Data on Iowa vs. the PAC-12

[Hawkreality]

Here's some data on Iowa's history when facing Pac-12 teams over the past 35 years. You can interpret this in any way you like. It seems clear that the Hawks don't match up well with this conference, and haven't for a long time:

Records against Pac-12 foes since 1981:

Arizona – 4-2 (1982, 1987, 1996, 1998, 2009, 2010)
ASU – 1-2 (1997, 2003, 2004)
Washington – 1-2 (1982, 1991, 1995)
WSU – 0-0
Oregon – 0-2 (1989, 1994)
OSU – 0-0
Stanford – 0-1 (2016)
Cal – 0-1 (1993)
USC – 0-1 (2003)
UCLA – 1-1 (1981, 1986)
Colorado – 0-2 (1988, 1992 – Not a PAC-12 member when we played them)
Utah – 0-0

Overall – 7-14 (wins are in red)
In Bowls – 1-7
In the West (California/Arizona/Oregon) – 2-8 – Last wins were in 1982 and 1987
In neutral sites (Bowl Games in Texas/Florida) – 1-3

1981 Rose Bowl – Washington 28, Iowa 0
1986 Rose Bowl – UCLA 45, Iowa 28
1991 Rose Bowl – Washington 46, Iowa 34
1993 Alamo Bowl – Cal 37, Iowa 3
1995 Sun Bowl – Iowa 38, Washington 18
1997 Sun Bowl – ASU 17, Iowa 7
2003 Orange Bowl – USC 38, Iowa 17
2016 Rose Bowl – Stanford 45, Iowa 16

Pac-12 Opponent Bowl Scoring Average – 34.3 PPG
Iowa Bowl Scoring Average – 17.8 PPG
Minus 4th quarter ‘garbage’ points (7 TDs) – 11.8 PPG
Garbage TDs – 1986 (1), 1991 (2), 1997 (1), 2003 (1), 2016 (2)
All were 4th quarter touchdowns after the outcome was decided

 

[Hawkreality]

Oops! Red didn't show up. Iowa beat Arizona in 1982, 1987, 1996, and 2009. Iowa beat ASU in 2003, and beat UCLA in 1981. Also defeated Washington in the 1995 Sun Bowl. All other wins but the ones in '82 and '87 were at home.

 

[Ray1125]

Good for you for putting this together. Takes time to do it and it's interesting for thought.

 

[Hawkreality]

Been a longtime Hawk fan and I'm still proud of them, but I had a bad feeling going in simply because it was a Pac-12 opponent in its own backyard. Decided to pull some numbers together. Interesting that when the Pac-12 comes to us, or isn't 'out west', we can compete a lot better.

 

[Ray1125]

Been a longtime Hawk fan and I'm still proud of them, but I had a bad feeling going in simply because it was a Pac-12 opponent in its own backyard. Decided to pull some numbers together. Interesting that when the Pac-12 comes to us, or isn't 'out west', we can compete a lot better.

Tell me about it. I've been to multiple national championship games at the old Orange Bowl...in Miami....vs the Miami Hurricanes....in their home stadium....where they had won an NCAA record 55 games in a row.

Imagine playing for national titles vs a team that got to run out of their smoke filled tunnel and onto their home field, in front of their season ticket holding fanbase with the entire city cheering them on.

Don't get me started on the advantages coastal teams have had and the influence it has made in college football history.

 

[Hawkreality]

I'm sure it's true of a lot of teams, but it seems particularly noticeable when Iowa plays the Pac-12. Case in point: Iowa goes home-and-away with Arizona State in 2003-04. Iowa dominates ASU 21-2 at home in '03, then gets annihilated 44-7 the following year in Tempe. Our only TD was on a punt return with two minutes left.