1985 Iowa Hawkeyes football
Big Ten champion
Rose Bowl, L 28–45 vs. UCLA
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 9
APNo. 10
Record10–2 (7–1 Big Ten)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorBill Snyder (7th season)
Defensive coordinatorBill Brashier (7th season)
MVP
13[2]
CaptainMike Haight
Ronnie Harmon
Chuck Long
Hap Peterson
Larry Station [1]
Home stadiumKinnick Stadium
(Capacity: 67,700)
Seasons
← 1984
1986 →
1985 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 10 Iowa $ 7 – 1 – 0 10 – 2 – 0
No. 2 Michigan 6 – 1 – 1 10 – 1 – 1
Illinois 5 – 2 – 1 6 – 5 – 1
No. 14 Ohio State 5 – 3 – 0 9 – 3 – 0
Michigan State 5 – 3 – 0 7 – 5 – 0
Minnesota 4 – 4 – 0 7 – 5 – 0
Purdue 3 – 5 – 0 5 – 6 – 0
Wisconsin 2 – 6 – 0 5 – 6 – 0
Indiana 1 – 7 – 0 4 – 7 – 0
Northwestern 1 – 7 – 0 3 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1985 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa in the 1985 Big Ten Conference football season. The Hawkeyes were led by seventh-year head coach Hayden Fry and played their home games at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.

Chuck Long declared that he would return for his senior season. He became an instant Heisman Trophy candidate, and Iowa was a preseason top five team. After three weeks in 1985, the Hawkeyes ascended to No. 1 in the national rankings for the second time in team history (1960). Three weeks later, in the sixth game of the season, No. 1 Iowa faced No. 2 Michigan at Kinnick Stadium. Iowa trailed 10–9 as the Hawkeyes regained possession of the football at their own 22-yard line with just 5:27 remaining in the game. Long drove the Iowa team to the 12-yard line with two seconds remaining to set up kicker Rob Houghtlin's game-winning field goal as time expired. After a rout of Northwestern, the Hawkeyes were upset by the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus, Ohio. The loss to Ohio State cost Iowa their No. 1 ranking, but the Hawkeyes still won the Big Ten title outright for the first time in 27 years.[3]

Long won a number of major national awards, including the Maxwell Award, given to the nation's top player and the Davey O'Brien Award, given to the nation's top quarterback, and the Chicago Tribune Silver Football as the top player in the Big Ten. He was a consensus first-team selection to the 1985 College Football All-America Team and the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy to Bo Jackson of Auburn, losing by just 45 points.

Iowa lost Long's final game, the 1986 Rose Bowl, to UCLA by a score of 45–28. Long's Iowa teams compiled a 35–13–1 record. He graduated with 10,461 passing yards and 74 touchdowns on 782 completions.

Schedule

DateOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 14Drake*No. 5
W 58–066,135
September 21Northern Illinois*No. 4
  • Kinnick Stadium
  • Iowa City, Iowa
W 48–2066,014
September 28at Iowa State*No. 3
ABCW 57–353,202
October 5Michigan StatedaggerNo. 1
  • Kinnick Stadium
  • Iowa City, Iowa
CBSW 35–3166,044
October 12at WisconsinNo. 1
W 23–1379,023
October 19No. 2 MichiganNo. 1
  • Kinnick Stadium
  • Iowa City, Iowa
CBSW 12–1066,350
October 26at NorthwesternNo. 1
W 49–1047,269
November 2at No. 8 Ohio StateNo. 1
CBSL 13–2290,467
November 9IllinoisNo. 6
  • Kinnick Stadium
  • Iowa City, Iowa
W 59–066,120
November 16at PurdueNo. 5
CBSW 27–2457,762
November 23MinnesotaNo. 3
TBSW 31–966,020
January 1vs. No. 13 UCLA*No. 4
NBCL 28–45103,292
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

[4]

