Question about 2004 season

[Mountain Man Hawk]

I was just looking up how many 11 win seasons we have had (2002, 2009, 2015), and noticed that in 2004 we only played 3 non-conference games (ISU, Arizona St, and Kent St) and we ended that year with a 10-2 record. We only had one non-P5 team on the schedule that year or we likely could have another 11 win season. Does anyone know why we didn't? In both 2002 and 2003 we had 4 non-cons and 2004 and 2005 we only had 3. I didn't check every year but I'm pretty sure every season since then we have had 4 non-cons, generally following the formula of scheduling ISU plus one other P5 team plus 2 non P5s (i.e. MAC level teams). Where was that extra game in 2004 and 2005?

 

[unsubstantiated]

Was that the year Missouri chickened out and it was too late to schedule anyone else?

 

[Hawkeyes94]

11 game schedules were the rule prior to 2006. In 2002 and 2003 they experimented with a 12 game schedule, then reverted back to 11 games in 04 and 05, before making 12 games permanent in 06.

 

[El Simbolo]

94 is spot on. 2002 and 2003 calendars aligned to provide the maximum number of weeks between Labor Day and thanksgiving so NCAA gave 12 games a whirl

 

[Mountain Man Hawk]

94 is spot on. 2002 and 2003 calendars aligned to provide the maximum number of weeks between Labor Day and thanksgiving so NCAA gave 12 games a whirl

Got it, thanks. It's a shame they didn't extend it to 2004 or we could be celebrating our fourth 11-win season.