1982 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
The 1982 Iowa Hawkeyes football team was an American football team that represented the University of Iowa as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1982 Big Ten football season. In their fourth year under head coach Hayden Fry, the Hawkeyes compiled an 8–4 record, finished in third place in the Big Ten, and were outscored by a total of 208 to 201. They concluded the season in the Peach Bowl with a victory over [1982 1982 Tennessee Volunteers football team|Tennessee Volunteers football team|Tennessee].
Senior defensive back Bob Stoops was selected as the team's most valuable player. Three Iowa players received first-team honors on the 1982 All-Big Ten Conference football team: Stoops; senior defensive tackle Mark Bortz; and senior punter Reggie Roby. Bortz and Roby also received second-team All-America honors. Roby led the nation with an average of 48.1 yards per punt.
The team played its home games at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.
Game summaries
At Nebraska
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Iowa State
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Northwestern
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At Minnesota
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Chuck Long scored on a pair of short touchdown runs and Eddie Phillips rushed for 198 yards and another score.
Illinois
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The Hawkeyes earned their first home win over the Fighting Illini since the 1974 season.
At Purdue
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Wisconsin
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The Hawkeyes recorded a school-record seven interceptions against the Badgers. Owen Gill ran for 157 yards and two touchdowns, and Chuck Long added two 1-yard touchdown runs.
At Michigan State
This game gained attention when Iowa safety Ron Hawley knocked over the wooden goalposts while defending a play during the second quarter. The metal goalposts had been replaced with wooden ones before the game as Michigan State officials feared they would be torn down by students at the game's end. Play was delayed for several minutes and remained broken when Michigan State was about to attempt a field goal, resulting in the grounds crew holding the posts manually during the kick.Vs. Tennessee (Peach Bowl)
Iowa earned its first bowl victory since 1959.Statistical achievements
The 1982 Hawkeyes tallied 2,101 rushing yards and 1,873 passing yards. On defense, they gave up 1,441 rushing yards and 2,572 passing yards. The Iowa defense intercepted seven passes against Wisconsin. The figure remains an Iowa single-season record.The team's individual statistical leaders included:
- Sophomore quarterback Chuck Long completed 148 of 227 passes for 1,678 yards. Long passed for a season-high 304 yards and three touchdowns in the Peach Bowl.
- Eddie Phillips was the leading rusher with 806 yards on 166 carries. Phillips tallied a season-high 198 rushing yards against Minnesota on October 23, 1982.
- Dave Moritz was the leading receiver with 41 catches for 605 yards. He tallied a season-high eight receptions for 168 yards against Tennessee in the Peach Bowl.
- Kicker Tom Nichol was the leading scorer with 43 points on four field goals and 31 extra points.
Awards and honors
Senior defensive back Bob Stoops, a four-year starter from Youngstown, Ohio, and later a Hall of Fame coach at Oklahoma, tallied four interceptions and 65 tackles, and was selected as the team's most valuable player. At the award banquet, Stoops said: "It's really been an honor to play at Iowa. It's been such an honor that I don't even feel like I should be receiving an award."Punter Reggie Roby and offensive tackle Mark Bortz received second-team All-America honors from the UPI. Roby led nation with a 48.1-yard punt average.
Three Iowa players received first-team honors on the 1982 All-Big Ten Conference football team: Stoops ; senior defensive tackle Mark Bortz ; and senior punter Reggie Roby.
The team had five co-captains: Stoops, Bortz, Norm Granger, Mike Hufford, and Brett Miller.
1983 NFL draft
| Brett Miller | Tackle | 5 | 129 | Atlanta Falcons |
| Reggie Roby | Punter | 6 | 167 | Miami Dolphins |
| Mark Bortz | Guard | 8 | 219 | Chicago Bears |