Roster

1985 Iowa Hawkeyes football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
OL 55 Dave Alexander Jr
OL 75 Kevin Angel Sr
FB 23 Richard Bass Fr
RB 13 Rick Bayless So
OL 69 Mike Bennett Sr
FB 35 Fred Bush Sr
OL 78 Malcolm Christie So
TE 49 Craig Clark So
TE 84 Marv Cook Fr
WR 82 Pat Coppinger Jr
FB 25 Marshall Cotton So
OT 61 Dave Croston Jr
OL 63 Jeff Croston Fr
OL 58 Greg Divis So
WR 1 Quinn Early So
TE 86 Mike Flagg So
OL 74 Chris Gambol Jr
RB 22 Grant Goodman Fr
WR 80 Steve Green So
OT 79 Mike Haight (C) Sr
WR 40 Bill Happel Sr
RB 28 Kevin Harmon So
RB 31 Ronnie Harmon (C) Sr
QB 8 Chuck Hartlieb  Fr
WR 87 Scott Helverson Sr
QB 15 Jay Hess Jr
FB 20 David Hudson Fr
G 65 Tom Humphrey Sr
G 70 Bob Kratch Fr
QB 16 Chuck Long (C) Sr
WR 81 Derrius Loveless So
RB John Marchese Sr
WR 26 Peter Marciano Fr
WR 47 Jim Mauro So
TE 89 Dave Murphy Jr
OL 66 Kelly O'Brien Sr
TE 85 John Palmer Fr
QB 14 Tom Poholsky Fr
OL 67 Jim Poynton Fr
RB 33 Kevin Ringer Fr
FB 30 John Rudolph Jr
OL 60 Bob Schmitt So
FB 17 Tim Sennott Sr
C 56 Mark Sindlinger Jr
WR 2 Robert Smith Jr
OL 53 Mark Spranger Jr
QB 12 Mark Vlasic Jr
OL 71 Chuck Waggoner Fr
TE 88 Tom Ward So
OL 73 Herb Wester So
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
DL 68 Tim Anderson So
LB 93 Tim Batterson So
DE 92 Jeff Beard So
DE 48 Tyrone Berrie Fr
LB 43 Jeff Blake So
DB 19 Mike Bolan Jr
DE 5 Mike Burke So
DE 90 Doug Burrell Sr
DB 3 Kerry Burt So
CB 29 Nate Creer Sr
DB 18 Kyle Crowe Sr
LB 37 George Davis Jr
DL 76 Jeff Drost Jr
DE 83 Mike Ertz Fr
DE 94 Bruce Gear Jr
DE 96 Robert Grafton Jr
DL 64 Dave Haight Fr
DL 54 Eric Higgins Fr
DB 42 Tork Hook Fr
DB 19 Carl Jackson So
DL 77 Myron Keppy Jr
DB 4 Lloyd Kimber Jr
LB 34 Vernon Little Fr
DE 98 George Millett Sr
DB 21 Devon Mitchell Sr
DE 97 Joe Mott Fr
DB 45 Jay Norvell Sr
DL 50 Hap Peterson (C) Sr
DE 71 Chris Pigott Fr
DE 99 Richard Pryor Jr
LB 32 J.J. Puk Jr
LB 95 Jim Reilly Fr
LB 38 Shawon Respress Fr
DE 91 Sean Ridley Fr
DB 11 Rick Schmidt Jr
DL 72 Joe Schuster  Jr
DB 44 Keaton Smiley So
DB 9 Ken Sims Jr
LB 36 Larry Station (C) Sr
DB 41 Mark Stoops Fr
LB 39 Tyrone Taylor So
DL 95 Eric Underberg Jr
DL 57 Jon Vrieze Jr
DL 51 Bill Weires Sr
LB 46 Dan Wirth So
DB 10 Anthony Wright Fr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
K 84 Marv Cook Fr
K 6 George Murphy Fr
K 7 Rob Houghtlin So
P 27 Gary Kostrubala Jr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
  • Bill Snyder – Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks
  • Bill Brashier – Defensive coordinator
  • Kirk Ferentz – Offensive line
  • Carl Jackson – Running backs
  • Del Miller – Offensive assistant
  • Dan McCarney – Defensive line
  • Barry Alvarez – Linebackers
  • Don Patterson – Defensive backs
  • Bernie Wyatt – Defensive ends/recruiting coordinator
  • Bill Dervich – Strength and conditioning
  • Bob Stoops – Volunteer assistant
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Rankings

Further information: 1985 NCAA Division I-A football rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
( ) = First-place votes
Week
PollPre123456789101112131415Final
AP4 (7)4 (5)5 (5)4 (5)3 (5)1 (35)1 (34)1 (27)1 (60)1 (58)6532 (3)3 (3)4 (2)10
Coaches8 (1)7431 (19)1 (16)1 (16)1 (42)1 (42)6543339

[5]

Game summaries

Drake

Drake at #5 Iowa
1 234Total
Bulldogs 0 000 0
• No. 5 Hawkeyes 0 14377 58
  • Date: September 14
  • Location: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa
  • Game start: 1:05 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 2:55
  • Game attendance: 66,135
  • Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C), Partly cloudy, Wind SW 10–12 miles per hour (16–19 km/h)
  • Referee: Jim Kemerling
      
Scoring summary
210:37IOWAClark 6-yard pass from Long (Houghtlin kick)Iowa 7–0
0:02IOWAHelverson 4-yard pass from Long (Houghtlin kick)Iowa 14–0
311:28IOWAR. Harmon 2-yard run (Houghtlin kick)Iowa 21–0
9:16IOWAR. Harmon 6-yard run (kick failed)Iowa 27–0
5:50IOWARob Houghtlin 46-yard field goalIowa 30–0
4:37IOWAK. Harmon 2-yard run (Houghtlin kick)Iowa 37–0
3:40IOWAHudson 10-yard run (Houghtlin kick)Iowa 44–0
1:50IOWAHelverson 31-yard pass from Vlasic (Houghtlin kick)Iowa 51–0
48:41IOWABayless 1-yard run (Houghtlin kick)Iowa 58–0

