I recorded this game on the BTN Iowa Classic. Wow, talk about a game where just about everything went right for Iowa. Illinois was ranked 5th in the country and their fans had Rose Bowl expectations. However, this day would belong to the dominant Hawkeyes. Iowa kicked off and Illinois proceeded to fumble the return which the Hawks recovered. Nick Bell took a hand-off from QB Matt Rogers and ran the ball down to just inside the ten-yard line. A few plays later Rodgers hit Mike Saunders for a TD in the back of the end zone. That was just the start of the offensive fireworks. This game showcased a couple of Hayden Frys' "exotics". Tony Stewart took a pitch out from Rogers and threw a TD pass to a wide-open Danon Hughes. On an FG attempt, Hayden called a fake, and holder Jim Hartlieb hit TE Matt Whitaker for a TD. Bell and Stewart ran for over 300 yards and Rodgers had a fine day throwing the ball. This was one of the most amazing and entertaining games I've ever seen the Hawks play. Some other notable Hawkeye players that day were; Merton Hanks, Melvin Foster, Jon Derby, Matt Ruland, LeRoy Smith, Scott Plate, and Mike Devlin to name a few.
Note: Current BTN analyst Howard Griffth played RB for Illinois.
Note: Current BTN analyst Howard Griffth played RB for Illinois.