: Overcast, Wind 15–20 mph (24–32 km/h) Referee: Gil Marchman TV announcers (ABC): Keith Jackson, Bob Griese, and Jack Arute Sources: [ Box score]

Scoring summary 1 13:11 IOWA Mike Saunders 5-yard pass from Matt Rodgers (Skillett kick) IOWA 7–0 1 4:20 IOWA Danan Hughes 3-yard pass from Tony Stewart (Skillett kick) IOWA 14–0 1 2:01 IOWA Nick Bell 25-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 21–0 2 10:09 IOWA Nick Bell 1-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 28–0 2 6:10 Illinois Wax 20-yard pass from Verduzco (Higgins kick) IOWA 28–7 2 3:37 IOWA Matt Whitaker 14-yard pass from Jim Hartlieb (Skillett kick) IOWA 35–7 2 1:43 Illinois Lester 2-yard pass from Verduzco (Higgins kick) IOWA 35–14 3 9:12 IOWA Danan Hughes 17-yard pass from Matt Rodgers (kick failed) IOWA 41–14 3 5:20 IOWA Skillet 29-yard field goal IOWA 44–14 4 13:08 Illinois Wax 9-yard pass from Verduzco (Higgins kick) IOWA 44–21 4 10:44 IOWA Matt Rodgers 1-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 51–21 4 9:50 Illinois Wax 5-yard pass from Verduzco (Higgins kick) IOWA 51–28 4 3:39 IOWA Skillett 22-yard field goal IOWA 54–28

See also: 1990 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

The Hawks key road triumphs weren't finished as they traveled to Champaign, Illinois. Against an Illinois team that had the inside track to the Rose Bowl, Iowa put together one of their best offensive games in the Fry era, especially for a key road game. The Hawkeyes used an early fumble by the Illini to begin an exhibition by RB Nick Bell, the likes of which had rarely been seen in the Big 10 between two undefeated teams (in conference play). Bell literally ran over the Illini, scampering for 130 yards in the 1st quarter alone. The Hawks led by an amazing 28–0 early in the second quarter, and they stretched it to 44–14 by the end of the 3rd quarter, before settling for a 54–28 final. It was most likely from the efforts of that game that Nick Bell was named by the media as the Big 10 player of the year.

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Ohio State

Ohio State at #6 Iowa

1 2 3 4 Total • Buckeyes 0 14 0 13 27 Hawkeyes 7 10 3 6 26 Date: November 10 Location: Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA Game start: 11:00 AM CST Game attendance: 70,033 TV announcers (ABC): Brent Musburger and Dick Vermeil Sources: Box Score and Game Story

Scoring summary 1 11:12 IOWA Rodgers 3-yard run (Skillett kick) Iowa 7–0 2 14:58 OSU Frey 1-yard run (Williams kick) Tied 7–7 2 9:04 IOWA Skillett 34-yard field goal Iowa 10–7 2 2:17 IOWA Montgomery 1-yard run (Skillett kick) Iowa 17–7 2 0:00 OSU J. Graham 48-yard pass from Frey (Williams kick) Iowa 17–14 3 0:23 IOWA Skillett 37-yard field goal Iowa 20–14 4 11:00 IOWA Montgomery 1-yard run (run failed) Iowa 26–14 4 6:34 OSU Olive 21-yard pass from Frey (Williams kick) Iowa 26–21 4 0:01 OSU Olive 3-yard pass from Frey (run failed) Ohio St 27–26

See also: 1990 Ohio State Buckeyes football team

The Hawkeye bubble burst in Iowa City with a last-second loss to Ohio State. Buckeye WR Bobby Olive caught the game winning TD, his second scoring reception of the 4th quarter, from QB Greg Frey with 0:01 left on the clock. Ohio State also scored a 48-yard touchdown as the first half expired.