See also: 1985 Drake Bulldogs football team

[6]

Drake Iowa
First Downs 9 25
Rushing Yards –36 167
Passing 19–37–1 25–37–0
Passing Yards 184 324
Total Offense 148 491
Fumbles Lost 2–2 0–0
Punts-Average 9–35.5 4–36.5
Penalties 6–59 6–37
Team Category Player Statistics
Drake Passing Ed Cheatham 12–17, 121 yards, INT
Rushing Lawrence 3 carries, 10 yards
Receiving Peterson 6 receptions, 85 yards
Iowa Passing Chuck Long 21–31, 248 yards, 2 TD
Rushing Ronnie Harmon 14 carries, 58 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Scott Helverson 7 receptions, 88 yards, 2 TD

Northern Illinois

Northern Illinois at #4 Iowa
1 234Total
Huskies 0 767 20
• Hawkeyes 14 101410 48
  • Date: September 21
  • Location: Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa
  • Game start: 1:05 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 3:00
  • Game attendance: 66,014
  • Game weather: ~65 °F (18 °C), Cloudy
  • Referee: Tom Quinn
       
Scoring summary
14:52IowaSmith 8-yard pass from Long (Houghtlin kick)Iowa 7–0
3:08IowaHappel 36-yard pass from Long (Houghtlin kick)Iowa 14–0
211:57IowaRob Houghtlin 50-yard field goalIowa 17–0
9:08IowaHappel 39-yard pass from Long (Houghtlin kick)Iowa 24–0
5:06NIUWooldridge 21-yard pass from Taylor (Forester kick)Iowa 24–7
36:31IowaEarly 15-yard pass from Long (Houghtlin kick)Iowa 31–7
5:32NIUTaylor 1-yard run (run failed)Iowa 31–13
3:32IowaHappel 12-yard pass from Long (Houghtlin kick)Iowa 38–13
411:43IOWARob Houghtlin 41-yard field goalIowa 41–13
5:46IowaMauro 16-yard pass from Vlasic (Houghtlin kick)Iowa 48–13
1:34NIUGerin 22-yard pass from Genatempo (Forester kick)Iowa 48–20

See also: 1985 Northern Illinois Huskies football team

Senior WR Bill Happel had a big day with 207 yards receiving and 3 touchdowns. The yardage total marked the first time a Hawkeye had more than 200 yards receiving in a single game and stood as the school record for two years.

[7]

NIU Iowa
First Downs 8 25
Rushing Yards 16 187
Passing 5–14–2 20–32–3
Passing Yards 69 347
Total Offense 85 534
Fumbles Lost 4–3 3–3
Punts-Average 10–43.8 3–48.0
Penalties 2–10 7–55
Time of Possession 30:35 29:25
Team Category Player Statistics
Northern Illinois Passing Marshall Taylor 3–9, 41 yards, TD, 2 INT
Rushing Antonio Davis 6 carries, 27 yards
Receiving Andy Wooldridge 2 receptions, 37 yards, TD
Iowa Passing Chuck Long 18–28, 270 yards, 5 TD, 3 INT
Rushing Ronnie Harmon 17 carries, 92 yards
Receiving Bill Happel 9 receptions, 207 yards, 3 TD

at Iowa State

#3 Iowa at Iowa State
1 234Total
• No. 3 Hawkeyes 7 34160 57
Cyclones 0 003 3
       
Scoring summary
14:11IowaFred Bush 4-yard run (Houghtlin kick)Iowa 7–0
214:05IowaRob Houghtlin 47-yard field goalIowa 10–0
8:55IowaR. Harmon 2-yard run (Houghtlin kick)Iowa 17–0
6:59IowaR. Harmon 23-yard run (Houghtlin kick)Iowa 24–0
2:48IowaRob Houghtlin 41-yard field goalIowa 27–0
1:47IowaMike Flagg 3-yard pass from Chuck Long (Houghtlin kick)Iowa 34–0
0:47IowaSmith 9-yard pass from Chuck Long (Houghtlin kick)Iowa 41–0
313:19IowaScott Helverson 46-yard pass from Chuck Long (kick failed)Iowa 47–0
9:37IowaRob Houghtlin 27-yard field goalIowa 50–0
2:33IowaScott Helverson 26-yard pass from Vlassic (Cook kick)Iowa 57–0
45:21ISUFrank 52-yard field goalIowa 57–3

See also: 1985 Iowa State Cyclones football team and Iowa–Iowa State football rivalry

The Hawkeyes earned the third of 15 consecutive wins over their in-state rivals. To date, this remains the largest margin of victory in the series. The convincing win vaulted Iowa to the #1 ranking in the country, a spot they would occupy for five consecutive weeks.

