Interesting take from Jesse Temple from The Athletic.
MADISON, Wis. — Don Morton’s Wisconsin football team was winless and listless a month into the 1988 season, smack in the middle of a descent toward the college football abyss.
That was filmed on a Thursday. Two days later, Iowa promptly walloped Wisconsin 31-6 at Kinnick Stadium. Wisconsin would finish the season 1-10 overall and 1-7 in the Big Ten while ranking last in the country in scoring offense at 9.6 points per game behind an ineffective veer offense.
If you’re wondering where this is going and why it’s relevant at all 33 years later, it helps to provide some context for this next stat. That team converted just 27.9 percent of its third downs, the lowest rate Wisconsin has on record since 1981. The only team to challenge that ignominious mark? This 2021 Wisconsin group, which has converted 28.4 percent of its third downs, currently on pace to be the Badgers’ worst output since the 1988 team.
He brings up the 1981 season. Kirk Ferentz's first trip to Madison. He was 5-0 as an assistant and 4-5 as a head coach, so this his 15th trip to Madison over the years.
First trip in a long time, since Barry Alvarez isn't around officially for this series.
In 2004, the Heartland Trophy was invented. Iowa won the first two seasons, including the 2005 win in Madison, which was Alvarez's final one as head coach at Wisconsin.
Wisconsin has turned the table on Iowa, after being winless from 1977 to 1996 in the series. Ironically, Iowa was winless from 1961 to 1980 against Purdue.
Hopefully, #9 Iowa can find the much needed karma to bounce back at Wisconsin on Saturday.
I am leaning to playing a round of golf with a Badgers grad, rather than watch the game live.
Hopefully, I can capture two wins on Saturday. On Iowa
By the way, Wisconsin ran for 300 yards in 2019, in their 24-22 win over Iowa. Iowa went for a 2 point conversion in last year's 28-7 win 🤔
Here's to Brian Ferentz getting his first win as an OC in Madison in his third try.