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Game statistics	OHIO ST	IOWA
First downs	13	19
Rushes–yards	29–55	53–199
Passing yards	223	172
Total yards	278	371
Penalties	11–93	7–55
Turnovers	1	2
Time of possession	25:28	34:32

Purdue

Purdue at #13 Iowa

1 2 3 4 Total Boilermakers 0 3 0 6 9 • Hawkeyes 7 7 10 14 38 Date: November 17 Location: Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA Game start: 2:30 PM CST Game attendance: 67,636 TV announcers (ABC): Brent Musburger and Dick Vermeil Sources: Box Score and Game Story

Scoring summary 1 IOWA Stewart 7-yard pass from Rodgers (Skillett kick) IOWA 7–0 2 PUR Wambold 39-yard field goal IOWA 7–3 2 IOWA Hughes 14-yard pass from Rodgers (Skillett kick) IOWA 14–3 3 IOWA Stewart 30-yard pass from Rodgers (Skillett kick) IOWA 21–3 3 IOWA Skillett 21-yard field goal IOWA 24–3 4 IOWA Smith 5-yard pass from Rodgers (Skillett kick) IOWA 31–3 4 PUR Hunter 7-yard run (kick failed) IOWA 31–9 4 IOWA Lampkin 15-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 38–9

See also: 1990 Purdue Boilermakers football team

The Hawkeyes, entering as 26-point favorites, bounced back with what proved to be a Big 10-clinching win at home against Purdue.

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At Minnesota

#13 Iowa at Minnesota
Battle for Floyd of Rosedale

1 2 3 4 Total Hawkeyes 0 10 7 7 24 • Golden Gophers 7 14 3 7 31 Date: November 24 Location: Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Minneapolis, MN Game start: 1:30 PM CDT Game attendance: 64,694 Sources: Box Score and Game Story

Scoring summary 1 MINN Smith 3-yard run (Berglund kick) MINN 7–0 2 IOWA Skillett 32-yard field goal MINN 7–3 2 IOWA Montgomery 1-yard run (Skillett kick) IOWA 10–7 2 MINN Smith 1-yard run (Berglund kick) MINN 14–10 2 MINN Joiner recovered blocked punt in end zone (Berglund kick) MINN 21–10 3 MINN Berglund 33-yard field goal MINN 24–10 3 IOWA Titley 4-yard pass from Rodgers (Skillett kick) MINN 24–17 4 MINN Joiner 28-yard pass from Fleetwood (Berglund kick) MINN 31–17 4 IOWA Nick Bell 39-yard run (Skillett kick) MINN 31–24

See also: 1990 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team

Knowing that they were Rose Bowl-bound before they even took the field, the Hawkeyes dropped their final road game at Minnesota, 31–24. In that game, Tony Stewart became the Hawkeyes all-time leading rusher (at least at that time), though he lost a key fumble on that play.

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Rose Bowl

#17 Iowa vs. #8 Washington

1 2 3 4 Total Hawkeyes 0 7 7 20 34 • Huskies 10 23 6 7 46 Date: January 1, 1991 Location: Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA Game attendance: 101,273 Referee: Pat Flood TV announcers (ABC): Keith Jackson, Bob Griese, and Jack Arute Sources: [Box score]

Scoring summary 1 Wash Hanson 23-yard field goal Wash 3–0 1 Wash Hall 27-yard return of blocked punt (Hanson kick) Wash 10–0 2 Iowa Nick Bell 15-yard run (Skillett kick) Wash 10–7 2 Wash Hanson 34-yard field goal Wash 13–7 2 Wash Mincy 37-yard interception return (pass failed) Wash 19–7 2 Wash Mark Brunell 5-yard run (Hanson kick) Wash 26–7 2 Wash Mario Bailey 22-yard pass from Mark Brunell (Hanson kick) Wash 33–7 3 Iowa Matt Rodgers 7-yard run (Skillett kick) Wash 33–14 3 Wash Mark Brunell 20-yard run (run failed) Wash 39–14 4 Iowa Matt Rodgers 9-yard run (run failed) Wash 39–20 4 Iowa Nick Bell 20-yard run (pass failed) Wash 39–26 4 Wash Mario Bailey 31-yard pass from Mark Brunell (Hanson kick) Wash 46–26 4 Iowa Saunders 12-yard pass from Rodgers (Velicer pass from Rodgers) Wash 46–34

Main article: 1991 Rose Bowl

See also: 1990 Washington Huskies football team

The Rose Bowl placed an over-matched Iowa against one of the best teams in the country that season, the Washington Huskies, led by head coach Don James. The Hawkeyes trailed badly at the half and trailed 39–14 after three quarters. With Washington reserves taking over in the fourth quarter, Iowa scored two touchdowns to draw within thirteen. With another Washington touchdown the margin was back to twenty, and Iowa's late last score and conversion brought them to within a dozen where the game ended, 46–34. It was Hayden Fry's last trip to Pasadena, and he ended up 0–3 in those games.^[28]

