1985 Iowa Hawkeyes football team


The 1985 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 1985 Big Ten Conference football season. In their seventh year under head coach Hayden Fry, the Hawkeyes compiled a 10–2 record, won the Big Ten championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 304 to 184. They lost to [1985 1985 UCLA Bruins football team|UCLA Bruins football team|UCLA] in the 1986 Rose Bowl and were ranked No. 10 in the final AP poll and No. 9 in the final UPI poll.
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.
Three weeks later, in the sixth game of the season, No. 1 Iowa faced No. 2 [1985 1985 Michigan Wolverines football team|Michigan Wolverines football team|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 [1985 1985 Northwestern Wildcats football team|Northwestern Wildcats football team|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.
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.

Game summaries

Drake

  • Source:









DrakeIowa
First Downs925
Rushing yards–36167
Passing19–37–125–37–0
Passing yards184324
Total Offense148491
Fumbles Lost2–20–0
Punts-Average9–35.54–36.5
Penalties6–596–37

TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
DrakePassingEd Cheatham12–17, 121 yards, INT
DrakeRushingLawrence3 carries, 10 yards
DrakeReceivingPeterson6 receptions, 85 yards
IowaPassingChuck Long21–31, 248 yards, 2 TD
IowaRushingRonnie Harmon14 carries, 58 yards, 2 TD
IowaReceivingScott Helverson7 receptions, 88 yards, 2 TD

Northern Illinois

  • Source:











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.
NIUIowa
First Downs825
Rushing yards16187
Passing5–14–220–32–3
Passing yards69347
Total Offense85534
Fumbles Lost4–33–3
Punts-Average10–43.83–48.0
Penalties2–107–55
Time of Possession30:3529:25

TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Northern IllinoisPassingMarshall Taylor3–9, 41 yards, TD, 2 INT
Northern IllinoisRushingAntonio Davis6 carries, 27 yards
Northern IllinoisReceivingAndy Wooldridge2 receptions, 37 yards, TD
IowaPassingChuck Long18–28, 270 yards, 5 TD, 3 INT
IowaRushingRonnie Harmon17 carries, 92 yards
IowaReceivingBill Happel9 receptions, 207 yards, 3 TD

at Iowa State

  • Source:











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.
IowaISU
First Downs2313
Rushing yards13873
Passing24–40–016–33–1
Passing yards357157
Total Offense495230
Fumbles Lost3–26–3
Punts-Average3–38.78–35.1
Penalties6–554–26
Time of Possession28:3331:27

TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
IowaPassingChuck Long19–32, 223 yards, 3 TD
IowaRushingRonnie Harmon19 carries, 103 yards, 2 TD
IowaReceivingScott Helverson8 receptions, 154 yards, 2 TD
Iowa StatePassingAlex Espinoza16–33, 157 yards, INT
Iowa StateRushingMarques Rodgers12 carries, 55 yards
Iowa StateReceivingDanny Gantt4 receptions, 43 yards

Michigan State

  • Source:










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 scored the winning touchdown on a 2-yard bootleg with 27 seconds remaining.
MSUIowa
First Downs2825
Rushing yards305108
Passing18–28–030–39–2
Passing yards275380
Total Offense580488
Fumbles Lost1–00–0
Punts-Average6–37.05–45.2
Penalties9–504–40
Time of Possession36:1523:45

TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Michigan StatePassingBobby McAllister18–27, 275 yards, TD
Michigan StateRushingLorenzo White39 carries, 226 yards, 2 TD
Michigan StateReceivingMark Ingram7 receptions, 148 yards
IowaPassingChuck Long30–39, 380 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT
IowaRushingRonnie Harmon20 carries, 84 yards
IowaReceivingScott Helverson9 receptions, 102 yards

at Wisconsin

  • Source:








IowaWis
First Downs1517
Rushing yards174172
Passing18–30–113–31–3
Passing yards167134
Total Offense341306
Fumbles Lost2–20–0
Punts-Average5–43.48–36.8
Penalties7–495–35
Time of Possession26:5833:02

TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
IowaPassingChuck Long18–28, 167 yards, TD, INT
IowaRushingRonnie Harmon20 carries, 175 yards, TD
IowaReceivingRonnie Harmon8 receptions, 62 yards
WisconsinPassingBud Keyes7–19, 88 yards, TD, 2 INT
WisconsinRushingLarry Emery19 carries, 104 yards
WisconsinReceivingScott Sharron5 receptions, 47 yards

No. 2 Michigan

  • Source:






The #1 Hawkeyes dominated the game statistically — holding major advantages in total yards, offensive plays, and time of possession — 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.
MichIowa
First Downs926
Rushing yards127125
Passing8–13–026–39–1
Passing yards55297
Total Offense182422
Fumbles Lost0–01–0
Punts-Average6–39.83–31.7
Penalties4–353–26
Time of Possession21:5538:05

TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
MichiganPassingJim Harbaugh8–13, 55 yards, TD
MichiganRushingJamie Morris14 carries, 70 yards
MichiganReceivingPaul Jokisch2 receptions, 23 yards
IowaPassingChuck Long26–39, 297 yards, INT
IowaRushingRonnie Harmon32 carries, 120 yards
IowaReceivingBill Happel9 receptions, 107 yards

at Northwestern

  • Source:









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.
IowaNW
First Downs2018
Rushing yards12446
Passing19–26–121–40–3
Passing yards399242
Total Offense523288
Fumbles Lost1–01–0
Punts-Average4–36.37–42.6
Penalties4–343–15

TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
IowaPassingChuck Long19–26, 399 yards, 6 TD, INT
IowaRushingRonnie Harmon14 carries, 74 yards
IowaReceivingBill Happel5 receptions, 117 yards, 3 TD
NorthwesternPassingMike Greenfield21–40, 242 yards, TD, 3 INT
NorthwesternRushingMike Greenfield29 carries, 18 yards
NorthwesternReceivingGeorge Jones4 receptions, 84 yards

at No. 8 Ohio State

  • Source:







IowaOhio St
First Downs2116
Rushing yards186233
Passing17–34–410–17–2
Passing yards169151
Total Offense345370
Fumbles Lost2–11–0
Punts-Average4–32.54–45.3
Penalties3–167–57

TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
IowaPassingChuck Long19–26, 169 yards, 4 INT
IowaRushingRonnie Harmon26 carries, 120 yards, TD
IowaReceivingRonnie Harmon5 receptions, 19 yards
Ohio StatePassingJim Karsatos10–17, 151 yards, 2 INT
Ohio StateRushingGeorge Cooper17 carries, 104 yards
Ohio StateReceivingCris Carter3 receptions, 65 yards

Illinois

  • Source:
IllinoisIowa
First Downs1427
Rushing yards5232
Passing30–58–527–41–1
Passing yards227316
Total Offense232548
Fumbles Lost5–41–0
Punts-Average9–34.86–42.2
Penalties10–825–62
Time of Possession27:0932:51

TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
IllinoisPassingJack Trudeau26–47, 208 yards, 4 INT
IllinoisRushingThomas Rooks7 carries, 26 yards
IllinoisReceivingDavid Williams10 receptions, 70 yards
IowaPassingChuck Long22–30, 289 yards, 4 TD, INT
IowaRushingRonnie Harmon32 carries, 120 yards
IowaReceivingRobert Smith3 receptions, 98 yards, 2 TD

at Purdue

  • Source:









IowaPurdue
First Downs2816
Rushing yards20636
Passing20–33–123–32–1
Passing yards268315
Total Offense474351
Fumbles Lost1–02–1
Punts-Average5–31.84–29.8
Penalties4–192–10
Time of Possession34:3025:30

TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
IowaPassingChuck Long20–33, 268 yards, INT
IowaRushingRonnie Harmon25 carries, 122 yards, TD
IowaReceivingRonnie Harmon9 receptions, 118 yards
PurduePassingJim Everett23–32, 315 yards, TD, INT
PurdueRushingRay Wallace10 carries, 21 yards
PurdueReceivingSteve Griffin4 receptions, 110 yards, TD

Minnesota

  • Source:







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.
MinnIowa
First Downs1824
Rushing yards154177
Passing9–18–021–31–1
Passing yards118268
Total Offense272445
Fumbles Lost4–22–1
Punts-Average6–32.82–39.5
Penalties1–56–30
Time of Possession30:1029:50

TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
MinnesotaPassingRickey Foggie6–13, 69 yards
MinnesotaRushingDavid Puk13 carries, 61 yards
MinnesotaReceivingEugene Gailord3 receptions, 57 yards, TD
IowaPassingChuck Long21–31, 268 yards, TD, INT
IowaRushingRonnie Harmon13 carries, 75 yards, TD
IowaReceivingScott Helverson7 receptions, 86 yards

vs. No. 13 UCLA (Rose Bowl)

UCLAIowa
First Downs2925
Rushing yards55–29934–82
Passing16–26–129–38–1
Passing yards189319
Total Offense488401
Fumbles Lost3–24–4
Punts-Average2–38.52–32.5
Penalties6–365–40

TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
UCLAPassingMatt Stevens16–26, 189 yards, TD, INT
UCLARushingEric Ball12 carries, 67 yards
UCLAReceivingMike Sherrard4 receptions, 48 yards
IowaPassingChuck Long29–37, 319 yards, TD, INT
IowaRushingRonnie Harmon14 carries, 55 yards
IowaReceivingRonnie Harmon11 receptions, 102 yards

Awards and honors

1986 NFL draft

Chuck LongQuarterback112Detroit Lions
Ronnie HarmonRunning back116Buffalo Bills
Mike HaightTackle122New York Jets
Devon MitchellDefensive back492Detroit Lions
Larry StationLinebacker11287Pittsburgh Steelers