[8] [9]

Iowa ISU
First Downs 23 13
Rushing Yards 138 73
Passing 24–40–0 16–33–1
Passing Yards 357 157
Total Offense 495 230
Fumbles Lost 3–2 6–3
Punts-Average 3–38.7 8–35.1
Penalties 6–55 4–26
Time of Possession 28:33 31:27
Team Category Player Statistics
Iowa Passing Chuck Long 19–32, 223 yards, 3 TD
Rushing Ronnie Harmon 19 carries, 103 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Scott Helverson 8 receptions, 154 yards, 2 TD
Iowa State Passing Alex Espinoza 16–33, 157 yards, INT
Rushing Marques Rodgers 12 carries, 55 yards
Receiving Danny Gantt 4 receptions, 43 yards

Michigan State

Michigan State at #1 Iowa
1 234Total
Spartans 0 10147 31
• No. 1 Hawkeyes 7 6157 35
      
Scoring summary
110:23IowaRobert Smith 60-yard pass from Chuck Long (Houghtlin kick)Iowa 7–0
213:12IowaMike Flagg 17-yard pass from Chuck Long (kick failed)Iowa 13–0
11:34MSUChris Caudell 32-yard field goalIowa 13–3
9:15MSUAndre Rison 50-yard pass from Bobby McAllister (Caudell kick)Iowa 13–10
312:30MSULorenzo White 23-yard run (Caudell kick)MSU 17–13
7:01MSULorenzo White 1-yard run (Caudell kick)MSU 24–13
6:16IowaRobert Smith 4-yard pass from Chuck Long (Flagg pass from Long for two-point conversion)MSU 24–21
3:21IowaMike Flagg 12-yard pass from Chuck Long (Houghtlin kick)Iowa 28–24
44:06MSUCraig Johnson 25-yard run (Caudell kick)MSU 31–28
0:27IowaChuck Long 2-yard run (Houghtlin kick)Iowa 35–31

See also: 1985 Michigan State Spartans football team

In their first game since ascending to the #1 ranking, the Hawkeyes survived a wild, back and forth thriller. The teams combined for well over 1,000 yards of total offense. Chuck Long (30–39, 380 yards, 4 TD) scored the winning touchdown on a 2-yard bootleg with 27 seconds remaining.

[10]

MSU Iowa
First Downs 28 25
Rushing Yards 305 108
Passing 18–28–0 30–39–2
Passing Yards 275 380
Total Offense 580 488
Fumbles Lost 1–0 0–0
Punts-Average 6–37.0 5–45.2
Penalties 9–50 4–40
Time of Possession 36:15 23:45
Team Category Player Statistics
Michigan State Passing Bobby McAllister 18–27, 275 yards, TD
Rushing Lorenzo White 39 carries, 226 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Mark Ingram 7 receptions, 148 yards
Iowa Passing Chuck Long 30–39, 380 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT
Rushing Ronnie Harmon 20 carries, 84 yards
Receiving Scott Helverson 9 receptions, 102 yards

at Wisconsin

#1 Iowa at Wisconsin
1 234Total
• No. 1 Hawkeyes 3 7310 23
Badgers 0 0103 13
  • Date: October 12
  • Location: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin
  • Game start: 1:08 p.m. CDT
  • Elapsed time: 2:51
  • Game attendance: 79,023
  • Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C), Cloudy, Wind SSW 10–20 mph (16–32 km/h)
  • Referee: John Nealon
Scoring summary
13:55IOWARob Houghtlin 30-yard field goalIowa 3–0
211:42IOWABill Happel 8-yard pass from Chuck Long (Rob Houghtlin kick)Iowa 10–0
35:52WISJoe Armentrout 3-yard pass from Bud Keyes (Todd Gregoire kick)Iowa 10–7
33:53IOWARob Houghtlin 40-yard field goalIowa 13–7
30:07WISTodd Gregoire 27-yard field goalIowa 13–10
410:52IOWARonnie Harmon 12-yard run (Rob Houghtlin kick)IOWA 20-10
46:01WISTodd Gregoire 24-yard field goalIowa 20–13
43:14IOWARob Houghtlin 35-yard field goalIowa 23–13

See also: 1985 Wisconsin Badgers football team and Iowa–Wisconsin football rivalry

[11]

Iowa Wis
First Downs 15 17
Rushing Yards 174 172
Passing 18–30–1 13–31–3
Passing Yards 167 134
Total Offense 341 306
Fumbles Lost 2–2 0–0
Punts-Average 5–43.4 8–36.8
Penalties 7–49 5–35
Time of Possession 26:58 33:02
Team Category Player Statistics
Iowa Passing Chuck Long 18–28, 167 yards, TD, INT
Rushing Ronnie Harmon 20 carries, 175 yards, TD
Receiving Ronnie Harmon 8 receptions, 62 yards
Wisconsin Passing Bud Keyes 7–19, 88 yards, TD, 2 INT
Rushing Larry Emery 19 carries, 104 yards
Receiving Scott Sharron 5 receptions, 47 yards

