‘21 Hawkeyes the Youngest Iowa Team Ever to Win 10 Games

[FlickShagwell]

There have been 10 Iowa football teams in school history to have won 10 games in a season: 1985, 1987, 1991, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2015, 2019, and 2021. How do the starters from each year break down in terms of experience? Shown below are their years on their respective teams. I'll award 4 points for seniors, 3 for juniors, 2 for sophomores, and 1 for freshman. You can argue starters ("Tom Poholsky started the first game of 1987 and then Dan McGwire played...") if you want, but the guys listed got the majority of the snaps for the season.

The '21 team, as you can see, edges out the 1987 and 2009 squads as the youngest team ever to have won 10 games at Iowa. The job the coaching staff did this year was pretty incredible when you consider this.

2021
QB Petras JR.
RB Goodson JR.
FB Pottebaum JR.
TE LaPorta JR.
WR Johnson FR.
WR Bruce FR.
LT Richman FR.
LG Ince JR. Schott SR.
C Linderbaum JR.
RG Colby FR.
RT Dejong SO.

K Shudak SR.
P Taylor SO

DE VanValkenburg SR.
DT Lee SO.
DT Shannon JR.
DE Waggoner JR.
OLB Benson JR.
MLB Campbell JR.
OLB Jacobs SO.
Cash Belton JR.
CB Moss SR.
CB Hankins SR.
S Koerner SR.
S Merriweather JR.

This year's team had 6 senior starters, one of whom was a specialist (Shudak) and one of whom missed half the season (Schott).
It had 11 junior starters, 4 sophomore starters (5 if you count Jermari Harris), and 4 freshman starters, including 2 on the oline - unheard of.

16 upperclassmen started on O and D. Only 1 senior started on the offense. 2.76 average points.


1985
QB Long - SR.
RB Harmon - SR.
FB Bush - SR.
TE Flagg - SO.
WR Helverson - SR.
WR Happel - SR.
LT Croston - JR.
LG Humphrey - SR.
C Singlinger - JR.
RG Kratch - FR.
RT Haight - SR.

K Houghtlin SO.
P Kostrubala JR.

DL Pryor JR.
DL Vrieze JR.
DL Peterson SR.
DL Drost JR.
LB/DE Burrell SR.
LB Davis JR.
LB Station SR.
CB Creer SR.
CB Sims JR.
S Mitchell SR.
S Norvell SR.

This team started 13 seniors and 8 juniors for 21 total upperclassmen starters and 20 on O and D. It started 2 sophomores, one of whom was a specialist. It started 1 freshman. 3.38 average points.

1987
QB Hartlieb JR.
RB Harmon SR.
FB Hudson JR.
TE Cook JR.
LT Alexander SR.
LG Schmitt JR.
C Anderson SO
RG Kratch JR
RT Wester SR.

K Houghtlin SR.
P. Adams JR. / Cook JR.

DE Mott JR.
DL Keppy SR.
DL Haight JR.
DL Schuster SR.
OLB/DE Burke JR.
LB Puk SR.
LB Quast SO.
CB Hanks FR.
CB Wright SO.
S Sistrunk SR.
S Burt SR.

This team started 18 seniors between offense, defense, and special teams for an average score of 2.91 points.

1991
QB Rodgers SR.
RB Saunders SR.
FB Montgomery JR.
TE Cross JR.
WR Hughes JR.
WR Filloon SR .
LT Davis JR.
LG Velicer JR.
C Devlin JR.
RG Ferroni JR.
RT Baxley SR.

K Skillett SR.
P Hujsak SR.

DL Blue SO.
DL Wells SO.
DL Nelson JR.
DL Geater SR.
DL/OLB Smith SR.
LB Derby SR.
LB Faley JR.
CB Plate SO.
CB Polley SR.
S Clark SR.
S Wise SR.

This team started 21 upperclassmen including all 11 on offense. Average score: 3.38

2002
QB Banks SR.
RB Russell JR.
FB Cervantes JR.
TE Clark SR.
WR Jones SR.
WR Brown JR.
LT Gallery JR.
LG Steinbach SR.
C Nelson SR.
RG Lightfoot SR.
RT Porter SR.

