Iowa's best teams are traditionally "Road Warriors"

[ghostOfHomer777]

It strikes me that Iowa's best teams seem to even be at their most focused when preparing for away games ... and, in those years, despite the quality of opponent ... the Hawks have fared exceedingly well during their best years.

When you have a home-game (and you're doing well) ... you not only have everybody around you telling you how good you are ... you also anticipate that the home-field supplies you with some inherent advantage. Thus, I've seen the Hawks during "good years" have some of their scariest games at home (Arkansas State or Indiana games in '09 particularly come to mind).

Whereas in '02, they took care of Michigan AT the Big House ... the '09 squad had games @Wisc, @MSU, and @OSU (with the game vs OSU featuring a RS FR QB) ... and we were a whisper from winning all three (and we still won 2 of 3). Similarly, most of our toughest foes (on paper) in 2015 were road games too ... and we all know how that squad took care of business!

So will we see that same sort of focus and tenacity in 2018? Will we see it truly manifest this Saturday at Happy Valley?

I hope so ....

 

[cecilB]

all good teams are

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

It strikes me that Iowa's best teams seem to even be at their most focused when preparing for away games ... and, in those years, despite the quality of opponent ... the Hawks have fared exceedingly well during their best years.

When you have a home-game (and you're doing well) ... you not only have everybody around you telling you how good you are ... you also anticipate that the home-field supplies you with some inherent advantage. Thus, I've seen the Hawks during "good years" have some of their scariest games at home (Arkansas State or Indiana games in '09 particularly come to mind).

Whereas in '02, they took care of Michigan AT the Big House ... the '09 squad had games @Wisc, @MSU, and @OSU (with the game vs OSU featuring a RS FR QB) ... and we were a whisper from winning all three (and we still won 2 of 3). Similarly, most of our toughest foes (on paper) in 2015 were road games too ... and we all know how that squad took care of business!

So will we see that same sort of focus and tenacity in 2018? Will we see it truly manifest this Saturday at Happy Valley?

I hope so ....

Don't forget @PSU in '09.

 

[Im4Iowa]

It strikes me that Iowa's best teams seem to even be at their most focused when preparing for away games ... and, in those years, despite the quality of opponent ... the Hawks have fared exceedingly well during their best years.

When you have a home-game (and you're doing well) ... you not only have everybody around you telling you how good you are ... you also anticipate that the home-field supplies you with some inherent advantage. Thus, I've seen the Hawks during "good years" have some of their scariest games at home (Arkansas State or Indiana games in '09 particularly come to mind).

Whereas in '02, they took care of Michigan AT the Big House ... the '09 squad had games @Wisc, @MSU, and @OSU (with the game vs OSU featuring a RS FR QB) ... and we were a whisper from winning all three (and we still won 2 of 3). Similarly, most of our toughest foes (on paper) in 2015 were road games too ... and we all know how that squad took care of business!

So will we see that same sort of focus and tenacity in 2018? Will we see it truly manifest this Saturday at Happy Valley?

I hope so ....

Don't forget @PSU in '09.

Iowa also won @PSU in ‘02.

 

[markfromj]

Iowa also won @PSU in ‘02.

...and ‘00 and ‘04 and, hell, 1983 and 1976.

 

[ichawk24]

Tautology. To win a lot of games, you have to win your road games.

 

[Im4Iowa]

Iowa also won @PSU in ‘02.

...and ‘00 and ‘04 and, hell, 1983 and 1976.

Well, the original post said Iowa won @Michigan in 2002 and I added that they also won at Penn State.

 

[ghostOfHomer777]

all good teams are

Tautology. To win a lot of games, you have to win your road games.

It's true ... that to be a good team ... you traditionally win plenty of games and that necessarily must include some road games.

However, I think that we could name a laundry list of teams that have conversely had very favorably schedules tilted towards home games ... and yet, some of the losses experienced by those teams were away games and not home games.

For example, I really believe that the Hawk squad from last year was quite good ... but they were, for the most part, a much better home-team than road-team.

The main thrust of the argument is that Iowa's very best teams almost seemed to perform EVEN BETTER on the road then they would at home ... and part of that was perhaps more a reflection of how much more focused they'd be for home games.

Also, I agree with the recognition of the '02 win on the road against PSU .... that was a significant win, even though PSU was having some troubles during that patch.

 

[MeetTheFerentz]

I've never heard anyone say "Yeah, our team that year was great, but boy, they couldn't win a road game for sh*t."

 

[Johnsoda123]

Couldn't be more excited. Iowa taking their 5th best in the FBS scoring defense to an extremely hostile and raucous stadium to face the 10th best scoring offense in the country. Fun game and fun season.

 

[HawkAlum2002]

...and ‘00 and ‘04 and, hell, 1983 and 1976.

And '96, Hayden beat JoePa in their final meeting.

 

[Hawks2405]

Most elite-level teams only play at home.