No. 2 Michigan

#2 Michigan at #1 Iowa
1 234Total
No. 2 Wolverines 0 703 10
• No. 1 Hawkeyes 0 606 12
    
Scoring summary
29:05IOWARob Houghtlin 35-yard field goalIowa 3–0
6:06MICHWhite 6-yard pass from Jim Harbaugh (Mike Gillette kick)Mich 7–3
0:04IOWARob Houghtlin 27-yard field goalMich 7–6
414:20IOWARob Houghtlin 36-yard field goalIowa 9–7
10:55MICHMike Gillette 40-yard field goalMich 10–9
0:00IOWARob Houghtlin 29-yard field goalIowa 12–10

See also: 1985 Michigan Wolverines football team

The #1 Hawkeyes dominated the game statistically — holding major advantages in total yards (422–182), offensive plays (84–41), and time of possession (38:05-21:55) — but could not find the end zone. Rob Houghtlin kicked a 29-yard field goal as time expired to lift the top-ranked Hawkeyes to victory over the #2 "Wolverdinks", as Houghtlin referred to them.[12]

[13] [14] [15] [16] [17]

Mich Iowa
First Downs 9 26
Rushing Yards 127 125
Passing 8–13–0 26–39–1
Passing Yards 55 297
Total Offense 182 422
Fumbles Lost 0–0 1–0
Punts-Average 6–39.8 3–31.7
Penalties 4–35 3–26
Time of Possession 21:55 38:05
Team Category Player Statistics
Michigan Passing Jim Harbaugh 8–13, 55 yards, TD
Rushing Jamie Morris 14 carries, 70 yards
Receiving Paul Jokisch 2 receptions, 23 yards
Iowa Passing Chuck Long 26–39, 297 yards, INT
Rushing Ronnie Harmon 32 carries, 120 yards
Receiving Bill Happel 9 receptions, 107 yards

at Northwestern

#1 Iowa at Northwestern
1 234Total
• No. 1 Hawkeyes 7 21714 49
Wildcats 0 307 10
  • Date: October 26
  • Location: Dyche Stadium, Evanston, Illinois
  • Game start: 1:37 p.m. CDT
  • Elapsed time: 2:44
  • Game attendance: 47,276
  • Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C), Sunny, Wind SW 14 mph (23 km/h)
Scoring summary
18:48IOWABill Happel 28-yard pass from Chuck Long (Rob Houghtlin kick)IOWA 7–0
29:16NWJohn Duvic 21-yard field goalIOWA 7–3
27:14IOWARonnie Harmon 44-yard pass from Chuck Long (Rob Houghtlin kick)IOWA 14–3
23:44IOWARobert Smith 89-yard pass from Chuck Long (Rob Houghtlin kick)IOWA 21–3
22:37IOWABill Happel 35-yard pass from Chuck Long (Rob Houghtlin kick)IOWA 28–3
311:22IOWABill Happel 25-yard pass from Chuck Long (Rob Houghtlin kick)IOWA 35–3
414:52IOWACraig Clark 4-yard pass from Chuck Long (Rob Houghtlin kick)IOWA 42–3
412:51IOWAKevin Harmon 2-yard run (Rob Houghtlin kick)IOWA 49–3
42:02NWMarc Bumgarner 4-yard pass from Mike Greenfield (John Duvic kick)IOWA 49–10

See also: 1985 Northwestern Wildcats football team

On a windy day in Evanston, Chuck Long went 19-26 for 399 yards and a Big Ten record-tying 6 TDs. Bill Happel hauled in three touchdowns, finishing with 117 yards on 5 receptions.

[18] [19] [20]

Iowa NW
First Downs 20 18
Rushing Yards 124 46
Passing 19–26–1 21–40–3
Passing Yards 399 242
Total Offense 523 288
Fumbles Lost 1–0 1–0
Punts-Average 4–36.3 7–42.6
Penalties 4–34 3–15
Team Category Player Statistics
Iowa Passing Chuck Long 19–26, 399 yards, 6 TD, INT
Rushing Ronnie Harmon 14 carries, 74 yards
Receiving Bill Happel 5 receptions, 117 yards, 3 TD
Northwestern Passing Mike Greenfield 21–40, 242 yards, TD, 3 INT
Rushing Mike Greenfield 29 carries, 18 yards
Receiving George Jones 4 receptions, 84 yards

at No. 8 Ohio State

#1 Iowa at #8 Ohio State
1 234Total
No. 1 Hawkeyes 0 706 13
• No. 8 Buckeyes 5 1007 22
Scoring summary
111:03OSURich Spangler 28-yard field goalOSU 3–0
10:02OSUSafety, Sonny Gordan blocked punt out of end zoneOSU 5–0
29:06OSUJohn Woolridge 57-yard run (Spangler kick)OSU 12–0
25:00OSURich Spangler 26-yard field goalOSU 15–0
20:28IowaRonnie Harmon 3-yard run (Rob Houghtlin kick)OSU 15–7
411:39OSUVince Workman 4-yard run (Spangler kick)OSU 22–7
48:19IowaDavid Hudson 2-yard run (run failed)OSU 22–13