K Kaeding JR.
P Bradley SO.

DE Hodges SO
DT Clauss JR.
DT. Cole SR.
DE Babineaux SO.
OLB Steen JR.
MLB Barr SR.
OLB Worthy JR.
CB Allen FR.
CB Johnson SR.
S Pagel SR.
S Sanders JR.

This team started 20 upperclassmen, including all 11 on offense. Average points: 3.25

2003
QB Chandler SR.
RB Russell SR.
FB Cervantes SR.
TE Jensen SR.
WR Brown SR.
WR Ochoa SR.
LT Gallery SR.
LG Jones FR.
C Rothwell SR.
RG McMahon JR.
RT Aiello SR.

K Kaeding SR.
P Bradley JR.

DE Roth JR.
DT Clauss SR.
DT Babineaux JR.
DE Hodges JR.
OLB Greenway SO.
MLB Hodge SO.
OLB Steen SR.
CB Allen SO.
CB Johnson SO.
S Sanders SR.
S Considine JR.

This team started 19 upperclassmen. Average points: 3.29

2004
QB Tate SO
RB Brownlee JR.
FB Mickens SR.
TE Jackson SR.
WR Hinkel JR.
WR Solomon JR.
LT Grey SR.
LG Jones SO.
C Elgin JR.
RG Ferentz JR.
RT McMahon SR.

K Schlicker JR.
P Bradley SR.

DE Roth SR.
DT Luebke SR
DT Babineaux SR.
DE Robinson SR.
OLB Greenway JR.
MLB Hodge JR.
OLB Lewis SR.
CB Allen JR.
CB Johnson JR.
S Considine SR.
S Paschal SO.

This team started 21 upperclassmen for an average point total of 3.33

2009
QB Stanzi JR.
RB Robinson FR.
FB Morse JR.
TE Moeaki SR.
WR McNutt SO
WR Johnson-Koulianos JR.
LT Bulaga JR.
LG Reiff FR.
C Eubanks SR.
RG Vandervelde JR.
RT Calloway JR.

K Murray JR.
P Donahue JR.

DE Clayborn JR.
DT Klug SO.
DT Ballard JR.
DE Binns SO.
OLB Hunter JR.
MLB Angerer SR.
OLB Edds SR.
CB Spievey JR.
CB Prater SO.
S Greenwood JR.
S Sash SO.

17 upperclassmen started this season. Average points: 2.79

2015
QB Beathard JR.
RB Canzeri SR.
FB Plewa SR.
TE Krieger-Cobble SR.
WR Smith SR.
WR Vandeberg JR.
LT Myers SO.
LG Welsh SO.
C Blythe SR.
RG Walsh SR.
RT Boettger SO.

K Koehn SR.
P Kidd SR.

DE Meier SR.
DT Johnson JR.
DT Bazata SO.
DE Hesse FR.
OLB Fisher SR.
MLB Jewell SO.
OLB Neimann SO.
CB Mabin JR.
CB King JR.
S Lomax SR.
S Taylor SO.

16 upperclassmen starters for this squad. Average points: 3.08

2019
QB Stanley SR.
RB Sargent SR.
FB Ross SR.
TE Weiting SR.
WR Smith JR.
WR Smith Marsette JR.
LT Jackson JR.
LG Paulson SR.
C Linderbaum FR.
RG Schott SO.
RT Wirfs JR.

K Duncan JR.
P Sleep-Dalton SR.

DE Epenesa JR.
DT Reiff SR.
DT Lattimore SR.
DE Golston JR.
OLB Colbert SO.
MLB Welch SR.
OLB Neimann JR.
Cash Belton FR.
CB Ojemudia SR.
CB Hankins JR.
S Koerner SO.
S Stone JR.

20 Upperclassmen starters for this team. Average points: 3.12

 

[the24fan]

damn flick are you bored today or what?

 

[FlickShagwell]

damn flick are you bored today or what?

Yes.

