Yes, I had the teams reversed. I was sitting in the endzone where the kick occurred and had a good view of both kicks.
Most Lucky/unlucky plays in Iowa history
- Thread starter LincolnHawkeye
- Start date
There are a bunch against ISU. In 2002 Brad Banks having the ball drop out of his hands (twice?) when he went back to throw. The fumble by Steen on the interception in 2001. Not to mention the fact that their field goal percentage must be a good 30% higher against us than against every other team. The history of their program is filled with missed field goals in big games but against us they can't miss.
I also agree the 2010 and 2009 seasons were essentially a mirror image of each other in terms of luck. In 2009 we caught a lot of breaks (2 blocked field goals, crazy bouncing interceptions, etc). Then in 2010 anything that could go wrong did. I swear in 2010 we had the lead in the 4th quarter of every game. In some of them like Ohio St we even had the other team down to 4th and 10 at the end of the game when the quarterback makes a desperation scramble to pick it up and win the game. Obviously the Wisconsin game that year has been debated to death on here.
I believe we had a touchdown called back in the 2012 Iowa State game that would've given us the lead in the 4th quarter of a 6-9 game, and if I also remember, Vandenberg's last pass of that game was a tipped ball interception in ISU territory.
Yeah the Sash 86 yard pinball touchdown was luck. I wouldn't say some of the plays you mentioned in this thread because coming through in the clutch is not luck. But that was luck.
Which is why we needed to go for the win in regulation instead of filling our diaper.
There were certain things with Hayden-coached teams that they struggled with that would've drove a good number of our fans batsh*** crazy if they did that today. (because we have made a few of those mistakes before and I have seen our fans complain....this is how I know)
For example:
- goofy shifts that result in play going nowhere or a turnover (classic example being the blocked punt for a TD in the Rose Bowl.............we had one blocked against Pitt last week with this new formation they're trying so we'll see how that continues to work out)
- simple pitch plays and other similar plays like you mentioned turning into a "will we/won't we turn the ball over" adventure
- kicking game struggles (there were some Hayden teams that were almost better off going for 2 pts after a touchdown.....)
Or maybe not put our obviously rattled QB in a high pressure situation and let him have all the time he needs from our opponents 25 and lean on our defense. That really doesn't seem like a bad bet but you get to be right because you have hind sight. So you win. Happy.
Yep, those two games that got away stuck in my craw for a long time too.
The second game the fumble was by Bass on a good pitch from Vlasic. Stupid, silly lapse of concentration ... lose the game.
The late interception - not that it was so unlucky - by Sherman in '97 at Michigan is another woulda, coulda, shoulda, game in the Big House.
Oh well, we won a few close ones up there too.
Luck = preparation meets opportunity. The TD vs LSU in the Cap1 was lucky, as was Tyler Sash INT for a 95 yd TD vs Indiana.
If you want to talk unlucky plays please post this on the Basketball Board and we can talk killer 3's all night long. There are no "unlucky plays" in football.
If you want to talk unlucky plays please post this on the Basketball Board and we can talk killer 3's all night long. There are no "unlucky plays" in football.
Actually, he intercepted the ball in the field of play (I believe it was inside the 10 yard line). If he would have knocked it down, Iowa would have the ball around the 40. Even if Iowa still has a bad punt, the Hawks likely win that game.
But for me, the most unlucky play was in basketball. Pembrooke Burroughs' tip in, 1970 NCAA tournament. Best BB team Iowa has ever had. I really think the Hawks would have won it all that year.
Did you really just repeat that trite halfsense? Shame on you
.Disagree. You can't give Vandeberg ALL the credit for his scoop/score against Iowa State. It's not easy to make a ball bounce the way you'd like it to bounce while you strip a ball-carrier. He wasn't the only player hustling on the play.
Well, since fumbles are largely random, and the bounce of the ball is usually random once the ball is out. I'd say recovering a fumble is mostly luck. A tipped past can also involve a lot of luck.
Keep jackin' it to that same ol' song, Heat, It's bound to happen for you eventually
You mean the one you guys keep bringing up after 6 years. We did win an Orange Bowl that season but that isn't as fun to talk about is it?
Ronnie Lester re-injuring his knee against Louisville was also bad luck. The 1980 team with a healthy Lester would have given 1970 a good game. Imagine Fred Brown with a 3-point shot. Both were great teams and fun to watch.
Best catch I've ever seen in person and it hurt so much. Don't know how he never did much in the NFL, he was really good in college. According to Wikipedia he had a few issues with drinking and driving.
Off Merton Hanks, he should have just knocked it down but decided to pick it and the ball bounded off him right into the receivers hands.
Yes, and I'm still not sure that wasn't a touchdown. I swear I can see little black pieces flying up from where his foot was. Even it was, I guess it kind of makes up for the touchdown that wasn't against somebody where you can clearly see water flying up from the player's shoe in the endzone. I can't remember who it was against....it was in the 80's though.
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I spent this whole thread thinking about this game but couldn't remember the year. If you're talking only about luck and don't consider the size of the game THIS is the correct answer. He was wide open, perfect pass and just let it slip through his fingers. I remember my reaction was "OH NO... wait what?"
Luckiest: Sash's fumble TD, no doubt. Next ones are the two FG's that Minny hit that were called back and, one way or another, resulted in Iowa wins. The PI call against PSU in 2008 was lucky in that sometimes that play isn't called, but that time it was.
Unluckiest: Quinn Early drops a slippery pass on OSU's 3 yard line in 1985, that play could have turned a loss into a win and undefeated reg season. Ronnie Harmon breaks his leg in 1984, and our season is never quite the same. Referee misses WR Halverson's foot coming down in-bounds and Iowa loses a TD in the famous 1985 Michigan game.
Most recently, watching Dan Persa throw the winning TD pass against us and tearing his Achilles tendon, making it the last play of his season! Couldn't he have torn it the play before, man?
Also, the Grant Steen pick-then-fumble play was in the 2001 ISU game, which was the LAST game of that season because if 9/11. And it felt right to have it at the end of the season. Wish we'd kept it that way.
Unluckiest: Quinn Early drops a slippery pass on OSU's 3 yard line in 1985, that play could have turned a loss into a win and undefeated reg season. Ronnie Harmon breaks his leg in 1984, and our season is never quite the same. Referee misses WR Halverson's foot coming down in-bounds and Iowa loses a TD in the famous 1985 Michigan game.
Most recently, watching Dan Persa throw the winning TD pass against us and tearing his Achilles tendon, making it the last play of his season! Couldn't he have torn it the play before, man?
Also, the Grant Steen pick-then-fumble play was in the 2001 ISU game, which was the LAST game of that season because if 9/11. And it felt right to have it at the end of the season. Wish we'd kept it that way.