See also: 1985 Ohio State Buckeyes football team

[21]

Iowa Ohio St
First Downs 21 16
Rushing Yards 186 233
Passing 17–34–4 10–17–2
Passing Yards 169 151
Total Offense 345 370
Fumbles Lost 2–1 1–0
Punts-Average 4–32.5 4–45.3
Penalties 3–16 7–57
Team Category Player Statistics
Iowa Passing Chuck Long 19–26, 169 yards, 4 INT
Rushing Ronnie Harmon 26 carries, 120 yards, TD
Receiving Ronnie Harmon 5 receptions, 19 yards
Ohio State Passing Jim Karsatos 10–17, 151 yards, 2 INT
Rushing George Cooper 17 carries, 104 yards
Receiving Cris Carter 3 receptions, 65 yards

Illinois

Illinois at #6 Iowa
1 234Total
Fighting Illini 0 000 0
• No. 6 Hawkeyes 35 14010 59
  • Date: November 9
  • Location:
    Kinnick Stadium,
    Iowa City, Iowa
  • Game start: 1:05 p.m. CST
  • Elapsed time: 3:20
  • Game attendance: 66,120
  • Game weather: ~45 °F (7 °C), Cloudy, rain, Wind NE 10–15 mph (16–24 km/h)
  • Referee: Otho Kortz
Scoring summary
111:54IOWAR. Smith 49-yard pass from Long (Houghtlin kick)IOWA 7–0
110:16IOWAHudson 1-yard run (Houghtlin kick)IOWA 14–0
17:28IOWAR. Smith 43-yard pass from Long (Houghtlin kick)IOWA 21–0
14:36IOWAR. Harmon 46-yard run (Houghtlin kick)IOWA 28–0
10:59IOWAHudson 10-yard run (Houghtlin kick)IOWA 35–0
25:16IOWAFlagg 1-yard pass from Long (Houghtlin kick)IOWA 42–0
22:31IOWAHelverson 9-yard pass from Long (Houghtlin kick)IOWA 49–0
413:12IOWARob Houghtlin 37-yard field goalIOWA 52–0
48:21IOWAGoodman 16-yard run (Houghtlin kick)IOWA 59–0

See also: 1985 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

[22] [23] [24] [25]

Illinois Iowa
First Downs 14 27
Rushing Yards 5 232
Passing 30–58–5 27–41–1
Passing Yards 227 316
Total Offense 232 548
Fumbles Lost 5–4 1–0
Punts-Average 9–34.8 6–42.2
Penalties 10–82 5–62
Time of Possession 27:09 32:51
Team Category Player Statistics
Illinois Passing Jack Trudeau 26–47, 208 yards, 4 INT
Rushing Thomas Rooks 7 carries, 26 yards
Receiving David Williams 10 receptions, 70 yards
Iowa Passing Chuck Long 22–30, 289 yards, 4 TD, INT
Rushing Ronnie Harmon 32 carries, 120 yards
Receiving Robert Smith 3 receptions, 98 yards, 2 TD

at Purdue

#5 Iowa at Purdue
1 234Total
• No. 5 Hawkeyes 7 1703 27
Boilermakers 7 1007 24
Scoring summary
19:21PurdueGriffin 49-yard pass from Jim Everett (Briggs kick)Purdue 7–0
10:08IowaRonnie Harmon 2-yard run (Rob Houghtlin kick)Tied 7–7
214:02IowaHudson 1-yard run (Rob Houghtlin kick)IOWA 14–7
29:53PurdueMedlock 1-yard run (Briggs kick)Tied 14–14
25:55IowaHudson 1-yard run (Rob Houghtlin kick)IOWA 21–14
21:30PurdueBriggs 37-yard field goalIOWA 21–17
20:02IowaRob Houghtlin 33-yard field goalIOWA 24–17
46:35PurdueMedlock 2-yard run (Briggs kick)Tied 24–24
41:08IowaRob Houghtlin 25-yard field goalIOWA 27–24

See also: 1985 Purdue Boilermakers football team

[26] [27] [28]

Iowa Purdue
First Downs 28 16
Rushing Yards 206 36
Passing 20–33–1 23–32–1
Passing Yards 268 315
Total Offense 474 351
Fumbles Lost 1–0 2–1
Punts-Average 5–31.8 4–29.8
Penalties 4–19 2–10
Time of Possession 34:30 25:30
Team Category Player Statistics
Iowa Passing Chuck Long 20–33, 268 yards, INT
Rushing Ronnie Harmon 25 carries, 122 yards, TD
Receiving Ronnie Harmon 9 receptions, 118 yards
Purdue Passing Jim Everett 23–32, 315 yards, TD, INT
Rushing Ray Wallace 10 carries, 21 yards
Receiving Steve Griffin 4 receptions, 110 yards, TD