 

[the24fan]

Yes.

fair enough . What I appreciate is your honesty bro…

 

[Hawk_4shur]

There have been 10 Iowa football teams in school history to have won 10 games in a season: 1985, 1987, 1991, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2015, 2019, and 2021. How do the starters from each year break down in terms of experience? Shown below are their years on their respective teams. I'll award 4 points for seniors, 3 for juniors, 2 for sophomores, and 1 for freshman. You can argue starters ("Tom Poholsky started the first game of 1987 and then Dan McGwire played...") if you want, but the guys listed got the majority of the snaps for the season.

The '21 team, as you can see, edges out the 1987 and 2009 squads as the youngest team ever to have won 10 games at Iowa. The job the coaching staff did this year was pretty incredible when you consider this.

2021
QB Petras JR.
RB Goodson JR.
FB Pottebaum JR.
TE LaPorta JR.
WR Johnson FR.
WR Bruce FR.
LT Richman FR.
LG Ince JR. Schott SR.
C Linderbaum JR.
RG Colby FR.
RT Dejong SO.

K Shudak SR.
P Taylor SO

DE VanValkenburg SR.
DT Lee SO.
DT Shannon JR.
DE Waggoner JR.
OLB Benson JR.
MLB Campbell JR.
OLB Jacobs SO.
Cash Belton JR.
CB Moss SR.
CB Hankins SR.
S Koerner SR.
S Merriweather JR.

This year's team had 6 senior starters, one of whom was a specialist (Shudak) and one of whom missed half the season (Schott).
It had 11 junior starters, 4 sophomore starters (5 if you count Jermari Harris), and 4 freshman starters, including 2 on the oline - unheard of.

16 upperclassmen started on O and D. Only 1 senior started on the offense. 2.76 average points.


1985
QB Long - SR.
RB Harmon - SR.
FB Bush - SR.
TE Flagg - SO.
WR Helverson - SR.
WR Happel - SR.
LT Croston - JR.
LG Humphrey - SR.
C Singlinger - JR.
RG Kratch - FR.
RT Haight - SR.

K Houghtlin SO.
P Kostrubala JR.

DL Pryor JR.
DL Vrieze JR.
DL Peterson SR.
DL Drost JR.
LB/DE Burrell SR.
LB Davis JR.
LB Station SR.
CB Creer SR.
CB Sims JR.
S Mitchell SR.
S Norvell SR.

This team started 13 seniors and 8 juniors for 21 total upperclassmen starters and 20 on O and D. It started 2 sophomores, one of whom was a specialist. It started 1 freshman. 3.38 average points.

1987
QB Hartlieb JR.
RB Harmon SR.
FB Hudson JR.
TE Cook JR.
LT Alexander SR.
LG Schmitt JR.
C Anderson SO
RG Kratch JR
RT Wester SR.

K Houghtlin SR.
P. Adams JR. / Cook JR.

DE Mott JR.
DL Keppy SR.
DL Haight JR.
DL Schuster SR.
OLB/DE Burke JR.
LB Puk SR.
LB Quast SO.
CB Hanks FR.
CB Wright SO.
S Sistrunk SR.
S Burt SR.

This team started 18 seniors between offense, defense, and special teams for an average score of 2.91 points.

1991
QB Rodgers SR.
RB Saunders SR.
FB Montgomery JR.
TE Cross JR.
WR Hughes JR.
WR Filloon SR .
LT Davis JR.
LG Velicer JR.
C Devlin JR.
RG Ferroni JR.
RT Baxley SR.

K Skillett SR.
P Hujsak SR.

DL Blue SO.
DL Wells SO.
DL Nelson JR.
DL Geater SR.
DL/OLB Smith SR.
LB Derby SR.
LB Faley JR.
CB Plate SO.
CB Polley SR.
S Clark SR.
S Wise SR.

This team started 21 upperclassmen including all 11 on offense. Average score: 3.38

2002
QB Banks SR.
RB Russell JR.
FB Cervantes JR.
TE Clark SR.
WR Jones SR.
WR Brown JR.
LT Gallery JR.
LG Steinbach SR.
C Nelson SR.
RG Lightfoot SR.
RT Porter SR.