Postseason awards

• Hayden Fry – Big Ten Coach of the Year
• Nick Bell and Matt Rodgers – co-Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year (coaches)
• Merton Hanks – All-American Defensive Back (Newspaper Enterprise Association)

See also: 1990 College Football All-America Team and 1990 All-Big Ten Conference football team

Team players in the 1991 NFL draft

Main article: 1991 NFL draft

Player	Position	Round	Pick	NFL club
Nick Bell	Running Back	2	43	Los Angeles Raiders
Merton Hanks	Defensive Back	5	122	San Francisco 49ers
Michael Titley	Tight End	10	275	Miami Dolphins
Tony Stewart	Running Back	11	297	Seattle Seahawks

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Other notable players

• Bret Bielema, nose guard – Head coach at Wisconsin, 2006–2012, Head coach at Arkansas, 2013–2017.

References

1. The University of Iowa Athletic Communications. (PDF). The University of Iowa Athletic Communications. p. 145. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 30, 2016. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
2. "Iowa football team names 10 co-winners of MVP award" (PDF). UPI. December 8, 1990. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
3. Wingert, Scott (September 16, 1990). "Iowa Smashes Records, Kicks Cincinnati, 63-10". The Telegraph Herald.
4. "Big Eight Roundup". Daily Union. September 23, 1990.
5. Hinshaw, Lydia (September 30, 1990). "'Canes Clip Hawkeyes, Await Battle With Seminoles". Daytona Beach Sunday News-Journal.
6. "Iowa 12, Michigan St. 7". Ocala Star-Banner. October 7, 1990.
7. "Iowa 30, Wisconsin 20". Ocala Star-Banner. October 14, 1990.
8. "1990 Football Team -- University of Michigan Athletics".
9. "Iowa 56, Northwestern 14". Gadsden Times. October 28, 1990.
10. "No. 13 Iowa, No. 5 Illinois". Kingman Daily Miner. November 4, 1990.
11. Sherman, Ed (November 11, 1990). "Ohio State Stuns Iowa, Stays Alive". Chicago Tribune.
12. "Iowa 38, Purdue 9". Gainesville Sun. November 18, 1990.
13. "It's Like a Road Game at Home". Star Tribune. November 25, 1990.
14. Cunningham, Dave (January 2, 1991). "Fry Proves Prophetic In Loss To Washington". Orlando Sentinel.
15. "1990 Iowa Hawkeyes Schedule and Results". sports-reference.com. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
16. "Iowa 1990 AP Football Rankings". collegepollarchive.com. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
17. "Iowa 63, Cincinnati 10". Chicago Tribune. September 16, 1990. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
18. "In Battle of Iowas, Hawkeyes Extend Win Streak, 45-35". Los Angeles Times. September 23, 1990. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
19. "Hawks go down gamely: 10th rated Miami tops Iowa, 48-21". The Gazette. September 30, 1990. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
20. "Iowa defense, Foster stonewall Michigan St". Chicago Tribune. October 7, 1990. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
21. "Iowa punishes Wisconsin with all-day running game". Chicago Tribune. October 14, 1990. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
22. "Iowa makes it 2 for 2 in Michigan". Chicago Tribune. October 21, 1990. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
23. "Tuneup For Showdown: Iowa Routs NU". Chicago Tribune. October 28, 1990. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
24. "College Football; Scent of Roses for Hawkeyes". The New York Times. November 4, 1990. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
25. "Ohio State Stuns Iowa, Stays Alive". Chicago Tribune. November 11, 1990. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
26. "No Room to Run, So Iowa Passes Purdue". Los Angeles Times. November 18, 1990. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
27. "Iowa Finds Rose Amid Thorns: Big Ten: Hawkeyes lose to Minnesota but gain the bowl berth out of four-way tie for conference title". Los Angeles Times. November 25, 1990. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
28. "Washington Outlasts Fast-Finishing Iowa". The New York Times. January 2, 1991. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
29. "1991 NFL draft". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved November 10, 2015.