Minnesota

Minnesota at #3 Iowa
1 234Total
Golden Gophers 3 006 9
• No. 3 Hawkeyes 7 1077 31
Scoring summary
19:48IowaRonnie Harmon 5-yard run (Rob Houghtlin kick)IOWA 7–0
11:54MinnChip Lohmiller 35-yard field goalIOWA 7–3
25:15IowaRob Houghtlin 26-yard field goalIOWA 10–3
21:40IowaMike Flagg 4-yard pass from Chuck Long (Rob Houghtlin kick)IOWA 17–3
39:39IowaKevin Harmon 10-yard run (Rob Houghtlin kick)IOWA 24–3
414:11IowaRick Bayless 5-yard run (Rob Houghtlin kick)IOWA 31–3
42:01MinnGailord 16-yard pass from Holt (conversion failed)IOWA 31–9

See also: 1985 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team and Iowa–Minnesota football rivalry

In the battle for the Floyd of Rosedale, Iowa beat the Golden Gophers in Lou Holtz's last game as Minnesota's head coach. Chuck Long, in his final game at Kinnick Stadium, became the first player in Big Ten history to eclipse 10,000 career passing yards.

[29] [30]

Minn Iowa
First Downs 18 24
Rushing Yards 154 177
Passing 9–18–0 21–31–1
Passing Yards 118 268
Total Offense 272 445
Fumbles Lost 4–2 2–1
Punts-Average 6–32.8 2–39.5
Penalties 1–5 6–30
Time of Possession 30:10 29:50
Team Category Player Statistics
Minnesota Passing Rickey Foggie 6–13, 69 yards
Rushing David Puk 13 carries, 61 yards
Receiving Eugene Gailord 3 receptions, 57 yards, TD
Iowa Passing Chuck Long 21–31, 268 yards, TD, INT
Rushing Ronnie Harmon 13 carries, 75 yards, TD
Receiving Scott Helverson 7 receptions, 86 yards

vs. No. 13 UCLA (Rose Bowl)

#13 UCLA vs. #4 Iowa
1 234Total
• No. 13 Bruins 10 14714 45
No. 4 Hawkeyes 7 3711 28
Scoring summary
17:02IOWADavid Hudson 1-yard run (Houghtlin kick)IOWA 7–0
13:23UCLAEric Ball 30-yard run (Lee kick)Tied 7–7
11:11UCLAJohn Lee 42-yard field goalUCLA 10–7
27:43IOWARob Houghtlin 24-yard field goalTied 10–10
26:19UCLAEric Ball 40-yard run (Lee kick)UCLA 17–10
21:36UCLAEric Ball 6-yard run (Lee kick)UCLA 24–10
312:19IOWAChuck Long 4-yard run (Houghtlin kick)UCLA 24–17
36:25UCLAMike Sherrard 6-yard pass from Matt Stevens (J. Lee kick)UCLA 31–17
413:25UCLAEric Ball 32-yard run (Lee kick)UCLA 38–17
410:51IOWARob Houghtlin 52-yard field goalUCLA 38–20
46:38UCLAMatt Stevens 1-yard run (Lee kick)UCLA 45–20
43:11IOWABill Happel 11-yard pass from Chuck Long (Harmon run)UCLA 45–28

Main article: 1986 Rose Bowl

See also: 1985 UCLA Bruins football team

[31]

UCLA Iowa
First Downs 29 25
Rushing Yards 55–299 34–82
Passing 16–26–1 29–38–1
Passing Yards 189 319
Total Offense 488 401
Fumbles Lost 3–2 4–4
Punts-Average 2–38.5 2–32.5
Penalties 6–36 5–40
Team Category Player Statistics
UCLA Passing Matt Stevens 16–26, 189 yards, TD, INT
Rushing Eric Ball 12 carries, 67 yards
Receiving Mike Sherrard 4 receptions, 48 yards
Iowa Passing Chuck Long 29–37, 319 yards, TD, INT
Rushing Ronnie Harmon 14 carries, 55 yards
Receiving Ronnie Harmon 11 receptions, 102 yards

Awards and honors

See also: 1985 College Football All-America Team and 1985 All-Big Ten Conference football team

Team players in the 1986 NFL Draft

Main article: 1986 NFL Draft
Player Position Round Pick NFL club
Chuck Long Quarterback 1 12 Detroit Lions
Ronnie Harmon Running back 1 16 Buffalo Bills
Mike Haight Tackle 1 22 New York Jets
Devon Mitchell Defensive back 4 92 Detroit Lions
Larry Station Linebacker 11 287 Pittsburgh Steelers