K Kaeding JR.
P Bradley SO.

DE Hodges SO
DT Clauss JR.
DT. Cole SR.
DE Babineaux SO.
OLB Steen JR.
MLB Barr SR.
OLB Worthy JR.
CB Allen FR.
CB Johnson SR.
S Pagel SR.
S Sanders JR.

This team started 20 upperclassmen, including all 11 on offense. Average points: 3.25

2003
QB Chandler SR.
RB Russell SR.
FB Cervantes SR.
TE Jensen SR.
WR Brown SR.
WR Ochoa SR.
LT Gallery SR.
LG Jones FR.
C Rothwell SR.
RG McMahon JR.
RT Aiello SR.

K Kaeding SR.
P Bradley JR.

DE Roth JR.
DT Clauss SR.
DT Babineaux JR.
DE Hodges JR.
OLB Greenway SO.
MLB Hodge SO.
OLB Steen SR.
CB Allen SO.
CB Johnson SO.
S Sanders SR.
S Considine JR.

This team started 19 upperclassmen. Average points: 3.29

2004
QB Tate SO
RB Brownlee JR.
FB Mickens SR.
TE Jackson SR.
WR Hinkel JR.
WR Solomon JR.
LT Grey SR.
LG Jones SO.
C Elgin JR.
RG Ferentz JR.
RT McMahon SR.

K Schlicker JR.
P Bradley SR.

DE Roth SR.
DT Luebke SR
DT Babineaux SR.
DE Robinson SR.
OLB Greenway JR.
MLB Hodge JR.
OLB Lewis SR.
CB Allen JR.
CB Johnson JR.
S Considine SR.
S Paschal SO.

This team started 21 upperclassmen for an average point total of 3.33

2009
QB Stanzi JR.
RB Robinson FR.
FB Morse JR.
TE Moeaki SR.
WR McNutt SO
WR Johnson-Koulianos JR.
LT Bulaga JR.
LG Reiff FR.
C Eubanks SR.
RG Vandervelde JR.
RT Calloway JR.

K Murray JR.
P Donahue JR.

DE Clayborn JR.
DT Klug SO.
DT Ballard JR.
DE Binns SO.
OLB Hunter JR.
MLB Angerer SR.
OLB Edds SR.
CB Spievey JR.
CB Prater SO.
S Greenwood JR.
S Sash SO.

17 upperclassmen started this season. Average points: 2.79

2015
QB Beathard JR.
RB Canzeri SR.
FB Plewa SR.
TE Krieger-Cobble SR.
WR Smith SR.
WR Vandeberg JR.
LT Myers SO.
LG Welsh SO.
C Blythe SR.
RG Walsh SR.
RT Boettger SO.

K Koehn SR.
P Kidd SR.

DE Meier SR.
DT Johnson JR.
DT Bazata SO.
DE Hesse FR.
OLB Fisher SR.
MLB Jewell SO.
OLB Neimann SO.
CB Mabin JR.
CB King JR.
S Lomax SR.
S Taylor SO.

16 upperclassmen starters for this squad. Average points: 3.08

2019
QB Stanley SR.
RB Sargent SR.
FB Ross SR.
TE Weiting SR.
WR Smith JR.
WR Smith Marsette JR.
LT Jackson JR.
LG Paulson SR.
C Linderbaum FR.
RG Schott SO.
RT Wirfs JR.

K Duncan JR.
P Sleep-Dalton SR.

DE Epenesa JR.
DT Reiff SR.
DT Lattimore SR.
DE Golston JR.
OLB Colbert SO.
MLB Welch SR.
OLB Neimann JR.
Cash Belton FR.
CB Ojemudia SR.
CB Hankins JR.
S Koerner SO.
S Stone JR.

20 Upperclassmen starters for this team. Average points: 3.12

 

[RLMHAWK]

S

damn flick are you bored today or what?

Stop yelling at everybody. Makes you look like an asshole

 

[the24fan]

S

Stop yelling at everybody. Makes you look like an asshole

U must be new here.