[34]

Future head coaches

Name 1985 Position School Tenure
Bill Snyder Offensive coordinator/QB Coach Kansas State 1989–2005, 2009–2018
Barry Alvarez Linebackers Coach Wisconsin 1990–2005
Dan McCarney Defensive line coach Iowa State
North Texas		 1995–2006
2011–2015
Bob Stoops Volunteer Coach Oklahoma 1999–2016
Kirk Ferentz Offensive line coach Iowa 1999–present
Don Patterson Tight ends coach Western Illinois 1999–2009
Chuck Long Quarterback San Diego State 2006–2008
Mark Stoops Defensive back Kentucky 2013–present
Jay Norvell Defensive backs Nevada
Colorado State		 2017–2021
2022–present

External links

References

  1. ^ The University of Iowa Athletic Communications. "University of Iowa Football 2011 Media Fact Book: IOWA Captains" (PDF). The University of Iowa Athletic Communications. p. 146. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 30, 2016. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  2. ^ The University of Iowa Athletic Communications. "University of Iowa Football 2011 Media Fact Book: IOWA MVPs" (PDF). The University of Iowa Athletic Communications. p. 145. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 30, 2016. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  3. ^ Big Ten Football Media Guide. Michigan, who had tied with Illinois, finished second in the Big Ten with a 6–1–1 record.
  4. ^ "1985 Iowa Hawkeyes Schedule and Results". sports-reference.com. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  5. ^ "Iowa 1985 AP Football Rankings". collegepollarchive.com. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  6. ^ "Iowa bites 'Dogs, 58-0: 37-point quarter ruins Drake effort". Cedar Rapids Gazette. September 15, 1985. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  7. ^ "Iowa rain falls only on NIU". Chicago Tribune. September 22, 1985. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  8. ^ "Big Ten Roundup : Iowa Routs Iowa State, 57-3, to Stay Unbeaten". Los Angeles Times. September 29, 1985. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  9. ^ "Third-ranked Iowa crushes Iowa State". The Salina Journal. September 29, 1985. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  10. ^ "Last-Minute Score Gives Iowa Victory". New York Times. October 5, 1985. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  11. ^ "Top-ranked Iowa eases past Wisconsin". Gainesville Sun. October 13, 1985. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  12. ^ Big Ten Elite, Season 2, Episode 3
  13. ^ "Iowa Saves Biggest Noise For Finish". Chicago Tribune. October 20, 1985. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  14. ^ "Iowa Beats Michigan On Last Play, 12-10". Washington Post. October 20, 1985. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  15. ^ "Iowa's Last-second Kick Defeats Michigan, 12-10". Orlando Sentinel. October 20, 1985. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  16. ^ "Hawkeyes win No. 1 thriller, 12-10". Des Moines Register. October 20, 1985. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
  17. ^ "Kick by Iowa Stops Michigan". The New York Times. October 20, 1985. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  18. ^ "Iowa Rolls, 49-10; Long Ties Record". New York Times. October 27, 1985. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  19. ^ "Iowa's Long Ball Rips NU". Chicago Tribune. October 27, 1985. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
  20. ^ "Long Throws for Six Scores as Iowa Routs Northwestern, 49-10". Los Angeles Times. October 27, 1985. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
  21. ^ "Ohio State Upsets Top-Ranked Iowa". New York Times. November 3, 1985. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  22. ^ "Like Father, Like Son? Iowa End Hopes So". Chicago Tribune. November 9, 1985. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  23. ^ "Iowa Hits Illini Early, Often". Chicago Tribune. November 10, 1985. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  24. ^ "A Long Day For Illinois, 59-0 : Quarterback Throws 4 Touchdown Passes in Iowa Rout". Los Angeles Times. November 10, 1985. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  25. ^ "1985: The Unexpected blowout". University of Iowa Athletic Department. September 3, 2010. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
  26. ^ "Hawkeyes survive Purdue scare, 27-24". Des Moines Register via newspapers.com. November 17, 1985. p. 28. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
  27. ^ "Iowa Wins, 27-24 on Late Field Goal". New York Times. November 17, 1985. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  28. ^ "Purdue Is Beaten By Iowa And Clock". Chicago Tribune. November 17, 1985. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
  29. ^ "Believe It--Iowa Rules Big 10". Chicago Tribune. November 24, 1985. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  30. ^ "Long Achieves Dream of Leading Hawkeyes Back to the Rose Bowl". Los Angeles Times. November 24, 1985. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
  31. ^ "ROSE BOWL; U.C.L.A. WALLOPS IOWA". New York Times. January 2, 1986. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  32. ^ a b ""College Football Awards - 1985"". espn.com. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  33. ^ a b "Consensus All-America Teams (1980-1989); 1985". sports-reference.com. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  34. ^ "1986 NFL Draft". pro-football-reference.com. Archived from the original on December 21, 2007. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
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