 

[BlackNGoldBleeder]

College football has changed a lot in 35 years. Underclassmen and true freshmen play a lot more than they ever used to and you also have a lot more kids skipping their senior year. So, I’d take the youth thing with a grain of salt.

What’s amazing is Iowa won ten games despite being near the bottom of about every statistical category on offense.

 

[desihawk]

another random factoid coz i was curious whether a qb has ever made a huge leap from junior to senior year. that seems to be our weak link.
i realize stanzi improved but imo it was still incremental not a leap. joe burrow otoh went from 57% to 76% completion at lsu. how is that even possible? but hey apparently it is.
only posting in this thread because it aligns with op’s suggestion on “possibilities” for next year

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

Funny then, that the following years after those 10 win seasons with young players, we ended up having significantly less-successful seasons.......................

The 3 biggest personnel questions outside of QB going into next year are gonna be:

- how the young OL develops and fills in the gigantic void of your only consistently reliable lineman in Linderbaum, if and more likely when he declares for the draft.

If Linderbaum returns, and the injury bug can go f*** itself, then the offense is going to be improved next year regardless of who the QB is. Now whether that means we can win 10 games again is a different matter....

- whether the DL can continue to improve and make up for the loss of Van Valkenburg at DE, and get back to even a modicum of the dominant force that it was in the 2020 season. Dayvion Nixon was greatly missed this year, even though it was understandable why he left. Honestly, Nixon could've been what Aiden Hutchinson was this year, had he returned, and it would've been more impressive because he was a DT.

I'll even argue that Nixon was more important to Iowa last year, than Hutchinson was to Michigan this year.

- Who returns at DB and can the new faces step up in the departing players' absence? (and can Phil learn how to not play soft ass prevent zone against good passing teams with great WRs, especially at the end of halves/games.......)

 

[Daggerfoot]

Dope post OP.

 

[MeetTheFerentz]

College football has changed a lot in 35 years. Underclassmen and true freshmen play a lot more than they ever used to and you also have a lot more kids skipping their senior year. So, I’d take the youth thing with a grain of salt.

That may be true, but because of new COVID rules many teams are as OLD as they've ever been this season, so adding in that factor actually makes it MORE impressive.

 

[MeetTheFerentz]

another random factoid coz i was curious whether a qb has ever made a huge leap from junior to senior year. that seems to be our weak link.

Iowa made a huge jump at QB after Rudock's junior year

I'd LOVE for history to repeat itself.

 

[Greenway4Prez]

I definitely felt going into the season that we were still a year away.

How we won some of those games was baffling and impressive.

 

[iahawkeyes17]

I definitely felt going into the season that we were still a year away.

How we won some of those games was baffling and impressive.

I think it could be one of those deals where next years team could be better and yet with the schedule (OSU and Michigan) lose more regular season games then this year. Then again maybe not if Kirk hits the portal and brings in a new and better QB. A guy can dream, right?

just looking at offense for the OP’s point just look at the freshman from this year. Lot of optimism for next 2-3 years with Johnson/Bruce at wr, both Williams at RB, Lachey at TE and Colby & Richman on the OL. Again $64,000 question will be who is under center not only in 22’ but years after.

 

[CAhawki]

Thanks for the stats, OP...

rather remarkable to see 10 wins with whom was trotted out there, from an experience standpoint. OL should be rather deep the next few years... would love to see the hawks get ack to being bullies....

 

[Pepperman]

I’m not sure if this would change the numbers much, but if you were to change Goodson, Linderbaum, and any other underclassmen that leave early to a 4…

also how do we account for the Tyrone Tracy transfer? Should he be a 4 too? Many of these problems didn’t exist in 1987 or 1991 so not sure if this is truly significant or not. I do admit it’s kind of interesting.

I also sort of feel like 2021 was two different seasons together. The first 6 games we were about as lucky as a team can be. Turnovers, injuries, bounces, it mostly went out way in the first six games. In other words, if we play this same season 100 times I don’t actually think Iowa wins 10+ very often. But we did!